the vegetable patch!

the vegetable patch!
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

i am now the very proud owner (or rather anally protective owner) of a little vegetable patch. Debs, i apologise for ribbing you about it! we will soon to have our own little stock of cucmbers, courgettes, lettuce, beans, tomatoes etc. nan and gramps hope you're proud of my little effort - i wanted to take a pic to show you.
we have some lovely elderly ladies living next door who have given me some great advice so hopefully i wont kill off all the plants!

the garden

the garden
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

our view from the lounge!

our bedroom looking out onto garden

our bedroom looking out onto garden
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

i have actually become a bit sad - it has finally happened - the vegetable patch! our landlady was a keen gardener and we have let the garden go to ruin over the last 6 months so last weekend we decided it was action stations for our garden. we have an awesome bedroom that looks out onto the garden.

the decking outside the lounge

the decking outside the lounge
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

thought it was about time we showed you a bit more of the house we rent. we love it - cool open plan layout and lots of decking for those long summer nights.

phillipa and team doing gardening

phillipa and team doing gardening
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

the final community action project

church team

church team
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

it was just like Groundforce! about 12-16 people from church poured out of cars onto peoples gardens! we had four lawnmowers going at once on one persons lawn!it was great fun and the occupiers really appreciated their garden makeover

sarah collecting all the rubbish

sarah collecting all the rubbish
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

after a weekend of community action projects at the local school and night shelter, we decided to offer help to people locally in their gardens. we completed about 5-6 gardens in a 3hr period

creative wall

creative wall
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

an area for people to express their feelings about God

hamilton city

hamilton city
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

we copied a map of our city, Hamilton, and when you had prayed for a certain area, school, or street, it was highlighted.
most of hamilton was prayed for by the end of the week

healing

healing
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

lighting candles for healing or comfort in peoples lives

praying for people

praying for people
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

a station where you could write someones name on a pebble that needs help or Gods touch and place it beneath the cross.

the prayer room

the prayer room
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

we set up this prayer room for 24-7 prayer during the week of community action in our church (14th-18th nov. it was a whole room dedicated for people to come and meet with God - it felt like such a sacred place. there were numerous interactive prayer stations to help people to pray through their hour slot. it was a fun and exciting way to pray and it helped bring the church together even more.

my little gardening helper!

my little gardening helper!
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

this was my little 6 yr old helper, Brooke, who did some gardening with me at Whitiora school whilst Rob was with the men at the mens night shelter as part of our community action project. it was lots of fun!

school mural

school mural
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

this was the mural painted inside the playground area of the school - based on a design by our very own graphic designer, catie, in the foreground which reflects new zealand and typically the Waikato region that Hamilton is in. the kids loved it!

sausage sizzles for all!

sausage sizzles for all!
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

some of the lovely ladies from the church came with a BBq at lunchtime and fed us all - hot dogs all round, or as theyre called here - sausage sizzles!

front of school

front of school
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

last weekend we had a community action weekend (like the noise weekend for those of you in the UK) where a team of us from the church offered help to local projects in need.
the primary school across the road from our church benefitted with some murals and lots of gardening and the night shelter for men also got a makeover! it was great fun and about 40-50 people were involved.

matt showing artistic flair!!

matt showing artistic flair!!
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

out mate matt who headed up this project getting his hands & knees dirty.
we painted 2 murals at the local school

rob hard at work

rob hard at work
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

rob doing his bit at the night shelter!

mens night shelter

mens night shelter
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

a whole bunch of guys turned up to help at the mens night shelter - loads with building, electrical, and general handyman skills! they did an awesome job and turned what was a pretty grotty make shift night shelter housed in an old restaurant into a fully functional and alot more pleasant night shelter

Water surfing??

CA6BC1ER (2)
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

This is why I love this country, at the weekend you get to do things that you'd only do on holidays normally. Scott has a boat and lots of toys to drag you on, he was remarkably patient and generous.

He has also mentioned that he has a little yacht.

However, this weekend I shall be mostly working.

Knee boarding

CAZIQDZZ (2)
Originally uploaded by douglasnz.

So last weekend, we weren't sure what we'd do. Then some friends rang us up and said they were taking their boat to a local lake and did we want to join them... hummmm now let me think.