I’ve packed my bags and moved onto my new home for the next 4 months-Jaipur, India. My time in Hawaii was absolutely lovely. Home is where the heart is and my heart is definitely in Hawaii, so I guess therefore Hawaii has become my home. My weeks in Hawaii were slammed packed with prayer, Bible studying, feeding 500-700 families a week, teaching swim/surf lessons to kids from shelters in Waianae (the Hawaiian side of the island that is loaded with drug abuse and homelessness) and my favorite-cruzing with the street and park dwellers of Wahiawa. Hospitality and being in the neighborhood as much as possible has been really heavy on my mind the past month. I’ve been pushed to love more and become more a part of the community. One day we prayed for the community of Wahiawa-the prostitutes, transvestites, alcoholics and drug addicts. During our time of prayer I thought of the idea of going up California street (the street where all the action takes place) and handing out flowers to the women we came across. I wasn’t going to let this idea get away from me, so that week a group of 5 of us left our apartments at 11:00 at night (I generally am in bed by 10, so this was a stretch for me) and walked up the streets and were ready to love anyone that came in our path. Right as we began our walk I was plagued with thoughts rolling through my head. I was afraid that maybe it would be offensive, or belittling to the women, or we would be rejected. The enemy always tries to destroy something good through confusion. We carried on though and I began to pray that I would come in contact with the women that came to our Friday BBQs in the park. Most of the girls we saw out that night were ladies that came to our BBQ. It was so exciting to see them at night, some of them were working the street and others were just cruzing. We also chilled outside the Texas Strip Bar with some of the local guys till early in the morning. It was so good to meet these people in the time of day that they thrive. The people of Wahiawa are such night owls. I know that giving the flowers to the girls really meant a lot to them. It was an action of pure love with no personal agenda attached.
There are many sides to my time in Hawaii. Sometimes I wonder if God has me cruzing with the street and park dwellers for their sake or mine? He tends to teach me more lessons than I could possibly teach them. Other than the social aspect of being in Hawaii, it was a time for me to prepare to come to India spiritually. The environment of Surfing the Nations always amps me up and sets me on the right course.
Now I am in India. I’m across the world far from anyone I know and yet I don’t feel like I’m in a foreign uncomfortable place. I haven’t really had the opportunity to get out into the community yet as we have been in orientation for the last few days but that will change soon. I will meet my host family on Friday. My mom is a yoga master, I don’t know much about my father, I have a sister and grandmother. That’s about the extent of the information I have been given. I am looking forward to all that God will teach me in India. My anticipation is that God will open my eyes to new things I have not seen before and drive my passion for the poor even deeper. My biggest prayer this summer has been for God to provide an Indian woman to be a mentor, friend and someone who teaches me about following Christ in India. You can be praying for God to reveal the ways He wants to use me within my study abroad group and in my community. I really have no expectations or ideas of how God will use me, but I wait patiently and hope God will unfold that secret in the right time.
Until more adventures head my way, make sure you love all those around you.
Wednesday, September 9, 2009
Saturday, July 11, 2009
pressing, pushing and character building
Hitch-hiking, camping, surfing, swim lessons, figuring out how to cook, rice and chilli making, learning to play the guitar, investing time in my Surfing the Nations family, pushing myself to meet new people, wedding and Luau on the beach, eating poke and taco (raw fish and octopus), Acai bowls (delicious blended fruit mix from the amazon), prayer, fasting, bible studying and character building. These are just a few of the things I've taken part of in my last few weeks since the last blog.
Amidst the crammed pack daily schedule of living and being apart of Surfing the Nations is the cruz mellow mentality of Hawaii. Last night I fell alseep to the neighborhood guys jamming to the ukulele. Everywhere I walk in Wahiawa people are hanging out whether that is at 7-11, the park or parking lots, people are lounging and enjoying life. Sometimes I can get so carried away with doing and going and whats next on my schedule that it is really nice to realize I can just sit and enjoy the moment.
Pressing on my mind and heart is trying to build relationships with the community of Wahiawa that does not live in houses. There are so many homeless people that live in Wahiawa. Its not like the mainland where you rarely see a homeless person unless you are driving around downtown or are in a big city. Here living in the parks, parking lots and forests is just another way of life. Although it is another way of life, there is still the community of people that live in the comfort of their home and are bothered by people crowding "their" sidewalks and parks, and the sight of people living on nothing is a soar in their eye. As I was saying in my last blog, I know I have been allowed the gift of life so that I can love these people. This doesn't mean its always easy though. For a girl from the mainland it takes a lot of effort to give my all to building relationships. It takes an active mind that won't allow inferiority, insecurity or awkwardness get in the way of getting to know them. Loving and caring for people takes a lot of initiative, courage, and vulnerability. Its not always easy. It's good to have that push though.
