Trip to Christchurch for the Getsmart Conference

Here's the youth from youth group waiting for their dinner in the church hall they stayed in for the week.

This was taken early one morning from the top level of a carpark - it was worth missing the closer parks to see!

My friend Julie being a poser in the mall.

Jessie, one of the parent helpers and I doing a lovely self-portrait.

I just got back from Christchurch (5 hours South of Nelson) where I went with my old church to the annual Getsmart Youth Conference. It was great reconnecting with lots of the kids from church that I obviously haven't seen much of while I've been in Canada. Hillsong United was at the conference one evening, with Phil Dooley speaking, so it was like a smaller version of the concert I went to in Toronto a few weeks ago! My friend Julie also went down and I stayed with her at her mum's place which was great (sleeping isn't as easy in a hall full of teenagers!), it was really cool to have lots of time to catch up as the last couple of times I've been back in New Zealand she's been out of the country. Our time together was actually the highlight of the week, we had many great conversations (and skipped a few conference sessions in the process!). My cynical side sprang forth with a vengeance during the conference for various reasons I won't go into here and it was fun to have a cynical friend process things with. ha ha. Lets just say it was the complete opposite to the social justice conference I went to a few months ago in Toronto. I guess I am just tired of these kind of youth events that seem so limited to the four walls of the church and "inward" focused. Anyway, it was an interesting week and I'm glad I went. NEW ZEALAND COFFEE IS GREAT!