That's a Wrap

The final two weeks of the semester, known as integration and debrief weeks, served as a way to reflect on and celebrate our time together and prepare for what lay ahead – home. We grew even closer the final weeks with activities like a white possum gift exchange, lavender and paua shell candle making, hosting a hangi and hiking Sawcut Gorge.

Students left their mark on the Old Convent by completing betterment projects for future students to enjoy. Led by master craftsman Josh (Eastern ’11), the chicken coop that began during the God and Nature course was finished and painted by resident artists Adam and Perry (both Messiah ’13). Betterment projects certainly don’t have to be as labor intensive as a chicken coop. Some of the other projects that future CCSPers will benefit from were a few constructed bird houses made from scrap wood, a forgotten garden cleared of weeds, rose bushes pruned, and even the installment of an outdoor checkerboard using stones from the beach.

Graduation is cause for celebration and so we did just that for Allie (Eastern ’10), who shared with us her final semester of undergraduate studies. We held a graduation ceremony with the highly distinguished keynote speaker, Courtnay (Program Director). She reminded Allie how odd she is and challenged her to never lose her oddness.

And then celebration night came. A night that we prepared for yet dreaded its arrival because we all knew that it signified the final evening together. Our final meal together was just like our first, fish and chips on the beach. We came back to the Convent and shared stories, songs, artwork, baked goods, hugs, tears and so much more. In the morning, everything changed. The Old Convent was left quiet and empty. The airplanes that took off for North America that day took with them some incredible students. Students who left an impression on Kaikoura and vice versa.

Trash Fashion turned into a battle scene with Cowboy Ben (Messiah '12) and Spartan Adam (Messiah '13)

A time to celebrate.

The West Coast by the Numbers

11 days

2,500 kilometers traveled

2 tremendous professors, Dr. Erik Lindquist and Dr. Joe Sheldon

3 great accommodations allowing us to see diverse forests, caves, glacial valleys and so much more

30 native plant species to identify

Several day hikes (some included Mt. Cheeseman, Inland Pack Track in Paparoa National Park and Franz Josef Glacier)

20 minutes (or 2.5 hours) it took to summit Mt. Cheeseman

3,000 times we heard Kooba (Calvin ’11) exclaim, “Hey, check this out! It’s so cool!”

5:45 a.m. The time needed to wake up in order to see magnificent bird life

4 or 5 wrong turns before we reached the place to hear rowi, (Apteryx rowi) New Zealand’s rarest kiwi bird. Oops.

300 rowi left in the wild and we heard at least one of them.

ONE BIG ADVENTURE.

Doing our best haka faces

Inland Pack Track in Paparoa National Park

Franz Josef Glacier

Term Break Adventures, Courtesy of Erica

Erica (Dordt '12) writes;

Road Tripping the South Island!

It all started Saturday at 7.30 in the morning. Four girls and one guy all squished into a white Honda Accord, affectionately known as Parnassus. Parnassus is the name of a town we went through and it became the car’s name. That first day we drove about 8 hours down to Dunedin. Dunedin is a really old city with lots of big old Cathedrals and stone buildings. We walked around and then went out for supper. We started the routine of having bed time stories read by Lauren! She is an epic story teller and we were all excited for bed time to keep reading. Of course, we decided Lord of the Rings would be appropriate reading as we were seeing so many of the film sites.

The next morning we woke up early to try and catch a glimpse of the spotted blue penguins that are supposed to be along the coast. Alas, we did not get to see them. We also were going to go see a castle but we found out at the gate that it was going to cost significantly more than we were willing to pay. We didn’t even get to catch a glimpse of it. They kept the gate far enough back that you couldn’t see anything. Sad Day! So our morning started a little bit down, but never fear, that day we started our trek through middle earth. We drove through the country where they filmed Rohan in Lord of the Rings. It was beautiful country and I took far too many pictures. That night we stayed in Queenstown. Queenstown is a gorgeous spot. The city is cute and probably slightly touristy but I liked it. The town is right on a lake with mountains surrounding it. We walked around the city and did some touristy shopping. Did you know you can actually buy the one ring from Lord of the Rings? I thought that it was slightly ridiculous to call it the one ring when you can buy a whole handful. Seriously! You can also buy any other Lord of the Rings trinket that you could ever dream up.

We only stayed there one night and then we headed to a little place called the Kinloch lodge. Courtnay recommended the spot to us. It was quite back-woodsy but very nice. The only downside was there were LOTS of black flies. We got to see some of the big old forests where they did more filming for Lord of the Rings. We re-enacted some epic battles just to get the true feel of it. We also got to hike the first day of the Routeburn track. It is a famous backpacking track that is ranked as one of the top ten trails in the world!!!!

