An exciting first week!

The sea sparkles, stretched taut like a shimmering silver blue cloth, the edges creasing against green land and frothing on black rocks. The plane swoops and circles over cars crawling like ants on ram-rod straight roads, the city of Auckland congealed around ocean bays and lagoons, it's suburbs scattered across the horizon as we land.

The rhythmic clunks of the baggage carousel gently and unhurriedly deliver our long-since parted from belongings. It takes a second turn on the belt before I remember what my bags look like and hoik the 30kgs which should prepare me for a year of NZ summer, autumn, winter and spring.

I'm met on the other side by Sarah who transferred from CAP UK earlier this year and she takes me straight to the office of CAP NZ to meet the team. My new desk is decorated with balloons and a glimmering golden welcome message smiles up at me across the keyboard. After a tour, history lesson, acclimatisation period and meet & greet session we head out for a bite to eat, before I let my tired body sleep a full twelve hours of uncramped, painless oblivion.

Thursday morning is an exciting day as we celebrate reaching 1,000 lifechangers - that's one thousand passionate & generous New Zealanders who are committed to supporting the life changing work of CAP through a regular donation. How exciting!

I spend the week doing work similar to what I did at CAP UK, but also quite different – this time calling churches to see if they are interested in training in the money management course CAP Money. Exciting and exhilarating, I love having these conversations with amazing church pastors who are so passionate about serving and loving their communities!

Leaving on a Jet Plane

Before we leave for New Zealand we spend the day at CAP head office in Bradford which lends a huge dollop of extra excitement to the trip as it has been a month since I last saw everyone. They pray for us in the morning and we spend the day helping out in Partnership which involves unloading the van from the CAP Money Glasgow event they held at the weekend and a large delivery of Nevertheless'. After hugs all round and face ache from smiling so much Jennie & Matt Sanderson drive Chris and I to the airport. Chris is going to Australia to do the same thing as me and we are lucky enough to travel to Dubai together before we catch different flights to our respective countries.

After an 8 hour flight where I spend most of it experimenting with seats specifically designed to dislocate at least several bones as I try find a pain-free way of sleeping we arrive in to Dubai in the early morning to a temperature of 30C. The liquid horizon shimmers in the heat and the air blows like an industrial hairdryer the minute we step onto the tarmac. After a 3 hour wait my flight to Auckland via Brisbane leaves, crossing desserts rippled and scarred by mountain ranges before launching across the dark ocean, the sunset shooting burnt orange as we head ever east and towards Australia.

Lakes of fog swirl within the mountain folded valleys and the sea glints dully amongst the rich green swamps as we approach Brisbane 11 hours later. Palaces of cloud built in swathes of dove grey and flamingo pink dominate the horizon, pierced by soft buttercup rays as the sun rises like a shining golden heart.

A quick disembark and re-embark sees us headed on the final leg of this endless journey to Auckland. My sense of time became dislocated several sleepless hours and a sunrise ago but I enjoy my second breakfast of the day and the captain announces that the Scottish Rugby Team is sharing the journey with us on their way to the Rugby World Cup.

The flight information tells me that we are 0.29 minutes and 186 miles from our destination. I feel time-warped, my vision narrowed to a small porthole filled with a taut silver sliver of an airplane wing and the soft landscape of cotton clouds. Looking back at the interminable journey and with my final destination fast approaching I suddenly feel a long, long way from home.

New Land of Zeal

Someone once said that "A journey of a thousand miles must begin with one step." Well if that's the case then 12 steps should be what's needed to begin this next adventure!

On Monday 5th of September I will be moving to Auckland, New Zealand (12,000 miles away!) to begin a second year of volunteering for Christians Against Poverty as they seek to bring a hope and solution to all those in debt and poverty.

I will be joining a newer, smaller team (CAP was only started in NZ 3 years ago) continuing to work in the Partnership department side of things but most likely getting involved in a lot of other stuff as well.

Keep checking the blog, I'll endeavor to keep you all updated about life in this New Land of Zeal!

Meanwhile I think I'll take Dr. Seuss' advice:

"You're off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So... get on your way!"

The End.

No matter how painful the parting, times of farewell cascade through life as naturally as the seasons - summer dipping into autumn and the bitter winds of winter scattering the joyful spring memories.

Our conversation is filled with the golden weight of remembrance as a year of beauty unfolds behind us. A thick tapestry of experiences, of learning and growing, in faith and love and joy. With threads of heartache and happiness weaving scarlet and golden amongst the fresh emerald green of precious friends, a deep azure blue breaks my heart with goodbyes.

I have so much to look forward to - moving to New Zealand to do another voluntary year with CAP, new friends, amazing experiences, fantastic places to see yet there is also so much here I have to give up, so much to let go, so many dear friends to leave.

