Morning Tea

Ever since we first started talking about ministering in New Zealand, I've wanted to have ladies in for morning tea. Morning tea is what Kiwis call their mid-morning snack. So,once school was back in session, I decided it was time to calendar this. Of course I wanted the group to be small enough that we could share openly (and all get around the dining table), but large enough we weren't struggling for conversation (perish the thought). So, from left to right, we have Sereena, Karen, Helen and Daphne. I made my raspberry scones (Tom Small's recipe)--yum, and a quiche. Of course, my Kiwi friends thought my scones were cookies, but nevermind. Maybe they wondered why there was margarine on the table. I tried a lemon curd recipe but of course it didn't come out quite right. We've got a lemon tree just outside the garage and it is bursting with ripe lemons. Oh, and my buttercup post...well I'm not convinced they are buttercups, but I haven't been able to determine what type of pumpkin they are.

Later that evening, we had Alan & Sam Whyte over for dinner (plus Alan's mum). Mrs. Whyte was Micah's teacher last year (brave soul). After dinner we played Apples to Apples, which we've done with many of our guests. It has become a favorite. Sometimes the younger kids need a little assistance with some of the larger terms used in the game. It is great fun!

Oh, and speaking of great fun, today we went to Napier, the Art Deco capital of the world (only about twenty minutes away). After a major earthquake in 1931, where the entire city was destroyed, the city was rebuilt in an art deco style. Every year the city hosts Art Deco Weekend. We saw a fantastic parade of a hundred or so vintage automobiles, with all occupants dressed accordingly. Great fun!

An Addition to the Family

We've had an addition to the family! Micah and Emmalee are holding our newest addition--three chicks. Well, truth is they're not ours, but our landlord's. (I had you there, didn't I?) The first week or so of their existence, they found a nice and easy route out of the coop. They just follow Mama, who easily fits through the opening in the fence. After several challenging opportunities of capturing Mom and babies and putting them back in the coop, our landlord decided to let them stay out of the coop. They now live in some bushes just outside the coop. Our landlord figured that was a safer place for them to live for the time being, as there was less chance for the hawks to spot them and snatch them. It's been a challenge to keep Sydney from noticing. Nevermind, she's been on a serious hunt for rat(s) living under our deck.

Buttercup Buttercup O Butter Butter Butter

As mentioned in an earlier post, the previous tenant of our house planted a garden. Having a garden is a mainstay for many Kiwis. Among the lettuce and spinach in our garden were some veggies we couldn't identify. For weeks we watched as the vine grew and lengthened. We anticipated harvesting some type of squash and we knew that Kiwis were big on pumpkin, so we assumed it was pumpkin. Now, pumpkin here is far different than the Jack-0-lantern most of us grew up with. Kiwi's eat pumpkin year-round and make all sorts of lovely dishes with it. This, dear friends, is a buttercup--a type of pumpkin. Now, farmers in the Hawkes Bay (where we live) grow 40% of New Zealand's squash exports. In fact one of Riverbend's elders exports his crop to Japan. He's not alone. Currently, 84% of New Zealand's export buttercup squash production is supplied to Japan, 15% to Korea. So, what on earth do I do with these things? I gave the first away, but I have two more and the vine is loaded. Guess I'll have to discover some recipe uses or just roast and enjoy with butter. (I think I'll be giving more away).

I Was Only Kidding

Last post, I said it was the end of summer. It's not the end of summer...I was only kidding! Yesterday, (late afternoon/early evening) it was so hot we sat outdoors, in the shade, with wet washcloths on our necks and eating popsicles! We talked about going to the beach, but it was a little late in the afternoon for that, so Micah came up with the idea of playing a water game instead. We had an invitation for lunch after church and had a lovely time with two Riverbend families. Micah enjoyed playing in a beautiful swimming pool with two other boys and six girls. But, all good things must come to an end. We really hated to leave. Arriving home in the late afternoon, we thought the temperature in the house would be relatively bearable, since it had been closed up all day. We were wrong! Ugh, we nearly died (was about 90+ in our house)! It hasn't been cooling down at night, either. In fact, a number of folks at church told me that they hadn't slept the last few nights because it's been so hot. That's certainly true for us too...less sleep, more sweat and definitely more skeeter bites.

Otherwise, things are great around here!

End of Summer!

Well, we've reached the end of Micah's school holiday. We've all enjoyed the summer break, but alas school is on the horizon. Officially, tomorrow (2/2/11), Micah returns to Hastings Christian School, as a Year 7 student! Today, we met Greg in town for putt-putt golf and Micah hit a bucket of balls at the batting cage. In addition, Greg and Micah went on an overnight outing last week up to Gisborne. This was a back-to-school, pre-adolescent father-son time, which was highly profitable for all.

Greg was privileged to preach at Riverbend Bible Church on January 23 and 30. If you'd like to listen to his messages online, please contact us and we'll give you the website address. They were excellent!

Ministering Elsewhere - Wellsford

Greg was recently invited to preach at a church that has been without a pastor for a couple of years. So, the week of January 13-20, we spent in the Wellsford area, a full days drive from our home. We were welcomed by a small body of believers hungry for the Word. Currently, they use DVD's from Riverbend as their service and meet in a granny flat. One of the dear couples own a small cottage, where we stayed, which was adjacent to their home. They had a newborn calf which was orphaned shortly after birth. Thus, the calf has to be bottle fed. Micah got to feed the calf one evening and was asked to feed the calf another evening when this couple had to be out for a wedding. It was a real privilege to minister to this small flock of hungry sheep. Truly, they ministered to us! In fact, they have (albeit indirectly) asked Greg to come and be their pastor.

During the week, we enjoyed excursions to Auckland, the Kauri Museum, Warkworth and Matakana, as well as Pakiri Beach.