SATURDAY SOUTH TOUR WITH OUR MISSION BUILDING TEAM...31 ON THE TOUR

Every Saturday YWAM shows their gratitude to all the hard work the Mission Builders do by offering them special, cheap, fun, tours around the Island. Larry and Joellen Wright are the staffs (Missionary status, full time) personal who are the leaders of the Mission Builders team, they live among us at Hale Ole (House of Light) and take care of all placing, problems and programs for us, they do an excellent job for YWAM and us, when they took over the program just a month or so ago, there were 17 Mission Builders, there are now 62, soon to be 80.

One thing Larry does is offer us his Saturday “Larry Discount Tours,” which cost each of us $5.00. This cost the base a lot more money than our five bucks could possibly cover.

Yesterday, we took 31 Mission Builders on the South Island tour, we only have two vans, so shuttling back in forth to base takes two to three trips every morning and afternoon, but any tour is first sign up, first come.

We start off the day by going to the base for breakfast at 8 AM, to pack lunches, the base has set up two hectic lines for breakfast and lunch packing, I’ve got a Masters degree so I suggest that Carol get us breakfast, while I make us lunch in the other line, this is a marvel of an idea, which soon catches on.

Mary, my staff friend who comes in for afternoon/evening and weekend management duties in the kitchen sees me in line and says “I don’t know what to do, we are missing three helpers, the people in the line are not heading the signs for one bag of chips each and one fruit each. I can see that we are out of chips already, and fruit, so I do what I can, I run into the cold storage for a box of oranges for the demanding and impatient lunchers (this is like putting a band aid on a shark bite), and I grab the biggest box of assorted chips (this is like putting a band aid on a bomb victim), people thank me, and then devour them like locust.

I’m concerned for my chip life; will I get any after I get in back of the line, again?

I feel for Mary, but I grab my stuff, as I consider the problem as  jetsam,  I’ve got mine, and I’m leaving.

We head back to Hale Ola and depart at Nine AM.

First Stop: A coffee making plantation. Very cool.

Second Stop: YWAM’s super “King’s Mansion.” Hey, Scott Cerovac, we talked to the project manger and they are desperate for some skilled help, they said you can come for free room and board for even a week or two. Mom and I will watch the kids so you and Julie can come. They are redoing the whole place; it’s the official place for YWAM to have meetings with other heads of YWAM, as well as other missionary people.

Third Stop: THE UGLIEST PLACE ON ALL OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, South Point, the cliff diving place.  But it’s one of the most fun places.

Fourth Stop: Volcano watching. This was a total bust, it was a long drive for nothing, and we couldn’t get close to the Lava flow going into the ocean.

Fifth Stop: The biggest natural hot springs I’ve ever seen. It was a beautiful setting, looks like a man made, gigantic swimming pool, and is set on the ocean, which lifts the springs and ushers in fresh water. Little parasite fish bite at your toes, one bit my eye lash (don’t put your face under water next time some local person tells me, he also tells me that there is a monster ell in the springs over by those rocks, he points to where I just came from.

I’m tired of swimming, so I get out.

Sixth Stop: We stop in Hilo for some Loco Moco (bowl of rice, a hamburger, brown gravy, and egg over easy on top, tobacco sauce, soy sauce and a little pepper); this is a must for Larry’s tour.

We head home, it’s late and the drive is excruciatingly long, we circle the entire Island, it’s the biggest of all the Hawaiian Islands (All of the other islands can fit inside of this one). It seems like a long flight on a plane with nothing to read or do, it’s cramped for all except the two high and mighty front seaters. I’m resenting their status.

Its’ almost 10:00 P.M., it’s long, fun day.



Our team, this is Tabea from Germany, and Audra from America




This is Rebeca from Sweden




This is Lisa from Finland




This is Tabea from Germany




Dan from America




Mike from Germany




Marie, a very fun and funny school teacher from Newfoundland




Anna, the most adventurous gal I've met, on her own, traveling the world, she is gutsy, smart and very sassy.




This is Ryan from America, he is going back soon to face a criminal trial. He's brave, changed and a rock solid worker and friend.




This Jong He, my new friend and kitchen helper from Korea.




This is my friend Sara from South Africa, brilliant and fun.




