A MAGICAL TIME.

Our time here in Kona, Hawaii, as Mission Builders has been filled with some very special times, through some very special friends, doing some very special things, seeing some very special sights, but none of it has been magical, until tonight.

There have been some physical trials, but never spiritual ones.

There have been some questions regarding our mental stamina, but never to the point of despair.

Our time has been trying regarding the long haul of it all.  The disconnect from family has been the hardest, at my age, with my past stroke scare; there is a panic to my time here. I haven’t said anything to Buckwheat, but I’ve often been in a state of silent, momentary panic regarding never seeing my family again, and was this wise to do, will something happen to me while I’m here, like what happened in Mammoth Mountain?

Within all the amazing times, there have been little bleeps of doubts, as to whether all of this is worth anything at all, and wouldn’t I have been wiser to have just stayed home. Of course when one writes about something like this people are going to blow it up to mean more than it means to me, so, let me say quickly that it’s been worth it.

We have made some extraordinary friendships; in fact I’m friends with Elizabeth and Tim Tozer for crying out loud, these very fun people are from Moosonee, Canada, just across the Moose River from their neighboring town of Moose Factory. Here are some facts about our new friend’s home:

Moosonee is a town in Ontario, Canada, on the Moose River approximatel 12 miles south of James Bay. It is a mispronunciation of a Cree adaptation of Anglo-Norman etymology. Moos- Marsh(Moose River), on-corner, ee-[one who lives there]. It is similar to Mus- Marsh, Kog- Koog or Cake[tract of land], ee-[one who lives there]

Moosonee is the railhead on James Bay of the Ontario Northland Railway where goods are transferred to barges and aircraft for transport to more northerly communities. Moosonee is not particularly far north, being located at 51°N—which is roughly the same latitude as Saskatoon, Calgary, London, UK, and Berlin—but is isolated due to its lack of road access to the rest of Ontario. The community was the site of a fur trading post set up in 1903 by Revillon Frères, competitors to the Hudson's Bay Company which later bought out Revillon.

Tim is my kitchen body and he is a Bush pilot in Moosonee, he is a Cree and lived on the Cree Reservation before he met Elizabeth. Time flies in supplies to outposts. He’s a Bush pilot for Pete’s sake.

Tonight was our final Mission Builders Tuesday night meeting. The Mission Builders leaders threw us a party up here at Hale Ola, with clam chowder, Sushi, Spicy Chicken Wings, Long Noodles, Kimshee, rolls, some kind of Korean fruit-soupy-veggie type of dish, with dessert. We were very touched by Glory, Buckwheat’s Korean friend who put a lot of work into it for us all.

The night was filled with fun, laughter, birthday singing (we sing happy birthday in all the languages), good by prayers for departing Mission Builders, fun, crazy singing, and praise. But for me two special things stand out, no three special things.

The first one is Jennet, a Hawaiian women from Oahu, who taught Hula to Tabea, the German, and Elizabeth Tozer from Moosonee, Ontario, Canada, and Katrina Tozer, Elizabeth’s very, very cute and smart young daughter, she’s maybe eight or ten. With Jennet leading they sang and danced to Melekelkimaka. It was pure delight with flash cameras piercing the nights black, truly wonderful.

The second was having all the Mission Builders who are leaving within the next two weeks coming up for prayer, there were maybe fifteen of us, as people prayed, tears filled the silent parts of the prayers, holding hands with all of my young and old International friends was very moving. Think of saying goodbye to newly built friendships after one week of camp, than times this by six.

We have been together for almost two months, day and night, living, praying, singing, laughing, traveling and eating together. Leaving meant feeling everyone’s love.

This was very tough.

The third thing was when Elizabeth Tozer from Moosonee, Ron from Canada, Uta from Germany, Joann from America, Michelle from Korea, and Audra from America sang some Angels are watching over you song to us. The nigh was moving and filled with emotion as you gazed out over all the nations and ages of all of these wonderful friends.

Tonight put the whole YWAM Mission Builders thing into perspective. We’ve been so touched by so many people. We know we’ve formed lasting friendships, and are deeply shaken to have come to the realization that we will not see most of our friends again, the best we can hope for is to keep in touch through email, and Facebook.

Buck and I took Sara from South Africa out to dinner last night, Sara is the most beautiful twenty four year old girl, she is very smart, very funny, and very mature, she to is leaving and asked Buck and I to pray for here as she heads back to South Africa and an uncertain future. Having three daughters makes me very protective for Sara. Buck and I prayed that if she needed anything that we would be there for her.

Tonight was a magical night of spirit and soul. Buck and I are grateful to God to have been privileged to have served Him here, and be a part of these wonderful people. Their accents, twangs, lilts and efforts with English will stay with me, even now at night on my blog, I’m full of whimsy and sadness as I think of them, and they will never know how much they mean to me, especially all the young girls.

Magic time has turned into Sandman time and another day of work.

Thank you Lord for calling us here, and calling them here, it’s been MAGICAL.