The Beery Experience

Doing what I love!

2009-05-07T14:50:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, May 6th, 2009, was a very significant day for me as I started a new job. Before I left for New Zealand nearly a year ago I was serving as a worship leader for the Well Community Church. When I arrived back in California I immediately got plugged back in with the worship community at the Well and have been serving as a worship leader for the North Campus since February of this year(http://www.thewellcommunity.org/). Although I have served for over seven years at multiple churches leading worship I have yet to "officially" work at a church. On May 5th, Brent Lamb, the worship director for the Well, extended me the invitation to become the Well's new worship director for the North Campus PM services and to "officially" join the Well staff family. It was one of the most encouraging and rewarding calls I have ever received. I have held many jobs in my life but I have to say that this surpasses them all. Not everybody gets to do what they love and are passionate about, for work anyways. I'm overwhelmed with joy and excitement as I can't imagine anything else I would rather be doing! I get to work around people I love and admire and I get to spend my work days doing what I feel God created me to do. Through the summer I will only be working part time at the Well so I plan on keeping my job at Tahoe Joe's and working there when I can to save up a little extra money.

I would really appreciate your prayers as I dive into this ministry role at the Well Community Church. Specifically, that God will use me to be effective at my role as a worship director, that God will give me strength to resist the Devil when he tempts me, that I will have God's heart for His people and that I will manage my life and schedule in a way that is pleasing and honoring to Him.

"Delight yourself in the Lord and he will give you the desires of your heart."
Psalm 37:3,4

Starting over, again!

2009-02-23T16:25:00.000-08:00

Updating the blog has been on my mind for a while now but I keep finding reasons not to do it. "It will take to long, I don't have any cool pictures to post, my life back in Fresno is boring and I don't even have a job". The truth is, God has been doing some awesome things in my life and I hope you feel encouraged as you read this post.

My first few weeks back home were full of fun and excitement as you may have gathered from reading my last update. However, when reality kicked in that I was starting over, again, I was definitely caught off guard and started to have feelings of failure and doubt. God began to remind me of New Zealand and how before I arrived had nothing going for me but a temporary place to stay. No friends, no family, no church, no job, no car and practically no money to live off of. Looking back, God really did perform a miracle in the fact he not only took care of my needs in NZ but blessed me with so much more than I could have asked for or deserve. I imagined starting my life back in Fresno to be very simple and easy. I've lived here my whole life, all my family is here, I have lots of really good friends and have a wonderful church that I'm apart of. With so many things in my favor I thought it would be real easy to adjust to Fresno, but I was wrong.

The part I was dreading most was looking for a job. First of all I wasn't sure what I wanted to do, do I go back to serving tables or try something new like work at a gym, after all I do have a degree in Kinesiology that I've been "sitting" on. After applying at a few what I thought were "in the bag" jobs, I realized that the economy really was hurting and that finding somewhere to work would be more of a challenge then I had anticipated. I did hear about an offer to go back to Tahoe Joe's, where I had worked previously for seven years but I wanted something new. Long story short, after a few weeks of searching for a job, I got a job a Tahoe Joe's. Funny how God knows best. At first I was really hesitant in going back to TJ's. It's not that I didn't like it at TJ's, it was just the fact that I had moved on from there and my pride was getting in the way of seeing any benefit of working there again. Last week I started back at the Joe's and can honestly say that there is no other place I would rather be working right now. First off, I'm working at a different location that I did before so it feels new and fresh. The general manager, Sky, is a good friend of mine and some of the employees I already know which makes it a fun place to work. I don't have to learn a new menu or new computer system and Sky has allowed me to pretty much pick what days I can and cannot work. In hindsight I am very thankful that I did not a get a job working anywhere else.

Since I've been back I've been getting very involved with the church I attend, the Well Community Church. I began an internship program, with the Well, that started the last week in January and will continue until May. The idea behind the internship is to help those with an interest in church ministry gain a holistic view of the different ministries that make up a church, specifically the Well. In addition I have been helping out with WSM (Well Student Ministries), working with Jr. High students and helping out with worship. Furthermore, I've reconnected as a worship leader for the Well where I am continually poured into and equipped to better serve the Body of Christ with the gifts God had given me.

Although my life back in Fresno isn't exactly the way I imagined it, I have complete assurance that God has me exactly where he wants me to be.

Proverbs 16:1-3
1 To man belong the plans of the heart, but from the LORD comes the reply of the tongue.
2 All a man's ways seem innocent to him, but motives are weighed by the LORD.
3 Commit to the LORD whatever you do, and your plans will succeed.

California Here I Come Right Back Where I Started From

2009-01-09T19:38:00.000-08:00

Well I've been back in the States for almost a month now and his has been pretty full on! My family had rented a cabin up in Shaver for the weekend before Christmas (Dec 18-21) and was really disappointed that I wasn't going to be there for it. You see, my family wasn't expecting me until the 23rd because that was what day my plane was initially scheduled to arrive. Little did they know that I had a little surprise in store for them. Thanks to the friendly folks of New Zealand, I made enough money busking to change my plane ticket to arrive a week early on the 17th. My best friend Erik picked me up from LAX and I stayed with him in Santa Monica for a night. On the 18th, Erik drove me all the way to Fresno. After dropping some luggage off at my parents house, everyone was already up at the cabin, we drove to Shaver to surprise my family. I knew how to find the cabin because I had casually asked my sister Alysson if I could see pictures of where they would be staying. Aly ended up sending me a link to the website with not only pictures but the address also. HA HA, she had no clue!

So we pulled up to the cabin and Erik let me out. I knocked on the door and turned around so that whoever answered would only see the back of my giant white poof jacket I was wearing. My brother Josh answered the door and I wish I could have seen his face, I'm sure he felt puzzled and confused. After a short pause, he said in a hopeful voice, NO, NO WAY! Josh then called out for me to turn around and then the anticipation really grew with more family members approaching the scene to see what was going on. After a standoff which probably only lasted a minute or two but felt like an eternity, I turned around! YEEAAAAAAHHHH! I went up to Josh and gave him a big hug! Screams of joy and excitement began to fill the house and family members, many having no clue as to what was going on, started to gather from all around the three story vacation rental to the front door! It was the perfect surprise! The next hour was filled with hugs, kisses, picture taking and people stilling my hat. I have such an amazing family and I was overwhelmed with excitement myself seeing all my brothers, sisters, nieces, nephew, grandparents along with my aunt Jan and her boyfriend Doug. That night is definitely one I will never forget! Spending that weekend with my family was one of the most special times in my life, and of course a ton of fun. That weekend I got to go snowboarding, I ate some AMAZING food, had an all out "HALO" war on the XBOX with the Bros, watched movies, sang Christmas carols, had nightly devotions as a family and of course just talked and caught up with all that has been going on with everyone in my family. Wow, what a way to begin life back in the US.

