On the Road

Photos from the Wedding!

Check out the little photo album on the left side of the blog for a glimpse of the Mexico wedding...

In Transit....

I'm sitting in Atlanta Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport, waiting to board for Honolulu. Mexico was amazing! I think maybe I was meant to be a mexican....

I'm sleepy, but it's good because it's about 10 hours to Hawaii from here. I have a BUNCH of photos from Mexico, but here's just one - this is all of us from Makapala who were there. What fun!

Hopes for the quarter ahead

Here's a post I wrote a few days ago but didn't have an opportunity to send....

Dear friends,

I’m sitting here in an airport Burger King en-route to Mexico. It seems that flying on airmiles = long flights and longer layovers, but I don’t mind…. It’s giving me time to reflect on what has been a wonderful God-filled month in Hawaii.

As I think back across all the training over the past month, I begin to realize just how intense it’s been. I feel somewhat like a sponge, full to sopping with the dripping knowledge, passions, and excitement of being trained to staff Discipleship Training Schools, and ready to be squeezed out and filled again as the students arrive. It’s only a week from now that the students will be coming, so full of expectation – some good and some bad! Many will be here because they long to be here, and it’s their heart’s desire to pursue God in this time. Others may be here just because their parents want them to come. Still others may just be indifferent, starting a DTS as a last-ditch effort to follow the Lord, but not sure if they care what happens.

We care. God has put a holy passion, desire, and responsibility on us to introduce these students to the authentic Jesus Christ, and it’s the cry of our hearts that they would meet him and become LOST in the praise of all that he is. God’s imparted to us, the staff, a burning desperation that the Lord’s presence would visit this quarter in a special way, and with that we have a confidence that comes from knowing who he is, how much he desires us, and what he’s promised to do.

It’s exciting.

So as I travel on to Mexico, for a weekend of tacos, salsa, and fiesta, my heart is beating fast in my chest with anticipation. What will I face when I return? Only God knows, but I know that when it comes he will be the same all-sufficient God I’ve come to know, his grace will be more than abundant, and his power to change, redeem, sanctify, and glorify lives will be more than evident. Let it be so in the name of Jesus Christ! Amen.

This is how we do it!

Before we even go anywhere - please note that in the attached photo I'm wearing a helmet!

This was a couple of weeks ago when I was setting off to go surfing with my good friends Samuel from Finland. On a motor scooter with surfboard in hand. Only in Hawaii!!!

Seriously, everyone rides these things here. I even find myself having fun riding them - where else in the world? If it's under 50cc then there are NO rules. No insurance, licence, inspections, registration, NOTHING is required.

All you gotta do is ride!

By the way - the surf here is about as gnarly as it gets - reef, lava rock, and sea urchins everywhere. But it's also the most powerful surf I've ever been in! What a chance to get better!

Fiesta!

Well, I have a very exciting announcement! Courtesy of Northwest Airlines, and their very generous Worldperks loyalty program (there's only a hint of sarcasm there), I am booked to fly out to Guadalajara, Mexico in two weeks for my dear friend Sofia's wedding to Juan-Pablo.

I met Sofia the very first night of my DTS last year, and we became immediate friends as we walked through the DTS program, and we even ended up on the same outreach team to Mozambique! She's a great woman of God, full of the Lord, and full of passion to take Jesus to the world! Her fiancee Jaun-Pablo is a great man of God, who also has a huge heart for the lost. I met him the first week of DTS also, and I'm honored and excited to be a part in the joining in Christ of such a great couple!

So yeah, I'm stoked to go! The slight downer on this whole thing is that because it's an airmiles flight, I have a ridiculous routing - I'm only gone for 4 days and of those I'm only in mexico for about a day and a half. Oh well! It's such a blessing and answer to prayer to be able to go! Thankyou Lord!

Photo courtesy of Mr. Tim Dyk

Buena noches y consigue de mi césped

I'd like to introduce you to Johnny the missionary/security dude, and his trusty companion Moon from Korea. We are in the business of keeping you safe and for a small fee (or peanut butter crackers) we will keep your campus locked up tight!

On Labor Day, (a national holiday in the United States - don't ask me why cause I don't know!) I was listed to fill for a night on campus security, You know what? It actually was pretty fun! I had to sit in the booth at the gate from 6pm to 9pm, and press the big red button which lifts the barriers into the campus. Then from 9 til midnight Moon and I faithfully patrolled the campus, checking that it was locked up tight, that the noise was down, and that all would-be criminals, burglars, or cat-nappers were duly scared off!

In actuality I was totally bushed and wanted to go to bed by the time we started patrolling, but it was fun and I got to know my Korean buddy! Moon works in the transportation office, doing all the leg work to make sure every department can get a vehicle for whatever they need, whenever they need it! I think we have something like 20 campus vehicles, and they are ALWAYS in demand, so it's a pretty intense job! He does it to perfection! Goodnight, and good luck!