Week 3 and counting (the blessings)

It's been 2 weeks since my last blog post and so much has happened.

It's hard to believe I am going on 3.5 weeks of being here. The past few weeks have gone by fast, but have been extremely peaceful. My time here has been such a blessing and I have felt content since day 1.

After picking up about 50 students in the past few weeks, I've learned the HNL airport pretty well. I've also had plenty of experiences getting lost on those one-way roads in Waikiki :) It's all a part of the learning experience though. This morning was my last airport run. We picked up a sweet girl from Japan.

I absolutely loved picking up students at the airport and I can see how it is a crucial part of ministering to internationals. It is so important that their first experience in America is warm and friendly. Many of them are young, away from home for the first time, and are very nervous. I can almost always sense the relief when they sit in the back of our car, open their care bag and begin talking to us.

It is through picking people up at the airport that we have been able to establish some new friendships. We've been able to hang out with several of the students since then and it has been great to get to know them better.

Last week, Karlie and I met Nick and Shadow (both from China) for yogurt. We talked to them for a couple hours and had a great time. We were talking about our families and tv shows that we like, etc. and Nick suddenly said, "Can you maybe tell me some stories about Jesus?" The questions caught me off guard and suddenly my mind went blank and I was thinking, "Did he seriously just ask me this question? Where do I even begin??!" We asked him some questions and found out that he knew absolutely nothing about the Bible but was so eager to learn.

At a little table in Yogurtland, we were able to share the gospel with him. He has been to church twice since then and each time his smile just seems to get bigger. I'm praying for God to continue to work in his heart.

Another exciting story is about my sweet friend Sissy. Sissy is also from China and has been here for the past 3 weeks visiting her mom. Sissy and I got here at about the same time and I have gotten to know her through the guitar classes that our friend Danny teaches every Tuesday night. Sissy is 22 and is in medical school. For some reason I feel a special bond with her. She has a sweet spirit and is eager to learn more about God. We have been meeting on Wednesday afternoons to practice guitar and talk. It has been so great to sit around with her and her mom and drink tea, share pictures, and learn about their life.

Yesterday was her last Sunday at our church and she stood up in front of the congregation as Joy presented her with a gift. She said, "I want to thank everyone for the kindness you showed me while I was here. I think I am coming to know God."

That last statement warmed my heart so much. I have two more days with Sissy and then she will go home to China. The chances of me seeing her again are not very big, but I know I will keep in touch with her. Please pray that Sissy will accept Christ as her personal Savior and will be a light for Him in China.

This week is going to be very exciting for the ministry. On Wednesday, we are having The Big Giveaway, which is where we have a huge FREE yardsale for internationals. We'll have food and music, and set up our whole building with household items that people have donated. I can't wait to get in the full swing of things. My experience has been wonderful so far and the best thing is that it's just getting started!