Update from the island

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Published on Monday, 20 February 2012 20:23

Written by Stephanie Nobles

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Aloha peeps! Whew! It's been a long time since we chatted, right?  It's been a crazy few weeks with the relocation, etc.. but we are so very tickled to be here and settling in.  As usual, pictures say it better than I can.

This is the weather we left behind in Puyallup.  What a mess! Ice, impassable roads, trees breaking all around.  While it was a challenge to say goodbye to all our Puyallup peeps, it wasn't too hard to wave goodbye to this weather.

Our flight out was crazy early in the morning.  We showed up at SeaTac with the me and the kids, 3 carry-on's, 3 backpacks and 9 (that's right, I said 9) checked bags at 4:30 a.m.  4:30 A.M.  All went smoothly though and soon we were off.

Within the first week, after me being a crazy nest featherer (sorry, family), we took the kids to Richardson's beach for some snorkeling and swimming.  They kept saying how weird it was to be swimming outside in February.

Their first introduction to honu (sea turtles) took place at Carlsmith beach in Hilo.  Gabe was delighted but Emma was a little intimidated.  It was one big turtle and may have developed a little crush on her.  It (she?) followed Emma around the whole time we were in the water.

Ah, the food.  Talk about grocery store sticker shock!  I though I was prepared but my lil' ol' frugal heart about gave out when I shopped for the fist time.  Spam is very popular here and Jon was impressed at the addition of bacon to this favorite meat.  Everything is better with bacon, right?

This is was I hope we will be eating more often.  Farmer's market in Kea'au is wonderful; great selection, quality and the price is right.

With our crazy schedule, however, this is what we've been eating more then I'd like.  Loco Moco. Not the healthiest dish by a long shot with rice, your choice of meat (usually spam), fried egg and brown gravy over it all.

And then, craziness started.  Poor Gabe dislocated his kneecap.  I still shudder to think of it; the sound it made when it popped, the sound HE made when it popped and the completely grotesque way it looked.  God was with us, of course, and kept us steady.  Ambulance arrived quickly and everyone took great care of my boy.  He will be incapacitated for a good while, which is a bummer, but we're thankful it wasn't worse.

We knew our time here would not be all beach trips and umbrella drinks and we were right.  The enemy has already been hard at work at us, throwing curveballs galore and plenty of other unsavory crap.  Please pray for us, that we would hold tight to He who is greater!

Our praises are many, of course!  Our family together, an offer on the house, wonderful and warm people here who have loved us like family, God stirring our hearts more deeply for His mission here and the list goes on...No matter what the dirt-bag devil throws at us, we will sing the praises of our Lord, Jesus, loud and strong!

Feels good to have our feet rooted here and this black sand and red dirt feels like home between our toes.

On our trip here last year, God gave be a vision of my feet rooted deep in the land He created and the fertility He would bring forth from us for His purposes, for His glory, for His mission here on Hawai'i island.  And so it begins as we step out as sent ones.  Excited? Yes.  Exhilirated? You bet.  Terrified? Ummm, DUH!

Let me leave you with this reminder, church.

1 Peter 2:9-10 "But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people for God's own possession, so that you may proclaim the excellencies of Him who has called you out of darkness into His marvelous light; for you once were not a people, but now you are the people of God; you had not received mercy, but now you have received mercy"

Until next time, peace to you and yours

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