West Coast Field Trip!

We’ve had a busy last few weeks here at CCSP South Pacific. Staff and students packed their bags on April 18 in preparation for our second big field trip of the semester. With our backpacks tucked away in the trailers and surfboards lashed on top we departed for the West Coast via Lewis Pass. We were excited to get to know not only our excellent professor Cal DeWitt and his wonderful wife Ruth, but also the New Zealand landscape and the mysteries of “Terrestrial Ecosystems.”

Our first day was a big travel day, but that didn’t keep up from stopping at the first convenient turn off and spending some time talking about the landscape and reflecting via psalm writing, something that would become a class fixture throughout the next two weeks. As the Canterbury plains gave way to tussock grassland in the pass and later on beech forest, the weather, which had been bright and sunny on the East Coast, became overcast and it began to rain. By the time we pulled over to explore a beech forest later in the afternoon everyone could appreciate the phrase “temperate rain forest.” It was at this point that we saw several cool things, one being a New Zealand Robin which Alex and Scott coaxed over by brushing away some of the duff on the forest floor so it could find worms. The other thing that we saw was Caleb tasting Horopito for the first time. He liked it so much he put it on his sandwiches for the rest of the trip.

During the first part of the week our whole group stayed at the Bruce Bay Marae, a meeting-house for the Maori community in that area. Our hosts graciously welcomed us with a Powheri ceremony before we ate dinner together. Bruce Bay is a beautiful spot located on the edge of a Kahikitea swamp half way between Hokitika and Haast. The sun set over the ocean there, we could see the Southern Alps (when it wasn’t overcast), and there was a wealth of ecosystems to explore at our fingertips.

Each person had a different highlight of the week, however a few might include,

• Seeing not one but TWO glaciers.
• Examining a deceased Australian Possum (an invasive species with opposable thumbs).
• Being enraptured by the sight of Hector’s Dolphins, the smallest dolphins in the world.
• Sleeping in the Wharenui i.e. “House of Sleeping” with everyone else
• Passing a Weka... while driving at 90 km per hour... this still counts as a life bird, right?
• Examining epiphytes
• Learning how to tell the difference between a Miro and a Rimu.
• Taking pictures, of EVERYTHING!

We left the Marae after saying goodbye to Maria, our host, and drove back up towards Arthur’s Pass. On our way, while stocking up on groceries in Hokitika, our professor, Cal, noticed a prominent sign that said “National Kiwi House,” with the words “Tuatara,” and “Giant Eels” in smaller letters underneath. The good news was that Cal had actually done extensive research on the Tuatara several years ago. Upon hearing this, the staff of the National Kiwi House welcomed our entire group into their center to see their Tuatara, feed the giant eels, and see and actually TOUCH real live Kiwi birds. The birds they had were both bred in captivity but will be released into the wild once the reached four years of age. The birds are carefully monitored here, as New Zealanders try to do all they can to help out this iconic endangered species.

After seeing Kiwi birds, everyone climbed back into the vans and we headed off towards Arthur’s Pass, taking altimeter readings along the way. We rolled into Arthur’s Pass about the same time as the rain clouds and made ourselves at home in the “Arthur’s Pass Outdoor Education Centre,” a cozy lodge that caters to school group and has an excellent library of books about New Zealand.

Our final day in the field was spent visiting a beech forest, exploring Alpine tussock meadows and feeling the earth move when we walked on an alpine peat bog. Scott and Alex discovered an exciting tree species called the “Mountain Nei nei,” however due to the rather lighthearted sound of the tree name, no one believed them for quite some time. Thanks to their persistence, we all know now that this tree species can be identified by the photograph on page 76 of Dawson and Lucas’ New Zealand plant guide.

Despite some of our grand plans to go hiking on our day off in Arthur’s Pass, a massive rain storm rolled in, and we woke on Sunday morning to the sight of sheets of rain blowing in front of the mountains. Some of us made use of our rain suits and went hiking anyway, while others visited the local coffee shop, curled up with a book or enjoyed a somewhat heated game of Settlers in front of the stove.

By Monday most of us were ready to be home and needed to do laundry. Upon our return, the dining room at the Convent turned into a computer lab for the rest of the week as Cal, Abe and students organized data, previous research, and heaps of photographs into a cohesive presentation detailing how altitude, latitude and rainfall affect the location of different ecosystems on New Zealand’s South Island. The long hours paid off in the end because Marcel made popcorn that we ate during the big research presentation on Friday night.

