Stewey Island

Arriving at Halfmoon Bay.

Exploring.

Our beach.

Hole in the rock.

Foveaux Straight.

Christmas!

Pool antics

Christmas Dinner...

Nana and Grandad.

Core Team Bye Bye's

Where is Mike this time?

GRADUATION

Mum and Dad.

The clocktower. Otago University.

Chris' photography - what a star.

I am blessed by my family... You guys rock!

WANAKA GOOD CALL!

Lake Wanaka.

Diamond Lake Walking track. The Wanaka view point.

The view from our the house where we stayed in Wanaka.

Cambodia - a taste

Not for the faint hearted. This is the blood still on the ceiling from the murder of victims at Toul Sleng over 20 years ago. The Genocide Museum shows grusome pictures of torture victims lying dead - left by the Khmer Rouge when the Vietnamese took control. Sobering. It brings it home the pain and suffering this older generation has been through.

A boat trip took us along the Mekong River. Here the sun sets over Phnom Penh. A marked contrast to the brutality illustrated above.

Someone's backyard. A little different to what we know. The guy who lived at this house had kidney stones and was in agony. So we popped on the back of a moto and tried to find a hospital who would take him. He felt like he was dying but its amazing what a bit of healthcare can do when a bit of money is available - Thanks to TASK.

On a two day visit to a small rural village for clinics this is where we stayed. A traditional thatched house on stilts. Beautiful place, just imagine the countless chickens, flittering butterflies, brightly coloured frogs, chirping birds and mooing water buffalo from next door.

TASK workers on the left (Vorthea) and the right (volunteer) visiting an AIDs patient. She and her little boy lived on this little table in the middle of a big shed. It has been constructed for a new market yet to take form.

This health centre is a part of the floating village just west of Siem Reap (Angkor Watt). For three days they gave me a translator and let me be a doctor! With four other doctors we saw over 300 patients each day with no charge to them. We were limited in what we could do but we were able to pray for them and share the gosbel.

A little girl at the AIDs Clinic. I couldn't get over her cute big wide eyes. Just one of many sick kids who are being looked after by TASK.

Philippines Trip - Oikos Church in Butuan

Check it out...

http://www.cemissions.blogspot.com

Talk about a full on trip, but as always my God comes through and somehow it works out!

Hong Kong Adventures

Just a taste from the amazing holiday we had in Hong Kong... Thanks Kristy you are fantastic!

Carmi and Dan in Macau - why not add another stamp to the passport? A little Portugese Country just a ferry ride from HK. We spent a couple of hours looking for a restaurant to find one 50m from where we were initially dropped off by the taxi.

Oops - smaller than the others! At the walled city park. Kristy, Dan and Carmi. Amazing landscaping and even a statue in tribute to Jacki Pullinger.

New Years Eve shopping in the markets for some cheap 80's rock outfits. Dan, Pierre, Becs and David relaxing.

Dressed ready for the church's NewYrs Party - great times. The looks we got on the train made it all the more fun... Then there was our lip sync.

Walking the streets of Hong Kong after finishing our own version of the Amazing Race. The competition dissipated when we met up outside some famous Hong Kong bars.

The common setting for a meal around the Tongs table. Seven of us visited Kristy's family including Carmi who is taking the picture.

The city from Tsim Sha Tsui - Kowloon side. Amazing views and the light show was cool too.

Xining Photo's

Xining at dusk viewed from the West Mt's. The lights are beginning to transform the landscape whilst the moon is to light our way.

A pagoda outlined as the sun sets behind the West Mountains.

The largest square in Xining. Transformed from a block of traditional courtyard houses and shops into a peaceful recluse in just 18 months.

The old men practice caligraphy in the square, along with flying kites and playing majiang.

In the central square the main attraction was live Chinese music and dancing.

Qinghai Red Cross Hospital hosted me for 4 weeks of my elective. I spent my time in the Emmergency, Obstetrics and Gynaecology departments.

Dr Ma and I preparing for an operation.

Ma Cui Ying (my translator) and I in the doctor's office.

A snack from the markets during one of many lunchtime shopping episodes.

The local supermarket signage - care of Nestle I think.

At the People's Park Market you can buy fish, lures, birds, soevenirs and lots of paintings. Each artist has their own little upstairs shop.

One of many large appartment stores. Here I traded in my blue jacket for a new one!

The University's Christmas Party. We were served turkey and a whole sheep. Don't they look pretty?

Qinghai lake is the largest salt water lake in China and in the middle of winter very cold.

Photo's from Tongren

This is taken from my seat at the front of the bus on my way south from Xining to Tongren. It turned out to be a five hour trip (200km). However it will only take about 2 hours when the new motorway is fully completed.

This a small village south of Tongren where the temple is said to have been there for over 1000 years. Jian Hua Foundation is conducting some projects here including health education and a greenhouse for growing plants in the winter.

In this same village we were invited to a house warming. We were fed fried bread, hot tea, fatty mutton chops and pumpkin seeds. Amazing hospitality Tibetan style.

A couple of days after I arrived it began to snow. This is me in a traditional Tibetan courtyard - which is hard for you see. Houses are built around the periphery of a high mud walled courtyard with a large wooden door.

One of the families I visited were from NZ! We went for a walk/climb down to a secluded stream surrounded by snow and ice - beautiful.

A nurse and a Doctor who I was working with at Tongren Prefecture hospital.

The hospital staff celebrated the arrival of a new ambulance. Fire crackers were lit and sweets handed around in true Chinese celebratory style.

Early morning in Tongren - looking south from the hill above the hospital over the old town.

A classic tractor and trailer sort of vehicle (put-put) cruising past the Bhuddist temple in Tongren.

The local butcher is normally a Muslim as Buddhists donnot believe it is good to kill animals. Carcusses of sheep, goats, cows and yaks lay frozen on the footpath.

The Yellow River pictured on our trip back to Xining. It is wide and deep here as a result of a dam downstream.

At the top of the mountain pass there was a Tibetan alter and display of prayer flags. High places are sacred in the Tibetan culture. One of the bus passengers got out here to scatter little colourful squares to the wind.