Auckland for Easter

I arrived in Auckland fit and well after traveling on the bike from Nelson. Now I need to keep that fitness level up. I determined to ride as much as possible in Auckland during my stay. Here is a photo of downtown Auckland taken from the ferry that travels from the city to Devonport and Birkenhead on the other side of the harbour.



I stayed once again in my good friend Penny's front yard in my tent, as her house is always full of her own and other people's children. Never a dull moment at Penny's place!! Since I was there last, there was a new dog. His name was Zeke, and he was a beautiful 7 month old German shepherd mix. Smart too. It took him no time at all to learn how to "stay". I helped find a home for him while I was there, because the girl who had him found he was too rambunctious for her to handle.



There was much to do in Auckland: doctor's appointments to obtain a clearance to go to Haiti, dentist appointment, renew my US passport, travel vaccinations, and see friends. One day as I was just leaving Penny's house, I was stopped by some folks who were on a scavenger hunt. They needed a photo of a bicycle, and of course I obliged. They were having a great day!



Continuing on with my work for the MEND Trust, http://www.mend.org.nz/ I had several meetings with supporters, and then arranged a meeting with several key MEND supporters to discuss a revamp of the web site and fundraising options. Rob Buchanan came down from Kerikeri for the meeting, in his friend's boat named Grandma. This was only the second time I had met Rob, so it was good to spend some time together in person, rather than via the Internet and phone.






Terry Levenberg of Apropos Design has kindly offered to re-design the MEND website, working with the current Web hosting company Zartaj. Everyone has been so generous with their time and talents for MEND.



One Saturday I went with my friend Rob to help celebrate his birthday out at Te Hengta (Bethell's Beach): I hadn't played in a heavy surf for a few years. I loved it! Swallowed a bit of seawater, was pummelled about a few times, but didn't bang into anyone else and was only a little embarrassed when the force of the waves undressed me a couple of times. (I recovered quickly).

Rob and I went for a walk down the beach, and found a couple of beautiful beach houses tucked in among the bush. This was one.

I was fortunate to be able to attend a 3 day Vipassana meditation retreat during my stay in Auckland. This was the first time I was able to do some 'hard core' meditating since November 2006 in Illinois. Very valuable time! Here are a couple of photos of the facility.

I noticed something new in Auckland since my last visit: bicycles for rent at $7 an hour. Too expensive for me - and apparently for everyone else, too, since the rack was always full every time I passed it during the month.

My most enjoyable day during this time was the day I gave a presentation to the Albany Primary School. I had been asked to give a presentation on the MEND Trust, since the children were learning about adaption for survival, and the prosthetic legs and mobility equipment fit right in. But we extended the presentation to include adaption for survival on the streets and roads of New Zealand while riding a bike, and survival when camping in the wilderness. The children had good questions - and I showed a DVD on the Trust. I noticed the teachers' faces were a bit concerned that I was encouraging the students to go off wandering on their bikes, but why not! I didn't get any negative feedback from worried parents, anyway. And the school gave the MEND Trust a cheque for $300!! It was from their mufti money. Mufti, you ask? I had never heard of it either. One of its definitions is "a state of being in ordinary clothes for one who often wears a uniform". Originating from the moslemlike dressing gown and tasseled cap worn by an officer off duty in the early 19th century, the modern individual in mufti is more likely to be taking a break from a suit and tie - or a school uniform, as in this case. The children are allowed to wear their 'street clothes' on mufti days, but they must pay for the privilege. The funds raised are used for school outings and the occasional donation, as in my case.

I cannot end this blog entry without thanking once again my friend Kathy Light who so generously lent me the use of a vehicle during my stay in Auckland. Not just the extra teenager's beater car, but her own 4 wheel drive Jeep, no less! I used it sparingly - to get myself to evening meetings with friends, as I don't cycle at night, and to get me across the harbour bridge with the bicycle in the back. This way I avoided the $8 round trip ferry ticket. Gasoline is expensive, (about $5 per gallon), but not that high yet!

Because I had Kathy's vehicle, I was able to drive all the way out to Howick. It would have taken me a full day to cycle out there, and another day to cycle back. I went to Howick to visit a couple who had spent years ministering to the people of Haiti: Dr. Stafford and Elle Bourke. What amazing people! They first left New Zealand to set up medical clinics in Africa when they had a young family. They had a 3 year old, an 18 month old, and Ella was pregnant with their third child. But that didn't stop them!!! Their children were home schooled, and they had a very broad education, and are all successful in life, some very much so. Later, the Bourkes moved their family to Haiti, to minister to the people there. One of their children was born in Haiti. They were serving the people of Haiti when Aristide was ousted, and the stories they tell about that time are riveting and revealing. Ella has written a book about their experiences in Haiti, and the life of one of the young boys they cared for who had AIDS. She kindly gave me a copy. Please let me know if you would like to read it. Of all the places she and Stafford worked, they said Haiti was the best and the worst. The best because their skills were so needed and so appreciated, and the worst because of the desperation of the people and the corruption and the spiritual darkness of the country. Here is just one story they told me: If you wanted to mail a letter you would go to the post office. They would sell you a stamp, and you would put the stamp on the envelope and hand it over to the postal person to mail. As soon as you left, the stamp would be removed from the envelope, the letter ripped up and thrown away, and the stamp would be sold again to the next person. I expect that if you paid an appropriate bribe, the letter might get through. Otherwise, this system wouldn't last long!! By the way, these are the first New Zealanders I have met who have done missionary work in Haiti, and they knew of no other New Zealanders who have gone there to help out. But I was led to them, these two 'needles in a haystack', through a church friend, Beth Laurent, who remembered Dr. Bourke's name, though she had only met Dr. Bourke once, many years ago. I share this because it is an example of the many synchronicities in my life now - one of the many ways God is carefully leading and guiding me on this journey.

Penny kindly drove me to the airport on April 2, heading to the USA.