May 22, 2015

So here I sit in Totara North, New Zealand, wondering what will happen next.  I have had a lot of firsts in the last three days or so: first time to New Zealand, first time out of the United States, first time in California, first time to drive on the opposite side of the road.  It has already been quite an adventure and I have only been in New Zealand about 36 hours!  Yesterday, Neville Bartle, the New Zealand District Superintendent picked my up at the Auckland airport at 7:00 am and took me to his house for some coffee and breakfast.  A few hours later I was with him at a church in West Auckland helping to clean it up.  Then it was back to his house for lunch before boarding a bus to Whangarei.  There I was met by Alison and Donna, the co-pastors of our Whangarei church.  They could not be any nicer and helpful to me.  From having a hot meal and warm bed for me last night to driving me to Kaeo today to the school where I begin teaching on Monday.  It has been a whirlwind of things in the last 72 hours but tomorrow should be a little slower which I am looking forward to.

Lori and the kids are still in Tennessee and I am very lonely without them.  I cannot wait for them to join me here in NZ so we can go through this together instead of apart as we are now.  I am very thankful for the internet and cell phones which allow us to stay in close contact with each other but it is still not the same as being physically together.

I will leave you with a few pictures.  The first three are from my bus ride from Auckland to Whangarei.  The last two are from the house I am staying in until I find a place for us to live.

Steve