Paul's Photo Blog

Men

2012-03-01T20:09:00.000-05:00

Finally, a second to breathe and let all of you into all that has been going on. God is at work is how I can explain this past week, but really that doesn't explain a thing. God is moving in power, in love, in conviction, in strength, and seems to not be stopping until He's got our whole life. Inside and out He wants it all. He's jealous for our desires, for our passion, and our attention. He wont relent until He is our center. I've lived too long letting God have what I was comfortable giving. I'll be honest, I don't think God cares about me being comfortable. He's God, He wants all of me. I don't think He cares that I don't feel like worshiping, serving, or interceding for issues that I'm apathetic to. He is God and He deserves everything even when I don't feel like it. I don't think it was comfortable for Him to die on a cross for us, and I don't think He felt like it. But He loved us so much that He looked past his earthly feelings and gave all that He had. Now we must look at that and make a choice. Am I okay giving Him what is comfortable, or am I going to give Him everything I have? What is my response to the one who gave it all for me? It's a challenge yes, but an invitation to a life that can look very different than many in our culture are living. Passive men? Is that what God is calling men to be? Apathetic? Self focused? Take a look around, take a look at your life and make an assessment. Evaluate what you see. Do you see any Davids, any Isaiahs, Pauls, Noahs, or Abrahams? I know what I saw in myself and I was none of those. God is calling us all to reevaluate what it means to be a man or woman of God. I have not arrived, far from it, but I know what God is bringing me through right now is almost like an initiation into manhood. Too long I've lived like the way I've described.

What I feel God is raising up men to be is this; Men who are courageous, men who take initiative, men who lead, who love, men passionate about interceding for their wives, families, and the issues that are tearing our world apart, men who say no to the lies of the enemy, men who are bold, who care for the orphans, widows, the least of these, men of the Word, men who are pure, men who are turned off by anything that is not honoring to God, men who love their God more than anyone or anything, men who choose not to waste their lives on meaningless things, men who turn off the t.v., computer, video games, and realize that God is raising up warriors to fight. He's not asking us to strive to be some kind of super human. He's inviting us all into freedom, into joy, into battle. Will you accept, or once again, be passive and apathetic, believing the lie over your life that its too hard or that it can't be true about you. Is anything too hard for your God? There's a whole world out there that exists where men are passionate, courageous, and bold. They are fighting in the front lines against the work of the enemy. They are winning souls, freeing slaves, being fathers to the fatherless. That world wont exist until we all answer the call. God is raising up His army. Rise up Men of God, Men of Honor. Its time to declare victory over the things that are keeping us down. It's time to say no to the lies and proclaim your victory in Jesus' Name.

Hmmm, well that pretty much sums up the last month or so...I've been on a journey, its been miserable and God has been uprooting everything. The Bible calls it pruning, I call it torture. But oh the joy. The joy when new branches, and new fruit begins to grow.

On the more practical side we've been busy with worship times, prayer, school planning meetings, leadership training, preparation work for DTS, and community building times. Our days our packed so we've taken advantage of our weekends off.

And now here are pictures of my weekend adventures!

Some of our newest housing being built with the blazing brush fire a very uncomfortable distance away.

There were about 3 or 4 helicopters helping to quench the flames as they came dangerously close the the campus and many houses nearby.

A panoramic shot of the fire with the dried up soccer field in the foreground. No one was injured and no buildings were destroyed but a whole lot of dried landscape was burned.

A few of us decided to take a weekend camping trip to see some of the island. With the waves crashing behind us this was a beautiful spot to spend the night.

Down in Waipio Valley is this 2,000ft. waterfall called Twin Falls.

To get to the falls its quite the hike through the tropics of the Big Island.

We always like to make a pit stop along the way and have a cool swim in this clear fresh water. This time I managed to slip, bang my arm, and land in really shallow water. Luckily its only about 10ft down to the water.

Upon arriving we made a friend that was enjoying our apples.

We had a little photo shoot with thiis good looking fellow

Makalawena Beach is known as one of the most beautiful on the island. This is why.

We enjoyed the morning swimming in the waves as the sun was rising and no one else nearby

We had these clear blue waters all to our self.

The beautiful but very hot Hawaiian sun over the lava rock and coral near Makalawena Beach.

You can't take your sports cars, or compact cars out here. This is the mild part of the road made for 4x4 only.

Another shot of the road to Makalawena.

This beautiful falls has the unfortunate name of Peepee Falls.

Just behind me is whats called the boiling pots. Here you jump from falls to falls, about 7 in all. Don't go too far down or you'll get sucked in by the current created by the lava tubes underneath.

Known as one of the best places in the world to see the stars, my favorite part are the magnificent sunsets up here on Mauna Kea. You feel on top of the world at almost 14,000ft. high.

The sunsets from here at Old Airport are amazing if you can get close to the tide pools. The whales jumping from the water that swam right by made this one of the best nights yet.

We enjoyed our camp outs here with the Voice for the Voiceless DTS.

Now you see why Mauna Kea is one of the best places in the world to view the night sky.

Winter in Hawaii

2012-01-22T01:53:00.000-05:00

     I just wanted to give a quick update for all of you who are following. Most of our staff has arrived here in Kona, but we still have others who are on their way. It's an exciting new beginning but also a difficult time of transition. We will all be stretch as we live in a such close and intimate community. We've already begun leadership training, have spent many hours together in the prayer room, and have begun to plan for the upcoming DTS in April. We've had time to relax and enjoy getting to know the others we will be working with over this next year. We've been to the beach in January which I have to say is quite amazing. My tan is coming along but because I burned so bad last year I have to lather up with the sunscreen. Especially coming from the white tundra that Maine is right now.
     I have been so thankful for those of you in Maine and all over who have been praying for me and supporting me. I was in awe with the support given before I left. It's a humbling process but God is teaching me that He can supply all that I need.
     There will be much more updating to come as the days and weeks go by. Enjoy the pictures but for all of you who are freezing to death remember, your not allowed to be envious...

These are almost all iphone photos. Some other more quality ones will be up soon.

A New Time

2011-10-14T14:06:00.000-04:00

A time has come when the things I've learned, the things I've seen, the things I've been taught, and the things God has revealed enter into a filter. This filter removes all that is not genuinely believed, all that I do not truly hold on to tightly. Now that DTS is over something happened, not only in me, but in many who I have graduated with. God seems to hide himself. He brings glimpses and whispers of His great love for us, but He does not yell, He has changed how He chooses to speak to us. He is absolutely still there, He has not run, but He has challenged us to continue to delight in Him. To delight when we do not have the same community who strengthens and encourage us continually. To delight when real world problems are back and we are back in the middle of them. To delight when the future is uncertain and the past 6 months feel like only a dream.

The filter I wrote of is the world outside of the YWAM community that we have lived in. We choose to let the world filter out if we have truly been changed. We choose to let the filter deny us of the joy we shared together as we sought after God and found Him more glorious than we ever had. It is a choice we make. The filter does not strip anything we do not let it. It is our choice to believe. It is our choice to hold on to all that we have been taught, all that we have learned and seen.

