I have so much to say! My goodness time is flying by. The three of my roommates are fast asleep as I write this so I’m trying to be very sneaky and type quietly. I love late evenings where I can sit in my bunk and recap the day’s events and what I have learnt. I often have a snack at this time but unfortunately all I have right now is rice crackers and they are about the loudest thing to eat.
So lets start with some news… I am a proud owner of a 1979 Datsun. It’s a very old car, the van idea did not work out. People stare. Maybe they are impressed? Ill be sure to post a photo. The car does drive stick and I have gotten the hang of that. Me and Naomi (the girl I bought it with) have had so so much fun in it. We have prayed in it, laughed in it, ran out of gas, gone on beach trips, and played some very loud music in it, with at least one arm out the window at all times. I am very thankful for her friendship. We have tried to make our vehicle pleasing to the lord so we are going to transplant a plant or maybe some moss into the cup holder (to remind us of nature, of course), and we always read a passage from the message before get into gear. The staff here also asked me to get my drivers license for the 10 seat passenger vans as they seem to think im one of the mature students that can handle this task. (also shift.) It’s a massive vehicle and I feel pretty responsible for the lives in it so I drive real cautiously. I ask the students to be quiet when I drive it for full concentration. No music aloud yet. I drove it for the first time last week and drive it every Thursday to something called “bible in schools.” This is where a few of us have been assigned to a classroom of 30 students (mines age 8-9) and teach them a bible lesson for half an hour each week. For a lot of the kids it’s the only time they ever hear about Jesus. My lesson this week is on generosity and Im really excited about it. Last week was an introductory class so myself and another girl brought the kids a Canadian flag and told them about stuff like frostbite, how we don’t have possums, and how the moons different. Then I got them to draw pictures of stuff to help me learn… One thing that I am having a hard time grasping onto is all the different meanings of the word “kiwi.” If you just say kiwi, its talking about the people who are native to new Zealand. If your talking about the fruit you have to say “kiwi fruit” and if your talking about the bird you have to say “kiwi bird.” It’s a learning process.
Today five of us girls made a video about beauty that we are going to show all the girls next Sunday night. No make up was allowed, plain clothes, undone hair. (twas a little tough for me!) We interviewed each other on what inner beauty means to us, what scripture tells us about beauty… etc and took some natural photos. (I think I posted a few, hence the ones of me alone).

I know my CMU friends love hearing about the differences between our countries so heres just a few to chew on
1. when there is lots of something everyone says “heaps.”
2. sandles are jandles and you cannot drive with them on. Barefoot is acceptable for driving of course, where as for us its illegal.
3. glow worms
4. people call each other “mate”. Clever I suppose if you don’t know somoenes name
5. many enjoy a disgusting “marmalade” on their toast. I cant even describe it but it’s a yeast spread.
6. tim tam slams


One of my roommates just woke up as my typing got a little vigerous… so goodnight!


Ps- mom, oddly I am remembering I had a dentist appointment this spring, would you do me a huge favour and cancel that. How are my renters? Paying on time? sorry, this is rude, ill just write u a personal email. Think of u oftenJ

I have been looking forward to today for a while now. Today is a day we are not suppose to speak to anyone. An entire day for God! I am almost nervous. Really I should not even be writing this but I just got so excited that I had to share. I biked to the town library early this morning as I knew I could not be around campus to take this seriously. Stopped to look at some sheep as I knew they would not tempt me to talk. Well I suppose I did talk a little to try to get them to come closer with no success. So I go into the library and realize there are way too many people in there to distract me so I go back out and sit on a bench. I pray to God “please let me make this day without talking.” I open my bible and pretty much right away a lady approaches me and says “that’s a great book to get to know, isn’t it.” So now Im trapped and try not to be rude so I just go “mmmm mmmhmmm.” And I think I even gave her a thumbs up, something I try not to do too often. But of course she presses on and tells me a few ways God has worked in her life. Im nodding my head a lot at this point. Suddenly I come to the realization that maybe im taking this a little too serious so we did end up having a brief discussion about the power of the bible. I feel like when you meet a stranger with one big commonality: faith in the same Jesus, you walk away not being strangers anymore. That’s how I felt anyway. She touched my day, and hopefully I touched hers in a similar way.

Ok, now I have left the library bench and I have five hours left of silence. I am going to find a place to have my ham sandwich, and continue to learn, maybe by a nice river. Thank you for listening.

11 pm. I am sitting in a hammock under the stars. Can see the milky way. Stars sure look different out here. I trick myself into thinking I can see constellations but I know I cannot. Never been able to. A lot of times people try to explain what I should be seeing and they point to certain stars hoping that will help me understand. No one should expect that pointing at a star would make me know which one they are talking about. Eventually I just pretend and life goes on. We are studying appoligetics right now and scientific proof that creation is correct, a lot of which has to do with the stars and solar system. Its so fascinating! Before this week I struggled to make it to 730 am breakfast which consists of toast and marmalade but now that appoligetics started Im there on time and sit in the front row with the fan blowing in my hair. Its real nice, that fan. I sat with a fellow at church the other day who was a very active listener and it was inspiring. So Im trying it out in these apoligetics classes. Nod my head a lot and even gave an amen today. The professor seems to be speaking right at me when I show interest. Ive been taking my little green journal to classes that a certain special someone (matt) gave me so I can write down stuff I want to carry forever. There is so much in this world to learn and I am delighted that this is just the beginning.

