Tuesday, November 25, 2008

Thanksgiving Week

The 6 of us at Russell with Uncle Rus who took the photo and texted it to Loida back in the US while they talked on his cell phone....technology amazing.



The triumphant two on the swim platform in the bay at our house.




Phillip's birthday is always special. He is becoming a young man.


This beautiful overlook in rural off the beaten path NZ had the Maori graffiti and beer bottles at the overlook reminding me of some of the problems in NZ youth.

Our German neighbors nadine and Martin are both family practice doctors who have been here for a long time because of the lifestyle.


Their daughter Tiarre (pictured with Claire) speaks both German and English. Claire is taking German in school.


Tiarre's brother Tomiko and Andrew are in the same class at school and are both such cute little guys.Claire in 1850's costume with her triple ring symbol which in Maori means "Forever friends"


She used the rest of the dough to make this "I luv U" cinnamon roll for Uncle Rus's visit.




(Below) Lynn with one of his Bay of Islands Maori patients. "Ki Ora" is hello in Maori.Bay of Islands is where this patient is from (see pic below). In Maori culture, the land you are from is very important. It is even more important than where you live now. I like that about their identity.





Rugby and picnic on the beach. No adult was awake to take the picture of the 3 of us sprawled out in the nap.


It has been a busy but eventful few weeks. Purple crayon melted in the clothes dryer but I got the white guest linens washed up and dried anyway for our first house guest last weekend. My brother was here for a quick fun filled time. We went on a long Saturday drive through the country with a stop for a picnic, play and nap on a black sand beach. The kids have all started baseball and T-ball. Phillip is for the first time excited about being on a co-ed team which is pretty funny. With athletics club (track and field) and Andrew's karate they are all really busy right now. The younger 3 are at an old country public school which celebrated it's 150th year at the same site last week. Claire won a division of the bake sale for her Maori friendship symbol cinnamon roll. The school dressed in colonial fashion and had old time games, etc. Phillip's birthday was yesterday and we had a great evening of cheesecake, Butter Chicken (Indian dish he loves), and watching an old Batman movie (Michael keaton, Michelle Peiffer, and Danny Devito). We will have a paint ball party this weekend for school friends. Two sundays ago I sang at church because the 2 singers were both gone. Desperate times mean desperate measures but we all survived. My garden continues to grow with more fun than actual food production. I think each of us has had one strawberry but the salad lettuce has been abundant. The green and yellow "courgettes" (yellow squash and zucchini) will soon be big enough to eat. Pumpkin is called "squash" here but there will be no pumkin pie for Thanskgiving because there is no canned pumpkin (or cranberry salad either). I am going to try to make shift cranberry salad with cran raisens and boysenberry jello (which is called "jelly" here) but I am not very hopeful. Claire has become so brave. She and Lynn took a swim in the very chilly bay in front of our house. Wet suits are required. We have enjoyed our German neighbors who had us over for a barbeque. They had fascinating stories about growing up in Germany, the division/difference between East and West Germany, the wall physically coming down, and the slow pace of real unity in Berlin. I was reminded of the 2 day course I took on Maori and the treaty of Waitangi(1850's but still disputed agreement between the Maori and the English throne). I learned a lot about the history and differences between the 2 cultures. The maori spiritual culture is beautiful in many ways as they relate in humility to God and to their "Whanua", their close community. Lynn continues to enjoy seeing Maori patients and getting to know them. Their culture like other cultures is plagued with problems they are trying to address but underneath are people, beautiful people. The weather is getting hotter with a balmy 82 degrees today. I did the Kiwi thing and hung the clothes out on the line. While folding them inside I could tell a cricket was singing in the basket but I showed him back outside. We will be washing up the linens again in a few weeks as Lynn's parents and my friend Cheryl have ventured purchasing plane tickets to the southern hemisphere in the next few months. My brother will return for Christmas and we will be kicking up the beach barbeque and doning bathing suits with my friend Cheryl. Santa is traveling light this year but apparently comes to NZ on sheep not reindeer. In the mean time Thursday is Thanksgiving and we plan to have a feast with other Americans and a few curious Kiwis at the church Thursday night. I threw in a little about the meaning of Thanskgiving as well as the events of the US civil war with my kiwi neighbor today. It was a bible study but we got a little off the subject when I realized she didn't know much about US history. Anyway, I am really missing family and especially my Houser and Hadorn cousins as Thanksgiving was the time we all managed to get together in the same room. I might need Cheryl's sweet potatoes, Tracy's mac-n-cheese and Sherry's desserts at a coming home party in the Summer when I can try to beat Bucky in Rook, pontificate with Gus over coffee, and laugh with Chris this time about what I have learned about the English. I hope everyone has a wonderful Thanksgiving.