Yet this is where it ends...with fragrant halcyon flowers bending their heavy heads beneath the wash of bleak farewells as the final week turns into the final day, the final hour, the final goodby.

And I realise...

"How lucky I am to have something that makes saying goodbye so hard."

Summer

The morning is clement, warm cerulean skies shine softly and the satin fragrance of summer flowers is swirled on the silken tendrils of a July breeze.

As I walk to work the horizon clogs with pillow-like clouds, building turrets and fortifications of nebulosity in creamy grey billows, a sure promise of summer storms.

On a busy main road a subtle pink dog rose nods it's friendly head and I drink in its sweet, clear perfume like nectar.
The pure, green smell of freshly cut grass sounds like the lazy drone of the bumblebee as it hovers over a particularly delectable daisy and butterflies billow round the purple spears of Buddleia trees.

Summer creeps in on days of mellifluous beauty and the dulcet strains of June and July slumber by on honeyed weekends.
It is a shock as we realise we only have three more precious weeks left here at CAP and in Bradford.

"But thy eternal summer shall not fade
Nor lose possesion of the fair though owest;
Nor shall Death brag thou wander'st in his shade,
When in eternal lines to time thou growest:
So long as men can breathe or eyes can see,
So long lives this and this gives life to thee.
(Sonnet XVIII, Shakespeare)

Climbing mountains

"We who have the habit of climbing mountains know just how far superior to brute force is the will to persevere and attain a specific goal...

This past week, the Reach Interns have all been in Wales for a spiritual retreat which involved staying in a stunning manor house, eating together with much love and laughter, breathlessly playing competitive ultimate frisbee, furrowing our brows in intense discussions, listening quietly to a few talks and having deep although sometimes loquacious late night chats and generally spending precious time with one another.

...We know that every height that is attained, every step that is taken is the product of patient and difficult effort and that desire is no substitute for them...

We also climbed Mt Snowdon which was an experience in itself! Huddling together for warmth, we began our walk on a cold, blustery morning, the wind whirling wet mist around our startled faces and snatching the breath from our lungs as we trudge up the well worn path. The craggy mountainside falls in folds of green around us as we ascend, the low cloud hanging thick and viscous above our heads. Occasionally we see sheep damp with fog, their nimble feet gripping the side of the mountain as they graze nonchalantly beneath the sheer ridge.

...A great many difficulties will arise, a great many obstacles will have to be overcome and avoided...

The grassy swathes are clotted with craggy boulders dribbling from jagged scars of rock which become even more profuse the higher we go. After a while a few of us turn off to climb Crib Goch, most of us foolishly unaware of what we had just let ourselves in for! What followed was 4 and 1/2 hours of nerve-racking climbing, scrambling and crawling beside precipitous drops as we edge our way along a craggy knife-edge, the dizzying heights obscured by the churning mist only to be revealed in disquieting gusts of wind which clear the clouds long enough for us to glimpse bleak rocks hundreds of feet below us.


The cold breath of the mountain wind knifes through us, a rock dislodging from my hand and tumbling into the depths of grey fog when we realise we are slightly lost. A long climb back up the mountain flank is made precarious by ferrous-rich scree which slides deceitfully beneath our feet and hands.
Eventually we reach the top and flat ground where I've never been so happy to be able to walk on two feet before!

Although not in the habit of climbing mountains, I did learn that with the will to persevere through difficulties, the determination to overcome obstacles and with every new height attained and every step taken I was forming and refining my character so that...

"...(but) for us the will to do something is the ability to do it." (Edward Whymper)



(Photos courtesy of James Ross)

Northern Ireland

Submerged in a whirlpool of activity it has been difficult to find the space to write but since last time we have had two fundraising dinners - one in Birmingham and one in Belfast!

Absolutely loved Northern Ireland - it's the first time I've been and the emerald isle certainly showed us it's best with beautiful weather all weekend. We were staying close to Belfast Castle and so a couple of early mornings I was able to go for a run in the beautiful grounds/country park surrounding it. Hot and humid, the country side reminded me almost of Kenya with it's thick scrub and thrumming crickets, the soft green leaves of hill-side bushes fragrant in the morning heat as they scrambled amongst tumbling boulders. We climbed a short while up the craggy hill behind the Castle and although no where near the top were rewarded with panoramic views of Belfast docks, the tall yellow cranes looming like herons out of the white-blue haze.

We also had a supporter conference on the Saturday which was extremely tiring but our energy levels were kept high by the amazing traybakes (apparently a NI speciality!) that had been ordered for the 300+ delegates. Row upon row of brightly coloured, chocolatey and delicious looking cakes and bakes were uncovered to gasps of admiration from all. Never have I seen so much excitement over cakes before!