I have been back home for a few of weeks now. I have not had much time to remember and think on all that God has done. I came back to my brothers wedding and two days later to three weeks of working on a harvester. It seems quickly the time has come for decisions. Decisions about work, about ministry, about what is next in this life. I'm not so sure there is a job on this earth where I would find joy. Never before had I found such joy in something than while in Cambodia. Everyday I would wake up with joy, with expectation knowing that I would be with the children at the orphanage or at the village. To hug them, to teach them about God, to play with them and watch their smiles as we came. There is no greater joy than serving God, than being with God and serving with God. To watch as He moved the hearts of a classroom. As He used the words from my mouth that in one minute could be speaking poorly of someone else, but yet people's hearts were moved in that class. And it was clear that it was not my words but the Spirit of God was there. It was clear that God did not need me, but He chose to use me. It was clear that Zechariah 4:6 is indeed true. That it is "Not by might nor by power, but by my Spirit says the Lord of hosts." That He carried me there and that He can and will carry me here.

Koh Samet

2011-09-13T21:14:00.000-04:00

Outreach is officially finished and debrief is here in full force. I have many more stories and pictures to share with you, but I wanted to keep you updated on where I am now. I’m on an island in the Indian Ocean, in the Thai Gulf and it is beautiful. The water is not quite as clear as I would have thought, but it is very warm. Our speedboat ride to the island was very very choppy. It was more like an old theme park ride that feels like it’s about to fall apart. The 11 girls on the team were screaming as we jumped from wave to wave. We made it to the island where all 13 of us fit into a taxi. The taxi we road was a green pickup with benches in the cab. It took us about 15 minutes down a narrow, hilly, pot hole infested road to make it to our bungalows.

After 2 days in the enormous city of Bangkok, I’ve finally been able to relax and enjoy the warm ocean with only a few other people here at our beach. It’s hard to comprehend that I’m on an island in Thailand. When I look out I can see a few other islands popping up in the horizon and an amazing morning sky. I woke up for sunrise and you can see a few glimpses of what I saw this morning down below.

After 3 months of a schedule that didn’t ever stop it’s nice not to have anything to do but enjoy a couple days here in a faraway land. Thank you all for being a part of this journey by praying, and encouraging me during this time. I hope to share more as I process all that has gone on and I’ve got plenty of more pictures to share with you. Today I go back to Hawaii and start my 4 consecutive days of travel with a wedding somewhere in the middle. It’s time for breakfast on the beach, don’t be too jealous…

The Not So Secret Life of Poipet

2011-09-08T04:06:00.001-04:00

Battambang is now only a memory. A very good memory filled with many great experiences and great relationships. It’s a time that I won’t soon forget. There's a whole lot more pictures and stories for me to share, and maybe when I'm back home I'll have a few days to reflect and share with all of you all that happened.

Now I’m in Poipet. A city that makes all the evil in the world that I have seen before seem like a drop in the bucket. Prostitutes and their pimps walk the streets, moto drivers constantly asking if other men want a “massage boom boom”, there are about nine casinos in the stretch of a mile, brothels are not difficult to find, children, men and women are trafficked across the border each day to work, people cart over illegal goods each day that the government simply taxes, people travel to Thailand to work illegally and are brought back by the police a few times a day, and children are left near the border as their parents cross to work each day. We’ve even seen prostitution and many extremely disturbing things here in our hotel.

Since being here I’ve witnessed all of the above, but have also seen and been involved with a few things that are helping this city. We arrived on Saturday and on Sunday I was able to preach here in two services. I’ve been to a slum area where the Pastor of the church and a few others are teaching the children about the Bible and English. They often have them driven over in an old Camry where they pack about 15 kids in. It’s quite a site, but not that strange here in Cambodia. We’ve had a chance to meet with an organization called CHO that is doing a variety of things that are helping this city. I’ve been to a few slums where a few of us played with the kids and took lots of pictures with them.

Here are a few pictures of all the things I mentioned above.

Goodbyes

2011-08-29T01:47:00.001-04:00

It has arrived. The end of my time here in Battambang. Today I had to say my first goodbyes as it was the last time I'll be going to Ghost Head Village. It was difficult, but the hardest goodbyes will be to the orphanage children on thursday and all of my students on friday. I'm not looking forward to having to say goodbye to the people I've loved and poured into for 2 months. But with our time here ending that means there is a new beginning.

Our team will have one week in Poipet, aka the armpit of Cambodia. We don't have much of a plan, but we are going to trust God to lead and guide our team while we are there. There is no lack of pain, struggle, prostitution, trafficking, sex slavery, gambling, alcoholism, poverty, racism, and many other things in this city. It's right on the Thai border leaving it almost a safe haven from all authority. Cambodian government looks the other way from all that goes on in this place because it is so close to the border. I'm excited for our time there. I believe we will really be able to shine in the midst of intense darkness. We will have to be bold and overcome the fear that will hit us when trying to minister to the people.

We will leave for the 3 hour journey to Poipet this Saturday and from there we will make our way across the Thai border to Bangkok the following Saturday. We will spend about two days in the city, getting to experience all that is Bangkok. We will make our final journey to an island called Koh Samet where we will have to take a boat in order to experience its beautiful white beaches. Entering Thailand means the end of our outreach and the final stage to my DTS.

Although it's nearly finished, God is not. There is much more He wants to use our team for and much more He wants to do to love the Khmer people. It is up to us how much we want to see Him grow us and use us in this final stage of our journey. He's waiting, we just have to be willing.

Sorry for the lack of pictures lately, its not that I haven't been taking any. It takes awhile to get them all edited and uploaded. There will be many to come in the future when my schedule is not so full. Thank you all for supporting me during this time and for taking the time to read. Your prayers are changing things and helping me a lot. Continue to pray for these last couple of weeks. I want to go back to Kona with a bang, knowing that I did my part here in this amazing country.

Angkor Wat

2011-08-27T08:26:00.000-04:00

This is Angkor Wat. Built in the early 12th century I'm pretty sure this is the oldest thing I've ever seen, touched or photographed. Luckily the sky cleared up just enough to get this shot with a little bit of blue sky. It began to rain as we walked up to the temple, but I looked around and saw that it must just be a passing cloud. Me and a couple other friends hung around for about 2 hours walking all around and in the temple. The skies cleared and we walked out to this perfect spot in front of the water. It was an amazing day touring various temples. The whole area where the temples are is bigger than the city of Siem Reap where they are located. I'll post some of the pictures in the near future along with more details from my trip to Siem Reap. For now you can enjoy this one. It's probably a once in a life time opportunity, but you never know...

Around Town

2011-08-19T01:40:00.000-04:00

Have a look and see Battambang for yourself.

Ghost Head Village

2011-08-18T09:42:00.001-04:00

I realized that I hadn't mentioned anything about the village yet. Every Monday and Thursday me and a few others take the 20 minute tuk tuk ride out to Ghost Head Village. The first 10 minutes of the ride are fine. It's all paved road, the only thing you have to worry about is the dust that pollutes the air whenever a car or truck goes by. Getting things in my eye has become almost as common as blinking while on a tuk tuk. Street cleaning does not exist here and somehow I feel like even if it did, it wouldn't make much of a difference. The second half of the ride is on a dirt/mud road. Sometimes we have to get out and push the tuk tuk out of a ruts or puddles of mud. Not often but when there's 5 or 6 people in the tuk tuk it can get pretty heavy. The air here is a little better because there aren't many cars that ride this road. Mostly just motos and Cambodia's version of a tractor. The thing to worry about here are the potholes. There are too many to drive around and sometimes I feel like the driver only dodges for his moto up front and not all of us riding in the back. Praying on the way is usually humorous when we can't even get the words out because of the pothole situation. Some places the ruts are a foot or two deep. I'm not sure how the tuk tuk is still functioning because of the beating it takes every day.

