Heading for Home

A few photographs from our time away illustrate this last post in this blog.

Our flight did not leave until 9-30pm so we had all day to spend in LA. We had a slow start, we were still a bit tired after the busy day at Disneyland. We had a good breakfast at the hotel and then packed all our bags. We had one empty bag for any purchases.

Just after 10am we set off for a shopping area where there were several stores we we interested in. This meant travelling back along the freeway we had been on yesterday. Hardly needed the map this time.

View from Hotel Window

CP30 at Disneyland

 Our first stop was Target. A Farmers type store, only larger. Many of the prices were very good. David got a bike helmet for a very good price compared to NZ and then to Ross Dress for Less where we all got some bargains. David's dress trousers for $20 -$25NZ.

For lunch we went to a taco place, which was cheap and yummy. The $1 Churros were excellent. Churros had been almost $5 at Disneyland. Before we left David bought an Amazon Fire at an excellent price at Staples.

Rocket Engine at NASA

Looking right across Galveston Island

 Then we headed off to the Beach.  I have been to Santa Monica a number of times because the bus takes you there, but never to Venice Beach. This was the traditional area for hippies and alternative lifestyles. Nothing has changed, there was plenty of the weird and the wonderful. We walked along the beach for quite a long way then back along past the shops and markets. An experience but I don't know that I will rush back.

On the way back to the airport Google wanted to send us on the freeway, but it was nearing rush hour so we went on the local road instead and made really good time back to the hotel. David filled the car with Petrol, Lynda and Aimee filled the bag with the days purchases and then walked to the hotel while David took the car back. It had been good to have a car to explore more easily than by bus.

Sculpture Lake Tahoe

Golden Gate Bridge

 The hotel shuttle took us to the airport where our check in was simple and the security screening didn't take too long, but then there was hardly anyone there to be screened. It would be horrible when there was long line.

We spent the time at the Air New Zealand Lounge, which had fantastic food and was very comfortable. We were also able to have shower which really freshens you after a day of exploring. Just before we boarded our flight we learnt that we had an upgrade. So spoilt!

San Francisco and City Hall from Painted Ladies

Sun rise in Houston

 It was a good flight. A couple of movies. Good meal and then some sleep. Aimee slept for almost 6 hours. Lynda and were jealous. We arrived back in Auckland just after 5am. What a simple process to get through immigration with electronic passport control. Our bags were almost first off the plane and we were first in a line at customs. So before 6am we were in Koru at Domestic. Our flight was not till 8am so it a bit of a wait and chance to read the paper.

Goofy at Disneyland

We arrived back in CHCH by 9-30am where Natalie picked us up.

It had been a fantastic trip. A great holiday where we had seen and enjoyed California. A refreshing and challenging Conference and Council and a great time together.

And next year in late October the Steering Committee meets in Rome!!

A day in Disneyland

If Aimee had not been with us we almost certainly would not have gone to Disneyland. To make it easier and cheaper to get there we hired a car. I booked this on line at a place directly over the road from the hotel. In spite of the open sign there was no one there. We had to wait almost half an hour before anyone turned up and then they had all sorts of forms to fill in. My assessment the more forms to fill in the less competent the company.

The car was OK, a bit old, but not too bad. Once again Google maps helped us on the way along freeways at 60 to 70 miles per hour. It was about 40 minutes at quite high speed. It was much busier than expected with about 30 cars lined up to enter the car park when we arrived 20 minutes before opening time.

Hold on tight

It didn't take too long to get into the park and then to begin to explore. We did pretty well most of the day with around 10 minutes waiting for each ride. We didn't go on absolutely everything, but there were not many we missed.

Tigger

The second ride, Raiders of the Lost Ark broke down just before we got to the front of the que. It broke down again when we were in line at the end of the day, but fortunately started again. It was a great ride.

Lynda enjoyed the tea cups and "Its a small world", David the more action packed, Aimee just enjoyed it. The parade in the late afternoon was good and the food very expensive. The park closed at 8pm, earlier during the week. I don't know if we could have survived till a late close.

In front of statue of Mickey Mouse

In front of the Disney Statue

Castle by Night

Almost Halloween

A hic cup on the way home. My phone ran out of battery. We left the freeway so I could recharge it from a battery pack. It meant we could get for dinner. Good food for a fraction of the cost at Disneyland. The phone ran out of puff again but we had got far enough so I knew how to get back to the hotel. A great day, but we were tired.

LA here we come

Our flight left Houston at 1pm which meant we didn't have to rush to leave the hotel. So after a leisurely start we checked out an caught a taxi to the airport. There was a free bus but they were concerned we would not get there in time. We are not sure why because the taxi only took 25 minutes.

