Emma: A Neighbor Thanks to the Wonders of the Internet

Late at night, while most of “my” world sleeps, it helps to have early- bird friends on the other side of the country or friends halfway across the world. My next launch team member is one of those latter folks.

I’m so excited to be introducing Emma. She’s been on the team since we put out the first call.  In fact, when I saw her name in the inbox, she went straight to the “definite” pile. I can count on Emma to give me thought-provoking feedback, encouragement when I have a hard day, and a laugh at myself when I do something rather ridiculous.

No one can say I have a cookie cutter team.  While Alicia is a desert dweller in America’s southwest, Emma, lives in New Zealand!  I really think I need to visit all of my team members, and if I just happen to start with Emma, who could blame me?

I’ve always wanted to visit Christchurch, New Zealand, and guess who got to go there today/yesterday (whatever it is there vs. here.)?  Sigh.  I don’t know what it is about Christchurch that appeals to me.  I suspect it’s just the name.  Can you imagine living in a place named specifically for Jesus and His bride?  I can’t.  But I could visit!

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Emma leads a very busy life in New Zealand.

I love reading her BLOG and seeing the cool things she and her children do.  They’re active people, and now and then you can see a video of them singing.  A cappella.  The best. In her words:

I don’t currently have a business (used to own a bookstore, for about 18 years), but I do blog at lotsofhelpers.wordpress.com. I homeschool my seven living children, milk a cow twice a day and deal with the excess milk, garden in the summer, and put up more food in the summer than we can eat through the year.

Of course, I was curious to see what an American living in New Zealand would do in her spare time.  Apparently, it’s not chasing snakes and large cats.  I posted THIS LINK to an acquaintance’s house here in Ridgecrest and Emma was not impressed.  I think she’s staying on the Kiwi Isle. Hmph.  What she does do?   Reads and writes blog posts and reviews.

I couldn’t wait to find out the coolest place she’d been, and Emma didn’t disappoint.  In her words:

The hill (a glacial moraine) overlooking Tasman Glacier near Mount Cook, or Pancake Rocks

I had no clue what any of that meant.  So I looked it up.  Check them out!  Aren’t they cool?

Of course, I chose people for the team who love to read. 

And well, since Emma owned a bookstore, well… yeah.  We know she does.  I asked some of her favorite authors and she said:

Chautona Havig, Lois Lenski, Ralph Moody, Pablo Yoder. I know, it’s a pretty eclectic collection!

Funny, aside from that first and last one, I’m a big fan of the other two as well. I’ll be checking out Pablo Yoder now.  I figure if we have so much in common, I need to read him!

Emma has been on the team since we had an official team—Carol and the Belles—and she’s been on nearly every launch. It feels like she had to opt out of one, but that might have been someone else.  When I asked her why she chose to join the team, she said:

because I love to read, and I love your books and promoting them.

Aw, thanks!  I love that you do. It really does bless me.

I have to admit. I feel rather guilty about the book she was most looking forward to—Will Not See.  Ahem.  She said:

I can’t wait to find out more about Ella.

Except that while Ella is a big part of the book, it’s not really about her!  EEP!

And for the fun of it, Emma’s favorites…

Alexa or Madeline: Alexa

Mac or Luke: Luke

Joe or Keith: Joe

Cassie or Kaye:  Kaye

Wynnewood or Legends of the Vengeance: Don’t know–haven’t read either one.

I’ll try not to cry over that last one.

Do visit Emma’s BLOG if you want to get a look into life in New Zealand.  She also writes thoughtful reviews of a variety of books.

And stay tuned.  Next up: Sharon