Kapiti: Part 1

My trip has been really interesting from the moment my friend Joel dropped me off at the bus stop in Minneapolis. It seems like the Enemy has been busy trying to throw whatever he can at me to foil all the good things the Lord has been trying to do. I will say, though, that the Lord's blessings have outweighed them all. The first couple of weeks were full of anxiety and distraction, but I've been slowly learning how to lay those things at God's feet and not pick them up again immediately. I've been surprised more than a few times being blessed unexpectedly - from free lattes to beautiful sunlight streaming through the trees on a mountainside hike. There are a few things that I've been asking God about. I'm still waiting for answers, but this is a pretty amazing place to do it!

On the crowded bus to Chicago, an old college friend popped up the stairs and sat in front of me. He'd decided earlier that afternoon to go to Guatemala! I spent the next day tramping all over Chicago and waiting in line for his passport renewal. I was on time to the airport, but the flight was delayed. The snow storm that dumped 6" on Minneapolis delayed all the flights at O'Hare with rain. So, I also missed my connecting flight to New Zealand in San Francisco. I got rerouted to Sydney. The upside to a 10-layover was that I got a day visa and went to see the Sydney Opera House and explore the downtown area a bit. I got to Wellington 16 hours late, and my luggage was lost, but my lovely friend Jemma was there to pick me up.

The next day, I was to be picked up to head to Waikanae. When that fell through, I got to spend the day with Jemma. We went to her church, Blue Print, a young-adult congregation right in the heart of the city. The next morning, Jemma's cute British roommate, Laura, took me down the cable car and around town to the train station where I I caught a train to Paraparaumu. I finally met up with the rest of the students on a farm outside of Waikanae. Later, I was taken to the house where I now live with 4 other women from Germany, Canada, and Minneapolis.

The first couple of weeks were rough only because the Enemy was hard at work causing trouble at my house back home. There will need to be a mediation upon my return concerning the issues I have been unable to resolve from here. I have had also had additional financial expenses because of the situation. I am very thankful that my friends Kitty and Shaggy have been available to help sort things out while I've been away. Beth Chaya, my mentor, has also volunteered to intervene and help sort out the financial issues. It's a huge blessing to know that someone as wise and trustworthy as these three are covering me while I'm away. The Lord is also helping be to combat the attacks of anxiety that are becoming less and less.

As far as the school goes, it's been really positive. The classes run three days per week and have been mostly taught by David and Jodi Pierce, who head Steiger International. My pastor, Mark Johnson, was also here 2 weeks ago, which made me feel right at home. I am incredibly blessed by the One-on-One partner I have been matched with. She is a lovely woman of prayer from the local church. We hit it off right away. God has really used her to reveal His love for me (coffee, dark chocolate, and a bike!). My favorite day of the week is Friday, our Seeking God Day. Walking on the beach, hiking up the hill, and going on dates with Jesus has been amazing. The house I live in is only 2 blocks from Waikanae beach, where you can walk for hours. It's not too far to the countryside here, either, where you can start a 4 hour bushwalk through a semi-tropical jungle at the edge of town. The steep decline at the end tore me up a little bit, but it was definitely worth it!

We have also been reaching out to the community in several ways. One example was a community during a big bike race held in town. We helped one of the local churches serve food and coffee, do face-painting and games with the children, perform music, and entertain the spectators with tall bikes, spinning poi, and bicycle jousting. Only one of the students got hurt slightly -- my Finnish friend Miika lost the cap to a tooth he broke three years ago. I'll have to post the video online of him playing his guitar at the event -- for anyone who knows my old roommate Bryce, it's like watching his Finnish brother! At first, it was disappointing to see how few of the local congregation were there to help, but for many this was something that was truly outside of their comfort zone. The people attending the bike race kept asking why we were offering them free snacks. The whole thing seemed quite out of the ordinary for this community, but we had a lot of positive feedback. It was really hard knowing that I was missing the wedding of one of my closest friends at that moment, but I prayed that they would be blessed. The busyness of the day helped make it easier.

My friends, Stephanie and Greg, also live here and work at a little restaurant near the beach. I've been getting to know the staff there, and each of them are open to us as Christians. One guy, Matt, has been asking a lot of questions about God, so I've been hanging around to answer them as well as I can. There's also a lovely Maori girl named Robyn, who has really accepted me into their little circle. There are a couple younger kids working there also -- Anna, Cain, and Paul -- that I've become friendly with. I'm hoping that the Lord will continue to give me more opportunities to share Jesus' love with them. There was also a kid I met on the bus, Josh, that I'd appreciate your prayers for. We had a good initial conversation, and I'm hoping that God continues to have our paths cross over the next month.

Next week is our break from the school, and I'm really excited! My roommate, Mirjam, and I are heading to the South Island for an adventure. I will be visiting a man who was a leader on the first mission trip I ever went on 16 years ago.

Feel free to write me, if you have a chance - I love mail!

Heather Penzel
14 Titoki Rd.
Waikanae 5036
New Zealand

Thanks!