Well, we're two months into our attempt at fundraising to support our family over the next few years as missionary-pastors. And, we're one month from boarding a plane to begin our new life in Hawaii. We feel it's time to give a little bit of an update on our fundraising goals. But first, a little caveat: raising money for life's necessities is awkward. It's even more awkward when you fundraise for a move to Hawaii. Most everyone has a particular image of what life in Hawaii would be like. It could range from relaxing on the beach, to beautiful sunsets, to world class golf, to daily surfing. Some build their own picture of paying for our "vacation." Usually thoughts like this are prefaced audibly with phrases like, "Well, it must be tough to suffer for Jesus in Hawaii." We can't help what people imagine when they first think about our work in Hawaii. And while we are moving to a wonder of God's creation, we do know that this move already had and will continue to have very real struggles and challenges, which includes living in an area that combines low wages and an incredibly high cost of living. Quite frankly, we would not be able to join God's leading and prompting without the support that many of you give. So we thank you up front.
While it is difficult to ascertain an exact amount given, Joy and I feel fairly confident that $10,200 has been pledged to support the first year of our work in the North and Central Kona Mission zone. We have a goal of about $15,000 annually. We want to be as transparent as possible. When we first started fundraising, we estimated our goal to be about $12k. But since then, we had a wonderful surprise come upon us. In January, we will welcome our second child into this world. We are all kinds of shocked and excited about new life. Yet, it put a little wrinkle in our plans. Joy will no longer be able to work for the first year. Furthermore, our current level with Christian Healthcare Ministries (CHM) does not cover maternity or midwifery costs. We'll need to pay for the birth out of pocket.
Yet, we're over Two-Thirds of the way to our Goal! We are overwhelmed by the generosity displayed from our family, friends, and church. The past few months have been a whirlwind of hope, anxiety, transition, fear, grace, and faith. We praise the God who provides manna in the desert, spare rooms for rest, breakfast in the morning, and our annual living costs.
We want to share just a few more things. When we arrive in Hawaii, we will begin the search for two very important things: a house and a car. We are about $3000 short of what we will need to purchase a reliable vehicle for our growing family. This is beyond the annual fundraising goal and is a one time need. Also, we are praying for the right place/location/home for our ministry work in the community. Would you please pray that God's place for us in the neighborhood will be opened within our tight budget, and that as we search and interact with those in the community that we can foster new friendships in the process?
We are so thankful for each of you, for your words of encouragement as we said good-bye, for your hospitality, for your prayers, for your support, and for the tears and laughter we've shared. If you're interested in giving, please follow the tab at the top of the blog: Support the Mission. Thank you.
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Saturday, July 27, 2013
On Saying Goodbye
This week has been filled with goodbyes. We have been incredibly blessed with caring and generous friends, and have had family dinner dates 10 of the last 14 days. We have remained busy, and thus haven't been able to post as much as we hoped. But these days are important.
In a few hours our family will drive away from Nashville for what is likely the last time. The drive through Indianapolis and on towards Michigan seems so familiar, so normal. We haven't done any extra planning or preparing for this drive. We've driven the route at least a dozen times over the past 5 years. Today will be different.
Today will be different because we're not coming back. This simple yet profound truth is also what makes saying "goodbye" difficult. No one wants to say goodbye. Most people prefer to say, "we'll see you again," or, "we'll visit you in Hawaii," or not just saying anything at all. However, the reality about Nashville is we don't have any family here. And the reality about Hawaii is travel is expensive. So on the few occasions we can travel to the mainland, we will be visiting family.
I know some of our goodbyes this week have been awkward. And I know we, along with others, have walked away with fresh emotions. Each relationship holds a special place. The community - the people within the community - have shaped us. Eric and I are leaving Nashville much different people than when we arrived 5 years ago. And we are so thankful.
This morning we will say goodbye to one more family - our dear, dear friends, the Morris'. And I must say, this one will be the most difficult. So this morning, as we pack our car and prepare for one more goodbye, I am thankful for relationships that change us, challenge us, and inspire us. Though we won't return to Nashville, Nashville will always hold a place within.
In a few hours our family will drive away from Nashville for what is likely the last time. The drive through Indianapolis and on towards Michigan seems so familiar, so normal. We haven't done any extra planning or preparing for this drive. We've driven the route at least a dozen times over the past 5 years. Today will be different.
Today will be different because we're not coming back. This simple yet profound truth is also what makes saying "goodbye" difficult. No one wants to say goodbye. Most people prefer to say, "we'll see you again," or, "we'll visit you in Hawaii," or not just saying anything at all. However, the reality about Nashville is we don't have any family here. And the reality about Hawaii is travel is expensive. So on the few occasions we can travel to the mainland, we will be visiting family.
I know some of our goodbyes this week have been awkward. And I know we, along with others, have walked away with fresh emotions. Each relationship holds a special place. The community - the people within the community - have shaped us. Eric and I are leaving Nashville much different people than when we arrived 5 years ago. And we are so thankful.
