From The Ends Of The Earth: Father & Son

This post has taken a while in coming. It's hard to sum up the amazing weeks we enjoyed in late June & early July with my dad. Dad had been invited to come over to NZ & speak at the TSCF Mid-Year Conference for students from around the country. After some discussion, we persuaded him to come for a bit longer, so that we could enjoy unrushed time together, as well as making the most of some good speaking opportunities in the area.

The 3 1/2 weeks we had dad over were some of the most special times & have formed treasured memories. As we travelled the country for various events, we took the time to ensure it wasn't just work for dad, but a mix of cross-cultural introduction, church history & even a bit of leisure.
It's hard to include everything we saw, did and that happened, but here's some of the headlines:

Dad arrived in late June & we had a few days together in Wellington before we headed North for the TSCF Conference. It's good showing someone round your home city at the best of times, but when it's the other side of the world, completely new & an interesting place, the task becomes much easier. I've been asked a few times by visitors to NZ "Is Wellington worth a visit?" The simple answer is "yes"! I guess it depends what interests you, but Wellington usually has something for everyone. We took the time to show dad around the city, but particularly around some of the gorgeous coastline and to the very impressive Te Papa museum. 'Te Papa' means "Our Place" in Maori & sums up the ethos of the country and the museum. It is a celebration of all things New Zealand - of culture, history and the present. We visit fairly regularly (it's free) & never tire of it. A personal favourite is the "Golden Days" presentation, which tells the New Zealand story in the most fascinating of ways. Any more description will spoil it for those who come, but suffice to say, dad loved it & despite having seen it probably nearly ten times, I always see or appreciate something new. I got to enjoy a new experience as together, we went around "the Beehive"; NZ's Parliament. It was a fascinating experience & one I'm glad dad got to enjoy. I've always thought dad would have become an MP if God hadn't had rather grander plans for him.

From Wellington, we headed up towards the Conference, which was being held in Auckland. Thankfully, we had a few days to do the journey, and Jen & Sam were able to join us, as we drove the familiar route North - along the Kapiti Coast, through Bulls, along the Desert Road (past Mt Ruapehu, an active volcano...which due to poor weather, we didn't see close up!), overnighting in Taupo, one of my favourite NZ cities. We spent a little time in Taupo and Rotorua, introducing dad to the Maori culture which so significantly impacts NZ society and everyday life. Again and again, it was great hearing dad say "I had no idea NZ was like this..." We often feel that whilst pictures and words can describe some of what the country is like, nothing beats the firsthand experience.

Jen & Sam had to leave us at Hamilton, as Jen started back to work. Sam has been enjoying spending his days with friends from church, Lisa & her girls Poppy & Lily. We're so thankful to the McLennons for their kindness in looking after the wee man, and are thankful for God's provision of a Christian family & particularly because they're from the heart of Yorkshire. Sam should learn how to speak "reet proper".

Dad & I continued North, arriving in Auckland for the Sunday services where dad was preaching at Massey Presbyterian. Massey is led by Stuart Lange, one of the foremost church historians in NZ and a man who has been described to me as "one who has done much to fight for the Evangelical cause in the NZ Presybterian church." We enjoyed our time with Stuart (over 2 Sundays) & dad had what seemed to be a fruitful service preaching on the issue of suffering. In the evening, dad was preaching at the Auckland Baptist Tabernacle, founded by Thomas Spurgeon, son of the famous Charles Haddon. Again, it was good to be with John Catmur, a Pom who is doing a good work in "the City of Sails". In the afternoon, we took time out to see Harry Ironside's grave. Dr Ironside was a Pastor of the famous Moody Memorial Church in Chicago, who died whilst preaching in NZ. We hoped the same fate would not come upon dad...

We had a couple of days then before the conference started, so were able to head further North to the Bay of Islands, a 4 hour drive from Auckland. It was quite a trek, but so worthwhile being able to take him to Marsden Cross, where Samuel Marsden had arrived almost 200 years earlier to bring the Good News of Jesus to these shores for the first time. I think we both found it quite an emotionally charged experience, as it reminded us of the task that Marsden had started in NZ, the baton that had been passed on & the challenge to run & pass it on to others. Our day at Marsden Cross will be one of those special days indelibly etched on our minds throughout our lifetimes.

The TSCF Conference was a great week & worthy of its own post - watch this space, as I will endeavour to blog on it in the next few days.

After the conference, we headed to the South Island for a few days, where we based ourselves at Lake Tekapo. Tekapo is one of the most stunning spots in the country, both by day & night. The beautiful scenery of snow-covered mountains, beautiful lakes & gorgeous coloured sky is only enhanced by night, when the skies are literally scattered with stars. The nightsky supports Graham Kendrick's great lyric "Hands that flung stars into space, to cruel nails surrendered." We had an enjoyable time of rest & relaxation for a few days after a busy conference. Whilst in Tekapo, dad & I experienced one of the most memorable hours of changing colours on gorgeous scenery as we watched a sunset over Aoraki/Mt Cook (NZ's highest mountain) from the Tekapo Canal. Having enjoyed the sunset there, we then moved to Lake Tekapo itself, where we enjoyed the last remnants of sunset over the lake. Again, it reminded us of the wonders of God's creation.

One of the reasons we came to NZ was not just the work here in NZ itself, but the opportunity for the spread of the gospel throughout the South Pacific and beyond. The proximity of the Pacific Islands makes for an interesting cultural conglomeration in NZ itself, as well as making gospel partnership in the region a realistic possibility. Over a long weekend, we enjoyed working in tandem with Steve Gibb & his family in Vanuatu. Again, this merits its own blog post, so watch this space for further details.

After Vanuatu, we enjoyed the company of Paul Windsor & family. It was great to be able to introduce dad to Paul & vice versa. Both a visible expressions of godly character & personality in their personable, winsome manner - one in training Bible teachers & preachers around the world, the other in enthusing and modeling Biblical evangelism. I am thankful to God for both - we need both good evangelism & good preaching.

On flying back from Auckland to Wellington, I was glad to be able to "show" dad the informality of celebrity in the NZ context. We were sat in the lounge waiting to fly, when I spotted someone of interest - it was rather fun being able to point a man to dad & say "You see that man there? That's the Prime Minister of NZ - John Key." Even more fun was when John Key ended up being on our flight & better still, sat behind us! We didn't get to talk to him, but Mr Key demonstrated his warmth & charm with his extended interaction with the children sat behind him. I have been impressed by John Key's personability and struck by how disarming it is to those who are opposed to him.

Before dad flew home, we were able to enjoy a final few hours together in Wellington. It was particularly good to be able to celebrate Sam's first birthday both with dad & the Pollock family. Sam seemed to love the occasion, though he seemed a little over-awed by the birthday cake itself. We enjoyed time talking together, reflecting on all that had happened & thinking ahead to the future. Nigel & Ailsa have been such an encouragement to us & it was good for dad to see that, as well as to chat through stuff with Nigel himself.

It was a long period of time to be away from the UK & we are grateful to him for the sacrifice made to be with us. As we looked back on the time he was here, we are thankful to God for safety, good conversation, good travels, fellowship & friendship together. We are particularly thankful for the ways in which God used him whilst he was here - a number of staff and students have expressed to me appreciation for all that he said & did, and we are keen to see the momentum from his time here carried on to the future. As with all our family, it is great to share time and experiences with them here in NZ & we love having them over.