April Showers - Christchurch

Greetings everyone, thought I would just say a quick thank you if you have been reading my blog since October I am always really encourage by when I can see people have been reading my blog.  

So here is another of my entries and this one is actually on time (as in at the end of the month!!). This Month there have been some trial and also some real moments of joy and blessing. 

So here I go again!

Work

Right so I have started with TreeTech and I am currently work there as a tree surveyor this means that I get to go into the Red Zone (the areas of Christchurch that are still really damaged by the earthquakes) and my job is to identify tree and put information about those trees into an ipad as in the species, height, etc. I could go into more detail but I feel you would only end up with a keyboard imprint on your face due to falling asleep whilst reading this. Anyway TreeTech has been great so far and I am learning a lot.

Lifestyle

I have not found a football team on a regular bases yet although I did play a full 90 minute 11 aside game with the Spreydon church team. It was great although it has been a while since i played for 90 minutes straight and so I felt it the next morning. At the start of April I fell of my bike going down a hill and graised myself pretty badly. Thankfully there were enough people to help fix me up and I even went to the doctors as I was waking up feeling dizzy. God had my back though and so there was no major damage done and my wounds are healing up well. I still don't have a car of my own but I still borrow Miriam's car and am able to get by for the time being. I also am eating my greens and washing behind my ears (something for the mum readers there) :)

Church

Church is good and I am still attending Spreydon Baptist and am still involved to an extent. I regularly go to Focus group (bible study) and have been making good friends. recently we went down to New Brighton beach and baptist one of the girls - Rachael - to be honest God kind of did anyway as the waves were pretty big that night and before they had finish the father son and holy spirit bit the wave had already knock rachael over. made for an interesting baptism anyway. They are all really interest bunch of guys and it has been really nice to socialise and get to know some of them. I also have been looking at sharing my Testimony at Spreydon and so have chatted to A.J. (the senior pastor at Spreydon) and he is going to give me a call when he find a suitable service for me to share it at.

Travel

At the start of April I went up to Auckland to see the Script with Miriam. We had a really great time and the script we're amazing as expected and it was a really good weekend with my amazing girlfriend. I fell off my bike Thursday before Script and so was still saw in Auckland and Miriam was a good nurse looked after me well and even helped me chance one the bandages on my arm outside shopping centre in public view and no elderly ladies fainted in the changing of the bandage either.

Other News

I have officially been addressed as Miriam's boyfriend and so that makes it official. It's really good and I am excited to continue the journey with her.

Next month I am going to be doing Camp America so I am excited to see some old faces and spend some time with the kids on camp.

God has answered some major prayers and I am beginning to feel more settled here in Christchurch. There have always been those time where I just want to go home to England, but God has always been there through those times and I really have grown a lot in my faith and I have met some amazing people and heard some amazing stories. So thanks be to God.

Anyway that's enough information for now!

Thanks

Blitzy!!

Mayhem in March - Christchurch

Hello again everyone, Apologies again for the late March blog (to be honest i should stop apologising as all of my posts have been late and should really be expected now! :) ) but at the title suggests March has be a bit crazy. Again though God has been at work and continues to challenge me in a lot of aspects.


Work

So I am still working with City care at the moment. I have met some amazing people at work and in a few days time I will be finishing with City care and join a council run tree surgery crew called TreeTech. Like i said City care has been great fun and the people I have worked with have been fantastic. It's been great listening to peoples stories and the amazing thing people go through in life. One example is in fact my supervisor who when he was younger collapsed and had critical brain injuries, his had to have part of his skull removed and is now on medication for the rest of his life. Although like a lot of supervisor he can be a bit hard to handle he is also an incredible character and in fact has saved me in his contacts as "The Pom "as well as using one of his favour phrases " Don't be a Gumboot!". A real inspiration to people that work with him.

There are many reasons for the change of job the main one is simple to do something more along with my qualification. I have been praying about Treetech for a long while now and feel that God has set this up pretty nicely.

Lifestyle

So I have continued to played football on a Tuesday and would like add that i have played 10 game and scored 10 goals. Although I don't think I'll be playing headers and vollies with Messi just yet. The summer football has just finished so I am currently looking for another team to join. I have continued to keep my commitment to the Mountforts and have attend Mountfort Thursday very frequently for a meal once a week.
Also Miriam has now moved out her parents place Huntsbury (where i am) and into a new flat. Which is a bit nicer now that we both have our own space. Still I have no car, so I cycle everywhere which is keeping me fit although am hoping to get a car soon and have a New Zealand drivers licence.


