“If we could figure out a way to get you here to Hawaii, could you come for a week?”

This text came to Chris and I in early January. It was our lifelong friend Jesse. He and his family are missionaries with YWAM in Kona, Hawaii.

We didn’t know what to say to such a generous and preposterous offer! Chris and I, parents to 6 children still at home, couldn’t go to Hawaii! Chris had been out of work for months and was searching for a new job every day. I oversaw homeschooling 5 children and provided care for my toddler and special needs adult.

A few days passed and I felt faith rising.

My God is God of the impossible!

I didn’t want to close the door on a miracle. I asked our 23-year-old son, Cadin, if he had a spring break from college coming up. He did! In less than two months! He said he would sleep at our house and watch over the children. He still had to work his job in the evenings, but our oldest daughter, Areli, said she would cover those hours. Even Ashlyn’s occasional caregiver was willing to work more.

We began planning! If God was going to give us a trip to Hawaii, He must have provision for our daily needs. He must have a new job for Chris that would approve a week of vacation right off the bat! God did! God did!

I was expecting this trip to be full of fun, rest, and restoration after our difficult season. My mom passed away on Christmas day after 4 excruciating months of decline and difficulties. Chris’ younger brother passed away unexpectedly just 10 days later. Our bank accounts got hacked and caused us all sorts of problems. I had the duties of the executor of my mom’s estate to perform while every person, organization, and government agency seemed determined to resist me. Our upcoming trip to Hawaii was a beacon of Hope!

God got us there! While picking up our luggage at the open-air baggage claim, Kay welcomed us with leis and ushered us to their vehicle. It was dark, but the air was warm and humid. Jesse drove us to their home (Pineapple Place) and we saw a large, beautiful home in a gated mountain community. We were shown to the ohana, or guest apartment.

I was amazed by how big and lovely it was. I was expecting a bedroom in their house, not a private apartment! They left us with food to eat and a gift basket. We unpacked and got ready for bed with a feeling of family, friendship, and space to rest.

Six days of Adventure, Rest, and God Encounters!

Day 1: YWAM Kona and Tourist attractions

We woke up with the sunrise to revel in our new tropical paradise.

Jesse gave us a tour of the YWAM base. I had been a YWAMer myself and had heard the miracle stories. It was a privilege to see it in person.

Then we all drove down to historic Kona to see the sights the tourists would see.

Jesse and Kay told us about Hulihe’e Palace which was a summer palace for Hawaiian royalty and Mokuaikaua Church which was the first church on the island. It was built by the first missionaries with the king’s blessing since he had embraced Christianity. We walked through the King Kamehameha Kona Beach Hotel which contained the amazing art of Herb Kane, a painter of Hawaiian history. Jesse pointed out one painting that depicted the queen standing at the active volcano and rebuking the goddess Pele in the name of Jesus. As the queen read the Bible and nothing bad happened to her, a generation was delivered from fear of the angry “goddess” who would destroy with lava.

The hotel contained their favorite place to get shave ice and we tried something new! We walked out the back of the hotel to see the beach at Kailua Bay and the Historic Kailua Village across from it.

Their youngest daughter, Evie, had hula practice, and then we ate lasagna out on the lanai with a spectacular view of the jungle and the ocean beyond, which seemed to dissolve into the sky.

Day 2: YWAM, a Resort Beach, and a Double Date

We went to the Kona base again and Evie took us on a tour of the YWAM Sustainable Technology Research farm. It was amazing, full of new and old farming methods. They has so many plants and animals, hydroponics growing enough lettuce to supply the base salad bar, and a herd of sheep that roamed the sixty acres of undeveloped land. The sheep are also an excellent food source in a crisis; expert Evie informed us.

We ate lunch on base and then visited The Banyan Tree Cafe. Then we drove 45 minutes to a resort beach. It was so amazing and the weather was perfect. We sat in the shade and tried spam musubi for the first time.

