My plans to write “Part 2” have been derailed by the maelstrom of craziness driven by the Coronavirus Pandemic. I’m taking a break from all Coronavirus talk to take us back a month ago, when "Life as We Always Knew It” was all we really knew. What a difference a month has made!!
After speaking in Maine for the Valentine’s event, we flew to California for the annual ProAthletes Outreach “Increase” conference, which we fronted by spending two days with my dear mama. As per usual, I “made" her go on a field trip each day because getting out is good for everyone. Off to Coronado we went for Paul to get his every 4–6 week haircut by his favorite barber, and while he was getting shorn, my mom and I rolled through town. This photo was taken by accidental tourists, who just happened to be from Lexington, MA!! Small world moment. The time with my mom is never enough but we’re always so grateful for any time we have with her.
How cool is this mural painted on a building in downtown Coronado?
By Monday afternoon (Feb 17), we were at the Increase Conference, happily joining about 400 others who in some way were a part of this Christ-centered annual NFL conference. Many of our Patriots couples were there, as well as ex-Pats who will always be a “part” of us. Great teaching (Francis Chan, Jackie Hill Perry, Bryan Loritts, Rick Warren, Dave and Ann Wilson, etc.), inspiring worship, and encouraging fellowship filled the days. We were especially happy that Gary Haugen and a team from International Justice Mission (IJM.org) were at the conference, building partnerships with NFL players. It was great to connect with the organization our son-in-law Derek is now partnering with.
The best part for us was hanging out with the players and wives from New England, with whom we’ve shared so much history and for whom we have such deep hearts. The days were full and rich.
Corporate worship was part of each plenary session at The Increase Conference.
Jackie Hill Perry (author of “Gay Girl, Good God”) knocked it out of the park during her sessions.
This is a portion of the couples from New England who were at the conference. We love these guys so much!
With the challenging words of the closing talk given by Francis Chan echoing in our hearts, we flew out of San Diego airport bound for Hawaii, the Big Island.
For the second time in nine months, we were honored to do a marriage conference for Living Stones Church on Ali’i Drive in Kailua-Kona. Ryan and Sara Burns, who serve on pastoral staff and organized the conference, did a great job pre-conference and their hard work paid off as over 200 attended Friday night and Saturday. It was an alive, receptive group of attendees and we definitely felt the “Ohana love.”
We were also honored to speak at all three services at their main campus Sunday morning, which was streamed to their second campus as well. We connected with so many warm, wonderful people in this beautiful place. Having lunch one day with Ryan and Sara and the next with Pastor Bill and Pine Barley were highlights as they afforded us time to really connect with these dedicated Christ-followers.
Additionally, a couple of very unexpected highlights for us was having two former CBS staffers in the congregation. Karen Bauer Ellison, who served at camp in 1978 (!) and Kevin Yokoyama, who served in 1981 (!), both surprised us with their presence and encouraged us with their positive memories of how their time at CBS had profoundly impacted them spiritually as young 20-something-year-olds. Forty years later, they are still faithfully walking with Jesus and being used by Him. When God orchestrates such reunions, they feel like gifts from heaven, full of encouragement and hope. All praise is His!!
We love the ministry of Living Stones Church. We love Bill and Pine Barley and Ryan and Sara Burns and all of the other staff we met. We are so thankful that this vital ministry is being used by God to change lives in paradise . . . for paradise.
Karen Bauer Ellison served on CBS summer staff in 1978. What a joy to reconnect with her in Kona!!
Kevin Yokoyama also served at CBS, in 1981, and it had been many years since we had seen him. Such a gift!!
Ryan Burns introduces us Friday night as the marriage conference got underway.
Bill Barley and his wife Pine (upper right hand corner) lead Living Stones Church, and here we are standing with part of his family, all of whom are involved in the church. Lower left corner: the “overflow” sit outside under tents and watch the service on screens. The lower right photo is of us with Jonathan and KC Wilt, whom we met at Forest Home in 2018. We love connecting with them each time we’re in Hawaii.
Some prefer to sit outside under tents, which is a good thing as space inside is quite limited.
Though we were on Kona for less than three days, we squeezed in as many hikes as we could when we weren’t teaching. We made it to Kiholo Bay to see the turtles and took several nice hikes along the shore, drinking in the beauty of this place which provides an ongoing feast for the eyes. By Sunday afternoon, we were on our way . . . to an island we’d never visited before.
These guys are taking a break from the rigors of the ocean . . . baking in the sun.
Sunset . . . in the back yard of Living Stones Church. Thankfully the conference didn’t start Friday night until after this show had finished. Breathtaking.
For years, our dear friends Joy and Randy Hitchcock have invited us to explore the island of Molokai with them. For over fifteen years, they’ve spent part of most years on that little known island and they plan to spend more time there once they build on property they bought years ago. Having known of Molokai’s history as the place to which lepers were exiled from the other Hawaiian islands when then incurable leprosy was infecting many, and having read much about Father Damien, the Catholic priest who voluntarily served the people of Molokai for 16 years before his death from leprosy, it was always a desire of mine to visit this island.
