Ministry in Hawaii

Therefore, go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. 
-Matthew 28:19

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, 
because the Lord has anointed me 
to bring good news to the poor
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound. 
-Isaiah 61:1

For God alone, my soul waits in silence.
-Psalm 62

I am a gut-goer.  Most of the decisions I make are based on how my gut feels.  Now, before you tell me how dangerous that is, I am going to tell you that I used to agree.  That was until my buddy, Jake, told me that when Jesus owns your heart (and gut) and you want to do his work exclusively, there is no reason not to follow it.  Follow your gut if your gut is chasing Jesus.

I have given my heart and my gut to God and he has invited me on an exciting journey to the state of Hawaii for a 15 month youth ministry internship/interim-ship.  Yes, Hawaii.  The last state to be added to the USA.  Yes, the small group of Islands chilling in the middle of the Pacific Ocean.  But even more specifically, the island of Oahu in a city called Mililani.

At this moment I am not quite sure when this internship will begin and in extension, when it will end.  However, I would like to tell you where it all began. 

This gut-feeling, notion, idea, theory, ect started a year ago when God started putting this very peculiar place in my mind.  It would just sit there heavy in my noggin.  I would like to say I was holy every time and was in constant prayer for these people and their land, but I’m not and I wasn’t.  Sometimes I just sat there (or stood there making coffees) and thought about Hawaii.  Other times I quickly shoo-ed the thought away because I did not have another ounce of brain energy to waste on such a strange place.

February 9th, 2016 one of my favorite professors and good friend, Kevin, asked me about my thoughts on going andministering to students in Hawaii after graduation.  My heart did not skip a beat and I think that was that moment I knew I was headed to the islands.  

I did two different interviews, asked a ton of questions, and committed to praying over the church, regardless of the outcome of the interviews.

One month later from the day Kevin asked me to considerHawaii, I got a call from the pastor of Pacific Island Bible Church.  The minute I saw his number pop up on my phone I knew what he was going to tell me… I got the internship.  What an honor.  He graciously gave me eight more days to continue praying and seeking God as well as wise counsel in this decision. 

As life tends to do, it swirled in around me and the next day I was to leave for New York City for a four day seminar about culture.  I knew I didn’t have a lot of time to pray intently but I also knew, due to my gut, that I was probably headed to Hawaii.  Nonetheless, the night I got to my room I prayed that God would give me CLEAR signs that would point me towards Hawaii. 

And He did.  God gave me three clear signs and has not stopped there in the conformation. 

1. The professor teaching the class began talking so randomly about Hawaii and more specific, Oahu and the city of Honolulu.  I will be living 45 minutes away from Honolulu. 

2. Probably the most incredibly strange and confirming “indication” (if you will, which I have) was getting home from New York City, instantly checking my mail and finding this high atop of the rest of my student mail… 

God knows. 


This last “sign” or “indication” or “green light” from God happened the day before I was to have my final answer.  I was living heavy in doubt and letting the fear of loneliness overtake God’s plan for me. 

3. I work at a coffee shop in Joplin, MO.  I can never really hear conversations that happen in the shop.  It is typically loud and I am thinking about the next job I need to get done, the next customer to serve, the next ingredient to be added to the next drink.  But over and over again I heard a woman talking about Hawaii.  I don’t remember/didn’t hear the other words surrounding the word Hawaii, but it doesn’t matter.  Six, seven, eight times I just heard the word Hawaii reiterated. 

With every important decision comes a weight of uncertainty that sits heavy on our chests.  But as I continued to pray for an unending and abiding peace, our Father would and continues to provide.  He has given me an unexplainable peace about moving half way around the world. A peace about entering possibly the most lonely season of my whole life.  A peace about leaving behind a life I have known for 23 years.  An abiding peace that I will not be going on the mission field with a team-mate, without a husband.  This decision was no different, uncertainty lingers but it doesn’t sit heavy. 

Regardless of the lingering of uncertainty I have decided to go with my gut.  I have decided to listen to my God.  I have decided to walk towards the sun, towards the Son, and towards the people of Mililani, HI. 

In the next couple of days I will be posting a new blog post on ways you can walk alongside of me in this new journey.