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Day 21 to 23 – Reflecting in Kaiteriteri (February 27 through March 1)

March 1, 2015 by Craig H. 2 Comments

In Going To Extremes: Adventures In Unknown NewZealand, written by my friend and fishing guide Derek Grzelewski, he writes “‘Extreme’ has become a much overused, almost meaningless word these days, and combined with an epidemic of celebrity worship, reinforces the idea that any ‘going to extremes’ is surely the domain of the others – the greats – and never ourselves. Yet the extreme is a highly relative concept. To a Himalayan guide, climbing Mount Everest again maybe all in a day’s work, but for someone recovering from a heart attack even a short jog can be an extreme effort… The most extreme adventures and heroic deeds often happen in our daily lives, unacknowledged and out of sight… Even if our perceptions of what is extreme vary widely, we all innately sense that, if only from time to time, we need to enter this state beyond the comfort zone and, further still, to venture to the edge of what we consider possible. Why? Because the extreme is where life is lived to its fullest… It is where growth occurs… It is where the vibrancy of life is refreshed and rediscovered, where we find inspiration and new directions – nourishment for the soul – and we need these as much as we need food, water and air, if not more. There, as we test ourselves in the recurring baptisms of fire, the mundane and the false drop away and only what’s real and true is left to shine… Our journeys will differ – like fingerprints, no two are the same – but one thing we can be absolutely sure about is that, whether we want them or not, life already has adventures planned for us, and some of them will be extreme… It has been my direct experience that, it is better to enter the world of adventures voluntarily. This makes for a smoother journey, more engaging and less accidental.”

As I have enjoyed reading and reflecting over the past three days in Nelson, Motueka, Mapua, and especially Kaiteriteri… I agree with Derek’s thoughtful reflections stated above. My thoughts, are that we can constantly try to live safely, avoiding life’s adventures and sufferings, disappointed when life does not give us what we want; Or, we can voluntarily experience life with God, embracing the truth that life is not always safe, and is full of adventures in joy and in suffering. In Romans 8:18-19, the Apostle Paul says, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worth comparing with the glory that is to be revealed to us. For the creation waits with eager longing for the revealing of the sons of God.” Truth be told, God cares more about refining our character in Christ, towards the glory that is to be revealed to us, than He does about our comfort and safety. So while we eagerly long for the day of redemption when God will make all things right, why not live in this world of spiritual growth voluntarily, knowing full well that these adventures (which often include suffering) are given as gifts to refine us in these recurring baptisms of fire? Are you voluntarily open to the adventures God has for you?

A shout out to Kaiteriteri Mountain Bike Park – While in Kaiteriteri, I rode 57 miles on the sweetest singletrack I have ever ridden. It has been great touring on a mountain bike, because when I hit gems like this, I can enjoy riding them…

Day 18 to 20 – The West Coast (February 24 through 26)

February 26, 2015 by Craig H. Leave a Comment

As rain pounded the windshield, Scott and I traveled from Wanaka, over the Haast Pass to Haast, staying the night at Fox Glacier, and then north to Hokitika. Who wants to ride a bike in weather like this? This is a bike tour, not a race like the Tour de France. So, we opted to rent a car!

It rained… and rained… and rained… until the sun finally came out in Hokitika, and we were able to enjoy a beautiful sunset…

As I walked along the beach, I really missed my best friend… my wife Rebecca. My heart was really wishing we could be walking along this New Zealand beach hand in hand. And then at just that moment, I stumbled on this heart shaped rock, something my wife has collected since she was a teenager. I felt like she was with me, even though we’re half a world apart. So I took the rock, and wrote a message to her in the sand…

I will give this rock to my sweet Beck when I return home from New Zealand. I wish that day was today, but instead we travel to Nelson! But everyday now is one more day closer to her!!

Day 17 – Fishing New Zealand (February 23)

February 24, 2015 by Craig H. 2 Comments

New Zealand is famous for fish. Big… beautiful… difficult to catch… FISH!! If you know me, and you know New Zealand, then you know I could not resist packing my fly rod (on my bike) across this fish-laden country…

As much as I love catching fish, I love that Jesus has called us to be “fishers of men.” I love sharing Jesus with people, and every day of this trip the Holy Spirit has given me the privilege and opportunity to talk with people about the beauty of Jesus Christ and what He has done for me and what He can do for them.