Church

I am still going to Spreydon Baptist and am enjoying being a bit more involved in the Church. Recently I was part of the security team at Easter camp. I had a really amazing time and meet some really cool people. 4500 young people all worshipping God under the same tent was just incredible. I was more impressed that they let my immature self use an RT, for requesting cups of tea be brought and for listen to the Easter camp Bear Grills how to climb up a tree. All in all it was a good chance to meet some new faces and get to know some more familiar one.

As well with Easter camp i am still attending Focus group every Wednesday and even lead a bible study group which was British theme which was fun for teasing the kiwi's. They are all really relaxed and chilled out so it a lovely group to attend.

God Warrior is still all go and we have been looking at the Lord's Prayer with the kids and it been really good fun teaching the kids stuff and going with them on that journey to discover Jesus.

Also I have been building a good group of friends and have been spending some good time with them.

Travel

I have alright on the old travel front this month, I have managed to go through Arthur Pass with Miriam and recently I have travelled up to Auckland to get my US visa and even managed to go to Eden park to watch England play the Black Caps in Cricket, managed to stay with the knights and have now obtained a my visa.

Other News

So me and Miriam are still an item and are enjoying the start of the journey. Although during our trip through Arthur's pass Miriam got a phone call saying that her gran had die and so this has been a very hard time on Miriam and her family.

Answers to Prayer

If you've read my previous post you will remember that I felt God calling me to Christchurch and was praying for vision and clarity. Well the amazing thing about God is that he doesn't just answer prayer the way we expect them he does things his way and the generally better than we imagine. So I was sitting in a car and just had a moment of just silence and I realised that I spend a lot of time trying to do stuff instead of just taking the time just to be silent. Also I been trying to pray more about my situations and I have been praying about this TreeTech job and it was amazing at the interview as all the thing i went into that room concerned about just were solved. I really feel this is a good place for me to be.

More Prayers

Miriam and her family as they try to get over the death of her gran.

My work that I will leave City Care on a high note and go into TreeTech on a high note as well and I can really feel God's blessing in this job.

Anyway that's it for now catch you next month

Blitzy

Fantastic February - Christchurch

Wow! February has just been jam packed and Christchurch continues to inspires me. It's a weird feeling through the people I've meet and the stories I've heard and there is an incredible excitement that I just can seem to get away from. So at the end of last month I was praying that things in here would be a bit more consistent and less up in the air and well God has answered my prayer and not in the way that I expected...

Work

So I have now got myself a job and am now working for a company in Christchurch called City Care and I am part of the spraying team and my job is to help look after the waterways and road ways. The guys i work with are great and there has been plenty of banter and joking around. The days are long and im work mainly 10 hour day and so far the work has taken place in the red zones and these are areas of Christchurch that have been affected worst by the February 2011 earthquake and the city council still haven't really decided what they are going to do with these areas. All these homes and streets are just empty and its a weird feeling seeing all these abandoned homes. Like I said work is great and plenty of hours and good fun.

Lifestyle

So I have now moved home I was staying with the Mountfort family (Jaisha's family) but due to work starting back and Alison needing her office. Although I promised Alison That I would have at least one meal a week with them and so Mountfort Thursdays were created. Also I have moved and am now staying with the Scott family (Miriam's family). They live in a beautiful house on the side of a hill so every day I get to wake up looking out at Christchurch. Bryan, Galen, Frazer and Miriam have been looking after me well and have been a really blessing whilst I have been here. Also I have currently joined a 5-a-side football team and am playing there regularly on a Tuesday night after work. I mainly bike around town for transport and living on the side of a hill is tiring on the old bike, but its good for me.

Church

The church I have been going to Spreydon Baptist and I am getting myself involved with that as well, Spreydon recently joined churches with Halswell baptist and have now become South-West Community Church. We welcomed them into being part of the church last weekend where I learned (along with other people in the church) and performed a Haka and I loved it - Talk about a Kiwi experience!!! :)

I have also joined a cell group called focus and we meet regularly on a Wednesday evening and do food and bible study and the people at cell group are lovely and just awesome.

