The First Month

Today it has been one month since I landed in Kona, Hawaii, and  what an amazing month it’s turned out to be. My updates have been scarce, so let me bring you up to speed.

I left small-town Duvall with a bikini, a few tank tops, and a lot of nerves. What is the campus like? Will I like my roommates? What if I’m not spiritual enough? I wish I could say my fears dissolved upon arrival, but they did not. My “campus tour” was being shown to my room where most of my roommates didn’t arrive until after I was asleep. The next morning, after meeting the seven girls I would be sharing a bathroom with for the next three months, I followed the sound of music until I found the place for morning worship. Rarely have I felt as uncomfortable as I did that first hour. People were jumping around, waving their hands in the air, and singing praise songs I had never heard at the top of their lungs. I had no idea what to do, so I stood with my hands folded trying not to stare while I pretended to sing along, but I’m pretty sure my mouth just hung open.

But how could I stay anxious for long in Hawaii? Exploring the campus, it was easy to realize how gorgeous it was; plumeria and palm trees line every walkway, a straight-off-of-Pinterest cafe serves cheap coffee and smoothies under a huge banyan tree (appropriately named “Banyan Tree Cafe”), and the outdoor cafeteria boasts perfect views of the sunset over the ocean. My roommates quickly became some of my best friends, despite our eight totally different personalities and backgrounds, and we have already had countless beach days and sushi dinners. I even got to know the songs and learned that if I closed my eyes, I don't even notice the wild worshippers, who by the way are very nice and normal people.

My roommates and me at the pier

This past month, I also have fallen in love with the Big Island of Hawaii. The water is beautiful, the lava rock is so edgy, the tropical plants are gorgeous, and the ocean breeze compliments the 24/7 sun perfectly. There are countless beaches to explore and a few within walking distance of the school. I’ve been swimming, surfing, and snorkeling, all while working on my tan, of course.

Hapuna Beach

While weekends are full of relaxing in the endless summer, my weekday schedule is jam-packed with activity. On a typical day, we have breakfast at 6:30 and class at 8:45. Each week we have a different speaker on a different topic. So far we have covered hearing God’s voice, inner healing, freedom, and the Holy Spirit. After lunch, we have either worship, small groups, intercessory prayer, or our chosen elective class at 1:00. In my music class, we form different groups and write songs each week. We also have the opportunity to take voice, guitar, and piano lessons. Every day at 3:00 I have work duty, where I clean the Korean children’s classrooms. Evenings vary between worship nights, team meetings, Target runs, song-writing sessions, and occasional down time.

If you have read this far, here is a video of Makalawena Beach as a reward

This will be my routine for the next two months until I head to the Philippines for two months of spreading the gospel in rural villages and city bars (more on that later). I plan to post more frequently, so subscribe if you’d like to stay updated. For now, I am enjoying my time in paradise and soaking up as much Son as I can.