This is a hundred an sixty year old coffee tree





Can you find the Camelion, they covered this tree, they are huge, about eight inches long




King's Mansion




Ron and Sharon




Us



Cliff Looking



Cliff thinking



Cliff climbing



Cliff jumping

 


Cliff Jumping




The Long Climb Up. A cliff jumping Dude.




The Long Ladder Back Up Da Cliff. A cliff jumping Chick.



Hole in the floor jumping



Me, not jumping, floating in the Hot Springs



Two none cliff jumping girly men buddies.









A PRICELESS DATE

Thursday was a funny day.

The work was exceptionally easy.

My knees felt exceptionally good.

It was Thursday; one day away from Friday, giddy was our feeling.

The Vog (The smoke from the active Volcano on this Island of Hawaii, is called Vog, and can cover Kona specifically, due the wind currents. The Vog appears somewhat like a fog, or marine layer, but it is actually fine smoke, although it doesn’t take on a smoke like look, if the wind shifts it can cover Oahu, which is way North of this big Island),  was exceptionally light.

It was a good time to walk home, which means, walk down the steep hill of YWAM, pass the security gate, down to the main Highway, walk north about 600 yards and take the detour left off the main Highway through the Coconut Village Shopping Center, and go through the parking lot down to Ali’i Drive, which is along the shoreline, where all the shops and restaurants are). We had one main job, look for a fun place to rest, eat really good food, drink really good beverages (It is against YWAM policy to drink any hard liquor, you’re asked to leave if caught, we are looking for non-alcoholic Smoothie type drinks to refresh our souls) and see the sunset from a cool looking beach type restaurant.

Food and Drinks outside the confines of McDonald’s, or the YWAM cafeteria was our big goal.

We walked along the sea wall and scanned north along Ali’i, then we spotted it, it was there all the time, but we didn’t notice it.

Bubba Gump’s.

A postcard of a place, the covered Lani, was perched along its own sea wall, boats floating on the blue harbor ocean of Kailua Bay.

We went inside and were treated like royalty by Tori, a very cool waitress, we perused the menu and settled on “Run Forest Run,” a mixture of orange, strawberry, guava, then we decided to eat ¾ lbs. of Bubba Gump’s favorite Shrimp in Garlic feast basket, just an appetizer mind you.

I’d mentally kicked off my shoes, my hat was on the seat and I was settling down for a serious treat time as we gazied beautiful ocean from our great railing seats, as we wondered what the poor people of So. Cal., and Russia were doing.

Then Carol spoiled everything.

She said “Let me see your credit card.”

“I don’t have the credit card, don’t you?”

“No, I don’t have it,” said she.

Two tables were very closely situated next to us on our perfect sea side railing table, they stopped eating, and talking, while they heard me call out three times for Tori, each one demanding a louder voice, then I said “I’m sorry, but don’t put our order in, WE DON’T HAVE ANY MONEY, WE LEFT OUR WALLET AT HOME, BESIDES THAT, WE ARE LOSERS,” I said.

She said “OH, DON’T WORRY ABOUT IT, THIS HAPPENS ALL THE TIME,” (with people your age, her body language intimated.)

We left hat in hand, with our eyes to the floor, and our butts dragging behind our egos.

We walked down the stairs in disbelief and sadness. Our great time on the ocean was gone.

Then we saw our resurrection sign. Root Beer Floats for $4.50 (We had $6.50); Buckwheat says lets split a Root Beer Float.

Low and behold, there at the Root Beer place was a sea side seating, right next door to Bubba Gump’s.

We shared the same view as the sneering mob at Bubba’s, in fact we looked down on them from our perch, there we sat, one Root Beer Float, two bags of $1.00 chips (we didn’t have money for the tax) but my schmoozing paid off, the sweet gal said, “No problem, have a nice date.”

We were like kids again, one float, two spoons, two bags of chips, and great view, plus and we saved about $50.00.

We strolled home along the sea side street of Ali’i Drive, smelled the same flowers as the rich people, and had more fun, and love, than money could buy.

We walked home, rested  a little, showered, and changed into our worship cloths. We walked back to the YWAM base for the most astounding worship, led by Joyce, an incredible violinist I've met, and an unbelievable Korean woman, who led us in the greatest worship I've ever been to. They sang the most hauntingly beautiful songs, ushering us straight into the Throne Room of God.

