Yesterday the team enjoyed a day off together at Hanmer Springs, an alpine spa town two hours drive from Christchurch.
It was hard not to be left speechless by the scenery along the way …
After lunch at a local bakery the team could choose from many activities to fill the afternoon – mountain biking, pitch and putt golf, bushwalking, shopping and relaxing in a local cafe.
After a couple of hours the team reconvened at the Hanmer Springs thermal hot pools for several hours of watersliding, swimming and relaxing. The pools are naturally heated by thermal spring water, and range from 28 – 42 degrees celsius. There’s even 3 sulfur pools with unfiltered water – and accompanied by a lovely rotten egg smell!
The springs were a great opportunity to unwind from our busy days of mission, and spend time together as a team.
After grabbing fush and chups for dinner we headed to the Hanmer Springs Anglican Church and had the opportunity to chat with Wally Behan the minister. Wally was the senior minister at St Johns Latimer Square for 20 years before retiring in 2010. He shared with us his reflections on ministry in NZ and in particular what the last three years have looked like for Wally and his wife Rosemary since retiring from full time ministry.
It was a great day as a team to enjoy God’s beautiful creation together, get refreshed and ready for our remaining time in New Zealand.
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