Because we celebrated Christmas a little early this year, Christmas day was actually pretty mellow. My brothers Josh and Chad are married and my other brother Joel is engaged, so everyone was kind of scattered around town this year. Alysson and I had a nice quiet day with mom and dad and just relaxed a little bit. We did get most of the family together that night though, we played "Four on a Coach" and watched a movie.

The very next day my brother Chad and I took off for the coast. We packed up my surfboards and an ice chest along with some camping gear. We spent the weekend camping at a beautiful little campground in Montana De Oro and just had a blast. Chad had never really been surfing before and he just dominated out there in the water. We surfed three days straight and each day we were in the water well over two hours. My good friend Matt Owens surprised me at our campsite on Saturday morning and spent the day surfing and hanging out with us. From Morro Bay to Cayucas to Pismo, we just about did it all including eating at one of my favorite places, "The Splash Cafe", where they have the BEST clam chowder. We got home from our trip just in time for me to make the 7pm church service at the Well.

The following Tuesday, December 30th, I again left Fresno with my good mates Anthony and Nick for the little town of Hollister. Anthony was to be married on Saturday and Nick is his fiances brother and best man. I was one of the groomsmen and once again playing the role of wedding singer, performing "All I Need", by Shawn McDonald. Another amazing week to say the least. Both the Francis' (Anthony's side) and the Vandenburg's (Nicks family) were so much fun to be around and every waking moment was filled with nonstop action and excitement. Needless to say I had a fantastic new years and had a great time being apart of a truly spectacular wedding. Congratulations, Anthony and Rose!

Thank you God for allowing me the opportunity to move to NZ, meet some amazing people, have many incredible experiences, make lasting memories, and grow in my faith with you my Lord and King! You have blessed me beyond anything I can imagine or deserve and to you I surrender all that I am. As I approach this new chapter of my life back in Fresno, help me to honor you in all that I do. Give me the strength to trust in you as I continue to seek after your will and purpose for my life. All glory, honor and praise to you alone my God, for without you I can do NOTHING! AMEN!

The Dunedin Street Busker

2008-12-12T16:15:00.000-08:00

So right before I left Fresno, before coming to New Zealand, I jokingly said that maybe I'll have to sing and play my guitar on the streets for money just to make it by. Well, what was meant to be a funny, sarcastic statement has now become a reality for me. I am still working at the Lone Star but the hours I get from five days of work have significantly been reduced, putting me in a rough spot financially. It's also not really convenient to look for another job because I'm coming home just before Christmas.

About three weeks ago I grabbed my guitar and headed out to one of the prime busking spots. Busking or buskers are what they call street musicians/performers over here. You know the guy who goes around hammering a giant nail up his nose or the Michael Jackson impersonator who busts out wild dance moves as he cranks the volume on his $3o dollar boom box? That's me, I'm that guy, the weirdo! The first time I went busking I was really nervous to the point I almost backed out. I had my guitar in hand and when I got to "the spot" I slowly put my guitar down and began to unzip the case. What am I doing, what am I doing , what am I doing is all that was going through my mind. Anyway, I strapped on my guitar and with little or no hesitation just started belting out some songs in this little walkway between the mall and a major supermarket. An hour and a half later a was walking away with a whopping $31 dollars. After getting the butterflies out and realizing that busking paid better than my real job, I've made an effort to get out a couple times a week. This last Tuesday I made over $80 dollars in two hours and made about the same on Thursday. I'm actually having a lot of fun now going out and busking and have even got to share my faith with several people in the process. Typically I play a few cover songs that people most likely know or have heard before then I'll sneak in some worship songs because that's what I enjoy playing most.

The overall responses I've received from people passing by has been very positive and encouraging so it makes it fun and worth while. It's pretty hilarious when I see people I know! I'll stop and talk for a little bit with them but it can also be a little awkward sometimes, as you can imagine.

On a separate note, I'm really looking forward to spending Christmas with my family and friends back home in Fresno. For those who have been following my blog I am especially grateful. Your prayers and support have blessed me in so many ways! I hope you have seen the hand of God moving in my life and have been encouraged to see all the He has done for me over here in NZ. When I arrive back in Fresno the journey continues because I have no idea what the next step will be for my life. Please continue to keep me in your prayers, specifically that God will give me guidance and that His purpose for my life will be fulfilled.

May the joy of Christmas fill your hearts this holiday season! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

8And there were shepherds living out in the fields nearby, keeping watch over their flocks at night. 9An angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were terrified. 10But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid. I bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11Today in the town of David a Savior has been born to you; he is Christ the Lord.
Luke 2:8-11

Dunedin Sucks! (at least that's what the locals tell me)

2008-11-16T02:56:00.000-08:00

What a great week it has been, incredible! Last Sunday night after church I went camping with my good mates Ben and Pete to one of our favorite surf spots called Purakanui. Now Pete arrived a few hours before Ben and me to set things up and catch a few waves before the sun went down. When Ben and I finally arrived at Purakanui it was dark and difficult to see apart from the moonlight fighting its way through the overcast sky to light up the white sand. After a few yelps and Chewbacca calls we managed to find Pete with the tent all set up and a hot chicken curry ready to be devoured, perfect timing. The location of our campsite was surreal! Imagine a strip of land extending into the ocean about 200 feet and at the very edge of it a 50 foot cliff. Our tent was placed on a soft bed of grass at the very edge of this cliff with the ocean waves crashing all around us including the rocks below. Words can't describe just how amazing this place is and because there wasn't much light it was hard to get a picture that could capture the splendor and beauty of what we were experiencing. After enjoying the amazing feed that Pete had prepared, we made pot of hot chocolate and sat at the edge of the cliff singing worship songs. Surprisingly I slept like a champ that night, apart from a train that passed by at around 3 in the morning. We woke up early the next morning before the sun came up, packed up all our camping gear and took it down to the cars, then we put on our wetsuits and paddled out for what ended up being one of the best surf sessions I have had so far here in NZ. The rest of the week was pretty good as well. On Tuesday and Thursday night me and some of the fellas from work rocked out with our guitars and had a great time playing, singing and making up songs. Wednesday afternoon I got to go surfing with Will at Blackhead beach and came back just in time to play some turf soccer. After soccer I had life group where we ended up just watching a movie and playing Rockband. Saturday was the hottest it has been since I've been here in NZ, a whopping 87 degrees! It was so hot on Saturday that Jude and I decided to go to the beach and brave the cold water without a wetsuit. We actually stayed in the water for a pretty long time and also managed to catch a couple nice rides on a boogie board we were sharing. Later that night, when I got off work, I played poker with my flatmates which was a ton of fun, especially since I came out on top. After church today, I went with Jude to his parents place and had lunch with him and his family outside on their beautiful deck.