I imagine the community thinks that I am one strange girl. On tuesday and friday afternoons I can be found either carrying a rice cooker, pot of chilli up a few blocks to the nearest park. Sometimes I can be found carrying a box of food bags up the street as well. Why use our trucks and vans to drive up the street two block when God gave me a perfectly healthy body that can carry things?? So I carry these things to two different groups of guys that hang out a few blocks away. There's a group of 4-6 guys that hang out next to the KFC parking lot and are drinking at all hours of the day. I think I'm about getting to the point where I am not that awkward girl that comes to hang out with them. Then there's the Center Street Park crew that sits back and drinks as well. Pray for me as I try to build relationships with these guys. Its such a bust that I will only be here for 2 months. Lets hope and trust that God will use me in this short amount of time!
What I love about being in this community is the push and shove that I am constantly feeling. Whether that comes from my room mates and friends, or from the Holy Spirit, I'm never allowed to slip into a complacent life. Its a continuous challenge to sharpen and shape my character. My apartment is full of appologies and forgiveness. Cindy's teachings are continuously challenging me to be a better person. I feel as though I'm doing the dishes non stop and picking up after myself non stop. I really don't enjoy doing these things but it is sharpening my character into becoming more responsible and caring more for my room mates. Doing the right things is definately not always easy, but it is such a fulfilling feeling when its past to know th at I was stretched and did what was right.
My parting words for anyone who reads this blog is to not sit on your couch and watch TV. Go do something. Love deeper, more painfully and sacrificially. When you feel that tension of being pressed to do something, you'll feel the rewarding feeling of knowing you've impacted the world.
Amidst the crammed pack daily schedule of living and being apart of Surfing the Nations is the cruz mellow mentality of Hawaii. Last night I fell alseep to the neighborhood guys jamming to the ukulele. Everywhere I walk in Wahiawa people are hanging out whether that is at 7-11, the park or parking lots, people are lounging and enjoying life. Sometimes I can get so carried away with doing and going and whats next on my schedule that it is really nice to realize I can just sit and enjoy the moment.
Pressing on my mind and heart is trying to build relationships with the community of Wahiawa that does not live in houses. There are so many homeless people that live in Wahiawa. Its not like the mainland where you rarely see a homeless person unless you are driving around downtown or are in a big city. Here living in the parks, parking lots and forests is just another way of life. Although it is another way of life, there is still the community of people that live in the comfort of their home and are bothered by people crowding "their" sidewalks and parks, and the sight of people living on nothing is a soar in their eye. As I was saying in my last blog, I know I have been allowed the gift of life so that I can love these people. This doesn't mean its always easy though. For a girl from the mainland it takes a lot of effort to give my all to building relationships. It takes an active mind that won't allow inferiority, insecurity or awkwardness get in the way of getting to know them. Loving and caring for people takes a lot of initiative, courage, and vulnerability. Its not always easy. It's good to have that push though.
I imagine the community thinks that I am one strange girl. On tuesday and friday afternoons I can be found either carrying a rice cooker, pot of chilli up a few blocks to the nearest park. Sometimes I can be found carrying a box of food bags up the street as well. Why use our trucks and vans to drive up the street two block when God gave me a perfectly healthy body that can carry things?? So I carry these things to two different groups of guys that hang out a few blocks away. There's a group of 4-6 guys that hang out next to the KFC parking lot and are drinking at all hours of the day. I think I'm about getting to the point where I am not that awkward girl that comes to hang out with them. Then there's the Center Street Park crew that sits back and drinks as well. Pray for me as I try to build relationships with these guys. Its such a bust that I will only be here for 2 months. Lets hope and trust that God will use me in this short amount of time!
What I love about being in this community is the push and shove that I am constantly feeling. Whether that comes from my room mates and friends, or from the Holy Spirit, I'm never allowed to slip into a complacent life. Its a continuous challenge to sharpen and shape my character. My apartment is full of appologies and forgiveness. Cindy's teachings are continuously challenging me to be a better person. I feel as though I'm doing the dishes non stop and picking up after myself non stop. I really don't enjoy doing these things but it is sharpening my character into becoming more responsible and caring more for my room mates. Doing the right things is definately not always easy, but it is such a fulfilling feeling when its past to know th at I was stretched and did what was right.
My parting words for anyone who reads this blog is to not sit on your couch and watch TV. Go do something. Love deeper, more painfully and sacrificially. When you feel that tension of being pressed to do something, you'll feel the rewarding feeling of knowing you've impacted the world.
