The POWER of 3.

It is not by happen chance, accident or coincidence that myself and the other two girls are here. Each day I am more convinced as to why "we" out of all the others that were interviewed were selected. It is not because we are more intelligent, skillful, smooth in interviews or more "spiritual" than others. No, we were called to this island because we are the exact combination of people and personality for this internship at this exact place and time. 

Jokingly, I would say that this experience has had some manic tendencies. The great experiences or highs have been out of this world. The same dynamic is true for the lows. In both instances and everything in between, I am thankful for the two phenomenal women that I am having the honor of experiencing life with. We may get on each others nerves at times (WE do eat, sleep, play and work together on an 18X13 island!), but I couldn't imagine a greater team. Together we have had some wonderful experiences exploring the island, hiking, playing with the kids, etc... Together we have also experienced some fairly difficult times, during which my love and appreciation has grown for them. This past week has had its share of opposition, but we are still standing STRONG together. There is a natural balance that occurs between the three of us that couldn't have been better planned. God is good!

Ecclesiastes 4:12 NLT

A person standing alone can be attacked and defeated, but two can stand back-to-back and conquer. Three are even better, for a triple-braided cord is not easily broken. 

Battle.

Romans 8:31-39

So what should we say about all of this? If God is on our side, then tell me: whom should we fear? If He did not spare His own Son, but handed Him over on our account, then don't you think that He will graciously give us all things with Him? Can anyone be so bold as to level a charge against God's chosen? Especially since God's "not guilty" verdict is already declared. Who has the authority to condemn? Jesus, the Liberating King, who died, but more importantly, conquered death when He was raised to sit at the right hand of God where He pleads on our behalf. So who can separate us? What can disconnect us from the Liverating King's love? Can troubles, hardships, persecution, hunger, poverty, danger, or even death? The answer is, absolutely nothing. 

The psalms says, 

On Your behalf, our lives are endangered constantly; we are like sheep awaiting slaughter.

But no matter what comes, we will always taste victory through Him who loved us. For I have every confidence that nothing- not death, life, heavenly messengers, dark spirits, the present, the future, spiritual powers, heights, depth, nor any created thing- can disconnect us from the love of God that came to us in Jesus, our Lord and Liberating King. 

Acts 6:10-20

Finally, brothers and sisters, draw your strength and might from God. Put on full armor of God to protect yourselves from the devil and his evil schemes. We're not waging war against enemies of flesh and blood alone. No, this fight is against tyrants, against authorities, against supernatural powers and demon-princes that slither in the darkness of this world, and against wicked spiritual armies that lurk about in heavenly places. 

And this is why you need to be head to-toe in the full armor of God: so you can resist during these evil days and be fully prepared to hold your ground. Yes, stand- truth, banded around your waist, righteousness as your chest plate, and feet protected in preparation to problaim the good news of peace. Don't forget to raise the sheild of faith above all else, so you will be able to extinguish flaming spears hurled at you from the wicked one. Take also the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, which is the word of God. 

Pray always. Pray in the Spirit. Pray about everything in every way you know how! And keeping all this in mind, pray on behalf of God's people. Keep on praying feverishly, and be on the lookout until evil has been stayed. And please pray for me. Pray that truth will be with me before I even open my mouth. Ask the Spirit to guide me while I boldly defend the mystery that is the good news- for which I am an ambassador in chains- so pray that I can bravely pronounce the truth, as I should do.

Blessing:

May peace and love with faith be yours from God the Father and our Liberating King, Jesus. May his grace surround all who love our Lord Jesus, the Liberator, with a never-ending love.

Psalms 59:17

O my Strength, I sing praise to you;
       you, O God, are my fortress, my loving God.

Fellow travelers on this journey with me, please pray. Mahalo. 

You are what you eat.