Hmmm, I had the most fantastic weekend at a place called finely park with people from my church. I haven’t had a lot of opportunity to hang out with kids so I tried that out and it seemed to work for me. There was this “rocket” that gets pulled behind a boat (similar to what we would call a banana boat) and I was told that all you have to do is hang on. Simple I thought, I can do this especially concidering I am about 10 years older then the other four kids on it. Embarrassingly I could not stay on this thing like the children could and they would say things like “Ollie just hold on tighter, ok.” Haha but then at least I was able to show them that I could knee board. Defiantly showed off a little with my mad skills. This weekend I realized how much I enjoy meeting new people. Mingling is an art. In closing I thought I would just share my list of goals that I created for my time here at Capenwray:

be observant to those who are struggling and spend time with them
be in the now. Live for the day.
get to know the professors, they truly are bodies of knowledge
do small things that make me happy. Pick flowers, bake an apple pie from the apple tree, play tennis, run till im exhausted, laugh till it hurts
travel. leave the school on weekends whenever possible
always meet new people
pray with other students
learn more about sheep
go for bike rides often and vigorously, for the lord of coursee
Run into the ocean whenever I have the chance. (I am really enjoying this, for some reason its more fun to run into the waves when your arms are in the air)

So I should go to bed here. Its work day tomorrow. We each have a three hour job to do each wednesday. Usually I ask to be assigned to fix a bicycle and so far they have let me. Its all self teaching but I think they think I really know what Im doing and I love it.

C u all. Your wonderful people.

Today we celebrated Valentines Day. We have learnt how to swing dance so we danced and danced the night away. The guys treated us very well. Some of them have let me cut their hair. Oh how I love hair cutting! I try very hard and it takes me a long time. So far they all think I know what I am doing.

I have been able to practice some of my nursing here which is great. I do sterile dressing changes for a girl who had a shoulder operation. I am not sure how they think I am qualified but I do it with confidence just like hair cutting since that seems to be working for me. There was a lady on campus wearing a shirt that looked like nursing scrubs so I asked her if she was the school nurse. She said “no.” I feel like she may never wear that shirt again and I will try to redeem myself. Hopefully it wasn’t her favourite.

I made a good friend named Naomi but I call her Na homie. She has had a very hard life and is someone I can learn so much from. We both cherish deep discussions but also value laughter a lot. Today we had lunch beside about a 100 cows. We watched them in silence and they watched us. You know your comfortable with someone when silence is not uncomfortable. There is an understanding between us that’s hard to describe.

Some food for thought…. I will be sharing for at morning tea for my devotion…. It’s a true story.

A chrisitan family from vancover raised a boy who we will call Tommy. Tommy decided to live an opposite lifestyle from his family when he moved onto the streets at 16. He became highly addicted to drugs and life was in a downward spiral. His family never ceased to stop praying for Tommy. In fact entire churches in the community were praying. Prayers were being sent up to heaven constantly for the recommitment of Christ into Tommy’s life. Tommy had no idea. Years later tommy was on the street and overdosed. As he lay in his own vomit he breathed his last words which were “Jesus Ok.”

“to truly know God is to spend time with him.”

Dear friends,

Again, welcome to this blog. I see I have three followers… awesome to see. Thanks to all those sending prayers, I feel them everyday.

I cannot begin to describe how much I am learning out here…. Maybe not so much about how to be a nurse (well actually not at all) but rather discovering who I am and how to become more Christ like. To truly know God is to spend time with him.

Today I sat in my favorite spot (the platform in the tree that I told you about and ate grapes (ones that I had picked myself) and mediated about what I want to get out of my time here. I will dwell on that another time but its defiantly not just fun and games but much growth and experience. My roommates and I share a very small space which is teaching me a lot as well. I learnt the hard lesson when I ate a bananna in bed and left the peel by my feet. Ants! Haha. I know your probably all shaking your head at me. One of my roommates is Korean and struggling with language. She beams when I teach her new words and sometimes does a little bow to me. I was showing her the book I was reading, “ Chicken soup for the traveling soul” and she interpreted it as me borrowering it to her. She said “Homework!” and has been reading it ever since. So thankyou kara, your book is being put to good use. Pray for patience for both of us. Her name is Won.

Hmmm what else… I did go to the beach once this week and also to a fresh water river with some people from the church I attend. Its important for me to get outside of the school and meet others. The farmers market proves to be a good place for that. They love Canadians and the town is only a 15-minute intense bike ride. Luckily I will be cruising on a scooter soon. Just getting use to the opposite side of the road and how to use round abouts by bicycle first.

We are required to share our personal testimony here so I am going to practice it at a local old folks home. Maybe practice it to a few sheep as well.

Our neighbor, Austrailia is having severe forest fires and about 300 people have lost their lives in it. They become trapped in their homes. Just terrible. I do not want to end on that note though…. Overall, I am doing very well and am happy! Life is good and I feel that these months will breeze by. Look forward to seeing you all again.

hello!

firstly thankyou all for taking interest in my life by reading. after a very long plane ride i am here in cambridge new zealand. . i sat with a kiwi fellow (my age) on the way here and learnt alot about the country. he is a non beliveer but showed interest when i prayed before meals. awesome opportunity to witness. God put words into my heart and out of my mouth. he is so good.

upon arrival i was picked up by two students (barefoot_. out here shoes are by no means a necessity in public. I have been trying to touhgen my feet, but too quickly, so i am back to barefoot for now. ...

everyone drives on the opposite side of the road which takes some time to get use to. myself and a friend calvin are thinking to buy a scooter to share and get around on. i think i suit a scooter quite well, yes.

i am reminded by Gods creative mind everyday. I have seen many pastures of sheep in the gently rolling green hills of forest, but have yet to sheer one.

i have introduced my self as "ollie" out here. I like it and may try to use it in canada when i get back. i did not think i had musical talent but i bought a drum in which i play and sing worship too. so far only in the privacy of a [platform in a tree... im soundign hippi, i know.

thats all for now, my times out

cheers.,

Oliie