Day Eight: None of us wanted to leave Oahu. The day was exciting though, Jude's birthday! He turned the ripe old age of 15 today, and he couldn't have been more excited when the flight attendant announced that it was his birthday to an entire plane of about 500 people.
The day started off later than when we usually woke up, about 7:30. I didn't wake up until 8:30 though, when I reached phase three: Mike singing to me while hitting me with a pillow.
The morning was boring. Packing and such. We ate eggs and bacon for breakfast, and everyone was packed by the time I got up. We were all packed and ready to go by 10, playing Tetris in the back of the van until all of our suitcases fit just right.
At the airport, we went through agricultural customs and security, and rushed to gate G6. We made it in time to purchase some good eats before boarding our flight.
We have taken off the tarmac and are now flying above the islands of Hawaii.
Looking out of the window, I'm realizing how much our mission trip to Oahu meant to us, but also to the people we served. Some of the people we met were quite incredible. Asking your kids about their experiences and some of the people we met is a great idea, and especially ask them what they thought about meeting God at the taro patch. That trip to the taro patch summed up our trip quite well. We met a woman who truly cared about the environment and the future of the world. She inspired us in so many ways, explaining how we had the power to preserve culture and nature. Before we went into our farming, she sang a prayer in Hawaiian. She fed us taro before we left, and I could see how it was different but also appealing. We were all blown away by our experience at the taro patch, and I think everyone would agree that our trip there had the right balance of faith and service. Even though we wanted to give back, God gave us the gift of hope. She gave us something to pursue.
Signing off for the trip,
Thorne
No comments:
Post a Comment