They had a premium check in which was almost deserted so there was no issue in getting through security. We were also able to go into the United Club Lounge., which provided comfy seats, but is not a patch on Air New Zealand Lounges. Still better than having to fight for an uncomfortable seat.

We were in the second to back row this time. A bonus was they had free movies. A rarity in the USA these days. It was a fairly uneventful flight, a couple of patches of turbulence and 3 and 3/4 hours later we were there.

It was a relatively simple process to get our bags and then catch the shuttle to the hotel. It has been rebranded but it was the same place we stayed in as a family 20 years ago coming back from North Carolina.

After checking in we caught the shuttle to Manhattan Beach. It was a hot afternoon and we had not had much to eat all day so we stopped for an ice cream. The speciality is ice cream between two biscuits. Aimee had M & M biscuits Lynda and I more plain. They were very yummy, so much so I didn't get a photograph.

These Life Guard stations are all along the beach

Looking North from Manhattan Beach Pier

After a walk in the sun, out to the end of the pier and then to the Supermarket for a few essentials. We could have stopped at a shopping mall on the way back,  but tiredness, and a two hour time change, saw us go back to the hotel and then to Taco Bell for dinner. Two $5 special packs were plenty for the 3 of us.

Final day in Houston

The Council met again all day on Monday which meant that Lynda and Aimee had the day to relax and do a bit of shopping. It was Labour Day in the USA so some of the very few shops were closed. They visited Forever 21 and the $1.29 store and frequented the swimming pool and had a sleep.

Pool at the Hilton, Houston

David's meeting went well. The notes are in yesterdays blog. He presented the second part of his report and that was also received well by the Council. So all in all a positive meeting. We finished about 4pm. I think we were all ready to conclude it had been a busy and at times tiring week.

2011-2016 Steering Committee

We spent the late afternoon and early evening sorting and packing our cases. The object to put everything we needed in one bag and make sure that the rest were well packed. Clearly we had done a bit of shopping as our bags were much heavier and were getting a little tight.

Church and Council

On the Sunday after the Conference concluded the Council promoted the 100 Preachers project. I was invited to be one of the 100, and was allocated Klein United Methodist. This was about 35 minutes north in what had been paddocks 39 years ago when the church was started. Today it is a very large church complex with a congregation of over 600 at 4 services. I preached at the 11am service. We were very well received and had a good time.

The minister took us to a fish restaurant for lunch where Lynda and I shared a dozen fried and battered prawns. Aimee had a much healthier option. Our visit to Klein was memorable in all the right ways.

The new 2016 - 2021 Council met in the afternoon. I had a major paper to present, which I had written at the steering committee meeting last year. It was well received and passed without difficulty

Worship and Liturgy Programme Committee

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I will put the listening report at the end which covers the Council for Sunday and Monday.

We had decided as a group of New Zealanders who were still in Houston that we would go out for a meal together and went back to the BBQ restaurant we had been to twice before. The ribs were still just as big, but the servings were not uniform. Some were more modest and some where enormous.

Back at the hotel we went for a swim in the pool before retiring for the night.

Listening Report

The newly elected Council for the 2016 -2021 quinquennium met on 4^th and 5^th September to commence the work of the quinquennium.

Council President Rev Dr J. C. Park urged the Council to remember that for the next five years the Council is engaged in mission. He called us to be part of God’s revitalisation project.

The Council took time to receive nominations for the Nominations Committee before considering a report from the Steering Committee inviting a new way of working. This proposal for the Council Programme Committees to plan their work around agreed focus areas was accepted by the Council.

The nine Programme Committees then met to consider their focus areas for the quinnquennium, how they might work together remotely and to commence their work. These meetings continued in the first part of the second day of the Council.

Programme Committees reported their work with clarity and enthusiasm. The focus areas identified will be listed at the end of this summary.

Ecumenical Relations spoke of continuing the dialogues with Roman Catholic, Baptist and Anglican Communions and the need to refresh the dialogue teams, especially with Lay members under 35. They also plan to address issues of intra-Methodist ecumenism. They plan to do their work together through a closed Facebook group.

Education will work with Council members, with friends and partners and with member institutions. They also will be holding regional discussions. This is the 25^th anniversary of IAMSCU and the Education Committee.

Evangelism spoke of foundational principals. First that in all the Council does there is the goal that all may know Christ and that there is a need to pay attention to inter-cultural competencies. The committee will communicate with a web based system.

Family Life is proposing that December 2017 be designated as Family Life Month and will produce resources for the World Methodist Church as one family to be “In prayer for the World”. Submissions will be sought to build the resource.

Inter-religious Relationships reminded that Jesus set the example with his conversation with the woman at the well and his praise of the ‘good Samaritan’

Theological Education saw the focus areas from a theological and educational perspective, as resources which can enrich theological education.

Social Issues shared the intent of making Matthew 25 real. They also shared they intend to engage in a collaborative way of working.

