Nor Easterlies

Everyday it has taunted me. The smell of the sea and the glistening shimmers of the sun bouncing off the lightly crashing surf. Wave after wave glides across the warm sand as if to meet me, but as quickly as they arrive, they retreat back to the sea. Why shouldn't they? That is where they belong. I would very much like to join them on their way out to the open waters. I could submerge myself in the sea and I might escape the relentless Nor' Easterlies, the wind never ceases. It has been somewhat warm around here lately and I would be refreshed by a swim as well. But I knew better. Not far from here lives a giant block of ice contributing to the temperature of these waters. Yes, they look inviting but they are frigid. Cold. I miss the warm bath water of the Gulf of Mexico. I want to swim in the ocean! But I will not subject myself to freezing in the unforgiving cold of the South Pacific.

Today felt different. As if I had grown tiresome of my warm blooded nature keeping me from the water. I had already made up my mind before I was fully awake. Today I was going for a swim. Of course, not before breakfast. A banana would suffice. Might save me from cramping up too if that's not an old wives tale. I discarded the slightly browning peel and walked with certainty towards the horizon. At least the sun was out. There was no stopping me. Too long had I succumbed to the bondage of the beach and never took more than a few trifling steps into the water. Too long had it made a coward out of me. Today I was going for a swim. Before I knew it the water was up to my knees. Unmoved by the stinging cold I wandered out into the ocean. The waves slapping against my chest now. Then before me stood a wave slightly larger than the two in front of it. As if threatening to swallow me entirely in it's belly it continued to rise. A challenge from the sea. I moved toward the wave, determined to walk right through it. I carefully recalculate my plan after realizing it would sweep my upright body right off my feet and send me back to the beach in a moment's time. So I dove under it's crest. The chilling water seemed to crush my head! I didn't remain underwater for very long at all, but time slowed down enough for me to enjoy my adventure beneath the sea. I had done it.

I walked back to the beach with a new sense of accomplishment and there to greet me, not with a warm towel, but with a terrible cold wind, was my old friend the Nor' Easterlies...

Marked Improvements

I've been sleeping much better after having upgraded from a plywood frame to an actual mattress. Also, I have found increasing success singing and playing guitar on the New Brighton Pier. My self amassed fortune of spare change has alloted for certain luxuries I have otherwise gone without. Such as skittles. Christmas skittles to be exact. No different than regular skittles other than the fact that I bought them on Christmas. It was cold so I found the skittle were more difficult to chew than I had anticipated. However, after a few moments of warming up beneath my tongue they made quite an appreciated snack. A frugal indulgence seeing as how I can often bring in a surplus of $20 in just under an hour. I have also made new friends, of equal value to my treasure of coins but not as tradable.. It is true the company I have kept here has varied from inebriated maori fishermen to a more than helpful South African security guard. A chinaman named Duncan invited me to his church for a party. It's a good day. The day after christmas. The sun is piercing through the clouds. The gulls harsh calls are a faint remembrance of home. The waves never cease to roar.

Now what?

Tuna and peanut butter. Two of my favorite foods. Which is a good thing for me. They won't spoil. Well, the tuna will if you try to eat half and save the rest for later, so don't open the can unless you're really hungry...Anyways.... they are both delicious. Except not together. And really not even if you eat one after the other. In fact, they probably should never really run into each other...ever.

A quiet day...

You never seem to find yourself very far from a Wal-Mart. And no matter where you find one they are eerily similar to every other Wal-Mart you've ever been in. A soft spoken elderly person to greet you as you walk in. The distinct smell of cheap retail. The same yellow smiley face rolling back prices (which we deeply appreciate). They are all so alike, that you might even find yourself in the home appliance section forgetting just where you are in the world exactly and which Wal-Mart you're shopping in.

Christians the world over are eerily similar to one another as well... a thought I find both comforting and disappointing at the same time...

