And We're Off!

18 months of planning and we are off.  We leave Denver at 3:15 PM on Saturday.  Flights go from Denver to LA, LA to Aukland, NZ, Auckland to Christchruch (shake it up!) and Christchurch to Hokitika.  We arrive at 5:15 PM Monday New Zealand time (9:15 PM Sunday Colorado time).  I'm sure we look better now than we will then!

Did you wonder how we'd pack 6 months of clothes and toys? Not bad!   

Kiwi Greg (on the right or left?)

On Again!

NZ is on!  After chatting with Tom and his family about Maise's health and getting approvals from both the NZ Department of Conservation and the National Park Service, we decided that the Connors family will go to New Zealand now, and the Hopkins family will come to the US at a future date to be determined.

The NZ DOC has found enough work for me to do even with Tom still there and I've sucussfully got my projects at a point where I can have other people in our group fill in for me for six months. (Thanks everyone).  The good news in this is that Tom and I will be able to work together and learn even more about each others agencies from each other.

Lea and I have rebooked our tickets to leave on the date Greg was scheduled to leave, Jan. 28.  So now we will all travel together and arrive in Hokitika on Jan. 30.  Lea is going to go to school on the 31st (with a cup of coffee in hand!)

We are so excited and have found a house to rent in Hokitika.  It comes with a two person kayak!  So now we are back into packing mode and are optimistic that we will be on a plane on Jan. 28. 

Tom extends his thanks to everyone who has expressed concern for his daughter and I appreciate all the people who have been listening to my daily updates and continue to share in the excitment with us. 

Heres a photo of the neighborhood where we will be living.  The house we are renting is a little above the power pole, tan with a brown roof and with a palm tree in the back yard.

Hokitika, NZ

Map of New Zealand, the red text on the south island says "Connors' House in New Zealand

Good news from Tom.  There is no indication of bone cancer.  The doctors think Maisie has a chronic bone infection or an inflammation in her femur.  Everyone is relieved and happy about this news.  The diagnosis is still a bit mystifying to her doctors and the next step is strong antibiotics for several weeks or months.  The Hopkins have cancelled their plans of coming to the US.  Tom and I are persuing the possibility that I can still do the work exchange, so right now we are working on details to see if that will work. 

Thanks to all for your kind emails and I'll keep you posted.

Marina

Please Pray for Maisie Hopkins

Hi all,

This afternoon Tom called.  He was heartbroken...his 10-year old daughter Maisie is in the hospital with concerns that she may have bone cancer in her femur.  She will have additional testing done and the family will know more on Friday.  He feels so sad for many reasons including all the work we've all put into this exchange but all of that is inconsequential compared to the health of his daughter.  Please pray for as good an outcome as one would want for your own child.  As demonstrated recently, for a friend of ours, the power of collective prayer is amazing. 

Marina

Planning, Packing, Preparation

After months of planning, we have purchansed tickets and are packing bags.  Lea and I leave for New Zealand January 19th.  Greg will follow a couple of weeks later.  We are busy cleaning and purging our house so that the Hopkins family can live here.  The good thing is that nooks and crannies which have not been cleaned in 20 years are getting clean.  Stuff that's accumulated for 20 years is going to Goodwill or the dump.  The bad thing is figuring out exactly what we'll need for six months.  We are limiting ourselves to two suitcases, with priority on.....biking, hiking, staying connected and oh yeah and on work and school.