After the Kinloch we drove to an area called Milford Sound. It was one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. There were massive rocks that jutted way, way up into the air. They are so rocky that trees can’t really grow on them. There is just moss and sometimes trees grow on the moss but they don’t last very long. Once they get too big they tumble down the mountain. There are millions of waterfalls cascading down the rocks. Milford Sound is also on the coast and we took a cruise of the sound and got to see a Yellow Crested penguin!!!! These are REALLY rare, we found out. They don’t even know where the penguins go after they leave the sound, but WE SAW ONE! I had never seen a penguin before so that was pretty cool. We also got to hike the other end of the Routeburn track. I was very excited about that too. The view at the top was fantastic! The Milford Sound area was definitely my favorite area. Krista, Jada and I also got in some banana grams which was good fun!

After that we headed back out to a place called Lake Tekapo. It was cool and rainy which was too bad because we didn’t get to see some more Lord of the rings scenery. We saw bits that we thought may have been from the movies but mostly we saw clouds. Lake Tekapo was nice but cold and rainy. After that we had to head back. We spent a night in Christchurch because we weren’t able to come back to the Convent until Sunday.

All in all, the trip was great! I got to spend quality time with my friends and we got to see some awesome scenery! I don’t think you could ask for a better way to spend your week break!

God and Nature

What are some of the first wildflowers to bloom in your area?
When you walk out your front door, what direction do you face?
How many days until the next full moon?

As a way to begin thinking about our place, both here in New Zealand and back in North America, we started our two-week God and Nature course answering questions like these with our professors Loren and Mary Ruth Wilkinson from Regent College. To understand our interactions with and our place in creation we first had to learn about the Creator.

What is our understanding of well being? How about shalom?
Were there predator/prey relationships in the Garden of Eden?
Do we have a clear understanding of life after death? Immortal souls? Bodily resurrection?

We looked at Scriptures that revealed to us God’s care for our realtionship with him and our relationship with the whole of creation. One of the most common ways we have a relationship with the rest of creation is when we sit down to eat.

How can we assess the hidden costs of the food we buy?
What is the difference between waste and trash?
Why does food taste so good?

Of course, we couldn’t talk about food without making some of our own. Loren and Mary Ruth taught us how to make pasta from scratch and treated us to homemade waffles. Ashley (Messiah ’12), Kendra (Biola ’12), Lauren (Bethel ’12), Jada and Katie (both Messiah ’13) were assigned to cook a dinner for 30 people only using ingredients harvested within a 100-mile radius of the Old Convent. From the taste of things, they passed with flying colors. For dinner we had fresh salad, roasted pumpkin, vegetable fritata and venison (thanks to Ben, Messiah ’12). Dessert, which had everyone finding room deep in their stomachs for, was homemade lavender honey ice cream and a lemon sorbet. Lauren proved to us how fresh the milk was when she came back from the farm with a wet shirt. Getting sprayed by milking machines - all in the name of fresh ice cream.

Other group projects consisted of researching the health of the ocean in and around Kaikoura, conducting a bio-blitz of the Old Convent and the nearby Hinau Track, tracking our garbage from where our stuff comes and where it goes after we dispose of it and building a chicken coop as a way to be homemakers.

A Chill Coffee House

We have a wonderful friend here at the Convent this semester whom many of us would describe as “chill.” She hails from a cool California school, and despite originally being from Cleveland (shmeveland?) seems like she could surf at the drop of a hat. Her name is Danielle (Westmont, ’12), and in recognition of her birthday we decided to throw her a super chill coffee house.

In true coffee house fashion, the night included food, hot drinks, music, poetry, artwork, and even comic impersonations (Ben, Messiah ’13).

As we found seats on couches and around cozy tables, with puppy chow, compliments of Kayla (Biola ’12), and mugs of chai made by Tyler, (SLC), some took the opportunity to admire artwork by Perry (Messiah ’13), Adam (Messiah ’13), Jess (SLC) and Allie L. (Program Admin).

We were all blown away by Allie’s (Eastern ’10), epic poem which made mention of everyone by name, and songs written specially for Danielle by Kendra (Biola ’12), and Perry and Adam. Josh (Eastern ’11) played a beautiful guitar tune for us that left everyone wishing for more.

After eating some delectable chocolate cake specially made by Lisa (Resident Kiwi Extraordinaire), we left feeling full of sweets, and glad to have the opportunity to live with and love Danielle this semester.

Happy Birthday Kooba! We're Glad You Like Lemurs and Coffee

Kooba likes Lemurs.

Correction: Kooba likes pretty much every living creature that crawls, swims, or flies on, over, or through God’s good earth.

Kooba likes coffee.

Correction: Kooba is a seasoned connoisseur of hot drinks and enjoys them on a level that some of us will certainly never experience.

On October 16^th we celebrated Kooba’s 22^nd birthday.