Update from New Zealand

It's been nearly 11 weeks since my arrival in Christchurch, New Zealand. I now have sheep riding, onion picking, and a few mountains under my belt. One of the highlights from trekking in the Cook Mountain Range came as I neared the end of my ascent. All that was left was to climb a 250 meter ice face and I'd be at the hut I was going to spend the night in. Typically any Floridian would stick out like sore thumb fumbling up a steep wall of snow and ice but I was feeling especially adventurous that afternoon. Plus, I had an ice pick. Surely, it wasn't necessary but it somehow fueled my adrenaline as I drove it into the snow with every step. When I reached the top I found myself more exhausted than if I had spent the day lounging at the beach reading gossip magazines,but somehow I felt more accomplished. And if my accomplishment on that afternoon could be surpassed than it was by my descent the next morning. I hadn't realized that looking up at the ice face the previous day would not be nearly as daunting as looking down it the next morning. I didn't know how to get down the right way, but I did know the right way dig a hole for an umbrella at the beach and suddenly I was wishing to be doing just that instead. But my hesitation turned to anticipation as my Dutch companion Mark gave me a top notch lesson in glissading. I strapped my pack onto my stomach and with my ice pick in hand began sliding down the steep ice on my backside. I was riding on a river of snow as I flew passed a couple of climbers just beginning their ascent. It was one of the most fun things I've ever done. Thanks to Mark's detailed and precise coaching on how to stop I ended my high speed descent by slamming my pick as far into the snow as I could. Of course I was cold and wet the rest of the way down but I suppose I won't get a chance to do much glissading when I return to FL.

In the midst of all the adventure and adrenaline there have been moments of reflections. Sitting atop a mountain peak looking up at the blue sky and looking down on the clouds I have had revelation. Sitting beneath the shooting stars, galaxies, and clusters of the southern hemisphere listening to the waves of the south pacific crash on the sandy shores of Sumner I have remembered things. Beneath the shade of a giant oak in the botanical gardens of Christchurch I have thought new thoughts. My journal is full of new ideas. My mind is consumed with possibilities. Peculiar how a change of scenery can lead to change of heart.

I have new friends. From all over the world. I would have paid any price to meet the people I have crossed paths with here. Encouraging people with a genuine care for wellness. Interesting characters with so many stories to tell. Each one with a moral. There are lessons to be learned that can never be taught from a book or a stage. Just by listening to people and observing colliding cultures and backgrounds become one functioning body, I have seen the gospel preached. Not with words, but with love.

I have found the small town of Oxford to be healing place. A place of forgiveness and humility. A place of restoration and recuperation. A place to give things up and take up new things. A place to enjoy the mountain tops and a place to carry on through the valley. A place to be heard and a place to listen and learn. I am thankful for these times. I will never forget them.

For reasons beyond, but including lack of financing, I have opted to decline the outreach opportunity. I was offered the chance to go to Australia to travel for a few weeks working in hostels and other arenas typical to backpacking. But since my arrival in New Zealand I have not felt compelled to leave just yet. I feel as though a foundation for the next season of my life is being poured here and it is not finished. I will continue with the work that has been started in me here. I will remain in New Zealand over the next few months continuing to grow through working and traveling. I'll be able to earn income as a helping hand on a produce farm or helping around hostels.

I have been exposed to future possibilities for my life and I am very excited about moving forward to pursue those goals. I would like put myself in a position to maximize my potential in that arena by simplifying and narrowing my focus. I know full well that God will have favor on my decisions and wants me to succeed in everything I find within my heart.

Erin will be joining me in January which I am really looking forward to. I'd say there's a few mountains here with her name on them. I was able to acquire a very inexpensive vehicle, to the tune of just several hundred dollars. Thank God. I'm expecting a very interesting season with a huge threshold for growth. I'm looking forward to seeing more of this beautiful country. After all, I've only been but a few hours from Christchurch during my furthest journey at this point. I'm excited to cross paths with many more new friends. I am expecting to see a nature of God otherwise unknown to me during the next few months. Keep praying for me. I am starting to miss home. I know it won't be much longer till I return but I am excited to get back. Thanks for reading!

A man wanted to climb a mountain. It wasn't a very large mountain, but a mountain nonetheless. He wanted to get to the top of the mountain and look down on the world around it. He wanted to accomplish something. He wasn't sure what, but he knew once he reached the top things would become more clear. He thought he might need a few items to take along with him on his climb. He took a backpack. In it was a jacket, a water bottle, a few sandwiches, and an apple. He wasn't taking much, and he wasn't wearing very much either. A good pair of hiking shoes, shorts and a t-shirt. That's all he need. After all, he could get up and down the mountain before nightfall.

