Crossing Tongariro

After seeing the pictures Brendon had taken while hiking the Tongariro Crossing with our brother-in-law, Craig, I was convinced that I should pay a visit to good ol’ Tongariro to take in some of these mesmerizing sights for myself.

Brendon and I ventured south to Tongariro National Park this past weekend to hike the 19+km Tongariro Crossing.

The journey was long, but as far as “tramps” go, this one was a good one.  The trails were nicely groomed and very well maintained.  I’m always a fan of treks that don’t make you trudge through any kind of water, and this one was moisture free- we didn’t even get rained on.

The scenery you encounter along the way is mind-boggling.  It’s crazy that an 8-hour journey by foot can take you across barren plains, through rolling hills, up rocky volcanic peaks, over rugged mountains, beside aqua-marine lakes, and around a valley of molten lava formations.  I was a bit anxious to get to the top of our climb, because I knew this is where all the “good stuff” would be.

I was especially excited to see the Emerald Lakes, which are oh so stunning amidst the surrounding rock and ashes.

Once our visit to the lakes were over and done with, I got a big antsy.  Most of the good photo ops were over, and I was pretty much ready to be done with it.  The problem was, we still had another 3.5 hours of tramping to go until we reached the end of the track, where Baby Shea was waiting.  I was not the happiest tramper from that point on… but we eventually did make it out of the never-ending forest that made up the last leg of the journey.

I probably wasn’t as mentally prepared as I could have been for the 8 hour journey, as my mind couldn’t help but wander to school work and planning, and the other things I probably could have been doing.  But it was certainly refreshing to get away and be surrounded by such enchanting scenery, which hardly seems “natural,” although it certainly is.

And the winner is…

The Auckland Barista Championships were full of surprises and first experiences for many a barista and judge last weekend.  Coordianated by Emma Markland-Webster, the event ran close to flawlessly, due to her vast experience in planning and facilitating many of these events in the past.

Overall thoughts are that it was a better showing than last year- on average, competitors seemed to be more prepared, with not as many running overtime and disqualifying themselves.

This year, Brendon made the leap from timekeeper/runner to a sensory judge, and enjoyed experiencing the competition from a whole new perspective.

As taste is the most important factor in the competition, it is very difficult to tell, as an onlooker, who will come out on top.  The sensory judges, on the other hand, are in the unique and privileged position to taste every beverage the barista creates.

This year, the most popular ingredients for signature drinks were cream, brown sugar, and citrus.

The judges’ senses were both delighted and perplexed by the assortment of elixirs that were placed in front of them.

Although Carl Sera couldn’t make it in person due to the earthquake, he was there in spirit, and also on these lovely bottles of vanilla syrup.

And now… the moment you’ve all been waiting for… who was crowned top barista in Auckland this year?

To many a surprise, including the winner himself, our friend Max, the baker at Espresso Workshop, clinched the title and first place with a solid set.  He displayed very good technique and professionalism, and the judges enjoyed a tasty Brazil moreninha formosa from this first time competitor, whom Brendon works with.

The most experienced and decorated competitor, Ben Boyle (of Ben and Little b), came runner up.  Both Ben and Max will represent the Auckland region at Nationals next month in Wellington.

Joe McElhinney of Espresso Workshop also gave a solid performance, and warmed the judges’ hearts with personal touches like home-made centre pieces for the judges to take home, and the use of his very own mother’s milk jug to hold the vanilla-infused milk used in his signature drink.

Espresso Workshop was certainly well represented at the Auckland Regionals this year, both on the floor and on the judges panel.

Cheering on Max and Ben as they represent Auckland next month at Nationals!

An opportunity of theological proportions

Learning theology is like learning to speak a language. This can be said about many, if not all, academic disciplines or areas of knowledge and/or skill.  Over the years of my life in the church and studying theology both at school and on my own, (especially in the past year), I feel like have have learned this language well enough to possibly say something intelligible.

My initial desire to study theology was driven by my curiosity and desire to study a subject which had eternal value. And although my understanding of the subject of theology as well as what indeed is eternal has changed a great deal, I believe that this desire remains primarily unchanged.

I wanted to continue my theological training by pursuing a Masters degree because I felt as though I had barely scratched the surface as to what this whole thing was about. Or, to continue the metaphor, I was not even speaking this language of theology in full sentences yet.  Learning to speak a language and thinking in it are inextricably linked. My increased ability to speak this theological language, and my thinking that I may have something to say in it, are thusly linked. I have not, by any means, mastered this language, but I now feel as though I can speak it.

I have become, along the way, a theologian.

That is not said with any amount of pride and I do not believe that there is any intrinsic stature or priority in that title, but I believe that the category of the way I think and the convictions I hold about my self, the world, and the church have been labelled by my tradition as a theologian.

All this is to say that I suppose my life is on the path of a theologian, and in order to join this guild in any sort of official capacity these days, it must be accompanied by academic qualifications.

My desire and ability to contribute to this field, along with the encouragement of mentors and the support and love of my amazing and beautiful wife, have compelled me to pursue my Ph.D.  I have recently been accepted and will begin studying for this designation as soon as all the bureaucracy and paper work has been sorted.

What does this all mean?  Well, I will be housed and supervised by lecturers at Laidlaw Carey Graduate School, while officially being enrolled in the Department of Applied Humanities at AUT in Auckland. I will have to complete the majority of study here in NZ, which will extend our stay in New Zealand for another year or so longer than originally planned.

This was not an easy decision for us to make, as we dearly miss our family and friends back in Canada.  The availability and accessibility of such an opportunity has come about by surprise, but we feel excited about what the journey may hold and how it may impact our future.

Thanks for joining us along the way. We appreciate your support, love, and prayers!

When there were 8

It was just a year ago that we picnic’d atop Mt. Eden with Mark and Laurel, the first of our NZ “family”.  From there, we were introduced to Brandon, Kristen, Dale, and Amber, and our Canadian Family abroad was formed.

The 8 of us have shared some amazing times together over the past year, including many a meal, some intense games of pictionary, tea parties, roadtrips, breathtaking sights, a few “extreme” sporting ventures, early morning sunrises, and picnics on beaches and volcanoes.

Sadly. Mark and Laurel are leaving us and heading back to Canada, but not before a few more global adventures.  They have plans to visit Australia, Thailand, Laos, and Japan before making their way back to Alberta.

Last weekend, we got together to send off Mark and Laurel, and for one more last hurrah with all 8 of us.  We enjoyed a lovely evening together at a local brewery near Kumeau called Hallertau.

The boys sampled the beer, while the girls enjoyed the sweet and flavourful fruit wines.  The food, drink, and atmosphere were superb.  Hallertau is highly recommended in our books.

This has been a pretty incredible past year of our lives, mainly due to the people we have met and the experiences we have been able to share together.  Mark and Laurel definitely played a huge part in our story here, and as sad as we are so see them depart, we send them off with love, as they journey on towards new and exciting adventures.