Auckland Baptist Tramping Club The Summer Tramps Reunion is always a well-supported event, this year 35 people came along. The evening began with the customary mix-and-mingle over drinks. We sat down to a yummy pot-luck BBQ smorgasbord, followed by an equally yumptious dessert. Following a prayer and reading from part of Psalm 8 (a Psalm of praise to God for His creation which man is in charge of) from Barbara we flew at the speed of light to Arthurs Pass to tramp in the footsteps of the summer trampers. Unfortunately there was a problem with trying to get the sound for the powerpoint presentations that Phillip and others had made up for the evening. At one stage some of us thought the music was coming right, but it was actually someone’s phone ringing. So we had to make do with spoken commentary without the music of Holst, Rachmaninov and others. David T, who has been looking after placing Bibles in huts for Seek Freedom on behalf of the Club, presented a short DVD about this Christian ministry - and the sound came through this time. We returned to our journey through Arthurs Pass, tramping Goat Pass, Lagoon Saddle and Howdon Valley. The sound came on for our tramp with Peter O and John along the Hurunui High Country Track, the jazz music of Percy Faith and George Gershwin coming from a CD player. We then re-tramped this tramp with Colin Bourke and his group. Our in-flight entertainment back to Carey came from Nelson, who commented that Arthur Dobson was finding a way through the Southern Alps to the rich goldfields of the west coast, the route becoming known as Arthurs Pass. Similarly the Bible tells us that Christ in the Way, and at this Easter season we remember the sacrifice of Jesus on the cross. Nelson said that David T had been studying various religions, in which man is trying to look for God and trying to find a faith. He mentioned that the Bible says that Jesus in the Way, Truth and Life, and the way to God has been prepared through the Cross, giving victory over sin and death. We rose to our feet to sing How Great Thou Art, the words projected onto the screen with pictures of the great outdoors.

That concluded a wonderful evening enjoyed by people who had taken part in the Summer Tramps, and those who went elsewhere or stayed home over the Christmas holidays.