5 things I love about New Zealand

I've been out of Facebook, Instagram and Snapchat for almost a month now and I feel like I've done quite a lot lately. I was able to clean my room (I can hear my mom say, "Wow, what a miracle!" Haha! She always say that to me every time I do some cleaning. Haha! #annoying), I was able to enjoy a friends' birthday without my phone since I was able to actually talk, I was able to find time to do other stuff rather than looking at the screen of my phone! Hurray! Haha! I did this a few months ago and it was hard but awesome. Anyways, while I was running at the Basin earlier with my workmate, I got the chance to see the beautiful colours of the sky before it went dark. It made me thank God so much for He has brought me to this really amazing country. God knows me better than I know myself and let me tell you why below. :)

1. NATURE (Trees, mountains, rivers, and oh... cows.)

I never realised how much I find cows cute until I saw them here. Haha! It always makes me smile whenever I see a group of cows together and I don't know why. Something must be wrong with me. Haha! God knows how much I love the simple life. I would prefer living somewhere far in the city (Don't get me wrong, as of today, I miss the city life so bad since you can't go walking outside alone at night in the suburbs. Haha!) wherein I would wake up to a beautiful sunrise and watch the sunset in the afternoon and plant roses on my backyard. Ahh, what a dream. Haha! :)

2. TOILETS EVERYWHERE.

Trust me. They have portable toilets on every event that you go to. Most of them have tissues as well. Hahaha! Uh-mazing! :D

3. GOOD COFFEE.

I heard that Australia has good coffee too (from my barista class. hihi) but since I haven't been there to try it out yet, I would just have to be content and happy on what this beautiful country has to offer!

4. FREE PLACES TO GO TO.

Back home, most places would require you to pay a little bit of of money to go to a certain park (we don't have that many parks so I'm just exaggerating here. Haha!) but here you can just hop on a bus that'll take you to a park and you can go and stay there all day, read a book or just chill and watch the ducks! The best part is, you get to enjoy fresh air. :) P.S. You can also enjoy an outdoor run as long as it's bright an sunny outside!

5. THE PEOPLE.

I have experienced some racist comments but overall, the people here are really friendly and helpful. They would smile at you and just makes you feel like you belong even if you're still not a resident. (Peeps, you get me. Haha!) It's nice that most migrants got to adapt to that culture and practice it as well. I have met a lot of great people here from my classmates, churchmates, workmates and strangers on the streets. :)

 Isaiah 12:4-5
And you will say in that day: "Give thanks to the Lord, call upon his name, make known his deeds among the peoples, proclaim that his name is exalted. "Sing praises to the Lord, for he has done gloriously; let this be made known in all the earth."

5 not so boring things couples/friends can do

Yes, I know, Valentine's day is over. I'm not even supposed to blog about something related to the love month (because I'm bitter like that and I admit it. Haha! Kidding. :P) but the old couple that we met over halfway through our 11.5km hike today inspired me so much that I've decided to not think about being cheesy and blog about this. Haha! So bear with my cheesy-ness and read on!

After three hours of hiking, I feel like I'm about to doze off while I'm typing this one down now! We were supposed to go to Rotorua but the bus fare was so expensive so my housemate just decided to find something to do nearby without us having to spend anything! She stumbled upon Hunua falls and the trail and she knows how much I would love to go hiking and she is keen on a hike herself thus we went to Hunua Falls straight after our late breakfast! I packed a peanut butter and almond butter sandwich for both of us since I was scared of not being able to eat and go hungry in the middle of the mountain with no food and starve to death. Haha! Kidding. I was just in the mood to pack and make sandwiches that's all. Haha! :P

After an hour of walking, we came across a lookout and saw and old couple drinking wine and eating cheese. At first, at the back of my head I was like, "How in the world were they able to bring a glass of wine up a mountain?" but then I thought, "Aww, how sweet of them to still go on dates even if they're old." I find it lovely that couples get to enjoy outdoor activities together rather than strolling around malls and eating in fancy restaurants. I mean, it's nice to do that once in a while but if you do that often, it gets kinda boring. (Please note that this I my blog and I do not mean to offend anybody and this is just my personal opinion. Thank you for not being offended. :)

GO ON A HIKE

It's fun way to get to know each other more and test each other's patience. Haha!

FIND A NEW CAFE.

I love cafes and I don't know why. I've been looking for a unique one around the city but couldn't find any. Today, while my housemate was driving, we saw this cute little Italian cafe near Papakura area and I fell in love instantly. Haha! For couples/friends who love coffee, this one here is for you! :)

FIND A NEARBY FALLS. 

If you love nature and water-related stuffs then visiting a falls is a trip that you shouldn't miss out! :) Hitting two birds in one stone. Hihi

PICNIC AT THE NEAREST PARK.

I have this strong belief on the saying, the best things in life are free thus having a picnic is one of the most relaxing thing that you can do as a couple or with your friends. The process of packing food is also exciting! Haha! Make sure your phones don't get in the way and you forget to talk! 

CROSS A RIVER?

Haha! I have nothing more to write guys. My brain is fogging up and I badly need some zzzs. I'll edit this as soon as my brain starts to work again tomorrow. Haha! :)

xoxo, Gennin

1 Corinthians 13:4-7New International Version (NIV)

4 Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. 5 It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. 6 Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. 7 It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres.

How to renew your NBI clearance from New Zealand

I think my blog has become so random that I feel like I have to post this today. Haha! I am a random person thus my random blog posts so bear with me as I walk you through the process of renewing your NBI clearance if you're from the Philippines and currently residing in the land of the long white cloud!!

Here you are panicking since you've heard from one friend that you need to renew your NBI clearance before applying for a visa extension. STOP right there. Inhale. Exhale. It's not the end of the world. Here's what you need to know before you do the things that you need to do.