I have grown up in an age where modern day dinner tables come equipped with airbags, seatbelts and horse power that launches you down the highway at 70 mph headed to the next event, scheduled appointment or distraction.  This may not be case for all, but even for the few that sit down at home the meal usually consists of pre-made this or chemically enhanced that. For the majority of my life I have seen grocery stores as magical places where food instantly appears, rarely if ever, giving nod to the whole agricultural processes and the economics behind it. I am now looking at food differently. I first began looking at food differently because I enjoy cooking. Picking fresh herbs, organic vegetables and delicious cheeses over pounds of salt and names I can’t pronounce but end with things such as ides, oxy's and dye # such and such make dishes come to life. In the last few years I have also been more exposed to the tragic realities of hunger and poverty. With my interests in cooking and passions for social justice, my ears have recently been perked towards food sustainability.

Before moving here many people told me that I would be feasting on fresh fruit and fish every day, because that is what they had experienced at the many resorts of Hawaii. We have had wonderful fish and some fruit, but the main cuisine here consists of rice and spam. Since being on island we have noticed that many of the keiki are hungry. There is a lack of fresh foods that are affordable. For example a single apple is over $1.00 and milk is about $8-9.00 a gallon. While that is expensive, I guess you could argue at least they have an option. That is unless it is a week like this one. The barge was unable to dock due to rough water so there has not been any fresh food in the two grocery stores on the island in over a week. Milk is no longer an option and the shelves are bare of any fresh produce.

With that being said…

We started a community garden this week at LBC! The keiki gathered around the table as Papa G told them the details of gardening. With extreme restraint they patiently listened to the kapuna share his wisdom and experience until one kid burst out with “So, what are we going to plant?” With wisdom in his eyes like an old sage, Papa G took the keiki outside and they got dirty. We started small with the kids on this day in order to expose them to the whole growing processes. Each keiki got to fertilize the soil, plant seeds and water. A plot in the back of the church is being tilled this week with hopes of being a common spot in the community that will bear quality food for the local community and food pantry. The greater hope is that it will not simply bear fruit but also be a place where God, people, creation and community can all meet as one.

All the believers were one in heart and mind. No one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they shared everything they had. – Acts 4:32

Ke’aloha–Love is all around.

God never ceases to amaze me. There are times when I foolishly fail to recognize His ever presence, but the truth is He is always moving, always knowing, always loving and always present. Sitting cross-legged, talking story with a group of teens about Psalm 139, God revealed a little more of himself to me. God reminded me how valuable the youth around me are and even gently tugged on my own heart to realize the value He sees in me.

"The hunger for love is much more difficult to remove than the hunger for bread."- Mother Teresa

Together we searched the scriptures picking out verses that displayed God’s aloha for us. We discussed things of this world that make us feel less than worthy but never left it there. We always returned to what God had to say about our value and how that made us feel. Dr. Ellor would have been proud; I made sure to reach for the feeling line. During our time together, as if it was a new revelation, I was struck by the importance of children knowing how loved and valued they are. I was struck by the power of God’s words speaking into their lives through sharing of scripture, life experiences and feelings. I was struck by the common need for all of us in this diverse group to hear how God values us.

This leads me to why God never ceases to amaze me. Through this experience God is completely changing me. Don’t get me wrong I have always liked kids. I just have never been one of those girls that loose their minds around babies.  In fact during my early 20’s I got this notion in my head that I would be okay not having kids being satisfied to be a fun Aunt to my nephew Bryce. Since being on Lanai my feelings towards kids both professionally and personally have been changing. These kids are amazing and so important. My heart is being stirred to the point of considering adoption, but that is a whole different blog.

My passion for social work has been an ever-growing journey and through each learning experience I find out more about myself and my professional desires. A beauty of social work is that as a field it encompasses so much. Therefore my passions aren’t flaky, just diversified. I began with a heart for oncology/hospice care then slowly moved into this idea of community practice. Scholars of social work would call these two areas micro and macro practice. In school there has always been this forced labeling of yourself as a micro/clinical or macro/community social worker. In our own arrogance we forget that there is a middle ground of mezzo, but that doesn’t get as much hype. The reality is that its all social work and no matter what job we are doing we will do it all in some shape or form. The important part is that we are harnessing our own gifts and talents to serve in the best way possible. It is my belief that when we box ourselves in by such rigid labels that we limit our potential to be real world changers. I am seeing this more and more each day that I am on island.

