A Whole Lot of New

So. Apparently I'm actually in Hawaii. Not sure how I could've prepared for this.

I'm still taking in a couple things. It's always warm/hot, the only "cool" is when it's raining, and that's still seventies. Mauna Loa is behind me. That's a volcano, people. The water is blue and clear and there are dolphins and turtles and colorful tropical fish and birds everywhere. A guy in my DTS went spearfishing this morning, just yards from our place. Hawai'i is the farthest island from any continental mainland on the planet. And I'm here.

I suppose I'll just start from the beginning of my trip, a whole three days ago. I left on a plane for Dallas at 8:50, (this is where the security guy said I look just like Scotty McCreery) then from there to L.A. While on the plane, I was seated next to this super cool couple, which was a refreshing change from the total neutrality and dead silence of the previous flight. But, what's most remarkable about them was their generosity. Within the four hours I knew them, they learned of my YWAM trip, and just decided to give me $100. Should they read this (I shared my blog address with them), I have to say again how ridiculously grateful I am, I can already see a need it will meet. I had only ever heard of that kind of air travel generosity happening once before, in a book, written by a REAL missionary with experience. Just another way God has said, "There's no difference between you and the heroes in your head if I tell you to be like them." Anywho, when I landed in L.A., I got to meet one of my very close friends and hang out for an hour and a half or so. Favorite part of the day, I had so been looking forward to it. And from there, I went straight to Kona, and got in around 9:30. That is to say, 2:30 at night back home.

And then I got sick. Just a head cold, luckily. Orientation day, on the third, was definitely cool. I woke up and actually met my DTS folks I missed the night before, and we ate breakfast on the patio right in front of the ocean, right above Alii Drive. After this, we headed over to the Plaza of Nations via bus (my DTS is not at the campus, but right next to the water, a sort of motel complex owned by YWAM) There we were directed to the Ohana Court, where we got to hear from all sorts of people (including Darlene Cunningham, the wife of Loren Cunningham, who is the founder of YWAM) all about the history of the base and what our time here will be like. Of course, since I decided to show up this year, it poured. I'm finally getting used to people saying, "Huh. That's never happened before," whenever I'm around. But, I digress.

The rest of the day seems to have been a blur, I think we just ate and talked. But in the end, we all wound up back at the Ohana Court, where we saw Loren Cunningham speak, a team of Hawaiian dancers perform (I'd always dismissed this sort of thing as something everyone but me thought was neat, but it was actually rather cool, so I was pleasantly surprised), and then had a time of worship. My DTS then returned to our place (hereafter referred to as "home"), and I walked from there to Walmart with a group to buy goggles. Overall, and in spite of being sick, a rather enjoyable day.

Today is much shorter to write about. I woke up, read my Bible for a bit, helped load a truck with stuff, then we headed off for a beach. The water was blue, the breeze was warm, and the waves were tall. I enjoyed it very much, and to be on beaches I've only read about, to see my feet standing on places that belong in pictures, is still amazing me. And, what joy, I didn't get roasted. Huzzah.

We had a barbecue, then took the hour bus ride home around 2:00. I took a shower (glorious) hung out with people, and I found myself roped into buying a sushi dinner. Turns out I like it, which is awesome. We ate next to the water, and for the last hurrah, we went to the B.I.G. Island Grill and ordered mud pies, basically huge chocolate oreo coffee ice cream cake slices. This concludes my egregious spending for a while, I would imagine.

And now, to bed. I'd offer some thoughts on things I've seen and wondered about, but being so foggy, I've not partaken in coherent thought very much. I'm sure that'll change in a couple days, of course. But for now, I'm gonna lie down in the two foot clearance I have between my top bunk and the ceiling. Being such a small guy, I figure it's only fair to pick that one. The guy below me is like, 7 feet tall, on a six foot long bed. I won't complain.


Onward, to Serendipity.