In the evening we went on a double date to Kai restaurant which was situated right on the ocean.

Jesse insisted that we go to the historic Kona Inn for a spectacular mud pie.

Such a blessing to talk with good friends! Jesse and Kay had enjoyed their time in Hawaii and reflected that it had been so beneficial for their girls. They lived in tiny dorm rooms on base for 3 years and were constantly reminded that they had to find a home off base. The real estate is crazy expensive in Hawaii, and they couldn’t find anything that they could afford. A normal house and yard for a family of four cost millions! They kept praying and believing that God had a plan. We had been joining them in prayer for years for the perfect house because…

Our God is the God of the impossible!

Finally, over a year ago, someone contacted Jesse and Kay about a rental house that had been managed by a YWAM couple. The couple would rent out the extra rooms and apartment to other YWAMers. This couple was moving and wondered if Jesse and Kay would like to take over their rental home. The miracle of Pineapple Place began! Jesse and Kay had been in the beautiful home for a year and loved that they finally had space of their own, a yard with a pool, and an attached apartment. They could charge a lot of rent for the apartment, but they wanted to keep it available for visitors like us and missionaries suffering from burn-out or trauma. Jesse and Kay had both been trained in the Le Rucher style of personal debrief. They themselves went through a debrief in Cyprus some years back after 20 years on the mission field. It helped them heal and led them to take a 1 year sabbatical which led them to YWAM Kona. During our visit, we witnessed how Jesse and Kay are parents grounded in wisdom, shepherding the youthful missionaries all around them.

Day 3: Lazy day and a Movie

Chris and I had gotten in the habit of standing in the yard in our bare feet at sunrise. Then we would put on our sneakers a take a walk down the neighborhood lane which we called “the jungle walk”.

We took the day slowly, reading books and talking. We got to talk with our friends about hardships, prayers and miracle answers. Jesse talked more about their difficult time in the Middle East which led to their need to debrief. Later he sent Chris and I a text with a scripture.

“The foundations of the city walls were decorated with every kind of precious stone. The first foundation was jasper, the second sapphire, the third agate, the fourth emerald, the fifth onyx, the sixth ruby, the seventh chrysolite, the eighth beryl, the ninth topaz, the tenth turquoise, the eleventh jacinth, and the twelfth amethyst.” Rev 21:19-20

We forgot to ask what that was about.

Kay made us a lovely meal of grilled chicken and roasted veggies and we ate on the lanai. Jesse, who adores movies in the theater, insisted that we go. GOAT was recommended by their daughter, Jaydn, who is very talented in all things media and movie related. I totally enjoyed it!

Day 4: Jesse’s Famous Five Star Island Tour

We started out early with a caravan of two vehicles since two of the renters at Pineapple Place wanted to go.

First stop: Kona Joe Coffee, a large plantation with a stunning view.

Second stop: Pleasant Meadow Farm, where they are famous for their specialty macadamia nuts, dehydrated 3 times. They give free samples, so we lined up to receive an explanation and a taste of 15 different flavors. Of course we had to bring some home to the children.

Third stop: a scenic overlook of the coast.

Fourth stop: Punalu’u Bake Shop, “The Southernmost bakery in the USA.” Their specialty is malasadas (Portuguese doughnuts) and little, cute souvenirs which may or may not have been made in Hawaii.

God Encounter #1

The time between stops allowed for some life-giving conversations. Jesse explained why he had sent the scripture about the jewels. He had been praying for us and asked God why we had to suffer so many hardships in our lives.

God told him, “Because I wanted to give them treasures. Every trial produced a jewel for them.”

Jesse was starting to tear up and explained, “I just felt so strongly that God has such a reward for you, that in heaven I will be jealous of all the jewels you will have to lay at the feet of Jesus.”

His words and emotions touched us deeply, and I marveled! How could a man who had given his life on the mission field think that our little, difficult lives could produce such glory? It must have been God! I felt like I had gotten a peak behind the veil of this life. The fact that we have a friend who would pray for us like that is a priceless gift!!

