A move to Middle Earth

Christchurch

2008-12-23T13:30:00.000-08:00

It's been weird being away from home this christmas, as it would be to anyone who experiences such days. You feel like your mind is tricking you with nostalgic memories with no one to share them with. Eugene is covered in snow, yet these 18 *C days are not something I will complain about. :)

Dinner is a time to remember family, friends, and hilarious stories of when your brothers milk came out his nose. I must say the family culture is a bit different here, although nice, just different. It feels like I'm in an alternate universe tipped on its side and a mirror image of a shadow that was once America. Cliche christmas traditions like It's a Wonderful Life are played on t.v, and shopping malls are fairly busy. But I feel like I stepped out of 2008 and back to 1994, which makes some of these neon styles fit the genre even better.

It's modeled after Christ Church in Oxford, and forms itself around ChirstChurch College. Beautiful architecture, and the anglican cathedral is picturesque. We ventured up its steep narrow spiral staircase to its upmost tower to get some great shots of cathedral square. Even saw the New Zealand Wizard giving a whimsical speech but did not linger in his presence long...

Probably the coolest part was the life size chess board that citizens play on daily. No matter where I connect my internet, I almost can never upload pics on this site! It takes so long so I apologize , luckily it worked this time.... took about 25 min just to upload those 3 pics!!!!

I wish you all a merry christmas and hope to talk to you all soon.

Luv Niks

Heading South

2008-12-18T01:21:00.001-08:00

Arrived on the South Island today. Will be staying with the Fox family for Christmas in Christchurch. I feel so welcomed its wonderful! Pat (ricks mom) has been fussing about me making sure I'm comfortable and offering me food, drink, etc like 192347 times! She's so friendly and inviting, I feel very accepted. Of course the ferrero rochel chocolates on my pillow were a very nice touch :)

I haven't been updating as often as I should, but mostly I've been at El Rancho keeping up with the daily work of running the kids activities. The german guys have now taken off and are currently traveling NZ for a month before they are then placed in a different work environment for their next 5 months in the country.

I can't believe I've been here about 4 months now, it's flown by!!!! Got to skype with Erin and Tatum this week also! It was hilarious cause Aimee and I could see Erin and Tatum, but my comps vid wasn't working so they could only watch themselves. Real fun catching up for a bit though. Had some good laughs about Tatum thinking if she were in NZ, she'd already be in CO.. lol had to be there!!!

speaking of Erin, hope you've heard her beautiful voice!!! Jesiah and her recorded a few christmas carols, which is great for me considering i have zero christmas music on my comp, and now i have at least 3 songs.. THANKS GUYS! :)

http://www.upcast.net/newsongfriday/jesiah-erin-xmas.mp3

I have started taking some videos of my travels on my lil point n shoot camera... even though I won't be able to upload them till I get back cause the internet connections are crap! But now that I'm connected to a different internet... maybe i"ll try and succeeed!!??

So far Christchurch resembles Oregon the most!!! a bit flatter than the north, and has a lot more pine trees surrounding farmish flat paddocks. Real beautiful. the clouds going to the horizon look as though their getting sucked to the end of the world, it looks weird, but cool.

Even here, still an error loading my video. gosh when will this country get proper internet! lol jk, i still love you N Zed!!!

more to come later

niks

Last Christmas I gave You my heart.

2008-12-04T00:19:00.000-08:00

It is now December, and the weather changes here as quickly as a frown to a smile. Sometimes I wake up listening to songbirds thinking I'm at home in Eugene. Christmas music is played in the malls and fake trees are decorated in homes. I think of all the moments and memories in my life that have led to this place, this time, this moment. They are all connected and have a form of significance that I may not know till years later. Everything has it's time and place. God is so majestic and beautiful as a melody that plays through our every movements. I am surprised that my life has come this far in His covering. Sometimes I have sought love on my own strength, searching and yearning for a comfort in a voice, or song, or person. I fell, more than once, more than twice even, but every single time God picked me up regardless of my fighting His help. Pure love is not found out of want or need, it is made with blood, and tears. God has poured tears over me when I have scorned Him. My life is precious to Him, I am worth so much in His eyes! Through His mercy I am strong, standing firm, never alone. His love endures, through all else, through everything, every trial, every fallen hope, His love endures. It is this that keeps me growing, and striving to continue towards the hope that is in Christ. I don't need someone to tell me I'm lovely. I don't need a person to hold me to make me feel safe. All I need is the purest love of all, that of Jesus Christ. The blessing of finding a person who shares this passion for God's love will be a welcomed addition to my journey towards Christ. But for now I stay content, eyes forward, pressing onward till I meet my end. I will sink my ship before I see my life wasted on the tatters and rags that this world refers to as love.

