In January I will be headed to Hawaii for a month. As I tell people, I get all sorts of reactions, which usually express some sentiment like "Oh, what a rough job." (I'm waiting for the time I'll need to dodge rotten tomatoes.) I suddenly also get many offers of help - even carrying my pack! - and I have been assured that my friends will easily fit into my luggage. Yes, Hawaii is a wonderful destination, but what is the purpose?
The purpose is for students from Messiah College to encounter God, others, self, and creation. It's about knowing God and therefore rooting our identity in what he says about us. It's about traveling together and seeing others as image bearers of God, even when your tentmate's socks fill your sleeping space with a terrible stench. It's about discovering firsthand the intricacies and majesty of God's creation and understanding our roles as caretakers.
So please pray for the instructors and students (and families back home) as we enter a time focused specifically on encountering God and his work in the world and in our lives. Hawaii is incredibly beautiful, but beauty does not remove the challenges of everyday life in the wilderness or the deserts of our inner lives that we must traverse. Thank you so much for your support!
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