Fifth stop: Black Sand Beach complete with sea turtles. We enjoyed a lovely picnic!

Sixth stop: Hawaii Volcanoes National Park

My understanding is that the large volcano is called Kilauea but it has a crater that fountains lava every 15 days or so. It was supposed to erupt when we visited but waited until we were back home to put on a show.

We drove to the Volcano House where many famous people had stayed like Teddy Rossevelt and Robert Louis Stevenson. Such a lovely view of the volcano!

We drove to another location and walked a path to look down into a cold crater that was open for hiking. Then we hiked through a lava tube.

Seventh stop: Ken’s Pancake House, a local diner famous for Sumo meals. Each time one of the massive $30 meals came out of the kitchen, an employee would ring a bell 3 times and every server would yell, “Sumo!” followed by a gong. That sounded like fun so a few of us got Sumo meals and shared.

Day 5: Tide Pools and a City of Refuge

God Encounter #2

Chris had been reading scriptures and passages from his devotional to me almost every morning. I told him that I loved it!

This morning he read Prov 31 to me. It hit me in a new way, and I felt the Holy Spirit talking to me. I had disqualified myself from about half the chapter because I didn’t have maid servants to provide food for, or money of my own to consider a field and buy it, nor did I recognize any of my work as profitable.

“Let’s change that. Open your mind and believe,”

I heard the still small voice whisper. So I wrote each virtue of the noble woman in my journal but replaced “she” with “I”.

Kay packed us a lunch and we all took a picnic to a lava rock beach with tide pools. It was fascinating to discover all the creatures that lived there.

Then Kay drove us over to the Pu’uhonua o Honaunau National Historical Park to walk through an old Hawaiian village that had been a city of Refuge and a burial place. She shared her knowledge as we observed the Totems and Yellow Tangs swimming close to shore.

Chris and I had a date night of dinner on the water and souvenir shopping.

Day 6: The Gentle Beach and God’s voice in the waves

Jesse took us to his favorite beach, Kua Bay Beach. It was beyond gorgeous with gentle water and soft sand. The lava rocks you have to climb over to get to the gentle beach are NOT fun in bare feet, however. Chris and I explored the coast and saw a sea turtle riding inside of a wave, encapsulated in crystal aqua marine.

Jesse and Chris decided to go swimming, and I thought I would just take time to listen to God’s voice.

God Encounter #3

I was dipping my toes in the ocean and heard God’s voice in the waves. Refreshing, cleansing, and life changing words. But this is a story for another time.

After dinner that evening Jesse and Kay drove us to the airport, and I felt a bit heartbroken to say goodbye.

I had rested and had fun with best friends.

I had encountered God. I had seen behind the veil. I had a “deep calling to deep” conversation with Jesus.

I had renewed hope for the future and an assurance that…

Our God is the God of the Impossible.

Since we have been home, we have become aware that Jesse and Kay need to raise more support to keep their ohana open to minister to people in need. We had been blessed beyond words, and we didn’t even go through the 4-5 day Le Rucher style personal debrief. I believe this type of debrief allowed Jesse and Kay to heal. They now bring that healing to others. They have such a gift of family, hospitality, wisdom, and connection to the Holy Spirit. They recently hosted a missionary couple who were kicked out of their country after 18 years of service.

They host many people at Pineapple Place, and their guest book is full of gratitude and love. Here is a quote from this year,

“Mere words cannot express our deep, great gratitude for inviting us & investing in us & listening to us & and providing for us. Yet words, your words were used to start our healing. Showing us that the Lord Jesus can be trusted – that he loves us and loves justice. We are so grateful, hopeful, and beginning to believe we do have a hope and a future; that our losses -though significant- do not define us. Our identity is in Christ – He knows us and He heals us and He really loves us. Thanks for showing us the truth.”