Day 3 of Challenge 2010

Day 3 of Challenge, and we've gotten over the jet lag, but all this walking is catching up with us!  Our hotel is about 6-8 blocks from the Convention Center depending on which way you go.  We've got the time to about 13 minutes with a quick walk/jog, but that means a full day (7:45am to 11:00pm) there for us.  Today, we walked to the park down the street on our break to enjoy the beautiful greenery and ducks.  In the midst of downtown, you can find quiet and quaint little shops.  We stopped at Jeni's again for a cup of ice cream.  She's one of the featured ice cream places around the nation that makes very unique flavors.  Keeping in mind that we are always ministering to those around us, God throws opportunities our way even as we take our break.  Just like in Downtown Honolulu, there are people who are hungry and poor asking for change to eat or catch the bus.  Ironically, as Ross has his hands in his pockets holding onto whatever money is in there, someone always approached him to ask for it.  Specifically, the amount in his hand...$5, $1, a few coins.  We joked that he better not stick a C note in there, because he'll have to give that out.  Seriously though, in an area where there are thousands of Christians walking around this week, God is sending us out a little further to minister to those that are not on the Challenge radar.  How awesome is that?

The conference again "challenges" us in practicing the Beatitudes found in Matthew 5.  This morning D.A. Horton focused on the Pure in Heart (Matt 5:8).  Purity does not come naturally, we must hate sin so much that purity invades every part of our life.  We need to put the lens of God on to see the scripture for life.  Nothing foreign to the recipe of God should blemish our hearts.  The girls opted for Emily Dunham's session, "Desirable Beauty" in the afternoon.  God tells us that we are beautiful, and He loves us.  It is us who degrades our beauty (Ezekial 16:25), not God.  Closing out the night was Pastor Geoff Safford focusing on the Meek (Matt 5:5).  Unforgetable impression:  An army of men approach Jesus with weapons.  Jesus has an army of angels that could take them down at any time, but instead, He is led like a lamb to be slaughtered.  That is meek.  Wow!  When put like that, His obedience to the Father is awesome!  What if we were more like that?  Are we?

We're calling it an early night.  Tiredness is setting in, and we're fighting to keep sickness at bay.  Continue to pray for our health as we go out into the community tomorrow to minister to those in Columbus.  Pray for open hearts in the areas that the EFCA will be church planting.  The goal is THREE this year.

Video from Challenge Day 2

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMfWk_0UlPA

Facebook page

http://www.facebook.com/Challengeconference?ref=ts

GlobalFingerprints Sponsorship Program: Nadonye Moke

Our team was blessed by a donation from a fundraiser that we did in March.  It was a totally unexpected gift that God provided on the day that we were going to participate with making red backpacks.  We decided that we wanted to use that money to sponsor a child with the EFCA's program for orphans and poverty stricken children in Conga.  The girls were asked to look through the profiles of the children and choose the one that they wanted to sponsor for at least a year. 

Meet our child in Conga, Nadonye Moke.  We are so excited to see what God will do in his life.  He is only 3 years old, so we have many years ahead that we can impact.

Day 2 of Challenge 2010

The morning starts off with a breakfast of eggs, sausage, and...potatoes!  Then it's off to Youth Worker meeting and time for the first morning gathering.  This morning, Nick Hall starts Day 2 of Challenge with Matthew 5:7...Merciful. 

Mercy must be experienced before it can be given.  Mercy is radical.  It is at the heart of God.  He gives us 5 components of mercy and challenges us to pray for 5 people.

We then go to eat, again, and it's off to our afternoon options.  Kayla, Alexia, and Taylor decide to spend a shift sewing backpacks with the GlobalFingerprints programs.  Shirlene takes them, and they spend some time helping to assemble the red backpacks that will be sent oversees to Congo, India, and Haiti.  These signature red backpacks will contain the basic school supplies to help an orphan or child in poverty to succeed in school.  Along with the backpacks, we also took the opportunity to sponsor one of the orphans in Congo.  More on that in another entry.

