“Hooked on Learning,” is the motto of the Mangonui School, I learned yesterday again, when I picked up a newsletter of the school at the Mangonui Four Square, Post Shop and  Kiwibank.

When I was young I was hooked on learning about foreign countries. Geography was the subject called when I went to school in Germany many years ago. The reason why I was especially hooked on Geography was that I wanted to go to the foreign places.

Mission Work in Thailand

Picture / Alan Collingwood

At one stage I knew all the countries of South America from memory including the capitals of the Countries. And how I liked to read all the books in our school library about places far away.

I collected also pictures from the different continents as a child. Whenever you bought margarine  you were given pictures to collect and to paste into a book. I remember being very eager to do so.

I did not manage to go to many foreign places, but to some. I travelled a bit in Europe, managed to get through the Suez Canal  just before the closure of the Canal. It must have been at the end of 1966 and the beginning of 1967. I travelled also a bit in Asia, worked for thirteen years as a missionary in Thailand, and I am living since the beginning of 1980 in the beautiful country of New Zealand.

For a long time and at the present time I am hooked on learning about the Bible, especially about HEAVEN, because I want to go there and I know that I am going there. The Bible teaches about God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Spirit, Man and Creation, Angels and Satan, the Church and on Christian Living.