ETBU Women's Soccer sophomores, Kat Izaguirre, a nursing major,
Hannah Purl, a business major, and
Mallory Duncan, a rehab science major, provided the following recaps from Wednesday and Thursday (July 19-20) of their TAME trip to New Zealand.
Kat Izaguirre stated, "Today, Liliana, Hannah and I were assigned to help out in the kitchen for breakfast, where we were able to talk to the manager of the camp, Jerome, and began learning about each other's culture. He was asking about our families and backgrounds and thought it was unique that we say 'yes ma'am' and 'yes sir.' He taught us some of the Mauri language and how we could show respect to others in the same way. This was one of my favorite parts of camp so far. It was such a pure and exciting conversation that involved the learning and exchanging of cultures!
We then had a morning devotional and that covered the importance of immediate prayer. Additionally, we had the privilege of attending the opening ceremony of the FIFA World Cup! There was a cultural dance that highlighted traditions of New Zealand and the 32 countries represented at the world cup. The performance concluded with a local artist performing a song and the stadium being surrounded by fireworks. It was the largest crowd at a soccer game in New Zealand history at just over 42,000 people and it was also their first World Cup match win in history. It was a great night to be with and cheering for the Kiwi! This was an awesome opportunity not only to experience the game of soccer live, but to be able to connect with the locals about something we had in common! We were able to talk to some of the volunteers of the game and explain why we were here! The many opportunities to serve and pour out the love of Christ have been all around us! It has been such a privilege to see the Spirit move through those we encounter and in and through us as a team!"
Hannah Purl added, "Today our team woke up and did some team yoga and a devotional before breakfast. ISF brought in a guest speaker, Micah, who is a former YWAM trainee. He brought an awesome message about how to share our testimony with other in a simple and 'not weird' way and made us practice one minute testimonies with our teammates. After breakfast we headed down to Papatoetoe High School and got to meet the girls soccer team there. We got to chat with them and learn about their life as a high school student in Auckland, and then they gave us a tour of their school. The students were so excited to have us there, everyone on campus was waving at us as we passed by their class rooms. We got to go into some classrooms and talk to other students about our life in the States and about the Gospel. Then we went down to the gym and played a futsal match with some of the faculty from the school. It was a really fun game and many of the students came out to watch and cheer. The energy the students had was incredible!"
Mallory Duncan said, "After going to visit the students at Papatoetoe High School, our team went back to camp and had an amazing dinner cooked by the awesome staff at Willow Camp. After dinner the team headed to a League Rugby game to watch the New Zealand Warriors. Our tickets were given to us by a very gracious donor in the community. When we found out about our trip to the game I was so excited because I am a rugby fan back in the States. My take away from the game is that it was a very fun and fast game and I learned the difference between union and league rugby. In America we play traditional or what's considered union rugby, so learning the different rules from what I'm used to was a big shock along with all the cultural shocks we have experienced on this trip. I am so grateful for all the opportunities we have experienced so far on this trip and I'm excited for what else we will experience."
