Hello! We’ve been back from Wellington for a week now, which means its time for a recap. It feels like we were just up there for the previous semester! We did have some some trouble getting across the Cook Strait this time but thankfully we made it there safely. I’m really grateful for friends who lent us a van, my co-workers, and the students for being troopers through the travel hitches. Here’s a little bit of what we got up in the capital city!
While in the Wellingtown area, we visited the national museum (Te Papa), the Common Unity Project, Zealandia, Nae Nae Boxing Gym, and Parliament. We also got the chance to talk with our friend Paki who works for the Kāinga Ora – Home and Communities project. They do great mahi (work) helping to provide housing to people who need it. Once we head up the Kapiti coast, we see places like the Catholic Worker farm in Otaki, Ngatiawa River Monastery, and L’arch Kapiti. I am inspired by all the good stuff that is going on from the variety of people we encounter! They are all working to provide places of safety and belonging to those who are on the margins of society.
We returned from Welly late last Saturday night. Sunday nights are community nights at CCSP and this time it was a birthday party for me! Many of may favorite things were featured – Kererū, mint chocolate chip ice cream, dogs, etc. I feel really fortunate. The actual day of my birthday was spent with friends, going on walks, eating cake, and resting up. It’s been a good start to my 27th year!
The rest of the week was the final week of Sustainable Community Development with Mick Duncan. The students have this time to reflect on what they saw in Wellington and hear more stories/lessons from Mick. I was the RA for this week, so I cooked, and grocery shopped, and gardened my little heart out. The tomatoes are still pretty happy and so are these lively marigolds!
I’m looking forward to the next few weeks, which will be a change of pace. I’ll be out in the field (and upstairs in the classroom) with the students for their Marine Ecology course and their first week of God and Nature. It’s nice to rotate roles every once in while. What a blessing to work in a team that compliments each other quite well so we can swap tasks with ease!
There and back again Brush 