Namaste and Aloha

 

With only one full week of lecture left before Thanksgiving, the anticipation of outreach is rising. Christmas music is replaced with an online Nepali hit radio station and the excitement of the realization that we are about to embark on a journey of a lifetime is only slightly soiled by a second realization that we will miss each other as we go our separate ways; India, Nepal, The Philippines.
Our group of thirteen will fly out of Honolulu on December 7th and arrive in Kathmandu, Nepal sometime after that. I'm not very detail oriented. Apparently the runway at Tribhuvan International Airport is especially harrowing due to it's steep uphill grade and dramatic drop-off into the Himalayan Valley below. Harrowing is just another word for fun.

Team Nepal after a 5am hike up Koko Head.

"And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work." 2 Corinthians 9:8
This past Monday during our worship service, an announcement was made that three students in the School of Biblical Studies needed a combined amount of several thousand dollars to continue their studies here at YWAM Honolulu and that it was due immediately. So, we took an offering. Let me preface this testimony of God's provision with a generalized statement: nearly no one has extra cash just laying around that isn't accounted for. College students are "broke" and YWAM students are "broker." After the money was collected and counted the total came to just over $3,100. I was astonished and bewildered. How could we have possibly raised so much money in just ten minutes? Of course I've rationalized this little miracle in my mind and come up with reasons and explanations that make sense, but the timeless truth illustrated on that Monday morning is that God provides; plain and simple. The SBS students are still here studying away, no one is without food or clothing and our little YWAM family has grown both in faith and friendship. And there are so many other stories just like that.

The "Hawaii" makes it taste better.

So, thank You God for taking care of us and providing a way to do Your will. And thank you to everyone back home and everywhere else that has blessed me specifically with encouragement and prayers and funds. You are very dear to me and extremely appreciated.
Something that has been a pressing matter on my mind is the fact that many of my friends with whom I am no longer close, but still connected, don't really know what my life is about because at one time or another I was probably dishonest about who I was and kept certain things hidden because I was afraid of being disliked. Sometimes I don't really know what my life is about...but I would like to take this opportunity to shed some clarity on what has happened since high school and why I'm here doing what I'm doing, and what exactly that is.

Manoa Valley as seen from atop its surrounding ridge. Home.

Basically, in school I should have been one of those kids that stands and prays around the flagpole on National Day of Prayer, but I didn't because I wanted friends. I should have been that kid that never swears or cusses and actually prays before he eats his lunch but never did because I wanted acceptance. I should have been that kid that stands up for the bullied and loves the bully because that's what Jesus did, but I didn't because I wanted to be cool and Jesus wasn't. I went to church and youth group; I played drums on the worship team and that tiny piece of myself that was actually committed to God, I kept hidden because I was afraid of being weird. Well, this is me being weird.

A year after high school, I did drugs. A year after that I got caught, thought I was going to die, went to the hospital, lost my parents' trust, ruined a bunch of friendships, realized something was wrong and before Christmas of 2011, rededicated my life to Christ and am now a Christian once again. Meaning... I'm now completely perfect in every way and have the right to judge everyone else who isn't perfect? FALSE. I'm exactly like everyone else, imperfect and in need of some drastic help from God who is the only one with the right to judge anyone.
2012 was a tough year. I was a drummer in a Christian band, I worked at a Christian summer camp and I experienced a lot of undulation, which is just a ten letter word for "ups and downs". I took a year off from school and tried to figure out my future: what to study, where to study it and how I was going to afford it. Lo and behold, summer of 2013 rolled around and guess who still hadn't figured out his future...

One of the many scenic beaches on Oahua.

After a series of divine instances and events I had this really cool idea to go to Honolulu and do this "Discipleship Training School" which essentially trains you to be a missionary. So here I am almost halfway through and loving every minute of it.
I've lived my life believing lies like, if I'm a blatant Christian then I won't have friends. If I'm bold about my faith, people won't like me or accept me. If I tell people about Jesus they won't think I'm cool. Well, the joke's on me because since I've put my identity in Christ and proclaimed His lordship over my life, I've fostered life-long friendships and been blessed with the acceptance from not only family and friends but also from God, the all-powerful Creator of the heavens and earth. And on top of all that, I actually am a gnarly guy.

A Monkeypod tree. Brice's favorite tree.

My relationship with God isn't just about my petty issues with acceptance and self-worth (thank goodness). Because having friends is nice, but it's not as important as I once thought it was. My relationship with God is about so much more like eternal life, freedom, love, a massive global mission, blessing, joy, peace, fulfillment, and most importantly it's about you. You're called to be a part of God's kingdom, you're called to be royal sons and daughters of the most high King. Jesus didn't die for just some people, He didn't rise up from death to reign over a tiny kingdom of just a few select people. He died for everyone, He died for you because He loves you. He created you to be exactly the way you are for a specific purpose that becomes a reality after you commit your life to Him. You're not called to pain and strife and mediocrity, sadness, depression, anger, confusion, stress, sickness, sin. If you have questions just ask me and I might not be able to answer them but I would still love to talk to you!


If you're reading this last paragraph, thank you very much for either skipping down to the end or possibly reading the post in its entirety. Thank you again for your support, I can't express to you how much the rest of my life will be impacted because of your generosity. Peace be with you forever and always. -Brice