Under The Mercy
Niks

muggy november

2008-11-23T23:47:00.000-08:00

November is coming to a close and I can hardly believe it! It seems just yesterday I was packing my bags!! Went swimming in the rain tonight with Aimee and her lil bro, a nice end to a cloudy muggy day here at El Rancho. The sun sets now around 8:40 and is up before 6! Its lovely waking up to heaps of birds singing. I've never heard such beautiful birds, and recently figured out there are parrots in the trees also! Too quick and high to get pics but their beautifully rainbowed!

Currently I'm on the hunt for a fun vintage 1940's style 1 piece swimsuit, but alas they are more difficult to find than a needle in a haystack. Of course I've found a few faux retro remakes but they just have that "fake" look to them. So a trip to the lower hutt will hopefully come out successful.

Heard some christmas music on t.v, and my mind is getting mixed messages being here in summer, and having nostalgic christmas moments. lol its quite weird.

anyway December is well on its way so I've opted out of being on facebook, just to keep my head focused here and not looking at everyone's holiday pics from back home.

Love you all

Niks

liquid sunshine

2008-11-11T15:58:00.000-08:00

SPF 30

make no mistake a day of 70 f here feels like 90 back home cause of the intensity of the sun! Spent my day off today relaxing at the camp pool, which is still ridiculously cold, but refreshing.

My new favorite artist: Pearl and the Puppets!!! Heard this song on an Aussie/NZ Vodafone commercial, and thinking it was Regina Spektor I googled the lyrics and found this chic! I also love Mango Tree, you can listen to all the songs here :

Pearl and the Puppets

As of now you cannot buy any tracks as far as I could find. But mark my words she'll be on US shelves in no time! I can't wait cause I seriously want to buy the album, but have to be content for a little while just listening to her online.!!

Niks

Surfing In Raglan

2008-11-05T10:22:00.000-08:00

So just returned from an amazing trip to Raglan, the most laid back quaint little surfer town in NZ. A mix of every nationality is found in this lazy town, mostly because backpackers find it so intoxicating that they choose to stay for far longer than originally planned. And who can blame them? The surf is supreme, the locals aren't territorial, and walking down the street your easily invited into a hacki sack game, or a peruse down volcom lane for some excellent surfer shopping. The Raglan backpackers is highly recommended vs. the Raglan surf school backpackers. Due to the fact that not only will the surf school pick you up from the downtown packers, but your rooms open up into a courtyard of hammocks, a hot pool, and sauna, not to mention heaps of boards to hire (better options if your looking for more than soft tops :)

We stayed at the surf school the first 3 nights, and although it was amazing, it is located in the middle of freakin no where and you only have one shuttle a day into town for about an hour. This of course makes you spend time with the other travelers which is cool and Iita and I surfed with some rad irish girls, and of course the Germans are EVERYWHERE! Raglan is also the first place I've bumped into other Americans. Mostly west coasters Cali and WA, but also one rad girl from Maine.

My first day surfing was the day I was hooked from the get go. After our lesson on shore, we all headed out to the surf, and my instructor set me up for my very first wave. I rode it clear into the shore and was addicted!!! By day 4 I was riding with a real board (hard top 7'6") and catching most every wave I put my thought on. Too bad our water back home is frigid cold and you go numb within seconds. Here I feel like I could do it without a wet suit, and soon I'll try hopefully :)

Definitely a trip to remember, when I first fell in love with surfing!!! God's such an amazing artist! But of course all things must come to a close especially holidays. So I headed back to the rainy Waikanae and will hope for a warm summer to make its way south soon. I'm trying to be better at writing since I seriously have only sent one letter thus far. I have bought so many flipping post cards, and stamps its just finding the time to write!!! But know I <3 you all heaps and miss you!

Homebound Feb 11, I'll see you at the portland Airport! lol

Peace

Sea Kayaking

2008-10-26T10:21:00.000-07:00

Our story begins with an early morning stretch and rise. Bernie, Iita and I all packed a dry pair of clothes, and dressed in some polypro and waterproof jackets and started out on our first of two Sea Kayaking day adventures. Our first destination was Mana Island. God blessed us with a cloudy yet windless day, a swell of .5 meters and warm waters. Since we had skirts on our Kayaks we stayed nice and dry. Iita caught a fish in the first 20 minutes of our journey, but unfortunately the guy was a bit too small. It was the only fish we caught the ENTIRE trip lol. It took us about 2 hours of paddling to reach Mana Island, what a workout! I did get a bit sea sick from the swell, but felt better once we hit land. The island only has rangers as its inhabitants, but has a boat launch and docking area.