It’s hard to believe that there are only a few more weeks of the semester left. Everyone is starting to tick off things “on the bucket list” at a rapid pace, and the Convent is busy with campus improvement projects and additional secrets and surprises.

Gellie's Birthday Coffee House

Here at CCSP South Pacific this semester, we have gotten to know someone who, to put it one way, is AWESOME! Her name is Angelica Tambornino, but since this lovely name is a bit long to say in normal conversation, we mostly just call her Gellie.

She says hilarious things on a regular basis, and she can also do magic card tricks. Also, as a side note, I should mention that when her mom came to visit over term break she took Marcel and I (Allie) out for fish and chips, that was fantastic....

Anyway, all that aside, we like Gellie very much and were stoked to celebrate her birthday by throwing her a coffee house! Everyone prepared something, and some people even saved their God & Nature creative presentations to surprise us all with during the coffee house. The whole crew contentedly munched nachos, apple sauce crumble and cake while listening to and watching some of the talented individuals who are part of our community.

Alex and Caleb played “Stars,” a Switchfoot song, with more soul and gusto than Jon Foreman ever could have imagined. Gellie awed us with a card trick, and then Jody tried to upstage her with a different trick. Courtnay and Candice demonstrated their twin mind-reading abilities, however the result was confusing at best.

Marcel, Jess, Abe and Allie all played and sang Marcel’s favorite Great Lake Swimmers song, and Sarah put together a commemorative slide show in Gellie’s honor.

Thanks for being born Gellie, and also for choosing to spend your last semester of college with us at CCSP! We Love You!

Spring Break Adventures

Lance Clevinger (Wheaton '11) writes,

"Morgan, Sandy, Alyssa and my spring break adventure began with me, Lance, locking the keys in the trunk of our rental car. Thank goodness we soon figured out that we could unlock the trunk. Now with the keys in hand Caleb drove us down to Christchurch where we picked up our van, named “Hippo.”

We waved good-bye to Caleb and here began our journey towards the Milford Sound. But before we left the city we picked up a friend of mine from back home. She and her boyfriend were “woofing” across New Zealand working on different farms. After a short time together we dropped them off following celebrating Easter at the foot of Mt. Cook, the tallest mountain on the South Island. We made another stop in Queenstown and entertained our taste buds with a delicious delicacy, a hamburger, from a local place called “Fergburger”. We then continued on our way to go kayaking in the Milford Sound. The drive itself was amazing, but we had no idea what was to come.

As we were floating across the water we were silenced by the awe inspiring mountains that rose so imposingly out of the ocean surface. We were staring in amazement at the tallest mountains in the world that rise straight out of the ocean. If that was not enough to humble us and make us think of God, we then saw a plethora of shimmering rainbows from monumental waterfalls. Later that evening we played Monopoly with the three gentlemen from Australia, who had been a part of our kayaking group earlier that day, until one o’clock in the morning. But this was the European version of the game, which made it even more enjoyable. After saying our goodbyes the next day we made our way to Dunedin where we toured the only Castle in the Southern Hemisphere as well as touring the Cadbury Chocolate Factory. Before we left Dunedin we could not pass up the opportunity to experience the World’s Steepest Street, which we all journeyed up and down, some on foot and some in the van. We then continued back up the East Coast towards Kaikoura and concluded our break with a night full of conversation around a campfire and sleeping in our tents with the glorious and now familiar Kaikoura mountain range watching over us. As we awoke to a new day our eyes burned with the explosion of colors on the Kaikoura coast that poured forth from the rising sun as it melted away the fading night sky. As we watched, we took one final deep breath in an attempt to engrave that moment into our souls. It was an amazing trip and God blessed us with safe travel and good company."

God and Nature (AND SWIMMING WITH SEALS)

Jody VanDorp (Redeemer '11) writes:

The past week has included a lot of amazing moments, days, and new ideas. Last Saturday, all eleven of us (plus Lisa = twelve) drove down to Christchurch to witness our first professional rugby match. Our team (the Canterbury Crusaders) won, and many of us were very glad to have Lisa with us to explain the (sometimes confusing) rules. Abe and Marcel (SLC’s) were also at the game, and were chosen out of the crowd to be in the half-time show! We spent about 10 minutes distracted watching them as they were taught how to kick the ball etc. and then cheered loudly for them as they kicked (wearing sandals/barefoot!) On the way home, we pulled over for a few minutes to lay down and stare up in awe at the star-filled sky.