Also I have been helping with God warriors. This is an after school program at Linwood Junior School which runs every Monday and it's been great as the kids are awesome and I just hanging out with them.

Travel

I have only done a little travel whilst in Christchurch but obviously having a full time job there is only a limited amount of travelling I can do for the time being. I was invited to Cromwell by the Mountfort family and I have a fantastic time and enjoy the best BBQ I have ever had. So much good food, and was a good time of relaxing, I even feed a lamb and went swimming later on in the lake (not at the same time). Still got a few place still left to tick off on my Kiwi adventure and I am looking forward to more travel.


Other Exciting News
About two years ago on an Oak Hall Europe Tour I met a lovely girl named Miriam. Since then we have spent a lot of time together as good friends whilst she has been living in London. Miriam is now back in Christchurch and we have be spending some really good quality time together. So as of last week I ask Miriam if she would be my girlfriend and thanks be to God she said yes. Of course I am over the moon and I look forward to the journey ahead.


Points of prayer

Obviously eventually I will have to leave New Zealand and with Miriam I have been discussing the possibility of extending my visa to another year. Also I have been praying myself and really feel a sense of calling to Christchurch I can see a lot of potential and its exciting to see where things could go. So I guess just praying that God will guide me and protect me and help both me and Miriam to make the right decision.


Anyway God is still working in me and I'm really excited to grow in faith as I see his hand on me and Christchurch.

Thanks for reading

Blitzy!!

Undulating Christchurch - January

I have decided that i am only going to do a monthly blog for my time in Christchurch. As I am here for a few months mainly working it just seem silly to write pretty much the same things over and over again. I figured by the end of your blog reading you might end up with you face in the keyboard due to falling asleep.

 Blitzy's January -

So I have had a great Christmas and to kick start 2013 I decided to work at a kids camp call Te Mapua.

'At Te Mapua we care, love, nurture, guide, teach, mentor, encourage, clothe, feed, comfort, and pray for each child we are fortunate to share life with, through a range of support programmes. For some of our children, their needs are complex and challenging, for most their needs are what we all need – faith, hope and unconditional love'

http://www.temapua.com/


I absolutely loved it and the kid were awesome, I made some really awesome friends and I was amazing to see these young guys (who could have been going out drinking on new year or partying it up) looking after these kids with such an energy and such a passion to see the kids lives transformed.

Camp finished and I was already staying with Jaisha Mountfort and her family - Rowan,Galen, Alison and David. who have blessed me so much by letting me share Christmas with them, trusting me to look after their house whilst they were away on holiday and of course letting me eat the food and sleep in a nice bed. I am enjoying living here and get on well with everyone!

Next task was to find a job!!! I had already email a load of gardening companies about finding work and I to my forture Tim Townsend emailed me back say that he was looking for a pilot for his franchise, and with me already running a gardening business back in England, he thought I was a good choice and so I am starting off working as a general worker and once a few of the staff who all seem to come from uni are back I will start franchising!
Tim seemed like a genuine bloke and I am happy to be working for him!

Although this month has had may high point unfortunately it has also had some low points. Tim Townsend suffers from Bi Polar and was self admitted in to hillmorton which is a special hospital where they can help him. Although I was amazed at the way that everyone pulled together during the last few weeks to try and make this business work. Even more impressed with Harriet his fiancée as she was trying to do a full time job and cover Tim's business, this have improved to hard as I got a text saying that there would be no more work. Of course it was more important that Tim was alright first so I understood. Also its time my USA Visa got sorted as I know its long process and the forms i needed still haven't arrived, Also my Ipod had an accident with a tarmac road (which made it look like the city it was currently living in - cracked and broken).
As well as many other things i was feeling stressed with everything so up in the air, i was almost ready to buy a plane ticket!

God is amazing in the way that he provides even in our lowest moment and its when we look back on them that we get a little glimpse of the his glory. For any of my friends who are travelling/ thinking of travelling it flipping hard!!! It worth every moment, because the people you meet and the experiences you share are life changing.  I feel that i am growing heaps as well both wtih God and in my relationship with others.

I still haven't got a job at this moment and so maybe this is a point of prayer as!

