Week 5 - OPERATION: Bible, Boulder, Saws!
Kia Ora from New Zealand!
Since this was our last tramp on Off The GRID (don’t worry, we aren’t completely done yet!) we thought we’d share how far the team has come, specifically some of the challenges we have had to face, to encourage future teams.
The week started out a bit rocky with a change of plans due to some road access closures. Originally, we would have been climbing Mount Arthur, but thanks to our experienced leaders we were blessed with yet another beautiful and sunny tramp, this time in the Richmond Ranges. It started out with a little long and a VERY steep climb, but these are the moments when our team learned to partake in Thirza’s ‘appreciation-moments’, prayer breaks to refocus on God and His strength, and a lot of chocolate to encourage each other. That night we shared Rocks Hut with another hiker, who was a very avid reader to say the least (19 books in 27 days!).
The VERY steep climb ended up being worth it!
The next day during our Bible study we began by praying for each other and people back home. Our prayers included that everyone would be able to take what they have learned so far in this leadership development program and establish it in our everyday lives. We talked about the ‘end of the story’, and what it will look like when God’s kingdom has been fully realised here on Earth. A question we asked ourselves was if we are truly excited for Jesus’ return and if we are actually living in that hope.
Bible study at Rocks Hut
Afterward, our team took a day ‘walk’ (if you need hiking boots and are off-track, are you even allowed to call that a walk!?!) up to the ridgeline overlooking the Richmond Ranges. What a view, feeling like we were on top of the world (because we basically were)! Some serious bush bashing brought us to the base of a considerably large boulder (and also brought back memories of some Aussie guy barrelling out of the bush…). Climbing that colossal boulder as a team, we realised how much we can rely on each other (and now we actually were on top of the world!). The trust that has been built (borrowed, not earned ;) over the past five weeks really shows itself in these moments where we can take our teammates’ hands to pull us up the literal and metaphorical boulders that we will face along the way.
Climbing our ‘boulder’… literally!
The barrelling Aussie guy
Slipping and sliding back down to Rocks Hut from the ridgeline, our team faced a new challenge. Chopping firewood! Operating like a well-oiled machine, everyone played a vital role in providing future hikers staying at the hut with dry firewood. The blood and sweat (and some tears) were well worth it since this was one way to show love to our neighbours. Some of us were out felling whole trees (some say as tall as the mountains around us, but those were also the ones who had to carry them back to the hut!), others sawed with all their might (and when that ran out, they instead resorted to the old ‘stomp on it till it breaks’ method), and still more of us were charged with snapping the branches and twigs for kindling (thankfully no eye patches were needed)!
The ‘well-oiled machine’. Chop chop!
The one where we almost fell down the mountain!
As it was our last night out in the New Zealand bush, the team as a whole decided to sleep outside, bravely facing the rain, cold, and the (supposedly) carnivorous snails. Unfortunately, we did not fare well against the elements, and no one had a good night's sleep (whether this was caused by the carnivorous snails or deafening snorers, one could not tell)! But remembering we are incredibly blessed to be in the mountains and able to sleep outside, it was definitely worth it.
The boys in their cold yet natural habitat
The girls in their natural habitat: Gla-gla-glamping
After making it back to the van (in today’s episode of Language Barriers, we would like to recognise that it is ‘V’an not ‘W’an. Tune in next time for Thirza’s interpretation of ‘V’egemite, ‘Wedgie’-mite!) and heading back to base camp (thanks Christy for remembering to pick us up!), some of us took the opportunity to catch up on some of that lost sleep from the night before, whilst caught in a lovely Nelson traffic jam. We appreciated the traditional post-tramp Mexican meal even more than usual knowing that it was our last one (we were starting to realise how the disciples must have felt during the Last Supper…).
The next morning, we got to video call our teammate who had to leave earlier in the program. We had been hoping for this to be set up, and it was great to be together as the original team once more. Catching up and praying with each other, we promised it wouldn’t be the last time we would all be talking as a team.
The morning continued with our Swiss friend leading the daily Bible study, on the book of Jonah. We discussed how God challenges us in the way He wants to use us, and how it is a privilege to be a part of His plan. Our group also thought about the goodness and mercy of God and how the book of Jonah ties to the New Testament, drawing parallels to Jesus’ parable of the ‘workers in the vineyard’.
Seeing as our team has really grown together and we have learned so much from each member, we challenge the next team (and all future teams) to focus on serving each other. Find ways to encourage and help each of your teammates to face their ‘boulders’. Keep your eyes and hearts fixed on God and support your team in finding new ways to appreciate God’s creation, relation, and salvation.
Prayer Requests:
· With one week to go, we have some teammates down with a heavy cold. Please be praying for a quick recovery so
that they can enjoy the remainder of their OTG journey.
· That our blog posts encourage the next team to make the most of their OTG experience.
· Our upcoming road trip: for safety whilst travelling, a reliable rental ‘w’an, that we use our time well in the next week.
Written by Hallum (AU) & Thirza (CH) on behalf of the entire Off The GRID Team.