Oi Matey's! Hows life? Well mine is interesting....well...I think so anyway, lol. I am sitting at home...bored to death...travis is out on the river! So he is busy and loving it! he is half way done being certified for class 5 rivers! that is a major major stepping stone! We are so very thankful for what God has done in our lives! Where he has led us is nothing short of a undeserved blessing/s. I have so much to tell...so where to begin? Hmmm...well here is an interesting part....we are not pregnant! Ha.....ha...ha...but we have to be honest...there was a month where we were seriously thinking it was time to bring a few more Blacketts into the world.....but, we figured..'Hey lets consult the Man upstairs' ..and well, it's not quite in the divine plan yet, we have decided to wait for a bit....probably 3-4 years...just until we are done hopping continents to and fro. Hmm, what else. Well....lets see, New Zealand is currently in summer so we are in BBQ season..which I love, except the beautiful lake just outside is FREEZING COLD! It only gets up to about 14 degrees in the summer...so it is sooo cold! Anyway, we have gone on our first summe roadie this last week, we spent three days in the Catlins which are about 3.5 hours southeast...near Invercargill. The Catlins were nice...definitly "out there" in terms of location.... but it was good. The second day when we needed Petrol we had to drive to the nearest town to get it, and then all the shops were closed till the next mornén so...we had to camp out. Fun. Fun .

Christmas is only a month away....and it seems as if it is still six months away...spending Christmas during the summer is so so foreign......without snow we can't seem to get into the festive mood. O well, we have already decided it will be the second year without a gift opening..we figure our world travels are expensive and exciting enough. And, really ......celebrating Jesus Christ's birthday has been quite forgotten amongst the decorations and wrapped up boxes these days.....so it's the perfect opportunity to just reflect and be thankful for Christ's atonement.

As for our spiritual walks..well, Travis is hooked on Mars Hill, and almost every night he looks and me and says " So hun, I was wondering if you would like to go to Seattle tonight?" Lol, I love him....he is incredibly inspiring....and constently trying to be more aware of any foothold that the devil can us in his life, as well as mine. It is great, it inspires me to read God's Word. Both of us have watched Ray Comfort's 'Way of the Master ' Series...we highly recommend it. After watching it...we realize that it is so important to memorize scripture and to be ready for any schemes that the devil sends. Reaching out to the lost with God's Law is so important, it is a Schoolmaster and turns the lost to Jesus, we have really realized that we were so lacking! Excited for every new day knowing that we have the power of heaven behind us!

Well, I have so much more to say and write...but...I'll have to come back! Give yourself a big hug from us...and O..we will be back in Canada on March 4th! We can't wait...we will be there for just under a month...so please get a hold of us so we can catch up!

Much Love,

Trav & Sam Blackett

The Test of Time

So it is July 2nd here, and July 1st back in Canada...which means it is Canada Day! Kinda sad actually, I am not home when everyone celebrates Canada Day, and to add to it, everyone is enjoying summer, when I am enjoying winter. But...the winter is hardly winter really at all...it is more like a nice Fall day back in Alberta. We have seen snow once, for half a day, and then it was gone.
Anyway, I write this from Queenstown, New Zealand. I am still here, with travis, and we are still enjoying it. Travis still has his job as a landscaper at Millbrook, he is good at what he does. As for me, I have been unemployed for over a month, I have handed out resumes and still can't seem to find a job. There is sooo many people looking for a job right now, so the employers can pick whoever they want...and I still haven't had that happen. The Winter-festival is happening here in town right now, it started off with fireworks and some live bands down by the harbor. Many people are here to party, so the town is buzzing for sure.
I think I am definitely going through the test of time right now, it is hard to not get upset with not being able to find work, especially when we live in an expensive town. But God is great, and he will provide.
Hmm, O and I have been swimming everyday for the last two weeks ( Mon-Fri ) I have been really enjoying it and I want to get in the best shape I can...but it is hard to stay away from the sweets...Harder than I thought..:)
What else? Well, please pray for me as I need to find work, or direction at least. There is a school program that looks really good to go for, and I can do it anywhere in the world. It costs quite a bit, so that is a worry, but I am just waiting for Gods direction. I have to keep myself busy so I don''t get upset....so that is a bit of a challenge...I miss having a schedule, and most importantly, something to look forward to doing everyday...but in time..in time.

Well, I think I will head off to the swimming pool! GI Jane body...here I come! LoL.
Ciao!
Sam

I've never...

Well, I really didn't think that after quitting my first job, that I would actually feels as good as I do now. I have had a peace come over me, and even though it was all an unfortunate experience I am glad that it happened. Now I know what I want even more clearly. I didn't quite because of anyone, but because I couldn't offer the experience that was needed for the job. So, one day I know I will be able to do that type of job, just not right now. On, a better note, I am thinking of upgrading school, but who knows better than God? Right? You know I'm right....lol :D
Anywho, Travis still has a job so that is definitely a good thing. Ha Ha. I think I will start looking for a job right away.....this time one that will let me be me.
Ah-ha this weekend is the long weekend! Yay! This is great news cause its Travis Birthday as well...yeehaw. See ya after the celebrations! Ciao!

