Our apologies for taking so incredibly long to update everyone on our adventures in Hawaii.

Where to even begin.....

We have been in Halewia on the island of Oahu for a bit over three weeks. We arrived February 5th. Rick (those of you back home know him as Shep) picked us up in true Hawaiian style, with a couple of beautiful leis. We headed to pick up our GORGEOUS camouflage jeep. Wow what a sight, the thing is hilarious but it runs great...well good...and thats all that matters.

Our stop in Hawaii has been exactly what we hoped for our travels. We have learned so much by living here rather then just stopping through for a weeks vacation. So far our experiences have been so rich as they have taught us a great deal. Now dont get me wrong, rich experiences dont always translate to perfect experiences.

Hawaii has a strong history and a great deal of culture. For once in my life, I am the minority. There still exists a great deal of prejudice towards white people, or Haoles as they call us here. For the most part people are great, but it can be difficult to find acceptance among some who where born and raised here in Hawaii. And now add the fact that I don't surf....

The first few days were really hard for me. Chris had surfing and Rick. Me on the other hand, I am a little white girl with no skill on a board, why was I here? I asked Chris that question several times and he, being the patient man he is, kept saying "lets go home, its fine, lets go." But I knew that wasn't the answer. I spent time praying about all the thoughts and feelings I was experiencing. God is good and he gave me peace and several undeniable signs that we are where he wants us right now.

The first, God moment came in the form of a guy names Johnny. Chris was sitting in our one of a kind Jeep one afternoon when Johnny approached him and asked where Chris got his car. Turns out, Johnny was the previous owner of our Jeep. The two of them got to talking and Johnny invited Chris and I to a bible study. Turns out the leader of the bible study is the same man that Chris went on a mission trip to Japan with four years ago. The church is also a Calvary Chapel church which is the same church we attended at home. Through that church we have gotten plugged into another small group of young married couples who meet every Friday. God has given us a body of believers to fellowship with and relate to in a time of newness and uncertainty.

Another struggle Chris and I had was our living situation. We found a room to rent online and committed to it before seeing it. Well it wast exactly what we had expected as we were sharing a bathroom with several others and the kitchen we were promised turned out to be a mini fridge and a hot plate. All part of the adventure right:) So Chris applied for a job to be a groundskeeper on an estate. He would work in exchange for a room on the estate. He found out the position was already filled, but for some reason the guy really liked Chris and they had only talked on the phone a few times. He asked us if we would move in until the guy he hired moved down from Colorado. The owner lives in the city (Honolulu) and he didnt want the place vacant. So Chris and I moved into a six million dollar estate with a private beach entrance and all!!!!! I can sit on the porch and see the ocean. Incredible!!

I got a job at a surf shop called Raging Isle. I can honestly say I didn't think I would be doing anything like that, but its a really neat and new experience. It is really nice getting up everyday and not being stressed about the job ahead. Chris has done A LOT of temporary work around the estate for the last couple weeks, but he just got hired at a breakfast spot called Kono's. It is in the same plaza as my surf shop.

We are getting settled in to life in Hawaii. We haven't done nearly as much exploring as we want, but soon we will go see the Island. We have been so richly blessed. God has provided so much for us in the little time we have been here. We so miss our family and friends back home. Know we think about you daily and cannot wait to see you!!

Thank you for following our adventures.

Much love!