I am so thankful for all the experiences I have had over here! Everyday there is something new and exciting to do. This week I've decided that I'm going to get a permit that will allow me to go busking (street performer) here in Dunedin. I have a feeling there will be some good stories to share on my next update, ha ha, I'm laughing just thinking about it.

1Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to
offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your
spiritual act of worship. 2Do not conform any longer to the pattern of this
world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to
test and approve what God's will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. Romans 12:1-2

20 Week Anniversary

2008-11-08T00:04:00.000-08:00

These last few weeks have been pretty sweet. I have been surfing a lot with Ben and Pete and also got to surf with Will Anderson at a place I had never been before called, Allens Beach. Work has been going pretty well, it has however been difficult to get the hours I need because the company is trying save money by reducing the length of employee shifts. Me and my boss, Paul, and many other employees have been hanging out upstairs in the function room after work and having massive jam sessions where we take turns singing and playing guitar. Often these jam sessions don't end till really late, like 2am in the morning, but everyone seems to have a good time and so we make it happen a couple times a week. These late night jam sessions have also allowed me to get to know many of the employees I work with on more of a friendship level, which is really cool. I also get to share God's love with them in the form of music with some of the songs I sing, like Amazing Grace.

On Wednesday this week Zac and I spontaneously decided to take a road trip to visit his parents in Timaru, which is about two and a half hours away. Neither of us have any money so we decided to hitchhike. I was kind of hesitant at first but then I thought what a cool and exciting adventure it would be I was keen, especially since I have not traveled more than twenty minutes north outside of Dunedin. After getting dropped off by Marlies, Zac's sister, we waited about twenty minutes before the first, which would eventually be four, good Samaritan picked us up and drove us closer to our destination. We arrived safe and sound in Timaru around four hours later. Zac's mom was going to pick us up and drive us the last leg when we were about 45 minutes away but we ended up getting a lift. Unfortunately Zac's mom had already left and was not far away, when she turned around to head back home she was hit by another car. Aside from getting a few stitches in the back of her head and a finger that was out of joint, Zac's mom seamed to be doing okay. Zac's dad Herman is taking a year off of teaching students that our hearing impaired and deaf, to do an extensive study on lizards in the area. Early the next morning I tagged along with Herman to do some field study and collect data. We found only a few skinks and a few geckos after a full morning of checking traps that Herman had set up weeks before and by also overturning and checking inside rocks and crevices. All in all it was a lot of fun and a great learning experience, it's the closest I've ever been to being a biologist. Later that day, right before we hopped on a buss to come back home, I got to be a shepherd for an hour on Zac's parents farm. This was my favorite part of the trip! I was running around like a maniac trying to get these sheep to go through a certain gate, ha ha , you should have seen me, it wasn't pretty but I finally managed to get them going the right direction! Zac and I ended up taking a buss home because we initially were going to get a ride home with Zac's mom, but the van she was going to take us in was now out of commission.

Well I only have several more weeks here before I come home for Christmas. Although I am really enjoying myself over here in NZ I am looking forward to seeing my friends and family back home in Fresno. I am praying that God will allow me to come back to NZ in January and stay till May which is when my year working holiday Visa is up and also when my brother Joel is getting married but as of right now there is no way that can happen financially. When I come back to Fresno in December it will be another faith walk to see where God leads me. Please continue to keep me in your prayers and ask God to give me vision and direction during this time of uncertainty.

Why Am I Here?

2008-10-22T16:24:00.000-07:00

Probably the most common question I get asked on a regular basis is what am I doing over here. To be completely honest it's a very difficult question for me to answer because I am still wondering that myself. Instead of telling you the WHY, I hope reading about the WHAT will give you better insight as to WHY I am here.

I first of all want to acknowledge God and declare how thankful I am for the blessings he's bestowed on me here in Dunedin, NZ. When I arrived here in on June 22nd of this year I had only a place to stay and even that was temporary. Over the last 17 weeks God has provided for me so many things, answered so many prayers and has allowed me to do some pretty cool stuff along the way. For those who are just joining me on this adventure here are some highlights.

I have a job working at the best restaurant in town , the Lone Star! The people I work with are so much fun and I enjoy spending time with them even outside of work.

I have made lots of friends at work, at church, with students attending university and especially those I have been flatting with and living amongst

I found a church to attend and serve at, DCBC. In fact I got to lead worship last Sunday and get to do it again this Sunday night out at the beach:)

I'm involved with a life group that meets on Wednesday nights where we spend time reading the Word and praying for each other.

I meet regularly with Mathew Scott, the worship pastor at DCBC, for accountability and spiritual growth

Joined the Red Frogs, an organization that aims at serving students and showing God's love in non traditional places and venues like secular concerts and such

My flatmate Josh has allowed me to use his bike as a form of transportation

I got to go snowboarding at Remarkables
I regularly go surfing with my mates Ben and Pete

I ran a marathon!!!

My best friend Erik came and visited me
I've played on a couple of social soccer teams
Got to sing and play at a Christian music festival, Sam Stock, with my good friend Zac. We also have played a couple of times at a bar called the Backstage, during open mic night

The list keeps going but most of this info you can find somewhere in my blog archives. The pictures that you see on this post are of a trip I took yesterday with my flatmates Josh and Dave up at Mt. Cargill. Mt. Cargill is one of the highest places in Dunedin and as you can see has some spectacular views!

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Matthew 6:25-26

Aramoana, Queenstown and the St. Kilda

2008-10-07T15:04:00.000-07:00

This last week I had the opportunity to take some fun trips with my flatmates. On Friday afternoon Josh, Dave and myself drove to Aramoana just because it was so beautiful outside. We had fun running, jumping, sliding, flipping and falling on the steep sand dunes. We also enjoyed climbing some of the cool rock features that were around us, including a well known one called the "Key Hole", that I climbed up in to.

