Furlough Update: Ministry Scholarships

Our family left Kona on June 23. We're now in our fifth week of traveling, sharing the Good News of what God is doing in Kona. And, in complete honesty, it's been so hard! This is our first trip back to the mainland since moving to Hawaii two years ago. Micah was born in Hawaii, and is only 18 months old. Justice is a child of routine and rhythms and does well if those lay undisturbed. Well, furlough disturbs every routine. And we are excited about returning to Kona next week. 

Furlough is a time for us to reconnect with family and friends, share our story with our supporters, and fundraise for years 3 and 4 of ministry. We've been sharing how God is raising up local leaders to lead the church in Hawaii. We believe that the work God is doing is going to be continued by those who have grown up in Hawaii, who can connect and guide other locals into God's story of redemption. We've been sharing about our work to re-imagine a culturally appropriate model of training local pastors in an oral culture and that we've started teaching classes this past January. We have 4 people from our congregation discerning a call into ministry. This is Good News!

But we are at a disadvantage because of our geographical isolation. All the pastor fellowships, continuing education, District retreats, and District Assemblies take place on a different island. These are valuable times of gathering for pastors to be inspired, to learn, to form needed relationships/friendships, and to stave off isolation. We want our ministry students to experience at least one of these gatherings each year as they work toward ordination.

This is why we are fundraising in part to offer 'scholarships' for each ministry student that would cover various resources and travel expenses to aid in their development and discipleship. We have 5 scholarships set at $370 a piece. If you are interested in sponsoring one (or more) of these scholarships, let us know! We'd love to talk to you and share a little bit more. Scholarships will still be funneled through the "North/Central Kona Mission" account fund at www.easytithe.com/kcn. Thank you for your continued support!