This isn’t just a vacation or a chance for me to skip school; it’s me getting to return to a place that fills my heart with so much joy and happiness. As soon as I stepped off the plane it felt like I had never left. It seemed as if all those months of counting down had disappeared into thin air and it was as if a day hadn’t gone by since I was last on this island.
Being with people at church today and hearing them welcome me ‘home’ or ask when I was ever going to move to Hawaii left me with such a surreal feeling. I will always claim I’m from Hawaii and argue with anyone who chooses to believe otherwise. In my heart I know that Hawaii is home, and pretty soon it physically will be. So hearing everyone greet me made me realize that I am home, and even though it’s only for a month I am in a place that makes me feel whole.
Seeing all the kids come up and hug me during church then tell me how much they missed me was a reminder of why I skip school to come here. I want to serve God through serving the children. I want to bring them closer to a personal relationship with Christ whether that be through embarrassing myself and trying to sing worship songs or by just being someone who knows their name and says hello. People often underestimate the amount of work put into upholding a children’s ministry. There are difficult parts and difficult children, but for me I couldn’t imagine doing anything else with my life. God has never called me to do something that’s easy, but I’m lucky enough to say that He calls me to do something I love.
One of the many reasons I love Hawaii is because of how beautiful it is. In every corner I look there is something to be amazed by. If I look out my backyard it’s the Ko’olau Mountains, and if I drive 20 minutes away it’s my favorite white sand, clear blue water beach. In every piece of Hawaii I see God, and I see how intricately and amazingly He crafted this island. I’m constantly in awe of His creation. The breath-taking sights remind me daily that God is with me. He has taken me to an incredible place where He has opened the doors to some of the best experiences of my life.
For me Hawaii has always been a God thing. He knew long before I did that I would fall in love with this place and these people and their ministry, and He gives me the opportunity to come back time and time again. So I can trust that God has amazing things planned for me this month.