Son of a bee sting

Hi there!
Ok so the other day I went road tripping around the Far North. I went over the Rawene ferry, saw the memorial Opo the Dolphon sculpture in Opononi, and ate lunch at a hotel in Omapare.
Ah, it was a very good day.
Unfortunately during all this I was trying to nurse my poor swollen finger back to health as I got stung by a bee before travelling over on the ferry.
How did I get stung by a bee? You may be asking.
Well I was walking under a tree and felt something drop into my hair.
I reached up and took it off, thinking it must have been leaves or something. When I looked down, I registered that it was a bee, but before I could take the necessary action to stop myself from getting stung, BAYAM! I got stung.
It hurt more than that the 6 times I got my ears pierced. And I think thats saying something.
I haven't had a bee sting for a long time. I can't remember the last time it happened. I must have been 14 or 15.
I don't know why but I had it in my head that because I'm 20, I won't, I CAN'T get stung by a bee.
I'm an adult after all.
But when it happened, there was no crying and running around. All the drama of bee stings that I had experienced as a child weren't there. Yes, I had a bee sting. Yes, it hurt a lot. But all I could do was make a few frustrated comments: "Son of a bee sting!" and hold my finger in a container of ice for an hour.
This whole scenario has shown me that I must be maturing, because I managed the bee sting situation without any screaming and whinging, which is pretty amazing considering the way I used to react.
I am very much hoping I don't get another bee sting for a few years because they aren't fun.
MY FINGER IS STILL ITCHY! But I am dealing with it.
See Mum, I AM growing up? (Meanwhile, I am currently watching Hannah Montana)
No one ever said it was gonna happen all at once.
Ciao!

Kids Aren't So Bad

So this week (well its only been two days so far) I have been volunteering at a Kid's Holiday Programme at church.
I was put on leading a team, which I have never done before, but I figured I have led the youth band and other things before so I should be fine.
Wow.
Its really had an impact on me, even though it has only been two days.
Being this positive influence to these kids has really shown me the need that there is for children to have those kinds of people in their lives. A lot of my kids, who are aged 9 - 10 years old, were quite aggressive when we started, and I am still telling them to be nice to each other all the time, but I can definitely see a change happening.
When I started this, I wasn't too excited, but now after two days with my team, I am really starting to enjoy myself and getting to know everyone.
I always tell people, and myself, that I don't really like kids. I'm not a childreny person. You know how there are always those girls who have been childreny people ever since you can remember? They always have little kids hanging off them, and when little kids spot them they yell their names and run to them?
Well I've never been that person.
Kids have usually been scared of me. But now I'm realising that its ok to be around kids and to act a little crazy sometimes. My scariness seems to be going away... slightly... :-P
That's all I've really got to say.
I'm super excited for the rest of my week with my kids.
See what I mean, I even call them my kids.
Oh and the YWAM team up here are doing a great job running everything, and its awesome having friends my own age again. Even if its just for a week.

The Best Breakfast I've Ever Had

Like a wise person once told me (it was Dylan Jones) a good story is like wine and cheese, you gotta let them age a little first!
Well, this isn't so much a story as a memory.
When I was ten years old I went back to South Africa for the first time since I left in 1995.
I don't remember too much from this trip, but something I've always remembered is this breakfast that my Grandma cooked me. I don't know if I had this breakfast once, or a few times, but it was the best breakfast I had ever had.
I remember it so distinctly.
Toasted bread, with butter, fried eggs, bacon and deliciously savoury fried tomato.
IT WAS SO GOOD!
This may sound like your average breakfast, but it was SO DELICIOUS!
When I think about it my mouth waters.
When I ate this breakfast I was watching "The Puzzle Place" with my brother Cecil.
He got one of the cooked breakfasts as well.
I remember loving "The Puzzle Place" and watching it every day on this thing called Chubb. Or Tube. Or something like that.
Its so weird because I can still remember the theme song to "The Puzzle Place".
I am twenty now, so this was ten years ago and I still remember it all.
MAN THAT BREAKFAST WAS GOOD!

