mommy's visit

Aloha friends, family, and strangers (since this is a public blog),

Wow, what a week! Well, some of you know that my mom came out and spent Wed-Mon with David and I here in beautiful HOT and humid Hawaii! On the way over to Kona to pick her up, David and I had a great time driving a new side of the island. It took an extra half an hour, but we had a great time seeing the beautiful coastline, windows down, driving and talking. For the first time since being here, we ate at a chain restaurant...drum roll please...Outback Steakhouse! Yum! I ate so much food that I felt a little sick actually. That just goes to show you how good the food was! On Thursday we took her to Mauna Kea beach where she swam, literally swam, with the turtles. That night we had a great night with the Youth! Friday we spent some time at the church, and then left David to go to the beach! We both took naps under the shade listening to the waves. Something we both noticed was how families congregate at the beach. Beaches here are not the "show off the bod" beaches...they are a location where families come and play. It's great! Saturday was such a crazy day. After a walk around the neighborhood, we went to a botanical garden, we went to the downtown market, David and my mom snorkeled in a fish sanctuary...funny story there... and went and saw lava flow into the ocean. It was absolutely amazing. All of us on the way home couldn't help but praise the Lord. Looking at beautiful plants, watching fish in the coral habitat, and then in the dark watching orange lava flow into an ocean with the sky lit up with stars...you can't help but know there IS a God!

Sunday we had a great morning with the students talking about worship! We then had a cook off, which the students planned, to unite adults and students. Members of the church signed up to bring a dish (potluck style). We probably had almost 70 people crammed into our upstairs room enjoying great food and fellowship. Well done Mana Akua students! They did a great job planning an event with purpose.

Monday we had to say goodbye, for the time being, to my mom. But before we did that we just happened to go to a place called Waikaloa Hilton Hotel where people can swim with dolphins. Well, we didn't swim with dolphins, but we probably watched these dolphins for over an hour as people swam with them and the dolphins performed. It was incredible. David told us he is going to be a "dolphin trainer by day, a youth pastor by night". All that to say, we were amazed at these creatures. (David had never seen a dolphin before)

Things continue to go well in the youth group. God is putting a lot of pieces together which is really neat to be a part of it all.

Prayers for the Youth Group:

We still need more youth leaders (for a Thursday night outreach)

We need volunteer host homes, haven't announced our need but we are hoping the Lord lays it on peoples hearts (probably for small groups)

And ultimately God's Will be done on earth as it is in heaven!

Our personal prayer requests:

-We think we are moving at the end of the month. We should be signing over the lease tomorrow. It's a "rougher" area, but we really feel the Lord is calling us there for a time being. For safety and protection, but more importantly for favor with the people living there (mainly locals, we are probably two of the few haolis there) and for God to soften people's hearts. We want to see God move in that apt complex

-Our car overheated on the way back from Kona. It's working fine now, but we are taking it in to get everthing checked out just in case. We know it's the Lord's car, so we are just praying this "overheating" is a minor detail

-The moving ordeal

-Friends, close friends

-My job at Tiffe, I think I'm starting the 26th of Oct

-homesickness, I esp feel the desire to go home often, but the Lord is teaching me that Hilo is home for now. And I'm slowly learning to embrace that...it can be difficult

David and I are doing well. We are continuing to learn a lot, esp in the area of communication. He continues to be a great husband and it's so neat to watch him in youth ministry! God is teaching us a lot, and our desire is to never stray from the will of God. We thank you all for praying and continue to pray...harder!

We love emails! We want to know if you are reading our blog...email us at

davidandkelseypoole@gmail.com or kelsey.poole09@yahoo.com.

Just remember to look at the creation around you and know THERE IS A GOD! And not just a god, but a God who loves us so much to send His Son Jesus Christ to die on the cross and to rise from the grave. That by his blood he shed on the cross, he covers our sins, and our hope is to live eternally with Him. What power! What truth!...live the truth!

We love you all,

David and Kelsey