Learning more every day

I really need to post everyday! There's so much to say and I forget when I wait so long. It's still been so busy, though, trying to get the kids settled in school, organizing the house (even though our things are not here yet) and just the routine cooking, laundry, grocerying, etc.
First, I must announce that PETE IS IN THE COUNTRY!!! Now, 30 days of quarantine... 27 to go...
Last week I went to the grocery store by myself to do "big" shopping for the first time. I was trying to find ground beef. I wanted a good bit for spaghetti, tacos, burgers, etc. I looked and looked but couldn't find it. Then in an aisle across from the back wall where all the other meats, chicken, etc. were, I found a case with those plastic tubes of meat you can also get in the US. I thought maybe this was the only way they sold it here. Just as I was about to pick one up, I noticed the sign above the case... "Refrigerated Pet Food"! I NEARLY BOUGHT DOG FOOD!!! I've never seen refrigerated pet food but there it was; ground "meat" alright, but who knows what kind, cold canned dog and cat food and even large cow or pig leg bones. I called Billy who advised me that here they call ground beef "minced meat". And then I saw it along the back wall with all the other meats, looking exactly like it does in the States. And to think... I nearly fed my family dog food!!!  Well, Saturday Billy and I drove down to Wellington to retrieve the 2007 Toyota Highlander we purchased and when we stopped at a bank for a check for the vehicle, I perused a bookstore and purchased a New Zealand cookbook. It was highly recommended by the bookstore cashier and, it turns out, was recommended to Billy by the bank teller. Hopefully it will help me avoid any more near dietary catastrophes!!!
Every time we purchase groceries the total nearly takes my breath. Some things are, as I've mentioned in previous posts, rather expensive. Though as I think more about it, the exchange rate makes it look worse, plus we're buying alot of things that we need just to stock the new kitchen/house (i.e. salt, pepper, cleaning supplies, aluminium (accent on the "min" syllabol and pronounce the second "i"), dish towels, etc.  As we get most of these less frequent purchases made, I think our grocery bill will level out to a more tolerable amount. Gas (petrol) is VERY high. It takes $150NZ to fill the Highlander, at $2.03NZ per liter. That is like $7.67NZ per gallon, $5.70US per gallon!  That being said, we can go nearly 2 weeks on one tank of gas and will be driving less as we settle in and don't need to run out for various things everyday. The kids either walk or bus to school now and when our bikes arrive, we'll drive even less. We live only 7 blocks from the center of the CBD. We can walk/bike the four blocks to the coastal walkway then go straight to the center of town. The hospital is about a 15 minute walk, less than 10 on a bike. We purchased a 125cc scooter that will serve as a second vehicle for no, though I'm hoping it's all we will need. And we purchased a bike for Kaigan to use while he is here. It will also be nice to have an extra for when we have guests (hint hint).
Speaking of driving, I am about completely comfortable with the sit-on-the-right, drive-on-the-left ways here... WHEN I'M DRIVING. When Billy is driving, I'm a wreck and he about rather me just drive than listen to me gasp and nag and clutch the dash. He tends to ride the left shoulder, which is usually a bike lane and/or has vehicles parallel parked. He has even taken a right on red!... ok, that's like taking a LEFT ON RED in the States!!!! Then he expects me to ride the scooter with him!?! I might as well run through a mine field! God love him...
The youngest four kiddos seem to have adjusted quite nicely to school. Mikaylie, on the other hand, is having a little harder time of it, understandably. It kind of threw me off, though, because she seemed to have such a positive attitude and was relatively eager to start. But after 2 days she was in tears that she hated it. She said no one talks to her and she is so alone. She also spoke about how ridiculously easy math is and that they are learning what she had done, literally 3-4 years ago. So Wednesday I left her home and went to the school to see what we could do to help her adjust more smoothly. We discussed the possibility of moving her up a year, which academically she could totally handle, however, year 11 is structured differently than year 10 and she'd likely feel even more alone. In years 9 and 10 the girls are divided into "Tutor Groups" which is similar to homeroom. This group takes all it's core classes together. The options (electives) are with mixed tutor groups because these are the classes that the girls can select based upon their interests, strengths or career choices. In years 11-13, students are more independent of one another and she could have entirely different people in every class. I guess it was a little like this in the States but she was "home" and already knew people. When the dean arrived with whom we'd been working with last week, she told me that she had gotten approval to move Mikaylie to the highest tutor group. This looks to be the best option for her as this tutor group is a very internationally diverse group of girls with several from the UK, a couple from China, one from the Philippines and one from Finland. They had had a girl from the US but her family moved back and they were quite upset. The dean felt this group would really be thrilled to have her join them and warmly welcome and take her in. She will probably still find math to be incredibly easy, however, this being basically our equivalent of an honors class, it should be a little more challenging. Ultimately, I'd rather her do really well in easier classes while adjusting most smoothly than being challenged with more difficult classes and not settling in as well. Today is her first day back. Please pray for her and I'll post how it went soon...
Kaigan... gee whiz!!! He, being the polar opposite of Mikaylie, requiring no human contact to survive, is driving Billy and me crazy! He has this whole new environment to explore and he's holed up in his room, completely content with his computer. Granted, he is in a rotten position not having school as a source for companionship and being older than the youth group kids, but he has no desire, and evidently no need, to go out and DO anything. Makes me wonder how he could actually be one of my biological kids! LOL! Billy and I are trying to encourage him to get a job, more for the social growth than the income, but who would hire a kid whose parents are pushing through the door? Some of the people at our new church (we have found one we really like on our first attempt!) have some suggestions for people he can learn to surf with and will introduce them to him on Sunday. Please pray for Kaigan too. I'd hate for him to leave here in August and realize what a tremendous opportunity he squandered by not being willing to step out of his comfort zone.
Last night Billy and I went to kind of an orientation for newcomers to the church we attended last weekend. We ended up being the only newcomers there so it was quite personal and nice. The pastor and a couple other people from the church told us all about how their church run, the programs they have and, most importantly, what their theology is. We are quite pleased. It is a very ministry oriented church that treats Tararaki (the district in which we live) as it's mission field. Lots of outreach programs and they even have a christian counseling service that I'm looking into getting credentialed for. The one and only drawback we have is it's location. It's about 15 minutes away and totally not within walking or biking. I know that doesn't sound like a big deal, and it probably isn't a deal breaker, but with petrol priced as it is and with their various programs for the kids spread over several different night depending on age and gender, it may be a little inconvenient. The kids really seem to like it, however, so Billy and I are praying about it. There may be carpooling opportunities as well.
We also learned last night that, unlike Kentucky and perhaps the States in general, it is not uncommon for people here to not have been exposed to God or the Bible at all. I guess in the States, for the most part, people KNOW about God and the Bible, whether or not they accept and believe, and it's really more of a matter of choice whether or not they pursue a relationship or not. Here, though, it would not be uncommon to be the very first person to introduce someone to Christ, the Bible or even God. I find it so hard to believe that a civilized, industrialized, modern country could have people oblivious to the existence of the Truth, even if they don't choose to recognize it as truth. Then again, growing up and living in the south and the Bible Belt, I'm probably the one oblivious to some very real truths. We just really need to pray that we are open and willing to let God's Light shine through us like never before. Please pray for the same...