So this past week, we drove all the way up the north island of New Zealand and back down again. The trip was eventful to say the least. Our van was TINY! I was sitting on the person next to me’s lap for most of the trip (not literally, but it definitely felt like it). But sitting in this tiny van definitely bonded us all together! I’ve really gained a new appreciation for my team. The fact that we were able to sit in a tiny van and be all up in each other’s business for hours on end and not kill each other was quite impressive. And we all still love each other! If anything, this trip has brought us closer. We got to see so much of the north island of New Zealand! What a beautiful country! We got to see heaps of beautiful waterfalls, some random sand dunes, sheep, sheep, and more sheep, and many beautiful sunsets. We also got to visit the northernmost tip of New Zealand. WOW. That was easily the most beautiful place that I have ever been in. Jesus is so good to make these beautiful places for us! I also got to visit Hobbiton, which was literally one of the coolest places ever! I am a huge Lord of the Rings nerd, so this was so much fun for me. What I found interesting, though, was that even though I had all of these amazing experiences and saw all these incredible things, I did not feel fulfilled when I got back to camp. It didn’t take very long for me to figure out what was missing from this past trip: Jesus. This trip was amazing and such a blessing, but I didn’t make Jesus a priority for most of it. When I got back, I was so thirsty for His presence! Jesus has been so good in meeting me as soon as I started making Him my priority above all others. This is especially necessary because we have two weeks full of Kid’s Camps coming up and I need to be filled up and ready to serve with a joyful heart! Long story short, the best trip in the world does not match up to one hour in His presence, so on the next trip we embark upon, I will be making Jesus my number one priority!