There we sat down underneath the information board and had a lovely picnic! Warm veggie soup, cold chicken wings, a delicious cheesy bread, and timtams for dessert! Everything tastes sooo much better being outside and after a workout. After about an hour break we headed back out to sea. Heading back was easier with the swell going with us instead of against us. And I had a few lollies to keep me happy and ignore the pain in my abs and back. Sea sickness hit me mid way again and nothing sounded better than having my feet against hard dry land. no.. I did not throw up, but I think it wouldve made me feel better. It was the constant up down up down, I definitely had to stay looking forward toward the bay.

After another 2 hours we finally came back into our starting point. Exhausted we wobbily stood up after removing our skirts and pulled our kayaks in. After a nice change into dry clothes nothing hits the spot better than a cup of hot green lemon tea and a blueberry muffin. From there we arrived back at El Rancho for long hot showers and a good nights sleep.

Randomly I woke up at 2 a.m and just couldn't fall back asleep. I logged onto facebook, but then decided I'd rather be more productive and started reading 1 John to help me get relaxed again. The alarm buzzed not too much longer after I had fallen asleep again, or so it seemed. but luckily I did get about 9 hours of sleep!

Our Day 2 destination was Wellington harbor. We started our trip at 8 a.m to reach Wellington around 9. I didn't feel sore until I started paddling again and my muscles screamed at me for doing the same motion that had stung so much the day before. The wind was coming at us which made progress slow and strokes hard. The sea was choppy but luckily there was no swell. The harbor was awesome seeing the tall buildings and all the ships around. The fish were too smart for us, and were probably laughing as we trolled our little hooks behind our kayaks. We grounded for lunch in a what looked like a water ampatheatre with steps all around to sit on with the sea in the middle.

Today we had hot tomato soup, spiced bread, an egg sandwich, and ginger kisses which were delicious. The food here is different, but definitely growing on me. On our journey back we noticed the fountain had been turned on, shooting water 20 meters high. Iita and I paddled underneath it and were pounded by the falling salty water. Luckily the water wasn't toooo cold, but it was enough to refresh us for the journey home. We ate some "energy" chocolate, took a group photo, and then continued for another 45 minutes. All in all we paddled for a total of around 9 hours in two days. A trip I am definitely going to remember!

For all those who were worried... no... i was not eaten by a Manatee.

I am missing the changing colors of fall, peacoats, and scarves. Hope God is blessing your days!

N. E. W.

Odd October

2008-10-19T23:55:00.001-07:00

So it's the strangest thing to be towards the end of October and not see any leaves changing color! Fall which is my favorite season, will not be seen by my eyes for another year!!!! I'll have to be content with the pictures I've seen on facebook of all the beautiful orange, red, and purple showing its colorful side on the Eugene Campus.

With lots of thoughts and prayer, I have decided to accept the offer for me to stay here at El Rancho a bit longer. So now I will be homebound at the end of April to early May. Thanks for your continued prayers, thoughts, and letters! I appreciate everything so much!

Today I spent all day in the horse paddock, brushing, placing bridles, saddles, and then legging up kiddies to take them around the trek. Needless to say my feet are a bit sore from walking soooo bloody long, but I can't help but get attached to the beautiful creatures (the horses not the kiddies.. but their ok too)

Tomorrow I will be spending the day of activities in the kayak pond... worst news is that it most likely will be raining for the duration of our lessons. Oh well PTL!!! It'll be good practice since Thursday and Friday I'll be kayaking in the Pacific Ocean !!

My halloween this year will be spent a bit differently... Iita and I will be venturing to Raglan the best surf city in NZ. Where we will spend four days rippin curlin and riding! We've thought about wearing super hero capes in honor of halloween, we'll see :)
Please pray that as the holidays approach I won't get too homesick! this is my first time to be away from home for thanksgiving, and christmas.

The hobbits say hello

Peace and love hommies

When She Smiles

2008-10-13T15:55:00.000-07:00

The days are moving swiftly towards summer! Everyday shows more and more warmth and sunshine... minus the occasional southerly that blows through.

I'm sitting in my bedroom on the bottom bunk feeling like I'm almost in a little cave cause I pulled down my blanket from the top bunk to enclose me :) It's nice having the choice of where I want to sleep, sometimes I jump to the upper bunk just till feel a little higher above ground lol.

Went for my morning run to the beach and passed the usual fisherman with their nets cast in the bay. The people are always so friendly and never pass without a "good morning", or "great day for a run aye?" Today was a bit interesting on the beach because I kept getting swooped and skwaked at by a bunch of seagulls, I think maybe its their nesting time or something cause I definitely felt like I was pulled into an Alfred Hitchcock film...

