As most of you have probably heard, Christchurch is still being shaken by aftershocks. The latest batch came this Monday, the first Monday of the final exam period. As I sat by myself studying in a big empty room on the bottom floor of a rather tall building, I survived a 5.5 and a 6.3 not even thirty minutes apart as well as close to 20 other smaller quakes. Immediately after the quakes, I was okay, but once the shock wore off, I began to freak out.
With the ash cloud causing cancelled flights and being so close to when I'm scheduled to go home, these quakes really messed with my head. After witnessing what happened during February quakes first hand, it is hard not to think about getting trapped or crushed by buildings that you once felt safe in. Turning for physical comfort, I baked nearly all evening long and ate myself to the point where I thought I was going to be sick. Around midnight, one of my pod mates and I decided that we couldn't sleep in our rooms because we didn't feel safe with only one exit so we brought our sleeping bags into the kitchen and set up camp for the night after making the kitchen "earthquake proof" (aka putting everything on the ground so it couldn't fall off, creating easy exits, setting up a shelter under the table). We then started watching silly movies to try to make us fall asleep. We couldn't have been asleep more than 45 minutes when a small aftershock startled us awake and out the kitchen door faster than you can imagine. Traumatized once again, we went back inside and huddled on the floor trying to watch my childhood favorite "Peter Pan" to cheer us up.
Needless to say, when the beautiful Miss Judy, our cleaning lady/mother found us on the kitchen floor the next morning, she was rather concerned. Knowing that I love to bake, they sent me to the dining hall kitchen where I had a pass to bake whatever I liked and help wherever I wanted to from 8am-5 pm. I thoroughly enjoyed being on my feet and working all day because I hardly noticed the constant quakes. It was also good to get my mind off of things and have a job to do. I will be forever grateful to the staff here at Lincoln Uni that have taken care of me very well throughout my stay!
At the end of the day Tuesday, my adopted kiwi family, the Butchers, took me in there home and put me to bed for some much needed sleep. 11 hours later, I woke up still tired but ready to try to go back to campus. Once on campus, I got my paperwork filled out so that I would not have to sit any of my exams. Instead, my final grade for my classes will be calculated with an Aergrotat, which from my understanding is when the professors look at the work you've done throughout the semester and assign a grade based on this work when you can't take your final. With my finals being on the 4th floor of a 7 story building, there was no way I was going to be able to take them.
But now that I am done with school, my only job is to say goodbye to those I have met and love here and get ready for the journey home. Slowly but surely I have been packing up my room in between aftershocks and naps (as I am also sick), stuffing the material things from the last 4.5 months together to get a 23kg suitcase. While it's not an easy task, the end goal makes it well worth the effort.
I will be headed home in four days, 19 hours, and thirty minutes from right now <3
Thursday, June 16, 2011
Friday, June 10, 2011
Why I'm here........
While I have failed at producing a blog for several weeks now, I just thought I would take a study break (aka procrastinate a little more) and let everyone know that I am still alive and well in the land of the kiwi bird.
Ever since Easter break, I have been learning why I am truly here in New Zealand. Yes, I am here to further my education and learn about another part of the world. Yes, I am here because this wonderful couple that I love dearly correctly bragged about the beauty of this land and its people. Yes, I am here because I decided it would be the best semester to miss events going on with my little sister back home. For these and other reasons, I decided that coming this semester was best, but since arriving I have had this feeling that I am here for a bigger purpose. I now believe that the reason God wanted me in New Zealand, this year, this semester, at this point in my life, was to court me and change me into who I should/want to be.
Now let me explain. I have been raised in a Christian family all my life, and for that I will be forever grateful. Like all people however, I have had my struggles. Through what I would call "the tragedies of earthly life" I have questioned God's love for me and even His existence. I have tried to pretend like he didn't even exist only to be drawn closer to Him because He refuses to give up on me. I have tried to hurt Him like I was hurting only to be shown how deep His love goes by His continued goodness towards me. I tried to walk away from him only to fall into His loving arms. I tried to fill the hole in my heart with other things than Him only to discover that the things of this world can only fill the hole for a moment and then drain out like a sieve. But God has been showing himself to me here in New Zealand.
What started off as a "lucky" encounter of me spying in on a student playing the piano in the Union has turned into the first real discipleship relationships of my life. Since I can remember meeting Drew, this musically inclined classmate of mine (with impeccable fashion sense), God has been using him to help me fall in Love with God and work out a lot of issues I have been carrying for years now.
Here's just a few things I've been learning about:
1. God delights in me!!!!! -
Now all my life I have been singing the song "Jesus loves me" but until the last month or so, in my heart I had always thought "Jesus loves everybody else all the time, but sometimes I mess up and I don't deserve his love so he doesn't love me". BUT I WAS WRONG! The bible specifically says........
