Ruth's TEA Journal

14 February - 24 April 2009

I arrived in Auckland airport, about 30 hours after leaving home, tired but excited and a little apprehensive as to what the next 10 weeks had in store for me. I met Christy and Brittney outside customs and we headed to the OM office in Papakura. Ally and Katy soon joined us the same day, and Jordan Sarah and Tyler followed in the next couple of days.  So this was TEAm 02/09 and some parts of my story along the way.

WEEK ONE

First couple of days in Papakura was spent checking our gear, getting what we didn’t have and having a run down on survival in the bush.

Mon 16th - Today is our first day of our trial tramp and for me it was a reality check. Now having second thoughts about this and suddenly realising what I’m letting myself in for! Seriously doubting if I can do this and maybe everyone was right after all. But I came out alive, although the sandflies did do a good job eating me alive. Britt and I had our first experience of possums and sleeping in the great outdoors with them running riot at our heads. Back in Papakura 3 days later and checking our gear was good, re-adjust anything that wasn’t working and George continued our training that had already begun in the bush.

WEEK TWO

Mon 23rd - Our first day on the road for the next 9 weeks with the van as our home, tents tucked in the back and my new TEA family here to share the experience.
Wed 25th - We’ve made our way east to Lake Waikaremoana, and I’m excited about kayaking for the first time, also camping for the first time, with no facilities I’m wondering how I’m going to do.  Breaking out of my comfort zone, I find out new things about myself during this 4 day trip, I’m able to survive without hot showers and toilets.
While kayaking there were no distractions and plenty of time to appreciate and be inspired by God’s creation, showing us His character, His gentleness, His creativity, His humour, His variety, His vastness of how big He is, of which we can only enjoy some of it, but He can enjoy all of it, He created it all for His glory!

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WEEK THREE

Sun 1st - Spending a couple of days with friends, we were thankful to use their hot showers.  Today we have the privilege of taking some Maori kids to the beach. This was a turning point for me, to see the kids turn from not wanting to do our programme, totally changing into children enjoying their time on the beach with us. It was fun to be able to get to know them and spent this time out with them.
Wed 4th - We have an early start to the morning to catch the ferry to the south island. George is taking us to meet Norm and Christy there. For the first time, 2 TEAm’s have come together for 4 days.  TEA 01/09 is almost 8 weeks into their time and it was great to meet them. We’re all travelling the same journey and we can relate to what each of us are going through. Hanne and I had late night talks, praying and encouraging, and using our time to learn as much as we could from each other. We also had prayer partners in the other team, Daniel was praying for me and it worked out that I was praying for him too. It was good to be able to meet someone who I didn’t know and yet praying for me. Our God is great who connects us together on a level that no religion in the world can offer. We spent time in worship and with the 2 teams together I thought it was a little taste of heaven.

WEEK FOUR

Sat 7th - Today’s the day!  Skydive!  Not sure if I should be nervous, scared or excited. We all headed round to the centre and calmed our nerves by getting our gear on and taking silly photos. Then it was up and away, all the way to 13000 ft. The view was beautiful. So after Timon and Tyler both jumped it was my turn, feeling really sick now but knowing that there was only one way down!! Before I knew it I was free-falling and enjoying the rush and after about 50 secs the parachute opened and we were floating to the ground. Very excited!
Thurs 12th - This is the 3rd day of our tramp in Kahurangi NP. On our way out today but its approx 7 hours back.  Today was a huge learning curve for me.  It was physically the hardest challenge ever. I really thought I was going to die on Gordon’s pyramid. This day will stay with me forever. I learned from God that some mountains are too big to handle on my own. I need to trust Him with the mountains in my life and allow Him to take me to the top; I can’t go through life on my own.

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WEEK FIVE

Tue 17th - Up early today to start on the first day of our 4 day tramp at Mt Somers. It’s St Patrick’s Day and Sarah has left me a surprise in my bag, a green hat, so I wore it all day all the way to Woolshed hut and even to the swimming hole.  We all had a good laugh at it.
Wed 18th - Today we climbed to the top of the mountain, we’re all really excited. Sarah and I are especially excited.  This is a huge achievement for us and we were really happy about doing it, although it wasn’t easy. On the way up God was speaking again and He was saying to take one step at a time. When I thought I’d reached the highest point, I got there to realise it was only part of the bigger mountain, there was another peak and another. As it is in life, God only asks me to trust Him with one thing at a time, God’s knows what’s ahead, I don’t, just take one day at a time with God.

WEEK SIX

Sat 21st - George took us to Mt. Cook today, and had a really good walk round to Hooker glacier lake. It was beautiful with snow on top of the mountains and the weather really warm. We got to the lake and Jordan and Tyler had come prepared for a dip in the icy water. With an audience and a few cheers the 2 boys went in for a quick dip. Ally, Britt and I followed, not really expecting to go but with some encouragement from the team I found myself neck deep. Out quick and the heat of the sun soon dried me out, and got the feeling back into my feet.
Tue 24th -  Today we had the joy of helping John at Lakeland Christian camp to do some work round the area. It was good to be serving God in this practical way. The men pulled down a tree and we girls removed the branches to a different part of the park. It was a good afternoon’s work and for a treat after we had Kiwi burgers, definitely ate too much, lots of dessert too.