Eventually we do arrive, and arriving is a relief. We are greeted by many smiling faces that are awaiting our hugs. The lack of attention and hugs some of them get during the week is made up quite well in the time that we are there. Today I sat with a young boy for about an hour and not once did he get fidgety or want to get down. We played together and with another little girl who also loved all of the attention. It was hot and a little sweaty, but worth the time spent and loved shared in that brief hour. At first time spent like this didn't feel like it was enough. I thought there must be more to loving people and showing them God's love. After a day like today when it's easy to see that all they want is to be held and given attention, it feels ok.

I was able to share a little about Moses with the children today. There were so many there was hardly room for them to sit. We were interrupted briefly by some boys who had taken a lizard and put it on a leash. They enjoyed laughing at people as they flung it towards them. It was soon followed by a number of screams from the little girls who were trying to get a close look, but definitely not that close. They would pick it up and just let it hang on the leash. With this as an example and many other things I've seen here in Cambodia, not too many people believe in a thing we like to call animal cruelty. Once all the drama had ceased we began class again and they kids struggled to pay attention as I taught them about Moses. I was able to throw in a few things about God and few life application bits. This is pretty typical when it comes to teaching here. Us talking and them struggling to pay attention. But things do get through to them. They remember our stories and they are getting stronger in their faith. It has been the dedication of others before us that has opened this place up to the Gospel. Buddhism is still here, but it is slowly losing its power to that of the Lord of Lords. It's a joy to share about God in a remote place where they are excited to hear. We also teach them English a few days a week. Everyone wants to learn English, including the children out in the village.

After the teaching time we play games as a group and the boys always get the volleyballs out to play on their newly made volleyball court. Here, you only need two people to play a game of volleyball and if you have more that's just a bonus. I don't think they know what a game of 6 on 6 even looks like. Besides all of that we spend time hearing their stories and just spending time with them. This is my favorite time, when I can sit and do the best I can at communicating with the children. They love hearing our attempts at speaking Khmer and we try to encourage their attempts at speaking English.

It's a place where there are strong demonic powers. Children suffer from nightmares where they are being chased and wanted dead. Others have been physically tormented by demons and there is great fear among some of the people. They need spiritual protection. There is a definite battle going on here and we hope to shed light in the darkness. God is moving and God is changing things here, but there is still work to be done. There is still a shrine where incense is burned to the ancestors, and not all believe in Jesus. We hope that our time here has helped fight the powers of darkness. We bring love, joy and peace and that is a pretty good attack against the fear and torment that some of these children are going through. Keep Ghost Head Village in your prayers and that we can bring light to this place that is very much in need of it.

Life at the Orphanage

2011-08-13T01:07:00.002-04:00

I wanted you to get a little glimpse of what life at the orphanage for these kids looks like. There are lots of animals, it's like a small farm here. They have Geese, pigs, dogs, cats, chickens, and turkeys. Just this past week one dog had little puppies and two of the pigs had piglets. Chhun Ly, her daughters and some of the other older girls cook the meals for the orphanage every day. Whenever we go to visit they are busy plucking chickens, preparing rice, and peeling and cutting the different spices. And they add a lot of spices to their food here. Everyday Rosh and Srey Mom are working with the pigs. They clean their pens, make sure the new piglets are each getting enough milk from the mother, and they wash the pigs with water they get from a nearby jug of rain water. Living here doesn't mean you get a free ride. Many of the kids work hard to keep this place going. Some of the older boys study English all of the time. I get to help correct some of their work and help with pronunciation when I go. They love having the help and having someone to study their English with. Most Cambodians are excited to learn English and take every chance they get to learn it. I love being able to so easily entertain the younger boys and girls when we go. It takes nothing for these kids to have a great time. They have so little, just us being there is exciting for them. Arriving is one of the best times that I have had here. Being greeted with so many hellos and hugs. At first the greetings were very formal, but now they run to us with hugs and like little monkeys clinging to each of us.

We recently got to paint the inside of the church with all the kids. We made a mess on the floor that took a lot of cleaning but it was great to get the kids involved on the project. Some really worked hard and some worked hard for a few minutes until running around the room playing tag looked more fun. We had lots of little blue foot print marks all over the floor. Apparently the paint here is too thick and so we had to add gasoline to it. I'm thinking that wouldn't work with the fire code in the states, but here it works I guess. We still have more to paint but the church looks much better and much more inviting. For our next project we are having all the kids make their own picture frames from scrap wood they find in the orphanage. They tie them with wire or vines or anything else they can find. We plan to print pictures of the kids and the orphanage and put those in their frames. I'll have to make their frames a little more sturdy from supplies at the hardware store but they have done a great job making them so far. I can't wait to see all the pictures of them hanging around the orphanage in the picture frames they made. They can have a sense of pride knowing that they help create the artwork that decorates the place. The walls are very plain now and we want to give the place a little life even after we are gone.

The church is on the bottom and most of the kids rooms are on the top.

Squatty potty anyone?

On the left is where some of the older boys sleep. On the right are the pig pens.

Here is one of the girls rooms.

Cheak and David enjoying their Coke and Sprite!

This is one of the small boys rooms.

Up on the balcony where all of the girls rooms are.

Cheak and his drawing inspired by the pictures of NYC I was showing the kids.

Cheers!

They waste no parts of the chicken.

Here is the inside of the church building.

Srey Mom is washing down the pig pens and the pigs

Cheak and David being themselves.

This gets pretty muddy after the rain, which is just about every day.

Thoue caught a bunch of fish and even some snakes in his trap.

A little glimpse of the how things are cooked here.

The door to the church.

The geese with attitude.

The kitchen and sleeping area where the older boys sleep.

The view from the back of the balcony.

Me showing the kids pictures from all the places I've been.

The pigs were intrigued by my camera.

This mother is very protective. She tried attacking me when I wasn't even near her puppies!

Another one of the girls room.

A side view of their main building

Smey and his coke. It's been awesome to see him warm up to us over the past couple of months.

Somnang getting lunch ready.

Srey Mom worked hard painting and removing the paint from the floor. She's always got a smile and is always ready with a hug.

Their sandals get too muddy to keep on when going up stairs or entering any room.

Getting that wall looking blue and shiney.

Thoue the fisherman.

A view from the balcony.

AT $50 a piece these pigs can help fund the orphanage.