So he started his ascent up the mountain. The base of the mountain was covered by a thick forest. Everything was wet with dew. The trail was muddy and every so often there would be a puddle to jump across. The weather was mild, the temperature slightly below warm. He still worked up quite a sweat though. The first hour or so of his climb was difficult. It was a steep grade and the mud made the trail quite slippery. In fact there were times he even had to pull himself up the trail grasping the roots of the trees with his hands. It was quite difficult. If the entire climb were like this he might not have continued.

But eventually the grade lessened and he was able to stand upright and walk forward with ease. The forest was still quite dense but it was a little drier at this altitude. During this part of his climb he had the opportunity to think while he walked seeing as the difficulty of the climb had lessened for the time being. He thought about the first part of his climb and how he had defeated his will to give up. After all, the thought of going back had crossed his mind once or twice. Even so, he endured the hardships and had made it through a difficult terrain. He was quite proud of himself.

But not long after that the forest began to thin out a little, while at the same time getting a lot drier. The air was getting thinner and the temperatue began to drop. The grade of the mountain increased slighty and with it the difficulty of breathing increased quite a bit. He took short shallow breaths, his mouth and throat were beginning to get raw. He had to stop. Lightheaded and winded he took a drink from his water bottle. As he sat on fallen tree catching his breath his attention was directed to the hunger pangs in his stomach. He took the apple and a sandwich and ate them. He saved one sandwich for the trip down which he anticpated would be much easier than his ascent.

As he pressed forward with a stomach full of peanut butter and jelly he took his time and slowed his pace. Turning around and looking back on where he had to stop to take a break he became aware of the possibility that the mountain might defeat him. He became more strategic in keeping a steady pace and practiced his breathing. As he focused on inhale and exhale he didn't even notice the landscape changing around him until he was fully immmersed in it. He had hiked up into a fallen forest. The winds at this altitude must have been fierce the night before. All of a sudden the trail disappeared beneath a multitude of downed trees in a sea of wild thickets. There were still enough trees left standing to obscure the sunlight and make it all the more difficult to find the path. Slowly, and with uncertainty he began to climb and stumble over the branches, trunks and roots of the once upright trees. A few times he fell and more than once he was uncertain if he was headed in the right direction. Fear began to simmer inside of him. He thought of being lost, or not finding his way before nightfall. It was too late to turn back because the trail had disappeared behind him. His pace was drastically slowed not only because the obstacles but by fear that seemed to cripple him. He wanted to scream but no one would hear him anyways.

Suddenly, he saw a clearing. His pace quickened and his only motivation was to get to this clearing as fast as he could. As he neared it the fear began to melt away and it was replaced by relief. His relief quickly turned to celebration as he broke through into the clearing. The ground beneath was now rock. There were a few scattered bushes here and there but now he had a clear view of the peak. He had almost made it. Quickly forgetting the fear he had left behind his mind was now consumed with reaching the top. After a drink from his water bottle he hastened his way to the top. But it was farther than it looked.

He walked up the rocky passage towards the peak and began to feel annoyed, almost angry. Angry because the top of the mountain was in his sight and seemed so close, yet it was taking so long to get there. It was getting colder, drier, the air was thinner than ever. He no longer wanted to be climbing, he just wanted to be at the top already. As if his frustration made the time fly by, he arrived at the last 100 feet of the trail before he was at the summit.

It was very steep. The rock beneath was covered with loose gravel cascading down the peak. Every step forward must be calculated and precise. He was so close now he must not make one false move, otherwise he jeopordizes everything he had climbed so high for. Moving very slowyly, he began to feel his joints ache and his muscles become sore. He had been climbing for a long time. He thought maybe he should rest before he makes the most difficult part of his but his appetite to reach the top was stronger than his instinct to rest. He fought exhaustion with every step he took. Breathing once again was becoming difficult. The wind began to pick up as he neared the top. It was colder here. Everything around him began to disappear as his vision tunneled at the peak. Only a little longer. The beginning of his ascent seemed to be a distant memory. He had come so far. Just a few more steps. At this point he began to celebrate his victory. Still in the final stage of his ascent he considered himself there. He had nearly conquered the mountain. He was proud of his strength and endurance. He thought himself great. He stood up straight to have a look around. He wanted to remember how everything was when he took his first step on the peak.

