Hawaii Again

So I guess it's settled.

Yep, we're going back to Hawaii - not as students this time but as staff.

But let's backtrack, and talk about where we were last week:

Last week was spent in my grandmother's house. She lent her home to us while she recovers from a knee operation. (So far the doctors say it's going well.) Her home is nice, but crowded with nine people in it.

Most of my time is spent in homeschooling... but let's not talk about that.

It's absolutely awesome (besides the homeschooling) because after about three o'clock, I can walk over to my cousin's house and shoot hoops with him. Why, it makes me feel normal for once! (Just kidding.) The other day I went with my cousin and uncle to a college basketball game at Madison Square Garden.

It was fabulous.

We got back at midnight, and woke up before school the next morning.

The other day I had a sleep-over at his house. We went to bed about nine PM and slept in 'til 10 AM - and missed the pancake breakfast. Oh well.

My dad is generally at his store during the day and my mom at home helping with the schooling.

But that will all change in a few weeks as we go back to Hawaii. Last time we went as students, this time we're staff.

We're going with an organization called YWAM (Youth With A Mission). It's a missions organization, and Hawaii is the base. Students come from all over the world to enroll in a three month training school called a DTS (Discipleship Training School). Then they go on Outreach to another country on a missions trip for about two months.

Like I said, we have already enrolled there as students and done a DTS. We're going back, this time in charge of a DTS called Crossroads. My parents will have a quick crash course in how to run a DTS, and then actually do it.

They don't mess around in YWAM.

And for the kids? We'll be homeschooling.

So that's the plan. (I know, it surprised me too.)

Grandmother's Knee Operation

My thanks to Brianna for posting those pictures. They sure add colour to the blog, don't they?

At this moment we are staying at my grandmother's house in New Jersey. Today she is going in for a surgery on her knee. From what I heard, it is a gruesome operation, and she has already had both hips replaced. Please pray for both the operation and the recovery.

A normal meal at a restaurant... this one made my nose run it was so hot. I think it's called nan.

Sorry, one photo at a time is the limit... FaceBook isn't downloading my pictures either... I'll keep trying though.

Wednesday, March 2, 2011

After a successful trip across America, we stopped a few days in Michigan, where we spent a great time with our family there. Our time there ended at 1:30 AM, on Sunday, February 27, when my dad woke us up to travel to Canada. He wanted to attend the morning service in his old church, and had asked the pastor if we could speak there.

At about 2 AM we were on the road, and everyone but my father (who was driving) was asleep.

At 4:30 AM, we woke to my dad saying, "Whoa whoa whoa!" and the movement of the car sliding all over the road. Black ice!

We survived though.

At 9:30 AM we were in Blyth Christian Reformed Church, and after the sermon we went up and talked of our travels. We had about 15 slides with pictures, and each one of us had to say something.

Characteristically, I chose cows as my topic.

I had prepared it about about 11 PM the night before with my cousin Ben.

And so I walked up in front of church with a little white piece of paper with the bold headline:

Message to Church about Cows

No joke. My speech went something like this:

We've all been asked to share something, and I'm going to share about cows.

At first, I wanted beef so much, that whenever I walked past a cow in India, I would yell, “Cheeeeese buuurger.” All we ate was rice. We never had beef because cows are sacred to the Hindu religion and 80% of India’s population is Hindu.

“Holy cow” has a new meaning there.

Cows would just walk down the crowded streets and cars had to stop to let them cross. Even though there are no speed limits, cows (and speed bumps) did the trick instead.

India has some very big needs. Only 2% of India’s population is Christian, and some people are so poor that they live in the same building as the cows. There is a lot more to India, but that’s that about the cows.

And now I'm going to hand the mike over to my sisters, dressed in beautiful Indian dresses.

I believe the presentation went over well.

After church we went back to our good friends, the Sparlings (whose house we stayed at while in Canada), then had lunch at Jack and Heinka Cortells' house.

I watched all 444 minutes of the movie Ben-Hur, (I had been reading the book) but fast-forwarded the Intermissions.

On Monday, we were planning to visit the school, but it was a snow-day and instead we spent the day sledding at the Sparling's house and playing Mario Kart on their Wii.

Tuesday, we visited the school which was absolutely awesome. I saw all of my friends except for Rick Pot who was buying a tractor.

Wednesday (today) we spent getting some self-school stuff in order.

Thursday we leave Canada :( to New Jersey :)

While there, we plan to meet my mother who stayed behind in Hawaii mentoring with a woman there.

After that who knows? As my dad says we certainly "don't know what the future holds, but we know who holds the future."

-Josh