28 Weeks and Feeling Blessed!

Wow, 28 Weeks.  We are getting really close to the special day that we get to meet our little one!  Things feel a bit different for me since I entered the 3rd trimester.  I still feel pretty good most days and am not too uncomfortable (I was able to go on a 4 mile hike through the lovely Karangahake Gorge with new friends).  Also I am still sleeping great!  However, I have noticed a need for a nap more often as well as a bit more discomfort as I try to maneuver my body around.  I have also had a few days of mild back pain- not fun!  But overall I don't have much to complain about!

It is so fun to watch our baby move around in my belly!  We can literally see my belly jump when baby kicks, and we can feel hiccups and the baby rolling around here and there.  I have also had more of what I assume to be Braxton Hicks, especially after I have had a long walk.  I recently learned that these are really good as they are strengthening and toning my body for labor!  It is a blessing to be able to feel our baby move and to feel my body changing as it prepares for him or her to be born!

When we first moved to New Zealand a little over 3 months ago, our Navigator city supervisor sent out an email to the community of people that he knows asking if any one had extra "stuff" they didn't need to help us set up our new home. One woman in particular was really interested in helping us with baby items.  This woman has a child-care business, loves babies, and has the resources and know how to bless a young couple like us! 

Just a few weeks ago this woman took me shopping (I won't mention her name because she wouldn't want me to), and what a shopping trip it was!  I was humbled and so blessed by her as she proceeded to pick out lovely things for our new baby- it was like she was throwing me her own little baby shower!  I stood in the store jaw dropped as she insisted on buying different items she felt our new baby would need, one of these items being an electronic swing which Andy and I were really wanting! After this amazing and generous shopping trip, I thanked her a lot though I felt I didn't have the appropriate words to express my gratitude.  She told me that she felt God told her "this is your girl" and put me on her heart to bless as we prepare for a new baby without family nearby in this new culture.  I never could have imagined that God would provide for us so many wonderful things in this way through a woman who barely knows us.  To Him be the glory through this special provision!  

Below are a few more pics!

Andy and I hiking (aka tramping) in the Karangahake Gorge.  

Tramping through one of the many tunnels.

New Zealand's famous Silver Fern which looks silver on the bottom side of it.

Beautiful bassinet that my generous friend gave us! 

Adorable New Zealand merino sleep sacks from my unexpected shopping trip- I love these and can't wait to see our little baby in them!

Cultural Nuances: A User's Guide to Coffee

Below is a picture featured at one of our local Cafes- "A User's Guide to Coffee". I was thrilled to see this because it helped me piece together the difference between a Flat White and a Latte, which at first I would have said are are exactly the same. But, they aren't! The difference between them is how they steam the milk and what parts of that make it into the drink (A flat white is one of the most popular drinks here and is spreading from NZ to the world; if you get the chance try one because they are fantastic.). I think this is a good and simple illustration of many of the cultural differences here that we are still learning and seeking to understand.

A helpful breakdown of the different coffees that the Cafe's here serve.

Like many things in New Zealand, several of these drinks would be exactly the same in the US.  However, many of them are also distinct and unique to NZ. Taking this as a small illustration of the culture at large, the key is to notice and adapt to the nuances. Kathryn and I could have landed in Auckland and dove in to life here full-on, not worrying about these subtle differences and concluding that people here are just weird, yet at the core are just like us. This would have led to us not adapting much and missing many of the things that make people here uniquely Kiwi.  If we had taken this approach, we would most likely find ourselves doing ministry here in ways that would prove rather unproductive. Our understanding of New Zealand culture is still quite young, but we are learning and observing a lot and asking lots of questions.

