Well I have survived my first week in New Zealand!  Most of my experience so far has been very good from the people to the views.  My job here is a bit of a mess and not much fun so far but I have faith that God will give me the strength and patience to make it through this and impact lives in some positive way for Him!  I have enjoyed learning some of the differences between Americans and Kiwis such as "biscuits" are what we call cookies and tea time is very important here.  Most of the houses here in NZ are not insulated and do not have ventilation systems to heat or cool the house.  People leave windows open nearly year round here in the north and use fireplaces or heat pumps (an electric heater mounted in the wall) to heat their homes.  Many people often go barefoot all day long and businesses do not require you to wear shoes.  As a matter of fact, some have signs asking you to remove your shoes before entering if they are dirty!
       The hardest part of my journey so far has been leaving Lori and the kids behind at the Nashville airport.  I felt very sick to my stomach for a couple of hours after that which did not make my flight to LA very fun.  Anyway, I am hoping that they will be here soon to share in this experience with me as we try to do work for the glory of God!  On that note, I have seen a rainbow every day since arriving!  Each time I see one it makes me think of God's promises to us including that He is always with us wherever we are.