Well people, hello again from the friendly confinds of New Zealand!! As Kevin pointed out in my last blog, I myself am a foreigner so I will have to be more specific when I refer to people who live outside the U.S. of A. Thanks for puttin' me in my place Kevin.
Nevertheless, here's some highlights since I last wrote!
Jeremy, I want you to know I haven't seen more than 3 hoops out here, but I did see a kid with a ball walking down the street and I stopped him to ask where the nearest hoop was. I am cravin' any american sport right now. What's that Fedell? Football you say? Forget about it, I have to explain it to everyone. I was talking to this small tiny piece of crap back in Nelson who was making fun of football b/c we wear pads. I told him, "come out sometime and you'll see how hard we hit." I'd light him up. And I haven't even seen a football since I got here. Shoot me now! JK!
Thursday, I took a drive with a buddy that has a car here and we drove around Nelson, Havelock, and all around a bunch of sweet sights. Later on, we went swimming with mountains on every side! It was awesome!
On Sunday, I took a glaicer all day hike in Franz Joseph! It was pretty sweet! Jake Thomas, I took a pic from highest point that I think you will like especially I'll talk more about it when I'm home.
It's pretty cool that every hostel has a full kitchen, but not so cool when you're livin' on a budget. I don't think I'll be able to look at pasta or spag again when I get home! Soooooooooooooo sick of them!
And just when I thought I was done peeling on my face and neck, my arms decided to join in on the fun. It's been great meeting people, and their first impression of me is trying not to get any of my skin on them. Not too attractive.
Yesterday, I went swimming, sun bathing, and grilled out with a couple of guys I met here. Actually, as my new friends and Jim Carrey would say, we had a little barbie! It's a very strange thing to comprehend, swimming in grillin' in January! Kinda throws ya off. But it definitely reminds me of back home, grillin' out with the boys back home! You know who you are.
But I did meet some other backpackers yesterday from England that were Christians! I told them I was going to be a youth pastor, and they got so excited and told me they were Christians too. They were really cool and it was great to be able to talk more in depth about my faith and go deeper with conversations, than just the surfice with some people. We got a chance to pray for each other before they took off. It was really cool, and very encouraging!
Probably one of the deepest things that's been going on in me is that I have been reading the book "Waking The Dead" by John Eldridge (author of Wild At Heart, both are great books). But it has been very challenging to say the least. Those of you who know me best would say I'm always up for a challenge and this book has been no different. In one of the chapters, Eldridge said to make a list of all the things I love. Eldridge said that everything that you love is what makes life worth living. I made the list, no matter how deep, or how shallow, funny or serious they may be. One of the things that has really convicted me is that I always say that family is so important to me, yet I don't always give them the time of day. I have felt so convicted in this area it's not even funny. I do spend time with my family, and I would drop everything just for them, but as the Dale Carnigie said, "Don't ask a man what's important to him; watch how he spends his time." Things will be different when I'm home.
Lastly, God is stretching me like crazy. One of the very things that I have set out to do while on this trip is to get my heart back. Another great quote I've come across is "The glory of God is man fully alive." To do that, you have to live from your heart. To live from your heart, you have to trust and rely on Him.
Now my bro's and my dad wrestled while I played basketball for 12 winters. I took a lot of crap for that for years, but for the rest of this trip I'll wrestling...wrestling with God.
I'm out here to find my heart. I'm out here to become alive and for God to wake the dead in me.
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11 comments:
Dave your such a stud man! looks like God is really working in you there. Keep enjoying the journey, and never lose that attitude of openness to what God has for you. But on a more serious note what about the girlies man?
Haha thanks man. I haven't really met any girls that have caught my eye. Almost all of them just wanna go out and get hammered. Which is my lifestyle too, ya know.
Dave, your trip sounds so cool, I am really glad god is challenging you while you're there, you need it... just kidding.... but seriously. Love you man and keep in the word. I want to hear everything when you get back.
dang it! I really want to be the first comment on one of your blogs. i'm the 4th on this one and the 2nd on the last. dude. i'm getting really encourage by the words your preaching... fire and brimstone baby... fire and brimstone.
things are great here. i'm really enjoying my classes, especially my islamic studies one, i might be converting... eeeee wait! but it is interesting to learn about the nation of islam. but ya, you'd be jealous cause i've been playing hoops every few days. played tonight, but i twisted my ankle. i'm cool though, would've kept playing but the other guys were too tired, pansies. so ya, sarah says hi. and you're definately right about one thing, things will be different when you get home. love ya bro. keep it up, enjoy it cause once you get home it'll have gone so fast. and dave, fat chicks need love too... but they gotta pay.
your bro
oh matty so sorry to hear that, i hope your poor little ankle is okay...wuss. you sound like dave. BA-ZING!
sounds like a blast dude, makes me wish i was there with ya.
in the mean time, you can dread the fact that you will be OWNED in NHL upon your return, and for the next few months thereafter, until you finally resign yourself to the fact that i am unbeatable!!!
hey bro! jesse here. i just wanted to say hi. i haven't read your blog yet. i printed it just now, so i can read it tonight. i'll comment after i read it (and i'll make sure they are totally awesome comments - not like matt's). =) But for now, just remember: "I don't care if they eat me alive; I've got better things to do than survive." =)
Haha thanks boys I appreciate the comments. Matt I hope your ankle feels better, but as soon as get back, you might sprain it again on my killa crossova! YO DIS IS SPIDA!! But glad to hear about your Islam class. I wanna hear more when I get back for sure. Sounds interesting. Anywho, Mike you can bring it too in NHL. I've beat ya before, I'll beat ya again!
Jake, there are many stories that you gotta here about when I get back. You'll lvoe 'em. "Well hello, Jacob."
I miss you guys! Keep those comments comin. I just found out that I can write on here too. A litle bit slow I know...Talk to you guys soon.
Crocket!!! Wussup?!?! i read your entire blog last night. SWEET STORIES. love hearing it. how's the sunburn doing? that sucks. You can thank the good ol US of A for that: the carbon (and other) polution we send into the atmosphere rips apart the ozone over the North/South Pacific Ocean region. Sorry 'bout that. i'll try to car poor and bike more often.
one last comment: you said, "I'm out to find my heart." That's crazy talk!! How could you lose your heart in NZ when you've never been there before?! Did someone take it there without your permission? I'm confused. If you don't find it there, try San Francisco, California - Frank Sanatra left his there once.
anyhoo, I hope things are hokey pokey! you're a bit of a dag the way you write in your blog; i'm glad you're not all brassed off about being in lovely NZ, you ol' bloke.
And remember, if you get a dose of the colly wobbles, run to the nearest dunny (i.e., the loo). Then when good as gold, be sure to make time for some netball!
Dave, it feels like yonks since i last saw you. No worries. Now rattle your dags get back to livin'!
(In case you can't understand this, it's 'cause you're such a yank. You'll have to ask a near-by Kiwi to "translate" it.)
cheerio, mate!
Haha thanks Jess. But I actually did understand everything you wrote. I've actually met a lot of people from England and a bunch of Aussie's too. I can't say I now know every slang word in those countries, but it's a start. Miss ya, man.
DAVEY!!!!! Dude....pretty sure you are one of the funniest people I've ever met....I want to be friends with the little kid you met on the plane...alright man, i'm out....thanks for giving me a shout out in your blogs...real cool dave, real cool.....
Great blog Dave. It's encouraging to hear that you're doing so well out there. Things are about the same here. I'm tired and need to sleep. Bye.
-Caleb
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