Monday brought a new class and a new professor, God and Nature with Steven Bouma-Prediger. We reviewed the groaning of creation, biblical texts that form a creational mandate, arguments to counter complaints against Christianity, as well as passages describing the beauty and order of creation. We were assigned several readings from Sex, Economy, Freedom and Community by Wendell Berry. I highly recommend it to all. I think it is safe to say that for all of us, our understanding of Christian stewardship was broadened over the past week. At the end of class each night, we also had an informal lesson in the ecological messages of children’s stories, as BP read us a bedtime story (ex: The Lorax, Yertle the Turtle, Just a Dream) before we went to bed.

Monday afternoon we all made our way to the beach, where some people were learning to surf. Once again, several of us remarked on the beauty of a small group so that we could all hang out together away from the convent as well.

For many of us, today was a highlight of our whole experience. On the coast to the south of Kaikoura is a huge island/rock about 500 m (little over a quarter mile) off shore. As we have driven past it, we have often seen people swimming out towards it and wanted to make the pilgrimage ourselves. Today was the day. Ten of us suited up (thank you to friends from church for many borrowed suits that kept most of the girls from having to rent) and headed out. Many thanks to Lisa and Allie for driving us out there, our contingent would have been smaller if we had all biked out. Alex did bike both there and back, fighting the headwinds on the way out.

We started the swim, a little shocked by how cold it was since there was no sun to heat things up for us. The waves were fairly large, adding all the more to the adventure. When we got to the appointed spot along the rock, we were greeted by a seal or two swimming in the water. Our presence invited a few more of them into the water, and as more of our group arrived, the number of seals also increased. We were swimming with seals!!! They seemed to like it when we were swimming, looping, etc underwater as they do. A few of them came very close, occasionally bumping into our fins and feet. We shrieked delightedly, not really able to believe that this was actually happening! They were so playful and beautiful; like Sea World but in real life and therefore way better.

It’s been a great day and a great week.

Thanks to Alyssa Kunkle (Messiah '12) for the photos!

CCSP Spring 2010 Samoa Slide Show

Faga Village, Home of Our Samoan Families

We left for our homestays in Faga village on Saturday. All of us were curious, and some were a little nervous. After all, living with a family you have never met who does not speak your language is not a situation we often find ourselves in.

The CCSP group was welcomed into the village by the Matai (or chiefs). We took part in an Ava ceremony during which the village talking chiefs made speeches, and everyone was served Kava. Follow the ceremony pairs of students left with their host families. Many were situated in fales along the beach, close enough to share stories and snorkel with each other on occasion.

You might wonder what we spent our homestays doing? Well, here is a small, in no way all-inclusive list.

If you were Kelsey, Gellie (Messiah ’10) and Alyssa (Messiah ’12), you might have learned how to weave sitting mats from your homestay grandmother. You might have tried climbing a coconut tree Samoan-style while visiting your family’s plantation. Or you may have tried (with mixed success) to canoe in fishing canoes. You also might have spent a morning with your homestay sisters at school and been asked to help with homework.

If you were Alex and Caleb you might have been asked by your family to wear nice lavalavas, white shirts and ties to church on Sunday. If you were Caleb you might have discovered the incredible coral reef in the lagoon off shore. If you were Alex you might have tried, and succeeded in climbing a coconut tree. You might also have learned a speech in Samoan to give our last night in the village at the Fia Fia.

During our last few days in Faga the weather deteriorated. The beach fales that had been so nice and cool during much of the week started to seem like they might not hold together in the wind. We woke up on our last morning in Samoa to the news that the ferry between Savaii and Upolu might not be running due to the weather. Thankfully, after leaving in a hurry, waiting at the ferry terminal and praying that we would make it back in time to catch our flight, a ferry came. We piled onboard and spent the next 2 hours holding onto our bags and our lunches until we arrived at the Upolu wharf.

We made it back to Kaikoura two days later, thanks to the International Dateline. The next week was spent readjusting our stomachs to New Zealand food and processing our time in Samoa both through conversations, Mick Duncan’s second week of Sustainable Community Development and a celebration later the next week.

Samoan Psalms

Samoan Psalms:

One of our community nights in Samoa we spent in small groups reflecting on our time in Samoa up until that point and writing “Samoan Psalms.” Here they are.

Lance, Alex and Marcel

Based on Psalm 119

Blessed are those whose way

Is upright. Who walk in the law of the Lord.