My whole life I've been trying to recreate that breakfast. I think thats why I love cooking eggs so much. Having eggs for breakfast is like my favourite thing in the world.
Although I don't eat bacon anymore (I'm vegetarian, going on three years), I have vegie bacon and it does the trick. The key is to cook the tomato just right, but to also fry the eggs a certain way. I don't know if I've ever gotten my breakfast as good as the one in South Africa, but I still try.
When I think about it though, maybe it wasn't the breakfast that was so awesome, maybe it was the sense of peace and happiness I felt in my grandparents house in Simon's Town, Cape Town. It was so warm and sunny and just fun! I didn't have a care in the world back then.
I think thats what I miss more than the breakfast.
My grandparents sold that house a long time ago and now live in Kaitaia, same as my own parents. So I don't think I'll see that house again.
And who knows if I'll ever be able to replicate that delicious breakfast made with love by my Grandma, but I definitely won't stop trying!

Small Towns Kinda Suck

As you know I am back in Kaitaia.
Its soooo boring.
And more frustrating now that I'm back from Nelson where awesomeness flows.
*Sigh*
I'm also finding it really hard not to slap Hayden in the face.
Is it wrong that I don't want him to live at my parents' house anymore?
After all, its been two years now and he isn't showing any signs of leaving anytime soon.
I wrote on the fridge today: h go away
I wonder if anyone will get the reference.
They probably won't.
My parents don't really listen to me. I think thats why I'm so loud and crazy most of the time, its a result of being ignored for most of my life.
I JUST WANT PEOPLE TO NOTICE ME!!!!
GIIIIVE MEEEE ATTENTIIIOOOOOOONNNN!!!
See?!
I could be wrong about this but I don't think I am.
Three weeks left here.
I have to pack up my room and start cleaning out the horse truck for my parents tomorrow.
I'm sure the last 21 days are going to fly by.
How do I stop myself from physically assaulting Hayden though? Any thoughts?
I've included one of my most favourite pictures of all times below.
Alright, see you later!

Me at Nelson doing an impromptu Taylor Swift show for all my new friends :-)

NELSON!

Hello blog,
Long time no see.
Today is my first official day back home after my whirlwind visit to Nelson.
My goodness! That place is much bigger than I ever realised!!!!
I had such an amazing time though. God was really moving in that place.
I got to share the gospel with this girl I met called Daisy. She seemed really interested in knowing more about God and Christianity, I just hope she doesn't forget about it because its all too easy to do that these days.
I made heaps of new friends, which was so nice after my month of hermitting in Kaitaia.

Its only three weeks before I go back to Dunedin, my true home, so I'm looking forward to spending my last few days with the parents and dogs.
Spartacus got really massive while I was away! He also stopped peeing in the house, so thats pretty amazing in itself!!
Anyway back to Nelson, hehe. I spent New Years with a select few of the Nelson team as we waited to be picked up by the Student Life van and taken into town to do our Nightlife outreach.
Unfortunately we were still waiting when the clock struck twelve, but we did a bit of yelling and gave eachother hugs so I was pretty happy with it.
When we got into town everyone was really really drunk, and some people were on ecstacy, like this one girl we met who was in really bad shape. It was at that moment that my heart just totally broke for these people and I started crying. I don't think people in my team fully understood why, but I just felt really bad about what I was seeing.
I know that in my life I'm going to see things that are going to upset me, but I can't help but have a cry about it. I want everyone to feel the peace and hope that God has given me. That might sound crazy to some people, but He has really turned my life around.
I think what really got me was the fact that I used to be one of those people. I thought my life was fine and that drinking and partying was just what you did.
Its really hard for me to accept that some people don't want to know God. They refuse to acknowledge that He exists. Even people who have known Him before and experienced what it is to have Him in your life and then turning away from it.
I don't mean to go on about it, but thats really what going to Nelson showed me.
I am so grateful and appreciative of all the people who encouraged and supported me in my Nelson endevours, God bless all of you.
I just pray I can apply all the things I learnt in Nelson to my life in the coming weeks, months and years. Thanks for reading this blog, I shall write again soon :-)