The Bay of Plenty
May has been another full month on the road with projects but has also included a welcome break at the end with a week off from work/school and from the caravan!
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| Our travels over the last month |
The first 2 weeks of May were spent finishing up the jobs Tītoki healing centre near Whakatane. As mentioned in the previous blog it was also incredibly wet with a big storm moving through the area, drenching us and the work site. One big concern was that the roofing iron had finally arrived but it didn’t look like the rain and wind were going to cooperate with letting us get it on the roof. There was a lot of prayer and one afternoon there rain stopped and the wind slowed and it was all hand on deck to start getting the roof on. The heavy dark clouds on the horizon managed to stay there and, by what felt like a miracle, the roof was completed just in the nick of time before the heavens opened again. There was a lot of thankfulness and praise that this could be completed and we even had a the extra hands required to get the job done with a MMM volunteer turning up with a Swedish hitchhiker who both proved invaluable.
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| The men working hard to get the roof on before the next dump of rain |
During this time we also got to celebrate Hudson’s 9th birthday. He was very happy to get some star wars lego as during our travels he has been learning to use stop-motion photos to make his own mini movies, and enjoys making Star Wars themed clips.
Getting to the end of the 5 week job it was wonderful to look back at the before photos and to see how far the Murray cottage had come. To go from a musty, damp, leaking, dated building to a fresh, modern, warm and dry cottage in 5 weeks was a great achievement and a real blessing for the ministry of Tītoki Healing Centre. It was a joy to see that we were able to help relieve some of the burden of fixing up the place and knowing we were leaving in a state that would mean it should stay warm, dry and usable for decades to come.
On our teams final evening there, there was a dinner put on for all the volunteers of Tītoki that was extended to us also. It was a wonderful time to get together with the volunteer cooks, groundskeepers, ministry staff and others who put a lot of themselves into the place and be able to thank them for how they had also blessed us during our stay there.
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| The team standing on the deck of the refurbished cottage at the end of the job |
The next stop was Tauranga, 14th Ave Gospel Chapel. The chapel was going through a refresh, with previous MMM team freshening up the bathrooms and, for us, the plan was to paint the entranceway, kitchen and back morning tea/lunch rooms. We had a good small group of painters on the job and for to experienced the wonderful hospitality of the church, many who were over 80yrs old and still came to provide lunches for us.
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| Hudson helping to unscrew some cabinets |
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| Chris rolling the first top coat on |
While there (in Tauranga), Chris caught up with Nathan Horner and his wife and newborn baby. This was a treat for Chris as Nathan was a good friend from University days. Nathan and his wife heard more about what we are doing this year and are now praying for us and reading our blogs too! (Hey guys!) We also had some time to enjoy some of the fantastic parts of nature- from climbing the Mount (Manganui) with Thea, to walking beautiful shell-filled beaches, and (even in the pouring rain) exploring McLaren falls with its stunning walks and disc golf course.
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| Chris with his friend Nathan |
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| Thea and I up the top of Mount Maunganui |
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| Watching the stunning sunset from Otūmoetai while the kids searched for 'treasures' in the sand |
We were given a week off (Holiday!) after this, after 5 months living and travelling in a caravan this was a welcome opportunity. We were generously offered a Bach up in Whangamata, (the Coromandel), to go stay during the week. What a wonderful time of rest and refreshment for us all! We all enjoyed the change of pace, frequent beach visits and the space that living in a house gave after living in a caravan over the last several months.
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| At the beach at Whnagmata- Chris is a small dot on the island as he ran/swam out there! |
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| The kids were delighted to catch some fish off the wharf at Whangamata |
Despite passing over into winter during our stay there we enjoyed warm days with plenty of beach visits, fishing and even some swimming! Unfortunately Abbey got sick during our time there which slowed us down a bit but I still got to enjoy taking the older kids to Hot Water Beach on my birthday. As our time in Whangamata was coming a close we got a call from friends asking if we wanted to extend our holiday into the long weekend at their bach in Mount Manganui! So we left from one holiday to the next and had a great time at a beautiful place on the beach front, with lots more time spent on the beach and in the water, as well as some nice chilled time reading books and doing puzzles.
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| The beautiful Hot Water Beach |
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| Hudson working hard on digging a hole |
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| The stretch of beach on our doorstep at the Mount Maunganui bach |
After such a relaxing and refreshing week away we hit the road to pick up the caravan before making the journey onto New Plymouth. We had a stunning day for the drive down and were even greeted by the snow-capped Mount Taranaki towering in the blue bird skies. We have already been made so welcome down here at St Andrews Church - they put on a welcome dinner for us (before the project has even started!) and we are looking forward to getting to experience this beautiful place over the next 3 months, as well as being a help to their large renovation plan.
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| Hudson holding a frog we found in Pirongia |
Thank you so much to everyone who is journeying with us, supporting us with words of encouragement, prayer and financially.
Praise points
- God has provided everything we need and Chris’ foot is doing well
- Hudson and his spiritual and physical growth (He is 9yrs old now!)
- For the generosity of God’s people who have provided us with holiday stays and meals during work weeks
Prayer points
- That we would build good relationships while we are in Taranaki- we are here for 3 months so will have more time to build deeper connections
- Pray for success for the 2 projects in Taranaki: St Andrew’s Presbyterian Church in New Plymouth and Vertical Horizons Christian Camp in Inglewood. Both projects involve complex building work with consented architectural plans
- Pray that the kids may make some good friendships while we are in Taranaki over the next 3 months.
If you're interested in hearing more about MMM NZ, or supporting Chris and I financially please get in touch with us, we'd love you to share in the blessing of what is going on this year!
For more information about MMMNZ (Mobile Mission Maintenance) - see their website at mmm.org.nz
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