Home sweet home after five weeks of travel, which took us from Massachusetts to California to Hawaii to California to Massachusetts.
We returned this week to a house adorned with fall decor and with calendars turned to the month of October, reminding us that we’ve been gone a long time! After flying to Northern California on Oct. 25 and spending five days with Windsor Christian Church speaking at a myriad of events, we landed in Kona on Halloween and began a three-week partnership with Living Stones Church, fulfilling our twice-a-year commitment to spend 2–3 weeks on the island with this church, counseling and speaking.
This was our fourth 3-week period with this wonderful group, and each time our love for the congregation and staff deepens as they become “Ohana.” Admittedly, it’s a pretty sweet place to serve, but as much as we love all of the beauty and recreational opportunities Kona affords, it’s really the relationships that make returning so compelling and fulfilling.
But I’ll confess, just below the relationships are the exclamation points on the end of every day: the sunsets. I’m obsessed with them and rarely miss an opportunity to capture their beyond beauty nature with photos.
So I photograph them. Early and often. I may have more sunset photos than photos of any other single subject among my over 30K photos (in iPhoto alone).
Mainly because sunsets connect me to our Creator. The thought often dominating my mind while being mesmerized by yet another setting sun is “How can anyone disbelieve in Creator God when witnessing His majesty on full display in the sky?” The sky is one of the many places He reveals His light.
All praise is His.
Our time in Kona was launched by Bill and Jeannie Fountain, who hastily put together a lunch date just hours after we arrived, and hours before their departure on a month-long vacation. Bill and Jeannie faithfully serve in many ways at Living Stones Church, including “manning” our book table on Sundays during our stays. They have become dear friends over the past several years and it was such a delight to catch up with them over delicious fish and chips before they set sail.
Bill and Jeannie Fountain are dear friends who serve faithfully at Living Stones Church.
Days later, we spent an evening reconnecting with senior pastor Bill Barley and his lovely bride, Pine. How we’ve grown to love and appreciate Bill and Pine over the years. They are people of deep faith and an unswerving commitment to the authority of His Word, which Bill teaches with integrity and passion. As a team, they are being used by God to make a huge impact on this island by proclaiming that He is the light of the world. We are so honored to be partners with them.
Bill and Pine Barley lead the congregation at Living Stones Church so faithfully and so well.
For the second year in a row, I celebrated another trip around the sun in Kona. Paul threw me a not-surprise, intimate birthday celebration at the home of Bob and Deb Cary (from whom we rent an Airbnb for our lodging) and it was a most delightful evening. Two handmade leis were gifted me, confirming that we were not in Massachusetts for my special day.
The plumeria lei was made by Andrew West and the crown lei was made by Pine Barley. I felt duly honored and loved.
“Ohana” friends who helped me celebrate my birthday.
The setting sun reflecting on the eastern sky. Breathtaking!!
On one of our hikes along the Ala Kahakai Trail, we stopped by the “under reconstruction” Kona Village to visit our friend Mike. His incredible talents as an artist and a sports enthusiast have uniquely equipped him to be the artistic/aesthetic director of the waterfront concession at this massive project and it was fun to see the progress made since our last visit in March.
Mike took time to give us a grand tour of the progress at Kona Village.
The rugged, lava shelf that makes the shoreline along most of the Kona coast is fascinating and quite a study in volcanic geological formations.
This monk seal had found a shady napping spot on the beach at Makalawena, one of our favorite hiking destinations.
On Sunday, Nov. 6, we spoke at the Pine Trees campus of Living Stones Church. Doing the first of a two-part series on “Relationship Lessons from the Life of Daniel,” we loved being back with this youthful, vital, passionate congregation. Comprised mainly of young families, their thirst and hunger for spiritual truth and direction is palpable. Assistant pastor Daniel Lehman and his wife, Esther, have done a great job leading the church while lead pastor Ryan Burns and his family have been on a three-month sabbatical.
We so enjoyed working with Assistant Pastor Daniel Lehman and his wife, Esther, at the Pine Trees campus of Living Stones Church.
Daniel and Esther were part of the worship team the morning we taught at Pine Trees.
We did 4 full days of counseling over two weeks for the congregations at large, and those days were interspersed between many speaking events.