We walked home under the stars.

What a date day.

Priceless.

SOME INSIGHTS FROM BUCKWHEAT.

Well, some of you have been asking about me (Carol).  So sit down and put your serious hat on because we all know I am not the funny one.  These past few weeks are difficult to put into words for me, so here are a few……..amazing, wonderful, exhausting, (yes, even in the mail room), inspirational, faith building, exhausting, lonely  (missing family and friends), deeply grateful, moved to a depth I have never experienced,  broken,  did I mention exhausted?  Touched by so many cultures, beautiful!  Outrageous worship and worship, like tonight, that draws you to the very foot of the cross.  Tears running down cheeks and arms raised to Heaven, wanting to draw closer to God.

In just 3 short weeks, we have experienced so very much, beginning with the Ironman. Talk about inspirational!!!  Men and women doing the extraordinary.

 New friends, the amazing Canadians, love them, they have become like family here, we laugh a lot!  The young people, Germans, Koreans, Swedish, all have become very special to me.  I love my bosses in the mail room, they are precious women that I love “talking story” with, everyone has a beautiful story.

It is awesome to watch the campus begin to morph and change in preparation for the 50^th anniversary, I can’t believe we get to be a part, and as the time draws near, the excitement is at a fever pitch.  Flowers being planted all over the base, new decks being built around the Banyan Café.  New buildings going up everywhere, plowing of fields to prepare for very large tents, the are expecting between 3 to 4 thousand people added on to the already 1100 hundred that are here on the campus.  I feel humbled and privileged to experience this event.

Experiencing the Christian community 24/7.  As I walk across the campus you can hear voices all around singing praises to our Lord and King.  In the kitchen as we work we often times all break into song as we listen to Christian music.  Is this what Heaven will be like?  And all around there are people that love the Lord.  Young and old walk past each other and greet one another with a big smile and a warm hello. Precious.  Everyone feels loved and accepted just as you are.

And all this I get to share and experience with my Scooter, he is my best friend, my sweetheart . I am blessed.

By the way, my (Carol's) email and computer are not working, so email all correspondence to Scooter on his blog or email...pastordick@stonecreek.org. Hoping to get my email running soon.

Love, Carol

One True Sentence.

Ernest Hemingway said that he would reassure himself about his doubts about writing again once he finished a story, he worried about being able to write again, finding the spark again, he would say to himself “All you have to do is write one true sentence. Write the truest sentence that you know.  It was easy; because there was always one true sentence that you knew or had seen or had heard someone say, just write one thing that you knew about.”

Here goes my one true sentence for today.

"Hyper worship doesn’t translate into practical, Christ like behavior once the music fades and the crowd disbands."

The honeymoon is over, and life here at YWAM O Camp is going to last a long time, and though it, real faith won't be masked by song lyrics.

Some YWAM Christian women have stolen other women’s dirty cloths, underwear and bathing suit.

More news, some YWAM women are also not cleaning up after themselves while leaving disgusting messes for the other women in the dorm to deal with.

Some of the craziest worshiping young bulls are the laziest and sickest, a lot of work is being left to others to manage. In Mission Builder lingo, this is stealing, since the U of N is paying us room and board to be here, carrying your own work load is kind of like carrying your cross for others, or is that just a song?

Oh, no, say this isn’t so, some women are found in the men’s rooms, “just talking and stuff.”

More pleas, more sittings.

One young spiritual worshiping giant is known to have berated an older women helper because she wouldn’t wait hand and foot on him. He’s sick you know.

Cleaning up the tables allows me to hear gossip and slander.

Wait, didn’t you guys jump crazy for Jesus yesterday?

Some menboys in the men’s dorms who worshiped the tar out of the Ohana Court Worship floor, can’t clean up the one their dirty clothes and food  lays upon in their community home space, this after appeals by a really cool, patient, graceful, older saint I’d bet money on in a fight.

Chef Vern asked me to hang up some special signs he bought, I was asked to hang them on the four posts by the two food lines, they read "DO NOT ENTER." I said, what are these for, he said to stop the people from cutting line, running up to the front of the line through the end of the food line, swiping their cards and getting their food. I said how often does that happen? He said "All of the time, with all ages, and it has been going on forever." I said with Christians? He laughed. I said but you should have seen them worship Monday. He laughed.

