Tomorrow is Auckland Anniversary Day, a public holiday for the historic Auckland Province (even though that was actually abolished in 1876 according to Wikipedia – anyone care to correct?).   

Now I’m sure you all know the historic origins of this day?  Of course you do.  I thought, however, that I’d look it up.  It began in 1842, and actually commemorates the arrival of William Hobson in the Bay of Islands on 29 January 1840 on his path to drafting the Waitangi Treaty, rather than the founding of New Zealand’s largest city.

Curiously this is the second time that Roy and I will have been in Auckland on this day.  In 2011 we came out to New Zealand for a week for Roy to have his interviews (during which time I met with Michael, which in hindsight was an interview of sorts, too).  We arrived in the middle of cyclone Wilma, on Friday 28 January.  There were still very high winds for the Auckland Anniversary Regatta on Monday 1 February and several boats were damaged, as some of you might recall.  Roy had declined the offer of a race (luckily) and we spent the day visiting the Maritime and Naval museums instead.

I find myself reflecting that you never know what life holds in store for you, where and how God plans to use you in building his Kingdom.  We had never planned to come to New Zealand, and yet here we are, enjoying a new and exciting chapter in our lives.

I encourage you to be open to God’s call – you never know where it might lead….

Blessings  

Sarah