Uncle

We met Uncle during our week spent living homeless on the beach in Waianae. He was an older gentleman who lived alone in a tent next to where we set up. Our first day on the beach he gave us a very warm welcome. Someone had given him a watermelon and he proceeded to chop it up and share it with us. As we sat happily munching the sweet fruit we learned that he recently had a stroke. Because of this he no longer could work and he eventually was forced to live on the beach. We found out that he had a son who lived in Arizona and his deepest desire was to one day go and live with him. Uncle was also a Christian.

Our stay lasted only a week but we continued to visit Uncle and the other families we befriended. Uncle also began to join us for church on Sundays. One day he suggested the idea of starting a weekly Bible study at the beach park. We jumped at the idea and our Wednesday evening fellowship was born.

It was during one of these times that an amazing thing happened. Uncle mentioned that it was his son’s birthday. He had not talked to him in quite a while so Joe let him borrow his cell phone to call and reconnect. Unfortunately no one answered on the other end but Uncle left a message anyway.

The next day Joe got a call from a strange number. When he answered, the man on the other end of the line asked who it was he was speaking to and how this phone was used to call him. It turned out to be Uncles son who had been trying to get in touch with his dad for months and had become very worried. Joe explained to him the situation. The next day the son called again wanting directions to the beach park that Uncle was living at. He had already bought a ticket to Hawaii and was arriving the following day.

The next time we went out to visit our friends, Uncle was not there and his campsite had vanished. Those living nearby said that his son came and took him home to Arizona. Even though we were sad that we did not get to say goodbye we were overjoyed with what God had done! All it took was the simple act of lending a cell phone and in less than a week Uncle’s deepest desire was realized. He was off the beach and living with his family who really loves him.

I thank God for Uncle and also for allowing us to be a part of this wonderful event.