The trrrrruth will set you frrrrreeee!

I'm beginning to settle into my life here in Christchurch and things are ticking along nicely. I'm gradually getting to know some of the students that I will be working with and have had quite a hectic couple of weeks helping to organise various BBQ's, sports days and get-togethers.

I'm finding it tremendously easy to connect with the students here and I think God must have played a part in preparing people for the shock of having me around! I think being Scottish helps; at the BBQ Lynton (the man I am working with) asked me to talk to the students about how we connect with God through the scriptures. I was focussing on how we need to look at the Bible in order to understand the truth and so we can clearly see where we are being deceived (believing the lies our culture feeds us like you have to be thin/sexy to be lovable or you must be successful to have worth or be of any value). I was quoting John 8:32 "For you will know the truth and the truth will set you free" and just after I said that I sensed a ripple of laughter across the group, but I thought to myself, I haven't said anything funny? Then I realised that it had been my accent, particularly the rrrrrrrolling of my R's that they found so amusing! To them I think it had sounded more like a quote out of Brave Heart!

So I am enjoying getting to know the students, I have also joined a few student clubs so I can get to know other students. I'm particularly up for the "Tramping Club" (that's hill walking to you and me!), which I hope will allow me to see more of New Zealand at the weekends. I also joined the "Community Garden"; I know, I know, I'm just a big hippy at heart. It cost me $5 and they told me that if I worked in the garden then I would be able to take the pumpkins, carrots, silver beet and other fresh produce home, free of charge! Fantastic, so I figured that would be $5 well spent!

I've been out and about a wee bit in Christchurch, which is a really beautiful city with huge Parks, bigger than the Meadows and even Hampstead Heath in London. There are a few really cool beaches around the coast and I have been to New Brighton and Sumner a couple of times since the weather has been good recently; we've only had about 2 rough days since I've got here.

I'm in the process of buying a car and everything is o'k at this end but it's taking ages for my money to come through from Scotland and I'm just hoping that the couple who I want to buy the car from don't get fed up waiting and sell it to someone else instead!! They have been pretty good so far but I have bargained hard with them and I think the husband is tempted to try and sell it for a better price so I'm hoping that everything works out! It's a wee red Ford Festiva (which I think is the same as a Ford Fiesta in the UK) '93 model, it's done just over 150,000 K's but it's only had 1 previous owner and in very good nick; it has a full service history and has only done 500 K's on a new clutch. I'm hoping to buy it for $3200(about £1100) if my money ever comes through!