Blessed are those who serve the family

For they will be the Matai.

Blessed are those who live off the land

And take only what they need.

Blessed are those who honor God

Who seek him every day

Blessed are those who pass the fire

For they will enjoy kinship

Blessed are those who sleep in the fale

For the will see and be seen

Blessed are those who walk in tradition

With, their people, and their land.

Gellie, Kelsey and Jess

To the tune of “All I want is You” from the Juno soundtrack

If you were a talking chief, I’d be a Matai

If you’re Fa’amolemole then I’m Fa’afetai

If you were tanoa, I’d be the Kava

And don’t laugh too hard if I lose my lavalava

(Course)

All I want is breadfruit and taro on my plate

You stay we’ll eat at 7 but you really mean 8

All I want it popo from the coconut tree

Or to go for a snorkel in the salty blue sea.

If you make a tapa, I’ll weave a mat

If you start a tattoo then you better finish that

If you were tofa, I’d be malo

Oh Sweet Samoa we never wanna go!

Jody, Alyssa and Courtnay

Job 38

Where were you when I laid the earth’s foundation? Tell me if you understand who marked off it’s dimensions, surely you know. Who stretched a measuring line across it? On what were it’s footings set, or who laid its cornerstone, while all the morning stars sang together and all the angels shouted for joy?

Where you there when the Samoan Islands were formed? Do you know the birth place of the molten rock that formed the place you stand. Do you know how vegetation came to cover this once barren land? Surely you know, you are so wise. Can you appreciate the power of a volcanic eruption? Can you race the lava to the sea? Can you protect your mighty fortress from a wall of raging water. With your power this world be no problem. Can you comprehend the mysteries of the Samoan rainforest? Do you know how to classify the flying fox? Do you understand how they carry their young? Surely your scientific studies reveal these answers.

Can you grasp the medicinal properties of the plants I have given you? Surely you can find cures. Could you create a tree with more uses than the coconut? Tell me if you can engineer plants as wonderful as these? Could you paint the colors of the sea? Can you measure the depth? Can your imagination conceive the multitude & diversity of life below the surface? Can the partnership between the clownfish and the anemone be ordained by you? The work of your artists are far superior to that of my handiwork. Could you position the Southern Cross so perfectly for navigation?

Sarah, Sandy, Morgan and Allie

Samoan Psalm 23

The Lord is the high chief of my family

I will always have a place

He shows me the road through the plantation

He leads me beside blue ocean waters

He restores my soul

He teaches me the fa’asamoa, so that his Matai’s title

May be respected

Even though I become afraid that I cannot afford

A necessity, I know that I will be taken care

Of because I am part of this family

His word & his kava root comfort me.

He presents fine mats on my behalf, in the present of my enemies.

He gives me a seat of his fale.

My kava cup overflows.

Manuia & alofa will follow me all the days of my life

And I and my family will dwell in the fale of my High Chief forever.

Scott, Caleb and Abe’s Psalm got lost...

"Now Look Here!" (Savaii, Warren Jopling and Safua Hotel)

There are two major islands that make up Independent Samoa. The smaller island of Upolu is more heavily populated and has both the airport and Apia (the only city). The larger island, Savaii, can be reached by ferry, and due to the younger volcanic soil has less arable land and thus a smaller population. During the first week we were on Savaii we stayed a Safua Hotel, a family run hotel that caters to groups such as ourselves. During the days we went on natural and cultural history tours with Warren Jopling, a wonderful, if somewhat outspoken and at times gruff, Australian who has been living in Samoa for the past 25 years.

If you were to ask several of the students and staff about their time at Safua hotel they might tell you that several notable events included:

While catching our dinner on Samoan culture day, Alex (Point Loma ’12) had the misfortune of being bitten by a pig. Several students who had been in the dark regarding the source of pork were enlightened. And we all were able to witness what octopus cooked in octopus ink and coconut cream looks (and tastes) like. Additionally, Sarah (Wheaton ’12), was presented with a necklace of cowry shells by Chris Jackson in recognition of her skill (and timely correction of others) while basket weaving.

Warren encouraged everyone to look into the longevity producing properties of the Noni fruit. Several people, including Caleb (Wheaton ’11), and Kelsey (Messiah, ’12), were convinced to try both the fruit form and the bottled juice, however they affirmed in the end that Noni really does taste terrible.

