Island Hopping

256 meals, 57 surf sessions, and 23 new friends later it is officially my last day on Maui. Our school of 24 students grew incredibly close over the lecture phase making goodbyes especially hard. Nonetheless, I am excited knowing the message of hope they carry, which is Jesus. Earlier this week the first team of 8 left to China, the second to New Zealand, and only in a couple of hours will be us.

Tonight we begin a series of flights ending in southern Taiwan where we will be working with the local YWAM base. Next we go to Indonesia where we travel to the legendary Mentawai islands. Here we will be visiting some tribes, enjoying their culture, and sharing the love of Jesus. From here we go to Bali and work with some surf ministry involving locals and tourists (the majority of whom are Australian). Finally, we end up on the island of Lombock. At this location we focus on helping a Christian couple who run an orphanage. The kids are a wide range of ages, several of which were born with different types of disabilities. This will make for a variety of adventures. Please be in prayer for our team to have caring hearts for the people we will be meeting.

I have had a fantastic experience here at the YWAM Maui base and even now look forward to returning for a week of debrief following outreach. The last three weeks of lecture phase were prayer and intercession by Maria Daughtry, relationships by Kenny Jackson, and radical Christian living by Chad Johnson. I have definitely grown as a result of the lectures as they were both encouraging and challenging. My surfing has also drastically improved. One of my favourite memories was this last week when our whole team went out to a surf break called Lanes. The waves there are glassy and fast. Catching a wave shoots you so fast and watching the reef fly by under your feet is really special. However, each wave came with consequences as the distance you ride in you have to paddle out. On this day I had been caught in a set and was fighting through the white water for around 12 minutes. The hard work made the excitement that much more rewarding. The same could be said for the entire lecture phase.

The love that God has for us is amazing and the fact that we are able to have a relationship with Him through Jesus is incredible. Please pray that we will be bold through the Holy Spirit and humble in serving. Blessings

1 Peter 1:3

Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ! In his great mercy he has given us new birth into a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, and into an inheritance that can never perish, spoil or fade.

Mathew 28:19

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, and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.”