A Great Start to New Zealand!
Hi Everyone!
Hallo vom anderen Ende der Welt! (Hello from the other end of the world!)
Let’s start with life at OTG Basecamp. Personally, we thought it’d be much less “civilised”, but by the end of the first day, all of us were in love with how beautiful it is here. We found ourselves enjoying fresh plums off the trees while sitting together debating which direction is north. This was a great way to spent our first night together as a team.
Mornings include a “Morning y’all!”wake up call, followed by some personal quiet time. After breakfast we worship and have daily group Bible study, where we’re already all so comfortable to be completely honest and support one another as we continue to grow in our faith together. We love spending our evenings chatting and discussing ideas for achieving our goals during our time here.
Off The GRID is full of surprises, but these surprises have brought joy and great team-bonding, as we spend time getting to know each other and learning fun facts about one another; like Brooke’s siblings being named in the order ABC (Brooke being B), or that Andrin played a sport in Switzerland called “Schwingen”.
Despite being from all across the world our shared faith & love of Jesus has helped us start to form our little Off The GRID family. Most of us can’t believe how close we already are in just one week! Whether playing ping-pong, doing laundry or the dishes, time with one another is a true joy, and we hope this gives you an idea of what life looks like here!
Our very first hike was super exciting, but also nerve-wracking for a lot of us considering few had backpacked before. This meant many of us got to share our first tramping trip with one another, and little did we know what we were in for! Arriving in the Off The GRID team van, we stopped to eat our sandwiches with THE MOST beautiful view, where Priscilla saw a black swan for the first time.
Backpacks on and the sun beaming, we all made our way alongside the beautiful lake and forest trees, chatting with one another. We started coming up with English and German words of the day and once we reached our first hut, EVERYONE swam in a beautiful lake (despite Brooke’s nerves, and stories of only Aussies being bitten by the eels!).
Our second day of the hike, that was a TOUGH ONE! It’s supposed to be the easiest hike and yet when we asked how much longer, it still remained “only two more hours!” (Ask us later ;)). There were moments of strife for our team, but with encouraging words from one another we made it up the long few hours of incline up the mountain. We got to the hut late and with little energy left, but God impressed all of us beyond measure with how beautiful He made the stunning views of New Zealand. We all bonded over a cold night and pasta by candlelight, and our shared amazement of the array of stars across the night sky.
Last day of our hike was rewarding as we easily made it back and were blessed with hearing one another’s stories along the way. Norm and our other leader Andrea surprised us with some ice cream on the way home! Yummadoodle as Christy would say :). And we’re all, though nervous, excited for our challenges to come.
Note from Bella: Hi everyone back at home! I do miss you all, but I will say the first week has been quite easy to settle in! Everyone here is so so lovely and it’s so much fun getting to know them. It’s so beautiful here with all of the mountains and greenery, but on the greyer days I’m missing how blue the skies are and surprisingly, how stinking hot Perth is. Thank you so much for all your prayers and thoughts. I appreciate and miss all of you so so much (and mum I’m missing your spag bol…), but I’m really excited for what God will do in my own and everyone here’s lives together during our time here. Low-key love you lots ;)
Note from Priscilla: Hallo liebe Familie und Freunde, vielen vielen Dank für all eure Gebete! Ich bin gut in Neuseeland angekommen und fühle mich schon sehr wohl. Das Gelände ist richtig schön, wir haben hier auch einige Bäume die momentan Früchte tragen.. weil wir haben hier ja gerade Sommer.. aber es fühlt sich eher wie ein milder Sommer bzw. sehr warmer Frühling an. Die erste Wanderung haben wir schon hinter uns und es ich glaub ich war davor noch nie so gut vorbereitet wandern haha. Wir waren so gut ausgestattet das wir uns auch komplett alleine in der Wildnis hätten versorgen können. Die Bibelarbeiten sind auch richtig gut und ich darf richtig viel lernen. Zusammengefasst 150% Weiterempfehlung!!! Ich vermisse euch und wünschte ihr würdet alle in meinen Rucksack passen und wir könnten gemeinsam die atemberaubende Natur in Neuseeland genießen. Dicke Umarmung und die aller liebsten Grü.e aus Neuseeland.
Translation: Hello family and friends, thank you so much for all of your prayers! I’ve arrived safely in New Zealand and I’ve settled in well. The location is really beautiful and there are fruit trees, because it’s summer here but it’s more of a mild summer or hot spring. The first hike is behind us and I haven’t been so prepared for a hike before haha. We were so well prepared we were able to survive in the back country by ourselves. The Bible studies are also really good and I’m learning a lot. To sum up, 150% recommend!!! I miss you and I wish you could all fit into my backpack and enjoy the fascinating nature here in New Zealand. Sending lots of hugs and my loveliest greeting from New Zealand.
Prayer Requests
Please pray for God’s provision of the mental and physical strength for out next hike and recovery over the next few days before it!
For our goals that we’ve made for our time here, and that we’d have disipline in putting them into practice here, for when we come back home.
That any jet lag would subside so over the next week we can better focus on God and learn more about ourselves through Him.
Written by Bella (Australia) & Priscilla (Germany) on behalf of the entire OTG Team