We learned a little about some of the challenges that Samoan people face. We saw a number of failed forestry projects, toured a new market which had been financed by Japanese aid, but unfortunately was built not only right in the middle of some of the only remaining low-lying rainforest on Savaii, but also far from both the nearest town and the ferry terminal. We also visited a village that had been completely destroyed by a cyclone about 20 years ago, which no one has ever resettled.

Our time a Safua hotel culminated with a Fia Fia. This is a celebration that, literally translated is “Happy Happy” in English. The program consists of each group, the visitors and the locals, performing “items.” The items can be songs, dances, haka etc. Our rendition of “In the Jungle” was a big hi., CCSP groups have been singing this song with such regularity that all the locals know it and sing along, and out unique dance routine made it extra good. One of the memorable moments of the evening occured when we all went on the back porch and were surprised with a Samoan fire dance! Lance (Wheaton ’11) and Alex were asked to try their hand at it and put on a pretty spectacular display. Alex later explained he had never tried fire dancing before but had always wanted to do something like that.

Apia Days

After recovering a bit of sleep back at our hotel we spent the next several days exploring Apia. Apia is the biggest city in Samoa, and is in fact, the only city in the country. It is hot and dusty, and Samoans in other parts of the country will tell you that people in Apia tend to be more stressed and less friendly, however this must be relative. A highlight for several students and staff members was going to church and then being invited to join local families for lunch. There are a number of churches in Apia, a reflection of the fact that Christianity is the dominant religion in Samoa. Students and staff split into smaller groups or pairs and ventured out to various churches. Most of the services were in Samoan, however many of us were welcomed during the service by the pastors who were speaking, and the majority of us were invited over for lunches of traditional Samoan food following the services.

We spent the remainder of our time in Apia visiting the various markets, snorkeling at a marine reserve, and listening to several professors at the University of Samoa discussing development and Samoan culture.

Arrival in Samoa

As our plane lifted off from the Auckland airport on February 27^th we had no idea that between then and when we landed in Apia, Samoa, a major earthquake would hit Chile, causing tsunami warnings to be issued for much of the Pacific. We arrived in Apia in the early hours of the morning and were greeted by Chris Jackson, one of our Samoan hosts, who informed us of the tsunami warning and assured us that we would have a place to go inland from the city.

The drive from the airport to the city was surreal, not only were we in a very different country from the one we had just left, we were witnessing what amounted to a massive evacuation of all of the coastal areas. Villages that would normally be quiet at 4 AM were lit up and busy as people waited in line to fill up their cars with petrol, and purchased food from shops that were taking advantage of the business. We also passed people who were simply sitting at the edge of the beach looking out, presumably towards Chile.

Needless to say, this was not how we had envisioned our time in Samoa starting out.

We relocated from our hotel in the city to one up in the hills were we spent the rest of the night getting a little sleep on the lobby floor (the hotel was already full when we arrived), listening to New Zealand news and tsunami bulletins, thinking about our families who were no doubt thinking of us, and thinking of the Samoan people and the tragic tsunami that they had experienced six months earlier. We were thankful when the 9 AM hour came and passed with no waves, and a normal chorus of roosters. In the moment, it was almost tempting to write off the circumstances of our arrival as an inconvenience and a hitch in our schedule. However, perhaps in the end our participation in this experience along with the Samoan people we would come to know and appreciate over the coming weeks gave us some common ground. Most of us come from fairly stable locations in North America, and few of us had ever experienced what it is to be a displaced person with nowhere to sleep but a concrete floor, let alone the seriousness of a tsunami warning.

CCSP Wedding

You may have heard rumors that birthdays at CCSP are a big deal. It’s true. We like to celebrate them with fun, at time ridiculous and always memorable parties. This week wasn’t actually anyone’s birthday, however, Sarah McCormack’s (Wheaton, ’11) birthday happened to fall on January 27^th which was the day that disappeared thanks to the international date line while she was traveling to New Zealand at the beginning of the semester. Obviously this is sad, so after biding their time and getting to know Sarah a little better our two Student Life Coordinators, Abe and Marcel threw a highly memorable surprise birthday party for her.

One unique thing about Sarah that we’ve learned over the past couple of weeks is that she LOVES weddings. So when Abe and Marcel announced that she would be having a birthday party with a WEDDING theme everyone, including Sarah, cheered.

The ladies spent about forty minutes in the study room upstairs crafting the most impressive newspaper wedding dress many of us have ever seen, complete with a newsprint veil and princess skirt.

