Teach to Learn

I took a lovely walk today after school on a bike/running trail.  It was so beautiful, the bright sun, big blue sky, and the interesting plants all around.  I asked God what He was trying to tell me and wanting me to hear.  My thoughts wandered from how beautiful New Zealand is, and I imagined myself back at home telling everyone how wonderful it is.  I saw myself as a sort-of Ambassador from NZ, bringing back all the stories and adventures and tales of beauty. And felt Him say, "This is just how you are an ambassador of me.  Sharing what you have seen and experienced in me."  And I thought yes! Thats exactly right, thats what it feels like, to share with someone, anyone, everyone what I have seen, heard, lived, experienced, and learned from my God.  My thoughts also went to a student today. Her name was Sina, and she just wasnt getting the chords on the uke.  But then she would ask such great questions and knew she was understanding, and she would show me the right way to play the chords.  And then I would have her start over and show me the chords, and she would say "I dont know how to do that." I said "yes you do, you know, you showed me and I know you can do it."  And then I heard God speak to my heart that this was how He saw me.  I know how to teach, I know how to love students, I just need to do it and do it with everything I've got. I know what Jesus has done for me, I know that everyone needs Him, and I need to tell them and show them with everything I've got, everything I have been given. 

I am sorry this is somewhat deep and personal, I dont normally write things like this so publicly.  But when all those thoughts clicked on my walk and I knew that God was speaking to my heart, it was such a cool moment, and I wanted to share it with you.

These are kids from my last placement.  I miss them all so much, even the bad ones =)

More Photos

Here are some pics of the backyard at the house.

I like to call this the Pineapple Palm Tree, because well, it looks like a pineapple. (This one isnt the greatest example but dont worry, I will get another for you).

First Time Driver

I just drove for over an hour in New Zealand.  In the dark. In the rain. Through about 20 round-a-bouts. On the left side of the road. On the left side of the car. It was tight! (Thanks Sara for teaching me)
Maybe I will have to get a video of this up and running =) I didnt do too bad, Sara said I did pretty good actually.

Today was a great day, great weather and great day of classes.  I taught the last class of the day, girls ukulele, and it was so fun to see their faces light up when they got to play and played chords together.  I will be getting pictures of them soon, but I have to send permission slips to parents yet, stuff like that.
Tomorrow is going to be another great day, and small group is in the evening.  I've met some really awesome people here, and again, it was really great to worship in church down here in another culture.
Until next time,
Hannah

Another Adventure

Yesterday I had the privilege of going to Bethel Beach with some lovely people and had such a great time!
I didn't know what to expect exactly, but thats ok, I like suprises =)
We walked up a path to a sand dune.  Uh huh, in the middle of rolling green hills.  It was so funny, and there was a film crew filming what we later found out to be for the show "Seekers".  We were asked to walk around the sand plateau so that they could continue to film =).
So we keep walking through the sand, trying to not fall because we are on the edge of the thing so we wouldnt be in the way, and I realized that the sand was black. It was different, I was told it was because there were iron and other metals in it. I actually had my camera in my pocket at one point and pulled it out to find little magnetized sand particals stuck to the battery part of my camera.

So we get to part A of our journey, which was a very very steep sand dune with water at the bottom.  Then my adventurous friends start sliding down it on boogie boards. Yeah.  It was so funny! They didnt go very fast because the sand was wet, but it was hysterical to watch =) It was sooo steep so I didnt want to do it at first, but I was told I had to (thank you Sara).  It ended up begin fun the second time =)

Then we walked on ahead to a little cove between the hills that had a hidden lake in it.  It was so pretty! There were green hills and tree covered hills and blue skies and a mountain of sand, and then a lovely little lake. It was so much fun, being in good company on an adventure.

