Greetings from Aotearoa (that's the Maori word for New Zealand)!  As I sit in the house today avoiding the pouring rain outside, I am amazed at the amount of support we have received from friends and family both in the United States and here in New Zealand.  I get messages from people through email, Facebook, texts, etc. on a daily basis telling me how they are praying for us, thinking about us, and telling others about our missional adventure here in New Zealand.  With my American accent (I don't think I have an accent but everybody here thinks I have an accent), people often will ask where I am from and why we moved here to New Zealand.  This has opened up many opportunities to tell people that I am here as a part of the Church of the Nazarene as a volunteer missionary.  Most of these conversations haven't gone too deep into spiritual or theological discussion  but they have allowed me to place a seed in these people that perhaps God will use at a later date.
     The kids have all been in school now for two weeks and are adjusting well to their new school environment.  They are attending a public Christian school called Excellere College.  They seem to like some of the things in school here such as a tea time in the morning where they have a break from classes as well as a longer lunch than they are used to in America (I think their lunches here are forty minutes long compared to only twenty-five minutes at Cascade School in Bell Buckle).  However, they are still not excited about the uniforms they have to wear!  I asked the kids if they wanted to wear their uniforms to school at Cascade when they get back there and they all replied with a definite no!  Lori has enjoyed her time the last couple of weeks with the kids at school as it has allowed her to do a few things around the house that she wanted to do.  She has also been able to spend some time with our new pastor's wife, Kolene, which I think has been good for both of them.
     I have two more weeks at my current job before I switch to teaching at another school, Dargaville High School.  I am looking forward to the change and have been praying that this change would be good for me.  I am also hoping that I can fit in well with the students and teachers at the school.  The drive will be longer than I would like to do but still much shorter than the drive I have now.  I am still learning about how teaching in New Zealand, and specifically the Northland region of New Zealand, is different from teaching in Tennessee.  Kids will be kids no matter where you are, but cultures are definitely different!
     One good thing about my long drive to work (probably the only good thing about my long drive), is that I can listen to podcasts while I drive.  I have been listening to a lot of Truth for Life podcasts lately with the pastor Alistair Begg.  These are great learning and devotional times for me as I head up and down the curvy highways of New Zealand.  I am thankful for these moments.

"6 This is why I remind you to fan into flames the spiritual gift 

God gave you when I laid hands on you. 7 For God has not 

given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love, 

and self-discipline. 8 So never be ashamed to tell others about our Lord."

--2 Timothy 1:6-8