Andrew said it was incredibly humbling to see what had been achieved, not just alone but with all the other gifted people throughout the community.
Overseeing the building of the Army’s $10 million hub at Remarkables Park, which opened a year ago, probably allowed them more time here before they were moved on, he said.
The couple’s workload escalated when job losses mounted during the Covid-19 lockdowns.
"It was definitely for Queenstown, and for myself, a time of banding together, of forging pretty strong relationships across agencies and even across parts of the community that wouldn’t often necessarily meet shoulder to shoulder to work towards just a common goal of supporting those in need in Queenstown."
He also championed housing problems, especially after those lockdowns, and even skydived to draw attention to inequities with the accommodation supplement.
He noted the new hub had not only helped their own ministry but also provided much-needed space for community groups.
"It’s amazing when you just walk in and the place is like living, with people in and around the place."
Just in their time, the community ministries team had grown from two to 12.
The couple’s last service would be on Christmas Eve before leaving next day, with daughters Isabelle and Miah, for Christmas dinner with relations in Christchurch.
Their new post was the Army’s church in Newtown, Wellington.
They will be replaced by a couple who, like them six years ago, are also fresh from training — Anna and Manasa Natera.
"Anna is a previous social worker, Manasa a previous youth worker, and they’ve got some pretty big hearts, too, so I think they’ll be a pretty good fit here in Queenstown," he said.