Friday night right after work I took off for Queenstown with Dave and his friend Matt where we stayed with one of their old church buddies, JP. We were supposed to do one of Central Otago's finer tramps called, the "Route Burn", but that got cancelled due to avalanche warnings. Next option was to do a shorter tramp which was in lower altitude but when we woke up Saturday morning it was raining and the weather changed our plans. Amy, Mel, Kate, and my flatmate Trudy were about 2 hours outside Queenstown. This group of girls were supposed to start the tramp on the opposite end and meet us in the middle so we could swap keys and have transportation when we reached our destination. Since we no longer were doing the tramp the girls decided to come to Queenstown to hang out with us. This was great because I got to catch up on some much needed sleep while we waited for the girls to arrive. What was supposed to be a very strenuous, physically challenging day, turned into a relaxing and refreshing tour around Queenstown involving a lot of food. JP makes a living by jumping out of planes with people attached, aka skydiving. Due to the weather, JP had the day off and was able to hang out with us and showed us a really good time. First we hit up an internet cafe to get a breakfast burrito, it was no Robertito's but not bad concerning NZ's deprivation of Mexican food. We were still pretty set on doing some tramping so we decided to hike to the top of the gondolla's for a good look around at Queenstown. After taking a few pics and soaking up the view we took the gondolla's down where we proceded to continue our feed fest. Padagonia was our first stop. MMmm chocolate icecream goodness. Followed by the "Bath House Cafe", where I enjoyed the best hot chocolate I have ever had in my life. The girls called it quits after the Bath House and took off back home. Dave, Matt and myself, however, decided that a trip to Queenstown wouldn't be complete without a stop at "Fergburger". Seriously, this burger was GINORMOUS, like a "Chilli's" burger on steroids. After eating our burgers outside on the patio and soaking in the sun that eventually made it through the clouds, we made our way back home to Dunedin. Sunday was another beautiful day! After church I went to St. Kilda with Dave and Josh. Some of my friends from DCBC met us out there and we had a great time throwing the football and frisby around. All in all another great week full of fun, fellowship, and God's blessings. This Friday my old flatmate Mary and her fiance Ben, my surf buddy, are getting married. About a month ago they asked me if I would like to lead worship for the wedding. I am really excited for the opportunity to play such a significant role in my very first wedding here in NZ.

Psalm 150
1 Praise the LORD. Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens.
2 Praise him for his acts of power; praise him for his surpassing greatness.
3 Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet, praise him with the harp and lyre,
4 praise him with tambourine and dancing, praise him with the strings and flute,
5 praise him with the clash of cymbals, praise him with resounding cymbals.
6 Let everything that has breath praise the LORD. Praise the LORD.

A Weekend With My Best Friend

2008-09-29T02:30:00.000-07:00

What an amazing week it has been! On Monday I came down with a cold that I'm still fighting but that didn't slow me down one bit. My best friend, Erik Johnson, came to visit me this weekend. From the time Erik arrived Friday afternoon until he left today, Monday afternoon, it has been non stop. Here's a rough itinerary or our weekend:

Friday

Lunch at Velvet Burger

Cruise the Octagon

Chocolate Factory Tour

Watch Narnia production, "The Dawn Treader", starring Zac as King Caspian

Zac and me perform at Sam Stock

Saturday

Breakfast at Capers, MMmm chocolate chip pancakes

Otago Museum, butterfly exhibit

Jude's 21st B-Day Luncheon

Speights Brewery Tour

Dinner at Lone Star, where I work

Sunday

Surf St. Clair and Blackhead Beach

Morning church

Lunch in the Botanical Gardens

World's Steepest Street with Pete (Erik), worship practice (me)

Lead Worship for night church at DCBC

Signal Hill

This morning Erik and I had breakfast at Capers again and after that it was time to pack up his stuff and drive him to the airport.

It was fun having my best friend in town, especially since we haven't spent that much time together over the last few years. We really had a chance to connect and talk about life for the first time which meant a lot to me and was definately the highlight of my weekend.

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no
one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if
you do what I command." John 15:12-14

91 Days and Counting

2008-09-21T04:15:00.000-07:00

Today completes 13 weeks here in a land down under and I feel as if my journey has just begun. God has blessed me with so much and answered so many prayers since my arrival and many of you who have been following me on this journey can attest to it.

I started off the week in a lot of pain, recovering from the marathon. On Monday I ended up calling my boss and asking for the night off of work because I could hardly walk. Tuesday night after work Zac and I went to a bar called, The Backstage. It was open mic night and we ended up going on stage and playing a few songs which was really a lot of fun. Saturday I got to go surf with Ben and Pete again and today I got to help with worship in the morning service playing electric guitar.

This next week I am really excited about! My best friend Erik Johnson is coming to visit and will be arriving here Thursday and staying till Monday. Also Zac and I are playing in a music festival called, Sam Stock on Friday night. A week from today I will be leading worship at DCBC for the night service and this list goes on! Next post should be a good one so make sure you don't miss it!

MARATHON- CHECK

2008-09-14T20:42:00.000-07:00

In my twenty-seven years on this planet I have done a number of things that have challenged my body both mentally and physically. From hitting big jumps and cliffs on a snowboard to surfing in waves that are above my ability to competing in three bodybuilding competitions, my body has taken a lot and has its share of injuries to show for it.

Yesterday I ran a marathon. Now anybody who knows me knows that I just don't have the build of a runner, so there's one point against me. Second, I haven't been training for it! Wednesday before the marathon I ran for an hour and a half but it was the first time in two weeks. Third, the reason I had not been running is that I hurt my knee and ankle snowboarding two weeks before the race. Will Anderson told me he was going to run a marathon about six weeks ago and having always wanted to do one I told him that I would be keen to do it also. Although I cleaned up my diet a little by eliminating chocolate, candy, and dessert foods like ice cream I neglected the most important part of training for a marathon, RUNNING! I maybe ran six times from the day I committed to running the marathon to the day of the race. After finding a number of excuses to back out, including having to pay the $65 dollar entry fee, I was pretty convinced that I would have to run a marathon another day. Friday night, two days before the marathon, I got a text from Will. "You still doing it?" After telling him I wasn't to sure, Will replied with another text. "Do it, You can't go back on your word" Ouch, that was the deal breaker for me!

Saturday night, the day before the race, I had work at the Lone Star. My boss needed me to help out with a 21st Birthday party that was going on in our upstairs function room and I didn't get home until 2am Sunday morning. After a good three hours of sleep it was time to get up and get ready for the marathon. My good mates Jude and Allen who were also running the race picked me up from my flat just after 6am so we could catch the shuttle buses that would drop us off at the start. The marathon was to begin at 8am and by the time the shuttle had dropped us off we had twenty minutes till race time.

