fish eyes & battle tactical

Derek and I are rapidly approaching two years of marriage and I'm pleased to announce that I like him more than ever before :)  Now, I know you want to argue that YOUR husband may be the best, but I have undeniable proof in favor of mine!  I sent him to the store to get all the ingredients for lasagna and he comes home with... lasagna, already made :)  Now, home made will always be number one in my heart, and he knows that.  BUT he took into account that I would have to do absolutely no prep and no dishes (other than plates and forks) and decided that was the better option for this particular evening!  What a man!!  

If that doesn't convince you, this will: I get to fly to California this coming week to be a part of my beautiful, cousins wedding and spend MUCH needed time with family!  There's still a slight chance that Derek will be able to come, but he let me go ahead with plans, knowing it might be a sentence to 13 days of solitary, green house life.  I thank God for such an amazing man and know that I am incredibly blessed to have him as my husband and best friend!  I will admit, I take him for granted at times.  I'm sure I'll feel like a fish out of water if we do end up being separated, but I'm still hopeful for a miraculous drop in ticket prices!  

[<3]

We are taking full advantage of our upcoming anniversary and every opportunity to celebrate!  For example, last night at dinner we tried fish eyes for the first time... labeling it 'an anniversary dare', could we get any more romantic!?  But seriously, on Saturday we discovered an amazing mexican restaurant and went to the movies!  And, fruitaholics that we are, indulged in two pounds of blueberries and a delicious white pineapple!  We're in denial about any adverse effects the consumption of such might have on our bodies.

On a less romantic note, we accomplished a lot in the fields this week!  For those of you thinking we've become complete beach bums, I must point out that we were only at the water twice this week, and that was over the weekend!  We're finishing up yet another round of weed wacking (and continually praying for a lawn mower!!)  And we're spraying as much fungus as we can afford (one gallon costs us $200!) in attempts to battle the Borer Beetle.  Even with a 30 gallon tank in the back of our truck and a 100ft hose, we're still limited in our spray radius.  So, this week we took to strapping on the 5gallon backpack and walking back and forth to the otherwise unreachable areas.  Let's just say 'massage night' became less of a luxury and more of a necessity!  

[the Lehua flower]

I spent a lot of time with C.S Lewis this week.  Or rather, with his voice, coming through loud and clear in my ear-buds!  I love being completely immersed in a book [or audio book, in this case.. since one, try as you might, simply can not turn pages and spray fungus at the same time!]  Mr. Lewis has quite the way with words and it does take a while for my brain to 'synch' with his impressive vocabulary and diction.  However, it's not long before I feel as though he and I are together in England, sipping tea and discussing life, faith and the human race.  One thing he said that really grabbed my attention was this::

'Enemy-occupied territory- that is what this world is.  Christianity is the story of how the rightful king has landed, you might say landed in disguise, and is calling us all to take part in a great campaign of sabotage.' -Mere Christianity 

This wakes me up to the fact that there is infinitely more going on around me than meets the eye.  Battles are being fought every day.  Opposing forces are fighting for the souls of each and every human being.  It's real and definitely not anything to be taken lightly!

So, I turn to the Word and try to figure out how to implement this into daily life.  I got caught up in Luke 11 where the disciples ask Jesus to teach them to pray and he introduces 'The Lord's Prayer'.  These words are very familiar and memorized by most people, whether they realize it or not.  Coming back to this chapter over and over throughout the week, however, transformed the words into a more intimate conversation for me.. 

Father,

 [because I'm talking to my Daddy!]
hallowed be your name,

[You are holy, magnificent & completely worthy of all my praise!]
Your Kingdom come, 

[I'm anxiously awaiting eternity with YOU, but also want to spread Your Kingdom now.. on Earth.  May I bring glory to You in all I do.]
Your will be done, 

[because, thankfully, YOU are God... not me!]
Give us each day our daily bread.

[You are my provider & sustainer.. I CAN'T do this on my own.]
Forgive us our sins,

[I continually 'fall short', but You made the ultimate sacrifice for ME & I can walk in grace and freedom every day! THANK YOU!]
as we forgive those who sin against us.

[Give me the strength & courage to extend grace and forgiveness like you have done for me!] 
Lead us not into temptation, 

[God, please keep my eyes focused on you..]
but deliver us from evil. 

[May I walk in the authority you've given me and have the strength to stand back up when I do fall.]
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours. 

[You are sovereign. You are GOD!]
Now and for ever.

[I LOVE YOU!]

Amen.

