6th Prep Class/Hiking Prep

So we had yet another wonderful New Zealand class this week! I swear I just get more and more excited to go with every day that passes. We talked about a lot of different things, but the most important thing on the agenda was our camping trip next week. I was able to get some awesome hiking shoes and rain gear. I also ordered my hiking pack and it should be here on thursday, before our hike on friday.
Apparently while we are in New Zealand we will be seen practically as general authorities, which means we spent fifteen minutes talking about how we should dress for church and the temple, we spent quite a bit of time discussing the difference between shoes and flip-flops (or as my teacher calls them ‘thongs’ which resulted in another ten minutes of giggles!)
Also, apparently there will be some serious cultural differences, meaning if our families drink a lot of beer, which they will, our director is supposed to tell them, which he will probably forget, so that should be fun.
We will be taking a religion class down there, which is great, seeing as how I don’t really need any hours anyway. We have to take twelve hours of classes in order to be full time students, the list of classes we are going to take is listed below. Also we are allowed and will be given church callings while we are there, no options, we will be doing good by dang it!
Visas are officially in, which is great, it was a ridiculously long form.
Interracial prejudices are well and alive and we will probably be experiencing some of it while we are there. Although a lot of it will be directed toward the Maoris rather than at us as americans. Despite whatever they say we have to remain neutral at all times, which means while we are there we basically have to be Switzerland.
This next weekend we are going to hike to Amethyst Lake, which is like 11,000 ft it will be freezing cold, possibly snowy. It is a very hard hike about seven to twelve miles depending where we go. Hat, gloves, cookware, tents, etc. will all be on the menu, this is a full-fledged practice run.
Possible classes-12 hours total
FL 100-3hrs Proclamation on the Family *
RMYL 301-3hrs Child and youth rec management
RMYL 199R-1-3hrs Service projects * (one hour)
RMYL 223R-6hrs All of our rec classes, surfing, sailing, kayaking, etc. *
Religion 350R-2hrs History of the church in the South Pacific *
* classes I will probably be taking