The worship music is stunningly great, all the time. Old songs, sung by young leaders, great vibe, great voices, great music, super leading.

Beautiful stuff, really moving, but don’t tell me I’ve got the freedom to worship any way I want and not mean it.

Total freedom to do my own thing, well, not really my thing, your thing, total freedom apparently means to get up off the chair and worship the way they want, you know, totally free and stuff. “Go over to the person next to you and dust the rust off of their shoulders, help them dance crazy for Jesus, you know, with total maniacal abandonment, free like, without any doubts," the talented man says.

"GET UP I SAID, JUMP CRAZY FOR JESUS, INHIBITED, TOTAL FREEDOM, NO INHIBITIONS, YOU HAVE TOTAL FREEDOM TO DO YOUR OWN THING." Except for that old couple over there sitting down in the back (not stated). 

"Help um Jesus! Move the music to their cerebral cortex, so they can be totally free, you know…to behave like you did."

John 14:23-24 
Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him."

Wednesday Morning, 5:27 A.M. A Bright New Day.

Let’s see, what happened of note to write about?

Morning devotions was led by Toyia, a single gal who gave her testimony about how God led her to Kona, she started off by saying “Would you all pray for me because confidence is not a part of my makeup, yet.”

She has done the best job of anyone so far, clear, precise, pertinent, funny and spiritually very helpful.

I told her she was totally awesome.

She struggled to believe me.

I ate at home so I didn’t have to get in the holocaust line.

I worked…really hard, and fast.

The rhythm of work has become easy; I’ve found my grove, my sway.

I work out at the gym on my morning break, much easier than stopping and starting.

I work out at the gym on my lunch, much easier than stopping and starting.

I work really hard and fast.

I lay down on the cement on the Ohana Court (worship center) behind the kitchen for my afternoon break, the cement feels cool, and I rest, and do back stretches.

After work we don’t get in the holocaust vans to go home and come right back up in an hour and a half for dinner, we lay around the campus pool, swim, nap, and I start my “Movable Feast,” Earnest Hemingway’s first and last book, of his early life in the Paris of 1921, the city he loved.

I’m trying to learn to write, so I read good writers.

Beat the other Builders to dinner, Grilled Cheese sandwiches and Tomato Soup.

Buckwheat, Toyia and I walk home, the cattle vans pass us.

We stop on a Lava Rock wall and watch the most beautiful sunset.

We attend our Tuesday night Mission Builder meeting. Ron, the Canadian leads us in fun music. A single girl from some “Stani” country gives her testimony, pretty wild.

Everybody eats cookies, I fast, for I’ve found a better model for making work easier…eat very little, eat healthy, do a little exercise, do more resting type of stuff, instead of all the rushing.

Its 5:41, I’m going to read a little out of the bible before our Builder devotions on campus.

Love to all who post love notes on my blog, to all you others, a curse on your right big toe.

Rage and Wonder, All Over Coffee and a Divine Appointment.

It's 5:27 A.M., and I’ve eaten, showered, dressed and taken all the meds necessary to make it through another day of work. We love our team of Mission Builders, and we love everyone we’ve met at the base.

It is brutally faced paced life being a Mission Builder.

The every morning team devotions don’t make up for the loss of our personal ones.

Had a divine appointment after work yesterday, Buckwheat and I were too tired to go home and come back in an hour and a half for dinner, so we stayed at the Banyan Cafe and talked, but as I passed this one lady she was very excited to see me outside the confines of the kitchen and started talking to me, Buckwheat had already found our place on the only sofa in YWAM.

She was very excited to see me, I’ve developed a reputation as a server. The Happy man, I hope.

I asked her about her life. She’s in her 60s and she’s been divorced for 5 months, her husband of 37 years decided to leave, he left behind his five children, seventeen grandchildren, and left her with no means to keep their beautiful home going. She needed help and has been in counseling for the whole time, she came to do her counseling DTS here, she asked me about Salem YWAM, if I’d recommend it to be a little slower and not so demanding of pace. I said I did.

She had the most joyful, sad, spirit.

I walked away inflated and deflated.

