Home stay!!

After anxiously waiting weeks and weeks and weeks we finally got our home stay assignments! My roommate Kirsten and I are going to be spending the next 3 1/2 months living with Phyllis Charlton.

Phyllis is retired from being a public health medicine specialist role with Auckland District health Board since 2002. Her husband passed away 2 years ago, so she lives alone most of the time now. She is linked to the school as their school chaplain. She teaches Sunday School at her church—not the LDS church. She enjoys doing cross stitch, making cards, reading, keeping the garden tidy. 

Kirsten and I got an awesome assignment as you can tell and I cannot be more excited! Its going to be an interesting experience, not only living with a widow, but also living with a non member. We were told that Phyllis is the only non member that will be hosting any girls from BYU this trip. She has actually been a host for a few years now and the previous girls just adore her! I can't wait to finally meet her! 

Much Wanted News!

Today we finally got our school placements and our roommates!

When we get to New Zealand we will be living with host families. I'm really excited for this. This will give us the full cultural experience. Anyways, I will be roommates with one of the nicest girls I've ever met. Her name is Kirsten Harper. She is super nice and I can't wait to get to know her better!

Then, we found out what school we're going to be teaching at! I can't wait for my teaching experience at Colwill! It's going to be great!

The Countdown Begins!

Many of you already know that I am going to be going on a study abroad to New Zealand! Yes, I said New Zealand! I am incredibly stoked! I will be taking off in exactly 33 days! Its finally come and its becoming so real, it still seems like a dream to me.

I am going to be using this blog for my main form of communication with the outside world because we don't have any phones and the internet there is kind of strange. Instead of paying a monthly fee for unlimited use, you pay per minute. I don't want to use all of the families minutes so you will just have to look on here for all sorts of awesome pictures and stories!

Many people have asked what I'm going to be doing so here is the low down. I'm going to be taking classes (the normal ones I would be taking here at BYU). Then we will have an awesome adventure traveling the south island. Then we will be teaching in the elementary school back in Auckland with the adorable Maori children. Needless to say I can't wait for this once in a lifetime opportunity.

P.S You should check my blog often so you can see what I'm doing!