I'm alive...

So this post isn't anything very interesting. Just something to let you guys know that I haven't forgotten about this blog and that I do intend to update it soon. Honestly I really do. Things have been good, just still very busy. I'm starting to notice a pattern in my life. :) I finished up my time in New Zealand and came back home. It was completely amazing and I loved every moment of it there. I'm going to miss that country so much but more than that I'm going to miss my friends and the people I met there. It was truly a huge blessing to be able to go there. On July 1st I came back into the states (and made heaps of jokes while waiting in the customs line with my friends Christie and Megan about how good it was to be back) at spent a few days in San Francisco with my sister. It was such a great time but certainly the coldest 4th of July I've ever experienced. After that I came back home to the ranch to spend a few days with my parents and my brothers and their wives before heading off to my next adventure. What is the next adventure you ask? Why being the head chef at Ravencrest Chalet of course! :) God really blessed me with completely lining up this job for me and I'm really excited to see what He does here. I promise that I'll update with more stories and pictures soon. Really I will. :)

Frodo and Sam have no idea...

So I figure what better time to catch up on a little blogging then during my second ministry week? Especially since I'm pretty sure my last post is about my first ministry week and well we've had at least one or two things happen since then. So one thing that I thought I'd write up about was our hike up a volcano. (Which actually took place before last ministry week - sorry this is all so out of order but hey, at least you're hearing about it right?) Well a few of us decided that it would be a really great idea to hike up to the top of Mt. Ngaurugoe. And of course, it wouldn't be difficult enough to attempt this alpine hike with 15 people, only 2 of which have ever actually seen the mountain before, we decided that we should do it in the middle of the night. That way we could see the sunrise from the top cause hey, why not.

.....

I can list 3 very good reasons why not.
1) Wind
2) Sleep Deprivation
3) Fog

If only I had those three reasons before we started the hike. So we set off in our little caravan of three cars at about midnight from the school (i was running off of about 6 hours of sleep at this point, not bad). and we started driving and driving and driving. Thankfully my friend Jonas stayed awake to keep me company and to be my D.J.Well we got the the base at about 3:00 AM and decided to jump out and start our hike.

Still in the parking lot - ready to go!

So we began our walk, myself in the front and my friend Dan in the back. I was the only one in the group who had walked this way before and knew how to get to the base of the mountain. After walking for about an hour or so along some rather boring paths and then up some horrific stairs that almost killed me we found what we were looking for and started trekking upwards.

Three hours and piles of agony...

There really isn't any path to the top you just go "up" really. So up we went... and we climbed and climbed and climbed and climbed. I have to be honest and say that for at least 2/3 of the hike I was on my hands and knees because a) it was just easier to get up that way because the terrain was just loose dirt and rock that was impossible to find a firm foothold in and b) if I stood upright I would've gotten blown off the mountain. The amount of wind that we were facing was just insane. Although it was very creepy and cool with the fog. Until we realized that the fog meant we were freezing cold. Have I mentioned yet that I was doing all this with a very bad head cold? Yeah not really the wisest choice but oh well. Eventually we made it up to the top (to be honest I never would've made it without my friend Nick. I never knew how true the verses of Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 were until this hike). It was absolutely beautiful up there I have to be honest. I wish I had picture to do it justice but sadly I don't. It was a magnificent view and it was so cool to see God's creation from such a great height. After the two and a half hour climb to the top it was a great reward to see the surrounding mountains and valleys and the sunrise. It was much more fun going back down though. We mainly skied/slid/ran back down in the loose dirt and gravel. It was super fast and really easy. The most dangerous thing was just making sure you didn't dislodge any rocks which might hit your friends below you. I think we timed it and we made it back down the mountain in maybe 20 minutes?? hehe After that we decided to drive to the town of Taupo and to hang out for the day there. "Hang out" is a phrase which used here means, "eat a late lunch and sleep in the park till dinner time, get the best pizza on earth and then head home". That was an awesome experience and a really great day all in all. Yes I was miserable and in pain and agony most of the time but I am crazy happy that I did it. But yeah, Frodo and Sam have no idea how hard it is to hike a volcano, no idea...

Off to find my next adventure! :)

It's pronounced "Pie-row-uh"

And it's actually spelled Paeroa :) And I've decided that rather than try to put up posts in the order that they actually happened, I'll just put up the posts as I get pictures to illustrate them with. So I'm afraid that these next few posts will be slightly out of order, but then again, isn't that how life usually is?