We would of never dreamed...

It's amazing when you realize that your right in the middle of your dreams, and that it is just as good or even better than what you ever thought it would be. That is what it is like for me and trav. We are right in the middle of a huge life change, and loving every minute of it. I think that few people have these awe-inspiring moments in there lives. We definitely owe it all to the Alpha an Omega...our Savior Jesus Christ.
I'm trying to figure out a way to sum up the amazing times that we have had so far in New Zealand, but it's too hard. So I guess I will have to tell you what comes to mind for now. Hmmm...
We have been attending the most wonderful church, which we know has already transformed our hearts and minds. We find ourselves thirsty for God, and wanting Him to transform our lives each day...even if it hurts. Including God in every situation has really been a focus for us, because we know that as long as we are doing what He wants us to do, we are living life to its full potential.
Tonight we have had some speakers from our church talk about the Word of God, it definitely hit home for me. I have become to comfortable in my Christianity and truly want to be motivated and inspired to be a dominion taker, a person who will battle for Christianity, and not be on the offensive but rather the defensive. I have realized that I am not alone either, I have all of heavens armies behind me and I can overcome anything....with something as small as a mustard seed!
Well....what else is more exciting than that?
Nothing really, but let's see what come's close...
Autumn in this area is amazing, I have always dreamed of living in a place like this..with all it's color during my favorite season....autumn. It truly is a sight to see.....especially in Arrowtown, a neighbouring town, about 10 minutes away.
We recently went to there town festival, and it was amazing, there were about 100 classic cars
( my fav! ) some old locomotives, and also a stunt plane....crazy cool! Also, there were bands, and music peoples.....one being a celtic rock band with bagpipes...who would want more?
I also catered for a wedding not to long ago, it was at a winery here....such a beautiful winery! Every girls wedding dream come true, the catering was sooo fancy, and so great to experience. This caterer has worked for Madonna, Elton John, ..( Matt ) he was super nice!
Also, Travis and I have been doing some Muay-Thai classes at one of the local gyms....super crazy hard workout, but sooo good! We love it, and want some more of it! :P
There is also theses Body Combat, and Body Jam classes that are more aerobics, and weights that I really like...but a bit steep $ to go to.
Hmm, O ... relaxing in the hot tub at night, outside amidst a small waterfall and garden is something everyone should do...thanks Millbrook! :)
What else....
It's mothers day....and it's one of those days we wish that we owned a teleporter...but unfortuately ...nope! we do's not.
WE LOVE OUR MUMMIES THOUGH!
Well....I think that is all for tonight, we hope that this note finds you happy and healthy.
God Bless!
Sam

Hm, its been 12 days since we came. Yay! Everything is going swell. The weather is crazy hot today, I hope travis doesn't get a sunburn..again. Living with Martha is great, the first day we were here we went out and bought ourselves a bunch of groceries so that we wouldn't have to eat Martha's and make her pay for the food. But, Martha used to run a Bed and Breakfast so I think that she really actually likes to feed and make people feel comfortable. Even though we bought our own groceries, we have had home-made meals from Martha everyday. Yesterday morning was a good ole Canadian breakfast; toast, bacon, eggs. It really was very good.
Anyway, travis has applied at Melbrook Resort. It is a fancy resort, with tennis courts, golf, swimming, and much more. The resort grounds are huge and so he is hoping to get a landscaping or driver position. It really is to bad, because trav was really looking forward to getting some guiding work to do before the season ends, and he now has to wait till November which is nine months away. He isn't happy about not being able to stay up to date with all of the techniques and information that he learned during his W.I.L.D. Course. It should all go well though.

Driving here is really different. We are on the right side of the car, and we drive on the left side of the road. Martha has let us drive her car, and travis is doing real good at driving. There are very many "round abouts, or traffic circles" here, when it is busy it can get quite confusing, but no accidents yet.
We have been looking for a vehicle today, NZ is definitley huge on selling cars privately, there are dozens of postings up everywhere. We just need to make sure that we pick one that is a good price and especially in good shape, and will not break down for a few years. I think tommorrow we will start to call people about there used cars.
Actually, tommorrow I am going with Martha to Invercargill, a city that is two and a half hours away. We are going to go looking for some clothing. Yay, shopping is always fun.
Travis is out Mountain Biking today again, he is really itching to go kayaking so he said he was going to go to this river to look for some good rapids. I feel sad for him because he doesn't have his kayak her,and can't practice on the rivers.
Martha also has four others that are staying with her in her house until this coming Friday, there is Jose, Patricia, Pedro and Junior. They all are from Brazil, and are really friendly. They play soccer, and also do Brazillian Jui-jitsu, so the guys like to hang with Travis, and me and Patricia like to do stuff too. We really haven't had a problem meeting new people here. The atmosphere in this area is really active, and people like to keep doing activities, so it isn't hard to go out and have fun.
C-ya. Sam.B.

