Most of you know I have made a big move from Lakeside Montana (where we maybe get a good three months of sunshine tops) to warm Kona Hawaii! Not only was there a locational move but I also went from Staffing DTS, where I got to introduce students to life in missions, to Staffing School of Biblical Studies where I get to walk with students over the time span of nine months studying the word of God. Not only that but I also coordinate the weekly local outreach and the soon to come international outreach this summer!
For those of you who know me know that I have never been very good at transition. when I did my first stint with Ywam in 2013 I tried multiple times to convince my dad to let me come home. and Again in 2016 first moving to Montana I plotted many escape routs. But each time each community waited patiently until I settled down and found my footing. This is the same story for moving here. The first weeks moving to Hawaii were a whirlwind of planning and prepping for students to come. Once they arrived I was hit with multiple health issues one after another leaving me with lots of time to sit and think and feel the weight of another big life transition.
During the many hours at home recovering from first a back injury and then kidney stones, I had a lot of time to feel sorry for myself, A lot of time to miss home and the family that was built over the years, and a lot of time to question if I had made the right choice in moving. During this time I was reminded often to go back to the word of the Lord. What had God spoke? it is so so so easy to keep my head down and power through. Years of christian camp ministry had taught me the beauty in perseverance, and the years of DTS staff had solidified it. In the quiet and in the isolation of being unable to go or do anything there was nothing to power through to distract from my own mind. So when there is nothing to look at while having my head down powering through the only place to look was up. Looking up is where the invitation to Kona was. Looking up is where the call to a new adventure was. Looking up is where the vision IS as this outreach is being developed and pioneered.
In Genesis 12 God invited Abram (later re-named Abraham) to become a people and to "go to the land that I will show you". the chapters to follow are the ways that Abram tried to "power through" and make happen the promises of God. But just as many times Abram tried to "help" God's promise come true, God would show up and remind Abram to look up at Him and that he was the one to fulfill what he promised. All Abram was required to do was give his yes. An account that most christian children know well, is when God tells Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac. Some know the story well in Genesis 22 that Abraham goes and just as he is about to sacrifice his son God calls out and stops him. In 22:13 it says "and Abraham lifted up his eyes and looked, and behold, behind him was a ram, caught in the thicket by his horns. And Abraham went and took the ram and offered it up as a burnt offering instead of his son." As a kid what was always highlighted was that Abraham was so willing to give everything to God and that he passed God's test. Now, as an adult who is in ministry and everything I do is Hear God's voice and move forward in obedience, what is highlighted to me in this account is the art of looking up while moving forward. Looking up added to the story the character of God, which is a God who enables those who follow him to give a better and more please offering than they could ever come up with on their own.
As I am stewarding the Outreach program for School of Biblical Studies here in Kona Hawaii, I am learning the art of looking up. Looking up to see God fulfill all the dreams and visions for what he has in store for building up the Kona Hawaii community and for the nations that staff and students will be going this summer. Looking up to see the ways God is already preparing a way and looking up to see how he is providing fresh vision and hope for all that is to come.
As always thank you for your prayers and support! if you are interested in joining my financial support team I would love to get in contact and chat about what that looks like.
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