Sept '06 - Some notes from Jo

RMS Course

We finished our 7 week course in Refugee Resettlement in July – it was very moving to get more of an insight into the experience of a refugee and the journey that a refugee may have made.  It certainly prompted me to get reading more about Burma/Myanmar and the situation there – as our family that we are welcoming to NZ are from the NW of Burma – a state called Chin State.  They have come via Malaysia – and have had a period of 1.5 years apart, with A Thang in Malaysia and Van Par and the kids in Burma.

The military government in Burma just sounds such bad news.  From ignoring the people’s vote for democracy (the National League for Democracy – Aung San Sui Kyi’s party was voted in by 80% in 1990 and then totally discounted), to continuing to target pro-democracy activists and ethnic minorities to horrible human rights abuses in its jails, and forced labour (just taking people from villages to work for the government), it sounds like life in Burma is so so tough.  I read James Mawdsley’s book (thanks Lou for the recommendation) “The Heart must Break’ about his pro-democracy stand and just felt so anguished about the situation there.  There are 600,000 to 1 million Burmese who have been displaced.  We do not know yet about the experience that our friends from Burma have had yet – but certainly we need to pray for Burma and its people.  Our family has brothers/sisters still in Chin State.

The Hlawnceu Family

With 2 friends from our homegroup at church we’ve been helping the Hlawnceu family to settle into a new life in NZ.  Originally from Burma, the Hlawnceu’s have arrived in NZ through the UN Refugee resettlement programme.  They are absolutely brilliant – and are really adjusting to kiwi ways……its been wonderful to meet with them, and get to know them….as well as have fun setting up their home with them, finding a local primary school to go, English lessons, do big supermarket shops and play with the kids…..Their English is coming on in leaps and bounds…..from lots of miming and acting to start with, they are really progressing rapidly now. 

Pictured are A Thang (Dad), Van Par (Mum), A Hup, Nung Tha and Biak outside their new home in Massey, West Auckland.

Our new flat!

Just in case you hadn’t heard, we’ve bought a small flat by the beach!  Hugely exciting – as we bought it at auction (my husband was very brave!) and now we have the joyous task of fully renovating it to make it liveable!  But hey, it’s by the beach (summer here we come!....it is already getting nice and hot here…) and we can swim before school if we so wish….and Phil can kitesurf to his heart’s content (only once he has knocked out the kitchen!!)  

Come and stay………that is if you fancy a working holiday doing some DIY!!!  If not, wait till after Christmas……cleverly timed M&D, Shorty&Nick and Nick&Debs!!!  (Don’t worry, we’ll save you some token tile-ing to do!)

There are a few random pictures here!

Waiheke Island

Just before Johnny and Cath headed back to the UK  (boo hoo) we nipped across to Waiheke for the day (island about 30mins ferry from Auckland).  Island life looks like good fun – gorgeous beaches, wine-tasting to your stomach’s content and not that many peeps.   Johnny and Cath burned around the island on their hired motorbike, and Phil and I puffed (me a lot!) around the island on our tandem……we still managed to get to the beach before them…they say they went the long way, but we’re not so sure. 

Our interesting bike moment of the trip was when we discovered that our tandem’s spokes were not tuned yet……as we rode along, all we could hear was ‘pop pop pop …ping’ as each spoke cunningly worked its way out…..ooooppppssss……we limped back to the ferry, but had to stick the tandem on a bus back from Auckland City home.  Shame!  I was looking forward to ANOTHER hill!

Phil’s 30th

Can you believe it?  Old fart!!

We’ve had to put off the BIG celebration of Phil’s birthday as we’ve mid move from Grand Drive to Mission Bay…..but we are planning a big joint birthday in October…..if you fancy coming to join us to celebrate???

Guess what his birthday present is……..

..Kitesurfing lessons of course!