Comin' Home

Hey Kaleo! Hard to believe that we have just over a week before we arrive back in Canada (August 3). As soon as we get back we are doing the Strathcona trip with Ben and Danny and their friends Matt and Chris (Matt will be a Kaléo student this fall, so he’s getting a sneak preview). We will finish off the sabbatical with a trip to the Okanagan and a wedding (Sandy and Brita Colero). The last three weeks of the summer will be Kaléo 05/06 prep, and then off to Dave & Janine’s wedding. Speaking of which, we still have a couple of seats left in our van - let me know if you would like to fill them and share the cost and driving.

So how am I doing? The other day as we were walking on sand dunes high above big breakers on the north tip of New Zealand, Sarah asked me if this brought me joy. I had to say that though the day made me very happy, joy has been a longer journey, based on more than fun and sunshine. One thing I’m gaining and one thing I am losing - which contributes to joy in my life: I’m gaining an appreciation of my salvation, which I have taken for granted; and I am losing my intensity, which I have allowed to rob me of the here and now. I think I’m on the mend.

I held a penguin! We were tramping to the end of a long point and saw what looked like a rock in the middle of the beach. But the rock started to move and we realized it was a bird, acting rather strangely. Instead of walking or flying off, it pushed itself along on its stomach with its feet, and not very effectively. I didn’t know penguins lived this far north in NZ, but I guess they do.


As good Canadians we decided to leave it, but when we came back an hour later it was still struggling to get to the water, nearly a hundred meters away. I tried to pick it up and it tried to bite me! Finally I grabbed it under the wings and it flopped and hissed for a few moments and then gave up and enjoyed the ride. I waded into the waves and let it go, and it very cheerfully swam away, nibbling stuff in the water as it was likely starving. I’m a penguin hero!

Sand dunes are amazing – kinda like walking in warm powder snow. Except snow melts and dries up, and sand just gets everywhere and shows up for days in places you don’t expect. We hung out with a couple of young Brits (we meet Germans, Aussies, Canadians, South Africans, but rarely a Kiwi in these places) who were sandboarding (think boogey board down very steep sand dunes), but after watching them nearly kill themselves we were content with jumping down dunes five meters at a time.

These dunes were like small mountains, and some of the slopes were as high as Pacific Woods is from the water. I think we need to import some dunes to Qwanoes.

We continue to pray for you, and would love to hear more specifically how we can do so. We will see some of you in action at Qwanoes, others at the wedding and the rest I’m not sure when. But you always have a room to sleep in at our house, and a warm fuzzy place in our hearts. Miss you tons.