Looking back I see how little I have really written and as a result how little I have shared. I'm sorry for that- it's been an incredible first quarter and time. Let me see if I can summarize a bit..
The 'kids' on my staff team that are all 'so young and full of life' have become my dear family. They are precious and we now have quite a few of our own 'inside jokes.' We pray for each other, razz each other, and shake our heads when we ought to. It's great.
I have taught my first book, Ruth, and it went well, I would say. It seems to have accomplished what it was required to and I received some touching compliments. This quarter I am teaching the prophets Joel (in exactly two weeks...yikes!! Please pray!) and then late in the quarter Malachi.
It's crazy intimidating.
I had an AMAZINGLY blessed trip over Christmas. My 'other Mom and Dad' took me to Oahu for some family time and they, like parents, spoiled me rotten. I don't know the last time I had an actual vacation vacation- it was seriously so fun. I saw Pearl Harbor- where the gun shots from the Japanese fighter planes took out our planes on the harbor. We went to The Royal Hawaiian Hotel which was built in the 1920's and still has original wallpaper, carpets, and furniture in some places. So amazing and beautiful! The beach there went out several hundred feet at a very shallow depth so swimming felt like you were in the middle of the ocean when really, you could stand up and walk. Cool. Oahu is so totally different from Kona. Kona is rural, really. A village; whereas Honolulu is a metropolis! It felt like a San Francisco or not quite New York sort of feel! Skyscrapers and really elite shops. Needless to say I didn't shop, hehe.
A highlight that brought tears was when we visited the Aulani. This is a resort built by Disney on Oahu and if you know me at all... you know I LOVE ME SOME DISNEY!!! I never thought I would get to see it- so when I realized I was on the same island and that we would be in the area... my hopes got a bit high! We did, in fact, stop there for an evening of pupu's (appetizers) and chilling. I absolutely could not believe I was there and took pictures of everything!! I must have been like a little kid because they bought me a t-shirt to commemorate the experience!!! I LOVE IT!!! I literally called my brother (who also loves Disney) and cried on his answering machine. "Oh, Bill... I hate that you are not home right now! Guess where I am, man... guess where I am standing right now?!! The Aulani!!! The Aulani, Bill, can you believe it?" The whole time crying like I had been taken some place sacred... hahahahahahaha. But, hey... it was real. Dreams do come true.
On the prayer request note... there has been some strange smell in my truck since I picked it up. I thought an animal had crawled up into some small space and died during the shipping but that has not proven to be true. It smells like anti-freeze (which wreaks if I do say so myself) and it NOT PLEASANT; especially when giving others rides, which I do all the time. So I called my guy (shout out Kevin Bettencourt!) back home and he said it's very uncommon to have this issue in these trucks. Also that if I don't see anything leaking or can't find it- it probably isn't leaking. He gave me one other thing to try (maybe something is plugged up) but other than that it doesn't sound like I should have a real problem. Praise God... I had it totally checked and tuned up before coming and it was clean. But this smell... it's bad. Please pray I find it or it is solved miraculously!! Hey, God cares about this stuff, too. :)
One last thing and I will let you go...
I do plan on going on outreach this year. It will be from late June to mid August. We usually go to China to teach the word underground but that has not been set in any stone. Actually... I probably shouldn't be typing that. (Lord I pray even now that the enemy and any who would cause any harm would be rendered deaf, dumb, and blind to this information in Jesus Name.) So if you would start praying now about that major undertaking and how you might be willing to support me financially in that trip I would appreciate it. I, too, will be saving towards it as I am able.
I continue to be SO GRATEFUL for your thoughts, prayers, love, and support. I could not do what I do without you all encouraging me through.
Blessings, sweet friends.
Leah