It was a great joy to again speak to the senior high youth group on the subject of relationships. We were very encouraged by the engagement of the students, who thoughtfully listened and interacted when appropriate. Christian and Jodi Coetzee are so effectively leading the youth and we love working with them.
Jodi writes: “We are so grateful for Paul and Virginia who recently shared with our High School Youth Group and Youth Adults Group at Living Stones Church. They brought Biblical truth in love to tough topics such as purity, gender identity, and relationship. It's a breath of fresh air in the current culture. The feedback was universally positive. On a personal level, they counseled us as a couple with children on how to manage ministry, marriage, and family in a healthy way. We grew so much from their wisdom and encouragement. Thank you Paul & Virginia! “
Christian and Jodi Coetzee lead the youth ministry at Living Stones and are doing a great job.
The Coetzees’ daughter, Jaycee, leads worship for the senior high youth group and it was very worshipful and inspiring.
A marriage conference was held the weekend of Nov. 11 and 12, and though not as well-attended as hoped, the couples who came were very positive and appreciative. It’s one of our greatest joys to hear of discouraged couples being encouraged, of hopeless couples embracing hope, and of good marriages pressing to the next level of goodness.
After everyone had departed from the marriage conference, we grabbed this photo with Living Stones staff, who are all so supportive and encouraging.
Sunday the 13th we taught at the three morning services at Living Stone’s Ali’i Drive campus. Since the church building itself only holds around 100, most of the seating on Sundays is on the lawn, under tents. The setting is impossible to beat: right on the water, with the rhythmic sound of waves hitting the shore providing background music. Wisely, the seating faces the church building, and not the ocean. The speaking would surely fall on deaf ears were it reversed.
We repeated the Daniel part 1 sermon at this campus, setting up both campuses to hear Part 2 on Nov. 20, and we each had great interaction with congregants following each of the services. We spent the afternoon with new our new friends Diana and Peter, who regularly extend radical hospitality in their home. There were about 30 lunch guests that day!! And they do this every week. Inspiring.
Before and after teaching on Nov. 13, we greeted many as we stood behind our book table.
The outdoor seating is the choice of most.
The inside fills up quickly.
Pete and Diana host dozens of people every Sunday after church. They exercise “radical hospitality” a la Rosaria Butterfield (author of “The Gospel Comes with a House Key”).
We were delighted to spend a morning with the Living Stones’ Church staff teaching on temperaments, and had a high-energy time filled with laugher and many “Ah ha!” moments. Many expressed how very helpful and clarifying it was.
Pastor Bill writes, “I've attended seminars and taken several personality/temperament tests before, but the session Paul and Virginia had with our staff was the best ever. Their insight and experience set this temperament workshop apart from any other.”
Since we were last here, Jodi and Christian have launched a new ministry to singles, ages 18–28. We were honored to speak at their third monthly meeting on Saturday evening, Nov. 19. Christian grilled salmon and sausages on the outdoor bbq for dinner, and after Jodi led a fun mixer for the 30 attendees, we spoke on relationships. We were so encouraged by great questions and good interactions during our talk, but even more by the aftermath. The last group, a table of six women, left at 9 after having a “round table” discussion with me during which they drilled me with very thoughtful questions. We left buoyed with hope by the sanity of this group who seemingly haven’t been confused by the craziness of the popular culture around them.
Christian and Paul having a grill side chat.
Jodi and Christian welcome the crowd and introduce an ice breaker.
We taught together, but I snuck away to take this photo.
We taught at the three services at the Ali’i Drive campus of Living Stones on Sunday the 20th and were livestreamed into the Pine Trees campus. Very satisfying to our souls are the relationships which continue to deepen with each of our prolonged visits, but it was a very special gift to spend some time with two women in particular, both of whom served with us at Campus by the Sea in the late 70’s: Linda Bartel Dismukes, who also went to school with me at San Diego State, where Paul was our IVCF staff worker; and Karen Ellison, who served as the Dining Room Hostess in 1978. Both of them now live on Kona. So much shared history. So much encouragement in seeing their faithfulness to Jesus as they serve Him on this island. God is so good!!
Linda Bartel Dismukes and Karen Ellison both worked with us at CBS in the 70’s. Such a rich shared heritage!