The guys were given the task of procuring a groom. Thankfully, there was a handy CPR dummy who, after extensive decoration became one of the most creepy grooms in recent memory. He was christened “Hamish” and (with assistance from Lance), managed to make it all the way through a completely hilarious mock wedding ceremony. 

With Caleb playing the wedding march on our out-of-tune piano, Courtnay Wilson (The Director) officiating, Morgan acting as mother of the bride, Gellie sprinkling newsprint “flowers,” and Marcel as an encouraging groomsman, Hamish and Sarah were happily married in time for dessert. Fresh peaches and ice cream, or crushed TimTams and cream (for those who didn’t give up delectable chocolate cookies for Lent).

Amidst All This Stunning Marine Diversity...

Angelica (Gellie) Tambornino (Messiah '10) writes,

"Marine Ecology started on Monday with our professor, Dave Lundquist, who has lived here in Kaikoura for the last 2 years studying Dusky dolphins.  With no time to waste, we had a quick lecture on Monday morning and then headed out into the field (peninsula).  Dave split us into three groups and each of us were assigned a portion of the beach to observe and record.  Beginning our explorations at low tide made it easy to venture out pretty far and still be standing on dry rock, which we definitely took advantage of...  In addition to recording our initial observations, each group also had the task of finding a few limpets – snail-like creatures that don't move much – and marking them with a white-out pen on their shell and on the rock next to them.  This way we could return to the same limpets on subsequent days and see if they had moved at all. 

            Alas, our second trip on Tuesday, which was again at low tide, revealed no apparent limpet movement (at least in my group.  I think other groups had some more active limpets).  On this day we also had to start far out from the shore, placing a “quadrat” (aka a square of PVC piping) down every ten meters (that's about 33 feet for you USA'ans) and record what we saw inside of it.  Using our handy Kaikoura marine life identification guidebook, we recorded about 13 quadrats of intertidal marine life that you don't see upon first glance.  Each group saw different interesting things, including starfish, jellyfish, and hermit crabs. 

            Day three = snorkeling!  Although the day was overcast, we all geared up with wetsuits (or “ninja penguin” suits), snorkels and masks, and got ready to see some good ol' marine life in action.  Dave took us out to a small wharf, we buddied up, and dove right in (not literally).  Although the visibility in the water was pretty low, and we saw an awful lot of bull kelp, a few in our company caught glimpses of good stuff:  jellyfish, stingrays, paua, and a seal, to name a few. 

            On day four we returned to our beach sites to catch high tide...and catch it we did (although some would argue that the high tide really caught us).  We checked up on our limpets and were overjoyed to find that some had moved as much as .6 centimeters!  Amazing!  (Or you may find it more amazing that we could be so entertained by the barely-measurable movements of a few stubborn creatures).  A couple groups even had limpets that were completely gone, which was kind of sad since we didn't even get to say goodbye, but for scientific purposes it was interesting.  We also repeated the quadrat process to see what changed in our quadrats from low to high tide.  The water was about 3 feet deep, and some people wore wetsuits so they could observe the quadrats more closely.  As we went further away from shore, the waves brought immediate regret to those of us who had chosen to forego the wetsuits.  It became a ridiculous yet hilarious battle to stay standing, keep notebooks out of the water, and write down our observations all amidst the crashing waves.  But we stayed strong – all in the name of science, I suppose. 

            That night around 9pm, we went to the beach in the dark (with headlamps) to see what was different at night.  However, we were plagued by fierce winds and sideways rain, so if any living creatures had been unfortunate enough to be out in the open in such conditions, it would've surely gotten blown or rained away before we found it.  But we did happen upon some fish and crayfish carcasses, and at least 13 different varieties of seaweed...  

            Day five wrapped it up as we compiled everything we had learned into exams, journals, written reports and group presentations.  I think we all learned a lot from this jam-packed week, and it was nice to finish it off with some creative and entertaining presentations, which took the form of a few skits, a bit of improv, and a tv game-show.  Well done, fellow classmates. " 

Homestays - Kiwi Style

Homestay weekend through the eyes of Sandy and Morgan.