This morning we will say goodbye to one more family - our dear, dear friends, the Morris'. And I must say, this one will be the most difficult. So this morning, as we pack our car and prepare for one more goodbye, I am thankful for relationships that change us, challenge us, and inspire us. Though we won't return to Nashville, Nashville will always hold a place within.
Saturday, July 20, 2013
Thursday, July 18, 2013
The KCN Mission
If you were to visit the tab at the top of the blog, "Mission: Kona Coast," you'd see various links that explain Kona Coast Nazarene's Mission, Vision, and Motto. I want to take a moment here to flesh out the mission of KCN: Reaching the Lost, Discipling the Found, Modeling the Kingdom. You'll notice that after each phrase, there is a carefully placed comma and not a period. This is intentional because reaching the lost is not mutually exclusive from making disciples. And, modeling the kingdom is the embodied witness of why and how disciples live for the sake of the world (reaching the lost).
Reaching the Lost
At the heart of the Christian faith is the confession that God sent Jesus in the power of the Spirit. In fact, from a trinitarian perspective, God exists within God's self as a Divine Being of movement- sending and receiving love. This love overflows into creation and reaches its revelatory high mark in Jesus Christ of Nazareth. And, Jesus then sends his disciples to do and to teach everything he has done and taught. In other words, as God has sent Jesus for the sake of the world, so has Christ sent his disciples- the church- for the sake of the world. This is what we mean when we talk of "reaching the lost." The church extends itself, reaches into the lives and communities of others, in order to share Christ's life, love, and healing presence. One does not need to go far to see the multiplicity of broken relationships that exist in our world. We believe that "reaching the lost" is fundamental to God's nature to heal and restore all things, and therefore fundamental to who we are as disciples. KCN has commissioned local missionary-pastors to lead the effort for the church to embody and proclaim the Good News in each unique community.
Discipling the Found
Discipleship is the life to which Jesus called his followers and the end to which he sent them before he left. Discipleship is a commitment of the church to engage the process of learning and growing in the obedience to the will of God. Further, discipleship offers a genuinely alternative future because discipleship is transformation- transformation into the likeness of Christ. Discipleship is transformation into a new pattern of living. It is the content of faith, a living belief focused on God's Kingdom come. KCN commits to discipling in the way of Jesus- focusing on the Kingdom of God. KCN will disciple toward the transformation of individuals and communities; discipling kingdom-focused disciples to multiply disciples and bless their community.
Modeling the Kingdom
The church is an alternative community that puts into practice the words and actions of Jesus. The transformation that takes place for disciples manifests into a new way of living that demonstrates the reality of Christ's love and grace in local neighborhoods. One's faith is made real in its practice with others. This distinct community models in the present moment what God intends for all creation. This is why we practice forgiveness rather than vengeance, suffering rather than violence, sharing resources rather than hoarding, and mutual submission rather than hierarchical domination. The church, in its faithfulness to the calling of God to follow after the cross of Christ, remains a potent and powerful tool for communal transformation and social change. Through its very presence and unique way of living, the church absorbs the sins of the community, offers reconciliation within its body, and sends forth the community to be agents of God's redemption in the world.
Reaching the Lost
At the heart of the Christian faith is the confession that God sent Jesus in the power of the Spirit. In fact, from a trinitarian perspective, God exists within God's self as a Divine Being of movement- sending and receiving love. This love overflows into creation and reaches its revelatory high mark in Jesus Christ of Nazareth. And, Jesus then sends his disciples to do and to teach everything he has done and taught. In other words, as God has sent Jesus for the sake of the world, so has Christ sent his disciples- the church- for the sake of the world. This is what we mean when we talk of "reaching the lost." The church extends itself, reaches into the lives and communities of others, in order to share Christ's life, love, and healing presence. One does not need to go far to see the multiplicity of broken relationships that exist in our world. We believe that "reaching the lost" is fundamental to God's nature to heal and restore all things, and therefore fundamental to who we are as disciples. KCN has commissioned local missionary-pastors to lead the effort for the church to embody and proclaim the Good News in each unique community.
Discipling the Found
Discipleship is the life to which Jesus called his followers and the end to which he sent them before he left. Discipleship is a commitment of the church to engage the process of learning and growing in the obedience to the will of God. Further, discipleship offers a genuinely alternative future because discipleship is transformation- transformation into the likeness of Christ. Discipleship is transformation into a new pattern of living. It is the content of faith, a living belief focused on God's Kingdom come. KCN commits to discipling in the way of Jesus- focusing on the Kingdom of God. KCN will disciple toward the transformation of individuals and communities; discipling kingdom-focused disciples to multiply disciples and bless their community.