Phnom Sampov

2011-08-09T09:16:00.001-04:00

Last weekend all but one member of our team took a short trip to the mountains. We all packed into a van along with cameras, back packs, and our friend and translator Seang. We weren't quite sure what we were going to visit that Saturday morning. The place is called Phnom Sampov. It's a place that was used by the Khmer Rouge to kill innocent people. They did this by throwing them off of cliffs and down into deep caves. There are many temples here used for the worship of Buddha and many dark spirits. You don't have to believe in the spiritual world to feel the heaviness in this place. Incense is constantly burning and the smell of it reminds you of the worship that goes on. Monks walk up and down the hills and there are idols all around. Death and worship of Satan is all over this place. At first, while walking the stairs to the top of the mountain it is enjoyable and the views of the sunrise were amazing. This land truly is beautiful. But once at the top you are surrounded by statues and idols. For some who feel more than others they spent the whole day with a sense of darkness and for others certain areas brought it out more. When you are standing down in a cave where people's bodies used to lie decapitated from falling over a hundred feet it's hard to feel nothing. Or when you stand at the top of a cliff where people used to be thrown off it's hard to feel nothing. And now these people choose to worship here.

It's hard to understand why they choose to remember and worship in a place filled with death. Much of the tourists places in Cambodia deal with death or are ancient places where Buddha was worshiped. The Khmer Rouge was only 40 short years ago. When half of this countries' population was murdered, and so many in awful, horrific ways. One to three million people were murdered in about five years. Some right in the very place I walked just last Saturday. Pray for this nation, pray for these people. I believe God can do to Cambodia what He did to South Korea. I believe He wants to do this, but He wants us to do our part in praying and interceding for this land. This land is infested with the demonic and spiritual darkness. I've witnessed it myself riding my bike down the street and locking eyes with someone I am almost 100% sure is possessed by a demon or demons. I've never seen or felt spiritual warfare like I do here. The enemy has a foothold in many areas in this nation. People are living in darkness all over. 98% of this country is living in darkness and the remaining 2% are having to fight the powers of darkness with only a small army. They need our help, they need your prayers. Satan loses ground when we pray, he loses his footholds when we pray. God wants to change this country and if you were to step foot here you would know this to be true. Don't doubt what God can do through a simple prayer against the strongholds of the enemy here. Be specific, pray against fear, death, alcoholism, trafficking, corruption, apathy, laziness and idolatry. God wants to rid this country of all of these things, but He also chooses to use men and women to carry out His will.

Rejoicing in Heaven!

2011-08-08T09:43:00.001-04:00

God is here! In the midst of intense spiritual warfare and in a country haunted by fear, God is here. He's showed up when my attitudes been awful, and He's showed up when I feel too sick to speak. My God is bigger than my emotions and bigger than my problems. Today there are some English students who became much more than students. Today they became children of God. Though I was coughing and felt like I could hardly speak, God's voice was nearly shouting out of my lips for almost an hour. I didn't have a plan or any idea what was going to happen. I've felt the whole time that God wanted to use us to bring salvation to this place. I've been frustrated that none had come to know Him. Today I wasn't looking for it, but by small things that I heard and noticed I felt like today was the day. I heard someone say the word salvation today and I felt like God saying that today it would happen.

A few from my Bible class were out on a camping trip with their church. Another student told me he would be busy and couldn't make it. I didn't feel well, and I didn't feel like God was giving me anything to share with the rest of the class. The teachers of an advance English class, Grace and Campbell, asked me if I would appear in their class for a question and answer time. I didn't know if it would be right to cancel class, but I felt like God had something in store for me in the English class. I'm glad I listened to what God was saying. Here are their questions. Where is Jesus from? What happen to people don't accept Jesus? When God was born? How many siblings does Jesus have? What does buybol (scripture) mean. How God is help us when we make sin? If some one who death, their must go to the heaven or not? How do we know God love us? Where is God? I want you to tell me about your God story? Why you think your God is the best? That gave me more than enough to get excited and passionate about. I felt God speaking through me the whole time. Not that I didn't fumble my words here and there, but God was working in that room. At the end of the class I invited those who wanted to pray after me. "God thank you for dying on the cross for me sin." By this point I didn't hear anyone and after I said the next line I heard the whispers of three students who were giving their lives for Jesus. "I know I'm a sinner. Thank you for dying for my sins. I believe that you are the one true God. I believe you died and rose again taking the punishment for my sin." Once I heard those whispers I was so excited I almost forgot what to say to lead them in the prayer. One of the guys came to me after and told me what he had done and asked me to pray for him and to pray a "bleshing" over him. His name is Pisat and you can pray for him. He's been interested and has asked questions since the beginning of the quarter. I told Grace and Campbell that he was going to turn to Jesus a while back. I don't know why I said it, maybe because he was asking great questions. But today was the day and God allowed me to be the one to lead Him to the best decision he'll ever make. God doesn't need me but I love that He wants to use me. Today was a good day.

A Little More Than Half

2011-08-03T06:31:00.000-04:00

Our school leader, Sharee, came for a pastoral visit. We are only the second team she's visited so far. It was nice to see her again and our team was real excited. She did an amazing job in Kona of leading our team out of and into new identities. She wasn't afraid to show emotion and really cared for our DTS (Discipleship Training School). I had a chance to meet one on one with her as did all of our team. It was a great talk just to be able to share all that God had done. I realized how passionate I was about my time here and the different things God had been doing lately. She encouraged me by letting me know that these things really were amazing and that I was doing what I was supposed to do. That God was using me and that the things spoken over me in Kona were not just words, but had truth behind them. It's been a bit of a process getting to how I feel now. To have the passion and love for these people and the boldness to try and make a change in people's lives. This outreach is going to be too short. I could easily deal with having this last another 3 months. Though I'm only a little more than half way through I don't feel worn out or tired of the place. Getting bit by bugs and having my whole foot covered in bug bites is a bit annoying and itchy, but I don't want to leave these relationships that I've made. I haven't felt God asking me to stay here, but I know that it's a possibility. New York City is always on my heart and I think I will be there serving Him some day, but I don't think the time for that is now. Now I'm finding out how big God really is. And this tiny little box that I've put Him in has been torn apart.
I thought God was calling me to do a DTS, but I wasn't sure. I decided that I was just going to do it and work to pay my way over 2 years ago. I believe that this has been one of the best decisions of my life. I have loved life for the past 4 months. I learned more about who God is in Hawaii and got to experience much of the island. I met some of the most amazing people and have made lifelong friends. I have grown more in this time than any other in my life. I know who I am, I know how valuable I am to God, and what he thinks about me. I'm here in Cambodia, a beautiful country with the most amazing people. So loving, friendly, kind, hospitable, and warm. And I am able to share with them all that I have learned the past 4 months. That has been the best part. Only a few months ago I was learning all these things from great speakers and now I am the one speaking. Students are taking notes in my classes and finding out more about God. They are learning and seeking and asking great questions. How do I even think about leaving a place like this where God has done so much in meand has used me in ways I didn't know I could be used. For now that time is still weeks away and I want to see what God will do in that time. It's not over yet and I have a feeling this blog will contain many things that God will do in that time. Maybe the stories will be great and amazing or maybe they will be simple things that are still great and amazing. Either way I will be thankful for all that has happened here. I'm excited and expectant for these coming weeks, please be praying for the people here. That they will come to know Jesus and that they will grow strong in Him. That is all I want to see.

Pictures coming soon!

What Happens When You Go?