Morgan Lister (Messiah ’12) writes,

My homestay family was right next-door to the old convent, with Michael and Hilary.  They have two grandchildren living with them, Louie and Alice.  Louie is a very talkative three year old while Alice just turned one.  To be perfectly honest, I was quite nervous going into this experience because I’ve never actually done something like stay with complete strangers for the weekend.  But, this situation, I realized, was very good for trusting God.  I had to trust that He was with me and after I reminded myself about that, I was able to enjoy myself and open up to the family. I spent much of the weekend playing with Louie in the dirt pile in the backyard with his Tonka trucks, and reading the same book to Alice over and over again.  On Saturday, Hilary took me to see a plot of land that her daughter Bridget and her husband were planting flowers on, and getting ready to build a new house for their family.  She also took me to a remote sandy beach off of Beach Road where we walked along the water line and looked for interesting rocks and shells.  I only found one shell which surprised me, since the New Jersey beaches are full of shells.  I decided that this part of the beach would be good to go back to when I am in need of a time of relaxation and reflection.  Sunday was a full day with a service at the Angelican church (complete with a budget meeting as our sermon) and then back to the house to play for about five hours in the dirt with Louie.  Boy, that kid can talk and talk and talk.  One thing that I learned about Kiwis is, the food is really bland.  I missed Jess’s cooking so much this weekend as the food had really no spice to it at all.  We had green beans at every meal; a whole heaping.  I must have eaten four pounds of green beans.  But, other than the blandness, I could not complain about the cooking as it was very good.  I also realized that Kiwis drink so much tea.  We would have tea in the morning during breakfast, a mid-morning break with tea, tea with lunch, a mid-afternoon break with tea, and then tea after dinner.  That was a lot of tea!  Overall, I would have to say, living with a local New Zealand family was quite a new and exciting experience for me.

-Morgan

 

Sandy Dzielak (Messiah ’12) writes,

“Lance Clevinger and Sandra Dzielak (aka me, Sandy), went to the Kevin and Sandy Topp’s sheep farm for our home stay weekend. (Note there are two Sandy’s, Sandy Topp and me, and yes, it made for an interesting weekend when someone’s name was called) Kevin and Sandy live in the Puhi Puhi valley right between two gorgeous, towering mountains.  They have a variety of animals such as cows, working dogs, dogs as pets, cats, two wild boars, chickens, roosters, and of course sheep. 

As soon as Sandy picked Lance and I up from the Convent she was talking about all of the fun plans we could do for the weekend.  We divided up our chores, Lance was going to take care of the dogs and the puppy, and I was going to take care of the chooks (aka chickens). Not too long after we arrived we got ready for dinner and chatted up a storm during the meal.  We all ate way too much (at least I did) and we decided to play tennis before dessert.  I had heard from CCSP staff that Sandy can be pretty brutal playing tennis and will tease you if you mess up, but she really just remembered making fun of Abe and we laughed about that.  Sandy and Kevin have a great sense of humor and it made the weekend fun and light-hearted.  The next day Lance and I worked a lot with Kevin and the sheep.  We watched Kevin sheer the sheep and Lance and I went through the wool to pick out the dirt or short pieces and put them in one pile and the good long wool in another.  The stacks of wool were well over our heads but Lance and I tackled it by the afternoon. Oh and how could I forget, Lance and I also got to sheer a sheep!  And of course we have pictures to prove it!

After lunch Lance and I tagged along to gather up sheep, which actually took quite a while.  Kevin also brought a dog along, Sky, who is one of the working dogs and it was a really cool experience to watch Sky and Kevin work together to gather up the sheep.  It was also a lot of fun to watch the sheep scramble around. That evening we watched rugby, took a walk in the rain around the pond, gave Kevin and Sandy our home stay gifts and looked at family photos.  It was quite a long, but very fun day.

The next morning we all went to church together to the Anglican Church in Kaikoura. It was nice chatting with new Kiwi’s and experiencing the church for the first time.  After the service we went on a picnic and of course had fish and chips for lunch, the infamous Kiwi picnic meal and then took a long walk around the Peninsula.   It was quite a weekend, it was filled with a lot of long talks, both deep and silly, of course lots of laughs and a lot of new experiences. Lance and I both really enjoyed our weekend at the Topps and we look forward to visiting again soon.”

Photo Credit: Topps with Sandy & Lance – Sandy Dzielak

"Have You Heard This One?"

Sustainable Community Development is one of those classes that just might change your life. Class discussion and the insights of our excellent Kiwi professor Mick Duncan contributed towards making the class a highlight for both students and staff.

