iNsiDe mY LiFe: The Waves of time

This the begining of my 3rd week here in Kona. A lot has happened in 3 weeks and I feel very much like the mission builders here are family. Relationships are built quickly here because we work, eat, play and live together. We see the good, the bad, the beautiful and the ugly in each other pretty quick.

On Friday Emilee and I went to see this documentary. It is called Sex+Money. This documentary is produced by YWAMers and shows the reality of sex trafficking in the United States. This is also true in Canada. I can not be stupid and happy anymore when it comes to this topic. I have been educated and I have a new passion and conviction when it comes to this reality in our world. After watching the video the only way I could explain my emotions to Emilee was by saying that I was disgusted and angry at the sin and the screwed up people in our world but I was/am so excited for what God is doing by bringing this to light in our world. Sin become stronger when it hides in the dark. If we uncover it and shed some light on the issue, the Sin looses its power and its strength.

On Saturday about 25 mission builders went to the beach. I was a beautiful day, the sun was warm, the water was cool and we were just relaxing.Helmut (in his 60s from Canada) took a tumble and cut his forehead and hurt his neck and shoulders, He spent a lot of the day just relaxing and reading a book.

One hour before we left. Bob, a 65 year old man from Canada had spent the majority of the day in the waves boogie boarding. Bob came over to chat with us and he was telling us how he just couldnt get enough of the waves and boarding. He talked so much about the water that it made Emilee and I want to join him for some time in the water. As we walked into the ocean Bob came buzzing by on his boogie board. Emilee said that she wanted Bob to teach her how to do it.

Emilee and I headed out into the water. We got past the impact zone (where the waves crash) easily. The waves were small and we just kind of walked through to the other calmer side. As we got out to deeper water I was floating on my boogie board (borrowed from Linda... thanks!) and I looked out into the wide open ocean and I saw large waves coming. Surfer waves. Bad waves for a prairie girl. Bad waves for any unexpecting boogie boarder. When I saw those waves (rogue waves = come in sets of 3), I started heading into shore, I am scared and I didnt want to be so far out and get caught in a rip tide and pulled out into the ocean.

So I headed for the sand... but I didnt make it in time. I got smashed in the impact zone and rolled up on the beach. As I gathered my bathing suit and my bearings I saw some guy being pulled out of the water. I was headed over to help when I recognized the man. BOB... A tourist had found him floating face down. Once I recognized him I was no help to Bobs rescuers. The guy called out to the lifeguard and then men from the beach ran into the water to help carry him out. I just followed completely in shock.

Mission builders 1tahitian,1swss,1german,2canadians.

Bob was breathing! Bob was talking! He was confused, he was pale, he didnt accept the neck brace because he said it made it harder to breathe. He coudnt move his toes or his fingers. He didnt know who he was. This was probably the scarriest situation Ive been in yet. I will never forget those pictures of him laying on the sand, blood dripping from his eye and hearing him talk to the lifeguards. I sat there holding his hand, and trying to give them as much information as I knew about Bob from Canada. ( that was all I knew... and that he worked in the kitchen at the base... but that information is not important to the lifeguards). As I sat there holding his hand the other mission builders came over and were shocked to see that it was one of us laying in the sand. There were tears, there was silence, there were fearful looks and lots of praying.

The lifeguards had an ambulance come and take him to the closest hospital, and as Bob was being loaded into the ambulance Emilee found Hank (a man in his 60s from Holland) standing in the middle of the beach... white as a ghost. Hank had broken his collar bone in the same wave. His wife went to get one of the lifeguards to look at his shoulder, they said we should take him to the same hospital that Bob was being taken to. So, Emilee got directions from the Lifeguard and Her, Thomas, Mandy, Annie, and Randy went to the hospital to have Hank checked out and to get the news on Bob. I returned to Hale Ola (our house) with all the other mission builders.

4 hours later They get back from the hospital.

Hank looks much better, might still need surgery on his collar bone we are still praying that when he goes in for his doctors appontment this week they will be amazed at how the bone has knit itself together correctly.

Bob was arlifted Saturday night to Honolulu because of a bruise on his skull and some spinal damage. Praise the Lord that Sunday morning after church we heard that Bobs doctor couldnt find any bruise or any spinal damage. He could move his fingers and his toes, He had told his brother not to come. He was going to need 2 weeks of physiotherapy. But the latest news is that they may be able to fly him home to Canada this week. God is the great physician!

Helmut is still in great pain so he is going to the doctor tomorrow and we are praying that the doctors have wisdom and insight into the source of his pain. And that God would miraculously heal his neck and upper back pain.

I will keep you updated!