Starting to feel the pain.

Well, I have a week left here in this wonderful place called Aotearoa.
I spent Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday with Rachael from Buffalo. We walked Mount Rangitoto,
(this is one of the caves), and had a bunch of fun then headed off for Rotorua for 2 days. Man that place stinks. The locals say they don't notice it. I don't know if that is a good or bad thing. I must admit, I heaved at one stage. We had so many laughs and I learnt so much about the Mouri culture. I loved it. The museum was my favorite. The story of Rotorua is incredible. I so loved hearing the myths and true stories.

I am starting to feel the pain. I don't want to go, but I know I have an amazing year ahead back home.
I will be a mess when I leave my family behind. I love these guys so much and I hate the thought of not being able to have a laugh with Jan, or get a hug from James, or get tackled by Sam, or have the heck squeezed out of me by Rick, or have a thought-processing-conversation with Rod. I feel like I have just found my long lost family and now I have to leave them.
Everything here is telling me to stay...well, come back and stay, but I know I need to go back, it's ok everyone. I have a wonderful Job and my wonderful family (I don't know how I have lasted this long without them), but I just want to take New Zealand with me. These guys have filled another place of me which I so don't want to leave behind. They have become so close to me. My new best friends.
I know it is coming to an end and I guess I am just trying to come to terms with it. Of coarse I am going to be feeling like this. To leave family, friends and relationships behind is the hardest thing to do. But it must come to an end, and to tell you the truth, I am really excited to see the growth and challenges God will bring my way this year through my Job, family and church.
God is faithful.
I so long for us all to be together and I will continue to pray for this for as long as it takes. Until then, who knows. But I get to travel, and I so love New Zealand. If it wasn't for my church, job and family being in Australia oh, and the fact that God wants me there hehe...(so, in other words, my life) I would move here in a second... well, maybe for a while. I do love Australia.

So, I have the last week ahead and I so want to make the most of it. I have loved every moment of being a part of this New Zealand life. What an amazing country, and an amazing bunch of people who God is so obviously working through.
Everyone needs to come experience the New Zealand culture.