[the lovely, green sands beach]

I may be living in enemy-occupied territory, but I have a direct line to the King of Kings!  I will face evil, but I have been equipped to fight against it and (spoiler alert!!) I know who will have the ultimate victory!  Staying in constant communication with the rightful King is vital to my mission.  I must live my life to full potential, becoming a vessel for God's truth and light to flow through! 

Taking that knowledge with me, through each day, changes things!  I can be an ambassador at the beach, in WalMart or at the fish taco place!  I need to choose my words, actions and attitude carefully; my life reflects so much more than just ME.  I can do everything in my power to point the way to Jesus and fight against the schemes of the Enemy.  And THAT fills me with excitement for this brand new week!!

rain, spam & BIG prayers >>

It's 5:55am and we're waking up; birds are chirping and the sun attempts to burn through rain clouds.  When you live in the jungle you wake up with the sun; like it or not.  Slip on my flip flops, but I might as well be barefoot; the grass is heavy with dew and my toes are squeaky against the rubber as Kai and I return from the 'bathroom'.  Wipe the sleep out of my eyes and start the coffee.  Derek makes the better brew; it's an unsaid truth, but mine's not too bad and I'm usually the first one in the 'kitchen'.  We had Amish Oatmeal yesterday so breakfast is easy today, just pop the leftovers in the toaster oven to heat up.  Then I start on a sack lunch because Derek is working elsewhere today.  Two sandwiches- one ham and pepper-jack, one peanut butter and jelly (extra peanut butter!).  You're wondering where Derek is at this point?!  He's made his way down to the fields with Kai, they have some investigative work to do.  After finding evidence of pig activity the last few mornings, Derek has designed a new snare.  The commotion we heard last night is proof of success, and he's off to verify the results.  Unfortunately, it's not the hefty, momma boar Derek was hoping for; just a scrawny little thing.  Wrong place at the wrong time, I suppose.  Derek deemed the pig 'too much work for not enough meat' and is now attempting to free her.  Kai is curious but cautious.  The pig is growling, snorting and ready for a fight; making Derek's task anything but simple.  Needless to say, my coffee pouring has been interrupted and I'm taking in the scene, doing my best to muffle my laughter!  In the end, she wouldn't settle for anything but a fight and a bullet to the head puts her out of her misery, makes for one less baby making boar in the jungle AND allows us to get on with our day.  (Now we just have to figure out the disposal of said baby maker.) 

[our baby corn!!]

The men at church are coming to realize Derek's full potential and finding more and more ways to utilize his muscle, knowledge and free time!  We are very grateful!  That leaves me with time for the cleaning jobs I've been blessed with as well as some errand running, quality time with the 'Auntie and Uncle' at the laundromat and... my favorite, more weed wacking!!  It's really not that bad and I shouldn't complain, it just wears on you.  My shoulders know that harness all too well!!  BUT we've started 'praying big', knowing that nothing is impossible for our God.. not even a 4WD, riding lawn mower!  James 4:2 says 'You do not have because you do not ask God.'  Simple as that!!  Now, I realize that He answers prayers in various ways, and we might ask for a lawn mower but be given the endurance to keep on weed wacking.  We might not always see the outcome we desire, but there's no doubt in my mind that God uses EVERY circumstance for good and to mold us into who He created us to be.  So, what harm is there in asking!?  And as long as you're asking.. ask BIG!  We are talking about the God of the universe here!!!  So, we thank Him for the roof over our heads AND we pray for a house someday!  We thank Him for the water that we can haul to our house whenever we need AND we pray that someday we will be grateful for clean drinking water out of our own faucet!

[day one! we have come SO far]

Things I've discovered about rainy season in Hawaii:: If it rains hard enough, for long enough, trees WILL start bending and even breaking and falling right in the middle of the road!  Thankfully, Derek carries a machete (and a plethora of other weapons) in the truck at all times.  He was able to hack away at the branches and we hauled bits and pieces of avocado tree off the road until we could continue on our way home.  Sometimes we fall asleep to the rain, wake up to the rain, eat lunch in the rain and watch a movie with headphones on because we can't hear anything over the sound of the rain!  I can go for a run in the rain, but Kai insists on stopping at every single mud puddle.  We can shower in the rain, but it's a strange phenomena; you turn the hose off and the water doesn't stop??  And, alas, you CAN weed wack in the rain, but only until your glasses fog up and your clothes have gained an extra three pounds of water weight.  Then there's the hair!  I must say, I'm mastering the 'beachy, wind tossed' look.  I'll let you in on my secret::  more exposure to sweat, salt water and humidity, significantly less showering and completely cold turkey on the hair dryer, straightener or anything that resembles hair spray or gel..  voila!
I don't have much more to report for the week.. we're just living and learning, swimming in the ocean and falling in love with our Creator!  We're praying BIG and we're excited about all that God has in store!  We're cherishing each moment of this jungle adventure and developing quite the appreciation for spam!  Yes, I did say spam... it's a staple here in Hawaii, and we're learning to love it :)

[So, I'll stand

With arms high and heart abandoned

In awe of the One who gave it all!