Monday, November 17, 2008

The Philippians 2 Attitude

Paul wrote to the Christians in Phillipi:

"Do nothing out of selfish ambition or vain conceit, but in humility consider others better than yourselves. Each of you should look not only to your own interests, but also to the interests of others."

Many of you already live this way (mothers, wives and grandmothers). Thank you. Fellow men, you may find this passage a new challenge as I do. Be encouraged!
-Lynn

What is funny is while Lynn wrote this I was independantly doing my morning devotional and was drawn to the same chapter in Philipians. Our pastor had mentioned a verse from it Sunday but spent most of the message in John 1. Anyway, this morning I was struck by the second half of the Chapter entitled"Shining as stars". It talks about obeying as God works in you to will and to act according to his purpose. I feel good about being in New Zealand because I know God worked in us in our desire (will) to come and our (act) actually coming. There are sufferings, though, and v14 reminded me to do everything without complaining and arguing. I complain at least with my heart if not my mouth in a way that brought Lynn to tell me recently that I was chronically dissatisfied with a few things. Ouch! I am asking God to give me a Thanksgiving heart that doesn't complain but is content. The Chapter goes on to say by not complaining and by holding up the truth about God (His word) that we can be different in a "crooked and depraved generation" like shining stars in a universe. I thought about how big and dark the universe is and how small and surrounded and lonely I feel sometimes in a world that seems mixed up on a lot of things. Yet I hope there is a shine. A little light can go a long way in a dark place.
Dawn

Monday, November 10, 2008

The Auckland Church Visit!

Conference center where the NZ wide denominational service was held with some 20 nations represented, 3 choirs (Korean, Samoan, and Indian), and lots of cultural variety. My favorite part was a parade of national flags represented at the service where we saw Old Glory wave. Also a variety of bible verses relating to "the nations" were read in some 15 or so languages with Naomi (below) reading in Spanish. It was a beautiful thing to hear God's word in so many different native tongues reminding me that His word goes out to all the nations and every tongue shall confess that Jesus is Lord.
Naomi, the oldest Abascal child did a beautiful job reading Malachi 1:11

Miguel and 3 other pastors were ordained in The Church of The Nazarene as pastors to NZ. Only one was from NZ. The other 3 were USA, South Africa, and Australia I think.

We have gotten to know Neville Barton (above) who is the Overseer for the denomination within NZ. He served in Papua New Guinea for 30 some years as well as Fiji. His wife of 40 plus years was also in PNG as a missionary from Scotland.


With 10 kids among our 2 families the Nichols and Abascals were a sight at the Pizza place (above) and the after service luncheon (below).



We enjoyed the variety of music styles present within the service. The above is a Samoan choir and below is a Cook Island choir who got up and sang at the luncheon. We thought about getting up and singing a traditional song like Sweet Home Alabama from our native country.

The Key Note speaker, Dr.Jesse Middendorf (below) had flown over from the denomination headcourters in Kansas to speak at the Centennial Service and perform the ordination. The most curious thing was that he went to Lynn's mom's High School in Valley, Alabama when his father was the pastor at Fairfax Church of The Nazarene during the late 50's. I told him that my thanks goes out to Shawmut Baptist Church who I am told prays for our time here in New Zealand. It is a small world.




The Nazarene church in NZ has a large percentage of Pacific Islanders who apparently have a custom of honoring people with a Lei of flowers. Miguel gave his to Lynn since he has allergic bronchopulmonary problems. Remember Miguel was Lynn's first patient in NZ and had waited in the hospital to see Lynn. Anyway, Anna ended up with the Lei and I thought Aurora looked like a Pacific Island princess (below) with it on.





///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


ON SATURDAY, WE AND OUR PASTOR'S FAMILY

WENT TO AUCKLAND TO CELEBRATE 100 YEARS

OF THE NAZARENE CHURCH!! WE STAYED IN A HOTEL

THAT WAS DECENT.

ON SATURDAY NIGHT WE WENT TO CHURCH AND

ON SUNDAY MORNING WE WENT TO A 3 HOUR LONG

MORNING SERVICE. ONE OF THE REASONS WHY WE CAME

WAS BECAUSE OUR PASTOR WAS BECOMING PART OF

THERE STAFF!!WE HAD A GREAT TIME !!

P.S. IF YOU GET A CHANCE PLEASE LEAVE A COMMENT!!

WITH LOVE -CLAIRE

/////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////


The Cat's away, The Mice will Play

Whangarei Falls is the city's claim to fame.

The stream reminds me of the mountains at home plus some ferns.



Whale bay is just another beautiful deserted beach right outside of town.



The kids love to play with Naomi, Champ, Kiarra, Danna, Brooke, and baby Samantha.