I’ve been counting my blessings.

I’m burdened with her plight.

I want to help.

I'm mad that I can't help, but then again, knowing the Lord, maybe the little bit of talk did, it did for me. God was preaching, I listened.

This is one of the most tragic sins I know, when a man leaves a family.

Buckwheat and I’ve prayed and talked for a long time that we want to end well, this man did not. What a tragic loss, and for what?

Buckwheat put her head in my chest as I was telling of my encounter, and said with a soft, said, pleading tone “Please don’t ever do that to us.”

His sin went further around the world than he could imagine.

Yesterday I was filled with rage, and wonderment. This beautiful creature was full of laughter and joy as I watched her interact with all her new friends and classmates.

What kind of animal could do this?

Satan!

Some Random Pictures for Monday. The Gang Out to Dinner, Buckwheat and Sharon, Some Sights. Enjoy, we did.

WORK DAY RUSH

Alarm goes off at 5:00.

We jump up and make the bed, we always have to make the bed because they come in an inspect it every day (young people precautions).

I grab my bathroom all in one, supply case and jump in the shower.

Shave sitting down, if you get my drift, this saves time, others are in the house.

Brush teeth quickly, cover almost all teeth, rush, rush.

Shower, quickly, spray the place down with powerful bleach, smell makes more hair fall out.

Buckwheat hears me, and rushes into the bathroom as we pass in the hall way, must beat the other people, rush, rush.

I slip into my work cloths, shorts, tennis shoes, shirt, easy, fast, cool, rush, rush.

I  put on my official YWAM coded badge, must not ever be without it, can’t eat without it, they check for spies, must have it, rush, rush.

I pour my coffee, it went off when we awoke, sip, type, sip, type, rush, and rush.

Buck is back, I can see her over my monitor, putting on make-up, must look pretty, she has more work to do then I, women must spend a lot of time getting pretty, it pays off, but she has to rush more than my rush. Rush, rush, rush.

Two little lights penetrates the darkness of our room, Hawaiian music penetrates the other half.

Take four Ibuprofen for my back and knees.

Rube Aspercreme for pain relief on my knees.

Typing the blog with slippery Aspercreme fingers, no time to wipe them, rush, rush.

Time for devotions? The Lord must know we are rushed, this feels like all the people’s lives in my church, rush, rush, rush.

The Lord loves the rushed; He knows our hearts and burdens, LOVE YOU LORD, rush, rush.

Saturday with the Prahlers from our East Oahu Church, and Sunday Worship, 1500 Ft. Above Kona at Mauka Meadows Botanical Gardens



Saturday was a really, fun day with Rick and Betty Prahler, they still live on Oahu, he comes over her for business all the time, so they came together to spend the day.

They picked us up in a real car and we showed them our home at Hale Ola, and then the YWAM University of the Nations base, they were amazed and impressed that we’d do this work project after retiring.

They weren’t very impressed with our room, but they were very impressed with the University of Nations campus.

We headed south for quite a long time; Rick has been here so many times he knows it like the back of his hand, so they took us sightseeing.

We saw the Captain Cook memorial island, which Buckwheat and I are going to paddle to in a few weeks, it takes twenty minutes of paddling in the open ocean but once there the sea life is incredible, snorkeling, porpoises, whales, sea turtles and many varied kinds of fish.

We then went to lunch, we asked some locals at Captain Cooks, they said “Go to Mogama Hotel and Restaurant, be sure to eat the pork chop,” I do, as well as the black eyed peas, the squash, rice and pork, top it off with a Diet Coke for my waste and we headum out again, bra, full ready for da kin mo.

We then head to the City of Refuge, a Hawaiian compound intact from King Kahamahmaha, it was awesome, we then head to a movie, a chick flick, it was a cute popcorn movie.

We head off again back up north for dinner in Kona at Poncho Lefties, it was awesome, and we close the night around 9:00 and fall in bed.

Church tomorrow, another semi-sleepless night, just like for thirty years of preaching, the importance of standing in the gap between God and His people has and is, very important, so much so, that you can’t turn off the sermon and prayer meter for very long, but great clarity always came through the night, this one would be no different.

None preachers will never now the beauty of the weight of those sleepless nights.

Sunday was a great day. Sermon Sunday’s have always been filled with spiritual helium.