Modeling the Kingdom
The church is an alternative community that puts into practice the words and actions of Jesus. The transformation that takes place for disciples manifests into a new way of living that demonstrates the reality of Christ's love and grace in local neighborhoods. One's faith is made real in its practice with others. This distinct community models in the present moment what God intends for all creation. This is why we practice forgiveness rather than vengeance, suffering rather than violence, sharing resources rather than hoarding, and mutual submission rather than hierarchical domination. The church, in its faithfulness to the calling of God to follow after the cross of Christ, remains a potent and powerful tool for communal transformation and social change. Through its very presence and unique way of living, the church absorbs the sins of the community, offers reconciliation within its body, and sends forth the community to be agents of God's redemption in the world.
Wednesday, July 17, 2013
Saturday, July 13, 2013
Ordination
I, Joy, was ordained this week as an Elder with the Church of the Nazarene. I have been working towards this for a while now - officially the past 5 years. But even before that I was preparing through schooling, and even earlier than that, God was preparing my heart.
I don't come from a family of ministers. When asked the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I'm fairly certain I never answered "a pastor." I didn't think or wish myself into this vocation. So often when working with children I hear influencial adults encourage them, "you can be anything you want be..." I actually have a different belief.
Sure, if you want to be good at math, you can practice and study and work hard and you'll likely improve. Similarly, if you want to be an all-star athlete, you should probably get yourself to the practice field, or the gym, or the weight room. And maybe if you really set your mind to a particular vocation you can do it. But I believe God gifts us, all of us. For the students I work with, I hope and pray they find the sweet spot where God's gifting and their passions intersect. And as they get older, I hope influencial adults are asking more than "What do you want to be?" Maybe something like, "What are your gifts?" Or "Where do you see God working in your life?" Because sometimes God has a different plan.
I never intended to be a pastor. Fairly early in my life I knew I had a knack for working with children, and I liked it. I babysat, taught sports camps, helped at VBS. I entered college as an education major, because it made sense. But God had something else in mind. So I tried social work. Again, that wasn't it. When I opened my mind to the idea that I should STOP looking for "what makes sense" and START to hear God's call, it was loud and clear.
I majored in Children's Ministry at Olivet Nazarene University, and my first job out of college was as a Children's Pastor at a Nazarene Church. The way my gifts, abilities, passions aligned for this job was an uncanny fit. I loved it, and still do! I've learned a lot about myself; my strengths and weaknesses in leadership. There have been difficult times and situations, and there have been marvalous times. But one thing I know for certain: God has called me here.
In 2010 I went back to school at Trevecca Nazarene University for my Master's in Teaching. I find it a bit humorous that I left education in the beginning, and returned to it later, but I'm also incredibly grateful (in my situation) that the ministry foundation is first. In the past few years I have been able to blend my passion for teaching children to read with my ultimate desire that those very children would know Christ in a real way.
This week, as we celebrated my ordination, I am grateful for a God who calls. I am still learning to hear God's voice and I hope to never stop learning.
I don't come from a family of ministers. When asked the question "What do you want to be when you grow up?" I'm fairly certain I never answered "a pastor." I didn't think or wish myself into this vocation. So often when working with children I hear influencial adults encourage them, "you can be anything you want be..." I actually have a different belief.
Sure, if you want to be good at math, you can practice and study and work hard and you'll likely improve. Similarly, if you want to be an all-star athlete, you should probably get yourself to the practice field, or the gym, or the weight room. And maybe if you really set your mind to a particular vocation you can do it. But I believe God gifts us, all of us. For the students I work with, I hope and pray they find the sweet spot where God's gifting and their passions intersect. And as they get older, I hope influencial adults are asking more than "What do you want to be?" Maybe something like, "What are your gifts?" Or "Where do you see God working in your life?" Because sometimes God has a different plan.
I never intended to be a pastor. Fairly early in my life I knew I had a knack for working with children, and I liked it. I babysat, taught sports camps, helped at VBS. I entered college as an education major, because it made sense. But God had something else in mind. So I tried social work. Again, that wasn't it. When I opened my mind to the idea that I should STOP looking for "what makes sense" and START to hear God's call, it was loud and clear.
I majored in Children's Ministry at Olivet Nazarene University, and my first job out of college was as a Children's Pastor at a Nazarene Church. The way my gifts, abilities, passions aligned for this job was an uncanny fit. I loved it, and still do! I've learned a lot about myself; my strengths and weaknesses in leadership. There have been difficult times and situations, and there have been marvalous times. But one thing I know for certain: God has called me here.
In 2010 I went back to school at Trevecca Nazarene University for my Master's in Teaching. I find it a bit humorous that I left education in the beginning, and returned to it later, but I'm also incredibly grateful (in my situation) that the ministry foundation is first. In the past few years I have been able to blend my passion for teaching children to read with my ultimate desire that those very children would know Christ in a real way.
This week, as we celebrated my ordination, I am grateful for a God who calls. I am still learning to hear God's voice and I hope to never stop learning.
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| Being prayed for by all present ordained ministers. |
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| Pastor Erik Gernand praying specifically for us. |
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