Actually celebration is the perfect word to describe the events that unfolded in recognition of that notable occasion. Although we were not able to incorporate all the creatures that Kooba loves into the festivities, lemurs did take on an important roll. A “Hot Drink Creation” contest was held in the dining with Kooba presiding. Each team designed a hot drink based on an assigned lemur species. The results were truly spectacular. With groups coming up with delectable mocha cream creations, zesty lime and spice drinks, and lemur faces made of flower petals.

We appreciate Kooba greatly and are thankful for both his excitement for hot drinks, and his love for the incredible creatures we share this earth with.

Environmental Lit: The Doorway Into Thanks, And Silence in Which Another Voice May Speak

We are here to witness the creation and to abet it. –Annie Dillard

In our Environmental Literature course, we studied and mused over works and authors concerned with the natural world. Although these authors had very different ideas about the “nature of nature” and not all would agree with Annie Dillard’s motto of nature writing, they all contributed to the evolution of environmental literature and we certainly learned from all of them.

Environmental Literature can be a cumbersome topic to handle within only a week’s time; Pauline Stevick, our professor hailing from Messiah College in Pennsylvania, wielded works and literary movements and theories spanning 200 years and multiple cultural boundaries. Her survey was an excellent cross-section ranging from Wordsworth to E. E. Cummings to Wendell Berry.

Needless to say, as Pauline guided us along the literary landscape of delight, students discovered some really wonderful poetry. One of the favorites was Robert Frost’s “Dust of Snow”:

The way a crow

Shook down on me

The dust of snow

From a hemlock tree

Has given my heart

A change of mood

And saved some part

Of a day I had rued.

So often we found our heads covered with snow this week as a phrase, idea, word or poem would strike us in a way to change our moods or save the day, so to speak.

Just a few of these “dust of snow” moments:

Re-reading the first chapters of Genesis and considering the literary features of this Hebraic poem made us appreciate humanity as a part of creation, endowed with the task of cultivating and protecting the rest of it.

We were often startled and delighted by the beautiful and different language used to describe both the natural world itself and the relationship humanity has with it. But this delight was deepened upon understanding the benefit or harm that can come along with using certain metaphors for the environment, whether they are the overly-euphemistic perceptions of Thoreau and the Transcendentalists or the bare-bones indifference or even antagonizing character of nature according to Jack London.

For a while, one night in our cozy upstairs classroom with the fire glowing, we simply studied a poem impromptu that Pauline observed written on a chalkboard in the Convent. Even for those who were wary of poetry, Mary Oliver’s “Prayer” drew us in and made us rediscover the beauty in simplicity. This poem was a doorway into thanksgiving for many of us.

It doesn't have to be

the blue iris, it could be

weeds in a vacant lot, or a few

small stones; just

pay attention, then patch

a few words together and don't try

to make them elaborate, this isn't

a contest but the doorway

into thanks, and a silence in which

another voice may speak

Birthday Haircuts

We all have things in our life that we would someday like to do. These things could range from learning a new language to running a marathon. For Kayla (Biola ‘12) one of her dreams was to one day shave her head. So, what better day to fulfill a dream than on your 21^st birthday? Not only did the birthday girl cut off her long locks, but Caitlin (Bethel ‘12) also snipped her hair and together they will donate their locks to an organization that creates wigs for children who have lost their dos due to medical conditions. Somehow Josh (Eastern ’11) found himself as our resident barber and so he helped Kayla enjoy the process by first cutting a huge mohawk, then mullet and finally the beautiful shave she finds herself with today.

Being our first full day back from Samoa, we celebrated in a pretty low-key fashion, by watching a movie and eating a pot of dirt (pudding, that is). Instead of getting gifts, Kayla chose to give a gift on her birthday. They were both a little nervous for the cut and a bit freaked out when looking in the mirror for the first time. But everyone here agrees, both of these ladies are stunning with or without hair.

Samoan Village Homestay

Samoa homestays can be a challenge.

It may seem hard to believe that living in a beautiful village on a beach in the middle of the Pacific Ocean can be difficult, but it’s true. As we attempted to experience Samoa as travelers, or “pilgrims,” rather than tourists, we found ourselves at times longing for the comfort of familiarity rather than the constant barrage of cultural differences. Here are some of the challenges.

-Learning Samoan. Language learning makes a huge difference, however it’s hard to learn conversational Samoan in such a short time. It takes patience, and willingness to laugh when at some point your host tells you with a big smile, “I don’t know what you are trying to say.”

-Food. Samoa is a land of complex carbohydrates, fried food. And coincidentally some of the best bananas you may ever eat. After a week of Samoan home-cooking it can be difficult not to wish for a green salad, but then again, how many times in your life will you drink coconut milk two meals per day?