After the gun sounded Jude, Allen and myself took to our paces. During the first 5k the three of us were having a great time just soaking in the scenery and commenting on how beautiful the weather was. When we reached the 10k mark it seemed as if we had found our pace, 5 minutes a kilometer. Before we reached 15k, Allen had started to pull ahead of Jude and I and soon disappeared from site. At 20k Jude and I were still side by side and life was good. Then right after half way, 21k, I started to feel a blister forming on the bottom of my right foot. For the next few k's I found myself playing catch up with Jude until I could keep up no longer. At 25k Jude was no longer in site and my legs began to hit the wall. Before approaching the 30k check point, my friend Megan, who works at Lone Star with me, saw me running and came to me with some lollies (gummy fish). Megan jogged along side me for a little bit, said some encouraging words and then took off in a car with her friends to the finish line. At 30k my legs could hardly extend and although I was still jogging people were walking at the same pace. I had made a commitment in my mind that I would not stop running until I went through the finish line. What seemed like and eternity had gone by before reaching the 35k checkpoint. With only 7k to go I pressed on with everything that was in me. It was a very humbling experience to watch girls, old men and yes even grandma cruise on past me as I struggled towards the finish. Well, after 4 hours and 35 minutes of non stop running I am happy to say that I have run my first marathon and I'm still alive. Needless to say after the race I could hardly walk. When I woke up this morning it was even worse, getting out of bed was a very difficult task. My legs are in SO much pain right now, so bad that I got the night off of work.
Before I ran the marathon I read this verse over and over until I memorized it, I hope it encourages you like it encouraged me.

Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those
who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like
eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint.
Isaiah 40:30-31

Surfing with Ben and Pete

2008-09-01T17:48:00.000-07:00

This morning I went surfing with my good mates Ben and Pete at 6:30am. The background picture is of the sun rising this morning. God is still the best artist I know! Yesterday I went surfing with the boys also and it was quite an experience, sweet, two days in a row. The first place we went was really hard to get out because the tide was so strong. Not only that but a sea lion decided he would chace Ben all the way to shore and then continued following him on the beach. We decided to give the sea lion his territory and made way for another beach on the other side of the rocks where we were surfing. After a short time in the water we made a decision to look for better surf so we loaded up again and went to Blackhead. At Blackhead the surf was a little better and I ended up catching one wave that made it worth all the paddeling I had done. This morning at "Pete's secret spot" I only ended up really catching one wave but it was by far the longest ride I have had so far here in NZ. Two epic surf trips in two days!

Mid Semester Break Part 1

2008-08-29T19:22:00.000-07:00

What a week it has been! After many weeks of attending and observing different churches here in Dunedin I have ended up right where I started, at DCBC. I feel this is where God wants me to be and to serve. On Tuesday I met with Matthew Scott, the worship pastor at DCBC, about getting involved on a worship team. After talking with Matthew he decided to give me the freedom to form my own team and be added as a regular worship leader for the Sunday evening service. Praise God! I am so excited about serving at DCBC and can't wait to see how God uses me at this church. Please pray that God will provide the right people to serve alongside me as I form my team and that I can effectively lead His people here.

Wednesday was a big day for me, I left Dunedin for the very first time! Zac and I made some last minute plans to take a road trip, being this week is mid-semester break and Uni is out. We decided to go visit his sister on her farm in Winton, about 2 hours away and then go snowboard at a nearby ski field. Zac let me drive most of the time by the way which made traveling a lot more exciting and fun! Justus, Zac's brother just started working on the farm last week. It is the busiest season for dairy farmers right now and Zac's sister and her husband were looking for some extra help. I always wanted to spend a day on a dairy farm so when I arrived I told Justus to show me around. After putting on some blue coveralls and gumboots, Justus and I hopped on a quad and we went to go do some farm work. The first farm duty we set out to accomplish was measuring the grass height in each of the pallets (section of field that the cows graze in). Attached to the back of the quad was a metal contraption with rubber tires. As we drove across each palette it would measure the average height of grass. It didn't really make much sense to me why we were doing this but I later found out that this information is very important so that the farmer knows which pallet to have the cows graze in. After measuring grass for about an hour we made our way to where the cows were being milked. Each cow would load onto this milking merry-go-round thing and then the farm workers, including myself, would try and attach a four fingered suction apparatus to the teats of the cow. Easier said than done! The cows seemed to have their own competition going for who could make the biggest cow pie. Not only that but the cows would often kick backwards to try and take you out. Lets just say I have a greater appreciation when I drink milk now! After putting in some good hours on the farm I had myself a good feed, played some Ticket To Ride and went to bed.

2008-08-19T04:13:00.000-07:00

I was laying in my warm bed listening to the sound of rain crash against my bedroom window. The wind sounded powerful and destructive and I thought for sure I wasn't going to get a text from Ben. After thinking of a hundred excuses just in case I did receive the dreadful message I realized that the wind and the rain had died down quite a lot. Sure enough my phone buzzed, maybe it's to cancel, yeah that has to be it. "We'll be there in a few"-Ben. Nooooooooooo! I can't believe I'm actually getting ready, I just want to stay in my warm cozy bed and sleep for another couple hours. After putting some clothes on I hopped back in bed. What seemed like just minutes later Ben was knocking on my door. "Chris get up, lets go! Pete's waiting in the car." Well, I guess I'm going, I'm definitely not going to punk out. I jumped out of bed, ran down the stairs and grabbed my wetsuit, booties, hoody and rash guard out of the restroom down stairs. I looked at Ben with a smirk and shook my head. "What are we thinking, we're crazy," I shouted. We ran out to the car, I threw my gear in the back seat and hopped in and with no hesitation we were off. The car was nice and warm and I soon realized I was in for a surfing experience of a lifetime as I watched the slate hit the front windshield of Ben's car.

After driving for about 40 minutes we reached our destination, Aramoana Beach, located on the north side of the end of the Otago peninsula. Pete was the first to jump out and run to get a look at the waves, Ben and me hesitated then ran up to where he was. After a few moments of scoping out the surf we all ran back to the car to get ready. Ten minutes later we were running down the beach with our boards, out of excitement to surf as well as trying to stay warm in the 4 degree C temp. The water was a whopping 8 degrees C, Brrrrrrrrrr cold. After saying a quick prayer and doing a few stretches we booked it into the water. Unlike Pete and Ben I have not yet invested in gloves so my hands were the only part of my body not covered in rubber. The first half hour was awesome. All three of us were catching waves and having a blast. We owned the beach apart from one other surfer about a hundred meters down from where we we were. I swear we experienced every type of weather in the 2 hours we were out there. The rain turned to hail, then the sun came out, back to a windy hail storm, then sunny and calm, right back to dark cloudy and rainy. The weather didn't matter though. Apart from getting pelted by some ice rocks and not having feeling in my hands I was so glad I chose to get out of my comfortable bed and go surf in the coldest weather I've have ever surfed in my life.

