SURPRISE 50th gift John-New Zealand

Happy 50th John Mury--with a possible SURPRISE gift of a trip to New Zealand!  Please feel welcome to give towards this trip of a lifetime for John but NO pressure--your friendship is his greatest gift.

here's the skinny:
Pictured is John with one of his best friends, the infamous, wonderful Joe McGarry (from years ago when they took a memorable trip to the Holy Land!). 

Joe and his wife Trina, were from our old church, Beacon, and where John & Joe served together in ministry. Joe and Trina moved to Scotland about 9 years ago, where Joe pursued advanced theologial studies at Aberdeen (with a focus on one of my all-time favorite Chirstian authors...Dietrich Bonhoeffer).  Joe now lives and serves in Wellington, New Zealand.

Joe JUST sent John & a couple other friends this email with the "dream" they come see him become ordained! I think the email speaks so well for itself for what the gift would mean for John to go to New Zealand:

June 1, 2016 email from Joe to John:
Hey guys,

I’m writing to you because, well, you’re you. And I wouldn’t be me and I wouldn’t be where I am without each of you having poured deeply into my life. Two days ago I was notified that I have been accepted for ordination into the Anglican Communion, Wellington diocese (fancy!). I’ll be ordained as a deacon in November (26th), and will begin my curacy – which I would imagine would be a year – and then ‘priested’ sometime in 2017. Though the priestly ordination is the more official one, the deacon’s ordination is the one celebrated more. I want you guys to know, and to say thank you for being my friends in life.

I know this is crazy talk – I know this – but I’m channelling my inner Mindy Caliguire and saying, “I think it would be awesome to celebrate this with my friends, and maybe do something together.” Blame it on me seeing John’s postings about his trip to the AT. 

Anyways, I’m thinking that it could be fun to have a bit of a hike together with my friends from NZ as well as my friends from Americaland, as a way to celebrate God’s goodness and, well, just be full of joy. I know it’s improbable, and I know there’s a ton of stuff around it all. And maybe it’s enough for you three to know that my first thought after getting the letter was to think about how awesome it would be to spend a few days with you guys, introducing you to my friends and family here, and being genuinely thankful for who you are. But just know that I feel a deep desire to spend time with you guys after my ordination, to celebrate where we’ve all come in life and how grateful I am for you.

Peace out dudes.

Joe.
-----
Joe McGarry
Chaplain for Young Adults and Anglican Studies Facilitator  Wellington Cathedral of St Paul


John shared Joe's email with me, which included John's initial reply to Joe:
"I'm honored to be invited! It is quite improbable for me, but stranger things have happened. Who knows, maybe I can still work something out?"

So MAYBE we can help surprise John with a stranger thing that happens, to get him to NZ! :)

Alternatively, John could always use the gift money to order a lifetime supply of cheap hiking gadgets from China--as he's been doing this past year for his recent Appalachian Trail hiking trip ;0

thanks for considering,
Aim