One more highlight of our time in Hawaii came in the form of our dear friend, Wendy Turney (she is the water colorist who painted the cover of “The Family Table Cookbook” and well as many interior illustrations). Wendy joined us for 4 days during our last week on the island and we enjoyed every minute of our time together. She has a beautiful heart and spirit and is very sensitive and “easy” to have around and to be around. We had lots of fun taking short walks (she’s not a hiker), watching beautiful sunsets, sharing great meals, and exploring (for her) a new island. Pure joy!!
Wendy has been in our life since the early 80’s and we love her deeply.
We flew to California on Monday, the 21st, and spent the next week in Riverside with Lisa, helping her host her first Thanksgiving in her home. During the days leading up to Thanksgiving, we spent several hours over lunch with our treasured mentors, John and Grace Tebay, and after we left that “sacred” time, Paul and I both expressed regret that we hadn’t recorded their wisdom. At 90 and 87, they are sharp and almost fully functioning. Most of all, they continue to be veritable founts of wisdom and we drank it in. How blessed we are to have them in our lives.
John and Grace Tebay are truly “salt of the earth” and we are so blessed by their saltiness.
Lisa and I met up with my sister Melissa for coffee one morning and it was great to catch up with her. Since she transplanted from San Diego to Oregon, visits are few and far between so we happily took advantage of her trip to San Diego over Thanksgiving to connect with her. Sweet fellowship.
My sister Melissa, Lisa, and I enjoyed a couple of hours over coffee catching up with one another.
Thanksgiving at Lisa's brought together a delightful group of students, including a young woman from France and a young man from Mexico. Besides sharing a traditional turkey dinner with all the fixins’, we shared stories of Thanksgivings past and of hopes for the future. The conversation was lively and the sense of community profound. So much to be thankful for.
Lisa hosted Thanksgiving for this group of students and truly, a good time was had by all.
Lisa was thrilled to use some dishes inherited from her paternal grandmother (and augmented by yard sale finds), which made a beautifully set table.
Friday we welcomed a visit from our “chosen family” friends John and Marilyn Nugent, who joined us for Paul’s yummy bbq’d ribs. Lisa gave them a tour of California Baptist University (where she teaches) and of her home (it was their first time there). Conversation was non-stop from their arrival to their departure.
Lisa gives John and Marilyn Nugent a tour of CBU.
An early morning sunrise hike up Mt. Rubidoux in Riverside starts the Sabbath off right.
Continuing with meaningful meals, Jim and Jodi Dickert joined us for lunch after church on Sunday. Jodi and Lisa first met when Jodi was doing graduate school and Lisa was an undergrad at University of the Pacific back in 2001. They’ve been loyal friends through the decades, and now are colleagues at CBU, both teaching in the health sciences department. In our family, we share friends, so Jim and Jodi have become very dear to us through the years. It was great to catch up over lunch.
Jim and Jodi Dickert joined us in our freshly decorated-for-Christmas house for lunch.
That evening, Jim, Lorita, and Jen Granger joined us for dinner. More “chosen family friends,” Lorita and Lisa were colleagues at UCLA, and Jen and Lisa were roommates for a year. It would be hard to find better friends than these. Besides dinner, we toured the Festival of Lights at the Mission Inn to celebrate the first Sunday of Advent. That tradition never disappoints.
Jim, Lorita, and Jen Granger are friends that make merry wherever they are.
On our last night with Lisa, Wendy Turney joined us for dinner and a return to the Mission Inn Festival of Lights. We loved seeing them again, especially because we were able to tour the lobby of the Mission Inn this time (it was closed to non-guests the night before). The display of lights is so beautiful. What a great way to launch this season, during which we celebrate the Light of the World who comes in a manger.
Wendy joined us for our “last supper” with Lisa on this trip.
After overnighting at Wendy’s home in Orange County Monday night, we boarded a flight in Long Beach and made it home in time for me to lead the Patriot wives study first thing Wednesday morning. It was so good to be back with the ladies!
And now: the Christmas “to do" list is long and threatens to overwhelm me as we prepare to host our family reunion in Massachusetts this year, but we’re determined to focus on Him, as He sheds light on what is most important. He makes all the difference. His light dispels the darkness that seems all-consuming in the world around us. Light is the true enemy of darkness and our prayer is that we’ll faithfully share His light, knowing it will drive out the darkness that stifles His heart and design for marriage and family. How blessed we are that His light has made all the difference in our lives. Praying that we will all walk in His light, not just during this holiday season but throughout the year.