I'll stand

My soul Lord to You surrendered

All I am is Yours]

-Hillsong

Because He gets 'it'!

You know you're living a legitimate jungle life when:: the 'candlelight' for a romantic, spaghetti dinner is provided by the mosquito-repeller candle!  When a mongoose kill, thanks to Derek's dart gun expertise, is a monumental victory!  When a fresh cucumber from our garden is the best thing you've tasted all week!!  When you have the chance to take a real shower but spend the first three minutes figuring out which way to turn the nozzle for hot water :)
We don't feel as though our life, strange as it may be, is in any way 'lacking'.  We may not have all the conveniences that people deem 'necessary'.  We may be considered just a wee bit uncivilized!  But we LOVE life!  We're beginning to grasp what is truly necessary; what to value and what defines us in this life.  Not to mention, our 'rugged' lifestyle would still be deemed 'luxurious' to the majority of the world's population.  We have so much.  We are blessed- extravagantly!

[just a little bit windy @ South Point!]

The boredom issue has, thankfully, been nipped in the bud.  Time is, once again, flying by and we can't believe we ever doubted God's provision!  We had nothing to do and the next two months were looming in front of us; we were overwhelmed.  So, we prayed.  And prayed some more.  Then God reminded us that we have a whole church full of resources and connections!  We hadn't thought to tell anyone that we were teetering on the edge of insanity!!  [Alright, insanity IS quite a bit drastic, but the amount of coffee we drink makes staying busy a necessity!]  I mentioned our lack-of-work issue to a friend or two, as did Derek, and next thing we know- our week is slam packed!  Yard work, projects, house cleaning, and did I mention that I've been recruited to the worship team?!  Thank you, God, for opening doors!
Highlights of the week:: BIG waves for Derek to surf (and some not-so-hardcore ones for yours truly!) French toast with fresh papaya and bananas on top!  Oh, and Derek spotted his first shark since being on the Island, a 6-7ft. White Tip!  I really should clarify- the shark was the one that spotted Derek.. twice!  He said it was a rush, and I'm perfectly content to take his word for it!  I'll hang out with the dolphins, thank you :)  I did make a discovery of my own, however...iced coffee with COFFEE ice cubes- talk about a caffeine rush!  Thankfully I wasn't the only jittery one; I'm extremely thankful for the sweet friends we have met in Hawaii and for great times together!
As seems to be our preference, we decided to work on the holiday this week!  I suppose that's how we justify the occasional extra-long weekend :)  With the go-ahead from a neighbor to clean out underneath his neglected macadamia nut trees, we were definitely on a mission!  The perk to taking on this job is all the mac-nuts we can pick up now!  (Too bad it takes more than a $3 WalMart nut cracker to get them open!)  We might try selling them, though!  And we were thankful for another way to stay occupied!  Plus, the land is right outside our 'front window' and we prefer an organized jungle view over feral jungle view- any day!  Who would've thought we'd be GLAD for a chance to weed wack?!?  We did enjoy some delicious cheeseburgers with friends that night and went down town to watch fireworks over the water!  

[Kai find the Mac-nuts quite entertaining!]

[Happy 4th!!]

One of the books I dug into this week was Mark.  Although an obvious truth, sometimes I just need to be reminded that Jesus lived LIFE, just like me!  He's felt what I feel and experienced joy, pain, frustration and excitement- just like I do!  He's 'been there, done that!' and can, therefore, sympathize!  He laughs with me, cries with me AND supplies my every need to live this life to full potential!  I LOVE that about my God...  He gets 'it', all of it!  And that makes all the difference!

redneck practices & contagious laughter!

'You know you're a redneck when... you're duct taping the tomato plants to the trellis!'  True statement.  Real life problem!  The tomato plants are as tall as Derek and making an aggressive attempt at taking over the garden!!  