One of the many categories of things that we have been learning a lot about are things related to soon coming baby Iversen! Here are some fun examples of word differences that we are still adjusting to and getting teased about for our mistakes:

• Nappy - Diaper (consequently if you say "will you hand me a napkin?" people will be confused, because that makes them think diaper; instead, you say "will you hand me a serviette (which is French)?")
• Cot - Crib
• Antenatal Classes - Prenatal Classes
• Dummy (not sure on that spelling, but that is the pronunciation) - Pacifier (though some here say Passie)
• Cesar (pronounced Caesar) - C-Section
• Capsule - Carseat
• Pram or Buggy - Stroller

It seems that each time we go to our antenatal class we find ourselves pulling the instructor aside afterwards to ask for some clarification of terms! 

Scary Movie Syndrome

When I was a junior at University I was asked by some friends to go see Saw III with them. I should state up front that I hate all scary movies: thrillers, terror, whatever you want to call them, I don't like them. I have a valid reason for this but it's a different story for a different day! My initial disposition then was to say no, but since I was completely bored in the dorms, I decided to go. Oh how I hated that movie! I knew that I would, but I'll blame this one on peer pressure!

While I happen to hate those movies I know that lots of people love them and I have a theory as to why. I think that in part people love scary movies because they want the rush of adrenaline and fear of being in that situation without actually having to ever be in any danger.

Not long after that experience I was reading in the book of Ezekiel 33:30-32.

“As for you, son of man [referring to Ezekiel here], your people who talk together about you by the walls and at the doors of the houses, say to one another, each to his brother, ‘Come, and hear what the word is that comes from the LORD.’ And they come to you as people come, and they sit before you as my people, and they hear what you say but they will not do it; for with lustful talk in their mouths they act; their heart is set on their gain. And behold, you are to them like one who sings lustful songs with a beautiful voice and plays well on an instrument, for they hear what you say, but they will not do it.”

The prophecies that the LORD has given to Ezekiel have been walking a tight rope between exile and redemption. One of the main phrases throughout Ezekiel is “then they will know that I am the LORD” these prophecies that Ezekiel has been given are to reveal the LORD both through his unleashing of judgment (in exiling the people) and through his rescue of his people (in his promised redemption). Like most of the prophets, he was given many things to say that were hard to hear! I mean, who wants to hear a message that your favorite places will be destroyed and you will be removed as a nation from your homeland. Ezekiel was also given some messages that would have pulled on the hearts of his hearers, things that they eagerly desired and longed for (take for example the LORD’s promise to give them new hearts and to put a new spirit within them Ez. 36:26, 27).

In the passage quoted above, however, the LORD is letting Ezekiel in on one of the things that will happen throughout his ministry: people will come to you, excited to hear the word from the LORD, and they will sit before you and they will hear what you say, but they will not do it.

This happens very often in churches and ministries all over the world. People come to hear from God’s Word, eagerly, yet they walk away unchanged without any intention of applying the things that the Lord was telling them. This is especially tragic because the message that Ezekiel was giving (and that messengers of the gospel today give as well) was intended to lead the people to a right response to God in a way that allows God to deliver them. But God promises/foretells to Ezekiel that people will walk away at this point wholly unchanged, but having enjoyed what he was saying as if he was singing “lustful songs with a beautiful voice” and good accompanying instruments. That is, they will walk away as if they had just been to a fantastic concert or musical! 

I refer to this as scary movie syndrome. At its heart it is a desire to come as close as you can to walking with God, in many attempts to get some sort of influx of emotion/passion, without ever having to actually do anything! You come, you hear God’s Word, have a little shutter…ooooohhh…and then go on like it was just a dream or a meaningless concert. While it’s perfectly okay to do this at the movies, it is a whole other deal to do this with the Scriptures.

There is another type of scary movie syndrome that is talked about in the Scriptures and that I see just as regularly. Believe it or not, I have occasionally interacted with students who have drawn the conclusions about their understanding of life from scary movies. Later that same year at university I sat for an hour and a half asking questions and listening to a young student proclaim to me his viewpoint of the world and the only things he cited as sources to prove his points, were scary movies (Saw III being one of them)!

Paul speaks of this same thing in his second letter to Timothy chapter 4: “For the time is coming when people will not endure sound teaching, but having itching ears they will accumulate for themselves teachers to suit their own passions, and will turn away from listening to the truth and wander off into myths” (2 Timothy 4:3-5).

