Inter-Island Outreach
I had the opportunity to go on a ten day Inter-Island Outreach with the Internship Program. This trip is about serving people on other Hawaiian islands and spreading the love of God. This time we went to Big Island (The Island of Hawai’i), which was a first for me. It was a big wish of mine to be part of this outreach because I wanted to invest more in this internship. Through my Connect Group, I already had a closer relationship with the interns and was looking forward to the outreach.
Junia on the Island of Hawai'i
The first day we all spent together in Kona, where we were allowed to spend the night in a church. We were a total of forty-eight people (six internship leaders, six guest leaders and thirty-six interns); a very large group. From the first day I was allowed to have many good conversations and felt how God guided me. In the evening we visited the well-known worship night of YWAM, which was wonderful.
Junia and her outreach group
The next day we split into our three groups. Our group stayed in the same place for the next two nights where we spent our leisure days. We visited the city of Kona, went to the beach, looked at the volcano and enjoyed the community. I knew that I was on this trip to have many profound conversations and realized how God kept guiding me in such conversations. I am grateful for every conversation that I was allowed to lead.
Taro field in Waipio Valley
After a leisurely start we continued to Waipio Valley, where we worked hard. We worked in a river where we cleared stones, weeds and other obstacles to make the water flow better. We also harvested taro and learned a lot about nature. Waipio Valley was my favorite place as we were surrounded by breathtaking nature with waterfalls, rivers and plants. We saw wild horses, watched the stars and told stories by a campfire. Also prayer, quiet-time and worship was an important part of our daily routine. Our last challenge was to hike out of the valley, which was precipitous and exhausting. We all made it.
Beach at the beginning of Waipio Valley
The third and last place we stayed was Pastor Steven's House. There we helped in his beautiful garden by clearing away stones and planting new plants. We were also allowed to help on Anita and Anthony's organic farm by harvesting turmeric (a kind of ginger). This was a great experience, as we were allowed to try many different plants during our break, such as sugar cane, papaya or moringa.
Working on the Aina Culture farm
After that all three groups met again in Kona, where our group got the opportunity to harvest coffee beans and make fresh guacamole. It was an intense but enriching outreach. I was able to learn a lot and have many good conversations. We saw many beautiful places and had great experiences. I am grateful for this time and all the great moments God has given me.
Our turmeric harverst
All photos provided by Surfing The Nations.
8th of December 2018