Mauka (Mountain) Meadows was beautiful Botanical Gardens, the young people were blown away, and this was a perfect setting for God’s work.

Ron, the Canadian was asked to lead worship Acapella, two minutes before the service, he did a great job, it was pure and simple worship, and the setting sucked our breaths out to the Lord.

The sermon was solid, inspiring, full of fun, passion and accuracy, it left everyone wanting to do more and be better, which is funny since they are all the cream of the spiritual crop.

We came home, changed into our swim trunks and ate the dollar sandwich at McDonald’s, then down to the Kailua Bay Pier beach, were we laid around most of the time and talked with a gaggle of Canadians, laugh, laughing, laughter fill the blankets like sand.

We snorkel, look at fish, talk, laugh, swim, snorkel, talk, and laugh some more.

We get head home, get cleaned and go back to the base for a free, good dinner. We come home, I work on this blog, and Buckwheat went upstairs forty minutes ago to tell the Canadians that we can’t play cards again tonight, we are too tired.

I’m done with the blog, Buckwheat and the Canadians can be heard through my window, more laughter sifts through the screens with the scent of the Hawaiian flowers.

This has been a very full, fun, and important weekend. Through all the blogging there are many deep, spiritual talks, about many important things, with many important people.

It’s been important for Buckwheat and I do be here.

Another massive work week awakes, but now we’ve got the tiger by the tail, wait, is that a good thing, in this case it is.

My fish look puny, someone feed um, and I’ve posted new Brian Regan comedy stuff at the top, have fun with them, let me know if any of you listen to them and what you think, you likeee?

Buckwheat in front of the massive infinity reflection pool, I mean massive. The drop off at the end by the Palm trees is about thirteen feet, grass and trees below, the water falls off the edge add to the drama, we have our service below the falls.




This is the Misson Builders team, they are standing below the falls and looking out over a cliff, where Kona lies 1500 ft. below. I preached with my back to Kona, facing the group and the falls. Fun, beautiful setting for God's word.





Susan, a German girl is taking down Macadamia Nuts so we can crack them with the machine to the right. They were better than at the store.

 

Starting our trek down the very steep grade though the Mauka Meadows Botanical Gardens for our Sunday Worship service. They asked me to preach, I did, the text was Hebrews 10:19-25, it went very well.




Nam on the right is my friend, we work in the kitchen together. Nam is from South Korea, as are the other two boys.




This is the Queen Mother of Mauka Meadows




Mauka means mountain, and we are at the top of mountain.




These three girls are from South Korea, they worked with me for two hours in the kitchen beating frosting for cakes, then with seven others we peeled eggs for two hours. Left to right, they are Sue, Michelle, and Rose, all very fun.




This is Ute, a German girl being proposed to by a number of Koreans and one American. They were so taking by the beauty of the place and the girl that they couldn't contain themselves.



Oh, Happy Day!

Well, we were wondering if there was going to be a pattern or a rhythm to our work and stay here in Kona.

Yes!

With a better eating regime (It’s called the animal method:  I eat like a bird and work like a dog), we have a sway to our sweat, we have found our pace. Eating better and little, with lots of water for the inside and outside (Ice), work has gone much more smoothly. Work seems easier, the days seem to go by faster, and the week quicker.

Instead of taking breaks at work were the body comes to a sudden halt, then reluctantly dragging yourself back up (breaks consist of sitting at the tables we’ve just cleaned and drinking water) to the fast face of work seemed too difficult, so I don’t take breaks anymore, or not as many. Now I either work through the break to keep a good pace, or I walk quickly up to the gym and lift weights for 15 minutes. Both work well for the body and mind.

A NEW EXPERIENCE IN KONA, A DOUBLE DATE…IN A CAR: This weekend is packed with double dates. Last night Buck and I went out to dinner (in a car) with Mike and Shayla, a dating couple in their fifties, they’ve both been mission builders, and he’s done his DTS in Switzerland thirteen years ago, she's doing hers now.  Mike is an accomplished entrepreneur, a ski instructor in Idaho, and a building contractor, she has been a mother and is trying to come out of her Judaism into Christianity, and their stories are very interesting.