There is also this really cool little hermit hut that someone started out of driftwood just at the beach shore, everyday It has a bit added onto it from random people passing by, I'll have to take a photo of it, cause its really neat looking.

So Sunday I was talking to Jesiah online, and he decided to write a song for me... literally less than an hour later he had it completely finished, recorded, and online. It turned out so great, I'm truly blessed with such a great friend. Everyone here can't believe how talented so many of you good ol' Americans are :) Listen to the song here!!! When_You_Smile

Went through Ephesians this morning too. Wow God is so good, what a blessing it has been to experience all these wonderful things here, and shine Gods light. I blown away at his grace.

"for you were formerly darkness, but now you are Light in the Lord; walk as children of Light."

(Eph 5:8)

"Therefore be careful how you walk, not as unwise men but as wise; making the most of your time, because the days are evil. So then do not be foolish, but understand what the will of the Lord is." (Eph 5:15,16)

"I implore you to walk in a manner worthy of the calling with which you have been called."

(Eph 4:4)

God calls us all to something - to SHINE for HIM through loving others as He loves us. Sometimes you can feel like "oh, God just hasn't called me to do anything yet." But seriously we are all called to share His love. "Do what you know, and you'll know what to do!" _Wesley Towne. We all understand that we should be disciples of Christ by shining His light, so why wait for some miraculous sign to tell you what to do, when you already know what you should be doing! You can be an evangelist wherever you are, whether thats your family room, backyard, school, work, etc... sometimes the places that need it the most, are the ones that we so easily look over.

Today I am gonna write my first couple letters since I've arrived in NZ... wow that took a while, over a month.. sorry family!!!!!

Love in Him

Nikki

Since I've been reminiscing old cartoons, here's another goody :)

Here comes the sun

2008-10-12T11:46:00.000-07:00

Summer is definitely on the way. Yesterday was the warmest day we've had since I've arrived.

Monday means cleaning, but I have tues, Wed off so I'll do a big update hopefully tonight :)

Read this in Galations yesterday and today, it really stood out.

"But now that you have come to know God, or rather to be known by God, how is it that you turn back again to the weak and worthless elemental things, to which you desire to be enslaved all over again?" G4:9

"But I say, walk by the Spirit, and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh." G5:16

Walk the Walk and Keep the Faith!!

In Christ,

niknak

Morning Tea

2008-10-07T12:55:00.000-07:00

So today should be a very interesting morning. Instead of starting at 8 a.m like normal, all the interns have been instructed to show up at morning tea in our toggs (swimsuits) to brace ourselves for the chilliness of the pool and learn how to eskimo and hand roll our kayaks!!! So excited. Bernie, Iita and I will be taking a sea kayaking trip on the 23 and 24th this month, so hopefully we get the hang of rolling.

It's been raining heaps here and the river has been getting super high. Luckily the rain has subsided today so hopefully the footbridge will show its face again soon. We played indoor soccer yesterday which was fun even though me and the germans got slaughtered by the kiwis plus Iita (mind they had an extra person lol)

"Pursue peace with all men, and the sanctification without which no one will see the Lord."

Hebrews 12:14

So this winnie the pooh movie is pretty much the most awesome one EVER! considering its been raining heaps and heaps, it totally reminded me of this clip once pooh falls asleep in his flooded house.

Romans 1:16

2008-09-24T23:17:00.000-07:00

Back from snowboarding, total blast, but the weather wasn't so great!

Started work at camp again today, but mostly I wanted to just give you all a note about how wonderful God is!! Seriously today I felt so overwhelmed with His love and joy I cannot express it in words. Being here has definitely tested my faith and I felt a bit stagnant however God is much more powerful and has me here for a reason. I will continue to stand for Him through thick and thin, giving Him the honor and glory through everything.

"For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes." -Romans 1:16

This verse has been a wonderful reminder to me to keep on keepin on even when trials come. It's definitely my motto for my life lived here in NZ. Jesus Christ is my saviour and there is nothing too big or tough for me to go through when He is at my side.

I love you all!!

In Christ,

Nikki

Sunday Sunday Sunday

2008-09-20T15:55:00.000-07:00

Early morning helping in the kitchen. Now am home in my flat watching Return to Snowy River with Lita until we are due back to help serve lunch. Downloaded another Ekklesia teaching and we'll listen to it tonight.

We have Tues and Wednesday off, so Willi, Tobi, Lita and I will be hitting the mountain for some New Zealand style snowboarding!!!

