on jersey cows, missing home, and the will of God.

the first two-and-a-half weeks in New Zealand have flown by.

aside from the sightseeing and picture-taking, i have been learning a lot.

being on Jersey cow dairy farms has been quite interesting for me.

my family milks Holstein cows.

not Jerseys.

and if you know anything about Jerseys and Holsteins,

they may both be cows, but that's about they only way they are similar.

Amy keeps trying to tell me that "Jersey's are better"...

...but i still like my family's Holsteins more.

because hello. 

at home i don't have to squat down to be able to attach the milker. 

enough said.

haha. ;)

(to you non-cow-people, Jerseys are BABY-sized in comparison to Holsteins.)

but it's been pretty good so far.

although i am counting down the days until i get to go home.

i'm not quite sure why i am so "homesick" this trip,

but i really feel like i should be at home right now. 

i feel like i'm missing out on so much and i want to be back home.

but despite my feelings, i've been reminded (several times...) to "be all here". 

in the words of Jim Elliot, "Wherever you are, be all there! Live to the hilt every situation you believe to be the will of God."

and boy, i have been placed in several situations and encounters that seem to be the will of God. 

from the stewardess on the airplane who struck up a faith-building conversation with us because she saw Amy reading the book of Isaiah,

to the opportunity to talk religion with a Mormon lady and her non-religious husband,

to going to church and meeting a girl from Wisconsin,

i can see God working.

it's been neat. 

i am excited to see the other ways God will use us during our time "Down Under". :)

photos coming later...

Hobbiton

below: Samwise and Rosie's house.

below: me and Amy in front of the Hobbiton sign. :D

below: the "Party Tree" that Bilbo had his 111th birthday party under.

below: Bag End, Bilbo Baggin's house

Amy and i went to Hobbiton (Matamata, New Zealand) on Tuesday. it was AMAZING. 

i felt like i was actually in the Lord of the Rings movies.

going to Hobbiton was a dream-come-true for me. i was as giggly and excited as a 13-yr-old girl going to a One Direction concert. haha. ;)

it was SO NEAT to hear how Peter Jackson brought to life the vision for Hobbiton and SEE it. 

having lunch (scones and non-alcoholic ginger beer) at The Green Dragon (the pub from the LOTR movies) was definitely a highlight. i enjoyed the day so much. :D

more photos to come later!

New Zealand is beautiful.

hello! 

so Amy and i arrived in New Zealand yesterday morning. our travel went fairly smooth, and after a fun day with the Gecks (the first family we're staying with), we both "crashed" at around 7pm (NZ time) last night. 

can i just say that New Zealand is one of THE most beautiful places i have ever been?

because it is. 

despite the chilly temperatures of "winter" (40-60 degrees Fahrenheit), everything is so green and beautiful. 

i am in awe of God's creation.

here are a few instagram photos from the past two days! :)

leaving (again).

hey all! 

i apologize for not being a better blogger, but my life has been CRAZY this summer. 

now it's fall. 

my Mexico and Uganda trips are both over, but TODAY i leave for 7 weeks in New Zealand (+ one week in Australia). 

i am kind of in shock (almost) of the fact that this is ACTUALLY HAPPENING. 

i mean, i dreamed of going to Australia and New Zealand when i was a kid. i dreamed of going to Africa when i was a kid. i dreamed of going to Europe when i was a kid. now here i am, two months shy of my 20th birthday, and in the past year, i have spent three months in Greece and three months in Hawaii, two weeks in Uganda, a week in Mexico, and i'm about to spend 7 weeks in New Zealand and a week in Australia. sometimes i just stop and ask myself, "HOW IS THIS REAL LIFE."

i love my life. i love that my dreams are coming true. i love that every day is a crazy adventure...

...but i must say that i am looking forward to resting when i get back to America in October. i don't want to have to say "goodbye" for a while. i want to be still and listen to what God has planned for me in 2014. i want to pour myself into my relationships here (at my home in America), and really focus on discipleship and listening.

don't get me wrong, i am SO EXCITED to be going to New Zealand and Australia, and i can't wait to get there and make new friends, but i so need a season of rest right now. i just got back from Uganda two weeks ago, and the thought of spending another 20-ish hours on an airplane + jetlag kinda makes me depressed...but i think i'll be okay once i get there. here's to a smooth trip to New Zealand. America, i will see you again in October!

PS. if you don't remember what i'm doing in NZ, my friend, Amy, and i are flying to NZ to visit several dairy farms, then we're flying to Australia to visit a YWAM friend of mine. please pray for open doors to share our faith with the families we'll be staying with in NZ. :)