Paul isn’t referring to scary movies (clearly!) here and for most people the things that they are using as their guides for life other than the Bible aren’t scary movies either but it’s the same thing no matter what you are looking to apart from Scripture. Taking something that was never intended to define or explain your life or the world around you and giving it that place in your life!

This passage and the Ezekiel passage have some amazing similarities. In Ezekiel he says that the motivation for the people coming and walking away excited, but with no intention of responding at all is that “their heart is set on their gain.” Here Paul says they will find “teachers to suit their own passions”. How true! At the bottom of it all is the heart that is determining your words, actions, and here, where you look for understanding and life. We live in a day and age where with relative ease (yay Google!) you can find someone who will tell you what you want to hear. Paul says that then you will make that person or that message the foundation blocks of your life so that you can go on wholly unchanged and unflinchingly convinced that you are right!

Moving to a new culture has made these realities stand out even more starkly in our minds and hearts. New Zealand is a beautiful place and many people are doing well for themselves here and insist that there is no objective truth or reality that structures the world around us or ourselves. Many people here, just as in the rest of the world, are living the scary-movie syndrome.

It is our prayer that we ourselves won’t live a scary-movie life, but will hear what God has said in His Word and will wholeheartedly, as He pours out His grace, follow Him. It is also our prayer that God will so work in the hearts and lives of people here to do the same.

I read a fantastic plea yesterday from John Flavel urging people who are living a scary-movie life to turn and behold the beauty of Christ:

“O beware, lest the dust of the earth, getting into your eyes, so blind you, that you never see the beauty or necessity of Christ.” – John Flavel “The Fountain of Life Opened Up”, p. 12

What a beautiful picture, beware lest the dust of the earth blinds you so that you can’t see the beauty or necessity of Christ! The antithesis of which is in one of my favorite hymns: “Fix your eyes upon Jesus; look full in his wonderful face, and the things of this world will grow strangely dim, in the light of his glory and grace.”

22 Weeks With Lots to Say

Andy and me on a day-off before campus life went into full swing. I'm 19 weeks in this picture!

It is hard to believe that I am over half way through my pregnancy!  I get weekly emails that inform me about what is going on with my baby, my body and my head.  In the head section, it said that at this point I will probably be getting anxious about the delivery- this has definitely been true for me!

At around week 18 or 19 I was confident that the twitches I felt in my tummy were the baby, and in week 20 Andy felt the baby kick for the first time!  Now we feel baby Iversen all the time, most often mid-morning or late at night.  We went to our first rugby match 2 weeks ago and the baby was moving around like crazy.  I think it was the noise of the crowd, but Andy's convinced our baby loves rugby already (just like it's Daddy)!

The headaches have basically stopped!!  Overall I feel really great!  Every once in a while I have a little pain in my tummy (mild ligament pain) and I definitely need a nap here and there because of exhaustion, but other than that I feel awesome.  I am trying to soak this up while I can because I'm sure this second trimester will go by fast and then I'll feel like a big, uncomfortable blimp!  (In a good way, of course :))

We went in to have our ultrasound and little baby Iversen looks healthy and cute!  We were so excited to find out the gender of our baby at this appointment, but our baby had other plans.  He or she was being shy, with legs all twisted up so we couldn't see whether it was a boy or girl.  This was actually a really hard day for me emotionally.  There are a lot of unknowns for us right now, moving to a new country and all, so I was confident and excited about our decision to find out the gender- one thing for us to be certain of!  I had set up a lot of expectations around it- Andy and I had a fun day planned including a cozy restaurant to talk about names and our first purchase of a gender specific outfit.  We even coordinated an international cupcake exchange where we were having cupcakes delivered to family, half with pink in the middle and half with blue, and our family was gathering together to be surprised by the cupcakes that revealed the gender.  This obviously didn't go as planned either!  I would say I got more upset than I needed to, but to be honest I think it was a day where living so far from family and friends was hard.  I think there was more going on than me just not getting my way!  Andy and I are learning to embrace days like this for what they are, and cling to Christ as we miss home.  We have loved and been loved much in the US- of course we will miss it!  But now we get to say new hello's in a new place where God has new things in store!  And soon we get to say hello to our new baby!!

