Aloha from the Wards....Updates from Kona

Its been 3 months since we have been living in Kona and I am finally getting a chance to send out a update letter. There is so much that has already happened.
Can I say, I really don’t like moving. I love being planted. When I look throughout my life I feel like every time the Lord spoke to move it was pretty dramatic. It has always been for strategic, fruit bearing and life changing reasons and my life was forever changed. But this time was different in many ways but so clear, and there was a sweetness to it even though I had no desire to live in Hawaii again. When Loren and Darlene Cunningham asked us to pray about moving their, we took it to a couple people and to the Lord and He simply said “yes”. Then we said “yes” but from that very first “yes” we know had a knowing that we where both as individuals and as a couple about to step into the greatest season in our lives thus far. That has already proven to be so true! 
Within a couple of weeks of being there, Loren asked Phillip to step into leading Base Development as well as starting and developing a Trade School, that he came to Kona to do. Our Campus is 40 developed aches with 62 more that is not yet developed. We believe this is aa long term call and assignment to Kona. The last few months the priority for Phillip been getting a new dormitory building ready for the largest quarter that YWAM has have ever had with over 900 students that have just arrived. Phillip has stepped into such favor, leadership and he is in his element even under the pressure and magnitude of it all. It’s amazing seeing him come alive in every way and leading on the level that he is. On arrive I was also asked to come on the campus leadership team. Phillip and I have been living in such a Fear of the Lord as we have come to realize the magnitude of what God is doing right now and the urgency of the hour. Daily we stand in the awe of what God and are amazed by what He is doing and continually humbled that we get to be apart of serving and leading what we are. It has been such an honor to work along side Loren and Darlene Cunningham. We have been such students, soaking up all the wisdom both caught and taught be these hero’s and Friends of God.

Prior to the move Phillip and I traveled doing some fund raising events to raise committed monthly financial support . Knowing the Lord was calling both Phillip and I to be in full time missions and we had so much faith for a financial breakthrough, so much so that we where dumb founded when that did not happen. When things first started “not happening” I was freaking out, but then it got to the point that it was to obvious this was the opposition of the enemy that I went from crying to looking and Phillip and laughing as you just can’t make this stuff up. We were so undone by our friends and family’s love and willingness to host the events and throw down for us even when things did not turn out as expected. God in His wild ways of faithfulness provided the finances we needed for our shipping container and vehicles to Kona and enough to make it for the next season. He is always faithful. We are trusting that we will see the breakthrough in the coming months. 
While Phillip and the boys packed up the rest of house in California, I went to Brazil to partner with Dunamis Movement to launch our Circuit Rider 21 Project school there. I was so undone by the hunger of the young people and my heart was gripped. Over 1200 students applied to come but there was only room for 300 in this first school. Because of our relationship and partnership with Dunamis and all God did during that time we are now launching a Fire & Fragrance DTS in February there. The night I said goodbye to the school they all prayed for me calling me “mamma”, and to me that is on of the greatest thing I could be called. Phillip and I will be going to spend a couple weeks there launching the DTS in February. 
We landed in Kona July 11th and the following day we started the largest 21 project we have run yet here in Kona. Needless to say we hit the ground running! 
I think everyone who knows me, knows that living in a hot climate is the last thing I would want to do. Landing in Kona in July without AC was not a great way for me to start out. Being vulnerable here, but that first week I had a few tearful breakdowns. Phillip loves living in Hawaiibut he was patient and encouraging with me. 
The 21 Project was the most incredible one we have done yet. University students from all over the nations coming and being trained and equipped, collaborating on media and music projects as well as other things. We where once again stunned by all the Lord was doing. 

We rented a house sight unseen as housing can be very challenging to find especially when you don’t have a normal proof of income, so we took the first house that would rent to us. It became available the end of July and we got a crew to come help us unload the container and move in. With so much going on we did not get to move in as quickly as I would have wanted but over time we got settled. The house is further from campus then we want to be, but it meets our needs for now and I am so thankful. At night if you keep the doors open and the fans blowing the heat is not to bad as we are a big higher in elevation then the campus…. from 11 in the morning to dusk you sweat or sit in front of fan. Praying one day to live in a place with high elevation or AC…..yes Lord! I am very thankful to have a home!

Phillip finally got to join me in one of my, and now his favorite places on the earth, New Zealand! We spent two weeks there teaching both on the North and South Islands. Being from Alaska it really means something when you say this is one the most beautiful places on earth. Not only does God show off with the beauty of the land but He does as well in the people. It was fun getting to have Phillip and I do some co-teaching. We are growing as a team more and more as we finally get to run together in ministry.

When we made the move to Kona both boys decided to move back to Alaska to live with their mom. Elijah is working for his uncle and we got Bob graduated from high school and he is turning 18 this month. So this has been the first time in our marriage that Phillip and I have lived alone. Life has been full on and we have been so busy with our different roles on base, but we have been able to find time together and work though the more challenging things of the past season and work on things for heading into the new while enjoying just being together. 
To top off all the wildness, we got audited by the IRS. This is like one of my nightmares, and it happened. I got the notice a few weeks before we moved to Kona. I probably spent 80+ hours getting prepared for that. It was from 2015, our first year of marriage when Phillip had two business that year one he closed out in AK and one he started in CA and then I am a self employed missionary so there was a lot to it all. I had the audit a week and a half ago and it went pretty well not having to owe to much money, but we now have to be audited again for the following year. Not because I did something really wrong but more because of how crazy life looked on paper, but when they find little mistakes they make you show the following year to. Ugh! There was some tears but overcoming is always the story. Thankful it went as well as it did, sure will be relieved to get it all behind me. 
The end of September I took off for Norway and Germany and Phillip started his DTS… yes, his DTS. No matter what role you have or background, everyone comes through the same gate in YWAM and that is a Discipleship Training School and he had not done one yet. He will be both a student and staff, in that he will be running a trade track within our largest Fire & Fragrance DTS ever with 300 students (I think the biggest DTS in YWAM’s history). We need about $3200 to cover the cost of this. Another fun thing is my mom is in Kona this fall doing a DTS as well. 

The rest of this year is going to be pretty crazy with my travel schedule. Every place I am going is strategic and important and what we feel God is saying for me to do, but its sure not easy being away from each other so much, and its pretty exhausting for me. The Lord gives us grace.
I just got back to Kona and will turn around on Friday to fly to Washington DC for “Rise UP” a massive gathering of woman on the National Mall Oct 9th with Lou Engle and “Awaken the Dawn” the 3 days leading up to it. From there I go to LA to teach in our Circuit Rider DTS, and then to Wasilla, AK to do a Women’s gathering and speak at Northgate Church. In Oct and Nov I will also be in Albany Oregon with Jesus Pursuit Church, YWAM Orlando, and LA again. Then in Dec I will be away for over two weeks going overseas to teach in a Himalayan and a Middle Eastern DTS. Back just in time to grab Phillip and head to Wasilla, AK to have Christmas with the kids and Ward side of the family. 
With the amount of “busy” I have had I have not gotten an update out in awhile, there is so much in my heart I want to tell you all. We are so filled with faith and are on the edge of our seat in joyful expectation every day and undone by how much simple obedience truly does change history. 
Thank you all so much for your love and support we really feel it! 

We have a few bigger and more urgent needs right now, and that is to raise our committed monthly support, finances for Phillips DTS, and to the cost of plane tickets for the trip I am going in December to the Himalayas and Middle East as well astickets for Phillip's outreach beginning of this next year to a number of international locations.

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