October 2025

 

Dear Friends,

The past month has been full of days and moments of answered prayers; and also ministry and family life at its fullest. We are blessed and grateful.

Here are some highlights, praises, and prayer requests from us:

• Bible Study. We are now meeting at the community house a couple blocks from our house… and it has been wonderful! The front porch, bigger kitchen, and visual accessibility to and from the street has transformed the feeling of our Bible Study. We have new neighbours coming, and there is a thirst for knowledge and access to God’s Word. Praise God with us! And please continue to pray for Pauline, Michael, and I as we lead this tender group. One of our most consistent families moved far away (to their ancestral home in the far north of Aotearoa New Zealand), and we miss them. Viv, the matriarch of that family, was my closest friend in our community for the past three years. She is irreplaceable. 

Zyane and I often took our reading group outside to the school sandpit. Our lives overlapped daily as we did reading group together as well as Bible study and neighbourhood life. Please pray for Viv, Damien, and Zyane as they transition to life in “the wops,” and pray for us remaining as we feel their loss.

Bible Study school holiday outing to the Massey pools! This is a free, fun, relatively accessible outing for families in our neighbourhood.

• Reading Groups. I led three of the six reading groups on a school trip to the local library, Te Paataka Koorero o Takaanini, the only library in Aotearoa New Zealand with te reo Māori as the home language of the space. Some highlights: one student tried ice cream for the first time, five of the students stepped foot into a library for the first time, and I overheard most of them scheming with one another about when they will come back to this cool place. All of these students have struggled to find joy in reading, and their reading ability AND their joy in reading is growing by leaps and bounds. One student said our library visit and subsequent visit to “Macca’s” (McDonald’s) for an ice cream cone was “the best day of her life!!” Shout out to libraries and librarians everywhere!! You all are heroes of sparking imagination and learning, and creating spaces of joy and peace. 

During my twice weekly reading group days (Wednesdays and Thursdays), I also lead Lego club and chess club at the school. How cool is it to have a job where my work is full of play, and full of opportunities to create spaces for kids and families to play together? I have the best job in the world.

• Rewa Pac. Please pray for these girls. In the past few months, several of them have made choices with friendships and school and other things that make it difficult for them to thrive. I am full of hope for each of them. I am in conversation with Krystal, another dear friend in the neighbourhood (who happens to be the mum of two of the Rewa Pac girls and auntie to two others), about what these girls might need most in their lives right now. Teenage girls need a lot of love. Please pray for Krystal and I as we walk alongside these girls through hard life circumstances. Pray that the Lord provides wisdom in how we continue to connect, build trust, and remain a safe space for them to return whenever they are ready.

Going to Ōtāhuhu Pool and watching the girls practice their manus is a consistent highlight in Rewa Pac. And no, I do not manu. I will not manu. I am too scared to manu.

• Neighbouring. This continues to be a highlight, and also an “adventure.” While on a beautiful sunset walk the other day, for instance, Michael broke up a fight between some boys at the skatepark. I have had some really amazing chats with some of these same kids on other days (before and after this incident). Many families and kids in Randwick Park (our neighbourhood) are under many pressures. Many struggle with food insecurity and domestic violence. These stresses make it difficult to thrive. Please pray for our neighbours. Pray specifically for Grace* (a neighbour with four kids and her partner who is recently out of jail); Tane*, Matt*, and Rewai* (three of the boys who were involved in the fight that Michael helped to stop); and Kata* (a young girl who has been bullied at the skatepark by Tane and his friends a number of times). It is such a privilege to be three years into intentional neighbouring here in Randwick Park. But as you know, when you get to know a place and people better, you more beauty and more brokenness. Pray that we hold our neighbours in love before God, knowing that He loves them so much and cares for each of us more than the beloved sparrows and flowers of the field.

* pseudonyms to protect their identity

Jubilee and Tiana (school classmates) love to play together down the street from our house at the Manu Tukutuku skatepark.

Manu Tukutuku includes a skatepark, community building, sport courts and fields, and a playground. Suffice it to say, our family finds lots of ways to spend many hours playing and doing life in this communal space. We do not take for granted the safety of children and families in spaces such as these, given the challenges that many of our neighbours face.

Ames, Isaiah, Michael and five friends (most from school and one church friend) celebrated Ames’ 12th birthday by riding all the rides late into the night at Rainbow’s End. Please keep praying for all four of our kids to continue to develop good, life-giving friendships with their peers.

Michael offered the closing karakia (prayer) at one of our monthly Randwick Park Resident Association meetings (held in the Manu Tukutuku building). Almost 100 people attended this meeting! Standing room only. It is amazing to see community members activated toward the goal of making their (our!) neighbourhood an even better place to live.

• Family Life. We recently had school holidays, and the kids and I had so much fun being and playing together! The school year rhythm here in Aotearoa is 10 weeks on, 2 weeks off for three quarters of the year, and then six weeks off during December and January (summer break). This rhythm has been so life-giving for our family. We are honestly so grateful to participate in a society that is a bit slower than what tends to be the warp speed of American life. We do not take this for granted. Especially as Michael and I approach turning 40 (sheesh!!), we are aware that our bodies and minds and hearts respond well to a bit slower pace than what we grew accustomed to in the USA. I encourage you… slow down where and when you can. Dig deeply into the place and people that God has put before you. It is a rich life to slow down. As my dear friend Steve told me (in the form of giving me a book by the title), “You have nothing to prove.”

Jubilee started up a pen pal correspondence with a state-side buddy. Nothing models slower pace of life quite like snail mail crossing a huge ocean. 🙂

Nova congratulates her friend, Lily, after we watched her in a stellar local theatre performance of “School of Rock” during the recent school holidays.

Ames and I backpacked Peach Cove Hut track. This was my first backpacking trip without Michael! Proud moment for myself. Michael has taught us well.

During school holidays, each child was in charge of cooking dinner. We are working to “upskill” all of our children to know how to cook, clean, and do significant chores. Parenting is full on! And such a joy. These are Isaiah’s yummy chicken enchiladas.

Michael recently traveled to Tonga for a biblical studies conference for scholars in the Oceania region. He presented a paper with his colleague, Brian (pictured above on the left), a Samoan Old Testament scholar. 

Oh, and also in Tonga, Michael also got to SWIM. WITH. WHALES. So… a pretty great trip, I’d say. 🙂

Ames and Jubilee battle ready

Nova bakes almost every day. Recently she helped organized her entire class to throw a surprise party for her teacher, Mrs. Leha, and she baked for the event. 

The Auckland Museum is free for Auckland residents; it has some amazing exhibits and accompanying audio tours. A great way to spend a rainy school holiday afternoon. My new favorite hobby is for my kids (literally all four of them) to learn something complicated and then explain it to me in simple terms. I have been learning so much! Kids’ sponge brains are amazing creations of God!

Nova the ten year old mutant ninja turtle (this huge turtle shell was part of a display at the museum for people to hold… so cool)

Isaiah and Nova braving choppy waters to kayak. We had a lovely weekend family camping trip to Fletcher Bay. The entire Coromandel is a hidden gem of Te Ika-a-Māui of Aotearoa.

One additional prayer request: pray for our van!! We have taken it to the mechanic numerous times in the past month. It is broken down again as I write. Much of my work and life is walk-able, which is such a blessing. But we also desire reliable transportation!! Please pray that we get to the bottom of the issues and get it all fixed up (sooner rather than later!).

Thank you for reading this. Thank you for your love and support of us in so many ways. As always, we love to hear from you! 

Love,
Rebecca, for all of us 💚💚💚💚💚💚