-Kids. There are lots of kids in the village. The good news is that they LOVE “Palagi,” or foreigners. They’ll ask for help with their homework, want you to go swimming with them, or just sit and stare at you, wondering what outrageous thing you might do next. Sometimes, they don’t know when to leave you alone too.

-Animals. Dogs and cats here are not pets. It can be hard to see malnourished animals, especially coming from a culture where many pets are prized and treated as an important part of a home.

It takes patience with yourself and with the experience itself. However, at some point, you might realize that despite the discomfort, and things that you simply don’t understand, this is an experience that is changing who you are and how you see the world. Maybe it’s when your homestay “mom” tells you she has a surprise for you and shows you a whole pig that she cooked just for you. Or maybe it’s when you go out fishing with your homestay father and the rest of the village fishermen. It could be when a little boy gives you cowry shells and a flower, or when your homestay family cries when you say goodbye.

Fa'a Samoa

Our week at Safua Hotel on the island of Savaii is one most of us will never forget. We spent our time there learning about Samoan culture, and discovering the rest of the island via natural and cultural history tours with Warren Jopling, a wonderful Australian geologist who has been living in Samoa for over 25 years.

Some of these trips included lava fields from an early 1900’s volcanic eruption, and a village that was covered in lava during that same eruption. We visited a rain forest where Samoan flying foxes can still be found. One day included a visit to a waterfall and freshwater river, while another included stops by lava-formed blowholes, and the new market in Salelologa, built with Japanese development aid.

Thursday we spent the entire day at Safua Hotel learning about Samoan culture. Many of us were able to try our hand at basket weaving, cocoa roasting, coconut husking, and tapa making.

Ashley's Samoan Birthday

Photo courtesy of Ben Hepler, (Messiah '12)
Most of us usually spend our birthday at home or going out with friends. Ashley (Messiah ‘13) however, spent her birthday at the abundantly hospitable and genuinely Samoan, Safua Hotel (which was included in Patricia Schultz’s, 1,000 Places to See Before You Die). At dinner, the staff at Safua treated Ashley by making her a throne and crown, both made of coconut leaves. The Safua staff sang and danced with Ashley as a way to celebrate her 21st birthday. And if that wasn’t generous enough, the Safua staff presented Ashley with a stylish lavalava. Of course, no birthday would be complete without a cake to share with all your friends. Before the post-dinner dance party erupted, Jess (SLC) read Ashley a poem that the CCSP family each contributed to. Writing only one or two lines, each member of the community put love and laughter into the poem. Below are just a few excerpts.
“You may be picky with your food, but you always maintain a good ‘tude.”
“I am often frightened by your sass, but you have the finest…hair.”
“Your toenails are purple and your eyes are blue. CCSP wouldn’t be complete without you.”

Samoan Psalms

Allie’s Group
I look up to the coconut trees.
Where does my food and shelter come from?
It comes from the Lord, the maker of the tree of life.

He will not let you slip or stumble
While you are climbing the coconut tree.
He who watches over your fale at night
Will not slumber or sleep.

Indeed, He who watches over Samoa
Will not leave the front step.

The Lord watches over you always.
He is like your family and your land
Have been the same for generations.

The tsunami will not wipe your family
Nor the cyclone destroy your fale.

The Lord will keep you and your family
From all harm and watch over your lives.

The Lord will watch over your coming and going
Whether New Zealand or Australia, both now and forever.

Courtnay’s Group – To the tune of Sweet Caroline
Sweet Savaii, beach fale
Feel the breeze that’s passing through
I stay reclined, Samoan cocoa
Put the fan down, eat with me.
So…we…can…

Go fishing with spears
And get a t-shirt tan line
Back in time to play Bingo

And when I hurt
Allie will ask if I drank water
I will say no, but lots of taro

Sand, in my hair, in my bed
Buggin ‘ me, buggin’ you

Sweet Savaii, coconut trees
Hear the palm fronds in the breeze
I’m so thankful, there are no roosters
Can I please get an Amen?
Amen! Amen! Amen!

Sam/Emma’s Group – To the tune of Ice Ice Baby
H-O-S-P-I-T-A-L-I-T-Y
Do you know what that means?
Hospitality
We got our own matai, sippin’ coconuts, beach fale, ocean view
Thank yous, not enough – fa’afetai.
REMIX
Men assigned to sit outside while we lie
Keepin’ protection.
SAVAII
Fannin’ while we eat, fan clubs on the street, walkin’ in Jesus’ feet
SAVAII
Heat, heat baby. Heat, heat baby.
Alright, stop! Collaborate and listen
Samoa is teachin’ a brand way of livin’
Children, grab a hold of me tightly,
Takin’ care of us daily and nightly.
Will it ever stop yo, I don’t know
Takin’ Samoa with us wherever we go.