2011-07-31T09:34:00.000-04:00

   This last friday my bible class wanted to take class to the slums. One of my students knew some families in the nearby slums and so we went. It was drizzling, the dirt road was extremely muddy, and we had no real plan. This is exactly what I wanted. I wanted God to guide our every move. I didn't want a plan, I didn't want to know what I was doing, I wanted God to lead us. There was me a translator, and about 7 students. At the very start some had concerns about what we were doing, but I knew that it was only an attack and that we were supposed to be there. This was something I desired to do, but it's difficult to just walk up to people, and talk if you don't know the language. I think God put this on my heart because only a few days after one of my students asked if we could do the very thing that was on my heart. And so the circumstances and the attitudes around me would not effect me. I was determined to go and be used by God. It took us about 10 minutes to walk to the slums from the youth center, and once arriving we just began walking down the narrow muddy road. There were homes very tight together that were nothing more than a shack with one room raised from the ground. Only walking distance from luxurious hotels and modern cafes. It's a hard thing to take in. To know that people are living so comfortably so close by, and yet many don't even have a bed to sleep in. Yards and landscaping don't exist. Home furnishings and decorations are not even on the radar. Whatever they can find to build a shelter is what they use.
   When I first got to Cambodia and saw the vast difference from the upper to lower class it didn't phase me. I didn't understand it. Now, God has been giving me His heart for the poor. To see them as people who are hurting. To see them as people who need so much. To see them as people...
   As we were looking around and feeling awkward I had to fight not to feel defeated or that this really wasn't a good idea. I was trusting in one of my students, Sok Na, to lead us because she knew some of the families. She looked a little lost and a little out of place. Still I was fighting the defeating thoughts. God had told me to come here, God was going to do something. I asked God to bring us someone who he wanted us to minister too. I felt like it would be a women, but I just prayed out to God almost in desperation. I didn't want this be a failure, I didn't want my students walking away without feeling like we did anything. So I prayed.
   Sok Na found a family that she knew. I was relieved. She a few of my students were welcomed into the house and they quickly had me come in with them calling "teachah teachah". So I went, Sok Na told me a little about them and we all prayed for them together. It was great and I was glad to pray for them. I knew that not being able to speak their language wouldn't allow me to do too much and so I was content to pray. As we left that house I saw another one of my students, Dareth, talking with another family across the road. I went over and asked if he knew them. He said no, he started laughing nervously and I did the same. So I introduced myself to a couple people in the family. I asked Dareth to ask if they needed prayer. There were 6 or 7 children in the house watching TV. (They have nothing, but almost all of them have TVs) They told me that all of them had colds and were sick. And so they gathered all the kids around and I put my arms around a few of them and prayed for their sick bodies. One of the girls at the house new YWAM and had taken classes at the youth center and it was great to be able to talk with her and bless that family in our short visit.
   As I left that home the group I had been with walked to the end of the road and were talking with a lady with a young child named Ya. Sok Na told me that her husband had another wife and things were very difficult for her right now. My heart went out to this lady. I prayed for her but this time that wasn't enough. I had Sok Na translate for me and I just began speaking what I felt God wanted to tell this sweet lady. As I spoke I watched her as she looked down and fought to keep the tears inside. I knew that what I was saying was penetrating her heart. God had come through, He had brought me to the person I had asked him to. Though I don't speak the language God still used my words through a translator. You can't limit God. Sometimes it means doing things that are uncomfortable, sometimes it means putting yourself out there. When you obey God, you are never disappointed. Listen for His voice. He wants to speak to you, He wants to use you for His purpose and His glory. Even when it means walking to an unknown place with muddy roads and only a word from God to go.
   I hope to go back, I hope to meet Ya again, I hope to be God's voice to this lady, I hope that if she does not believe in God that by my love and by what I say, she comes to know Him. To know Him in a way that completely transforms her life, that gives her hope, that gives her comfort. I want Ya to know the God I know, to know how much she is loved, and to know that there is hope in salvation. That Jesus died for her, that He is alive, and that she must only believe on Him for eternal life.

Monsoon!!

2011-07-31T03:01:00.002-04:00

This is what happens when it rains. Somehow not much changes except that there are more people on the roads than normal. A student at the youth center where I teach and also where I live offered to give me a ride on his moto. I put a ziplock bag with a hole cut out for my lens over my camera, put a rain jacket on and rode with him along the streets of Battambang. This is what I saw.

This is Where My Heart is

2011-07-27T01:37:00.002-04:00

I spent the morning at the orphanage. The place that God put on my heart from the first day I spent there. I felt like God had a purpose for these orphans and that they had a voice to speak out. It's been over a month since God first spoke to me about these children and teenagers. I don't feel any different about them and what I feel like God is raising them up to be. But after a month I've felt like our time with them hasn't amounted to much. Our game times, our teachings, our hugs, our songs, our dancing, and our goofing around. I've seen more joy from them if nothing else. When we arrive there are usually so many children waiting to give us hugs and to greet us with big smiles and lots of hellos. Today there was only one or two children. They didn't run up and greet us but ran and got everyone else to tell them we had arrived. The smiling faces came running to us, the hugs, and the hellos. These children love us and we love them. It's a small place, the girls cook the food for the day, all from scratch. The children sleep about four kids per bed. Sopath told me today that he sleeps where the chickens are. I kept asking him over and over since his english is pretty good, but still hard to understand. He had told me correct as he pointed out the window showing me where he slept. I really thought it was just a joke at first, and then I hoped it was a joke. I felt my heart sink as I realized what he said was true. It's no place for anyone to sleep, especially someone that has become a friend. He is 18 and has taught himself english. He can speak and write and understand very well. I was impressed today as he had me correct some of the work he had done in an english book given to him by a friend. There were almost no mistakes and he can spell words better than many Americans I know.

Please pray for this place. I don't want to leave still feeling like not much was accomplished. This is a place were children are going to rise up and make in impact in their country. Many Cambodians have dreams of impacting the world and not just their country. Their dreams are big, but their resources are small. Pray for this orphanage and these orphans. God is working and God is using us there. If nothing else, they have seen love. I have a class to teach in only a few minutes so I'll get the pictures up later. Please don't read this and do nothing. They need your prayers, they need people to care. There are many needy and hurting people here in this country, so I'm asking you start with these orphans. Pray for them and see what God puts on your heart for them or for this country. God is moving and things are about to change drastically here in the next 20 years. But not without our prayers and not without support from believers around the world.

   Chue

   Cheak

   I'm going to start taking the time to teach english to the older guys
   here at the orphanage. They love to learn it and I've found that I
   can build a stronger relationship with them through that.

Ratha

Sopath

   Thou

Rice Fields

2011-07-23T03:30:00.002-04:00

I spent the morning with my friend/leader Zach Fry. I thought after leaving Hawaii there wouldn't be an opportunity to see such amazing beauty again. Then I went to a rice field. I was wrong, Cambodia is beautiful. This is what I saw.