I'll probably kill myself on the mountain, so pray that we stay safe! God Bless!!

NIK

Camp Life

2008-09-18T03:00:00.000-07:00

So after recovering from my migraine I returned to work today. It was a really fun, tiring, long day. Started at 8:00 with Kayaks and yes it was not warm in the water. We definitely got really wet, and then to top off the 3rd session it started raining terribly hard.

After being completely drenched through lots of water fights and games, Clint and I took morning tea and lunch outside in the cloudy rainy weather whilst all other staff members could watch us through the lunchroom windows. :) I felt a bit like a wet cat on display or something.

After kayaks I took a few minutes to shower and dress warm for archery. Lita and I ran 3 sessions and of course it involved lots of loud chants from boys and girls competing for the best archer contest. I have yet to hit the bulls eye but have come quite close :)

After dinner I helped out with dishes till about 7 then called it a day. This is what its all about to me. Hanging out with the kids and just serving them and helping them have a fun time. It may be long days and hard work, but I'm ok with that!

Once I got back to my flat, Tobi, Willi, and Lita all made their way over one by one, since all of us get a bit bored in the evenings. Tomorrow I have a day off, and I have no idea what I will do. Lita has it off too, maybe we will walk to the beach. Jo is off tomorrow, so we can't take the horses out, which is a bummer, but next week we'll have a weekday off when she's here, so that'll be good.

Anyway its a bit past ten, so I think I'll turn in for the night.

cheers

Nein Lass Dass!

2008-09-16T15:04:00.000-07:00

My only phrase I know in German! no , stop it. Yup pretty great!

Ive had an easier time updating my facebook than my blog due to slow internet here. www.facebook.com email: Nikksterr@gmail.com to add me as a friend. There are a lot of pictures on my profile. I am still trying to upload them on here, but its just too slow.

Today I am sick in my flat after having a massive migraine yesterday and its still lingering on today. But hopefully by lunch it will have subsided so I can help with the zipline.

Went to Napier this last weekend with Tobi and Willi, where we met up with two other germans Marie and Marius (both very cool!). Had fun on the beach and saw some cool places. We also watched the NZ vs. Australia Rugby match, which was interesting. It's been nice to have a few moments by myself this morning and I got to listen to one of Wesley's sermons from the ekklesia website. (I have been waiting all week to see if it had been updated with some recent sermons)

Also have met Lita who is the 25 year old Finish intern. She is very adventurous and will be my bungee jumping buddy should I decide to do it. Also she loves the Lord and so its nice to have a girl to hang out with and talk to. I had only guys to hang out with for the first 2 weeks being here, so its amazing how much I miss girl time (miss my twin).

I still miss hearing the states accent, and will watch friends with the germans regularly for some fun. Our accent is much smoother than others here. At least thats how Marie and Lita described it. We came to the conclusion that the pronounced double t's as d's in words such as Letter give it a flowing sound, for just one example. :)

Camp is going well, the work is usually tough and muddy with lots of cleaning, and dishes thrown inbetween. So far I have seen 2 poisonous white tailed spiders. And caught a lizard and large frog (as big as my fist, he was hanging in the pool when they emptied it to clean it for summer, of course after I picked it up I chased willi around with it just for some laughs since he hates getting dirty) I actually really enjoy this kind of work, mostly because I know I'm not doing it for anyone other than Christ :) But it is fun with Lita too cause she likes to sing a lot like me.

The uniforms are quite ill fitting, but since everyone has to wear them its no big thing. Except I'm the smallest person here so it kind of looks like a tent on me. At least the fleece jacket fits fairly well. And we might be getting new shirts in a few weeks now, which I'm excited about because their supposedly better fitting.

Well, I'm still totally exhausted from being sick, so I am going to try and rest up and be ready to go back to work by noon.

Prayer Requests: If you could remember to pray for our kids camps as they come through. We have to be very careful about speaking about Jesus, and can only continue to talk about it if they ask us. I guess its not politically correct to talk about it even at a christian holiday camp. Our whitness is mainly our service we do for them by providing places to stay and food to eat. So pray for our contact with the kids that it will show Christ love and they will be curious and ask us why we are doing this here. Also pray that I stay healthy because there's nothing worse than being sick when your away from home.

Love in Christ!!!

nikki

El Rancho

2008-09-06T23:43:00.000-07:00

New Zealand Camping

Ok so I left you off in Auckland and had a few adventures trying to discover my way around the big city. Staying at Lisa and Amy's apartment was fun. The flats there are interesting. In the bathrooms there are never any counter space which makes things difficult when trying to find a place for your toothpaste. They are similar to town houses and kitchens also have little counter space. Ive been to several different places and seldom people do much as far as decorating. Usually two small 5x7 pictures are the only thing on a huge wall... very odd. I love the peanut butter here!!! It's made in Australia and tastes more like peanuts. A lot of people here at camp love veggimite as well, which is interesting considering all the hard feelings between the kiwis and australians.