Just yesterday, I had a wonderful conversation about the good news of Jesus Christ with a New Zealander. The conversation turned to how suffering is used by God for our good. As Romans 8:16-17 states, “The Spirit himself bears witness with our spirit that we are children of God, and if children, then heirs—heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, provided we suffer with him in order that we may also be glorified with him.”

We tend to think suffering is always bad. And sometimes, it is. But it does have significant redeeming qualities! Because of Christ’s suffering, we are called children of God, if we trust in His sacrificial life and death. And yet these verses call us to be willing to suffer with Him.

Are you willing to suffer with Him? In this life, I have faced suffering for His name’s sake, as well because of what life in a fallen world has thrown at me. But the times when I have seen Him redeem my suffering for the sake of shaping me spiritually, are the times that I have experienced suffering with Him – He with me and I with Him.

One day, Jesus will make all things right and new. Suffering will be no more. And we will be fully complete in Him. So when you suffer in the now, are you willing to suffer with Him in your everyday sufferings? Are you willing to open your mouth, declare the good news of Jesus Christ, and potentially suffer for His name’s sake? The promise is that every painful moment will be ultimately worth it as we are glorified with Him.

Day 16 – Queenstown to Wanaka (February 22)

February 23, 2015 by Craig H. Leave a Comment

The day started with rolling out of Queenstown…

And climaxed with climbing over 3000 feet in 6 miles to the Crown Range Summit with my fully loaded 54 pound adventure bike…

The day saw beautiful weather, as I rode 46 miles from Queenstown to Wanaka, stopping for some liquid refreshment midway at the historic Cardrona Hotel…

As I rode up the Crown Range climb to the summit (which is highlighted on dangerous roads.org), I was meditating on Romans 8:15: “For you did not receive the spirit of slavery to fall back into fear, but you have received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry, “Abba! Father!” For some, the experience of climbing and descending this road would be harrowing. But for me, I choose to live life not based on fear, but on confidence in my relationship with Jesus Christ.

Believe me, there are times when I fear. However, what relieves my fear is my faith in the fact that I have been adopted into my Heavenly Father’s family by the Holy Spirit of God through Jesus Christ. If I live, I am in His presence. If I die, I am in His presence. And while I try not to be presumptuous, nor cavalier, I refuse to live my life in fear. Instead, I choose to have confidence in the object of my faith, Jesus Christ and God Himself.

When Romans 8:15 was originally written, it was not much different than it is today. Many people were afraid, because they were trying to earn their acceptance before all sorts of gods. But in Christ, Jesus has earned God’s acceptance on our behalf. So, if I understand the quality of Him as the object of my faith, I do not have to fear. I don’t have to fear the law of God, because Jesus has satisfied it in His perfection. I don’t have to fear whether or not I am God’s child, because I have received the Spirit of adoption as a son and child of God. I don’t have to fear whether or not I am accepted by God, because when I cry out to Him, He always listens because He is my loving Father. I don’t have to fear death, because one day He will bring me home.

So what are your fears? Are you willing to claim the promise of Romans 8:15 through seeing Jesus Christ as the perfect object of your faith? Are you willing to stop living in fear, and simply bring your fears to your Heavenly Father by crying out to Him? God wants us to call upon and trust Him.

Day 13 to 15 – Queenstown: “Adventure Capitol of the World” (February 19 through 21)

February 21, 2015 by Craig H. 2 Comments

Queenstown, New Zealand, has been proclaimed the adventure capitol of the world! Where else can you mountain bike, bungy jump, paraglide, whitewater raft, jet boat, fly fish, and shop till you drop all in one day and in one incredible place? After riding some sweet singletrack mountain bike trails, climbing the mountain to the top of the gondola, hearing bag pipers on the lake harbor, buying my daughter a “Lord of the Rings One Ring” and conversing with so many interesting people… I really like this town!!!

