Natasha | Māngere

“Hi, my name is Natasha, and I’m calling Māngere home at the moment. So I finished my first year of a new degree, and I’d like to just work on my study skills, especially academic writing. I successfully completed the year, but they can always get better, and there are three years left in the degree, so that’s my plans for next year.

So I was born in Wellington, and I moved to Melbourne, Australia in the ‘90s, and I grew up in Melbourne. So, I’m pretty much Aussie, and I follow the Wallabies. Ah, whoops. Sorry, I shouldn’t be saying that in Auckland.

Value? Jesus, and family. Jesus, family, friends and sharing that with others. Just caring, being responsible, not just for ourselves but for the community around us and just trying to be not only a positive effect in my own life, but to do that for others, and to educate others to do that as well. So, it’s pretty much like a ripple effect or a discipling thing. 

So I’m visiting Māngere because I’m here for a funeral. I’ve got a cousin that lives here just up the road, and I’m just here to farewell her, and just organise all the things that go with funerals while I’m here. Well it’s also Māngere, and it’s the best place to find some island food, so I’ve just done that. 

So at the moment I’ve just finished my first year in a Bachelor of ministry and theology, and in terms of what I hope to do at the end, I just want to serve God. So, I’m a Christian, and as I was saying before about helping others, I feel called to help others because I’ve been through a lot of things in my own life, and I’ve seen what God can do, and so I know that I can help others share that same story, and just bring some hope to those who don’t have it, and if it’s through Jesus, or if it’s through the Bible, or if it’s through something else, just through a helping hand or a kind word I want to be there, and I want to do that for the rest of my life. And if I’m not doing that, and I’m retired, I’d love to be eating food somewhere around the world. Thank you.”