Relaxed - May it last!

One of the early walks we took while in New Zealand was along the Te Waihou Walkway on the north island. We piled out of the bus and started walking through rolling hills, cattle grazing in the fields to our left. Working our way through the pastoral lands, we climbed down to the Waihou Stream. This beautiful, blue-green stream is totally spring fed – pure and natural – said to be one of the purest water sources in the world. The water was so clear I could easily see the fish swimming along. I was awestruck at the clarity and the color.

Such a peaceful walk. Most of our group walked on ahead while I lingered at the back, soaking up the beauty of it all – and of course trying to capture it with my camera. I think it was on this walk that I really relaxed from the trip to get there – and stayed that way for the rest of the trip. It was very easy to shed the stress of our American life. The people we encountered were relaxed, the country was beautiful, and the air was clean. If ever our 7th principle was alive and well, it was in this beautiful country.

Back at home, I’m still feeling relaxed. How long will it last? Hard to tell. But I’m enjoying the feeling. I even had a different outlook during our recent snow storms. I had much more energy for the shoveling (thankfully). And when that was done, Matt and I built a snowman. Memories of my childhood! Here’s to keeping stress down and energy up!

In Faith,

Nancy

Welcoming the Stranger

Wandering through New Zealand, it was no surprise to find our guide to be amazingly friendly and welcoming.  After all, it’s his job.  Gary greeted us on our first day with a big smile and a handshake, and it seemed instantly knew all of our names – 15 in our group.  He greeted us each day with an enthusiastic “Kia Ora!” – and assured us each day that “it’s all good….no worries.”  He made an amazing difference in our travel experience.

What stood out for me however was how welcoming the locals were – people who weren’t being paid to see that our stay was a good one.  On the first day in Auckland, while riding the ferry across the bay to our first hike and soaking up the sites silently by myself, a young New Zealand woman engaged me in conversation as if we rode together on the ferry every day.  What is often awkward to me came easily and naturally to her.  On my way back on the ferry, a weathered older man was equally friendly, leading me in an “every day” conversation.  There was no magic in what we said – just every day talk.  We did talk about where I was from (obviously not a local) - and never mentioned the weather!

This experience was repeated over and over during our stay in New Zealand -  “radical hospitality” at its best.  What is the parallel for our church, where welcoming newcomers is critical to growing our membership?  I believe it is a culture where ALL members of the congregation see themselves on the “membership team”.  Indeed we have some members like that – friendly and welcoming to newcomers, even when not in an official greeter role.  Are you one of them? 

On Sunday, try talking with someone you don’t know before approaching your usual circle of friends.  Make a difference in a newcomer’s experience of our congregation.

In faith,

Nancy

A Challenge Faced

I’ve just returned from New Zealand – an amazing adventure with many new experiences. There were opportunities for walking everyday – some easy, and some more challenging. One such challenge for me came about 5 days into our travel. We traveled by bus from Rotorua to the base of Mt. Tarawera, a dormant volcano which last blew its top June 10, 1886. From there, we boarded a 4-wheel drive vehicle to travel through dense forest on a one-way rugged road the rest of the way up the mountain to the beginning of our day’s hike.  By the time we got to our starting point, vegetation was scrubby and the walking path was visible – and not too long to the top. I knew we were to continue our hike down into the crater of Mt. Tarawera – yet when we got to the edge of the crater, it looked to be straight down. I started getting that feeling in my stomach that I get near the edge of the Grand Canyon or Niagara Falls. “OK – that’s a long way down there.”

About half of us decided to continue on the crater hike –while the others took an alternate path around the crater to our meeting point. I was determined to face my jitters and joined the group headed for the crater. Instructions were to step heel first each time and slide with each step as we make our way down through the loose volcanic rock. "If you lose your balance, sit down– like skiing." There were other instructions about walking poles and other things which I only half heard in my distraction about the hike. 

It was steep – although not straight down as it seemed. After a couple of steps getting the “feel of the land”, I became much more comfortable – ready to snap away with my camera to try to capture the moment. I did sit several times – and I smiled a lot. What a great feeling to be half-way around the world, walking down into a volcano, facing a challenge – and beating the jitters! At the bottom, we all emptied our boots of loose rock, which we were promised would get in as we sunk into about six-inches of gravel on the way down. Our guide drew in the gravel and told the story of the volcano – while I wandered around snapping photos. And then we trekked out.

We all have fears – no matter how insignificant they may seem. Facing them takes determination –knowing if we do we’ll feel exhilaration at having accomplished something new and challenging. Church involvement can be like that, too. A fear of public speaking is something I hear about from potential church leaders. Fear of the unknown in some totally new experience is another. My experience – in travel and in church – is the first step is the hardest. After that, it’s all downhill. As they say in New Zealand, ”no worries, mate.  It's all good!” What will you be trying next?

In Faith,

Nancy