This city is full of people from all over the world that are seeking to grab life by the horns and enjoy the ride. I have made new friends from New Zealand like Stephen and Pam; from Germany like Anja, Hans, and Iliaca; and from every corner of the earth; even a really cool family from Boston, Massachusetts, that made me wish that my entire family could be enjoying this journey with me. Meet Doug, Martha, Sean, Rosie, David “the rockstar with the great hair”, Andrew, and Johnny…

As I am memorizing Romans 8 on this trip, and meeting all of these new friends, I am vividly reminded that Jesus loves the people of the world! One of the most famous verses in all the Bible is John 3:16: “For God so loved the world, that he gave his only Son [Jesus], that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life“. God loves us and desires that every person become His beloved child – His beloved sons and daughters. He desires that we be led by His Spirit. He wants us to be transformed by His grace. He wants us to love with His unselfish love.

I have been memorizing and meditating upon Romans 8:12-14 over the past couple of days, and this afternoon I had an insightful conversation with a jeweler and native Queenstown resident, by the name of Stephen, who put things into perspective. He mentioned the evil and death that ISIS is bringing to the people of Iraq and the surrounding region and world, and how it puts religion and the existence of that kind of god into question. Any god that would be so cruel, cannot be real. Frankly, I agree!

But the God of the Bible is not cruel… He is love! And He desires that we put cruelty, evil, and our sinful deeds to death. Romans 8:12-14 says, “So then, brothers, we are debtors, not to the flesh, to live according to the flesh. For if you live according to the flesh you will die, but if by the Spirit you put to death the deeds of the body, you will live. For all who are led by the Spirit of God are sons of God.” The God of the Bible desires that we love our neighbors as ourselves. He even desires that we love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us. He desires that we help the helpless. He desires that we be led by His Spirit in such a way that we radiantly reflect the love that He showed towards us by sending His Son to cover our sins, and in so doing, He gives us the power to put cruelty, evil, and the sinful deeds of the body to death through the power of His Spirit. For those who are truly sons and daughters of God are led by the Spirit of God. And those who are led by the Spirit of God are led by His love and grace.

Day 12 – Beautiful People Along the Way (February 18)

February 18, 2015 by Craig H. 3 Comments

After finishing the Otago Central Rail Trail, we went 21 miles today to Cromwell, traveling along a long river held back by a dam, and lined by barren but beautiful hills. It actually looked just like the eastern portion of the Columbia Gorge on steroids. I thought it would be an easy recovery day, but thanks to a constant 20 mph headwind and the blazing sun it was more challenging than expected…

Next, I will cycle 56 miles from Cromwell to Queenstown, which is the self-proclaimed “adventure capitol of the world.” I will be cycling through the Kawarau Gorge and Valley as the road twists and turns through this scenically eye-catching area. Scott has an ominous feeling about riding the rode through the gorge, and therefore has opted to take a bus shuttle to Queenstown. So he will be sitting back in a comfy seat, as he passes me suffering on the road, saying “see ya’ in Queenstown!” In the Gibbston winery area, I will then jump on the Queenstown Gravel Trail and cycle along the Kawarau River over some gorgeous country, including two significant suspension bridges (one of them being where people bungy jump).

But this post is about beauty more stunning than the countryside. This post is about the people we have met along the way. Some, I have built deep friendships with that will last a lifetime. Many, have been a momentary friendship, much like sipping a cup of good coffee enjoyed in the moment.

The long-term friendships of two of the most gracious and hospitable couples I have ever met:

Darryl and Chris (whose son Tim Anderson is Scott’s son-in-law) from Christchurch…

Mitch and Rhonda (one of Tim’s mentor) from Dunedin…

The momentary friendships have been many, but here are two really kind and refreshing couples that I will not soon forget:

Hans and Corrie from the Netherlands, posing with my bike, on a touring holiday…

Michael and Annie from New Zealand, having just dropped their youngest child off at the University of Otago as a first year student…

Day 9 to 11 – Otago Central Rail Trail (February 15 through 17)

February 15, 2015 by Craig H. 1 Comment

We rode our bikes to the Dunedin train station this morning, in a light drizzle of rain, in order to catch the Taieri Gorge Railway. We rolled along the tracks, in an old passenger car, enjoying the beauty of the gorge…

Like train cars connected to one another, verses 9-11 of Romans 8 flow-in-line following the thought pattern of the previous 8 verses: “You, however, are not in the flesh but in the Spirit, if in fact the Spirit of God dwells in you. Anyone who does not have the Spirit of Christ does not belong to him. But if Christ is in you, although the body is dead because of sin, the Spirit is life because of righteousness. If the Spirit of him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, he who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through his Spirit who dwells in you.” These three verses give great hope to those who are in Christ Jesus – to those who trust and rely on the righteousness of Jesus’ perfect life that only He can cover us with by his perfect grace, and the forgiveness of our sin that His sacrificial death mercifully provides.