We drove for quite awhile, up to 3,000 ft. elevation to a restaurant called Annie’s, a gourmet hamburger place with a local blues guitarist. A fun night, great hamburger and we were served by Annie herself.

We had a great relaxing time; Mike and Shayla are brilliant people, easy to talk with because they are both great talkers and great listeners, and both have an edgy since of humor. I hope we can do this again.

TODAY IS A SPECIAL DAY; WE WILL HAVE ANOTHER DOUBLE DATE…IN ANOTHER CAR!  FRIENDS FROM OUR OAHU CHURCH DAYS ARE STAYING AT THE MARRIOTT WAIKOLOA HOTEL (HE DOES THIS FOR BUSINESS ALL THE TIME), AND WANT TO SPEND THE DAY WITH US. I’M WRITING IN BIG LETTERS BECAUSE I’M EXCITED. ANOTHER CAR DATE, MORE FUN PEOPLE, THESE ONE’S ARE CALLED RICK AND BETTY PRAHLER, WE WILL MEET THEM AT MCDONALD'S, AND HEAD OUT WITH THEM TO SIGHT SEE, GO SHOPPING OR WHATEVER WE WANT. THEY ARE HERE ALL THE TIME ON BUSINESS SO THEY DON’T WANT TO DO ANYTHING BUT BE WITH US AND BE OUR CHAUFFEURS FOR WHATEVER WE WANT TO DO. OH, HAPPY DAY!

TONIGHT IS GOING TO BE A SPECIAL NIGHT:  Buckwheat and I are going out to dinner FOR ANOTHER DOUBLE DATE…IN ANOTHER CAR, this time with my boss, Chef Vern and his wife Karen, two really delightful people. They use to own restaurants in Bend, Oregon but sold them to serve on staff at YWAM. Yummy time is expected, not food yummy, people yummy.

TOMORROW IS ANOTHER SPECIAL DAY, I’M PREACHING OUTDOORS IN A BOTANICAL GARDEN FOR OUR MISSION BUILDERS OUTING. Then we will all head to the beach for the day.

My knees are doing much better since I’m icing them daily, oh, happy day.

Awaking UpThursday Morning, Happy To Be Here

When Buckwheat and I were on the Salem, Oregon, YWAM base this past summer, we ran into a couple of Mission Builders (They can work at a hundred bases around the world), and in our conversation we told them we were just visiting our children (The Vander Veens) who were working on the base with Mission Adventures, a training program for teens. We also told them that we were going to be Mission Builders on Kona, Hawaii, they said “We did that last year and we would never go back again,” we asked “Why?” they said “The Kona base work is so hard, and they work you so hard on the base, with little time to rest, physically and mentally it was too much for us.”

We thought them a little soft.

This is why Buckwheat and I like being here so much, despite those prophets.

We love the base’s massive, culture diverseness. Yesterday I chopped onions for two hours next to a 19 year old from Montana, and a 60 plus, beautiful single women, named Gloria, from Korea. I barely understood either one, but crying together was a true bonding experience. Gloria hung in there like a champion (all though she needed a few breaks from the power of the onion). The young guy was a true work horse.

I learned something about chopping onions for two hours, it’s like marriage, if you stay with it, it will get better and better, and you won’t cry as much as you did in the beginning.

We love meeting new friends from those cultures, like the church, you don’t get to pick your friends, which are a great thing, you get to grow in your appreciation for which everyone is, and they are ALL great. We have over 50 Mission Builders right now; it will grow as the 50^th Anniversary approaches in late November.

We love the simplicity of living with less, it makes everything more.

We love working for something bigger than ourselves, in some small why we are sending out these beautiful, brave, faith driven, missionaries, young, old, married, single, husband and wives, whole, large families.

We love the Koreans who sing so loud during their KP duties, they are the happiest, most humble of all the peoples. They are an inspiration. They are wind beneath all of our wings.

I love working next to Germans, Canadians, Koreans, Samoans, Philippines, Australians, Americans, Swiss, and the Swedish. To work next to these culturally rich people is fun, informative, and inspirational.

I love my three bosses, the big man, Chef Vern (Buckwheat and I have a date with he and his wife Karen, this Saturday night. The food manager, Lukie, a wonderful Samoan (a bunch of us are going to his son’s high school football game next Saturday. And the floor manager, Joann, a fun, hard working, hard driving, beautiful Philippine.