Then we walked back across the 'sand plateau' and the film crew were finishing up by that time and rolling out.  We got in the car and drove a bit to another sandy path.  This one lead to a beach! It was such a gorgeous beach, again with black sand.  There were a few people walking and running and many had their dogs with them.  The sun was near to its setting stage, but we had the most beautiful hour or so to explore the beach.  There were rock precipices on either side, and a big rock formation on one side, which some of us climbed.  The view out onto the ocean and the setting sun was so unbelievably breathtaking.  I felt so alive, such a part of God's glorious creation.  I felt like I belonged there.  I dont know if that sounds crazy, but I dont really care, it was magnificant.  I could have stayed in that one place on top of that rock for hours listening to the crashing waves and watching the calm yet brilliant display before me. 

Bella Nota

First Week of Classes

So the first week of classes is underway, and almost 2 weeks is up. I can tell its going to go by quickly =(
Every day is different, with a different schedule of classes. I have so many names to learn, so many students to get to know.  We are usuing the ukulele and guitar, and maybe some keyboards to learn about music around the world.  A really cool class that I teach is called Band, and its not a regular band but a group of auditioned students who play pop songs using drums and guitars and vocals, and mostly they get to choose what they want to play. 
Here are some pictures from the classroom, and there will be some more posters up representing the countries we will be talking about.

   

photos

These are pictures of school, and from a walk down the road.

The playground at school.

A view from the back of the students at assembly

A funny thing called boys

Middle school boys are a trip, aye?  Some can be so sweet, and some are little terrors.  I got a razor blade off a boy today....dont really know what he was going to use it for, but he was sharpening a pencil with it...hmm.
Its just so funny to me how some students can be near angelic, as a class, and then others are well, the opposite.  And between the girls and the boys, the girls are so respectful and smile and say hello and goodbye, while the boys couldnt care less.

Its been rainy and cloudy a lot of times, and a bit chilly.  There are sunny patches though, and when the sun comes out it is so very warm! Its amazing, the difference is. 
I am having a great time meeting new people, teaching in different circumstances, and trying new things.  I love the bright vivid beauty of the plants, the strength of the sun, the waves and the islands, and the people I have met. Most of all I like making people excited about music.  =)

First Day of Classes

Today was the first day of classes, woohoo!!!!!
I love the students, all of them were really good today. I hear some of them get worse as the week goes on =)
I have each class just once a week for 80 minutes, different! Struggling to learn names! Especially when they are like Loongoa, and Wheevsha, and things like that =) I will have year 7 and year 8, which is 10 year olds to 13 year olds.

When we first got to the school, we saw that our window was broken into, and there was a board over it.....
There was glass all over the instrument room, and one guitar stolen. Si, uno guitaro.
So, that was my welcome to Tamaki Intermediate.

Its going to be alot of fun teaching ukulele, and choir.  I also have guitar, drama, and computers.
Most of the kids have a New Zealand accent, there are some with a Moari/NZ, British, Israili, African, or Somoan accents. The New Zealand accents sound so proper, and I must admit it is so cute hearing in a little voice. (We'll see how I feel about that later) 

Kayaking and the Coromandel

This was our amazing kayaking trip. It was so cool to see the cove. This was used as the entrance into Narnia in Prince Caspian. Hearing about the history of New Zealand from the tour guide was awesome, and we got to see some black diamond sting rays and a blue penguin. There were other birds too. It was a lot of fun, but the day didnt end there. There was a tsunami warning right after we got back to shore, and we all headed up to the top of the hill with the rest of the town. After that we drove to a ferry to take us to a little touristy town (buckleberry ferry=). Then we went to Hot Springs Beach where you dig your own little hot tub in the sand and the water from underneath is hot! It was really neat sitting in the hot water in the cold air watching the waves.....until the tide came in =)

The best part of the day was on the drive up to the kayaking place. We were in the hills and mountains on the edge of the peninsula listening to Chris Tomlin's "Glory in the Highest". Right when we got to the top, the brush and trees cleared and the song reached the climax. We could see out to the islands off of the peninsula in the ocean where the horizon met the water, and the sun was shining all around. It brought tears to my eyes to see such pure and glorious beauty, and to know that God was the creator of it all. That moment will never be recreated, but it will always be burned into my memory. I am sorry there is no picture =)

Kayaking to Cathedral Cove