In trusting in Jesus’ person and work, we are told that the Holy Spirit of God comes to dwell permanently in us. And that the Holy Spirit of God dwelling in us gives us life – not just eternal life, but resurrection power and life to our mortal bodies, both in this life and in the life to come. However, in the here and now, this means that we can now be transformed, not just in our behavior, but more importantly in our heart, affections, and motivations. We are being powered by the Holy Spirit of God in the power of the gospel of God’s grace. And that’s far more powerful than a locomotive!

We got off the train in Middlemarch, which sits at the head of the Otago Central Rail Trail. Over the three days, we are cycling 91 miles through many dark train tunnels, over 68 bridges with many suspended hundreds of feet in the air, and over a constant gravel trail where trains traveled on tracks in times past and where we are traveling to the end of the rail trail in Clyde…

Day 5 to 8 – Dunedin (February 11 through 14)

February 14, 2015 by Craig H. Leave a Comment

Over the past four days, Scott and I have rested our legs in Dunedin, New Zealand…

Dunedin is the second largest city on New Zealand’s South Island. The city was founded in 1848, and its streets were patterned after Edinburgh, Scotland. It has a population of around 120,000. It is home to the University of Otago which was founded in 1869 and has over 20,000 students currently enrolled…

We stayed with a wonderful couple, had great conversations, and had a meaningful time attending their LifeGroup (a small group fellowship of East Taieri Presbyterian Church). I said we were resting our legs over the past four days, but today, I did climb the steepest street in the world on my adventure mountain bike. Baldwin Street hits its maximum at a 35% gradient. Now that’s steep…

Day 4 – Moeraki to Dunedin (February 10)

February 13, 2015 by Craig H. 2 Comments

Stunning… is the word of the day. The day started by riding down a dirt trail onto the hard-packed sand of Moeraki Beach to some really sweet-looking boulders crafted by the sea…

The beauty continued while riding along the coastline for mile after mile, followed by long climbs with stunning vistas…

Riding a 50+ pound fully-loaded bike for 53 miles up steep climbs to beautiful overlooks can be challenging. Whether or not it is worth it, depends on one’s perspective or mindset. As I continue to memorize Romans 8, I am reminded of the importance of mindset in verses 7-8: “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law; indeed, it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.” God wants us to see His beauty from His perspective. He wants to take us to these heights. He wants us to experience the pleasure of knowing Him by His grace. But if we are hostile towards God, and refuse to see the beauty of His grace, we cannot experience the pleasure of knowing Him and of returning that pleasure. So where is our mind set? Is it set on the flesh and hostility towards God, or on the beauty of God’s grace and love as seen in the face of Jesus?

Day 3 – Waimate to Moeraki (February 9)

February 9, 2015 by Craig H. Leave a Comment

Talk about extremes… When we left Waimate, it was pouring rain as we rode straight into a 25mph headwind for 54 miles. As we neared the coastal village of Moeraki, the weather suddenly became calm and beautiful. And we found ourselves setting up camp along a peaceful oasis overlooking New Zealand’s beautiful coast. These words summarize the last three days: Long… Hot… Difficult… but well worth it!!

In similar ways, following Christ isn’t easy, but it is worth it!! As I memorize Romans 8 on this bike tour, verses 5-6 say, “For those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit. For to set the mind on the flesh is death, but to set the mind on the Spirit is life and peace.”

It is easy to set our minds on the things of the flesh, that which is temporal and will only last for a limited time; but to set our minds on the Spirit, and what God has graciously done for us in the person of Jesus Christ, gives eternal life and peace. And this is well worth it!!

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