I haven’t wanted to write in a long time. It’s been almost a year and there’s been so much to say, so much to share, but I kept feeling like I just couldn’t get it out. I worry people won’t understand and I question whether I should be giving “progress reports” on how God is working when I could just focus on what’s in front of me, but He is so good and I feel like that is something worth sharing.

This year has been nothing like we anticipated. We experienced so many highs and a lot of really devastating lows. We lost almost all our friends and then gained a whole bunch more. We went from fairly structured lives to people who have no clue what the next day will hold. We traveled back to the mainland and were reminded all at once why this home and at the same time how much we miss the people we love. We’ve done A LOT.

But the one thing that we’ve continued to press forward in is how we do church. We started our church over a year ago now and it has been a work in progress. We’ve gained and lost people for many reasons and we floundered through what exactly we are trying to accomplish, but I think we are finally on track and it’s really exciting. It’s crazy, it’s BUSY, but it is awesome. Let me tell you what it looks like…

• It’s walking through mud and filth to connect with people who’ve lost almost everything in a flood to offer a glimpse of comfort and hope to their lives.
• It’s taking people to dinner that we just met because we feel like God has presented us with this day and this time to share a little bit about what his kingdom looks like.
• It’s playing endless games of volleyball until dark with friends and strangers from all walks of life and all types of faiths.
• It’s sitting in the Costco parking lot watching videos with our church family about how to better love and serve those with addiction.
• It’s loving one another so well that no need goes unmet, yet not holding on to our time or resources to hoard them for ourselves, but giving selflessly of all we have so others can see and know that God is real and worth following.

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I wish you could see it. I wish you could understand it. The problem is, a lot of people don’t and it would take up a whole lot of space to explain just how everything works and why it’s as great as it is. And the reason it’s so great is because it’s not about anything any of us has done. God could do all these things through anyone, or even without anyone, but we are so blessed that He allows us to be the ones He uses to do His work on Kauai.

I love how we do church.