-I am a treasured possession (Deuteronomy 7:6)
-I am an excellent one from which God gets all his delight (Psalm 16:3)
-The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy which includes me so I bring him pleasure (Psalm 147:11)
-He chose me before the foundation of the world, that I should be holy and without blame before Him in love, because he predestined me to adoption as his daughter by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made me accepted in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:4-6)
-He does not treat me as my sins deserve or repay me according to my iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, He has removed my transgressions from me. (Psalm 103: 10-12)
To cut a long story short......... He loves me! And he doesn't just love me sometimes. He loves me, he likes me, he REALLY likes me and he REALLY loves me constantly and forever and ever no matter how bad I screw up or how far away I run because He chose me (and YOU) way before the creation of the earth to be the one thing in the world that delights Him. Now that's powerful!
2. I love my family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
While I have always loved my family, we have not always gotten along ( aka we're just like every other family out there). Being in New Zealand however, and learning about God's incredible love for me has really driven me to want a better relationship with my family in particular. In order to do this however, there are a lot of things I have been doing to prepare to go home and build these relationships up . First of all, I've been letting go of the baggage I've carried around with me. I've been truly forgiving my family for things in the past and have been seeking forgiveness and repenting from the hurtful things I've done to them. I've been breaking judgments that I've placed on them and praying for blessings for them. Throughout this whole process, God has just been showing me more and more how AWESOME my family is. He's revealed to me so many acts of love that they have done for me that I have over looked.
For example, my mom loved me so much that she taught me how to cook and bake, sharing all the family recipes and secrets that make her food THE BEST. She wakes up earlier than everyone else and goes to bed late after working all day long to keep things at work and around the house running smoothly. She taught me how to do my own laundry (which some college students still don't know how to do). She forced me to stick out hard situations to grow stronger and then allowed me to move on when she realized I needed a change. She has learned how to use facebook and skype because she wants to be a part of my life even when I'm on the other side of the world and no matter the hour, she always makes time for me..... and those are just a few.
My dad on the other hand, has also been showing me his love in lots of ways that I have over looked. Like my mom, he works hard at work to provide for the family and then comes home where he runs the farm not for a profit, but so that us kids would be able to have animals, be in 4-H, and build that good work ethic that only comes from farm life. He builds amazingly beautiful things out of wood that adorn our house and the community, and I am confident that he could build/fix anything. He gave me a baby goat when all I wanted to do was cry in my room all day/everyday even though he didn't want a goat on the farm. He "streaked" with a sign that said "I love Eliza" not just to embarrass me, but to show his love to me.... and so much more.
I have also overlooked how my sisters have loved on me. They've picked on me to make me stronger while at the same time defended me to everyone that's ever talked bad about me. They've let me cuddle, cry, hold their hands, hug, wail, tickle, and laugh even when it's been uncomfortable for them and not what they wanted to do. They've let me invade their rooms and their houses when I've needed to get away. They've sent me mail, hidden cute notes, and left random messages just to let me know they're thinking of me. They've been there to listen when nobody else was. No matter what, I know they will be there when I need them because they always show up.
I love my family and I am super excited to see them when I go home. New Zealand has really made me appreciate how outstanding they are and how great their love is for me and each other. I've also learned a lot about the 5 love languages while I've been in New Zealand.... which everyone should know! (Check them out at http://www.5lovelanguages.com/ . Take the assessments and have your family do them too. It'll change the way you look at the world!)
Alright.... so I should probably cut this short now since I REALLY need to get back to studying, but I am doing Fan-tab-u-lous! Please be praying that my finals go alright, and I will be back to DIA June 22 at 10:30 pm!!!! I can't wait to see you all!!!!!
Loves and Blessings,
Liza <3 p="p">
Ever since Easter break, I have been learning why I am truly here in New Zealand. Yes, I am here to further my education and learn about another part of the world. Yes, I am here because this wonderful couple that I love dearly correctly bragged about the beauty of this land and its people. Yes, I am here because I decided it would be the best semester to miss events going on with my little sister back home. For these and other reasons, I decided that coming this semester was best, but since arriving I have had this feeling that I am here for a bigger purpose. I now believe that the reason God wanted me in New Zealand, this year, this semester, at this point in my life, was to court me and change me into who I should/want to be.
Now let me explain. I have been raised in a Christian family all my life, and for that I will be forever grateful. Like all people however, I have had my struggles. Through what I would call "the tragedies of earthly life" I have questioned God's love for me and even His existence. I have tried to pretend like he didn't even exist only to be drawn closer to Him because He refuses to give up on me. I have tried to hurt Him like I was hurting only to be shown how deep His love goes by His continued goodness towards me. I tried to walk away from him only to fall into His loving arms. I tried to fill the hole in my heart with other things than Him only to discover that the things of this world can only fill the hole for a moment and then drain out like a sieve. But God has been showing himself to me here in New Zealand.