There is a lot of American made things, and this whole place imports everything except some food dairy products lol. Honey is interesting and is in little plastic cases and is served as a honeycomb spread.

My welcome at camp was wonderful, everyone was very welcoming. The uniforms are a bit ill fitting but they are getting new ones in two weeks thankfully!!!

I have met the two german interns Willie and Toby. It's been fun getting to know them. Toby can speak english a little better and has a lighthearted personality, so we have connected well. Willie is a little bit more interested in his good looks and going to pubs on the weekend. All the same I hope we help him realize that taking the horses on the beach is much more fun than going to a club. Its interesting seeing how polar opposites the two are. In germany they can go into a service of one year either in their country or abroad to avoid having to go to the army,

Even the christians in the camp go out to clubs and pubs on the weekend, its very different from back home. I am glad Toby isn't into it because then we go get hot chocolate instead and talk about life and God. Toby and Willie are not christian but Toby is so open to listen and has many questions. It's been great being able to share my faith!!! Especially when its replacing us going with everyone to the pub.

Our flats here at camp and somewhat like american studios but the bedroom has a separate room. Kinda like a small one bedroom apartment. I have my own bathroom and kitchen. We eat breakfast in our flats which is stocked by the camp kitchen typically of cereal, bread for toast, veggimite, peanut butter, jams, and honey. Fruit is also available all the time, and the apples here are awesome!

Lots of kiwis like watching Friends and Dawsons Crk. and a new addition this year is Gossip Girl, which i never watched much of in the states, but I have had a few random people come up and say "you talk like your from Dawsons Crk!" Quite funny. The last girl interns from America were from the east coast so the camp crew says that I have a stronger accent than they did.... weird

It's nice to watch some american shows because it makes me miss how we talk a bit. All I hear all the time now are accents and I'm easily starting to talk similar, but I enjoy hearing the american accent more now... thats funny how it happened that way :)

stay tuned

cheers

Nikki

2008-09-06T23:38:00.000-07:00

New Zealand Camping

My welcome at camp was wonderful, everyone was very welcoming. The uniforms are a bit ill fitting but they are getting new ones in two weeks thankfully!!!

It's nice to watch some american shows because it makes me miss how we talk a bit. All I hear all the time now are accents and I'm easily starting to talk similar, but as weird as it is I like them more than the other ones i hear all day.

Miss you, love you

God Bless!!!

more updates soon...

Nikki

2008-09-06T23:33:00.001-07:00

2008-09-03T01:50:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone! So day 2 in Auckland is going great. Can't show photos yet, but hopefully soon. I am excited to get down south to camp. The big city isn't really my thing, but its been fun seeing all the hustle and bustle. Took another ferry today to explore another island. Yesterday I went to Davenport a beautiful quaint victorian seaside town. I hope God is richly blessing you all! I'll stay in touch. So far the food has been surprisingly normal, and the weather picturesque (high 60's) Its been interesting getting used to the metric system (gas is 19.99 a liter) which is around 6 a gallon (ouch) I'll have more time to update soon, but right now I'm just jet lagged and exhausted. Love you, miss you

cheers mates

Auckland!

2008-09-01T13:05:00.000-07:00

Well after 26 hours of flying, lay overs, and lamenting over missed friends, I arrived safely in Auckland. Met a new friend on the flight to AKL who helped entertain me during the long journey. I have yet to take a photo, mostly because I became ill once I entered LA, I think its from how dirty their airport is... not sure though. It wasn't till about 5 hours into the International flight that I began to feel better. I was so tired I didn't watch one movie the entire journey! Which means Hot Rod will definitely be on my to do list this week if I need something to help me relax at night. It's 8:08 am here which I'm guessing is around 1:00 in the states.

My first experience driving on the wrong side of the road was interesting (actually riding, but ya know what i mean.) . I must say turning down regular streets feel like your going down a one way until you see all these other cars going the opposite direction... yikes.

I'm staying with Greg's (fam friend) girlfriend Lisa (who is from WA.. go ducks) and will be able to explore downtown auckland today and meet up with Greg for lunch down Queens St. She lives about a 15 minute walk from downtown and the waterfront. Hopefully I wont get lost :) The buildings and the city reminds me a lot of downtown portland, just with less scene emo kids walking around. well I haven't showered in over 30 hours so I think its about time for that. Weather is feeling like Eugene's early spring. Crisp and chill but with some clouds and sunshine.