We've Only Just Begin

2011-07-08T23:28:00.103-04:00

Hey everyone, Battambang is starting to feel a little more like home. I'm learning about the best places to eat, where the nice pools to swim at are, and where to find internet. This is a beautiful country because of the beautiful people that live here. I was able to visit an orphanage a couple of times already. It has quickly become my favorite place here in Battambang. The children are amazing here and have so much joy. There are no sad faces or any signs of self pity. When we arrive they light up and joy fills the orphanage. I can't wait to be back and I would spend all of my time there if it were possible. Sompath is 21 years old and still stays at the orphanage. I hope to learn his story soon. When I first got to the orphanage he sat right next to me and we talked as well as we could with my very limited Khmer and his very broken english. But we've begun a relationship and I've been praying for him a lot. I really feel like he has an opportunity to be a light to many other people his age. I talked to the whole orphanage yesterday with a translator and I told them that there was hope for them. That there is hope for their future and that God has a purpose and a plan for them. I told them that we wanted to tell them more about Jesus so that they could go out and tell others about Jesus. Many in this generation are hungry for something besides Buddhism and I want to lead them to someone who loves them so much that he died for them. About 80% of the population here in Cambodia is under the age of 30. That's exciting for us because that means this country is on the verge of complete change. Many of the youth know that the government is corrupt and see many of the issues facing this country. They want to see change and they are beginning to see that there is more to life than Buddhism.

I also had the opportunity to meet with the principal of the Salaa Hope School. A few members of my team and I met with him and talked about what it would like to teach english and Bible there at the school. He was a very friendly guy and was so excited that we wanted to help out at the school. It is a christian school and had tons of life with a whole bunch of children running around playing. He asked me if I played soccer and I told him that it was my favorite sport. He then asked if I liked basketball and I said I like any sport. He told me the only thing he played was ping pong and he was real excited when I told him that I loved playing ping pong. He invited me to play sports with the children everyday and 3. So far my schedule is open and I had looking for an opportunity to play sports with some kids here.

There are a few other things going on here with some other people on my team that are very exciting. God is doing things with this team that have not always been done in the past. People are finding ministries here in Battambang that they have passions for, but that they did not expect to be able to do here. One example is a a girl on my team is a cosmetologist and never expected to be able to do that here. Just yesterday she was able to plan with the leaders of the organization how she could teach women who have been rescued from sex trafficking how to cut hair. Here is a link to their site (http://www.raphahouse.org/#/what-we-do). The place she is teaching is called the "Freedom Center". It is part of an organization called "Rapha House".

God is doing some amazing things here and its so fun to be apart of. It's only just beginning, and already we can see that God is here and that God loves the Khmer people. Its a privilege to be the instruments that God is using to love these people.

You might not always see it on the outside, but inside many young people of this next generation is the passion and determination for change.

Meet Mohey, he's the cutest kid I've met here in Cambodia.

I met him at Jeevit's House (http://jeevitshouse.org/). It's a place
that helps out the neighborhood and beyond. They supply food to families and children are often invited to play in the yard.

This is the Phsar Nath Market. You can find knock-offs for just
about anything. Some "Nike" or "Puma" shoes can be bought for
only $10.

Not much of mall, but this is called the Battambang Mall. Its
   mostly empty as the city is being more developed in this area.

The base leader, Garth, is trying to keep his title as pit spitting champion at our 4th of July day party.

Garth failed to spit a pit further than this DTS Staffer named Pok

   Road 3 in Battambang. There's never a lack of motos or any
vehicles on this road.

Josie, one of my teammates is sipping some coke in the best way possible... a glass bottle.

   Some beautiful children from a village about 15 minutes away by
tuk tuk.

Here in Cambodia

2011-06-30T05:22:00.002-04:00

We've arrived at our final destination. Today our team took a 5 1/2 hour bus ride from Phnom Penh to Battambang. To get from where the bus dropped us off to the YWAM base we piled into 4 tuktuks with all of our luggage. Normally something like that would look pretty funny, but here in Cambodia it seems only normal to pack vehicles with as much stuff as possible.

The first day in Cambodia three of us got to visit and photograph a place called Stop Start. They are partnered with Not For Sale (http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/). It was a factory where they hired women who have been rescued from sex trafficking as well as deaf people, and there were men there as well. While there we got to sit and talk with the general manager of the factory and also the Executive Director/Co-Founder of Not For Sale. He was there for a day meeting with the manager and trying to figure out a contract they were beginning with Levi Jeans Company. Talk about a sweet start to outreach and an amazing first experience in Cambodia.

So these are a few things that I've seen so far in Phnom Penh...tuktuks everywhere. If you walk anywhere or walk out of any store you'll be asked at least 2 or 3 times from a driver if you want a ride. Partly because no one walks anywhere, and for good reason. Sidewalks are just additions to the street, road rules don't really exist. If you want to go the wrong direction that seems pretty normal too. If you have a big vehicle you have the right of way. Most of the vehicles on the road or combinations of motorcycles and scooters, and I really want to get one. There's lots of poverty here, along with some very rich areas. Buddhism is everywhere. The market that we went to was full of little statues and lots of other Buddhist things. Today a man with a monk was trying to get money from me. Monks walk on the streets, usually barefoot, with an orange robe and usually an orange umbrella. There are no spaces between the building in Phnom Penh. Everything is very tight and very congested. A few beggars are on the streets. They usually sit on the sidewalk, some have missing limbs and some would push pretty hard for you to give them money. I heard from a documentary that everywhere there is a red light, there is a brothel. I saw around 4 or 5 on the way to the hotel from the airport and I could see two from the roof of our building that were just a block away. People of all ages are doing work that most people in the West wouldn't even consider doing. In the market there were many women sitting on the ground preparing the food that they were trying to sell. The market is not a clean place or a very nice place. The aisles are tiny, everything is really tight, but the stuff there was amazing. I managed to buy a brand new pair of Puma's for $13 along with a few other things. It was kind of like China Town in NYC on steroids. I just keep thinking of the jobs these people are doing each day just to survive and how life is so different on the other side of the world. I'm trying to figure out who's lives seem better, because a lot of these people seem much happier and much friendlier than any place I've ever been.

I love that when we smile at someone they usually smile right back with an amazing, beautiful Cambodian smile. The children here are so amazing. While riding on a tuktuk a group of kids on their own tuktuk all waved and yelled "hello!" We waved back and yelled "hello!" too. They stared and laughed and yelled until we were out of sight. Walking down the street we would see groups of kids and they start smiling seeing white people and say hello. They laugh and wave at us as we walk by and do the same. These are some of the friendliest and inviting people that I have ever met. It makes being in a new place and a new culture much easier. We've probably done a hundred things that we weren't supposed to but, usually we only get laughed at if we do.

Tomorrow is orientation, and that's where I'll find out a little more of what ministry is going to look like here. So far its just been a nice transition to Cambodia and we've got to just hang out in the capitol city. I'm excited for what's ahead here in Battambang.

We Made It!

2011-06-27T13:08:00.000-04:00

We've Arrived! Our team just got in to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. Our travel included a 40 minute flight to Honolulu, a 9 hour flight to Seoul, Korea, and finally a 5 hour flight to Phnom Penh, Cambodia. It's been a long day, but traveling with a team of people makes all that travel time go by a little quicker. It's around midnight on the 28th, and its 1 pm on the 27th for most of you. Quite the time difference. Pictures and stories coming very soon.

Compassion

2011-06-23T04:00:00.000-04:00

There are a number of passages in Scripture where we see that God is compassionate towards people. There are other passages were Jesus uses parables to teach people about compassion, and there are times when God calls us all to have compassion for others.

Some of my favorite versus are when Jesus is moved with compassion towards a group of people or towards a person he is talking to. Like in Luke 7:13 " And when the Lord saw her, he had compassion on her, and said unto her, Weep not." What I love about the miracle that Jesus performed here is that he didn't do it to impress anyone or to cause people to worship him, but he did it because he had compassion. His motives were not self centered but centered on the woman. This is God's compassion. Not something that is selfish or proud, but something that loves, that cares, that wants to comfort someone.