Tyler’s Group
I would rather visit beautiful Savaii, than get woken up by a rooster.
I would rather drink cocoa Samoa for every meal than get woken up by that rooster in the middle of the night.
I would rather have my lips numbed from kava than have my ears numbed by that dumb rooster crow.
I would rather grind coconuts for a week than have my ears grinded by that malicious rooster.
I would rather lose Perry’s passport a thousand times than lose my mind from that awful and ugly, stupid rooster.
I would rather get kicked in the coconuts by Ete than have to listen to that pure evil sack of feathers they call a rooster.
I would rather do a commando handstand in a lavalava at an ava ceremony than go through the agonizing, hellish squawks that blast out of that rooster’s dumb face.
I would rather plug my ears with cone snails than have that spawn of Satan rooster-beast lick me in the ears with its large talons.
I would rather get a colonoscopy with fire coral than listen to that fire breathing death monster that smells like death, called rooster.
I would rather slip on a mini banana peel, get dragged away by my ears through the lava fields by feral pigs, chased back to my fale by a mob of children, get run over by Tao’s bus while getting swarmed by mosquitoes on my sunburned eyelids, all the while Warren gives me a sound verbal thrashing by calling me a “young fool” and on top of that…
On second thought, I would rather get woken by a rooster if it means I can stay in Samoa.

Jess’ Group - Also to the tune of Sweet Caroline
Before we arrived
That sign just kept swinging
So did the plane that we were on.
Sitting on the plane,
Hearts filled with expectation
Bellies were filled but then were not.

Sun, burning skin
Sweating hard, can’t get cool,
Need to swim

Ohh sweet Samoa (ba ba ba)
Ocean’s never seemed so blue (so blue)
We’re falling in love
With the people and the view
But now there’s…

Millions of kids
Hanging off all my limbs,
Wish I had more to hug them with.
Coconut milk,
Well, coconut everything,
Baskets and fales, canoes and ropes.

Fans, shooing flies
Bringing tears to our eyes
With their love.

Ohh sweet Samoa
People never seemed so kind
I’ve been inclined
To just skip the flight back home
Oh le’ai, le’ai.

Courtnay and the Chocolate Factory

Anyone who knows our beloved Program Director, Courtnay, knows that she loves chocolate. Actually, “loves” might even be an understatement. So, what could be more perfect for a birthday celebration than to get a Golden Ticket to Willy Wonka’s chocolate factory? We had so little to see and so much time! Wait. Strike that… reverse it…

As we gathered at the gates in front of the Convent… erm, chocolate factory… Courtnay was joined by a hodgepodge of characters from the 1971 movie, including all four bedridden grandparents (Perry Isley, Messiah '13; Chloe Sellers, Westmont '13; Rebecca Penner, Bethel '12; Tyler, Student Life Coordinator), Augustus Gloop (Ben Hepler, Messiah '13), Violet Beauregard (Lauren Lorentz, Bethel '12; Karleigh Vroman, Westmont '13; Samantha, Kitchen Assistant), Veruca Salt (Caitlin Crowley, Bethel '11: Emma, Kitchen Manager), Mike TeeVee (Allie Oberholtzer, Eastern '11), Slugworth the recipe stealer (Kendra Wise, Biola '12), some oompa loompas (Kayla Jones, Biola '12; Erica Lieuwen, Dordt '12; Ashley Sensenich, Messiah '13; Jada Vance, Messiah '13), Charlie’s mother (Krista Stephens, Westmont '12), and even living lickable wallpaper (Hannah '13) and a shnozberry (Allie, Program Administrator)!

Willy Wonka (Jess, Student Life Coordinator) greeted the guests with a somersault and some lickable wallpaper that Emma and Sam made. Then the crew, led by Courtnay and Willy Wonka, filed into the beautiful candyland at the heart of the factory. Gumdrops and peppermints and marshmallow flowers decorated the backyard along with the ferryboat—Courtnay’s kayak—in a “chocolate river”. Even Agatha the concrete nun decided to dress up like an oompa loompa for the occasion.

We divided into teams at the behest of Willy Wonka and had to perform three separate tasks in order to prove our worth to win a Lifetime Supply of Chocolate. The first task was a messy affair as teams had to fish in a flower filled with cream to find chocolate fish. In the second task, teams had to consume various items dipped in the chocolate river without knowing what was what—an oompa loompa must have accidentally rerouted the garbage chute to the river because not only were there bananas, apples and marshmallows dipped in chocolate, but also carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms!

The third task required teams to perform a Tim Tam Slam in a step-by-step relay race! After a flurry of running, stirring, biting, sloppy slamming, and milo-chugging, Courtnay’s group came out first with chocolatey grins. We all celebrated with a large basket of chocolate treats for the birthday girl, a dolphin-shaped no-bake cake, and chocolate pudding. It was a day of great fun and although we nearly collapsed in sugar-comas after consuming so much sweet stuff. Happy Birthday Courtnay!