Oh and I'm gonna venture into a museum today hopefully too... we'll see! Peace!

Eugene, Portland, LA, Auckland

2008-08-31T09:36:00.000-07:00

Woke up this morning at 5:00 after going to bed at 2... Drove to portland with the rents and made a quick stop for Dutch Bros and one last goodbye in Salem. All checked in and still have an hour and a half before my flight. It's great how cheery airport people are... all I can do is smile and bear with the herds of people.

This is the first part of my 26 hour journey to New Zealand. And yes, I brought a change of clothes in my carry on, because after spending a day in the same clothes I won't look very pleasant arriving in a new country looking extremely ill. My bag weighed 55 lbs, but thankfully Qantas has a 70lb limit... and yes I only packed one bag I am truly amazed.

Time to bust out the bible, Read the whole NT this August and Kara is setting me up to read the OT while at camp. I haven't shed many tears yet, but I have a feeling the 6 hours waiting in LA might bring some sadness. alright i'll be keeping you updated. Pray for my journey! p.s just saw a chick with a shaved head and she looked awesome!!!!!!!!! don't worry i won't be doing that anytime soon ;) PTL

Movin Out

2008-08-13T13:52:00.000-07:00

Empty Closet :)

Started moving out today, and I stumbled across some old photos, and journals. Completely bitter sweet because I am now realizing how soon I will actually be leaving (18 days)

I have made a pact with a friend not to cut my hair until I get back (unless bangs of course) however I didn't promise anything about color :) This is a big deal considering right now its kinda almost longer than ive had it in a long time. My hair just looks dumb long, but whatev at least i'll be able to pull it back.

Pulled out some of my favorite camp gear: tie die shirts, bandanas, sweatpants, etc. Of course I better bring some sort of nicer clothes too just in case...

my room is getting emptier and emptier, its looking really lonely without my zillions of photos on the walls. I should remember to bring some with me to decorate a little bit in NZ.

Food... i need some

oh mucho gusto i must eat thee every day since i must go without your for a long time.

Last week of Work

2008-07-28T20:02:00.000-07:00

Beginning my last week of work at Chvatal Orthodontics, wow its so surreal. I am going to miss my ortho family so much!! I am definitely getting the realization that I am truly leaving soon. Especially since I only have 4 days left of work. It's so exciting! Wow God is good. He deserves so much more than I can ever give Him.

I am have been able to release a lot of things I was holding onto whether it be emotional or material, and God has been showing me how to find strength through simplifying my life. I am feeling so much more free to do His will. Got rid of half my clothes the other day and really got to bless my roomates! It was such a freeing feeling hahah, its amazing how material things can weigh you down. I love the feeling that I could pack my whole belongings in one bag and be content. Ok I'm not quite down to just one bag... but THATs the goal!!!

My friends have been such a blessing to me, helping me grow and making me realize how much they care. I love them all so much! I did some studying on biblical love you should check out the blog nikki-wilson.blogspot.com WOW it opened my eyes to how real agape love is and how I should be applying it to my mental, spiritual, and physical world. Looking out for the betterment of others instead of myself, its so simple yet sooo complexly hard.

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding." Proverbs 3:5

Sometimes its hard for me to completely give God the reigns. Especially when I don't understand the outcome of certain circumstances. All I can do is have faith that His way is better, and trust that by following Him, I will be bringing Him glory and not myself. And so I wait on the Lord, yet continue to diligently seek Him.

peace

La La

2008-07-11T14:12:00.000-07:00

ALRIGHT!!!

officially applied for my "Working Holiday Visa"

thankfully since I'm a US citizen they waived the fees.... its good to be an American!

have started a new blog called Love Journey, dealing with biblical love.

check it out!!!! its been fun diggin into the word!

Sunny with a high of 85 today. beautiful.

listening to: New Soul by Yaci Naim

Hello July

2008-07-01T22:27:00.001-07:00

Sent out my support letter to you all officially this week. God is so good, I hope He is working amazing things in each of your lives. Thank you for your prayers and support, it means so much to me. Only 8 weeks left! it has gone by so quickly, I can't believe in less than 2 months I'll be gone. There are still many waterfalls left to hike to, but I guess they will still be here when I come back.

Blessings in Christ

nik

Indie Vintage Outfitters

2008-04-24T20:53:00.001-07:00

A fun day spent at home with my roomie Lindsey, playing fashion photographers in January. We wanted to represent that rockability/modern/vintage feel, as though we were almost band members in a magazine. Although we were limited with space, our old farm house we rent played the perfect setting. Oh the endless possibilities when you are bored! We had too much fun with these

Only when we believe we can do something, will we achieve it.

