Ōtautahi Eco Church and Good News Project Planting Day
Story shared by Di Johnston.
Winter brings with it some cold and rainy days, and our combined Eco Church and Good News Project World Vision 40-Hour Challenge planting day in June was one of them!
At the Regenesis Project in Westmorland West Reserve, Christchurch, the morning was gloomy and wet. A small group of volunteers from South West Baptist and the local community braved the cold, and soon discovered that being outside wasn't quite as miserable as it looked from the warmth of a window! We had plenty of good conversations and made great progress, filling in the upper section of the gully. There is something surprisingly refreshing about being outside in a gentle winter rain.
Then, in the afternoon, a team from St Aidan’s Anglican and the rangatahi from The River Ōpāwaho joined us. They arrived rugged up and ready for the cold, but by mid-afternoon the sun had come out and we were basking in a little winter warmth (well... as much warmth as a Christchurch winter sun can provide!).
Over the course of the day, 40 people from churches and youth groups planted 1,000 trees! There was plenty of fun, laughter and, perhaps most importantly, lots of conversation.
This is what I love most about community conservation projects. There is something deeply good about the connections created when people work side by side to restore land that has been damaged in the past. We come together, get our hands dirty, faithfully care for a place in God’s creation, and in the process build relationships with one another. Somehow, that feels good for the soul too.
It reminds me of the whakataukī:
Manaaki whenua. Manaaki tāngata. Haere whakamua.
Care for the land. Care for the people. Move forward.
That feels like a pretty good description of what Regenesis is all about.