It’s not every class that you get to debate Pacifism and Just War with your peers, or put together dramatic presentations to illustrate different development models. Mick tells a lot of stories which tend to stick with you, and doesn’t hesitate to ask you to “talk to your neighbor,” i.e. the person sitting next to you, about your position on the relative importance of evangelism and social action. Altogether it was a thought-provoking week and one I’m sure will stick with us in the future.

A Weekend of Exploring

Everyone returned from student trip weekend with a story, some came home with a sunburn, photographs, and a few came home in need of a good night’s sleep.

Caleb, Alex, Lance and Scott all traveled up the coast and then inland to attempt to climb the highest peak outside of the Southern Alps on New Zealand’s South Island. They counted 120 river crossings on their way in to their campsite where they enjoyed a meal of easy-to-prepare-food-that-didn’t-sound-terribly-appetizing and a night of rest before their summit climb the next morning. Tapuae-o-Uenuku is a less technical climb despite it’s height, and the guys ended up having great weather for their climb. Thanks to topo-map reading skills and some ramen they were able to make it to the top from where they could actually see the North Island.

Sarah, Alyssa, Gellie, Morgan, Kelsey, and Sandy meanwhile were enjoying a weekend in Christchurch. They had some of photographs of good-looking pancakes when they came home, as well as stories of beach trips, Sunday services in the Cathedral and a hostel bunk room that was unfortunately located directly above a noisy hallway (hence the need for a good nights sleep upon their return).

And finally Jody spent some time with her brother and friends as they prepared for the “Coast to Coast” race, a multisport event in which racers run, bike, and kayak from one side of the South Island to the other.

Photo Credits:

Guys on the Mountain: Scott Markley

Ladies in Christchurch: Sandy Dzielak  

Orientation CCSP Style

Before one can start to feel at home in a new place and a new community there is a lot to learn, experience and discover. This is true for every student as they begin a new semester at CCSP.

To begin with most wonder, how does living in an Old Convent with 17 other people work? We do our best to answer this with explanations of everything from composting, bicycle tire changing, and recycling to our meals and chore rotations. Fact: Did you know that hot drinks are ALWAYS available? This includes fair trade coffee and teas, plus hot chocolate. We also begin to get to know each through a variety of community events throughout the week.

Most newcomers to CCSP also wonder, “How far away is the Kaikoura downtown?” “Is there an internet café within biking distance?” and “What is the mayor’s name?” These questions and more we attempt to answer by way of a fun filled afternoon scavenger hunt. Students came home with stories of kind strangers who fixed broken bicycle chains, the mayor’s name, and a wealth of knowledge about downtown Kaikoura.

On Sunday evening students and staff welcomed our friends and neighbors to the Old Convent for a barbeque dinner. Alex Gilbert (Point Loma ’12) and Scott Markley (Messiah ’12) put up a slack line in the backyard that turned out to be a big hit, and Jess (Kitchen Manager) made a banana cake and zucchini cake that words can’t really describe.

The rest of the week was full with orientation to various aspects of CCSP. In addition, we all traveled to Sawcut Gorge on Wednesday for an excellent day-hike, complete with swimming, picnic lunch, and more photo opportunities than you can possibly imagine, unless you happen to be Scott, Alyssa Kunkle (Messiah ’12), or Sandy Dzielak (Messiah ’12) all who happen to be avid photographers.

Which brings us to this weekend. All of the students are enjoying a weekend of exploring New Zealand a little more before classes start on Monday. Scott, Caleb King (Wheaton ’11), Alex, and Lance Clevinger (Wheaton ’11) all went tramping in the Inland Kaikoura Mountains. The rest of the crew traveled down to Christchurch where they intended to spend the weekend exploring the city.

Beginnings

CCSP South Pacific Spring 2010 began today. The Convent is once again full of students who are unpacking their bags and getting some much needed sleep. The SoPac staff drove down to Christchurch and met the students at the airport this afternoon. The drive back was gloriously sunny, right up until we reached the Kaikoura coast, where we drove down under thick clouds that seem to be settled right over the Kaikoura and no where else. However, weather aside, driving into the Convent driveway past the “Home of CCSP” sign felt like coming home.

We enjoyed some fish and chips on the beach and then had a dedication service to start out the semester. As students and staff passed the peace for the first time and tried to remember everyone’s names (“The peace of Christ be with you... Sarah, Morgan, Scott, Lance, Alyssa, Jody, Kelsey, Alex, Angelica, Caleb, Sandy, Marcel, Abe, Jess, Courtnay and Allie”), one couldn’t help but get excited about this semester, our community and the adventures that await.