Week 3

Recent Highlights

• Hitchhiker to hospital
• Freedom Week
• St. Croix Overview
• Riding under the stars in flatbed truck
• Zane Memorized Matthew Chapter 5
• Pure Heart
• Media Class- upcoming interview with Dan Baumann
• Matt’s cafeteria announcement  (Click to hear Dickson Slater interview & Matt bragging on Bridger at 2 min.30 sec)
• Students going to Alaska
• RTC student gifts and letters

I keep pinching myself waking up in this place. I saw Facebook posts of Alaska’s 5 inches of snow yesterday and I can’t help but feel like I'm in some kind of time warp transport here on Kona. Its surreal to not have seasons here- like time is standing still- yet feeling each week that we are covering spiritual ground that should take years. This place is intense. They don’t mess around.

  View Clip of worship in Ohana Court

We jumped right into inner healing with Tom & Donna Cole leading Pure Heart week. Tom & Donna both have incredible testimonies of transformation from homosexual lifestyles. I would say if the SOZO ministry I’m familiar with at Northgate feels like cleansing rain, Pure Heart is more like a fire hose- painful but efficient. We covered father & mother wounds with a time for everyone to write out their specific past hurts from people we needed to forgive and then everyone tore up their papers and left them on the ground at the foot of the cross. 

Tom Cole Standing in Student's Torn Paper

We also covered shame and past sin. Every student had to confess 1 or 2 of their “worst” sins to a leader (some we hadn’t ever met yet). We covered sexual purity and feminine & masculine identity. Students were encouraged to release all their suppressed anger & shame during the prayer time that was expressed in a sound I will never forget- agonizing wails from women all over the room- sobbing as they processed their way to forgiveness and healing.

 Paper Collage from Student's Torn Pieces

View video of Matt being knighted by Tom

Brian Brennt spoke on freedom giving students tools to replace lies and walk out their original design as sons & daughters. It is a privilege to watch students bravely trade their fear and shame for true identity and rise up as new creations. Matt led the whole tent in “the enemy has been defeated” chant. The guys became wild men ready to hunt something and the women began to roar as a Deborah battlecry came out. This is getting good.

Kids always know what to do in a warm rain

Bridger's new smile

IronMan Mahalo Party

Please pray: That we will get much needed rest.
                                    For Zane to thrive with his new classmates
               For unity in our outreach team
                   For Matt’s head/Chest cold to go
                                     For the people of Saint Croix to hunger for Jesus
                                     For direction with our family plans after outreach

THANK YOU! - Matt, Tina, Zane, & Bridger

OUTREACH ASSIGNED!

WEEK 1 Top 10

1. The frenzy of single student hands raised to volunteer for sunscreen application on Ironman athletes.
2. Bridger confidently praying for a Korean woman to be healed of diabetes and thyroid disease.
3. Coconut ice-cream pie with Macadamia nut crust
4. Permission to paint the room!
5. Generous letter to our school- over $30,000
6. Margrete’s Inspiration
7. Rental car found
8. Surrendering insecurities
9. Bond servant teaching
10. OUTREACH DESTINATION

We are going to ST. Croix!

After the leadership gave options with descriptions of ministry focus for each location, we were asked to choose our top 3 destinations. Our list included countries that were serving Syrian refugees that allowed Crossfit into the camps for training. Those choices however did not accept families but St. Croix YWAM base (where is that?!) invites families to serve together. We may be working in project housing with families in children’s camps, Crossfit, arts, and worship! We didn’t see this coming, but of course, it sounds like a custom fit.

This week has been a wild ride so far. 

Matt is volunteering as security at the Ironman race in downtown Kona since 4 am this morning. It was quite entertaining to see the frenzy of all the single students wanting to volunteer as sunscreen applicators for the athletes. YWAM Kona helps every year with the race. I had no idea it was possible to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles, and run 26.2 miles in one day- some do it in around 8 hours! You can view live here now.

