Aloha!

It has been a very long and tiring past couple of days, but I am in Hawaii and loving it! I know that this is where I am supposed to be. Thank you to those who came to the airport to see us off and I am deeply apologetic if any of you came later and missed us, it was poor communication on our part!

My journey yesterday did start out quite humorously. While going through security at PDX I was pulled aside to have my purse examined. The TSA agent asked me "Is there anything to your knowledge in this bag that could harm me?". My initial response was "No" but it was quickly followed by an aha moment of "WAIT!". I remembered that I had a knife and pepper spray in my purse. If I didn't have my arms full of luggage at the time I'm sure I would have smacked my forehead with my palm. Thankfully the TSA agent was very kind and even went so far as to give the items to my family and friends who were (of course) watching from the security entrance. Besides that the airplane ride was pretty uneventful. I was and am very thankful that I had my friend and fellow DTSer Kimberly along with me for the journey. I truly believe that our being together wasn't just chance, but God's plan and provision. (another time I might post more on this)

The Kona base here is so very beautiful and it is truly awe inspiring being able to be at the very place where YWAM started. There are more than 1,000 locations in over 180 countries, and out of all of them Kona is the largest base! There are over 100 students and staff in my DTS alone and there are also 5 other DTS's going on at the same time as well as several other schools! So many people from so many different countries, and yet there is such a sense of Ohana (family). You can strike up conversations with anyone and it is totally normal.

This morning we had a welcome ceremony where each school presented gifts to the Native Hawaiian people and they welcomed us to Hawaii. I love the amount of culture and tradition involved. I do believe it is so important as missionaries/Christians and foreigners to honor and pay respect to those who are native to the land. And this ceremony was just that. The rest of the afternoon was mostly orientation, a lot of orientation!

After general orientation we (Compassion DTS) gathered in our classroom (a white tent with a view of the beautiful ocean!) to get to know each other better. Our school leaders Dawn and Pieter made it clear that this year, this class of DTS they feel is very different from any they've had before. That God wants and is going to do something radical in us. We ended up breaking from what the scheduled plan was because they felt that God wanted to do something in us right then! Powerful words were spoken and so many of us students were broken down, confessing weaknesses, struggles, hurts, etc. and giving them over to God. I'm pretty sure there wasn't a dry eye in the class (although it was hard to tell through my own tears).

God has confirmed to me that this is exactly where He wants me. It's going to be scary and hard, but I believe that God WILL radically change and transform my life. He has a PLAN and a PURPOSE for my life, what it is I don't know yet, but with God the possibilities are endless! There were several words the leaders and staff felt God gave for our group; 1. Restore 2. Rest in my love 3. Bring my River of life and hope to the hopeless. One of the staff said something that really stuck out to me; "When God speaks TRUTH, you receive it!". How often has God spoken truth to me and yet I have tossed it to the side and not taken it to heart? Instead I choose to listen to the words that the enemy whispers in my ear. Receive God's truth! Reject the enemies LIES!

I am so blessed and thankful for all of you who have been and are praying for me. Please do continue to pray, this is only the second day and I still have a long way to go in my journey here!

Tomorrow we will be going to the beach and on Monday we will be starting our regular schedule of lectures and work duty. The first week our speaker will be a man named Don Stephens and after that Loren Cunningham, the founder of YWAM! It is so inspiring meeting people here who have been so impacting and influential in what God is doing in nations all over the world. I look forward to meeting even more such people. It truly is an example of God's faithfulness and goodness.

The weather here is very warm, which wouldn't be as much of an issue if it wasn't for the humidity. I feel like I am in a perpetual state of sweaty-ness! I am rooming with 5 other girls my age and I love it! Right now our room has an army of itty-bitty ants that march from our windows (open slats) all across our walls! I'm just thankful they aren't BIG ants! :) We have several friendly cats roaming around that like to wander in our rooms and they even beg for food (who knew cats begged??). There are also little green geckos. Side note: don't grab a gecko by it's tail, it will come off! Poor gecko, but at least it will grow back! I also very briefly saw a mongoose, from what it looked like it reminded me of a squirrel only with a not-as-bushy tail.

There is so much more I could write but I think I've written plenty enough for now!

Me ke aloha (with love),

Bethany