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.

1-18-10

My bare feet are covered in dirt. A drop of sweat slides down the side of my face. Twenty feet away Donald, a fifth grader from Waianae Elementary, is staring me down like a gunslinger from an old western film. I bounce the kickball on the dirt.

“Roll the damn ball a’ready!” Donald shouts above the sounds of the other kids.

The temptation to yell at him to watch his language is easy to fight back. That would only be encouragement for the whole pack to swear more. Instead I pass him a knowing glance before I send the ball tearing through the patchy grass between the pitcher’s mound and homebase. WHAM! Donald crushes the ball and a red lightening bolt passes directly over my head too fast for me to react. The ball passes between the legs of my second base man but my outfielder, Tay, is in hot pursuit and recovers the ball as soon as Donald reaches second base. With no thought of the consequences or probability of success, Don zooms on towards third base. Tay is following only a few feet away. I watch him draw his arm back and we all cheer as he lets the ball fly. We’re sure that he’d hit his target and it would be our turn to kick.

But he misses.

I can see the shock and disappointment on Tay’s face but as fast as it appeared, it was gone again. Without losing speed and with a newly acquired determination he remains true to his course and both he and Don sprint recklessly round third. By this point, I know what’s going to happen and I know I should stop it but the excited smiles on both Tay and Donald’s faces tell me that what’s about to happen is good.

And I was right. It was good.

Halfway between home plate and third Tay catches up to Donald and makes a desperate lunge like a starving lion pouncing on a terrified gazelle. He wraps his arms around Donald’s shoulders and both skinny fifth graders tumble to the ground together. But instead of the crying and cussing and screaming that could have followed such an event, there was only laughter. Pure, amazing, joyful laughter. From both boys. From both teams. From myself and the other volunteers.

And I stood there with my dirty feet and my sweat soaked t-shirt and absorbed the moment when everything was good. And in that moment, I felt like I was in the presence of God. And I thanked God for giving me the opportunity to work with these kids. And I thanked him for letting me witness this instance when kids who are living on the roughest part of the island can just be kids and have fun without worrying about the drugs or alcohol that are so rampant all around them.

Thank you, God.
---
Life in the Revolution Hawaii program is made up of many types of moments. Some are amazing like the one above: moments when we see our friends get off the street, moments when our friends graduate from a recovery program, and moments when kids are allowed to be kids. But there are sad moments as well: moments when we find our friends drunk and stoned in a doorway, moments when our friends leave the program because the calling of drugs and alcohol are too strong for them to ignore, and moments when you can see that the light that resides in every child has grown dim because of the overwhelming darkness at home.

Five months into the Revolution Hawaii program and I’ve seen my share of the highs and lows that come along with front line urban ministry. Myself and two of my teammates, (Tasha and Joe), volunteer at the Waianae Boys and Girls Club. We also spend a lot of time at Keaau’s Beach Park hanging out with a handful of the families who call that park their home. And on Sunday nights the whole team goes out to Chinatown in Honolulu and we pass out sandwiches and water. The motivation behind these activities is love. We can’t fix all the family problems for the kids we tutor, but we can be positive role models who help them realize their potential and reach for their dreams. We can’t get any of the families off the beach or any of the addicts off the streets, but we can show them that there are people in the world who genuinely care about them and encourage them to take steps towards finding a home or getting in to a program.

In the gospel of John, Jesus says that by the way we love one another people will know that we are his disciples (John 13:34-35). Revolution Hawaii has so far been an amazing journey filled with opportunities to love people and I suspect this upcoming semester will be just as fulfilling with many more chances to show God’s love.

Thank you for your continual support in my ministry here in Hawaii!

Mahalo!

1-11-10

I serve a God who loves indiscriminately.
Blacks
Whites
Browns
Men
Women
Gays
Straights
Americans
Iraqis
Republicans
Democrats
Terrorists
Patriots
Israelis
Palestinians
Believers
Non-believers
Confused

He loves you. You. For real. No matter what you've done. No matter how many times you've turned your back on him. Or said that he doesn't exist. Or whatever. The dude really loves you. I'm serious! Find your comfort there. With him. If you've got a lot on your plate, give it to him. He'll take it for you.