This Monday began with several words of knowledge for healing: knee trouble, shoulder injuries, insomnia, whiplash from an accident 3 years ago… One girl got up and shared that she wasn’t going to stand up for healing until she kept hearing every specific injury she had from a car wreck 3 years ago that she almost died from. She had recovered from broken legs but still had knee pain, shoulder issues, neck pain, and she was diagnosed with PTSD because of the accident and insomnia was a result. SHE WAS HEALED by our great father who sees and knows. She reported the best night of sleep in 3 years and pain completely gone and she has joined in the Crossfit workouts! She is so filled with faith that her testimony will bring many to the Lord.

Coach Blake Respect the Corners Video link 

Outrageous Generosity

On Thursday the leadership read our school an anonymous letter that was left in the Fire & Fragrance mail box. The writer had been learning about radical generosity and felt the Lord asking them to give $2500. each to 8 students listed by name for their outreach fees. Then they gave a leader $2500. for a reliable car, $2500. to a "guy named Dereck Olson" who wasn't even part of our class but on a leadership track that 'randomly' decided to show up in our tent that morning! Then the giver announced through the letter that $5120. would be given to the fitness DTS, Respect the Corners!  That was over $30,000. After that letter, I watched these students give generously to one another as the lord lead. It was outrageous and contagious. The whole campus is riding the wave of generosity.

Grateful Resolve

Then there’s Margrete Stensby, one of the director’s of the K-12 Foundation School (and Zane’s teacher). From Norway, Magrete and her husband Thor have been directing here for over 15 years with a no-nonsense approach and a guiding resolve for missions. While walking with Margrete after a class, she shared that she has been battling cancer for the 3rd time. She is on medicine that is only prolonging her life and she has decided “When I die, heaven is a great reward but until then, there is so much to do well every day. What better place to spend my last days, than here in Kona, loving these kids?” It is clear she isn’t slowing down because of her diagnosis and one of the simple things she does to keep her attitude right is to thank God for 10 things every morning before she gets out of bed.

I have started this each morning and I find its hard to stop at 10. This morning, I am reminded of everyone of you praying for us and supporting our journey. I am so thankful for each one of you and how beautiful it is to be a part of the body of Christ.

ALOHA! We made it.

This is the largest Fire & Fragrance school they've ever had! You may recognize the 2 radicals in front but you'll have to look closer to find Matt & I.

We are blown away by your generosity! We have met our upfront costs for outreach by your pledges & gifts!

Thank you for supporting our family. We are so happy to be here in Kona, with the peace of mind knowing God is providing for us through you as we go. After our first trip to Walmart for basics, we realize that we have under budgeted our monthly support needs. We are so grateful for any other financial gifts you feel lead to give.

The campus is packed with fiery, energetic millennials that are so "stoked" to be here and can't wait to get "wrecked" by God's love. Through all the high pitched squeals & zealous cheering every couple of minutes, I hear the sweet stories of how God has intimately invited and provided for each one of these students to be here. The campus is saturated with hope and expectation.

Our bus ride from the airport, "I can't believe we are actually doing this!"

From Alaska, Korea, Texas, California, and Canada (left to right)

Our first day in paradise included bed bugs and cockroach roommates but we were moved to another room that will be feeling like home soon. I am hoping they will let me paint the walls and add some charm. It is much easier to find rest and revelation in a place that is clean with simple design (I know some of you understand). That could be an incredible ministry itself. I am also sure that the rundown housing is preparing us to be grateful in all seasons and this may be considered luxury to most of the world. I am already challenged by my 'need' for beauty and design that can sometimes lean more towards materialism than stewarding God's expression of creativity. If I look hard enough though, I can find beauty even in the iridescent cockroach and toad the size of my face, but someone please get me some rubber gloves and and tweezers so I can remove the sunken gecko carcass from the bug strip:)

Our orientation yesterday was a traditional Hawaiian protocol of walking barefoot from the flags of the nations across the campus as Hawaiians sang prayers to welcome us.  To be welcomed by the traditional people means you are "walking through the right gate- one of invitation and honor". They taught us that the word ALOHA means standing in front of the breath of life. Woa. When you greet another person with "Aloha", you are recognizing Christ within them- you are saying "I SEE you".

View Video of Partial welcome in Google Drive

The Barefoot Welcome

Other students appreciate 'practical' design

There's a lot more sweat working out in Hawaii. Each session begins with prayer for coaches in the Middle East who have committed to 3 years of service.

Thank you, friends & family for making this possible! ALOHA