God has compassion on Israel throughout Scripture as well. They didn't deserve it, they did nothing to earn it, they were completely against God at times, but he would punish them and have compassion on them. He would always restore his chosen people because of his love for them. In 2 Kings 13:23 we see God having compassion on the nation of Israel.

I don't know if we can fully understand the compassion that God has, because it comes from a place of love and we can't fully understand the love of God. If God did not love, he could not have compassion. He would condemn, we would destroy relentlessly, because there would be nothing in his nature to stop him. But because God loves, his anger and judgment are relieved by love and compassion. All of God's characteristics are so closely linked to his love. God is love and that means that God is many other things, especially compassionate. His compassion doesn't have limitations, it doesn't have a certain type of person as its focus. Often times his compassion was strongest towards children, widows, and the poor. This is where God's heart for the world is seen in powerful ways. His compassion for those specific things is seen throughout Scripture. I don't think there is any denying that.

What do we do with this knowledge of God's compassion? Are we fine in simply knowing this truth or do we actually attempt to be like God in this area? The most important thing to remember about compassion is that it should be a verb and never just a noun. To have compassion without action is not compassion at all. Anytime we hear about Jesus or God the Father having compassion, there was action involved. Jesus would perform a miracle out of compassion or God would restore a nation out of compassion. His compassion was never just compassion. It always meant that God was going to do something. It always meant that Jesus would come through. When God has compassion things change, miracles happen, people are restored. So why is there so much evil in the world? Perhaps God is waiting for his followers to be the ones to act out his compassion. Maybe he's waiting for people to be filled with his compassion so that they have no other choice but to change things. People so in tuned with the heart of God that they can't do anything else until that compassion is released.

How can you look at something like this and not think God has compassion. He gave us Hawaii, I mean come on.

Mauna Kea to Cambodia

2011-06-18T02:13:00.014-04:00

Last weekend I had the experience of a lifetime. I went with a crew of 14 people in one pick up truck to the top of Mauna Kea. The worlds tallest mountain. Really, google it. I'm right. It's also a volcano, but don't worry its been inactive for some time. Going up top was really great, also really cold compared to the warm weather I had experienced on a beach just hours before. But driving up and seeing the view was not the most amazing part. We got to the top just in time for sunset. Now I've seen quite a few amazing sunsets here in Hawaii, but this one trumps them all. We were above clouds, under clouds, Maui in the distance, Mauna Loa in the distance, it was a lot to take in. What made it even better was spending that time with 13 other amazing people and amazing friends. All photogenx students, so we were running around snapping photos and hiding from the cold in the truck. I know what you're thinking...cold in Hawaii? At over 13,000ft in the air there was snow! At times the whole mountain is snow capped. That day there were patches of it. We had a friend from Australia who saw snow for the first time that day. How cool of a story is that?
Well outreached is just over a week away. That means in a few short days I'll be on my way to Battambang, Cambodia. Our team has been preparing for this for weeks now. We all have different levels of excitement and anxiety. We know a little of what to expect, but there's no telling what we will get to experience there. We've heard that the hearts of the people are hungry for Jesus. They want to know him, they want the hope of salvation, and the hope of someone who loves them. These last two weeks have been training us how to bring Jesus to the people we are going to minister to. A big focus is making disciples or even a disciple. If we can get one person to love Jesus and serve him with their life that is a success. Because when we leave they will be making their own disciples for Jesus and that is our goal. We are there for only 2 and a half months. We want to train the people to be able to minister to their friends and families when we are gone and are unable to do that. We also want to love the orphans, the widows and the poor. They wont be hard to find in Cambodia. The country is stricken by war and the people are hurting. They are poor, they are trapped in alcohol, they live without love from parents or elders. We will change that for some. We will love, we will be Jesus to those who have never known his name. What an honor and what a privilege is ours in these next few months. We are going to see God move in ways we didn't know were possible and he's going to do major work in our hearts. I can't wait for Cambodia, please remember to pray for me, for my team, and for the people. I hope to have stories from Cambodia for you, but we need your prayers now. We are helpless without God on our side.

The Heart of Worship

2011-06-18T01:45:00.000-04:00

What if when we worshipped we thought about our words? If we made them a reality in our life and what if sometimes we feared God enough to be silent and pray for a change of heart when we can't mean what we are singing. Does the God of creation deserve half hearted worship? Does he deserve worship from his children done only because its time for that part of the service? What if we melted the heart of God because we took time to prepare, or we took time before God confessing what is wrong in our lives and thanking God for his unending grace? Instead of singing because we like the song, what if we were so in love with God that it wouldn't matter what the song was, what the music sounded like, or who was leading, but what mattered was that we were lifting our voice to our dad. Could it be that he just wants to hear our voice, because after all isn't he the one that gave it to us (as out of tune as it may be). None of this to say that God will reject whatever worship we offer him. Wouldn't it be great if we really moved God because when we sang out to him we really planned on living our life in the way we sing about. That we didn't just read words from a screen or a book, but in that moment we thought of what that could mean for our life. Worship can be outward but without thought, without intention, without love for our father. This kind of worship is not complete. Worship is not only a dance, though it can be, it is not only jumping and raising hands, though it can be. It is heart felt devotion to the one who made us and loves us with a love that is relentless. How can we deny God worship that comes from deep within our souls. He is the reason we are breathing. At the most basic level we have reason to worship with all that we have. He's the one who gives us breath.

A peek into life in Hawaii

2011-06-04T05:20:00.002-04:00

I realized the past couple posts I haven't told you very much about what's been going on here as far as adventures and all the amazing things I've been able to see since being here. Last weekend a group of us went to Waipio Valley. You'd recognize it if you remember Jurassic Park and the very tall waterfall. It was one of the most beautiful places I've ever seen. Our hike was pretty intense. We never really knew if we were on the trail or not because the trail took you through the river, over boulders, on small step ledges, and basically through the middle of the jungle. Absolutely my kind of thing. I hiked the whole way there with my camera in one hand in order to document some of that trip to be able to show you guys what it was like. There were parts along the way where we were able to see the massive waterfall. Well, there wasn't a whole lot of water flowing down, because its a bit dry in that area right now. It was more of a trickle but still a magnificent view. Once we made it back from the hike we walked over to Black Sands Beach. I'm talking really black sand. It was beautiful to see, and the waves at that beach were very powerful. We swam in waves up to six feet with a current that moved you from right to left hundreds of feet in just minutes. It took no time at all to be moved across the beach by the powerful current.

Most of you have seen the pictures of most of the places I've been. We hang out at a resort here just about a five minute walk. We swim in their pool and enjoy walking on the lava rocks as the waves crash on top of us. There's a pier in town about a 6 minute run away where we can just dive in the water to cool off after. Two weekends ago I went to a place called end of the world where there are about 15-20ft cliffs. The waves and current are intense over there. You feel like they're going to smash you against the walls of the cliffs. I ended up catching a fish there with some fishing poles I borrowed from a friend.