Psalm 136:1-3
1 Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good. His love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever.

Six weeks already? Time sure does fly!

2008-08-05T04:31:00.000-07:00

Well this last Sunday makes it 6 weeks that I've been here in Dunedin, NZ and I am enjoying every minute. The weather has been really cold and wet the last two weeks but today (Tuesday) was awesome. The sun came out a little bit today and so I went for a little run around my town. Everytime I go running I try to go somewhere new, you know get lost and explore your surroundings. Well my run ended up at the World's Steepest Street so of course I decided to run up it. There was a water fountain at the top which was very refreshing and after a few moments soaking up the view I made my way home.

I moved into my new flat last Monday and I really enjoy all my new flatmates. There are six of us total, 3 boys and 3 girls. Two of the girls, Jess and Mary, are engaged to be married at the end of this year. Yesterday was pretty fun, Mary and I went shopping for groceries for the entire flat, we're on food duties for these next two weeks. Last Wednesday was my first night to cook a feed for everyone so I called my mom and got the recipe for her Swedish pancakes. That's right, breakfast for dinner, it was awesome and the Swedish pancakes tasted just like momma made em.

Work has been going really well and I feel God is going to use me in a big way at the Lone Star. Just last week I had two people ask me if I was a Christian, because I don't drink I stand out, especailly in Dunedin where they are known for their consumption of alcohal. One of the cooks tried to get me to say the f-bomb the other night, I think he somehow found out that I don't swear and wanted to see if it was for real.

I try to stop by every so often to visit the boys at the old flat. Sunday night after work I stopped by the flat and ended up having an awesome chat with Will. We haven't had too many opportunies to connect because he stays really busy with his studies. Will asked me if I believed in fate and I got to share with him what I believe about God and how He has plan for all of us.

This week I got Skype up and running on my computer so for those of you who are Skype users please feel free to call me up. For those of you who don't know what Skype is, it is a free download where you can talk to people all over the world via chat or webcam for free. If you don't have Skype you really should get it, here's the link http://www.skype.com/

In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven. Matthew 5:16

Moving to a New Flat

2008-07-21T19:16:00.000-07:00

The last couple of weeks I have been sleeping on the couch since everyone arrived back for Uni. I absolutely love my flat and my flatmates but I knew that I would eventually have to find another place so that I could actually unpack my clothes and stuff. Some friends from church invited me to come live in their flat last week, it sounded like a great opportunity as it would put me close to a lot of people from church but it was further away from work, church, Uni and the Octogan than I wanted to be. Yesterday I started looking for flats on Trademe (NZ version of Ebay) and responded to three adds because I knew I had to find a place fast. That night I got a text from one of the people I responded to and he asked me when would be a good time for me to check out the house. I told him I would check it out tomorrow around 11am but after he text me directions I realized the flat was just down the street. My flatmate Paul and I jumped on some bikes and went over to the house to check it out. Simon, the person who placed the add welcomed us and gave us a quick tour and introduced me to his flatmates. The room was fairly small but it had everything I needed such as a closet, desk and a bed that Simon said he would sell me for $100 bucks. I told him that I really liked it but that I still wanted to check out some more houses before I made my decision. This morning I started searching Trademe to find out which add it was that Simon had posted because I didn't remember seeing pictures of the house that I had went to the night before. Typically I only check the adds that have pictures but when I was on Trademe yesterday I found myself searching adds that didn't have any pictures. One of the adds I looked at said they were looking to find someone willing to join five Christian students in their flat. The add didn't have any pictures and I wasn't sure where the flat was located but it was one of the three adds I ended up responding to. So today I was looking for Simon's add and stumbled on the Christian student one again. When I looked at the bottom of the page to see the contact person it said Simon Seal. I didn't believe it! Really, I didn't think that this was the same Simon because that would just be too amazing. After I got out of the Uni library I text the Simon I had met with the night before and asked him what his Trademe name was. Simon text me back, "I think it might be Simon Seal", my jaw dropped. I was praying yesterday that God would help me find a new flat that is very close to where I am living now and that I would have some cool flatmates to live with. Wow, God is so good and he answers prayer in the most amazing ways. I told Simon that I was not evan going to look at any other houses, like I had mentioned, but that my search had ended and I was more than keen on moving in. I went over to Simon's flat again today at 11am and had a great time sharing with him and some of his flatmates that they had been an answer to prayer. Simon responded that I was an answer to his prayer in trying to find a good flatmate to replace him. "Trust in the LORD with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight." Proverbs 3:4-6

In the Life of a Kiwi: Week 4

2008-07-19T20:21:00.000-07:00

can't believe it, I've already been here for four weeks! Time is just flying by and I am having the most incredible experience over here. Today I got to play guitar with the worship team at DCBC for the morning service, which was a lot of fun. After church many of the students went over to the ministry centre where we each brought our favourite pizza topping and made homemade pizzas. Last night I watched my friends band play at an Irish bar called the "Bog" and before that I was invited to have tea (dinner) with some friends from church at their house. Earlier on Saturday I went with my flatmate James to watch a Rugby match and before that I went to the local Farmers Market with Zac, Justus, Marlies (Zac's sister), and Jude. Friday I worked at the good ol' Lone Star and Thursday night I got to go to a concert and help pass out waters, lollies (candy) and Ice box (Otter Pops) with a youth ministry called the Red Frogs. The Red Frogs is an organization that started out in Australia and is just beginning to take root here in New Zealand. Red Frogs attend many secular functions such as concerts and parties and provide a better alternative than getting smashed with alcohol. Apart from handing out free goodies the Red Frogs attempt to show God's love through conversation and driving home those who are too intoxicated. Wednesday night I went to a potluck/Bible study that I really enjoyed and hope to become more involved in, depending on my work schedule. Monday and Tuesday night I worked and that pretty much sums up my week. Monday I did get to go to a gym with James at the student rec centre which was good times except for how sore I was the rest of the week. There are a lot of people I haven't heard from in a real long time and I would make my day if you emailed me or left a comment on my blog. Please continue to keep me in your prayers and let me know how I can pray for you. "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near." Philippians 4:4-5

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New Zealand Pics

2008-07-14T14:32:00.000-07:00

New Zealand Pics

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New Zealand Pics

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Great News

2008-07-07T03:58:00.000-07:00

Great news! God is already starting to use me and that really excites me. Today I was reading the Bible on the coach and a friend of one of my flatmates dropped in out of the blue. He has been searching for God and reading different books from Buddhism to New Age and he told me how strange it was that he stopped by. Just before he came in he was just talking to someone about getting a Bible and it just so happen I was reading it when he dropped in. I had a great conversation with him and I pray that God will continue to use me in his life. His name is Fraser and if you could add him to your prayer list that would be awesome. I hope I have lots of stories like this to share so please continue checking the blog.