That desire was fulfilled on this trip. We flew from Kona to Molokai, where we were welcomed with plumeria leis by Randy and Joy, and that was the beginning of three very delightful days. The Hitchcocks were committed to accommodating our desire to really experience the island, so one day we drove to the west end, the next to the east end, and the third to the north point (from which you could look down into the leper colony on Kalaupapa Peninsula.) The trail down into the colony has been washed out unfortunately, and the $250 per person flight to it was a bit too steep, so we opted for a view from above it which gave perspective of just how isolated these people were. It made a very sad chapter of history come alive for me in a sobering way, but it also increased my appreciation for the incredible sacrifice Father Damien made as he literally gave his life for people society had discarded.
Randy and Joy Hitchcock picked us up at the (very small) Molokai Airport for the beginning of three exciting days.
Looking down on Kalaupapa Peninsula which housed the leper colony for 1860 to present. Though a cure was found for “Hansen’s Disease” (leprosy) by the 1970s, most in the colony stayed for the rest of their lives. Today two members of the colony still remain there.
This is fascinating: when we drove to the north side, we hiked to a very forlorn but beautiful beach at Mo’omomi. This trash has been floating in from Japan, taken to sea by the Fukushima tsunami in 2011. Trash is still arriving and landing here. How crazy is that??
We also toured an organic macadamia nut farm where we were schooled in the labor intensive art of growing macadamia nuts.
Our days with the Hitchcocks were full and fun. We were treated to viewing balletic moves by breaching humpback whales, sea turtles, clear views of both Maui and Lanai, beautiful sunrises and sunsets, yummy meals, and a wild and wooly ocean. It was such a gift to spend the days together with them.
Sunset on Molokai.
Our third and final island was Kauai, as we made our sixth return trip to this beautiful place to speak at their annual marriage conference. Due to a scheduling glitch, the marriage conference was moved from Friday and Saturday to Sunday from 11-5, so we ended up having a couple of unexpected “free” days. Woo-hoo!! Bring on the adventure!!
Also unexpected was that some of our dearest friends, Bill and Helen Challener, were also on Kauai the same days we were, so we took advantage of our shared time and did a few things with them. Hiking, exploring, swimming, snorkeling, hunting for sea glass, observing monk seals, sea turtles, and humpback whales . . . we will never tire of celebrating the joys of creation.
Our first hike along the lithified cliffs in Poipu was wild and windy but oh so invigorating. We were accompanied by Bill and Helen Challener, as well as Bill Gates and his friends Steve and Russ.
The conference is hosted each year by Global Algae Innovations (GAI), whose CEO and founder is Dr. Dave Hazlebeck, long time friend/CBS family camper. The Hazlebecks partner with the Kalaheo Missionary Church (KMF) and their senior pastor, Kahu John Zimmerman. All of these conferences later we feel a strong “Ohana” bond with this congregation and we are always so inspired by their genuine love for Jesus and commitment to growth. Kahu John and his wife, Paula, shepherd this flock well as they pour out their hearts and gifts.
Part of the joy of returning year after year is having the privilege of seeing how God is changing lives and marriages over time. One of the highlights this year was following up with a couple who attended last year and had had a long conversation with Paul about why they didn’t think getting married was something necessary. Having lived together for nine years at that point, and expecting their third child, they explained that because they both came from broken homes, they didn’t want to visit divorce on their kids, so they just wouldn’t get married.
The reason they were talking to Paul was because in the previous year they had become Christ-followers and they were trying to figure out if their new life in Christ should have an impact on their aversion to marriage. They left the lengthy conversation with much to consider.
Unbeknownst to us, not long after last year’s conference, they were privately married by Pastor Brad Booye in a simple ceremony attended only by their children and their mothers. They were so excited to share their story with Paul this year and to express to him how grateful they were for the conversation a year ago that had really helped them make the decision to get married.
Gifts from heaven. All praise is His.
Our days on Kauai were delightful in every way. The conference went well. We had several counseling sessions with people who attended. We worshiped with the congregation at KMF and heard a challenging sermon by Kahu John. We spent an evening with Bill and Susan Gates and a number of others from KMF. We had a couple of meals with various parts of the Hazlebeck clan.
And we were blissfully unaware that the world was rushing headlong into a pandemic which would change everything by the time we returned to the states. There are advantages to being off the grid!!
Paul Hazlebeck, Dave and Emily Hazlebeck, and David Hazlebeck were all part of hosting the conference in Kauai. Great people. Great friends.
A small portion of those who attended the marriage conference at KMF. How we’ve grown to love these people!!
Kahu John and Paula Zimmerman have faithfully led this congregation for 8 years. We’re so thankful for their leadership and commitment to the gospel.
Dustin and Sweden are the couple who got married after last year's conference.
The Booye extended family. Three generations of Christ-followers: Dave and Joy head the clan, and two of their three sons serve at the KMF Church, along with their lovely wives and 9 children between them. Our hearts were so encouraged and inspired by their love for Jesus.