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WEEK SEVEN

Sun 29th - Leaving Fox Glacier this morning we’re working our way up the west coast. First we stopped at Lake Matheson to have our own church service. Norm wanted each of us to share something that God had been saying to us during the past week. I had been studying the book of Ruth and during some quiet time in Wanaka God had been telling me to trust Him with the bigger plan, while He works out the details, He’s doing the hard work, I don’t have to worry about it, but let Him be God, and He doesn’t get tired or weary. I can rest in Him, enjoy being in His presence and be thankful for the blessings He gives me everyday. God will make things happen in His time and when He is ready.
Wed 1st - Our tramp was about 5 hours today in Nelson Lakes. On our way from Lakehead hut to John Tait hut and Norm is giving us some things in devotions to be thinking about while we’re tramping. Finding things much easier now, we’re getting in the swing of things, well until the unmentionable happens!!! Yep it happened, I done a “facey”. I took a fall…head first and landing with my pack on top of me. Had a nice scratch on my neck and a few other trophies, but always a lesson to learn. Take your eyes off God and you trip and fall, but if you look down too hard you can miss the beauty of what is around you. So I learned to stay focused on God and let the Holy Spirit do the leading in my life.

WEEK EIGHT

Thurs 9th - This week has been so good with Dennis and Sharon, a week to unwind, spend time with God, and pray.  Also have been really well fed, will miss the good home cooking.  But Norm and Dennis have organised for us to stay another night and it will give us a chance to help Dennis do some work around his place, and eat some more.
First Sarah, Katy and I went for a prayer walk. We had a good time sharing and praying for each other, and to see how we can use our lives to honour God and what problems we are facing that stops that from happening.
After lunch, we get walking to the stream where we take away some of the wall so Dennis can take his jeep through with much easier access. Then we take turns driving the jeep, and with the trailer on the back we collect old wood out of the field.

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WEEK NINE

Sun 12th - Back on the north island and in Wellington again, Norm and Christy have left and George is back with us again. We headed off to church this morning and had a really good Easter morning service. Our German friend who we met here before joined us for the day as it was his birthday, and Kevin with his wife and daughter had roast turkey dinner. It was good to see how God provided for us. Today we’re getting our things packed for our last tramp. It takes no time now to pack our things, knowing well what we need. Feel like a pro now.
Wed 15th - George gave us options today. I like options. We’ve already done 2 days tramping and really enjoying it. In the Tararuas range and first stop was Powell hut and then across to Jumbo hut, with some friends that we made, in both huts too. We tramped across the ridges of the mountains yesterday and we were going to do some more exploring today, but we’ve decided to go out and climb Mt Ngauruhoe tomorrow. We fly out of the mountains and make a start on the way up the road.
Thurs 16th - Up really early today to get to climb “Mt Doom”. Driving along we see the mountain and we’re climbing to the top. After 1hr30 we reach the foot of the volcano, and my knees are shaking at the steep climb up.  Now I see it, I want to do it!  Loose volcano rock under foot we climb to the top, all the way I’m freaking out about how I’m going to get back down again. Not liking the steepness and feels like sitting on the edge and fall off at any time. I plod ahead to the lip and have a look inside the volcano; we take a few photos and start back down again. It was much more fun than I expected but also a bit dangerous as we tried not to knock any loose rocks. At one point George had us all hold hands and run down, so we covered a good bit of ground doing that. On our walk back Ally and I had opportunity to talk to 2 guys from Israel, good conversations with them. We’re all tired tonight, but happy and hungry and ready for a hot shower.

WEEK TEN

Wed 22nd - Today I spent some time on Papamoa beach watching the sea and enjoying time by myself. Thinking about what we’ve been learning over the past 10 weeks and how God has been changing me. These last few days are preparation for re-entry back into the world again, the bubble will burst and reality will set in again. Making new goals of how I want my life to be different.
It’s our last night on the road. After dinner we went down to the beach, with the moon and stars out and the sea beside we could only thank God for having great friends, for good times and hard times, lessons learned, lives changed but mostly for His grace and goodness. We sang ‘How Great is our God’ and I prayed that our God truly is great and I have now and all of eternity to worship and praise Him for who He is.  It will be a great day when I can stand in His presence in awe of His beauty and we all will see how great He is.

SUMMARY

TEA was an experience which for me pushed me outside my comfort zone. I was challenged to do things I don’t normally do, and to think in a way that is different for most people. I’ve learned that my purpose here on earth is to live to glorify God and to make Him famous, to serve Him and others with the body of Christ. God is not my slave to bless me and make my life comfortable, God is my master and I have to live my life to honour and glorify Him.

Go to the people of all nations and make them my disciples. Baptise them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, and teach them to do everything I have told you. I will be with you always, even until the end of the world. – Matthew 28:19-20

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