The island is so small that you can’t be a lone wolf or hero of the day. Everyone needs each other, needs to share resources and wears several hats in the community. I have been pleasantly encouraged by the joy I am getting from working with the youth at both the school and church. The behavioral health team at the school is fantastic and my eyes have been opened to the powerful impact social workers can have on a school campus. It is inevitable that the work being done there generates change in the community. My community practice interests/efforts are being spurred by the interactions with the youth during the day. It is from them that I am learning so much and my passions are being fueled because they deserve the best. They deserve to have full bellies, quality education, safe homes, freedom to dream and to know they are worthy and loved.

 Through these kids, God has done a number on me and I am overjoyed.  

“To me, a faith in Jesus Christ that is not aligned with the poor…it’s nothing.”- Bono, lead singer of U2

Home.

As I have mentioned before, we look forward to going to the mailbox each day here on Lana'i. Great excitement builds within me as I hope to find a little pink slip lying in our box. This little pink slip symbolizes that something special, something greater than the size of an envelope awaits us inside. I have been anxiously waiting for a specific box that was sent with such care a while ago. I have had visions of it sailing in the pacific, landing in India or being used as a door stop in some dark postal office on the mainland. The reality is that mail can be slow here. Some mail can take 4-6 weeks, so I have not lost hope! I know my box is on the way. 

Today there was no new mail on the island. The airplane could not land due to poor weather. When you don’t have a radar system, even a bit of a rainstorm could be dangerous. Despite the motto, "Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds" some things are just out of our control on Lana’i. While there was no new delivery, there was one piece of mail that didn’t make it to the box yesterday and awaited me today. The handwriting on the envelope was familiar and I felt like a young girl at camp who just recieved mail call.

The card I received said this…

Front: HOME (pictured with a great Texas flag, weathered fence and completed with bluebonnets)

Inside: Just thought I’d remind you- In case you got lost in the beauty of the island.

I don’t think it was a mistake that I received this card today, because it was perfect timing. For today marks one month of me being on Lana’i. Can you believe it? I can’t! Kels informed me today that we only have 69 more days left on island. How can something seem so long and short at the same time?

The message of HOME warmed my heart on this one month anniversary. I love my time here, but I also miss home. I am taking this experience in for all that it is…life changing moments, rich experiences and a blessing.

Don’t worry my friend, Michelle, I could never forget where HOME is.

Peace. Love. Hippiness.

Imagine a place where people are friendly, creative, and socially/environmentally conscious, the ocean stretches for miles and where shoes are optional. Sounds like a fabulous way of life if you ask me, and this is exactly how they do it Pa’ia. 

Pa'ia is a small town that greets you on the Hana highway. The streets are lined with fantastic boutiques that are filled with trinkets and treasures that I imagined taking home with me. The shop attendants were proud and willing to share about their products, company history or why they do things the way they do. The café’s were hard to choose from, but we settled on a recommendation from a dear friend. The Flatbread Co. was not only delicious, but also inspiring. The décor was welcoming with motifs that represented their values such as organic, local, healing, love, peace, community, fresh etc… The food is prepped daily with the freshest products provided by 10 local farms in the area. We sat at the hand carved wooden tables surrounded by natural light, bright colors and breathed in the peace of this small quaint town.

Deep down inside, if I were to remove cultural norms, social expectations, and ideas of worldly success and such left inside would be a little hippie.  I have always been drawn to hippie/artistic/poetic type souls. Friends who can hear music differently, maybe still see good in the world, are creative and willing to just be who they are “as is”. In fact, as I strolled the streets of Pa’ia, I imagined that several of my friends like Kim, Chelle, MK and Sarah would absolutely love this place. I have always admired these friends of mine who inhabit qualities such as these and have hoped that they would rub off on me.

I think this little town and the Beatles have it right, “All we need is love”.