What happened to Feb. 4th? OR Happy Waitangi day!

Hello, or Kia Ora, from the lovely land of Aotearora.  And today's biggest surprise is...I have pretty much NO jet lag. Quite unusual. Anyways, I arrive in Auckland yesterday to a HUGE customs line and security that last about 1.5 hours. Waiting for us on the other side was Mr Matthews, our new supervisor and principal of Hebron. He was kind enough to escort us to out host homes. I arrived at the Heeringa residence and found the most beautiful old home, one of the oldest in Auckland, which was built in the 1870s. It was so nice to be welcomed into a home filled with music and to  see all the doors and windows open, letting the temperate NZ breeze blow inside. Since the Heeringa's work in the magazine biz and own a home/lifestyles magazine, they of course have the most awesome rustic decor I have ever seen. And just like all good Kiwis, a very green, eco-friendly home. Willa jumped right into serving me a delicious "chocolate" mud cake at her sand filled "cafe" in the back yard. They showed me around- the back yard (fully equipped with a new puppy-Oscar), their awesome garden, bee hive, chicken coup, and to my lovely white room which I'm already growing to love. I managed to stay up til 11 pm, getting to know the kids and eating my first ever orange chocolate chip ice cream. Today, we went to church for a very appropriate service based around Waitangi day- Google it. We also sang the NZ national anthem in English and Maori...I hummed along. The rest of the day was spent reading, playing in the backyard, meeting their friends and neighbors, and eating some lovely Couscous and cheese toasties. Tomorrow is my first day of teaching-exciting and very nerve racking. Keep me (and the kids) in your prayers. So far, I'm just thoroughly grateful to be staying with such a friendly and loving family. My host dad even made me a "Lyndsey's Big Adventure" sheet today, filled with the places they will take me before I leave. There is so much more I could say, but I'll save it for another post. Pictures of my house will come later this week :)