Trip to Oahu

We are in O'ahu right now, finishing up our "last" vacation before Baby comes.  It's been such a great time fellowshiping with our parents here while enjoying the beauty of God's creation.  It's been a great time of learning as well.  One thing that's impressed upon my mind after seeing the extent of their ministry here is that ministry is toil.  It's a labor of love, but it is a difficult labor that's done only by the love and strength and grace that the Lord supplies.  We've really seen that our parents here are in a true mission field.  Some might think, "Hawaii?  Mission field?"  But it truly is...the people here need Christ just as any other people do, and they surely need the Word of God to sanctify them to walk in obedience.  I think Mike and I are challenged to pray for our parents' ministries more...both in HI and in DC.  How they need the wisdom from the Word to guide them as they shepherd their flocks.

Here we are after Sunday Service.  Although we missed worshiping with CBC, we were so blessed to be able worship with our parents and their small congregation.  It was truly a sweet time.   The Hawaiian culture is so different from ours in SoCal.  People are so much more laid back...it even reflects in how they dress for church.  Mike and I would never be able to get away with wearing these outfits at our church.  And the only reason why my dad is wearing a tie is b/c he had another function to go to after service.



We also were able to attend a wedding ceremony for a member of their church.  It was my dad's first time officiating and Mike's first time translating a sermon.  They both did a great job!



We also ate...a lot.  Here's the shrimp and squid we had at the Korean shrimp truck coming down from the North Shore.



Here's Mike's fave...spam and rice at McDonald's.



We camped out at the Sheraton Hotel a lot on the Waikiki strip.  I loved their Pina Colada smoothies.  Don't worry, they were non-alcoholic...I wouldn't do that to Baby.



Mike tried chicken feet for the first time today at a Dim Sum place.  I wasn't as brave, but he really enjoyed them!



Besides eating, we also marveled at God's creation...Hawaii is SO beautiful!  We were drop-jawed many-a-time.  God is so creative and reflects His beauty in all that He makes.

Here's Mike at one of the beaches off the North Shore.  The waves weren't as big as they are in the winter, but the water was a clear blue.



Hanauma Bay, really good for snorkeling.  Too much jellyfish that day, so the beach was closed, but we got to take some good pics.  Look at all that coral!



We spent a bit of time at a small beach by Kailua.  Mike taught me how to play dominos here.



We loved the Waikiki strip...so much so that we went there 4 times.  It's a lively place with a long beach area.  The waves there were really calm, but the water was refreshing.





Our parents also took us to some look-out points to city the whole city of Honolulu from up top.  The view was gorgeous.





Here's one last pic.  It rained a lot while we were there.  Here's a rainbow we saw at the wedding.



All in all, so many blessings from this trip.  We were saying how thankful to the Lord we are for our families.  He's given us two sets of parents who love the Lord and who love us so dearly.  I know that we are reaping all the blessings from their years of persistent prayer for us.