Worship and Liturgy will work together through a blog site. They will begin by thinking about Worship and how it is defined, and how do we know we have worshipped? They also reported the hope that the way of working might be ‘inter-cultural’ where all languages and cultures are taken into account.

Youth and Young Adults spoke of strengthening partnerships, of helping young people gain a knowledge of the Council and taking an active role in promoting justice and peace. Recommendations were adopted by the Council which included the objective that 10% of delegates be young people and programme of leadership development be developed to prepare young people for the Council.

Affiliates World Federation of Methodist and Uniting Church Women thanked the Council for their hospitality in helping host the woman’s conference. More than 800 women participated, enjoying vibrant worship, inspirational bible studies and informative workshops.

World Methodist Historical Society introduced their newly elected President Rev Dr Richard Waugh from the Wesleyan Methodist Church of New Zealand.

Focus areas identified by Programme Committees for 2016 -2021

• Ecumenical Relationships:
• Migration
• Religious Freedom
• Justice & Peace
• Education
• Poverty
• Racism
• Sustainable Development
• Evangelism
• Migration
• Human Trafficking
• Poverty and Inequality
• Family Life
• Health and Well-Being
• Inequality
• Evangelism/Mission
• Inter-Religious Relationships
• Globalisation
• Migration
• Race-Human Relations
• Theological Education
• Being community in digital/tech age
• Poverty and Inequality
• Living reconciliation
• Worship & Liturgy
• Climate Change/Environmental Justice
• Migration
• (Inter-cultural ways of working)
• Social & International Affairs
• Inequality and discrimination
• Migration (human trafficking, modern slavery)
• Climate Justice
• Youth & Young Adults
• Will support Council priorities

The Council agreed to endorse the focus areas identified and to encourage the Programme Committees in their work. The area of sexual abuse was added from the floor and Family Life will include this in its work.

The Council closed with an acknowledgement of Bishop Sarah Davis who was appointed Vice President in 2011 and died in office.

The President closed our rich time together with prayer and exhortation to continue the work of the Council.

The Conference concludes

The opening speaker from Korea gave an interesting, but less accessible address examining the ambiguities in the text of Solomon judging between the two women with one baby. She concluded by saying that instead of judging who is right and who is wrong we need to ask how can we live together. A wise leader would have helped the two women work through the situation, not dividing them against each other.

Rev Dr Yani Yoo

Ivan Abrahams, Jo Anne Lyon, ( recipient of Peace Award) Gillian Kingston, Paulo Lockmann, Kirby Hicky

The new officers for the next five years were presented to the Conference. The new President is from Korea. I was reappointed onto the Steering Committee for the next five years.

Some of the Steering Committee

In the afternoon Jo Anne Lyon the General Superintendent of the Wesleyan Church spoke. She had been awarded the Methodist Peace Prize in the morning and addressed the Conference in the afternoon. I had attended a seminar with her and met an older man who had worked with Martin Luther King. He was a very interesting man. He said 'white folks need black folks to get over their guilt. Black folks need white folks to get over their fear." "In the USA we need racial healing rather than reconciliation ... because have never been one."

Sign Language interpreter

In the evening there was a closing service where the President and Vice President and General Secretary addressed the Conference. Then after Holy Communion we all had some ice cream. Aimee went on to a Youth event while Lynda and I went to bed.

It had been a fabulous Conference with many thought provoking and stimulating presentations. The overall focus, that God's love extends to all, without limit. We had met and talked with many interesting people..

Another really positive day

The Friday programme followed the same pattern as Thursday. The first speaker was Juan Carlos Lopez from Brazil. God called different people and he did it on purpose. God's ultimate purpose to unite the whole of creation under the headship of Christ.  We do not create unity, we are to maintain and preserve it.

A drama about onesss

Dr Harold Good from Northern Ireland asked what does it mean to be one people? How far does it extend? Peace and walls are contradictions. Every conflict begins with the sin of exclusion.

Dr Good

The early church battled with who was in and who was out. Oneness is not sameness. Diversity enriches us. Oneness is not exclusivity. Wesley would not have tolerated the individualism of today. Central to Methodist theology is the word ALL. Cherish this gift and share it with others.

A perceptive quote

In the afternoon Jennifer Cox from England reflected on Isaiah 61. Comfort to inspire the Hebrew people to risk rebuilding. Isaiah is writing to homeless and marginalised people. Exile can be a place of creativity and surprise. We need to stop seeing our exhaustion and productivity as a status symbol. Most effective mission comes from within the place of brokenness.

In the evening their was a Texas evening. There was a local band with 'country' style music. Some dancers, a very large church choir and finally a very popular Christian Group 'Gungor'. We hadn't heard of them, but apparently they are quite famous. There were not entirely our thing, but they were good.

Marachi Band