a roller coaster ride!!

Baby, it's NOT cold outside!  But the air is feeling slightly more festive each day!  One reason for this feeling is that I am now, officially, allowed to sing Christmas songs!  Another cause: my parents will be here in 11 days!!!  And I've been spending every bit of my free time online, searching for ideas of how to inexpensively decorate the apartment.  I want to make the most of this wonderful season, but I feel as though I'm starting from scratch in the idea department.  Getting bundled up and tromping through the woods to select the perfect pine tree is just not done here!  I am holding onto hope that a few neighbors will go all out with lights and decorations but, other than our local Ace hardware, I'm not seeing very much potential for a tour of lights!
Enough of that, though.  It's not even December yet!  Thanksgiving was wonderful.  We are abundantly blessed!  Although we really missed gathering with mass amounts of family, it was good to celebrate the day in new, tropical ways!  After putting my 'little' brother, Abe, straight to work on his first day here, it was good to have down time.  We started the day by concocting a delicious mess of biscuits and gravy and then headed to the beach.  The guys frolicked in the water for hours, while I was content with an occasional toe dip and reading my book in the sun.  We wanted to be at our absolute hungriest for Thanksgiving dinner, so lunch consisted of granola bars and two bags of Rambutans from the farmers' market!  The spiky looking fruits, once peeled, are sweet and juicy like a big grape!  And our growling bellies were certainly not disappointed that evening.  Dinner with one of our 'adopted' families from church was a great time and absolutely delicious!

No ground breaking developments in the coffee fields this week.  Just more picking!  Derek says we're 'over half done'.  I think he's vague about this for my sake, lest I conjure up an 'end date' only to be disappointed when there's still more picking to be done!  (Still, I'm convinced we're at least 75% done!)  It's awesome having a third pair of hands busily picking; Abe is certainly a trooper!  This is his first trip to Hawaii and we're excited to show off more of this beautiful island once my parents arrive.  He has done a bit of snorkeling and went surfing with Derek and a friend on Sunday!  Unfortunately, their beach adventure was cut short when a rookie crashed into Derek, somehow managing to knock loose his big toenail!  Derek had to operate on himself, ripping the nail completely off (with pliers!!) 'while his adrenaline was still pumping!'  Yikes!  I definitely don't regret missing that episode, especially because I was enjoying 'girls night', going to a Christmas concert and eating Chinese food!!  

I know the 'what's next' developments in our life resemble a roller coaster; I'll apologize in advance for any motion sickness you may be experiencing!!  These past few weeks Derek and I have been soul searching, peeling back layer after layer of dreams and ideas, and we've been praying a LOT.  Knowing we had a month and a half left in the apartment was the motivation we needed to look forward and ask hard questions.  In the process, we realized our dreams have been doing some rearranging, unnoticed by us until now!  Traveling and wild adventures have always ranked high on our 'list' and that may not ever change; what has happened is the shuffling of other options on our priority list.  All of a sudden we're thinking that our very own place to call 'home' sounds pretty great.  We're realizing this next season of life may not include relocating to a different continent, but that does not mean it has to be any less adventurous!  

By mid-week we're suspecting that our time in Hawaii would be coming to an end and we were actually okay with that.  We were brainstorming on how we would manage to transport all that we've acquired back home.  We're also wondering where 'home' is and figuring out what location would put us by family, an ocean and a great church.  The possibilities were exciting!!  Then came the knock on our door.  

A man that Derek had just met on Sunday wanted to know if he was interested in a landscaping job for the next seven months while they went back home to Canada.  Hmmm...  The NEXT day, we find out there's been a change of plans with the pastor coming to our church and we're told we can stay in the apartment through June! (yep, that's seven more months!!)  I don't believe in coincidences, which means this didn't 'just happen to work out'!  God is AMAZING!!  We don't understand His methods; I must admit, I was confused and actually a little bummed when it first sunk in.  I'd already allowed my imagination to go wild with thoughts of the next chapter.  I was excited about a cross country trek in a U-Haul, I LOVE road trips!  The thought of living by family again was SO exciting!  And, I was ready to see what God had next for us.

But, as we talked everything out once again, it became crystal clear- God was making a way!  And I am incredibly thankful!!  It's possible that this soul searching was necessary simply to keep us in a place of surrender.  This week prepared us to go, wherever that may be, and whether that happens next month or in seven months... or whenever God says it's time!  We don't know why He wants us to stay, but all that matters is that He does.  We don't want to be anywhere but right where He puts us!  And that's as far as we've gotten!

                                                    

jungle festivity!