I'm exhausted and I'm having difficulty thinking straight but I'd love to talk to you about your thoughts and beliefs. It could be one of the most important conversations of your life. And if not, it's still gunna be nice. I enjoy hearing other people's perspectives. :]
---
"Come to Jesus" by Chris Rice

Weak and wounded sinner
Lost and left to die
O, raise your head, for love is passing by
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus
Come to Jesus and live!

Now your burden's lifted
And carried far away
And precious blood has washed away the stain, so
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus
Sing to Jesus and live!

And like a newborn baby
Don't be afraid to crawl
And remember when you walk
Sometimes we fall...so
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus
Fall on Jesus and live!

Sometimes the way is lonely
And steep and filled with pain
So if your sky is dark and pours the rain, then
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus
Cry to Jesus and live!

O, and when the love spills over
And music fills the night
And when you can't contain your joy inside, then
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus
Dance for Jesus and live!

And with your final heartbeat
Kiss the world goodbye
Then go in peace, and laugh on Glory's side, and
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus
Fly to Jesus and live!

10-02-09

I'm lying down on my back in the tent. It's noon and the sun is burning directly above. Sweat is puddling on the tarp around me. During the hottest part of the day it's a struggle between finding shade in a tent without the ocean breeze or suffering the sun with the occasional gust of relief. The sound of waves breaking against the reef serves as a form of torture; cool water guarded by jagged rocks. So close but yet so far.

Welcome to one moment of one day being homeless on the beach in Makaha, Hawaii. For our team, this wasn't permanent. We were houseless there for only four days. The more than 150 homeless men, women, and children who make that beach park and small stretch of woods their home live there year-round. Their lives are made of moments like the one above and others that are much, much darker. Moments where drugs, alcohol, domestic violence, heartache, and hopelessness take center stage.

But even with all the pain and disappointment that these people experience, when seven nervous outsiders showed up in their park, instead of letting bitterness harden their hearts, they welcomed us with open arms. They helped us set up camp. They gave us food and cooking utensils. They gave us valuable advice. They invited us into their homes and let us play with their kids. They treated us like family.

The night Jesus was arrested he told his disciples this:

A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. - John 13:34

Jesus loves us unconditionally. It doesn't matter how speckled with mistakes our pasts may be. He loves us right where we are. He welcomes us with open arms. He helps us set up camp. He provides for our needs. He gives us valuable advice. He invites us into a relationship with Him and encourages us to play and be happy like children.

When we had nothing, the people whom most of society would rather ignore took us in and loved us unconditionally. And while we were there, in part, to put ourselves into the shoes of those we are trying to love, we received much more from the experience. We walked into the situation timid strangers; unsure what God was going to teach us or how He was going to use us. We walked out "Uncle Andrew" and "Aunty Tasha", humbled with a new appreciation for many of the little things in life, with a valuable lesson in unconditional love, and some serious tan lines.

9-03-09

"Indeed, in our hearts we have felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead."

2 Corinthians 1:9
He>I
Have a great day. :]

9-02-09

"My eyes are ever on the Lord, for only he will release my feet from the snare." - Psalm 25:15
I was reading this morning and this verse really stood out in my mind. Thinking about the different addictions we all struggle with. Materialism. Pride. Sex. Alcohol. Drugs. Whatever. It's my opinion that if you keep focused on God and what he wants in your life, those addictions lose their power over you. But as soon as you take your eyes away from the Lord and turn back to depending on yourself, that's when those things can overwhelm you.
Anyway, I just thought I'd share. Have a great day. :]

9-01-09

rEVOLution Hawaii

In Manoa, trash day is on Tuesday. It's 6 am and I'm watching the garbage truck lift the bins with its forklift arms and dump all their contents into its metal belly. A poison dart frog skips nervously away from where I'm sitting outside the front door of my dorm. Its slimy coat glistens in the morning light. Black with bright blue spots hops safely into the wet grass.

The air isn't heavy yet with the usual humidity but I know that as soon as the sun rises in the sky, this morning's downpour will follow it making the air nearly thick enough to eat. The mountainside that we're on is part of a valley that stretches down to Honolulu. Everything is green and living. Giant trees spread their arms greedily towards the sky creating living umbrellas filled with birds of every color, each singing a different tune.

I swat another mosquito attempting to feast on my bare arms. The sounds of the jungle dies down as the sound of the passing cars below increases. Already the air begins to thicken and I don't even have my running shoes on. I go.

Welcome to Hawaii. Welcome home.