Miguel who played college baseball has organized the Northland Baseball League. He bought the kids this huge plastic bat for after church parking lot play. Anna and Andrew will be starting T-ball and Lynn and I will be the T-ball coach. It is really a community out reach program. On the last trip to the US Miguel brought the equipment and programing back for Upward Basketball next Spring.


Anna starting the 100 yard race.


Athletic Club is at Phillip's school but is composed of students from both. Lynn is coaching the high jump. I take a pilates class in town that night. There is a sausage sizzle every week at Athletic Club and plenty of opportunity for grill side conversations and getting to know people. At such a time a teacher recently poured her heart out to me about the NZ problems of domestic abuse, sexual abuse, and school violence from first hand experience. It happens in both countries and is always hard to hear.
Lynn did such a great job managing the kids while I was gone. I found these beautiful pictures of his Sunday afternoon hike to the falls and walk at Whale Bay with the Abascal family after church. It is breath taking.We have started a new sporting season with baseball for Phillip, T-ball for Anna and Andrew on Monday and Tuesday, Athletic Club (track and field) for all 4 on Wednesdays, and karate for Andrew on Thursdays. It could be a busy time until Christmas. Thanks for the packages and letters from Rheba, Mom, Susan, and Nanny. We love hearing from you.









Saturday, November 8, 2008

Nelson, Wellington, and Halloween

The Wellington harbour is beautiful and reminds me of San Francisco. The playground in downtown Wellington has a great clean beach beside it.



We drove an hour north of Wellington to Martinborough where boutique wineries reminded me of Napa valley



Cheryl Crow and John Melloncamp are doing an outdoor concert at this vineyard later this month.



Rus was a great tour guide and companion while I was there.


As always, the roadside scenary is breath taking in NZ. This road to Martinborough shows the panarama.


There is something special about grapes on the vine growing within the rows of the vineyard which reminds me of Jesus' words in Matthew "I am the vine, you are the branches, remain in me and bear fruit (love,joy, peace,patience,kindness,goodness,gentleness, faithfulness and self control)."





While I was away Lynn did a fabulous job with the kids including getting them ready for the school community Halloween party where they enjoyed the candy and time with friends.







Aurora is pictured with her friend Brooke who had a great spider costume her mom, Rene, had made out of pantyhose.



Many thanks to thise of you who prayed for the lecturing opportunity I had in Nelson at the NZ Pathology Society's annual meeting. There were about 70 pathologists there from all over NZ including some trainees. I felt middleaged in an intellectual trough realizing I have been in practice long enough to have forgotten a lot of the esoteric initial training but not long enough to have the depth of experience of the long termers. On any account, the 2 lectures I did seemed well recieved and confirmed my impression that there is a teacher/lecturer buried within me despite the nerves that kept me up until 3:30Am the night before I spoke. I am asking God in what arenas will I swallow my jitters and become vulnerable enough to communicate pathology, biblical truths, or editorial writing. I seem to have a stir of thoughts and ideas accumulating in my head with need of time to sit down and write/organize. I wrote one entitled "The Pros and Cons of Capitalism" yesterday as I reflected on the US election, our American values, my Christian perspective, the more socialist NZ mindset, and the upcoming NZ election today. I can e-mail the essay if anyone besides Summer is interested. Anyway, it was good to be in Nelson and back deeper in the field of medicine I like so much. After the conference I flew to Wellington, the NZ capital city, to see my brother for a few days. He has a beautiful pent house apartment and I was quite charmed with Wellington as a trendy city. It is very compact with walking, biking, and busing to a variety of beaches,waterfronts, shops, and ethnic restaurants. We had my favorite, Indian food, two nights and shared pasta and a bottle of wine at a great Italian cafe another. He took one day off and we drove to the wine district of Martinborough to enjoy walking the vineyards and winetasting. Wellington provided better Christmas shopping so we did a bit of that downtown. We wrapped Christmas presents and watched movies in the evenings. It was just good to be together. He also treated me to an early Birthday present with an entire morning at the Day Spa. Fantastic!!

Saturday, November 1, 2008

Labour Day Drive Through Northland's Wild West Coast




World's largest Kauri Tree







Opononi- previous home of Opo the friendly dolphin

Koru (baby fern). Maori symbol of new life/new beginnings.




Ngapha (pronounced nafa) natural hot springs. We smelled like sulfur for days.






In the Kauri Forest






World's most famous restrooms designed by a Dutch artist. Go figure.





Massive sand dunes.


Primeval.





Forestry is big business in Northland. Unfortunately, it's not too pretty.


Quaint churches dot the countryside. Mostly Anglican. We hug in front of all of them.



Andrew enjoyed his visit to the Hundertwasser Toilets- remember to flush.