Thanksgiving is rapidly approaching, with Christmas hot on its heels!  Only problem is that, aside from a few chillier evenings, it still feels like summer in Hawaii!  Now, I'm not saying that I miss the bitter cold weather, scraping ice off my windshield and blowing on numb fingers all the way to work.  It is, however, a little more difficult to get in a 'festive' mood when it's still 80* outside.  We have been drinking eggnog and munching homemade, chocolate chip pumpkin bread; I think that's definitely helping our frame of mind!  

I've also been doing a month of thankfulness, which just means a post everyday on Facebook of what I'm thankful for.  It's truly amazing how much I have to be grateful for.  And how much I take for granted.  One thing I'm grateful for is that my 'little' brother is flying out this week and we'll get to spent Thanksgiving with him and a wonderful couple from church.  (Little brother is also going to help us pick coffee and I'm overjoyed about that, too!)

Speaking of picking, this last week was one of my favorite ones yet!  We were in a section of field that we had just weed wacked, so there was no need for machete wielding and no tripping on hidden rocks or forgotten snares.  Also, this was the fourth time picking through that section so that means the trees only had a few cherries left, and we cruised through the rows.  Or whole clumps of cherries had finally ripened, meaning we could fill our whole basket on one tree!!

I'll admit, the main reason I'm rating this week 'exceptional' is because I spent it in Narnia!  I've been wanting to read the Chronicles of Narnia for awhile, but can't seem to find the time to check them out at the library, leave alone actually read them!  Derek found the perfect solution to my dilemma: audiobooks!  And he bought all seven on Monday!  Let's just say, the days flew by and I'm already on book number three.  I highly recommend them, no matter how 'grown up' you may be and especially if you find yourself in a field all day, your brain checking out for hours on end.  Derek's reconsidering if I should be allowed this privilege, however.  Apparently, he noticed my picking pace resembling that of a snail..  But, I'm a happy snail!!  That must count for something!
I was really glad for the chance to do some weed wacking this last week.  It had been quite a while since I'd had a freshly chopped weed facial!  Seriously, Derek is always shocked by the green monster emerging from the rows once we're done, covered head to toe in jungle, oh wait.. that's Bethel!  (Don't ask me how he manages to stay so much cleaner that me!)  We also did some more de-pulping last weekend and my husband whipped up what I call 'the drying stage'.  The first batch we have drying is almost ready to be taken through the dry mill (getting the papery 'parchment' layer off) and then roasted!!  We will definitely keep all you coffee drinkers updated on this progress and let you know when you can purchase our happy little beans!

Although this week was significantly better than others, as far as picking goes, I was still 'pau' (done) by the time Friday night rolled around!  I'm so thankful for weekends and the chance to catch up on things at home and let my fingers rest.  That's another strange thing: Derek's fingers look the same as before while mine are not handling this season so gracefully!  They are cracked, stained and gross.. even though I wear gloves!  The worst part is, I've developed the nasty habit of biting them, as if that will help the situation!  This is certainly taking a toll on my femininity.  Fortunately, I wasn't too high maintenance to start with!  

One of my favorite realizations this last week was when Derek pointed out all the new, red flowers that were blooming!  They are unlike any I've seen here, different textures and accents.  Even a bush exploding with vibrant, crimson berries!  Here I was, wishing for 'festivity' even though, in my mind, that means all things snow and winter which I don't actually care for.  And God showed me His creativity and Christmasy beauty right here in the jungle!  Absolutely lovely.  How could I underestimate the Creator thinking He was somehow limited to snowflakes and sled rides and caroling in negative degrees.  He can reveal his Majesty however and whenever He chooses, and remembering the birth of His Son into this world, His plan to redeem mankind, is definitely not a celebration that He skimps on!

Last, but not least, my favorite thing about this week.  Not the gelato date with my husband, although I really loved that!!  Not the amazing gathering of women this weekend, but I did enjoy the fellowship AND was successful in my first flower arrangement!  Not even watching Derek tickle Kai's feet while the poor pup was asleep and laughing till our sides hurt!  

The best part of this week actually came in the form of an unexpected phone call; an interruption.  We were finishing up in the fields one afternoon, having filled several bags we were excited to get home at a decent time.  I wanted to go for a run and we already had delicious plans for dinner.  That's when Derek's phone rang.  It was a lady we didn't know, she had gotten the number from a friend at our church.  She was moving into town and was desperate for some help moving her couch.  (You know what they say about friends with trucks!!)  So, Derek agreed.  

We finished up and headed over... only to find that 'moving her couch' was just the tip of the iceberg.  A sweet, single lady with a teeny tiny car; she was planning on taking full advantage of a pickup truck.  45 minutes later we've loaded up half her house and helped her rearrange the furniture she's leaving behind.  We followed her into town and unloaded everything, while she thanked us over and over and over.  Before leaving we were able to talk with her a little bit and invite her to our church.  She said her friend (the one who gave the phone number) had been wanting her to come and now she just might!  