No caption needed.
We will never tire of walking on beautiful beaches.
One more stop before returning to Bedford for what we thought would be a pretty full schedule. Notice the past tense.
Dallas/Ft Worth, Texas . . . Upon deplaning, it was very obvious we were no longer in the Hawaiian islands. :)
It was 12 years ago that Pastor Amani and Aimee attended a conference we spoke for in Maine, and we connected at a deep level that weekend. Over the next two years, we spent several more weekends together, including one at the Rwandan church they were pastoring in Portland, Maine, where they invited us to do a marriage conference. Soon after that, they relocated to Texas to pastor a Rwandan church, and about a year ago they invited us to do a relationships weekend for their church. We happily accepted.
What a happy reunion we had with them on Friday, March 6. These are passionate, gifted people of God who are making a difference through Mission Impact Church and it was pure joy to be with them again.
Friday night we spoke to about 50 or 60 of their teens on relationships. They were a lively, interactive bunch who were very engaged in the topic of conversation. Through written questions, they were able to “voice” their real concerns which gave us an opportunity to “scratch where they itched.” It was a great evening. One of the girls later told us that she had decided to end a relationship she was in after that evening. Yes!!
Mission Impact Church in Hurst, Texas.
All day Saturday we spoke for the marriage conference. We loved it. We felt like we were back in Uganda, speaking through an interpreter, to a room full of well dressed, very interested African couples. The beautifully decorated room, the incredible buffet lunch with some African delicacies, the worship sung in native tongue, the charge to recommit to growing God-honoring marriages as the day wrapped up all contributed to it being a high-impact day.
The marriage conference was beautifully done and well attended.
Amani and Aimee lead the church and hosted this weekend. They are “all in” as they serve the King of Kings and Lord of Lords with their many gifts and talents.
Pastor Amani leads worship Sunday morning at the worship service for which we taught.
Sunday morning we taught at their 11-1:30 worship service and we were inspired. Once again speaking through an interpreter, we trusted that the Holy Spirit would be the “real” translator and many expressed to us that God had spoken to them through the teaching. All praise is His.
After a late and lengthy lunch with the pastors, we returned to the church for our final event: an evening with older singles, talking about relationships. We also invited them to submit questions, which they thoughtfully did, and the one-hour meeting became two hours and could’ve gone on for a much longer time had it not been so late. We find it fascinating that no matter where we’re speaking, there is great overlap in the questions posited by teens and older singles. There is definitely a universality in heart desires of image bearers—regardless of ethnicity, socio-economics, etc.
The older singles group on Sunday night had plenty of questions for us.
Amani and Aimee with their two daughters. Not pictured are their two sons. Such a lovely, beautiful family.
In between that very packed schedule, we did manage to squeeze in a dinner with Allan and Ruthann Bosko, friends from family camp whose connection with us dates back to the early 80’s. Until recently they lived in Solvang, but transplanted to Plano to be near their children. We had an early breakfast with Sean and Janelle Willeford, more family camp friends whom we’ve also known for decades. And finally, on our way to the airport for our flight home on Monday, March 9, we had lunch with our niece Stephanie and her girls. It was such fun to catch up with them.
Dinner with Allan and Ruthann Bosko was energizing, even after the all-day marriage conference.
Sean and Janelle Willeford, who are doing missionary work in the Philippines, met us for breakfast and we loved hearing about their kingdom work.
Our niece Stephanie and her daughters joined us for a quick lunch on our way to the airport. How we love this sweet family.
Late on March 9 (midnight to be exact), we returned to Boston and to a world that seemed familiar but which had become drastically unfamiliar due to massive changes to seemingly everything in the 3.5 weeks we were gone.
We were suddenly very aware that our vulnerability was great because we had no real supply of hand sanitizer nor store of toilet paper. And there was none to be found.
We were classified as “elderly” since we’re both over 60 and that seemed . . . well, wrong.
We learned about a new phenomenon called “social distancing” and as we began taking walks in our neighborhood, we experienced it as people changed to the other side of the street to avoid being anywhere near us.
We revamped our calendar with all of the cancellations for the next two months . . . and Paul began spending a lot of time on the phone with United, canceling flights.
We learned that we should “self-quarantine” after traveling 3.5 weeks and being in airports and on planes.
And we got back on the “grid” and found out everything we had been mostly missing. It didn’t take much time before we longed to go back to the bliss of ignorance.
Even as I recapped this trip tonight, it felt very surreal . . . or at least that this must’ve happened months or even years ago, not just 3 weeks ago.
It showcased the speed with which everything has changed.
For the time being, we won’t be “on the move” much. We’ll be social distancing and washing our hands. We’ll avoid stores, malls, and restaurants. We’ll take advantage of the time at home I’ve longed for and deal with accruing stacks and neglected spaces. We’ll finish projects and check “to do” lists.
And we’ll rest in the matchless truth that though everything seems to have changed, He hasn’t.
Though there are many unknowns, He is known and He knows.
And our hope, which has always been vested in Him, will continue to be in Him and in Him alone.