We had a two-hour layover in Honolulu and of course made a beeline for Starbucks. Mmmm, we never knew a mocha and cappuccino could taste so good!!! We made the quick flight to Kona and arrived at around noon on Sunday (the morning of the same day we left because of crossing the date line). It was such a unique feeling to be back in the states after being gone so long in a foreign country. We got to our hotel and ordered a cheeseburger for lunch. We were actually laughing out loud because it tasted so good!
On Monday, we came to the YWAM base and reunited with all our old classmates that had traveled to other parts of the world. It was so great to see everyone and to hear some of the stories. We had a pretty busy schedule that week of debriefing meetings. On Thursday (Thanksgiving Day), we had a big Thanksgiving celebration on the base and also a "graduation" ceremony. Of course there was turkey and mashed potatoes, but it just wasn't quite the same being away from home.
But then, on Friday, the day we had been anticipating finally came. We flew out of Kona at 8:50 AM for the short flight to Honolulu. We had a six hour layover in Honolulu, so we decided to catch a cab and go visit Pearl Harbor with our extra time. It was a busy day at the visitor center, so we were not able to see the U.S.S. Arizona, but we were able to take a tour of the U.S.S. Bowfin and spend some time in the museums there.
We caught our flight to Seattle and settled in for what must have been the longest 5-hour flight we have ever taken. Angie and I followed through on plans we had made to stick in the iPod and listen to "I'll Be Home for Christmas." Finally, we arrived in Seattle at about 10:30 PM and were greeted by our entire families. We had a belated Thanksgiving with Angie's family on Saturday and an additional Thanksgiving dinner with my family on Sunday. The homecoming weekend was highlighted even more with a snowstorm in Seattle that has continued through this week. What a stark (but welcome) contrast to go from tropical heat and humidity to snow and Christmas music. This week we have been househunting and I have been having some meetings in the city as I prepare to go back to work.
It seems that only now are we truly able to look back on these last months and realize how faithful God has been to our family as we have been on this adventure. This will be an experience for the four of us that I know will be foundational for our family’s future, whatever that may be.
We plan to continue to update this blog on some kind of regular basis, although likely less frequently than we have on this trip. We sign off from this phase of the journal of our adventure with a prayer for all our friends and family and for those that we don't know that may have been following our blog:
When I think of all this, I fall to my knees and pray to the Father, the Creator of everything in heaven and on earth. I pray that from his glorious, unlimited resources he will empower you with inner strength through his Spirit. Then Christ will make his home in your hearts as you trust in him. Your roots will grow down into God’s love and keep you strong. And may you have the power to understand, as all God’s people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep his love is. May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great to understand fully. Then you will be made complete with all the fullness of life and power that comes from God. Now all glory to God, who is able, through his mighty power at work within us, to accomplish infinitely more than we might ask or think. (Ephesians 3:14-20)
No rest for the weary on the plane
Swarming the Starbucks in the Honolulu airport
The best a cheeseburger has ever tasted
Our team giving a report to the rest of the base
Thanksgiving dinner in Hawaii
Aboard the U.S.S. Bowfin at Pearl Harbor
Hmmm, can we drive this home?
Finally home in a snowy Seattle reunion with cousins Maddy and Isaac
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