Sheep Shearing, Yarning, and Hooning about the Hills—Kiwi As!

During reading week the students had the opportunity to visit Kevin and Sandra Topp’s shear farm. Kev and Sandy are dear friends of CCSP whose 4,000 acre farm—named Totaranui—is nestled in the Kaikoura range in the Puhi-Puhi valley over the Jordan River. Similar to another place which lies across another Jordan River, the Topp’s farm is something of a Promised Land; green pastures spread up mountainsides and the peaks of some of the highest giants of the Seaward Kaikouras peer from between the hills.

After meeting Kev and Sandy Topp—two tough-as, sweet-as, and hospitable-as kiwis—Kevin gave the students a tour of the wool shed and an idea of what the wool industry and wool processing looks like from the shear-farmer’s perspective. Stewart the sheep—the former CCSP pet—had his second haircut that afternoon as Kev sat the somewhat bewildered Stewie at his feet and sheared him with an electric tool as the students watched. We then saw how more traditional shearing tools are used and witnessed the process of wool sorting and baling—Adam (Messiah, 13) and Ben (Messiah, 12) helped stomp down the bales of fluffy wool.

To our delight, Sandy and Kev had also herded a mum with two lambs into the woolshed and we were able to cuddle with them (though the lambs simply seemed to want to be back with their mum). Kev explained that shear farmers must remove the tails of lambs so that they don’t have trouble with flies and maggots, which can disease and kill sheep. We were a little afraid that he was going to pull out those super-sharp shears again but Kevin used a cool tool to put rubber bands around the tails of the two lambs: after a while, the tails will simply fall off without any blood circulation.

The rest of the tour involved a look at the chooks in the henhouse, saying hello to the sheepdogs and prized pet dogs, and being educated on Turkish cat breeds. After a spot of tea we piled in the vans and followed Sandy up the road to the cow pasture. “Now just imagine,” Sandy told us as we left the vans and walked through the pasture, “You’re driving six white horses in a gilded carriage and are about to visit your country cottage…”

Amongst blossom trees and snowdrops stood an old, dilapidated but intriguing turn-of-the-century house that belonged to a family from London who came to Kaikoura to escape the hubbub of the city. The small “estate” included a butler’s quarters and outside lavatory, now enmeshed by a network of tree branches. Students explored the rooms; Lauren (Bethel, 12) found intricate shards of glass while others discovered old woodstove and even faded and shriveling maps of New Zealand from the late 1800’s plastered on the walls and ceiling of the butler’s house. Kevin and Sandy discovered this place after purchasing the property and it was a pleasant surprise to both of them.

It was wonderful to visit our friends at Totaranui farm, as always, and we are sure to be back again sometime. Kev is even trying to convince Adam to be a shear farmer…

Homestay Weekend: Adam at the Topp's Farm

Adam Arditi (Messiah '13) writes;

“The Topp of the Pops”

Spending a weekend at a humble abode tucked away in the mountains in the Puhi Valley outside of the town of Kaikoura was quite nice to say the least. Kevin and Sandy Topp, two fireplugs with hearts of gold, or should I say wool, run a sheep and cattle farm covering 4000 acres, with more than 3,000 sheep on it!!! And get this. There are no buxom, young lads there on the farm to do the nitty-gritty, backbreaking work – its just Kev and Sandy and that’s the way they have being doing it for the past 23 years.

Having the privilege of being able to see how these two live away from busy town life was quite refreshing. We (Kayla and Ashley – two lovely female fellow CCSP students, and I) arrived at the Topp household in Sandy’s sky-blue compact SUV (equipped with mints and treats on the dash, and stocked with plenty of tissues to wipe away the winter nose drippies). And as soon as we were in the door, Kevin and Sandy did everything they could to make us feel welcome and a part of their home. There was always a kettle waiting incase we got the hankering for tea or Milo, and the pantry was densely packed with treats of all sorts: Tim-Tams and butterscotch suckers were my personal favourite. Throughout the whole weekend my sluggish body gleamed with complete satiation on the verge of food induced coma. Sandy Topp sure knows how to feed people, and just when you think the meal is over, magically; all the plates are full again! - Inviting you for seconds. This was so wonderful because at meal times everyone was able to have a laugh and enjoy the abundance of food that God had provided.

Food aside, what I liked best about my weekend at the Topps was that it was real. It was not an adventure, fantasy camp get-away; it was a humble weekend spent in the one place where time loves to be spent: a home. From walking with Sandy and listening to how her and Kevin met as young schoolies, to watching Rugby with Kevin, followed by simultaneous recliner naps haha, I enjoyed every minute of my stay. In the land of New Zealand, money can buy you a lot of adventure and wild times, but no matter where in the world, it cannot buy genuine love and care. That is what I was lucky enough to have experienced this past weekend. So my hat is off to the Topps and their ten dogs (TJ, Chrissy, Patience, Jara, Ant, Sky, Nell, Joe, Tess, and …) for the best weekend yet in New Zealand.

