June... Already?

Hello All,

Oh my goodness, I had all the right intentions to blog my trip to Hawaii, But life there is so busy all the time. I Just didn't take the time to sit down and type out my experiences.  SORRY! :)

Well, on to better things, Im home! Im in Canada and Im loving it. I am working at Millcreek Nursery again for the 2nd season and I Love it! It has been a blessing and an answer to prayers. Also a bit challenging but that is what makes it interesting!

I have so many things floating around in my head it may take a few blogs to share it all but as for the most resent thing.

Psalm 148

Praise the Lord from the heavens

Praise him in the heights above. 

Praise him all his angels

praise him all his heavenly hosts

praise him sun and moon, 

praise him all you shining stars. 

Praise him you highest heavens

and you waters and skies

let them praise the name of the Lord,

For he commanded and they were created

He set them in place for ever and ever;

he gave a decree that will never pass away

Praise the Lord from the earth, 

you great sea creatures and all 

ocean depths, 

Lightning and hail, sno and clouds, 

stormy winds that do his bidding,

you mountains and all hills,

fruit trees and all cedars,

wild animals and all cattle 

small creatures and flying birds, 

kinds of the earth and all nations, 

you princes and all rulers on earth, 

young men and maidens, 

old men and children.

Let them praise the name of the Lord 

for his name alone is exalted;

his splendor is above the earth

and the heavens. 

He has raised up for his people a horn, 

the praise of all his saints,

of Israel the people chose to his heart

Praise the Lord. 

Wow. Thank you Sabrina! 

I'm reading the bible chronologically and am amazed at the story of the Israelites. They were chosen by God. He loves them so much he rescued them multiple times from their enemies, He appeared to them in a pillar of cloud and a pillar of Fire. He gave them rules, guidelines, Moses, Aaron, Jacob, Isaac and Abraham to look up to and to learn from. 

And yet they still wandered from God's heart. They still disobeyed and disregarded God's word. I think back and say "if i was there...  I wouldn't respond like that. GOD was so real to them!!" But they didn't have the Holy Spirit. They didn't have the personal relationship with God that i have today. Their faith was based on Moses' relationship with God and the guidelines that God laid out to them. 

God has given us guidelines liket he Israelites but we have the Holy Spirit in us. The power that raised Jesus from the dead lives in me! The curtain is torn and My Spirit can commune with the Holy God. Right from the beginning God's plan was to bring Jesus to tear the curtain that separated God's holiness and our sinfulness. Jesus' death made it possible for us to relate with God. The God that makes music through his universe. The God that is so great that the universe can't stop singing his praises. ooooo it makes me so excited! 

There's just a peak at what's inside my life. 

Fire

So, On Tuesday we had a little bit of excitment on the base. We had a Fire start at the top of our property on Hualali Road. The Fire was so hot and so strong that it jumped across Hualali Road and was extremely close to this subdivision. Our YWAMers were here helping people out, carrying buckets of water and helping the homeowners protect their property. The Fire also burned down the mountain, against the wind and toward the base. The new Dorm construction would have been the first building to burn. But God is so good to us. There were 2 houses damaged in the fire, and not 1 building on the base was damaged. Praise the Lord! 

Here are some fun photos and the less adventuresome part of being here!



Turtle (Honu) at the Hilton Hotel

Saturday morning breakfast

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!

Dorm Building constructed by Pensylvania Team. Jan 20ish



Dorm Building constructed by Pensylvania team. Jan 30



I have much more to write, but this is already a long blog so I will save it for another time. here are some photos of my few weeks. !!

Update

Kitchen garden planted last year by grace, karina, martin, heidi, adam, adrien, anna... And many more. Good work guys! You left a legacy and blessed the campus!

Watch "Mission building 1" on YouTube

Jan 20 2012 kona hawaii

Emilee and i arrived monday and it is so good to be back! We have relaxed and been told many times how white we are but God made white people beautiful too!
Today is our community outreach day. As a grounds team we volunteer around kona because we want to share the talents and skills that God had given us and because God lives people so do we!
Today was deep and beyond ministry. This team meets once a month and helps special needs people enjoy the ocean, sunshine and sand. today we had a variety of special needs and it was a blast. Some couldn't speak but the look on their faces and the bounce in their step showed the importance of the day.
There was a snorkel team, they stayed with the participants in the water and then there was a hospitality team that stayed in the pavilion and chatted and brought food and had water fights. We laughed with them and takes to their care givers. It was a beautiful day!
I made a deal with the Lord, i tools him i would step out of my comfort zone today... And he placed me in hospitality and i was in charge of the food.(not out of my comfort zone) but he sent me some people that needed Little sense of home. A homeless man came and i made him a plate of food. He seat around and just watched all the organized chaos. It was like a dinner theater.
This weekend emilee and i will just be relaxing and living the aloha! Hopefully i can change my white factor a llittle!.
I love you all and i will write again soon.

Snorkel Day. Deep and Beyond.

Jan 11

Watch "Jan11" on YouTube

Trip from Ottawa.