"I have found the paradox, that if you love until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only more love."
Mother Theresa
Sunday, June 28, 2009
first week back on oahu
After waiting on a plane at Denver International Airport for 3 hours due to a broken piece in the plane, wrong directions, losing too much gas during 30 minutes of taxiing and a tornado I arrived on the beautiful island of Oahu. I have been welcomed back to the Surfing the Nations community that now resides in Wahiawa (the middle of the island). I will be here for two months. We live on Ohai street which is known as the most dangerous street on this side of the island (known for its drug dealing). In fact one of my friends from the lagoon used to deal drugs on this street back in the day! The morning after my first night here I walked this “dangerous” street in prayer as a sign to Satan that I would not be afraid of any plans of my destruction through fear. The Holy Spirit was ever present during my walk and has been so thickly present throughout so much of my day.
I am apart of the “Summer Challenge” which is the summer team for STN as well as being in charge of picnics with people (who are or will become my friends) who live in cars, parks, forests and under bridges. Already I’ve met such wise and wonderful people living in these areas. On Thursday we had our weekly distribution of food from the Foodbank in Kalihi. Since I have been gone my friends from the Lagoon have stopped coming to our distribution, so Troy and I went down with a van full of food to give out. I first stopped by to see Uncle Tony in hopes that he could take us into the paintball field and lagoon so I could see all the rest of my friends. Uncle Tony lives under the bridge still. The entrance to his home is about one and a half feet tall, but once you get under the freeway his home is 4 feet tall, 3 feet wide and 15 feet long (I’m just guessing). But he also has an area under the bridge that isn’t inside his house. He was fixing up a bicycle but was so kind to walk around with us to meet people.
As we walked over a bridge to get to the field/lagoon that everyone lives in I immediately saw the development that had gone on while I was gone. The homes used to be restricted to the bushes and spots that are not so obvious, but now the houses are right out in the open. There is a plethora of home styles from tents and tree houses to houses on the water. The Filipino mastermind of it all lives in a house on the water, has a netted in area to keep fish that have been caught and a boat made of a BIG piece of Styrofoam (its just one block with a sheet of wood on top). Most houses are about the size of a typical room in the suburbs. Inside the homes are TV’s, sound systems, couches, beds, kitchens-everything. One home is set out on the water and to get to it you walk through the brush of the lagoon on a little bridge, walk through a little door with a welcoming circle in it onto the house. It is so impressive. As I walked into the home my boyfriend’s friend welcomed us with a big smile to what he proudly called a home, Swiss Family Robinson style.
My closest friend greeted me with a loud scream and big hug. She was so happy to see Troy and I (I was just as happy, if not more, to see her). Entering her home was not such a joy though. Her boyfriend lay on the bed out of his mind. He caught pneumonia while spending time for a warrant on a “traffic ticket”. It was so hard to see them like this. They’ve been my friends since the beginning of my journey with the bridge. If you think about it, pray for him, and pray for wisdom for me to know what I should do (if I can do anything).
That was the only sad part about being back at the lagoon. I’ve never been so welcomed in the community. As we walked through the tall grass Tony would call out to each home and say “Eh! Whitney’s here, you know from Surfing da Nations!” People would come out and greet me and welcome me into their homes. It gives me such joy and peace to know that these people trust me and love me. It’s been all the prayers prayed for them and 8 months of trying my hardest to get to know them and care for them individually, being consistent with them. Everyone was so excited to get some food. I saw the deep thankfulness in their faces. Although they all do meth, abuse each other, do lots of “bad” things and are a different community when I’m not there, my vision of them is not tainted at all. God has given me His eyes for them. When I look at them and think about them, I know it is the way he looks at the most “awful” (in earthly terms) of people. I believe in the spiritual world so much more after going down to the lagoon. I see the traps that Satan has each of them in and the stronghold he has on that area, but I see the light of Christ in Troy and I and I see what it does to that area. Some of my friends were strung out on drugs, but in conversing with Troy and I they were fighting for sobriety to maintain a conversation. It makes me so happy to know that in the moments I’m down there they are fighting to defeat Satan, even if all the other hours of the day they allow Satan to rule. I believe that even one hour with the light of Christ ruins so much of the evil that goes on in the Lagoon.
It is such a joy to me to love the people living in parks, lagoons, cars, forests and under bridges. I’m not “saving souls” or anything like that but I know this is EXACTLY where my God wants me. It’s hard sometimes living and working in community while eating food bank food but there is no place I’d rather be than hanging out with these friends. I was created to love the rebellious drug addicts and I am thoroughly glad to know my place in life.
