Oct 29th – Nov 1st – There were two groups of friends that we were looking forward to meeting in Wellington.  The first was Bryan & Tricia Hawkins whom we met last year on our cruise in The Netherlands. It never ceases to amaze how you can meet people from elsewhere in the world, and then find out through conversation that you have so much in common. From the time we arrived at their beautiful home in a semi-rural suburb of Wellington to the time we left them on Friday morning, there was never a dearth of conversation whenever we were together. Bryan used to be a Senior Executive in the banking industry but in retirement he has taken up wood turning. It was fun to see his workshop and hear a little bit about how a hobby has become a passion.

The second couple we were looking forward to meeting was Shirley Erena Murray and her husband John. Shirley is a hymn writer and many of her hymns have been included in recent hymnbooks published in Canada and around the world, including our hymnbook at LPBC. John was, prior to his retirement, Senior Pastor at the Presbyterian Church in central Wellington. We arranged to meet Shirley and John so that George could interview them for the SOCHS newsletter that he edits. What a delightful afternoon we spent with them in their home at Raumati Beach overlooking the Tasman Sea. They are a charming couple – she is so humble and self-effacing; he has a wicked sense of humour. Afternoon tea around their kitchen table was a special way to end our time together.

We also made some new acquaintances in the form of people from the Hawkins’ home group. Since it was the 5th Wednesday of the month, it is their practice to enjoy a meal together at a restaurant so we were invited to tag along. Lots of fun, laughter and tips on where to go and what to see in New Zealand.