Whānau Time. Embracing the Opportunity!

By Sarah Visser

Goodbye Lincoln, goodbye social media, and goodbye bra! Hello Wellington, hello much missed family, and hello inner child!

For me lockdown has been such a blessing. I know it has been really rough for a lot of you so I thought I’d share some of the fun things I’ve been doing with my family that I hope to inspire you with and bring you a smile during this unusual time. Right now, this is the most relaxed and creative I’ve felt this year, but leading up to lockdown, I admit, was a little stressful. Busy schedules full of meetings and events, almost too much of a great uni social life, which put a lot of pressure on getting the study mahi done.

Then on the 23rd of March, when Jacinda announced level 4 lockdown would occur in the next 48 hours, I had only a matter of time to decide whether to leave my Lincoln life and much loved flatmates, or return home to family in Wellington. In the end I decided that this was the perfect opportunity to have quality time with my family while campus was closed and while they weren’t at school or working. So I rang Mum and the frantic search for a flight began! Tickets were disappearing like hot cakes before our eyes, so we prayed, cried and boohooed our eyes out together on the phone. Mum rang a travel agent and as they were talking there was 2 tickets from

Christchurch to Wellington left. A moment later there was 1 final ticket and Mum told the agent to book the golden ticket straight away and BOOM praise the good lord Jesus we got it! It was perfect timing, the last flight! Haha but yes, AirNZ later announced more flights for people, but still, it was our special moment, our mini miracle.

The day before I left Lincoln, my flat mates Ashli, Bella, J-Lo and I visited Ali Stoddart’s farm and it melted my heart to see and pat all the moomoos! Ali gave us the grand tour followed by hot drinks and delicious homemade honey bread! It was soooo good and simple that we asked for the recipe. Ali has very kindly agreed to share it with you all as well.

Honey Bread:

1 ½ cups warm water, 1 tbsp honey, 1 tbsp active dry yeast, 1 ½ tsp salt, 4 cups of flour. Mix water honey and yeast and let it sit until it foams for 5+min. Then add the salt and flour and mix until dough forms. Shape into a loaf and let it rise for 20min and then bake it for 25min at 200C.

Coming back home I know I wanted to not waste this time so I need to be focused and reset my mind. To do that I’ve been asking: Where am I sourcing my hope and joy from? Netflix? News? Social media? I don’t think so! At the end of the week I won’t remember what I watched or read on my phone. Turn that fluff off and do something that will be meaningful and memorable to you and the people you’re with. Instead of connecting to things that’ll make me feel like I’ve wasted time, I’ve chose to distance myself from social media, and focus on doing things that’ll uplift my mind and raise my spirit. For me there’s a great message on that in Philippians 4: 4-9.

Here’s some WEIRD and WONDERFUL things we have been up to:

To start off the family bonding process, sacrifices had to be made and comfort zones broken... I let my 12 year old sister Rachel do my make up! I knew she’d love to do it, even though I rarely wear make up, so she sure made the most of it! And instead of giving her a makeover in return, Rachel let me do something that I’d much rather enjoy and I gave her a moko kauae, a Māori female chin tattoo with her eye liner. We were both quite happy with the results!

• Actually started running 5km a day! I encourage you to start small and easy, the best exercise is the one that you’ll do! Not the one you’ll do one day and not the next :P

• SINGING and DANCING to praise and worship songs late at night even though our lounge currently doesn’t have any curtains haha!

• Hosting an 80yo English refugee at home who can’t get back to the UK.

• Catching a mouse in the house, a refugee we’re not willing to host!

• Dad smashing the smoke alarm when it went faulty and he couldn’t turn it off.

• Tree fort hangout with mats, pillows, games and having a picnic and a snooze.

• Building a wētā motel with Dad for the cherry tree (even though he wants to cut it down!)

• Waving at Nana and blowing kisses through the window down the street.

• Mum waving the giant bears paws through the lounge window at children walking past.

• Put my brave pants on and walked the neighbourhood in slippers and sisters dressing gown.

• Re-engaging my artistic bone doing paintings with the girls, and I still got it people!

• Resurrecting the computer game Fireboy and Watergirl! Great flat bonding opportunity!

• Slaying Rachel at Monopoly deal, sike! She smashed me and might’ve slightly rage-quit.

• Next on my list is labeling items around the house in Te Reo Māori and writing liquid chalk messages on windows for walkers :)

I have been so grateful for my loving and creative family so here are some golden nuggets from them that I’d love to share with you also.

Words of wisdom from the Visser Whānau:

Mama Visser: There’s no reason to be bored at home, you can search for ideas for things to make and do on pinterest.

Papa Visser: Be thankful for what you have. Your actions now will impact future generations.

Rachel’s Jokes:

1. What do you call a fake noodle? An imPASTA! 2. Who’s the funniest Disney princess? RaPUNzel 3. Why don’t you give Elsa a balloon? Because she will let it go!

Now I’d like to finish off with some encouragement for those of you who need a boost. If you approach your situation with fear then you’ll face it in fear. If you approach your situation with joy then it becomes an opportunity to share light into other peoples lives.

It can be easy to let the circumstances overwhelm you, but we can choose to eat the chicken and spit out the bones. There are many things that are uncertain but we can be certain that this pandemic will one day end and we’ll come out stronger and unified.

Jesus said: “Who of you will add a single hour to your life by worrying?” Luke 12:25

“Peace I leave with you, peace I give you. I do not give as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.” John 14:27

Thank you for reading! Feel free to message me, LUSA, the university Chaplins if you need help and support, the best help you can give yourself is the help you’re willing to receive.

Turou hawaiki! God bless! Also, can be used as “May the force be with you” ;)