Please pray for continual energy to love all these friends I have mentioned as well as my family I am living in community with. Pray against Satan’s grasp on my friends through drugs and violence. I am going to Bangladesh in August and would love your prayers in advance for this trip. I won’t mention much about it now, but in another letter I will give you more details. Be praying for the finances to come in so everything can go smoothly.
Thank you so much for your prayers, support and love
Whitney
I am apart of the “Summer Challenge” which is the summer team for STN as well as being in charge of picnics with people (who are or will become my friends) who live in cars, parks, forests and under bridges. Already I’ve met such wise and wonderful people living in these areas. On Thursday we had our weekly distribution of food from the Foodbank in Kalihi. Since I have been gone my friends from the Lagoon have stopped coming to our distribution, so Troy and I went down with a van full of food to give out. I first stopped by to see Uncle Tony in hopes that he could take us into the paintball field and lagoon so I could see all the rest of my friends. Uncle Tony lives under the bridge still. The entrance to his home is about one and a half feet tall, but once you get under the freeway his home is 4 feet tall, 3 feet wide and 15 feet long (I’m just guessing). But he also has an area under the bridge that isn’t inside his house. He was fixing up a bicycle but was so kind to walk around with us to meet people.
As we walked over a bridge to get to the field/lagoon that everyone lives in I immediately saw the development that had gone on while I was gone. The homes used to be restricted to the bushes and spots that are not so obvious, but now the houses are right out in the open. There is a plethora of home styles from tents and tree houses to houses on the water. The Filipino mastermind of it all lives in a house on the water, has a netted in area to keep fish that have been caught and a boat made of a BIG piece of Styrofoam (its just one block with a sheet of wood on top). Most houses are about the size of a typical room in the suburbs. Inside the homes are TV’s, sound systems, couches, beds, kitchens-everything. One home is set out on the water and to get to it you walk through the brush of the lagoon on a little bridge, walk through a little door with a welcoming circle in it onto the house. It is so impressive. As I walked into the home my boyfriend’s friend welcomed us with a big smile to what he proudly called a home, Swiss Family Robinson style.
My closest friend greeted me with a loud scream and big hug. She was so happy to see Troy and I (I was just as happy, if not more, to see her). Entering her home was not such a joy though. Her boyfriend lay on the bed out of his mind. He caught pneumonia while spending time for a warrant on a “traffic ticket”. It was so hard to see them like this. They’ve been my friends since the beginning of my journey with the bridge. If you think about it, pray for him, and pray for wisdom for me to know what I should do (if I can do anything).
That was the only sad part about being back at the lagoon. I’ve never been so welcomed in the community. As we walked through the tall grass Tony would call out to each home and say “Eh! Whitney’s here, you know from Surfing da Nations!” People would come out and greet me and welcome me into their homes. It gives me such joy and peace to know that these people trust me and love me. It’s been all the prayers prayed for them and 8 months of trying my hardest to get to know them and care for them individually, being consistent with them. Everyone was so excited to get some food. I saw the deep thankfulness in their faces. Although they all do meth, abuse each other, do lots of “bad” things and are a different community when I’m not there, my vision of them is not tainted at all. God has given me His eyes for them. When I look at them and think about them, I know it is the way he looks at the most “awful” (in earthly terms) of people. I believe in the spiritual world so much more after going down to the lagoon. I see the traps that Satan has each of them in and the stronghold he has on that area, but I see the light of Christ in Troy and I and I see what it does to that area. Some of my friends were strung out on drugs, but in conversing with Troy and I they were fighting for sobriety to maintain a conversation. It makes me so happy to know that in the moments I’m down there they are fighting to defeat Satan, even if all the other hours of the day they allow Satan to rule. I believe that even one hour with the light of Christ ruins so much of the evil that goes on in the Lagoon.
It is such a joy to me to love the people living in parks, lagoons, cars, forests and under bridges. I’m not “saving souls” or anything like that but I know this is EXACTLY where my God wants me. It’s hard sometimes living and working in community while eating food bank food but there is no place I’d rather be than hanging out with these friends. I was created to love the rebellious drug addicts and I am thoroughly glad to know my place in life.
Please pray for continual energy to love all these friends I have mentioned as well as my family I am living in community with. Pray against Satan’s grasp on my friends through drugs and violence. I am going to Bangladesh in August and would love your prayers in advance for this trip. I won’t mention much about it now, but in another letter I will give you more details. Be praying for the finances to come in so everything can go smoothly.
Thank you so much for your prayers, support and love
Whitney
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