But before he could make that step the combination of his exhaustion and a strong gust of wind ended his journey just a few feet from the top. The rocks had shifted beneath his weight. He had fallen. He heard his leg snap. There was no mistaking that noise. He couldn't walk on it. His phone had no reception. He couldn't yell loud enough over the wind for a person twenty feet away to hear him let alone anyone at the base of the mountain. It was the greatest pain he had ever known. Not his leg, but the sight of the summit just a few feet from where he lay.

With his pride shattered he knew he needed to get off the mountain to get medical attention for his leg. He had to crawl. First he took his jacket and wrapped it around his leg to pressurize it. It was slow going. He was already exhausted from his ascent. His leg was causing tremendous pain. Tears ran down his face. They were cold. After a few mintues he knew he had to drop his backpack. It was slowing him down. Hours had past and he was slowly crawling down the mountain. He was dirty. His leg dragging behind him was completely covered in mud. His hands were raw from grippiing the branches of the fallen trees, pulling himself along by roots and thickets. The moon was rising and the temperature was sinking. Things did not look good. He was probably only halfway down the mountain. The pain had turned from a sharp excruiciating pain to a dull throbbing. He was so tired. He stopped. Just for a moment to rest his eyes...

He awoke. He was in a hospital. He suddenly remembered what had happened. His leg was propped up and in a cast. His cuts and scrapes were properly dressed. A doctor walked in the room and explained the story. Two men had dropped him off and without much explanation had disappeared. The doctor told him about the procedure used to set his leg and about the meds they were using for the pain. Unfortunately, the leg had become infected. He would have to stay in the hospital until the infection was gone, which could take weeks.

Shame overcame him. He spent days in his hospital bed loathing himself. He was so close to the top. He had told his friends and family before he left that he was going to reach the summit. What would they think now? He would have to try again. He had to make it. For his pride. For his reputation. To show everyone else he could do it. To add fuel to the fire he heard of rumors... people were talking about him. Nobody cared enough to visit him, but they saw fit to email him their thoughts about what he did wrong and what he should do next. "Get back on the mountain. Quit wasting your time with that broken leg of yours. Cut it off and get a move on. That peak is waitng for you and we're all expecting pictures from the top."

He thought about it. But he remembered something he read in a book once...With this in mind, we constantly pray for you, that our God may count you worthy of his calling, and that by his power he may fulfill every good purpose of yours and every act prompted by your faith. In all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.

From New Zealand

Hello.

It has been one month since I have arrived on the South Island of NZ. I have been staying in a small town called Oxford which is about a 45 minute drive outside of Christchurch. It is a small town. There is a main st., a butcher, a dairy, one super market, a handful of homes, a church or two and good number of farms. There is maybe a couple thousand people in Oxford and quite possibly tens of thousands of sheep. It's difficult to find a view without mountains towering in the background. Some lush and green and some snowcapped rock. A river runs along the side of town. Oxford seems to be the safest place in the world.

During the week I am subjected to very lengthy, and sometimes quite dull lectures given by some of the sharpest, most interesting people I've ever met. Conflicting, maybe but there is alot to be learned from the lives of others. There is also work to be done, dishes to be washed, lawns to mow and clothes to be washed. I am living on a base with around 30 people. Many are from America but, Holland, Germany, Finland, South Korea and Canada are represented here. Not to mention the Kiwis.

The weekends have been spent bouldering in Castle Hill, kayaking in Akaroa, playing with seals in Kaikura, confronting the icy cold water of the South Pacific ocean on body boards and climbing through the mountains. Every friday night is spent in the city of Christchurch. When I'm not exploring the familiar yet intriguing culture of the city I go to the skate park.

I miss my family, girlfriend, friends, sweet tea and sour patch kids the most. But I am very happy here. Everyday is a new adventure. Please keep me in your prayers. I'll keep you posted.

Love Adam