Flying down to Palmerston North we had a lovely view of Mt. Tongariro (which served as a stand in for Mt. Doom in the Lord of the Rings films).
On April 7 we led the first ever Friends Couple Enrichment workshop in New Zealand.
Friends from Palmerston North had planted the seed for this during Summer Gathering in December, and we were excited to take up the offer to visit Palmerston North, an inland town of about 90,000 nestled near the ridge of mountains that create the spine of the southern part of North Island.
As Palmerston North is approximately 500 kilometres from Auckland, we flew down — and got a lovely view from the plane of Mt. Tongariro and Mt. Ruapehu — two volcanoes that have been active in the last two decades. (Tongariro was a stand in for Mt. Doom in the Lord of the Rings).
We had four couples participating in the workshop — two from Palmerston North, one from Whanganui on the west coast of North Island, and one from Napier on the east coast. We began by sharing “pictures” of our journeys as couples and
Break time, after sharing our “pictures” of our relationships!
then learned and practiced taking the time to be truly present to our partners: to speak from the heart, to listen deeply, to let our partners know they matter. As always, it was a precious experience to share in the circle of love created by couples who understand that strong and intimate relationships require intention and attention to thrive.
We also had the opportunity to share a meal with the Palmerston North Meeting on the Friday evening before the workshop, during which we shared stories from our own lives.
After worshiping with a dozen Palmerston North Friends on Sunday morning, we went on to Napier (a three-hour drive) with Kate Hartland and Adrian Skelton and arrived in time for a shared meal, worship, and another opportunity for conversation with 9 Friends in the Hawke’s Bay area.
These conversations focused on how various Quaker communities have supported and mentored us as individuals and as a couple. At both Meetings, they became catalysts for conversations among Friends on questions such as: Do we know how to hold and accompany one another during difficult times without worrying about “fixing” a problem? How and when do we share with each other our personal experiences of reliance on the Inner Guide available to each of us? How do we support members and attenders in learning to listen to and rely on that still small voice? How do we support one another in the nurture and exercise of our gifts? What can Quakers do – individually, in small groups, or as a larger group – when we become aware of tension and hurt that prevent us from knowing the joy of communion?
We may never know if any of the seeds planted among Friends in Palmerston North and Hawke’s Bay will take root. It is certainly enough to know that we were fully present with Friends in both places. If there is a hope, it is that through the sharing of our personal encounters with the Inward Teacher we encourage one another into an ever deepening reliance on that still small voice.
Green Edges 