New Zealand or bust...

Wow, we are actually in another country. It doesn't really seem as different as I thought it would be. I guess I am living loving and laughing still so that...that is good. Since we have arrived in New Zealand, I think if anything it has been an emotional rollercoaster ride. I find that we tried to think of how it would be before we left Canada, and yes we guessed quite accurately but, now that we have actually felt these various emotions, it is harder than we thought. You can only live in the moment though right?
Anyway, we left Edmonton at a 'blistering' or do I mean 'blizzarding' (LOL) -35C, or so. The flight to Los Angeles via Seattle was ok, your typically sit and wait game. I really can't remember, I was snoozing most of the time.
Los Angeles was good, we arrived in the night so not to much to see other than the millions of lights everywhere.
The next day we woke up nice and early to go to Universal Studios. The night before we booked a tour bus for a ride there, and on the way there we passed either Hilary Clinton, or that Obama guy, both who are running for the presidential election in the USA. Our bus driver said that he only had ever seen that much cop cars and limosines when somebody like the president or "runners-up" were inside. So that was neat to see.
Universal Studios was a blast, we went on the Universal Studios Tour, and were able to see where they create most of the movies in Hollywood. There were many different backdrops, and studios, that was definitely neat to see. Probably the best show that we were able to see was the "Waterworld" Show ( the Kevin Costner Movie) ...there was explosions, sea-doo's, and various stunts that the actors did. All of the actors were also from TV shows like CSI Miami, and others.
One of the more exciting parts to my day was doing a skydiving simulation. There is a place at the Universal Studios City walk, where you pay to be able to go into a 40 feet clear tunnel, that has a gigantic fan on the floor so you are able to be airbourne and pretty much skydive. That was such a blast! We have some funny pics of my cheeks (facial..lol) flappen around. So yeah, I loved that.
Then it was back to the airport..again.
The 13 hour flight to Auckland New Zealand was much better than what I thought it would be, it actually went by quite fast. Sleeping always does that.
I do think that the flight was definitely the moment when the big change of life hit me. I had a lot of sudden worries, and felt quite stressed. So before I went to sleep I prayed that God would take them away. My biggest worry I think was having doubts about meeting new people, and being able to phone someone when we needed direction or help. (Both me and trav have wonderful families who always have been a phone call or drive away, but not in this new situation. ) So, yes this was my biggest stress. But...God works in wonderful and mysterious ways....because within 20minutes of being at Auckland airport ...we met Martha. A fellow Christian, and a definite answer to prayer.
Martha was going through a tremendous amount of stress, she is from Queenstown, NZ, and the person that she was travelling with was postponed by the immigration officials, and she was told that he might have to immediately go back to Brazil. We were sitting at a coin/credit internet kiosk, and I had just used the internet and had like 15 minutes left. So Martha comes up and asks me to help her figure out how to get on this kiosk thing, so I just told her to forget about paying and just use the rest of my internet time. So she uses it, and finishes, then tells us what has happen to her. So a few minutes later, we both know eachothers stories of how we are there, and how we all are Christians. Anyway, we helped Martha out, and she offered us a place to stay at her brand new house in Queenstown. Later, her friend was let through to NZ, so another prayer was answered!
We knew that Queenstown was a huge tourism hub for NZ, and Travis would more than likely find work. So, we hitched another plane to Queenstown that afternoon. Arriving in Queenstown was wonderful, it is a town (actually a few together- spread out) that surrounds a lake, and is surrounded by mountains, and has +23 degree weather. We then found out that it would be a few days or a week until Martha could have us stay with her, so after an hour we found out that we could stay at Pinewood a hostel, which had a private room for us. So that was a relief.
So we stayed there for a week, we lived day to day for sure, we found that Queenstown is very expensive unless you know where to go. So, we knew that we needed to find proper accommodation and get to know more people.
Work for Trav, has definitely been the 'emotional' part of this journey. We called and emailed many people, and many of them took days to reply. So, trav def. was stressed out everytime he opened his email account to find nothing. Many times he has said sorry to me, for getting us into this situation, but I think that it is right where we need to be. This is making us rely on God more and more, and also more on eachother for support, and encouragement. I think when we are more settled and have things figured out, we will look back and think it definitely was worth it. Everything is already getting better for sure.

Anyway, I have this whole last week to catch up on, but I will do it in increments. So c-ya.
Oh, and I cannot forget the NZ goodbye ....Cheers Mates!