The day after the fishing trip was the workshop for the community garden. I had prepared for it as the a few days before I made a good account with a local owner and he gave us as many pallets as we wanted. Dave Avery from Diabetes Projects Trust and Gardens4health was my guest speaker for the event. He came and helped me days before transport the pallets by renting a van. It was a blessing to find a way to move all the pallets we needed over but it was up to Dave and I to load and unload them.
On the day of the actual event I got to the Church early like usual for me. I start to prepare as I would have breaking the youth up into groups. One group to break down the pallets, another group digging around the community garden, another group working on creating compost bins, and another group working on creating a worm bed. I had everything ready to go and now it was time for me to have patience...
As 10:00am came the start of the event no one showed. I stood next to Dave as we were breaking down some pallets to use as examples as his wife helped take the nails out of the stripes taken from them. One new member of the Church came walking around the corner as he lives locally and was geared to help in anyway. A man I recently met who came to my youth night, he recently came to New Zealand to learn flight training to take the skill back to his country in Papa New Guinea. The four of us continued the work ahead as we waited, however, neither congregation came and the day found its only workers to be the ones already on the Church grounds.
Embarrassment and frustration set in as I worked knowing I can not do the work of many but I will do as much as I can. Born and raised on a beef farm I learned hard work and it has been ingrained in my being and soon enough I will be back out there at the garden digging and hammering because the job is not done. This is but a moment to look at and remind me that ministry can be tough but noting easy is worthy doing. We must continue to stand and reach out to those broken and lost even if I am the only one standing. I know where I stand is firm ground because of my faith in my Lord.
The harvest is ready but the workers are few.
Sunday 17 February 2013
Fishing in New Zealand
I woke up Friday morning half asleep as I knew I needed to drive soon to begin my day of going fishing. I took my jeans, my black hat, my long sleeve red shirt, and sunblock. I was out the door and saw how early it was as the sun did not even want to be up at this hour. Now years ago I worked a factory job where 4:00am was common time to start my work as we worked 12 hour days. After having the time to sleep when I want it is different to wake up earlier then excepted. This fishing trip would be the first time in my life I would be fishing from a boat. The first time fishing for snapper. The first time fishing with the Pastor from Takanini and his family. The first time to fish in the ocean. The first time to fish in New Zealand. Many first times were being broken that day. As I was still half asleep I still remembered how to drive where I needed to be. I always wonder about the unconscious state of some people as stories have proven that if someone drives to the same location many times their unconsciousness could do the same as well while they sleep. This was not the case for me as I was only half asleep, the other half was wide awake.
I drive where I needed to be and change vehicles and go from driver to passenger. Soon enough we reach the docks and I tried taking pictures but the flash would break the reality of light in the dark. I wanted to reject reality of light only reaching several feet ahead of me. If my eyes can see so should my $120 camera. However, the fact was reality could not be changed as often as it is in my own mind. Once more I found myself greeting people I have never met before and helping the packages and rods onto the rented boat. I was curious never being on a boat to go fishing would I be seasick?
As hours went by I realized I was not vomiting and therefore my stomach would be the media portrayal of seasickness. I would not be the person feeding the fish personally. It was interesting to fish in the ocean and taste the salt water as it would splash against the boat and race into the sky. I caught seven snappers but only two were keepers. The Skipper and his mate helped me with fixing my line and taking the fish off and because of that I felt I was on vacation. Of all the thousands of time I have gone fishing back home in the States here I am being helped.
As the sun was not clearly out and the clouds surrounded us for most of the day I decided not to apply the sunblock I brought with me. But at the end of the day I realized the wrong decision that was as my face, ears, and neck were bright red.
When getting back the family lined up all the fish and separated them to each family. The rest were smoked and deep fried. I had fins and one fish head where I was shown to suck out the fish brains. Not a usual sentence I would be typing, to say I was taught to suck fish brains. From my own taste buds the taste was similar to pudding called tapioca. Here are some photos so you can join me in the adventure I had:
I drive where I needed to be and change vehicles and go from driver to passenger. Soon enough we reach the docks and I tried taking pictures but the flash would break the reality of light in the dark. I wanted to reject reality of light only reaching several feet ahead of me. If my eyes can see so should my $120 camera. However, the fact was reality could not be changed as often as it is in my own mind. Once more I found myself greeting people I have never met before and helping the packages and rods onto the rented boat. I was curious never being on a boat to go fishing would I be seasick?
As hours went by I realized I was not vomiting and therefore my stomach would be the media portrayal of seasickness. I would not be the person feeding the fish personally. It was interesting to fish in the ocean and taste the salt water as it would splash against the boat and race into the sky. I caught seven snappers but only two were keepers. The Skipper and his mate helped me with fixing my line and taking the fish off and because of that I felt I was on vacation. Of all the thousands of time I have gone fishing back home in the States here I am being helped.
As the sun was not clearly out and the clouds surrounded us for most of the day I decided not to apply the sunblock I brought with me. But at the end of the day I realized the wrong decision that was as my face, ears, and neck were bright red.
When getting back the family lined up all the fish and separated them to each family. The rest were smoked and deep fried. I had fins and one fish head where I was shown to suck out the fish brains. Not a usual sentence I would be typing, to say I was taught to suck fish brains. From my own taste buds the taste was similar to pudding called tapioca. Here are some photos so you can join me in the adventure I had:
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