Hey everyone! It’s Courtney, sorry it took me so long to write this. School has been crazy to get back into!!! But it is now my turn to tell y’all what I learned on our trip to New Zealand! And just so everyone knows, I did not read Trina’s latest blog. So if we happen to say some of the same things… then that’s just God.

Here are some things that I have learned:

Trina and I both, have amazing singing voices! I mean we would totally rock American Idol!

I do not want to marry a dairy farmer.

We are pretty good at cleaning up cow poo.

Bring a daypack as well as a big backpack on long trips; it is easier for day hikes.  

I would be ok having hazelnut trees, but maybe 2 at the most.

I am a cat lady. J

Look to the right and then the left before crossing the street in New Zealand, but when you get back to the States, left then right!

If you are going to climb a mountain, Chaco’s are probably not the best choice of footwear.

Even cold soup is better than no soup.

If a duck follows you, try to get it to bite you, its fun.

Skip rocks on every body of water you find!

Shop around before you decide on a rental car.

Movie nights are the best, especially when they include cookie dough!!!

I could go on and on…

But really… Besides all these amazing things, it was really the greatest experience ever. I would not trade our trip for anything!

These are the serious things that I have learned…

1. God is amazing! I am so glad that He saved me and I am forever His child!!! He provided for us while we were over there in ways that we didn’t even know that we needed providing in! He provided the greatest people for us to stay with and meet. I am so thankful for all the amazing people we met in New Zealand. God is so good! (I will never forget any of you and hope to see you again someday.) He provided rides for us while we hitchhiked, and the people that picked us up were super nice, even the ones whose names we never learned. J When we were low on money God provided money, when my camera fell in the ocean He placed it up on the beach, when we were walking at night in a deserted city He gave us a ride to our hostel. I mean, God knows what we need and He provides! And sometimes we don’t even have to ask Him for things and He still gives it to us! He is that good! I could go on and on about how He provided for us, but there’s more!

2. I learned that I am a pretty difficult person to live with. So I want to thank my parents, my extended family, Paige, and Trina for putting up with me for this long! Love you all!! While we were picking hazelnuts in Christchurch, I had time to think. I knew that I was a selfish person but it hit me how selfish I actually am. But I all of a sudden had this huge desire to just die to myself and live for Christ. It is not easy, and everyday is a struggle, but I am trying and only with God’s help can I succeed!

3. I learned how big communication is in a relationship. Trina and I lived together for 3 months straight; only at 2 houses did we have our own rooms… Of course we got on each other’s nerves! The thing that we learned was that we needed to talk about the things that bothered us. I am so glad that we had those talks, even though they were hard, they brought us closer and helped us learn about each other.

4. We worked with sheep while we were in NZ and… they are so stupid!!! We are the sheep in the Bible and its crazy to think that we are just like these really dumb animals! They run from something, no matter what it is, even if it is good for them. We are sheep!!

5. This world is not my home. I was not made for this world; I was made for heaven! I can’t wait to get there! As we were waiting to come home to the States, we were getting a little bit excited and anxious and we realized that this is the kind of excitement that we should be looking forward to heaven with! We need to live with heaven in view! One day I will be there to live forever and ever with Christ, and I am so excited!

           

Now we are back in the states and have gone our separate ways. I flew to Helena, MT from LA, and took the long way around to get back to MWSB! My friend Morgan flew to Montana from Michigan so we could drive back together. We had a great time sightseeing on the drive to Michigan. We stopped at Mount Rushmore and some other fun places on our road trip, and it was a great few days. Now I am going to school for nursing and am working at an assisted living home.  

            Well, those were the main things that I learned while in New Zealand. Thanks everyone for reading our blog and we hope you really enjoyed hearing about our experiences. And we hope that you saw the work of God throughout our travels.