the eagle has landed

We touched down this morning (Sept. 23rd) at 545AM Auckland time (1:45PM on the 22nd Eastern time) - so, we are 16 hours ahead of you guys! The flight was actually really good - honestly, the 5 hour flight from DC to LA was worse than the 12 hour flight from LA to Auckland! Air New Zealand was super nice, comfortable, lots of food and drink service, not to mention we were exhausted and slept for about 9 hours!

Two of the YWAM staff, Ben and Josie, picked us up at the airport and brought us to the hostel ("backpackers") where we'll be living - I am in a room with 5 girls - it is VERY small. There is one outlet in our room, and there is one shower on our floor . . . . a floor that probably has 30 people on it? At least. It will be very very interesting in the mornings... and it will be a big challenge to not have all the space/clothes/amenities that I have become really used to. For instance - I never thought I'd be living in a hostel long-term. It has already hit me pretty hard how high my standards are compared to what you really need to live on. I know it will continue to be a challenge, but I think it's a really good lesson to learn.

One of the reasons they chose the hostel though is because it is near to a seedy part of town where you will lots of bars/gay bars/etc. and prostitutes (prostitution is legal in NZ), and the group from last year had a vision of really living in the middle of that place and being a light there, which is pretty cool.

Anyway, we don't have the best internet access in the world - we can use the internet but very limited access to skype (for bandwidth purposes), so I think the best way to contact me will be email. (chelsea.alanna.nielsen@gmail.com), or by snail mail if you feel so inclined.

Let me update the address I listed before- they have given us a new one:

Chelsea Nielsen

c/o YWAM Auckland DTS

PO Box 68373

Newton,

Auckland

1145

New Zealand

and if you have to send a package for any reason:

Chelsea Nielsen

c/o YWAM Auckland DTS

Tabernacle Office, Plaza Level,

441 Queen Street,

Auckland

1010

New Zealand

We have met most of the people on the trip - there will be 16 girls and 5 boys total. There are a lot of students here from the US! So we have little pieces of home.

Okay, well, I have limited time here, but I wanted to update you all!

PS - the weather is terrible! They have been having a freak weather pattern and it is freezing and rainy. Hopefully it will get better soon.

Please pray just that we would be focusing less and less on what we don't have here and more and more on what a great opportunity we're being given. And just for the first few days here, that we would start forming solid relationships with the other students here.

Love to you all.

two days?

I really can't believe it... but it's really happening. We leave Tuesday!

I must admit I haven't quite been in the "leaving the country" mindset - my sister is moving across town and we have been spending all of our time helping her move countless boxes, bags, pieces of furniture, pictures, mirrors... you name it we moved it. But I think it's probably a good thing that I've been so busy and haven't had time to get nervous. Unfortunately I still haven't had time to pack my own stuff! It will happen...

I did just go in and find my Skype name - I haven't used it since Spain so I couldn't remember...

But for all of you who would like it, it's chelsea1230.

I have received some more support in the past few days, which has been wonderful, praise God.

I am now approximately $2500 short of my total need. If you would like to support me, please send checks made out to me, and addressed to 1032 Beechtree Rd Jacksonville NC 28546. Thanks in advance!

Okay, I think it's time to go start packing.

Blog Transformation...

Well, my blog is officially changing course. I originally created this blog for my photography class last semester, so feel free to look through some of my old posts for photos. But now, with 4 days left to go before I board the plane, I think it's about time that it gets a makeover.

Plans for the trip are coming together. (Notice, I said coming together, not ready to go)... but I am confident that everything will fall in place (or else, my mom will be shipping me things I forgot - - like .. shoes. No, I think I'll remember those. I even finally got a pair of Toms to take with me. So I feel pretty good about the kid in need who's about to get some shoes.

Things I have done: gotten insurance! Finally. Although it is mainly for catastrophic purposes... seeing as how anything I would actually need it for (i.e. all my arthritis issues) won't be covered because it's a pre-existing condition. So please pray that I won't have any major medical issues while I am gone, and maybe that the medication I'm on will start to work and I will have some relief from pain.

I have all my gear that I need I think... got a hiking pack and a sleeping bag, which made me feel pretty outdoorsy... even though I'm not. I think James liked it - we now have two good reasons to go camping.

I haven't packed - I haven't gotten my save the dates addressed and ready to go (something I'd love to do in the next few days)... I can't quite find my passport? and I'm waiting on my hard drive to arrive (I had to get it shipped off, but I need to take my computer with me). can't find my ipod, i don't have travelers checks, and I am not fully funded. At the moment, I am funded for the lecture phase (first 3 months) but not for the outreach phase (second 3 months)... so please pray for that to miraculously come in.

I know this all sounds VERY chaotic, but for some reason I am very much at peace with everything and I truly think it will fall in place somehow. I think a lot of my reassurance comes from knowing that I have a great team of supporters who will step in when I'm gone to take care of the wedding plans, and who will help me if there's something that I need once I am halfway around the world.

I am going to attach my little flyer that I made that just has all of my trip information on it... and one more thing - here is my address in New Zealand:
Chelsea Nielsen
Justice DTS 2010
YWAM Auckland Central
PO Box 68913
Newton
Auckland
1145
New Zealand

and my home address, in case anyone should need it, is 1032 Beechtree Rd Jacksonville, NC 28546. That is where you can send any support checks for the next 5 weeks.

More posting soon - what a crazy and fun adventure this will be...

Final Project

Here are the photos from my final project.

My theme was gift giving, so each of my friends from the portrait project thought of a gift which was meaningful to them for one reason or another. Their stories were amazing - stories of wonderful memories, hopeful promises, love, beauty, freedom, and joy.

As each person shared personal stories with me, I found that through the creative process of shooting, developing, and printing the photos, writing quotes from the stories that they had told me in calligraphy, and placing each photo and quote in my hand-cut (yes, that's why they are sometimes crooked) mattes - I was giving pieces of myself back to them. That time spent alone working on this art and reflecting on their stories, allowing myself to be moved by what they are moved by, was truly the best gift any of them could have given me.

I think this project taught me a lot about the small wonders we hold inside and don't talk about often enough. It also reminded me of the creative potential that each of us has (and yes, I think we all have it, it has just been buried down too deep to easily tap into) and how important it is to release that. So I encourage everyone to take a moment to think about what your answer would be to those hard questions. What was your favorite memory of the past year? 5 years? 10 years? What is it that you find so special about your best friends? Sisters? Brothers? Parents? What are those blessings that you've been given that just choke you up every time?

Take time to reflect, and give thanks, and actively live in the love that sacrifices all to afford us those blessings that we never deserved.

Portrait Project

some of my very favorite people, captured in their element...

maddie ... = joy

brice... an older sister face if i've ever seen one.

james...ever eager for what's coming next.

sweet tenderhearted kelly.

jim, the picture of sincerity.

Sets and Situations

Here are my photos from the sets and situations project.

First Critique