Video Tour

Home Sweet Home

Click on the video link above to see a quick tour of our home...sorry there is no sound. (It was recorded with our digital camera). We feel like Hawaii is gradually feeling more like home...we finally feel more settled and some what able to get around without getting lost. Some interesting facts about our new home: our upstairs neighbor LOVES karaoke. You name the song, they are probably singing it. Up til today, we had another mysterious neighbor; we didn't know who it was, but they play "Taps" every night at either 10:00 or 11:00pm sharp. We thought this was the oddest thing. We thought it was our Chinese neighbors, and wondered if they were mourning a lost relative or something. Well, tonight our military friend told us that the military bases play taps every night at either 10 or 11 pm; so our mystery has been solved. (We really liked our original theory better. We may stick to it.) Then our next door neighbors are from Hong Kong and can make some good smelling food! Smelling it makes us so hungry! Jessica keeps begging Jesse to go over there and offer them money for dinner.

We have determined that Hope Chapel is the family we are to partner with...we are really excited about this! Jesse has been meeting with Pastor Ralph and several other men who are called to plant churches every Saturday morning. This is a wonderful opportunity for wisdom, insight, and experience to be poured into Jesse. (To learn more about Hope Chapel click: http://www.hopechapel.com/.) We have gradually been meeting more people and are starting to see how this is going to be a family to us.

The Lord is also being good to us in allowing us to meet people who have involvement with ministry to the Japanese. We aren't seeing any specific organized connection yet, but it seems better that the Lord is allowing us to make connections with different people in different ways. We have met a pastor of a house church planted by Hope Chapel who is Japanese. He has a vision to multiply many house churches in the U.S. and Japan, and is already seeing great fruit. We have been getting to know another couple who is getting ready to move to Japan this summer, and they have been a great resource to us. We are meeting more as time progresses. And Hope Chapel sends out several short-term trips to Japan every year, so we believe we will have plenty of opportunity to learn and grow out here. We feel good that we are in the right place at the right time with the right people doing the right things.

Thank you so much for your prayers during this time. We ask you to continue to lift us up in prayer as the Lord lays it on your heart.

Day with Troy and Bow

Last weekend we had the privilege to get together with a couple of friends, Troy & Bow. Troy is from Hawaii and Bow is from Thailand. We met Troy and Bow at a Hope Chapel Minichurch (life group/cell group). Jessica and Bow went to Chinatown in Honolulu to pick up some ingredients to make some yummy Thai dishes for dinner. Later that afternoon Troy & Jesse met the girls at their home, on Kaneohe Bay and took the ladies for a kayak ride. They paddled them all around the bay for a beautiful scenic view. It has been a blessing to make new friends.

Internship Update

Tomorrow marks the close of my first two rotations here in Hawaii. The past three weeks have been a great experience working with the Dietitians, patients, and staff at Hawaii Medical Center East & West. In the picture from right to left: Tara (a Sodexho intern), HeeBong (Director of Nutrition and Food Service), Kareece (Dietitian at Hawaii Medical Center West), me. Next Monday I will begin Long Term Care and Long Term Care foodservice.

Polynesian Cultural Center

The Polynesian Cultural Center was a great place to learn about Hawaii and the surrounding island culture. The day started with a demonstration of "how to open a coconut". Followed by a man climbing up a coconut tree and is about to jump to the next tree (see the picture???) Well, he chickened out and didn't do it. :) The day was spent going from island to island learning about the cultures of Hawaii, Samoa, Aotearoa (New Zealand), Fiji, Thaiti, Tonga, and Marquesas. We did not have time to experience everything that was offered to be learned but hope to go back to see and experience what we did not have time for.

We met up that day with a couple that we met at Hope Chapel, Brent & Vikki, that moved to Honolulu from Texas to plant a church (Christ Fellowship) to reach Asia for Christ. We couldn't believe that there is going to be a Christ Fellowship Honolulu. They have been a blessing to us in so many ways. We took time to pray over the cultural center (it is Mormon owned & operated) that the students and all that come would have a true revelation of who Jesus Christ is.

We had the opportunity to talk to one of the students that worked there (the warrior laying on the ground on the far right). He was able to receive a scholarship to the Brigham Young University that would pay for his schooling. He works at the Cultural Center on the weekends to pay for extra expenses. We prayed for him that He would have a true relationship with Jesus Christ.

That evening was a traditional Hawaiian luau, pig and all (as you can see). Eat your heart out Marty Sparks!!! No, we did not actually eat that poor pig. We were introduced to several Hawaiian foods such as taro bread, Hawaiian Poi, and other interesting foods. The close of the evening brought a show that brought all of the island music, dance, and culture together. It was a wonderful day to learn and experience more of the people that God uniquely made.