From one adventure to another...

I am home again. The outcome from the trip was overall good:

Physically: I should be disease and parasite free by early next week. Total weight loss from leaving home to returning home was 25 pounds (For those of you who gave me money for extra food, Thank you SO MUCH!).

Emotionally: It has been a time of ups and downs, but overall good. I had a little post-experience blues, but after some sleep, food, prayer, and a little time, I'm feeling better. Still a bit drained from the experience.

Spiritually: DEFINATELY a time of growth. The begining of the trip I had a tough time. Although I prayed about it, I didn't truly surrender it all to God and trust in His Goodness. As time went on, and things got worse, I learned more and more how to surrender to God and turn to Him for strength to make it through the hard times, instead of whining to Him to take them away when they come. Still learning how to hear His voice. Still growing.

Financially: Overall blow to my bank account: FATAL! So this week I'm praying about direction where God wants me next. If I don't hear anything soon, I'll be looking for a job soon. I hope to go to alaska in September to make some money, and to have another brief adventure. But everything is in God's hands as I wait on His direction.

Overall: I am doing good. This week is my recouperation week. I hope I will be rested and ready to go next week, but I'm not going to push myself too soon. I feel better now, but i'm still a little weak, and tired. But overall I am doing well, and getting better.

I plan on keeping my blog up to date as things happen. I can not thank you enough for the support you all gave me these last months. I couldn't have gone in the first place without your financial support....and I don't know how much more weight I would have lost without the extra bits and pieces along the way for food. I know I couldn't have made it even through the first month emotionally or spiritually without your prayers. And my heart would have been crushed without your love that you have had for me through all this. Many people on my team did not have support in any form from back home, and went home to rough situations...it helped me to see how fortunate I really am.

Who knows what my next adventure will be? I know some of you in Kona are praying that I return there to staff a school...The answer is the same: you'll have to pray extra hard. Those of you here at home, and up in Bellingham who are praying that I return to you, Of course I love you...and of course, i'm torn in deciding...which is why God told me not to decide. I will do whatever God tells me, this does not affect my love for you. Whatever my adventure, and wherever I am (whether a cubical in tacoma, or a jungle in Naviti) I will always love you and do my best to keep you updated on my life. I am more greatful than you may ever know for all you have done for me...so thank you for being a part of my life and my adventures.

Joel

HOME!!!

I made it home safe and sound...one of my bags broke and thus some souveniers did as well...but i'm home! I'll write more soon. Feel free to call or email me if you want to hang out or chat.

On American Soil!

That's right folks, I left at midnight Fiji time and arrived 14 hours later in kona to meet our staff which was excited to see us. They, however had full nights of sleep, whereas we are tired, hungry, and desperate to have a warm shower. So after we had a brief meeting everyone has basically spent the whole night alone. Rachael is right about me having a juxtaposition of emotions. Happy to be back, sad to leave it behind, eager to see my old friends, reluctant to leave my new friends, etc. So tonight I sleep on a matress after I have a good shower and use a toilet that flushes with the press of a button. Man life is easy here...so why does it always feel so hard?

Coming to America!!!

We leave nadi (fiji) tonight at 11:59(why don't they just say midnight...honestly!) so we'll arrive tomorrow afternoon...the only cool part is that we get two WHOLE July 18ths..WHICH happens to be my half birthday...so does that mean two halfs make a whole? I dunno...I think so!

In other news, I have lost so much stuff here in the islands (*including a lot of weight) that I am down to a couple shirts and one pair of jeans, one pair of shorts and a sulu. I think I have more in kona...at least I hope so...but we'll see if it fits. I talked to a chemist (known in america as a pharmasist) yesterday and got some parasite pills, but she didn't think that worms would explain my drastic loss of weight so fast. She thinks that most likely i'm malnurished...but that wouldn't make sence because I ate what everyone else ate and some of them gained weight!

I fly to Washington state late on the 24th and I plan on having a pool party on Sunday July 30th starting around noon, so I would love to see you all...bring something to munch on if you can. I definately have some stories to tell and hopefully pictures to show...it depends on if I get them printed and sorted in time. I mailed a bunch of my souveneers yesterday and didn't ask until later how long it would take to get home....2 MONTHS! Ooops. Well I have to get another Sulu because I lost mine. My cell phone should work once I charge it. I will try to call some of you when I get a chance...

keep praying for me to hear God's voice because I don't know what He wants me to do when I get back, He just keeps telling me not to make any plans. I just haven't been hearing His voice too clearly...the whole changing of everything in my life again is cluttering my thoughts. I can't believe I'm leaving tonight. Thank you for your prayers.

Gunu Village

Last night I returned from Gunu village in the Yasawa Islands (Fiji). It was definately an adventure. We are now in Nadi until we leave tuesday night for Kona, Hawaii. Our time here and Kona will mostly be reviewing what God has taught us, how to apply it into our lives, and reminding us what "civilization" is like. Our time in gunu village was fun. We crammed into small houses with no electricity, and slept on concrete floors, and gathered food from the "bush" and fish from the sea to eat. It was truly "roughing it". I left my guitar with the family we stayed with and my Buck knife with my friend Amosi(who wanted to give me his beach to build a resort because I graduated from college.) I hope to go back one day...but I'm going to bring a matress to sleep on...besides that, it was the best possible way to end my time in the south pacific. We're staying at a 'resort' (so they call it) until tuesday...all I care about is that I get a warm shower and somethign soft to sleep on. Man...I'm comming home....soon.

My dissappearance

I leave at midnight tonight. The next 2 weeks I'm going to be in the Yasawa islands in Naviti where they have no electricity...and thus no internet. Please be praying for me. There are some things wrong physically and I've been losing weight regardless of what I eat, and daily I get headaches and dizzy spells. The doctor said to take a tylanol equivilant until I return to the states to figure out what's really wrong. 3 weeks from today i leave to fly home. I would appreciate your prayers for safety, health, and spiritual strength. I'm excited for this journey, just a little nervous about it's outcome. God has been up to something and I see so many puzzle pieces, yet have no idea what the puzzle is of. I look forward to seeing you all in person. I can not express how much your prayers have meant to me.

3 WEEKS LEFT!?>

Vacation wasn’t too bad. It got better...thank you all for your prayers.... My headaches and dizzy spells haven’t gotten any better though. I saw the doctor and she said I might have worms or something else due to my significant weight loss. My ear infection is officially better, yet I still have fluid in my ears and basically I’m going to need a full blown health check up when I get back. She basically said that I will survive until I get home. Keep praying for my health. I’m guessing my weight loss is about 30 pounds since I left home 6 months ago. Not certain though. We were looking through pictures and it’s pretty much obvious that I’ve lost weight.

Today we are supposed to leave for Naviti. However being in Fiji, everyone is on island time and we are not even certain that our boat is leaving today. Nobody is ever in a hurry here. There is a resort, and thus there should be phones, but internet on the island is unlikely. We will be there for 10 days. It will be a day boat ride each way, and then our last 3 days will be in Nadi (nan-dee). We fly to Kona on the 18th of July then home on the 24th. I can not believe that our time is almost over. I am ready to be home…but it is definitely different than being homesick; I’m just ready to be home. I know that I’ll miss the islands. I know that returning home will be hard. I know I will miss everyone. I know that I have had some hard times here, but God met me. All that I have gone through and all that I have learned I want to remain in my heart. I don’t want to forget what God has taught me. Pray that I continue to learn these last few weeks and that I don’t quit before my time is up. I can't believe I only have 3 weeks left....wow...