Much love and respect,

Adam Daniel Arditi

Homestay Weekend: Ben & Josh with Stephan and the Boys

Ben Hepler (Messiah, '12) writes:

I was extremely excited when I found out that my home stay host was an outdoor enthusiast. It didn’t bother me at all either that his wife would be away for the weekend, and Josh and I would be going to a house of four Kiwi “blokes” (ages 8, 11, 12 & over 30ish). I pictured us doing all sorts of manly activities, which wasn’t far from the truth. I also learned, however, that Kiwi brothers are the same as American brothers: they fight constantly, love practical jokes, and throw temper tantrums when they don’t get their own way. In other words, there was never a dull moment this weekend.

As far as activities go, I was not disappointed. Saturday, we went four-wheeling on the beach. I had never four-wheeled before, and I don’t think I’ll ever forget my first time. Being all guys, we had to also build a fire on the beach. As outdoorsman, you would think that we would do it by rubbing two sticks together. Wrong! Our host, Stephan, was smart enough to bring a can of highly flammable hairspray. Soon, we had a nice fire going, and we even saw a dolphin about 20 meters offshore. Later that day, we watched a junior league rugby match. It’s such an exciting game to watch, and Josh and I both hope to form a touch rugby team of CCSP students (hopefully we won’t be the laughing stock of Kaikoura!). My favorite single event of the weekend was when Steph spotted a rabbit in a field and began to chase after it in his truck. We were all cheering and laughing. It was great! (Don’t worry, the rabbit got away!).

After a great church service at New Life on Sunday, we had a great lunch of roast chicken. We also had a few more laughs as the boys had a few more arguments. I even got to fight the youngest. I think I won, but Josh thought it was disputable. The main event of the trip was a diving/spear-fishing excursion later in the day. Steph kept on telling us how cold it would be, but we really didn’t care. There are two things I made note of about the diving trip. First, that it was in fact freezing cold. Despite the fact that I was wearing a wet suit, I felt like I was swimming in a glass of ice. I literally could not stop shivering when I got out of the water. Second, it was amazing! It’s like a different world down there. The bull kelp made it seem like swimming in an underwater forest. Steph caught a pretty big crayfish, which he cooked for us later that evening. It was one of the best things I’ve ever tasted. Josh and I both cannot wait for our next dive (hopefully it will be warmer next time).

“I couldn’t have asked for a better home stay weekend experience.” That’s exactly what I told our host when he dropped us off Sunday night, and I meant it.

-Ben

Student Trip Weekend: Seaward Kaikoura Hiking

Allie Oberholtzer (Eastern '10) writes:

This past weekend we were all kicked out of the convent to explore New Zealand, needless to say it was one of the best weekends of my life. I will try to convey as much as possible here. Adam, Kooba, Josh, Ben, and myself headed out for a three day tramping trip through the Mt. Fyffe track.

Thursday
We are dropped off by a Tyler (one of our Student Life Coordinators), at the base of Mt. Fyffe. We climb up in the heat and arrive at the hut in the cold. The boys set up tents, hammocks, and tarps in an attempt to stay outside. Due to a mischievous possum and some very cold weather, Kooba and Adam found their ways back inside.

Friday
We wake up to watch the sunrise and get ready for the day. We pack our bags and begin the final ascent up Mt. Fyffe. The ground is covered in snow and the wind begins to pick up. By the time we reach the top the temp has dropped to 18 degree Fahrenheit and I suspect the wind was over 50 mph. We crawled across snow-covered ridges, clinging to anything we could get. We eventually made it to the top, but Josh and Ben discovered that our path down the other side was too dangerous. The mountain defeated us, so we must go down to the Valley. We descended the mountain, running into wild boar wallows and various pricker bushes. We climb through forests (where pigeons live in trees) and finally make it to the way to the Kowhai River (prononced ko-fye). From there we hike for another hour and a half until we reach the river crossing.

We faced our first river crossing just a few moments walk from our hut. The water was cold and fast, but with some help from friends we made it across safely.

Saturday
We were awakened by an earthquake rocking our hut. We sat up in bed, determined that it was an earthquake (not big foot), and Adam very calmly told us to go back to bed. The next morning we were off to climb to a waterfall we could see from our hut. Two of the boys (who will remain nameless for their mother's sakes) climbed to the very top. Myself and the other two boys climbed half way. The day ended with a game of home run derby, yoga, and washing dishes in the river.

Sunday
We wake up and begin our long trek home. We crossed many rivers and climbed many rocks. After 6 hours of hiking, we finally arrived tired, but very happy.

