Time Has Flown By: Cape Reinga and The Waitangi Treaty Celebration

Time has really flown by quickly and accessing the internet has been somewhat challenging.  Sorry that we have neglected to update the blog before this.  We will give you a overview of what all has been happening in the past couple of weeks.

Lue and Roberta had an opportunity to spend a few extra days with Ian and Joye Johnson of Amazing Love Ministries.  What a wonderful and refreshing few days. Kimberly went to TePuke to man the home front and help Hinehau, who needed to go back to work. Preparations were being made for our weekend trip to the northern part of the North Island.  A van was rented as two more of Hinehau's friends were added to our group for the weekend, Kaye and Mandy.  Unfortunately, the van didn't have a functioning air conditioner.  Did I mention that we're here during their summer months?  With only windows and a sun roof for cooling off, we made the trip work!

We left Auckland on Friday, February 4th, after collecting everyone for the northern part of the island.  We laughed, drove, ate and prayed.  We visited an old Marae that the Prophet Ratana had visited, but was no longer in use and prayed for a resurgence in the area.  Then we proceeded to visit the Kauri trees, some of the oldest, largest, most majestic trees in New Zealand.  The one we stopped and took pictures of is over 2,000 years old.  Dates back to the time of Christ.  Think about all that the tree has survived and experienced!

Our plan was to be at the very tip, top of the North Island before sunset.  We made it only because the sun sets at 8:30 pm.  It's where the Pacific Ocean and Tasman Sea meet.  That night the Tasman Sea was the stronger body of water.  Usually you can see a churning line where the two seas intermingle.  The sunset was beautiful, we watched the as the sun faded into the Tasman Sea --taking communion together and making declarations over New Zealand.  What a beautiful night.  The stars came out in brilliant form.  Not many lights to hide the vastness of the universe and Milky Way. WOW!

Saturday began early as we traveled back to Cape Reinga to watch the sun rise.  New Zealand is the first country to see the sun rise in the morning.  Unfortunately, the fog was in and we just watched the gray light get brighter.  We were still happy.  We returned to the rooms we rented for the night, packed the van and headed south toward Paihia with a few stops along the way.  In a Bayside cafe, we had a lovely home cooked breakfast, a stop for lunch and then we arrived in Paihia where we had made reservations at a back packers accommodations.  Did I mention it was HOT!  I mean really HOT!  We were in the Bay of Islands area --Lue and I were without bathing suits...not a brilliant plan, nor were we wearing shorts.  When we left Te Puke, it had been cool and jeans and sweatshirts worked fine there but not in the heat in the Bay.  We spent the afternoon out of the hot van, some played on the beach, napped, kicked back with feet up, and relaxed.

We congregated again at 5 pm and set off for another marae.  We found lots of activity going on as tomorrow, Sunday, was the Celebration of the Waitangi Treaty -- 171st anniversary where they would have a booth set up - just like any other arts/crafts/food  fair.  The folks on the marae were preparing for their food booth.  Hinehau approached a woman on the marae and we were welcomed on informally.  We had such a wonderful welcome, it was not the marae that Ratana had visited, that was down the street.  Instead, we meet Rose, who took us around her marae and then drove down to the one where Ratana had come.  She shared numerous insights into the area, her Christian walk and faith, and her vision for the future of the area.  We felt so blessed by Rose, we invited her to pray for the marae after we explained what the Lord had  placed on our hearts to do.  We so enjoyed Rose, she sang to us and we sang and danced with her.  What a precious woman of God!

We returned to Paihia for a late dinner and then it was off to bed.  Morning came really early as the Celebration of the Treaty of Waitangi started at 5 am with a prayer meeting.  this was not just any prayer meeting.  It was a prayer meeting in "The Marae" on Waitangi property with Prime Minister John Key and numerous of parliamentarians and dignitaries in attendance--oh yeah, then the rest of the crowd and us.  It was a powerful service.  Followed by the playing of the bagpipes in the area where they signed the Treaty, an agreement between the Maori people and the British government, overlooking the Bay of Islands.  Later we had coffee on the lawn followed by wandering about the booths.