Happy Harvest! Yes, here in New Zealand, we celebrated the fall harvest with a thanksgiving church service. The service went really well – the altar was decorated with fruits and veggies, during the offering everyone brought forward their monetary and harvest items to lay down in front of the altar, and the songs were all geared towards “giving thanks.” It was pretty powerful! But the most amazing part was during the service, the Lord provided the Manawatu with rain! It hasn’t rained in weeks and there is a major drought across the entire nation – and then as we praised the Lord for the blessing of a harvest, He gives us the rain! Wow.
While I was busy preparing for that service, Ken was busy getting ready for the Friday night youth camp out! He had planned to take the kids camping, but the other youth leader didn’t feel well enough to go off site. So instead, Ken took the kids to the park for games and tea, and then after it got dark they headed back to the church to set up tents in the hall! And the set up was pretty awesome – he had them do “blind tent making”! The rest of the night was spent watching movies and playing more games…luckily Ken did not get pranked on (although the kids stayed up most of the night trying to prank him!) Needless to say, it was a fun night.
While I was busy preparing for that service, Ken was busy getting ready for the Friday night youth camp out! He had planned to take the kids camping, but the other youth leader didn’t feel well enough to go off site. So instead, Ken took the kids to the park for games and tea, and then after it got dark they headed back to the church to set up tents in the hall! And the set up was pretty awesome – he had them do “blind tent making”! The rest of the night was spent watching movies and playing more games…luckily Ken did not get pranked on (although the kids stayed up most of the night trying to prank him!) Needless to say, it was a fun night.
Fun at the park
Blind tent making
The hall
Pepper was busy giving us heart failure this week as well – Friday night while Ken was at the park with the youth, I took Pepper on a walk to visit them. But on the way home, she decided to swim across the Manawatu River!! Once on the other side of the bank, she proceeded to spend 15 minutes chasing ducks, completely ignoring my cries for her to get back on the other side!!! I met a nice German woman who introduced herself saying “My, your dog doesn’t listen very well, does she?!” I was shocked that Pepper was able to swim across the mighty Manawatu (it is known for its depth and under tows) but she made it back to my arms only to be roped back on the leash. She’s lost privileges.
Saturday was Kate and Damien’s wedding – it was wonderful! The ceremony was at Kate’s girls’ school that she attended and the reception was in her family’s backyard. It was an elaborate, beautiful wedding that lasted until the wee hours of the morning.
Pepper was busy giving us heart failure this week as well – Friday night while Ken was at the park with the youth, I took Pepper on a walk to visit them. But on the way home, she decided to swim across the Manawatu River!! Once on the other side of the bank, she proceeded to spend 15 minutes chasing ducks, completely ignoring my cries for her to get back on the other side!!! I met a nice German woman who introduced herself saying “My, your dog doesn’t listen very well, does she?!” I was shocked that Pepper was able to swim across the mighty Manawatu (it is known for its depth and under tows) but she made it back to my arms only to be roped back on the leash. She’s lost privileges.
Saturday was Kate and Damien’s wedding – it was wonderful! The ceremony was at Kate’s girls’ school that she attended and the reception was in her family’s backyard. It was an elaborate, beautiful wedding that lasted until the wee hours of the morning.
Right after the ceremony
Cutting the cake
Our table at the reception
Well, as we prepare for winter down here, we are enjoying the brisk days and rain. It’s been an unusually long, hot, dry summer, so the farmers are very thankful for the changing weather patterns. We are enjoying it as well, our favorite days being those that are brisk but sunny! It’s neat to experience fall again with the changing leaves too. So, Happy Harvest!
Well, as we prepare for winter down here, we are enjoying the brisk days and rain. It’s been an unusually long, hot, dry summer, so the farmers are very thankful for the changing weather patterns. We are enjoying it as well, our favorite days being those that are brisk but sunny! It’s neat to experience fall again with the changing leaves too. So, Happy Harvest!
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