Keep Dreaming

Blessings in Christ

Art Expression

2008-04-24T20:28:00.000-07:00

Being sick is no fun, especially when you don't want to be. Going on six days now and definitely wanting to get out of the house. The flu virus seems to be hitting hard this year, and I even had my shot :( Never the less I decided to give myself something to do this evening by posting a few of my latest art pieces.

This first one directly below is my self portrait portraying my journey to New Zealand coming in just a few months now.

This piece is a replica of the cover of Elton Johns "Friends" Album. I fell in love with the cover and recreated it with sharpee

Although now I realize this picture depicts a little bit of my sisters profile, it was meant to capture the tranquility of the vintage movie days, where black and white beauties graced the movie screens. Done with Charcoal.
Combing some white acrylic, water color, and black ink, this piece was influenced by a vintage vogue cover in the 1930's. Although it turned out much differently with the backdrop and bird. The white bird is my favorite part, and the teal in the eyes, which is hard to see here is extremely "eye catching" and mysterious.

My dear roomate lindsey when we had formal last year, she had her hair done in a finger wave... apparantely we like vintage stuff if you can't tell.

More to come, sorry if this is all a little spacey, I haven't been myself lately, and am excited to get back on a regular work schedule!!!

Blessings in Christ
Nikki Elizabeth

Off the beaten path

2008-04-17T19:31:00.000-07:00

Adventures can undoubtly start in ones own backyard

You just need the imagination to see the wonders and excitement that await just outside the door

" Trips don't end when we return home -- in a sense it's when they begin."

-Agnes E. Benedict

There and back again, my God is my God, and my life is His.

Sunny Days

2008-04-13T16:00:00.000-07:00

The world is beautiful while sitting on a rooftop. Erin Tatum and I lounged for an hour or so in the rays. Life happens so darn quickly, I am almost sure sometime's it speeds up just for a laugh. We have a new meeting place for Ekklesia! The Sheldon Community Center! Now we can continue growing without the restraint of meeting in an apartment :)

It's amazing to see what God is doing through these people. We are on fire for Jesus Christ!

Playing a lot more on guitar, and learned a few new worship songs, and 2 Colbie Caillat songs. Turning 22 in two days... yikes, the last year is a fleeting image!

Purchased my NZ ticket officially!!! Depature August 31st, Returning Feb something... So looks like about 6 months, unless I feel God wants me to stay, which I will then extend. But its on His time...

Always continuing to have fun with photography.. I love it so much!

Hopefully someday I'll be able to use my hobby a lot more frequently! I can't wait to get some amazing shots in NZ.

Saw Phil Wickham, and Michael Watson in concert Thursday night in Corvallis... always fun but never trust boys when you are following behind them

Currently Reading: Book of John

Listening: Michael Watson, Shawn Mcdonald, Phil Wickham
Art: Acrylic and water color. Vogue paintings, collages, names...

Happy Saturday

2008-02-16T10:20:00.000-08:00

Well it is now less than 6 months before I leave for New Zealand. I can hardly believe it. I have been blessed so much these past few months with a wonderful new church called Ekklesia. They have taught me so much about living out my faith, and being bold in Christ. It is obvious my heart is being prepared to leave. My wonderful roomates and I have enjoyed ourselves immensely as of late. We have bonded closer than we ever thought and continue to understand why God has placed us in eachothers lives.

Was in an accident yesterday, got rear-ended by a Comcast pickup. Amazingly my car barely has a scratch and the guy who's name is Adam is now coming to church with us tonight! Praise God!

Valentine's was spent with my girlfriends and if looks could kill, there would not be a single man alive, for we were extravagant in our simply gorgeous dresses and looks of contentment that no man can resist. It's a wonderful feeling when you know there are several ridiculous men out there who missed out on the adventures these wonderful women. I am so thankful I am single right now! There is no way I could have the time to invest in someone at this point in my life. How would I fathom leaving the country for a year? Now I have no reason other than family tying me to this green state. And thanks to modern technology of video camera computers, they will seem only a few blocks away.

Also, Lizzy and I hiked mt. piska yesterday. The view was glorious minus the smog to the West that loomed over our small city. Today the sun is shining and I am listening to the soundtrack from Becoming Jane, which at this very moment is one of my favorite new movies.

Currently Reading: Jane Austin's Persuasion, Psalm 31 Daily, and the book of James.

Currently Drawing: Vogue Stills/ Charcoal.

Listening to: Sufjan Stevens, Elvis Perkins, Amos Lee.