Lastly, we have started piecing together the baby room which has been so much fun and makes the thought of our little one entering the world feel even more real!  I seriously walk by the room and turn on the light and look inside multiple times a day!  I gotta take a moment to thank the people that have so generously given to us.  First of all, we had 2 baby showers before we left the US and people were so generous in the gifts that they gave!  Not only were we given many of the items that we needed for the baby, we were also given cash gifts to enable us to buy things here that we need.  So far we have used some of that money to buy a stroller (known as a pram or buggy here), a loveseat for the baby room (for late night feedings and for mommy and daddy to sit on and read tons of books to baby), and a rug and couch cushions to bring in some color and add some fun!  And we got awesome deals on all of these things!  Who says you can't find a good deal in an expensive city like Auckland?!

Super excited by how this came together!  Amazing deal on loveseat and rug, which match perfectly with the beautiful quilt that Bobby Jo and Andrea made for us in the US!

On top of that, Kiwis that we don't even know well have given us so much including clothes, a baby tub (we don't have a bath tub in our little place), a dresser and a crib that is on it's way- people have been so generous!  It's hard moving to a new place and setting up a new home, and our moving expenses budget quickly diminished after we bought a fridge, washing machine, couches, a bed, etc, etc.  But God knows what we need and has provided abundantly.  He has even provided things we don't necessarily need but that contribute to making nesting really fun!  (like an orange Chevron rug!).

Dresser recently given to us through a Navigator connection and baskets that I found on clearance for about $4! My plan is to put a changing pad on this dresser.

Thank you everyone for all that you have given!

That was a more lengthy update than I planned!  Just one more thing- here's me and my baby bump (though this shirt doesn't show off the bump enough)!  I have realized that since my torso is so short, I won't have a cute little basketball-shaped bump.  Nope, this baby is going to need my entire torso to grow!

18 Weeks!

18 Weeks!

Last week was Week 18 in my pregnancy.  I am feeling good, but I still get these nagging headaches.  My midwife said they should go away at around 24 weeks- I hope it is sooner than that!  We had our first meeting with our midwife and we like her- she seems to know her stuff!  I hope she and I develop a good relationship after all the time that we spend together.

I am really thankful because it seems I have a made a few new friends here who are young mums (that's what you call a mom here).  I have enjoyed a few morning teas with them, coffee and shopping,  and a Jane Austen movie night.  It has been really nice to have some young woman to talk to about pregnancy, child birth, and life with a new baby!  I'm praying God provides deep, long lasting friendships here during this time of life!

Making new friends definitely makes me miss my friends from my small group at Grand Avenue.  These woman are a blessing in my life and I miss them so much.  I am so thankful for all the Panera coffee dates, craft nights, babies multiplying, deep conversations, laughter, shopping trips, prayer, encouragement, getting dinner ready for our men, babysitting, and really all the time we spent together.  Though no one could replace this group of friends, I hope I find friends like these here in NZ!

Sam, me, Emily, Kim and Becca - amazing friends!

Kim, Becca, Emily, me, Tamra and Sam at the beautiful baby shower they threw for me before I left. Couldn't ask for a more thoughtful and special group of friends.

Greetings from Auckland!

We arrived in Auckland!!

Greetings from Auckland, NZ! We have now been here three weeks! We arrived early in the morning on January 30th. We spent the first week and a half finding a place to live and a car and beginning to find the furnishings that we needed. God has been incredibly gracious to us and has provided so abundantly for our needs. Several people connected with the Navs here donated different items that we needed and many others recommended the right places to go to get the rest of the things we need. There is a website here that is a bit like eBay mixed with Craigslist that we have used to find most of our major items!