All of a sudden it didn't matter that this was an interruption, an inconvenience or that we didn't have the nice evening at home that we had envisioned.  We were able to respond to an opportunity from God; to be His hands, feet and muscle!  This lady saw willingness in a couple she didn't know, when all of her friends had bailed on moving day.  This isn't about how awesome we are. We didn't jump on the chance to help a stranger move, it was more like 'Uh...okay.. yeah, I guess we can come.'  But God used that!  And when we step aside and become a vessel for God to flow through, things happen!  I'm not sure of the circumstances in this woman's life, but now I can pray for her.  We planted seeds and not much in this world can top that feeling!  THAT is my favorite!

[But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not from us. 2 Corinthians 4:7]

garlic, chameleons & the unknown

Several months ago, when we were still in the greenhouse, I woke up to the unmistakable smell of... garlic?  Derek was no where to be found but the smell was undeniably potent!  Finally I located my husband and he explained his latest experiment.  Apparently, he had dreamt about creating a concoction to spray on the coffee cherries in hopes of killing the CBB (coffee berry borer).  Upon awakening, he immediately tried out a few different combinations, one even included his favorite hot sauce, Cholula!  But the one he felt had the most potential was the garlic.  

Fast forward to this last week when we were selling coffee cherries at the mill.  I noticed a paper stapled on the wall and went over to check it out.  Turns out, the University of Hilo has been doing some testing on new solutions for the CBB and their latest recommendation is the brand new 'Garlic Barrier' spray!  Needless to say, I freaked out a little!  And Derek is now under strict orders to patent his next great invention before anyone else thinks of it :)

Our week was non-stop.  The pickers we were hoping for were otherwise detained.  But we got a lot done and we're staying positive!  I'm thankful for humorous moments throughout the day to keep things light.  Hearing Derek yelp is a fairly rare occurrence, but he had bona fide reason after grabbing what he thought was a branch only to find a rather large chameleon in his hand!  He flung the colorful critter and let out quite the shout!  What really tickled my funny bone, though, was after the fact when Derek felt bad for Mr. Chameleon, picked him up again and reinstated him on his perch!  

Another highlight of the week was finding Blue Bunny ice cream on SALE at the local grocery store.  We're talking $4.50 instead of $9.50!  Chocolate chunk goes a long way in rejuvenating a weary, coffee picker.  But what goes even farther than a bowl of sweet, creamy dessert is the incredibly, tangible presence of Jesus!!  This last week brought a new development to our unfolding 'next step'.  Because of happenings at our church in the new year, Derek and I will be moving out of the apartment at the end of December.  We are so grateful for the time we've been able to spend here, this door literally opened at the perfect time!  And we are very excited to see where God takes us next!  His plans always surpass anything we could ever manufacture on our own.  

Our prayers range from "Please lead us to an apartment that our coffee farming budget can afford!" to "Are we even supposed to stay in Hawaii next year??" to "Please give us strength and prepare us mentally in case we need to take up residence in the greenhouse again for awhile!"  We're very thankful to have the next month and a half to seek God's will and formulate a plan.  And although neither of us feels too worried about the unknown it was definitely on our minds throughout the weekend.  That's where God's amazing presence comes in.  We're going through Acts in our Sunday morning Bible Study and I'll admit, Derek and I don't always get to the lesson in advance like we're supposed to.  This week was about Paul's sea voyage and shipwreck and I was actually able to skim through a bit of the text that morning.  The part that grabbed me was a little blurb that said, 'sometimes the surprise is not in what happens, but in what it turns out to mean.'  A few minutes later, as Derek perused the lesson, he exclaimed 'This is talking to us!' and I knew exactly which part he meant! Bible Study was awesome; a HUGE reminder of the way God uses and even orchestrates events in our lives that may seem overwhelming, scary or shipwreck-like for His glory and purpose and to show us His awesome power!  This was confirmation for us, that we need not stress and worry but TRUST, obey and watch expectantly as God reveals His plan and leads the way!  