David, Ross, and Lisa went to the Youth Workers' Lounge, where Starfield took some time to meet with youth workers for a Q & A time and share their ministry of worship.  Interesting enough, one youth worker asked how we could pray for them, and these were some of their prayer requests:  both brothers are new fathers and are attempting to juggle families and work time, for discernment in worship gigs, for strong relationships, and to continue to serve God and be servers of all.

Starfield closed the day tonight with a special concert.  Kayla stood in line for an autographed poster, CD, and shirt.

Video from Day 1
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ljjyQxE4GTU

Day 1 of Challenge 2010

We finally made it!  After many hours of sitting, flying, and running to gates, we are in Columbus, Ohio with teens and youth leaders from around the country. 

Challenge opened tonight with worship lead by Kristian Stanfill.  What an awesome feeling to be standing in the midst of hands raised high and voices lifted in song.  And by the way, we feel very short amidst the people here!  God spoke through  Pastor Geoff Safford on the Poor in Spirit (Matt 5:3). 

Tomorrow, we have our first full day and looking forward to hearing God's word and doing ministry.

Departing for Ohio

Today's the day.  We are excited to be on our way to Ohio and Challenge.  It is exciting to see what God will be doing in us and with us.  This morning, our FCF church family sent us off with prayer, leis, water bottles (thanks Jen!), and the continuing support that we've experienced throughout our preparation.  Our first group is en route to Columbus on American Airlines.  Kayla and I will be on the 10pm Delta flight tonight.  Please continue to pray for our safe travel.  We arrive in Columbus tomorrow and will hit the ground running with the start of Challenge.  As our shirts say, "To know God and Make HIM known".

Challenge Challenges

You know that you are doing a good thing when obstacles keep popping up.  We leave in two days, and as most of my major projects go, it comes down to the wire with making sure that every little detail is thought of and taken cared of.  This one is no exception. 

Our team met last for a final preparation meeting, but after I found out that the shuttle that the conference provides from the airport would drop us off at the Convention Center.  Now, for those of you not familiar with our planning quirks, our group ended up booking rooms at one of the three farthest hotels from the Convention Center.  Translation, we would be hauling our luggage for 5-7 blocks to get to our hotel.  We all agreed that we needed to go with Plan B...Super Shuttle.  But as God would have it, He intercedes again to take care of that.  I emailed the transportation person, Jon Rees, this morning to let him know that we would make alternate arrangements from the airport to hotel.  Immediately, I get a response that they will drop our groups off directly at the hotel.  He's making an exception, since he can't see us spending any more money.  Praise God for our brothers at Challenge!

As I'm reading through the Challenge facebook page, I realize that the many difficulties we encounter are so small compared to what others are going through to get there.  Here's what one teen is facing:

Wednesday...Special Urgent Request - A Teen from India is planning to join us for Challenge as part of our GlobalFingerprints Initiative and other things. He has his visa interview tonight. Please pray that his visa is approved and he can join us on Monday.

Thursday...Just got word...Ravi was denied His visa. We'll trust God has His best in mind for Challenge and Ravi. Thanks for praying!!

Just a reminder to us that God challenges each of us in different ways, but no matter what, there's always someone, somewhere, that may be facing more difficulties than we are.  Our transportation problem was so small compared to what Ravi is facing.

 

Challenge Bio: Pastor David Tamaoka

Pastor David Tamaoka, aka Canefield Hero, is a talented musician and proud dad of two.  David graduated from Moanalua High School and Kauai Community College.  He will be returning to school this fall at Pac Rim Bible College.

David is a veteran of missionary work.  As he shared at our final preparation meeting, he started off with YWAM's Discipleship Training School and served on various mission teams throughout the years.  In 1995, he was on his first mission trip, which ironically enough, it was in Ohio (Cincinnati).   Fifteen years later, he will be returning to Ohio with some of his youth group from Faith Christian Fellowship!

David released his album last year, Canefield Hero, and was nominated for a Na Hoku Hanohano award this year.  He's played for the HIM Conference at the Convention Center in the youth track, Don Ho's open mic nights, various church worship sets, and Starbuck's Aiea.  His album can be found in Walmart, Amazon, and several other stores, but you can also ask him to buy one too.

David's often found with Steph and their two children, Pennylane and Paxton.