Chris

In the Life of a Kiwi: Week 2

2008-07-06T17:42:00.000-07:00

Today is Monday July 7th and University (Uni) is starting today for all my flat mates. I finally met Will for the first time last night and the rest of the flatmates arrived this morning. Dunedin appears to have double in population overnight as all the students are back from holiday. It sure does feel good to be done with the whole school thing.

Well I have some exciting news! Last week I started my new job serving tables at an awesome restaurant called Lone Star. The people I work with are a lot of fun, the management is real layback and the food is excellent. I spent a lot of my time last week hanging out with Zac and Justus (Ustes, I was way off) and even stayed the night on Saturday after they kept me up till 1:30am, teaching me a new card game. Zac took me out to the end of the peninsula on Thursday and we got to see some sea lions, a random pig and a giant bird called an Albatross. Zac also let me drive his car a little which was a lot of fun, for me anyway. I think I gave Zac a scare because I drove maybe a little too far left on the left-hand side of the road. Yesterday I had to drive a bunch of people in Zac's car to the indoor soccer field and gave everyone a scare in a round-a-bout we went through on the way. I didn't signal and almost stalled the car because I wasn't sure what direction or exit to take, I tried using my blinker but of course they put that on the wrong side as well. I must say that driving is a lot more fun and exciting over here, especially with the steep hills, winding roads and round-a-bouts.

Work has been going really well since I started on Tuesday. Tuesday and Wednesday were kind of trial days to see if I would like working there, I didn't get paid but they bought me a dinner (tea) of my choice. Thursday I had off, Friday and Saturday I trained alongside one of the servers and I continue training tonight. It is evident that people have been praying for me as God has already answered so many prayers. I have made some great Christian friends at a good church, Dunedin City Baptist Church (DCBC). I landed a great job that will allow me to survive financially as well as provide the means to do fun things like travel and snowboard.

My flat mates are a lot of fun and very active in sports; they have really accepted me in and made me feel at home. I am so thankful and excited for all that God is doing in my life over here and I pray that I will be used in a powerful way to be a light to those around me. My sole purpose for coming over here is to be used by God in whatever way, shape or form and it is my desire to be His hands, feet, mouth and heart. I hope that everyone back home had a great 4th of July and I will do my best to post a few pictures that I've taken so please continue to check back. For those who haven't read my last post if you could please send me an email so I that I can save your email address that would be fantastic. cbeery@gmail.com

Chris wants YOUR email Address!!!

2008-07-05T23:07:00.000-07:00

Wow, keeping this blog updated is a lot harder than I thought. I'm already getting hate mail saying I need to update more. Well, earlier this week I tried to add a chat room to my blog and it turned out to be a complete failure so I have eliminated that feature. However I realize that when people leave me messages on my blog I can't exactly respond right back to them because I don't have any email addresses. I want to encourage everyone who reads this post to please email me at cbeery@gmail.com. You don't even have to leave a message if you don't want to, although that would be pretty sweet. Honestly I am too tired to write anything more right now, I just played indoor soccer for two hours with some Kiwis from church and they completely schooled me. Actually I have to go to church in a half hour so I really do have to go. I'll post more about my week tomorrow so make sure you keep checking back.

Chris Beery

A Great Day!

2008-07-01T03:16:00.000-07:00

Well I wasn't too excited about going to the 7pm young adults service on Sunday but I'm very glad I did. I arrived a little early to try and meet people but I found myself sitting alone watching the worship team practice. After about ten minutes the sound tech guy came and introduced himself to me. I soon found out that it was the same person that I emailed earlier in the week regarding a Wednesday night small group. Jude, invited me to come and chat with him in the back so he could continue running sound for the band. Lisa, another girl I had talked to through email regarding small groups came up and introduced herself to me as well and then she started introducing me to heaps of people. I left the service that night having met a lot of people and was even asked to join some people for a movie afterwards. After the movie I got a ride home by two very talented German musicians, Zac and his brother Ustes, that moved to NZ back in the mid 90's. Zac invited me to go watch the 2008 Euro Cup Finals with him and his mates at 6:30am to watch his home country take on Spain. I wasn't going to miss out on an opportunity to hang out and watch a highly publicized soccer game to I delightfully obliged to go. After Germany lost to Spain 1-0 we decided to play a little soccer match of our own on the turf field at the university. Two minutes into the game I was going in for a 1 on 1 and got smacked on accident right in my mouth by another player. I'm so competitive that I always end up getting hurt but I had a great time nonetheless. After we tired ourselves out we went to Jude's house and had some food. Later Zac and Ustes took me to St. Clair Beach which was amazing. Just when I thought the day couldn't get any better I found myself in a massive jam session with Zac playing piano, Ustes playing violin and me playing guitar.