We're thankful for issues like that, though; for anything, really, to help fill our days right now.  It seems so strange to have actually run out of work to do, although there really was only one day of genuine 'boredom' last week.  We managed to occupy ourselves for the rest of the week and it went by surprisingly fast!  One task was venturing to the bottom of a field in which we had never actually accomplished round ONE of weed wacking!  Our original excuse was uncertainty of boundary lines; there was no way we wanted to clear land that wasn't even ours to clear!  The truth of the matter was that we were just tired.  There were no coffee trees to speak of in that section so it didn't hurt to leave it.  Now that we've exhausted the majority of our to-do-list, however, that ignored patch of weeds provided a solid morning of work for us!!  We also started round three of wacking in other fields, and sprayed more Round-Up down the rows.

[the guys playing Badminton!]

With the farm chores being little to none, and the surf being decent, we logged several hours out on the waves this week!  I'm content with being able to catch the occasional 'big one' and stand up for the majority of my ride.  Derek, however, is aspiring to much greater heights.  His new youtube obsession is the pro-surfing competitions, and we all know what that could mean!  Once Derek sets his mind on accomplishing something, not much deters him.  Diving, for example, was something he'd never done in his life, but decided he wanted to get good at.  His birthday present was a spear gun and four months later he can dive 50 feet deep, hold his breath for what seems like hours, and has brought home an unbelievable amount of fish!  
I shouldn't leave you thinking we spent a whole day twiddling our thumbs, either.  Our 'day of boredom' turned out to be quite comical!  With absolutely nothing on the schedule and no work to be done, we ended up in the 'front yard' doing some abstract, karate sparing!  We want to apply for the next season of 'The Amazing Race' and can, therefore, label any slightly ridiculous activities like this as 'training'!!  Derek, of course, abuses this terminology, making me endure severe tickling sessions "because it could win us a million dollars someday!"  After pronouncing myself "TO'ed" instead of "KO'ed (knocked out!) we decided it was high time for a new pass-time!  This led us to embark into the jungle below our greenhouse abode.  Our discoveries ranged from one lonely, little guava to a wealth of avocados, to a new patch of feral pig rootings.  We haven't quite polished off all the pork in our freezer, so Derek hasn't taken much action in the way of trapping, hunting or killing pigs lately.  But I made quick work of that solitary guava, and Derek quickly produced an 'avo picker':  a garden hoe attached to a long pole!  This kept us entertained for quite a while; taking turns climbing into the trees, snagging the avo's and attempting to catch them before they crashed to the jungle floor.  
Thankfully, our friends and church family keep us from being left to our own devises most of the weekend!  Whether it's brunch and 'talking stories', a little face painting, or Derek and the guys going diving, we are so thankful for the amazing people we're surrounded by.  A 'mixer' on Friday night got the youth mingling with the 'non-youth' and resulted in some hilarious moments!  We put on skits, tossed water balloons and competed in a three-legged-treasure-hunt-race!  We laughed SO hard and I won a significant amount of tootsie-pops, which certainly makes for a memorable night!

[Erinn & I with our face paint!]

Last night Derek and I both woke from a deep sleep to the sound of my hysterical laughter!  I'm not exactly sure what triggered it, but it was bubbling up from deep within me and was completely contagious!  Derek kept asking me what was so funny, but he had started laughing, too!  It was a few minutes before I regained control, and even then I could still feel 'it' inside me, wanting to spill out!  I can only attempt to describe this as a result of the beautiful, unrestricted JOY that comes from knowing Jesus!!  Even though we are in a stage of 'limbo', a season of waiting, we are continually filled with peace and joy that comes from our God!  We have questions, yes!  We long for answers and direction.  But we are filled with the Holy Spirit and He is guiding, sustaining and molding us.  
I've realized that this uncertainty we feel has much deeper roots.  Yes, we are wondering what doors will open to fill our time until harvest rolls around.  But, beyond that, we are beginning to ponder 'what's next?'  Will we stay in Hawaii after this harvest?  If so, will we stick with the coffee business?  When will we have had enough of this greenhouse life?!  What's the next part of God's plan for us??  So many questions and no real way to answer them at this point.  I know it's useless to worry about the future, but I sure am excited for God to reveal bits and pieces to us!  I know His design is wonderful; prosperous plans for 'a hope and a future' [Jeremiah 29:11], and I continue to work on surrendering my need to know.  He is faithful.  He is true!  And He has instilled within me a joy so contagious that if I'm not constantly passing it on to those around me it will bubble right out of me in the middle of the night!!