What: PHILIPPINE CONSULATE GENERAL

Location: The Theatre Royal

                 486 New North Road, Kingsland Auckland 1021

                (Just across Al's Deli area)

Phone: 09-600 6100

Website: www.philembassy.org.nz

Before you go, make sure you visit the website or you call in to check the exact time and date that they will be open. Also, if you know someone from that area, ask them to check whether or not the Consulate has posted a notice on their door. They might not update their website that often so don't be a dumdum like me and stay informed! :)

What to bring: 

A.  1 passport sized photo or 2x2 sized photo with WHITE background

B. Old NBI clearance

C. $37.50 in CASH--- THEY HAVE NO EFTPOS.

D. Ballpen

E. Passport and Visa

Steps:

1. Ask the personnel for an NBI Fingerprint Form Card 

***Blue card that looks similar to your Old NBI Clearance***

2. Give your Passport to the personnel on duty and he/she will photocopy it for you.

They will hold on to the photocopy of the passport at this stage.

3. Fill the card up and make sure you write at the back as well!!

Please write the purpose of your clearance at the back portion.

There's a glue on the centre table for you to use to stick your photo on the form.

4. Wait. Wait. Wait. Don't fret. It doesn't take them long to finish.

Make sure you pay attention since the lady will call your name accordingly!

5. Prepare your cash. It's recommended that you bring the exact amount. Saves a little bit of time. (Steps 5 and 6 may be switched depending on the person on duty)

6. The lady will guide you through the fingerprinting process.

There's a sink at the back where you can rinse off after!

7. You will then be handed your NBI Form, the photocopy of the passport and the receipt amounting to $37.50. Check if they've written down your names correctly and if it's duly signed. Once done, you may now exit the area.

Here's what to do if you don't have cash.

A. The nearest ATM machine is located just across the Phil. Consulate.

It's a WESTPAC ATM machine but other cardholders can withdraw as well but will be charged a certain bank fee.

Here's what to do if you don't have a photo.

A. I read somewhere that the pharmacy just beside the ATM machine is able to take your photo so don't be afraid to ask! :)

Hope this will help you. Comment below if there are other things that seems unclear to you. :) If I missed out on something, please let me know as well!

xoxo, Gennin

Open Heaven 2017- Viaduct Harbour

This year is a year of MORE. 

It is indeed one last Wednesday and Thursday.

February 1-2, 2017.

OPEN HEAVEN 2017.

6 CHURCHES.

UNITED.

Ever since I got here almost two years ago, my faith and my love for people has grown so hugely that I began to start loving people again. I lost my trust and hope in people after everything that has happened to me but God showed me that I can begin to trust again. That there is still good in every human being.

Pastor Paul De Jong and five other pastors of churches like Equippers, C3, Harbourside, City Impact and Church unlimited had a vision for people coming together to pray for Aotearoa. To pray not only for the country but for the lives of the people that are in the country. This vision came into place this year when Open heaven 2017 came into place.For the first time in history, 6 churches joined together and everyone spent an hour worth of prayer for marriages, for families, for people from the top part (Cape Reinga) to the lowest part of the country (Invercargill) to be saved and for revival of souls!!!

It's so amazing how the ANZ Events Centre was filled with heaps of people coming together to sing worship songs and most especially PRAY for every member of the church, every souls that are lost, every teenager that has attempted suicide, for every generation to be used by God to carry out his plans, for every souls to come together to praise God and all his goodness.

Here are some deats of the event:

 The event was opened by a worship song called "Real Love" by Hillsong Young and Free and everyone was jumping up and down and everyone was so excited to praise Jesus!! Awesome worship team! Since there would be people that couldn't make the event, the organisers have also created a Facebook Live page for those who are at home or at work! This is how God can use technology to reach people. :)

It's so amazing to witness the youth of this generation raising their hands and praising Jesus. Good job parents! :) May God continue to guide them and not lead them astray.

This is what it looked like during the event. This is when the pastor asked each and every one to join together and form a group and pray for each other and each other's churches.

The second night was jam packed with people as well and it's so amazing to see people this much gathering on a Thursday night to pray for their loved ones that are not saved. We are each other's responsibility and if your loved one was there to celebrate Open Heaven, then you must be so lucky cuz one human being loves you so much to and that person is willing to sacrifice his on her time in order for you to be saved!

For this night, people prayed again for the churches and the current generation to be filled with God's purpose. We were also able to pray for media men and the media in general that they may spread good news to people and that they would be guided to write and publish only the truth. For both nights, people were able to pray for the government as well. For every decision that the government officials are going to make. 

Why is it important to pray, you ask? As a human being, I sometimes find myself too focused on what I can do that I would often forget that I can't do it all. In the middle of my struggle, God finds me and taps me on the shoulder and says, "Girl, I'm here. You're not to carry this burden alone." The reason why you're able to hear that from God is that you continue to communicate with Him. As important as communication is for long distance relationship to survive #segway Haha!, prayer is also a very essential part with our relationship with God. Without prayer, it will be a once sided thing. It will only be about us and our strengths.  With prayer, we are reminded that our strengths are not enough. 

Let's put it this way. A relationship with God is the only relationship you'll have that will continue to pursue you despite your lack (despite your lack of a good looking face, sexy body and intelligent mind). Yes, you're the only one looking down at yourself. God is smiling every time he sees you worrying about that pimple on your cheek and your eyebrows that aren't on fleak. (Haha! #rhymepamore) 

To end this post, I would like to say to you who is reading this, your partner may fulfill you and make you special for a certain period of time but your partnership with God will fulfil you for a lifetime. May forever kay Lord. AMEN? :)

xoxo, Gennin

P.S. Looking forward to Open heaven 2018! <3