Stories from our friends, guests and volunteers.

ASU LAND CAMP UPDATE BY TASH HUMBERSTONE
Guest and wave wise it has been quiet this month but it has given us the opportunity to spend more time with the Senaratne Family. Despite a few hot and muggy days as well as some beautiful but often destructive storms Ruby and Channa are always giving the people and their projects 110%. Not many people could remain so passionate for so long, and Mike and I get to see the benefits of their work here as people are being lifted out of poverty and finding a more enriching life. We feel so privileged to support and work with such a sustainable and holistic programme.
So what’s been happening on the LEAP land camp in August? (2009)
We have reaped and enjoyed our first tomato crop from our organic garden project. Which tasted so much sweeter with the knowledge that a number of the women in the village have begun to use our model and grow their own with seeds that Ruby supplies.

Having had a paramedic from California as a HWP quest, we began to film a First Aid video that we can then dub in Indonesian and even their local dialect Niasian. The video can then be used as a visual aid for our FAITH program as well as a training aid for medical staff.
Being sick we lost the first 2 weeks of August but we have had two hardy volunteers, who have stuck with us. Duarte, a Portuguese architect who has designed a bungalow to be built at the Children’s home for volunteers to stay in comfort as well as a guest house and form of income to support them. And Chad, a physiotherapist also from California, who has been teaching the local traditional healer some helpful exercises that can be used to help the patients she treats. He has also been designing some great workplace modifications to improve the women’s health and help make their day to day tasks less strenuous. Such as his design of an ergonomic clothes washing table.

Let’s not forget the coconut Kid’s Club which is back in action after the school holidays, with a new set of younger kids bravely leaving their mum’s for the first time. The laughter and singing coming from the school in the morning is so energizing and it is such a pleasure to see the beginning of their education and schooling life.

CHRISTIAN SURFERS NZ AND SOUTH OZ

A journey that began in a hotel in Medan has turned out to be one of the best experiences of our lives. A team made up of Christian Surfers from South Australia and New Zealand came together with a mission that would see us experience some the best waves that Nias has to offer. As well as an opportunity to give back to the communities that live day in day out in a situation that is beyond anything we could imagine living in Australia and New Zealand. Along this journey and mission there were so many great moments that saw the team, the crew and the communities come together as one

The journey aboard the Indo Jiwa saw us experience surf that was beyond our wildest dreams and it was right from day 1. Upon getting on at Guning Sitoli, Channa greeted us with news that swell was good and that our first experience of Indo for some of us would not let us down. First stop greeted us with 4 – 5 ft barrels and walling lefts that saw the crew ripping up what was rolling through that early morning. It didn’t stop there either, cos when we arrived at Asu our main destination for the trip we saw waves that took even another step up. Dan, Paul and some of other crew charged on this massive mountain of a wave and some of the guys learnt the power of the ocean with a couple of moments of being stuck inside with walls of water coming straight at them over the shallow coral reef.

A place that certainly won’t be leaving the highlight reels was a place called Bawa. A gnarly right hander that pretty much swallowed you up if you didn’t take the enormous drop and tweak the bottom turn to pull into some barrels that certainly will be in the memories forever. Just ask Tim and some of the boys from NZ who saw the light at the end of the tunnel and made it. Indo however while as powerful as ever had a few turns which saw all the crew having some fun days of small playful waves in which there certainly were some epic long sessions. Just ask the boys how they felt after almost surfing 8 hours in a single day. Among the playful sessions was a slightly less powerful Asu and a nice wrapping right hander that saw Gareth take MVP for the day, well according to Dan anyway. Indo certainly doesn’t let you down when it comes to providing some the best waves the world has to offer.

Holidays with Purpose is not just a surf trip it’s an opportunity to give back to the community that host the collection of waves. Among our projects was to lay the foundation of a kids club that would come to life in the future on the Island of Asu. The team consisted of a bunch of tradies from NZ combined with a few guys from South Australia with willing hearts and availability to work alongside the locals. It certainly was an experience that saw us employing new strategies and methods as we had to use what we had. It’s amazing what can happen with a few tools and some willing hands and hearts. Some of the examples of the guys showed clearly the spirit that was within the group. At the end of few days we could stand back and see that we had taken a part of this island oasis and set a foundation that would change the lives of the Asu village forever. We also had some great opportunities to encourage and bring joy to the kids on Hinako Island. We were invited to be part of the kids club that saw us playing dodge ball, cricket and some other simple games that the kids with smiles from ear to ear and memories forever.Among the purpose driven focus was some great reflections and devotions lead by the team that was part of the trip. It certainly was all topped off by the stealth mission at night to a local church that was an incredible experience to be part of as Indonesians, YWAM crew and us were able to worship together and learn more about the great God that we follow. So basically the purpose quota of the trip was beyond expectations and a very valued part of the HWP trip.

Overall, the HWP trip will forever change our lives as we head back to our homes. Image after image, video after video will all go back with us to share our experiences. More importantly than that, will be the streets we personally walked down, the people we touched, the waves we surfed will forever be in our memories.