God Bless

Blitzy

The Christ in Christmas

Just figured that I would write Christmas message! I also thought it was a good chance to say Merry Christmas to the people who have taken an interest in my travels!

I am here because God has blessed me with friends and family to guide me and support me through good and bad!

So Christian or not, backpacker or just some randomer I met in a hostel, friends and family. I thank God for you all!

So have a fantastic Christmas!

Blitzy

Hang looooosee (including Quirky Queenstown) part 2

When I say boring there was one thing that was awesome about Fox Glazier - Skydiving -this was the main reason we were in Fox Glazier. The sad news was that after waiting to skydive for most of the day we were told that the weather was to cloudy for us to skydive. We were told that the next day that we weather the next day might be better so we stayed one more night in Fox Glazier.

The next day we the weather was still no better so we head to Wanaka again on the way we saw more beautiful New Zealand and so in Wanaka we found a small hostel and in the evening we hang out with a few guys from the hostel it was a really lovely evening, we chatted and told traveller stories, drank beer, played poker and even went out to a local bar in Wanaka it was a Sunday night so it was just a quiet drink.

Tim rang up the Wanaka skydive guys and the weren't sure about the weather so we wait in Wanaka for the day, We went to puzzle world where they have a lot illusions and cool rooms (see photo's). We then tried the skydive people again but the weather was still rubbish. So we stayed one more night in Wanaka and because we like the hostel and because the was still a small chance we could skydive in Wanaka the next day. We met two Swedish girls named Hannah and Sara, they were really good fun to hang out with and so the four of us went out for a drink to the water bar on the sea front. Really good evening and really good conversation.

Next morning yet again we couldn't skydive, but we head the weather was good in Queenstown and we could skydive there that day. So we went to Queenstown booked ourselves in to the X base hostel and went to go met the bus to take us to the skydiving airport. Met an america that understood sarcasm (they do exist)  . We got to the skydive base and got suited up and well the rest is you can work out. We jump from 12000ft and it was amazing the scenery and the adreneline was just fantastic (pictures below). We headed back to the X base and then went out for celebratery fergburger ( world famous burger from New Zealand) drinks and had an amazing night out. Went to one club called World bar was awesome and  lots of people and plenty of dancing, then we sort of split up after that me and Roelof headed to a few more bars and met some really awesome people and was a really good night out.

Next morning we recovered from our exploits the night before and all enjoyed a lazy day in queenstown. Had a late breakfast at KFC and then I went for a coffee by the lake and decided to read my book and get a coffee whilst the other decided to look for another hostel because the X base was a bit rubbish. We had booked two nights in the X base and so we stayed there one more night. Again that night me and Roelof went out on the town and we met Madeleina from Germany she turned out to be pretty awesome really good fun and conversation and so Roelof left and so we chatted for a while and like a true British gent I walk her back to the hostel! Then I headed back to the x base.

Next morning we decided to do a day trip to Milford Sounds. It was a early start and we it was truely awesome place. New Zealand has keep surprising me in terms of the scenery it feels like every corner you turn there is something different and its just majestic! So the whole day was just full of banter and awesome views. We went back to Queenstown and stayed at a different hostel in fact it was the same hostel as Madeleina and we all hung out and at the hostel and met some more really awesome people. The swedish girls were in Queenstown as well so the four of us went out on the town with them and went to a few bars.

We decided to stay one more night in that hostel as it was so much fun in Queenstown. We had another lazy morning, well i didn't i went for a run and then went and read my book at the hostel and just relaxed. The evening was hilarious and we were sat around the tables outside the hostel chatting to a few people from the hostel, there must have been about 10 germans (including madeleina), 5 brit (although one was scottish and i don't know if he wants to be included with that! Ha), 2 kiwi and 2 dutchy!  It was just such good banter and we made so many jokes (mainly mocking each others countries) and don't mention the war impressions. Again we all went out on the town as there we a load of end of the World parties (end of the world crap to be honest) happening so if you went to World bar and said ding dong merrily on high you got a free drink because they had put a thousand buck behind the bar. We got there to late, but we had a really awesome night and was really good laugh.

So the past few day I have met some really awesome people and have enjoyed the banter, the laughter, the scenery and just all of it.

God bless you all and Merry Christmas

Blitzy

Blitzy