We adore our Mission Builder heads, Larry and Joellen. They are humble, competent, lovely, faithful, and really fun. They are true, caring YWAMers, who love their jobs and live amongst us.

I love the fact that all these people have had great, successful careers that they gave up to help build a program of such worldwide substance.

We love Hawaii, when we get to see it.

We do love the hard work, everyone works so very hard here, even the young people who are drained, but every morning, there they are, sleep overwhelming their faces, but they have a strong resolve and commitment to keeping their promises.

Beautiful.

Its 5:31 A.M. Buckwheat is still sick and won’t be going to work this morning. I feel for her, as Hale Ola is a remote place with nothing to do, no T.V. to lay in bed and watch. They don’t have vans going back and forth, so I’m not sure how I’m going to keep and eye on her.

Extraordinary Among the Ordianary

Today, Wednesday was an ordinary day with extraordinary excitement.

It was another hard day of work. The number of them are numbing, it’s taking quit a toll on my mental toughness.

Each day is so tough that it takes an extraordinary spiritual adjustment. I constantly have to keep in mind that this is for a greater cause then the meager enjoyments that being in Hawaii can deliver, they are not equal, the work is so much, so hard, that the middle of the week is very tough indeed.

Every day is so draining on Buck and I that we feel like we are barely able to make it back to our room to take a nap, take the proper allotment of medicines and ice my knees. Today was especially hard on Buckwheat because she is under the weather, flu like symptoms.

We had a fun dinner date set with a couple who have a car, they look like they are going to be really fun, but we had to cancel due to Buck’s being sick.

So, she asked me to walk down to McDonald's to get her, her favorite $1.00 chicken sandwich. I had to hurry back up to make the van taking everyone to our big night out, we all look forward to this with great anticipation, I couldn’t believe that I was so excited to go to…TARGET!

Waiting for the van ride to Target among 30 of our team was an extraordinary event, in and of itself, due to the fun, music talent of Ron, the Canadian. He captivated the whole group, young and old with two funny songs, one "Be Happy, Don't Worry," we all sang along, then he sang "Lean On Me," as he played the ukulele, pure delight. What a fun bonding thing, as you look out at all the different nationalities laughing, with pure delight and a sense of belonging and togetherness.

Buckwheat sent me out to get two medicines she needed, but I, the super shopper, came back with $98.00 worth of goodies.

I’d become aware that sitting in this room with nothing to snack on, or to eat of any substance, was depressing, so I bought some happy food. Honey Nut Cheerios, a family size can of Peanuts, two candy bars, two fruit, gummy type of snakes, Wheat Thins, Ham, Snack Pack with cheese, crackers, and ham, Grape Nuts for Buckwheat, Irish Spring soap for me, pre-electric shave for me, Old Spice for me, Old Spice deodorant for me, coffee for me, a Serra Mist for us, a bag of M&M’s for Buckwheat, gum for me, gum for her.

Yippee, a night out, shopping at Target, being out of the little room, riding in a car, it was all to much, my head started spinning with foggy delight. I could taste happiness, depression went the way of my knee pain (Icing every day after work, as well as four Ibuprofen seem to do the trick) at the end of each day I can barely walk, but then the magic ice reduces the swelling, the Ibuprofen reduces the pain, and I’m almost giddy with a spring in my step, almost.

Buckwheat was delighted with my shopping, but she said "Did you get the medicines I needed," "what" I say, she tied to say,'coughing, with a horse voice,' "Did you get my medicines," 'coughing, gurgling, coughing,' I said "What, I can’t hear you, speak up," she has a coughing fit again and does a pantomime skit, complete with doctors, nurses, an ambulance, and a casket. "Yes, of course I got your medicine," I said, squealing with the delight that this type of minor torcher brings one.  

She squeals with delight. Buckwheat laughing is always extraordinarily delightful. Nothing makes me feel better than Buckwheat laughing.

I make Buckwheat laugh. Laughter is the best medicine.  

We miss our family and home. This is going to be a very long time away.

I was asked to preach Sunday for our Mission Builders special service at a Botanical Garden that looks out over all of Kona, the setting is supposed to be breathtaking, I will preach on encouragement.