One of the traditional items that fills the Capernwray calender is what they call "Ministry Week". This involves a staff member and a group of students heading off into various places in New Zealand and spending a week among the locals of a town, while being sponsored by one of the churches within that town. This year I was approached and asked if I would lead the team, and in my ignorance I thought this would be the easiest thing ever and agreed. Well, while it wasn't too terrible lets just say that I believe in the law of the rubber band and I won't be leading a team next term for fear of the snap. :)

The greatest team of all time!

In all honesty though I did have a great week and I couldn't have asked for a better team. We had an amazing time playing with the kids and joining in at all the different events. The church that sponsored us was so welcoming and I really think that as a team, we got as much out of the week as they did.

We had a really great time connecting with the different kids at the schools. Especially the
kids of Central School. I think we went back there 3 or 4 more times just to get to
hang out with them! They were so precious!

It really was an amazing time though. I mean any week that you can combine the following it's a good time:

Coffee (quite literally a latte bowl)

sports with the kids, so much fun!

Facepaint is always a good thing!

Breakfast on the way to Cathedral Cove. Yummy pancakes but
sadly disappointing coffee

Don't forget the pavlova fight :)

"Send me where You want me to, I finally have a mission, a promise I'll complete
I don't need excuses when I am Your hands and feet."

"Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that i commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age." ~ Matthew 28:19-20

My Apologies... Again

So I'm sorry that this isn't a very interesting post. It's mainly just something to let everyone know I'm still alive and kicking here in the land of the kiwis. Things have been very busy and very exciting these last few weeks and I promise that I will put up pictures shortly. No really I mean it this time! :)

In all honesty though life has just been great and so full and incredible that I have been delayed from writing by only the very best of things. Including jumping into a river, a cemetery, a volcano and crazy (or just old?) people. You'll hear all about it soon friends!

An Evening in Paris

So as per the regular Capernwray tradition the guys put together a girls night for us this last week. I must say that they did an excellent job. The theme for us was 'an evening in paris'. I absolutely loved it! I've gotta say it was really impressive. They did a super good job and I had a really fun time.

There was appetizers, dancing, a jazz band, photo shoots, amazing food (courtesy of dean) and just an amazing time. I'm pretty sure that Dean never knew that I could be that curious. I bugged him the whole week prior to the evening trying to figure out what was on the menu. :) All my spying into the fridge and bribing Mitch finally paid off and I finally had 2 of the dishes figured out by the evening. Although granted we had about seven dishes all told so I don't think I did that bad of a job. Here are some of the photos that they took for us. :) Good job guys!!

Princess Tea Parties

While the main parts of my job here in New Zealand is cooking food for the staff and students, and hanging out with the students (the fact that that is considered a 'job' is pretty much the best thing that a social butterfly like myself could ask for), there are a few extra perks that I get to have. One of which is hanging out with staff families.

The great thing about hanging out with staff families is that I get to enjoy playing with and being idolized by small children without really having to have any responsibility for them. That's why I also love being an aunt. :) So this last week, before all the students came, "Princess Sophie" and "Princess Annalise" came to visit and we decided that it was absolutely necessary that we have high tea together. :) Our citrus tea and goodies were shipped "all the way from the Orient, by the emperor himself". Thank goodness for the resource room and good imaginations! :)

My Next Adventure

Wow - can I just say that I saw the date of my last post and quite honestly I feel like crawling into a hole and painting myself black to try and cover my shame. Nothing since August? That has to be a glitch in the system... Or I'm just not a very faithful writer and I've got a feeling that it is much more that than anything else. So I guess it's time to play a little catch up and get you all informed of my next big adventure :)

School was great - I had a good time finishing everything up and my last few months in Florida were great. I really enjoyed it and learned a lot both in and out of school. As part of my schooling though they require that you do a three month internship underneath another chef. At first I was considering coming back to Colorado but then my mom suggested looking at the Capernwray schools again and seeing if any of the European schools needed help. Sadly though all the Euro schools were a no-go. But thankfully!! NZ was looking for somebody! :) So I now have the great pleasure of writing all of you from my new home base, Unit 1, at Capernwray. It sounds slightly like a place on a spaceship... Unit 1, aboard the mothership Capernwray. Who knows. I guess I've been watching a tad too much Battlestar Galactica lately. :)

I don't have any pictures just yet but I will say that I am completely spoiled already with my lovely little place. They even set up for me with fresh flowers and a few starter groceries :) Completely lovely. I must confess though - I find myself semi-picking up their accent and it's really starting to bug me so I'm trying to stop. :) Anyway, I'll try to be a little more faithful with these posts and let you know what's going on as my new adventure unfolds.