What started off as a "lucky" encounter of me spying in on a student playing the piano in the Union has turned into the first real discipleship relationships of my life. Since I can remember meeting Drew, this musically inclined classmate of mine (with impeccable fashion sense), God has been using him to help me fall in Love with God and work out a lot of issues I have been carrying for years now.
Here's just a few things I've been learning about:
1. God delights in me!!!!! -
Now all my life I have been singing the song "Jesus loves me" but until the last month or so, in my heart I had always thought "Jesus loves everybody else all the time, but sometimes I mess up and I don't deserve his love so he doesn't love me". BUT I WAS WRONG! The bible specifically says........
-I am a treasured possession (Deuteronomy 7:6)
-I am an excellent one from which God gets all his delight (Psalm 16:3)
-The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear Him, In those who hope in His mercy which includes me so I bring him pleasure (Psalm 147:11)
-He chose me before the foundation of the world, that I should be holy and without blame before Him in love, because he predestined me to adoption as his daughter by Jesus Christ to Himself, according to the good pleasure of His will, to the praise of the glory of His grace, by which He made me accepted in the Beloved. (Ephesians 1:4-6)
-He does not treat me as my sins deserve or repay me according to my iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his love for those who fear him; as far as the east is from the west, He has removed my transgressions from me. (Psalm 103: 10-12)
To cut a long story short......... He loves me! And he doesn't just love me sometimes. He loves me, he likes me, he REALLY likes me and he REALLY loves me constantly and forever and ever no matter how bad I screw up or how far away I run because He chose me (and YOU) way before the creation of the earth to be the one thing in the world that delights Him. Now that's powerful!
2. I love my family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
While I have always loved my family, we have not always gotten along ( aka we're just like every other family out there). Being in New Zealand however, and learning about God's incredible love for me has really driven me to want a better relationship with my family in particular. In order to do this however, there are a lot of things I have been doing to prepare to go home and build these relationships up . First of all, I've been letting go of the baggage I've carried around with me. I've been truly forgiving my family for things in the past and have been seeking forgiveness and repenting from the hurtful things I've done to them. I've been breaking judgments that I've placed on them and praying for blessings for them. Throughout this whole process, God has just been showing me more and more how AWESOME my family is. He's revealed to me so many acts of love that they have done for me that I have over looked.
For example, my mom loved me so much that she taught me how to cook and bake, sharing all the family recipes and secrets that make her food THE BEST. She wakes up earlier than everyone else and goes to bed late after working all day long to keep things at work and around the house running smoothly. She taught me how to do my own laundry (which some college students still don't know how to do). She forced me to stick out hard situations to grow stronger and then allowed me to move on when she realized I needed a change. She has learned how to use facebook and skype because she wants to be a part of my life even when I'm on the other side of the world and no matter the hour, she always makes time for me..... and those are just a few.
My dad on the other hand, has also been showing me his love in lots of ways that I have over looked. Like my mom, he works hard at work to provide for the family and then comes home where he runs the farm not for a profit, but so that us kids would be able to have animals, be in 4-H, and build that good work ethic that only comes from farm life. He builds amazingly beautiful things out of wood that adorn our house and the community, and I am confident that he could build/fix anything. He gave me a baby goat when all I wanted to do was cry in my room all day/everyday even though he didn't want a goat on the farm. He "streaked" with a sign that said "I love Eliza" not just to embarrass me, but to show his love to me.... and so much more.
I have also overlooked how my sisters have loved on me. They've picked on me to make me stronger while at the same time defended me to everyone that's ever talked bad about me. They've let me cuddle, cry, hold their hands, hug, wail, tickle, and laugh even when it's been uncomfortable for them and not what they wanted to do. They've let me invade their rooms and their houses when I've needed to get away. They've sent me mail, hidden cute notes, and left random messages just to let me know they're thinking of me. They've been there to listen when nobody else was. No matter what, I know they will be there when I need them because they always show up.
I love my family and I am super excited to see them when I go home. New Zealand has really made me appreciate how outstanding they are and how great their love is for me and each other. I've also learned a lot about the 5 love languages while I've been in New Zealand.... which everyone should know! (Check them out at http://www.5lovelanguages.com/ . Take the assessments and have your family do them too. It'll change the way you look at the world!)
Alright.... so I should probably cut this short now since I REALLY need to get back to studying, but I am doing Fan-tab-u-lous! Please be praying that my finals go alright, and I will be back to DIA June 22 at 10:30 pm!!!! I can't wait to see you all!!!!!
Loves and Blessings,
Liza <3 p="p">
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)