On the Road Again. ..

"On the road again; I just can't wait to get on the road again. .. "

Oh wait, rewind. . .  maybe I CAN wait to get on the road again!

1,000KMs on the windy roads of New Zealand took us to all the wild and wonderful places of the northland: Dargaville, Kai Iwi Lakes, Waipua Forest, Opononi, Kaitaia, Cape Reinga, Manganui, Bay of Islands, Paihia and back to Whangarei.  We enjoyed sand-duning, boating, dolphins, silly games, motorbikes, great food and lots of togetherness.  Each day our crew of 51 packed up beds and food and hit the road again for the next adventure, always accompanied by a dozen dedicated leaders, 6 vans, 3 trailers. .. and a partridge in a pear tree.   He he!

"On the Road Camp" is designed to expose 11-14 year old teens to God's love as reflected through his majestic creation. At the end of each day's excursions we engaged in discussions and presentations revolving around Christ and his great sacrifice for all mankind.
Many of our teens have very little knowledge of God and the way of life he designed for the people he loves so much, so this camp was a great opportunity to share this good news with them and challenge them to think critically about how they want to choose to live their lives.  Thank you for your prayers!

This year our camp also happened to fall over ANZAC Day.  For my non-Kiwi and Aussie friends, ANZAC is "Australia New Zealand Army Corps" and the holiday is similar to Memorial Day in the USA, honouring fallen soldiers who sacrifice for our freedom.  We found ourselves in Kaitaia that day and a few of us early-birds decided to participate in the dawn parade and brief memorial service.  Very moving.

As I write this, a lack of sleep causes my eyes to droop and a 3 hour boat ride sends my body into a steady sway as it relives the earlier tour of the Bay of Islands. Seemingly endless hours behind the wheel of a van makes me eager to plant my feet on solid ground.  My mind and body are exhausted, but my spirit is alive and energized to know that the last 5 days have been used of the Lord. Only time will tell what all has truly transpired in the realm of the unseen and how God is moving in the lives our young people.

Please enjoy the beautiful photos!