A couple of times I've been able to do some snorkeling. That has been so amazing. There have to be over 20 kinds of fish that we are able to see in just a small area and in very shallow water. They live among the coral reefs here and they swam all around me only feet away as I swam across the surface of the water. I've also seen groups of dolphins jumping high out of the water from the beach. Another cool thing here are the sea turtles. Almost anywhere you go they are some near by. I've been able to swim right up next to some with some snorkel gear on and get a great view of the amazing creatures. Often times I'll see them swimming in the waves by the shore.

Well that's a little bit of the adventures I've had here. Just a small taste really. It would take much more time to share all the things and places I've been able to go. Though all of that fails to compare to all the things that God has been doing in me. Since this post is already long, I'll share with you a little more about that in a future post. Keep praying because satan would like nothing more than to bring me down right now. So much has been going on in my life and he's trying hard to break in. Thanks for all of you who are thinking and praying for me while I'm here. God has blessed me in more ways than I can say by bringing me here. And I thank those of you who have been praying for me for being a huge part of that!

The Unknowable

2011-05-24T19:16:00.002-04:00

Who is this God that is unknowable? Funny question isn't it? One moment he's empowering us to do great things and to be his voice for the world. The next he tells us that he just wants to be with us. He tells us there's nothing we can do to make him any more in love with us. So which one is it. Do we rest in God or do we fight for what he has called us to do? This thought was brought up in class today... "You can't help God". Yeah, really, think about it. Can you help the creator of the world, who put the stars in place, who knows all of your thoughts, who can count the hairs on your head, who can wipe out nations in an instant? What really can we do?
Because he is our father and he takes pleasure in simply being with his children, we can love him and allow him to love us. What would it do if we delivered nations from poverty but did not have love, or if we stopped sex trafficking around the world but did not love. It would be meaningless the Bible says. If we aren't stopping, and waiting, and loving God, we cannot love others. Not in the way God loves others. Our love is not so amazing, but when we have spent time with God, deep intimate time with God, we will be able to love others the way God loves them. God's love will be coming out of us. The Holy Spirit will guide us, it wont be about empathy or pity for others, but we will see them the way God sees them. Have you ever seen someone the way God sees them? Have you ever asked to see someone the way God sees them? That's a hard thing to do when you feel justified about being annoyed with someone or prideful about it. What about murderers, thieves, and men who start wars or genocides? Does God love them? What does God think about these people. If you want a heart change towards someone... ask God to show you what he thinks about that person and how he feels about that person. If you've really humbled yourself, you'll be able to tell them what God has shown you. Intense right? It can be if we can allow God to humble our prideful hearts.

These past couple of weeks have been about allowing the Holy Spirit to come and do his thing. Talk about unknowable. This person of the trinity can be intense at times but also calm and peaceful at other times. He can reveal sin and he can heal brokenness. He can empower believers and strengthen the weak. Talk to some of the DTS students that are on outreach right now and ask them how powerful God is. They wont hesitate to tell you of all the people who now want to follow Christ, the people who have been healed, the broken hearts that have been restored. Last night I got to hear story after story from the actual people in the various countries about what God had been doing. The Holy Spirit can work in Muslim countries and here in the United States. Maybe sometimes we just decide not to allow him to move. We are afraid of what might happen. He might mess up our theology. It's a fearful thing to let the Holy Spirit move in a place. Sometimes he does things that we can't explain and that scares us. We feel like we need to be able to comprehend and explain all that the Holy Spirit does. Do you feel that way? Are you suffocating the Holy Spirit because you're too afraid that some of the crazy stories you hear might actually be true? Does it make the Holy Spirit a lessor person of the trinity if he does do those crazy things? Or does it make him that more worthy of our praise and worship. He can only do what the Father allows him to. He is God.

Who Is This God?

One Month In

2011-05-10T03:23:00.002-04:00

To go through all that has gone on this past month will be a tough task. I came here with almost no expectations for anything really. I didn't know anything about YWAM and I hardly knew anything about the school. Just a very few basic things. It didn't take long before I was challenged by Christians and their way of interacting with God. From worship, to prayer, to many different ways the Holy Spirit can work. Does God really speak to our souls? Does He want to communicate with us when we are listening for His voice? One of the things I hoped to gain from this experience was to see church in a new way. Different from Americas version of church. We don't do everything right and I wanted to see how God worked in different areas of the world. That was something I thought I would encounter on outreach. Even though technically I'm still in the United States, God has fulfilled that desire. I have seen people from all over the world and many from the States have a relationship with God that I never knew existed. I didn't have to leave the United States to have my views of church and my views of God completely challenged. Is it wrong because it's different or is it just different? Do I need to throw away all of what I've been taught growing up in church or what I've learned in Bible College? At first I thought I had to make a choice between the two, because they seemed to be on different ends of the spectrum, but God has opened up my eyes to see that they can exist together. There are still a few things I struggle with and some things that I don't necessarily agree with, but I can say the same for any church I've been to.

So I guess the first month here has been a growing experience and an eye opening experience to what God is accomplishing in people and in the world. As a DTS (discipleship training school) we've seen one of team members accept Jesus as Lord and Savior. His transformation is incredible, he's got an unending list of questions he's been asking with many people willing to pour into his life. It's been awesome to see a hunger and thirst for God from classmates of mine who have never really had that desire. Life has always been about them. And through their relationship with God they are realizing that life is about first of all God, but about other people. People come first, not our own agenda or our selfish desires. Many people are living in small rooms with 7 or 8 people and having to adjust to life with almost no privacy. What you gain in this setting where christian community is focused on is accountability. Sin isn't meant to be kept in the closet of our hearts, but to be shared with brothers and sisters who can come along side and guide us through our struggles. Yes, it's humbling, but it is so freeing and it brings joy when you don't have to bear the weight of sin on your own.

I'm going all over the place in this blog, but sometimes I feel that way here. With so much entering my brain during class and through many other things during the day. Processing through things sometimes doesn't happen right away. I can say that this has been one of the best months of my life. Of course being in Hawaii is amazing. The sunsets, the palm trees, the beaches, the volcanoes, the cliff jumping, the snorkeling, the waterfalls, the community, the friends, the leadership, the worship, and the teaching. All of that has made this month one of the most incredible months of my life.

   It's mostly locals at this small beach. Its just about 10
   minutes from the university and its a nice place to catch some sun
   or even go for a swim. There are always people out surfing or boogie boarding.

   A nice row of palm trees at Magic Sands Beach. Not quite walkable, but hitch hiking is legal
   here in Hawaii so we take full advantage of that. Why Magic Sands Beach? Because at
   times there is only lava rock and other times its beautiful fine sand.

   My roommate Ryan Bledsoe taking out the other team in the
   YWAM Volleyball Tournament.

   One of the local kids surfing at one of the beaches here in Kona just about 5
   minutes from the university.

     One of the skaters from Kona enjoying his time during
   Skate Night here in the Ohana Court.

Hapuna Beach

2011-04-11T21:01:00.000-04:00

Here's a shot of Hapuna Beach. It's quite the area. Much of the landscape around is black lava rock. A few golf courses here and there and some palm trees, until you get here... Then all of a sudden the landscape is a reminder that yes, I really am in Hawaii.

2011-04-07T19:40:00.000-04:00

I managed to make it to PEI to visit some good friends before heading to Hawaii. Here's a quick glimpse of downtown Charlottetown.