Wow….I am finally here….by months of preparation, prayer, and God's grace I am in the YWAM base in Oxford, New Zealand. My missionary training has now begun. For three months I will be here in New Zealand living at the YWAM base while learning the precious Word of God, memorizing scripture, learning the geography of the nations and about the many cultures we soon will be amongst, as well as having the joy of making new friends and Worshiping our Lord ...

Awww…the lovely Garden City. I arrived in Christchurch a few days early so I decided to spend those nights in a youth hostel in the square of Christchurch before heading out to the base. The city is quite pleasant, and very conducive to travelers. I decided to spend most of my day in the botanical gardens right in the heart of Christchurch (hence the nickname Garden City). It was…as you could assume, breathtaking: literally miles and miles of gardens ...