In the life of a Kiwi: Week 1

2008-06-28T18:43:00.000-07:00

Well today marks my 1 week anniversary here in Dunedin, NZ. I'm sure there were skeptics as to me making it this far but I'm happy to report I'm still alive and ready for week 2. On the plane from Auckland to Dunedin I sat next to a couple, Sam & Sarah, who had just moved to Dunedin 6 months ago from the UK. They were on their way back from taking a short holiday in Samoa. I asked Sam if they were going to take a taxi or a shuttle home from the airport in hopes that I could ride along with them. After he discussed with his wife he turned to me and said that they would be happy to drive me home. Wow, I was not expecting that at all! Not only did I save heaps of money not having to take a bus or taxi but I made my first friends. God was already providing for me and preparing the way and I hadn't even landed at my destination yet. When we arrived at my house Sam and I went on a scavenger hunt looking for the key to the house. Sure enough is was right under the brick behind the house, right where Will said it would be in his email to me, a week before I arrived. Will and all but one of his flatmates were off visiting their parents back home because they had just finished exams at university and had a few weeks off for holiday. Manaia was the only flat mate home and I think I startled him pretty good when I arrived and walked through the front door. Half dressed and half asleep Manaia welcomed me with a warm Maori accent and then made me some breakfast, Wheat Bix, a popular NZ cereal. After I got my stuff somewhat settled in Manaia took me about the city in his old school Honda Civic for a little tour of Dunedin. After seeing some of the sites we returned back to the house and Manaia walked down the street to pick us up some fish and chips. After eating some amazingly good deep fried goodness, Manaia took off to Christchurch where he is originally from. All alone again with no friends, no family and no transportation. I decided to go for a quick walk into the city and have a look around. One thing I really like about living here is that everything is pretty much within walking distance which is great, especially when you don't have a car. Dunedin is a lot like Berkeley in the sense that it is a university town with lots of old buildings and lots of fun places to eat, shop and walk around. After a brief stroll through the Octagon, the city's center, I returned back home and as I arrived at the house I heard someone calling my name. Will and Manaia had apparently informed the neighbors that I would be arriving from the US and to make sure I had everything I needed. Rose and Jen who live across the street told me I was welcome to stop by anytime and so this made me feel right at home. For most of this week I've been doing a lot of walking around trying to get a good feel of my surroundings. For the most part I haven't met a whole lot of people so I've been doing a lot of stuff by myself. While in the States I applied for a job as a membership consultant at the Les Mills gym here in Dunedin. After meeting with the owners they decided not to offer me the position because they needed someone who is going to be more permanent and commit to at least a year. I find this to be good news and a blessing from God because although I would have enjoyed working with Les Mills I would have jumped right into a full time job with no real flexibility to travel within NZ or do anything else. My job search continues and so does my search to find a church. I went to a church this morning and although the pastor gave a good message and I knew all the worship songs I felt a little out of place and no one welcomed me or introduced themselves accept the worship director who I had met earlier in the week because the church office is around the corner from my house. They do have a young adults service that meets Sunday nights at 7pm so I am going to attend that and see if it is any different. God has definitely positioned me in a unique place here in Dunedin and I look forward to seeing how He is going to use me.

Let the Experience Begin Part 2

2008-06-24T18:07:00.000-07:00

Somewhere I have always wanted to travel is New Zealand. A friend I served with at The Well, David Akina, was actually born there and when I told him what I was looking to do he mentioned the possibility of staying with some of his relatives. Several weeks went by and I had not heard anything from Akina and I knew that I had to figure something out quickly becuase my financial situation was on the decline. I found out that another friend, David Obwald, taught swimming in New Zealand for a year so I decided to give him a call. Immediately after I had told Dave what I was looking to do he told me he had someone in mind that I could stay with. It wasn't long after that David called me back with great news. David said he talked with Will Anderson, one of his swim students, and that he would be able to accomodate me. It turns out that Will is from Hawks Bay on the north island of New Zealand but is attending Otago Universtiy in Dunedin, which is on the south island. God had finally opened a door for me and so I immediately capitalized on the situation by selling off posessions, like my 2007 Honda Civic. After I sold my car, which was a miracle how it happened, I found myself with insufficient funds to purchace a plane ticket to New Zealand. Now I had a lot of friends who knew what was going on in my life and that I was planning to move to NZ. God began to provide in the most amazing ways the resources I needed to purchase my ticket. I was able to find work through friends and family which was a tremendous help. Suprisingly though, the majority of the money I received came not from the work I did but rather people wanting to support and bless me as God had laid it on their hearts. On Saturday June 14th after selling some rubbish at a yard sale I finally had enough money to purchase my ticket, so I did, around 3:30 that afternoon.

Let the Experience Begin Part 1

2008-06-22T17:52:00.000-07:00

I can’t believe it! It’s about 7:45pm and I’m sitting in the airport getting ready to board the plane to NZ. I’ve been praying for this day for what seems like an eternity and it’s finally here. In the last couple of weeks I have been asked many different questions regarding my journey to New Zealand so I feel it would be very beneficial if I addressed the road that led me to this life changing desision. First I need to take you back to March of this year to try and begin to make any sense of this madness.
I was working for a huge multi-billion dollar company, as a sales rep, that took very good care of me financially and had impressive benefits. After sticking with the company for a year and a half I found myself putting a lot of effort, energy and time into doing something I wasn’t very passionate about. A long time ago I made an agreement with myself that I would not stay at a job just because the money was good, if I wasn’t passionate about what I was doing. A friend of mine told me that the city of Fresno was going to be accepting applications for firefighter positions and this triggered me to start pursuing other opportunities. My roommate Tyler was engaged to be married so I knew that my living situation was going to change as well. I realized that I would soon be without a job and needed to find new living accommodations but I didn’t have a peace finding these in Fresno. I have always wanted to travel and felt like God was putting me in a position to finally do so. This triggered ideas for me to start searching and looking into opportunities to live somewhere abroad.
I really love to sing and play guitar and there is nothing I enjoy more than to worship God with the gifts He’s given me. My first inclination was to go to a worship college and develop the skills that God has given me to be more effective for His kingdom. After talking with some of the pastors and leaders at The Well, I soon realized that there were plenty of opportunities to grow as a worship leader right within my own church. For some reason I didn’t feel right about accepting an internship offered me to work with the worship director or applying for the residency program, which is a 9 month seminary program offered for free. There is nothing I think that I would enjoy more than to be a worship intern and to go through residency at my church but it just didn’t feel like the right timing. I continued searching for opportunities to go abroad through organizations like World Impact, YWAM and Global Passion but for some reason I didn’t get very far.

To be continued.....

Introduction

2008-06-14T22:39:00.000-07:00

Can I just be honest with you, Ive been staring at a blank page for about an hour trying to figure out what I'm supposed to say in my first post. There are so many things I want to talk about and tell you that I don't even know where to start. Since there are probably a lot of people reading this who know little or nothing about me I thought it might be a good idea to share a little bit about myself. For starters my name is Christopher David Beery and I was born 27 years ago in Sanger, Ca. That's right, Sanger. Although my parents David and Laura lived in Fresno at the time, they apparently struck a bargain at the Sanger Hospital. I am the second oldest in a family of five children. The role call order is Josh 29, Chris 27, Joel 25, Chad 22, and my sister Alysson 19. I began my schooling being home schooled, up through third grade, which was pretty awesome because we never had any homework and we were always taking field trips. After my brothers and I burnt our parents out they sent us away to a private school called CABA (Chestnut Avenue Baptist Academy) where I spent the first half of my fourth grade year. I can't say that I liked the school very much because the only thing to do for recess was play four square or go to the snack bar. I did however enjoy all the free packs of Cornuts that I got from my friend Jason, whose dad worked for the company. The rest of my academic career was spent in the public domain beginning at Robinson Elementary, which was conveniently located across the street from our house. I attended Ahwahnee Middle School, Hoover High, and finished my studies with a bachelors degree in Kinesiology (fancy for PE coach), at Fresno State University. Wow, I apologize for how boring this is, give me a break it's my first post.