1200 degrees

Here's a photo I hadn't posted from our trip to New Zealand, where I taught and performed in Auckland.

We stopped at a glass blowing factory. The hottest kiln heats the lava to 1200 degrees C or 2192 degrees F.

Miraculous Tales from Down Under

This Thursday at Thirst, we'll be sharing some of the miracles that took place surrounding our performances in Australia and New Zealand as a kick off to the study of the miraculous Exodus. Hope you can join us for Aussie snacks at 6:30pm: WestchesterChapel.org.

Here's a brief report from Sunday:

Flight

We stopped at a shop where they blow glass out of local lava. The name of this piece is "Flight".

The last leg

As we touched down at JFK, Joyce said, "There and back again." We've seen the wonderful land of Oz and Middle Earth on the same glorious adventure. Bilbo would be proud.

So many prayers were answered on this journey, and so many times we saw God move more mightily than we dared Hope.

One small miracle was that, despite the fact that we booked all of Joyce's legs with frequent flyer miles and we were rarely told (or offered a choice) of seat assignments on any of the seven flights we took, God always answered our prayer that we sit together. Now that we're back in NYC it's been about 31 hours since our last shower, so you'll get no proof of this last miraculous seating!

The only exception was that flight to Taupo, where there was only one seat on either side of the aisle. But we could still smooch across it and see the other's coastal view as we treasured times away from the performances as our 13th honeymoon.

Contraband

To our friends Down Under,
We're in LA, and we've never been so pleased to have had a delayed flight! It reduced our layover at LAX from 9 to 4 hours. Much better.

Coming through customs an officer asked us if we were carrying any TimTams. We told him we were, and he said, "They're illegal. You must give them all to me."

Grateful for humor at immigration, and a stock of our TimTations (which will run out all too soon) we're glad to relive Saturday. With all the delays we're not sure when we actually lifted off, but we arrived about six hours before our scheduled departure. It makes up for that Wednesday we missed heading over. How's that for fun? We exchanged a weekday for an extra weekend day!

But oh how we miss it Down Under! The flaura and fawna were amazing, but it was the people that made it such an absolute joy!

Thanks for your part in making this the trip of a lifetime!

Can't wait to get back!!!

In Christ alone,
Rich & Joyce Swingle

How we'll miss New Zealand

We're boarding our flight to leave this remarkable land.

One of our hosts said that when God created New Zealand He took the best of all He'd done, put it on two little islands, and started the day there.

That's a pretty good description.

Thanks, God!

Last night Down Under

We're going out with a bang! Youth groups from all over Auckland are gathering for a night of games (can't wait!), worship (can't wait!!), Big Fish Little Worm (pray for my throat to hold out!) and enacted prayer (can't wait!!!).

Greetings from Hobbiton

Just before our friend, Malcolm, was about to snap this photo in Matamata, New Zealand, my "camera" had an incoming call from my commercial agent in NYC. She asked if I was in town for a while, and, with mixed feelings I told her I was in Hobbiton.

TimTam Slam

One of my lowest points this year was when the Theatre Department at MasterWorks received a box of TimTams, an Australian cookie, from MWF alumna Irene Kao, and by the time the box reached my eager hands it was empty.

We were told there may not be TimTams in New Zealand, so we stocked up in Melbourne. There are TimTams aplenty here on the North Island, by the way.

Our friends in Newcastle, Australia, told us how to do the TimTam slam: you bite off opposing corners of the cookie, and use it like a straw. Last night I was given a different strategy, which was to bite off the full ends. I tried both approaches last night with warm milk, and found that fuller saturation levels were achieved by the latter method.

I tried it again this morning with coffee. Oh, yes, they're delightful for brekky (breakfast).

Since experimentation was put to rest I was overjoyed to discover that a second take was necessary, since the first picture didn't show my TimTation.

Maori church

We just poked our heads into the Maori church at Rotorua. It was quite lovely. We were impressed by the fact that we had to kneel in order for the image of Christ, sandblasted into the window, to appear to walk on the lake outside. Photos weren't allowed, so we bought a book with the image of Christ dressed in a Maori chief's cloak, adorned with kiwi feathers.

Best landing ever!

Last night we landed in Taupo, New Zealand at sunset. It was the most spectacular landings I can recall. My Treo's camera couldn't do it justice at all, but I will post more photos when we get back to the States.

Together but apart

This was the first flight of our journey on which we haven't been able to sit next to each other: there was an aisle between us. Then again, we both had window seats over some of the most breathtaking landscape on earth. For the first leg of the flight we both had coastal views.

Clawing our way home

I'll only be in NYC for a bit over 24 hours before we're in the air once again, this time bound for Australia and New Zealand!

We'll take off from JFK Monday at 07:10 PM and will arrive 22 hours, 15 minutes later (20 hours, 35 minutes of flying), which is 07:25 AM on Wednesday, their time.

By the way, that's not a PhotoShop effect. My Treo's camera stops the prop in midair.

Follow our adventures here or get updates on your FaceBook main page by signing up at www.FaceBook.com/RichDrama.

Coming back will be worse. It will only be 17 hours, 15 minutes of flying, but we'll have a 9 hour, 15 minute layover in LAX, making it 26.5 hours, tarmac to tarmac.