Heading into church that morning we were encouraged and hopeful.  Then came a time of prayer and worship that blew our minds!  Words can not do justice to experiences like that, the joy bubbling up inside of you, the desire to sing as loud as you can and at the same time just soak in His presence.  With tears in my eyes, a smile on my face and hands lifted towards heaven, I knew that I knew that God is at work and He is faithful!  'God is my refuge and strength, an ever-present help in time of trouble.' Psalm 46:1

So, bring on another week... bring on the cherries that need picking and decisions that need making.  Sore muscles, yes.  Feeling like I could sleep for a week, absolutely.  Unknowns, number crunching and a few more bowls of that chocolate chunk!?  This is life.  If I had all the answers, I'd die of boredom.  If there weren't any surprises I would never learn to trust.  And I don't even want to consider what life would look like if everything actually worked out the way I thought it should.   

we are but a mist>>

Although I do have a legitimate reason for being terribly late with this post; I must warn you, it will sound incredibly familiar to the age old excuse "Honest, teacher, the dog really did eat my homework!"  I won't mention names, but there was an incident involving the computer charger and Kai's water bowl and it was definitely lacking in the happy ending department.  Once the last percentage of battery life ebbed away we were laptop free for almost a week.  This simply meant less netflix, more card games and considerably less election drama!  However, we finally broke down and bought the new charger.  $80 later.. or, since we now think in terms of coffee, 50 pounds of cherry later, I can update my blog!  And a pumpkin spice latte certainly made the purchase more pleasant, thanks to my sweet husband!
                                                                 

[this is how Kai chills on the stairs]

As for our week::  we logged another five days of picking!  We also called up every one of our Hawaiian contacts in attempt to find coffee pickers, but apparently we're not the only ones up to our eyeballs in cherries!  There is hope for some help at the end of this week, but we're learning to believe they'll come once they're actually IN the fields, picking!  So far we've managed to stay on top of things but we're rapidly approaching the point where neglected cherries will start to spoil and resign themselves to 'raisins'.  Not good.

I was clinging to the hope that once we crossed that 5000 pound line I would have developed killer shoulder muscles and lightning quick fingers.  Alas, that line has been crossed and this is not the case.  The cold, hard truth is that I'm just not a very, speedy picker!  I do my best, yet my husband still manages to lap me on a regular basis.  The cause for this may be tangled up with a slight case of OCD on my part when it comes to picking every single red cherry.  

Derek bought me a picking belt, though, and that's certainly helping with the soreness factor.  Depending on which body parts are complaining I can alternate the belt with the shoulder harness.  I've also learned to dump my basket before I start feeling my life expectancy dropping!  (And, apparently, before the over-dramatic side of me rears its head!)  We're only about half way done, though, so there is hope for my skill level to improve.  'Most Valuable Picker' award, anyone?!  (And I will hold on to my sculpted muscle fantasy for a little while longer!) 

So, what do we do in our 'free time'??  One evening this last week found us on the beach with our Dairy Queen blizzards and a beautiful sunset!  Other nights we take turns massaging sore muscles and end up sleeping half the night on top of the covers because crawling underneath would require considerably more energy than we possess.  We've started going to a great, mid-week Bible study!  Derek's in the beginning stages of making his own surfboard!  My 'quick run' one night turned into six miles.. what?!  And Kai is learning how to catch, we're so proud :)

[my favorite sunset of the week!]

I've started dropping to my knees first thing in the morning to spend a few uninterrupted moments with God.  Whether I'm simply basking in the love of Jesus or surrendering everything already swimming around my brain, competing for attention- it is an awesome way to start the day!  Just one or two minutes dramatically affecting the next 24 hours!  I've never been one to say you have to pray a certain way, for a set time or with specific words.  But some routine can be beneficial and if anything should be constant in my life I'd say communication with the One who's got the plan is definitely top priority! 

A lot of pondering went on this week.  What (or where) in the world is next?  What should we do after harvest?  How can we best bring glory to God through our lives.  Coffee farming, although an incredible adventure, might not exactly be utilizing our full potential.  Not to mention, we'll be spending all our earnings on chiropractic adjustments if we keep up this lifestyle!  The lessons we've learned from this experience are invaluable, but now we are seeking God's will for the next step.  We have yet to arrive at any earth shattering conclusions, but we're realizing a brand new chapter is just a few pages away!  And God, because He knows me incredibly well, is sending little reminders my way.  Don't over-analyze.  Don't get ahead of yourself.  Definitely don't worry!  Live today while it's still today.  Whether through the Bible or a devotion book I happened to pick up, God's subtleties became pretty obvious as the week progressed and the potential for stressing out increased.  

[yep, I think he's pretty cool!]

So, we live life.  We pray a lot, trusting God to lead the way, and keeping in mind that 'advance notice' isn't always His style.  We're ready and excited.  James 4:14 says we don't even know what will happen tomorrow!  We are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes!  Stressing about next year seems kind of silly in that light!  So, we surrender.  We keep picking.  We hold everything with open hands.  We have a bonfire with friends on a Saturday night!  We soak up every bit of the beauty around us, enjoy time with our 'family' here and listen for the Spirit's leading.