We are finally beginning to learn our area a bit and are able to drive (yes, on the left side of the road) around without always needing a GPS! In a city of around 1.5 million people there are lots of streets and areas to learn! Kathryn has posted several pictures of our car and apartment on Facebook, but just for fun, here's a couple of our place:

We live in a one-story four plex just off of the intersection of two major roads in Auckland.

Our lounge.

We are very thankful for our place and look forward to seeing how God is going to use it! We are praying that it will often be full of students!

Getting our bearings

For the past week or so, since we're mainly settled, we've begun meeting some of the key students here (it is Summer vacation right now so many students are working or have left Auckland on holiday). As you may remember there is currently a band of around 12 students involved with the Navigators here that have been studying the Bible together and seeking to reach out to their friends and classmates. We've greatly enjoyed getting to meet them and are organizing a couple of kickoff events to start the year on campus! 

A post-grad student here, Jess, has stepped up to co-lead the team with us for this year while we largely focus on cultural adjustment and starting new initiatives on campus. Our first few times together as a team have been great; we feel sure that God is going to work in big ways in the lives of students this year. Please pray for Jess and the other students as classes start in two weeks.

This next week we are gearing up to go to a Rugby match with the students (the Auckland Blues) and to go paddleboarding with them. Being a coastal city it seems the students love to do things at the beach, and they are eager to take us out on the water!

One of the many beautiful views from the SkyTower in mid-town. Most of the buildings that you can see in this picture are part of Auckland University's downtown campus. 

And just for kicks, here is just a glimpse of our new vocabulary:
Tramping aka hiking
Sweet As aka nice, all good
Gumboot Tea aka ordinary hot tea, black tea
Ruck up aka gather together
Fizzy aka pop, soda
Keen aka just about everything that you are excited about
Chin Wagging aka light conversation during informal occasions

Cheers! 

Introducing... Baby Blogging!

I have wanted to start a baby blog for a while now, mostly so family and friends can follow how I’m doing in the pregnancy, and then of course to see lots of pictures and read stories of our little Kiwi baby!  I am so excited for our little one to arrive, and I know our loved ones are too!  I wish we could all be together when this happens, but I’m thankful for the internet and phones and the many ways that we can stay connected!

Pregnancy for me has had its ups and downs.  During the first trimester I had quite a few difficult days- nausea and headaches mostly.  It definitely wasn't easy at times and I was eager to enter into my second trimester (often called the “Honeymoon Stage” but I deemed it the “Moving to New Zealand Stage").

That’s right, we moved to New Zealand right at the start of my second trimester.  I have been feeling so much better, though there still has been the occasional nausea and headache.  Some of that may be due to the adjustment to a new country. I need to cut my body and mind some slack- I am going through a lot of changes right now! 

17 Weeks in the Auckland Skytower- Feeling good and definitely showing. Isn't that an amazing backdrop!?

We have found a General Practitioner and a midwife- praise God!  This was on the top of my to-do list!  I really hope that I connect with each of them well.  I prayed God would provide a good midwife and I’m trusting that He has!  The midwife that I have found has really positive references and we will meet her for the first time on Thursday!  In New Zealand, everyone uses a midwife and they all speak very highly of the whole process.  If, in labor, there is an emergency and a doctor is needed, an OB/GYN will be close by to help.  Getting acquainted with the medical process has been stressful at times because it is just different than the states, but New Zealand is a great place to have a baby and I’m confident that God has us here and now for a reason!  

It is so interesting to me that when we first submitted our visa application, we were pregnant and we didn't know it!  My physical very specifically said that I wasn't pregnant!  We were discouraged when the visa application came back to us and we had to make changes, but during that time we found out we were pregnant and were able to document the necessary requirements for being pregnant.  Who knows what may have happened if we had come into the country without anyone knowing we were pregnant.  I'm convinced God was protecting us from a lot of potential problems getting health care, etc!

More baby blogging coming soon!  And even sooner we will write about our first few weeks in Auckland, NZ!