Here is what I learned from this weekend:
1. I am a lot stronger than I thought. The human body is an amazing thing, capable of great feats. Our bodies are meant to be used, bruised, and a little broken. We live in fear of destroying ourselves, but really we are destroying our bodies by doing nothing with them.
2. I am not strong enough to do this on my own. I needed help, and learning to ask for help was greatly liberating. I am strong enough to give help. I should help more often.
3. God is an amazing creator and protector. He loves what he has made and he protects it at all times.
4. Tuna straight from a can tastes better when you have hiked all day.
5. Big Foot just might be real, and he might be gnawing on boar legs outside of huts in the backwoods of NZ
6. Friends are amazing, even if you don't know them well yet.

Student Trip Weekend: Christchurch Earthquake

Luiza Leite (Messiah '13) writes:

As you may have heard, New Zealand suffered a 7.1 earthquake last Saturday and has been enduring after shocks ever since. During the time of the earthquake, 9 other students and myself were in Christchurch traveling for a first weekend break. After a long and busy day, we went to bed only to be woken we our world forcefully shaking all around us at 4:30 a.m. The girls in my room, including myself, were a bit nervous but to be honest we did not think much of it. In fact, Katie and I got up and tried to go to the bathroom so that we could go to bed. However, on our way to the bathroom, some other girls in our hostel asked us if we had to evacuate. They were only half dressed so Katie and I offered to go find out. When we opened the door of our wing, we saw the occupants of the entire hostel flooding downstairs. We went back onto our wing, informed all the girls to leave, grabbed our shoes and jackets and quickly rushed downstairs. When we go into the lobby, a man told us to get outside and follow evacuation procedure.

Outside, we looked for the rest of our group. When we began to look around, we realized that the streets were flooded with people from all the surrounding buildings. The church bells were ringing, car alarms were screeching, and people were rushing towards the center of Cathedral Square. It was a cold night, but thankfully the rain from earlier had cleared. Some of the members of our group had not grabbed a jacket or shoes, not thinking that we would be outside for the next two and a half hours. As a group, we were not concerned about what we had just faced but we were concerned about the rest of the group (now more like family) traveling and hiking in places far away from us. We prayed for them and talked about what we had just experienced, but very little. Eventually, the staff of our hostel started taking role and then giving directions. They passed out blankets while we waited for our building to be cleared by the fire department.

Eventually, we were allowed back inside. First, they funneled us all into the bar area because that was stated to have been the safest area of the building. There, they passed out water for us along with more blankets. Finally, we were allowed back into our rooms. Hannah, Dan, and Perry’s room got moved because their area of the building seemed to be a bit unstable an it had suffered the most amount of damage. We went back to bed knowing that there was no power, water, and there would be no transportation out of the city for a while. I don’t know how, but we thought nothing of it we just figured we would go to bed and wake up and continue our weekend. I contacted CCSP to ensure them of our safety and I made sure I called my parents as well, but then I went to sleep. We were woken up a few time by some aftershocks (tremors) but they were not nearly as violent as the earthquake was.

At some point, Courtnay contacted me and gave me the game plan for the day so I knew what I was to do. Hannah came into our room and got us and told us we had to get out. We were all really confused at this point but we got up, got out, and met up with the whole group. Together, we all walked to where we would be getting picked up by the wonderful CCSP staff. They were coming to get us because they weren’t sure when we would be able to leave the city. The group was really calm and we were all in such great spirits. We found a place in town to eat by maneuvering around some of the debris and ruble. The city was fascinatingly calm and the day was beautiful. There was not a cloud in the sky and it was a war 60 ish degrees outside. We found a little delish café to eat at; there were few and far between places running.

The owners of the café were just great to us. They treated us really well and got us whatever we wanted to eat. The owner even came over and talked to us about how we were feeling with all that has just happened. He had his head up high and a smile on his face, even though he had woken up to a wrecked house. He told us that most of the stuff in his house was smashed and the two cars he owned had been completely wrecked by the debris. This man, wearing a huge cross around his neck, told me this with a smile on his face and finished by saying “well the insurance will just take care of it”. He and his wife carried on their business, bringing a sense of normalcy to the day, which was really beautiful.

Eventually our CCSP staff picked us up and they embraced us with such love and joy. We drove home, seeing the Alps in the distance the whole way (a really rare sight). The animals were playing in the field and the birds were singing. The sky was a bright blue and everything looked so still and beautiful on the ride back. Once we reached Kaikoura, the ocean was a light greenish blue and its waves were crashing so beautifully. All day all I could think about was how lucky we were. Lucky to be safe, to be together, to be in New Zealand. How lucky it was that the quake happened in a country that could recover. I had “your love is strong” and “your love is amazing” stuck in my head all day. I was focused on getting the group to where we needed to be and keeping people calm but I just kept thinking about God the entire time this happened. In the midst of turmoil, I found tranquility.