Palm Sunday: Enter...Jesus

These pictures are taken by 2 of our students...I wish we could take these kind of pictures but we are so grateful for all the pics taken by our students

Can you believe it is Palm Sunday? Easter or Resurrection Sunday more appropriately named is a week away. It is so easy to be swept away into our own business, and let another Resurrection Sunday pass. Instead I pray that you allow this week to be a launching point that radically changes your life. You may already know Jesus Christ as your personal Savior, make sure He's Lord over your life. You may already know Him as Lord, make sure you know Him as Savior. You can't have one without the other. Even those who know Christ and having been walking with Him, can still die to things about themselves and know Him in a more deep and intimate way.

Our students at SONLIFE have been working hard at dramas, signing, hulas that all point to Jesus Christ being Savior. We pray that the Holy Spirit solidifies the Lordship in all of our lives as well.

Well David and I had a great time with my Grandma. We were able to show her little bits of our lives in Hilo. My folks left yesterday all nice and toasted. We keep trying to convince them to move out here. But believe it or not, as of now, they do not have another trip planned yet...that could change in the matter of seconds.

Yesterday we had a huge Garage Sale/Car Wash and raised almost $1200. We of course need a lot more trying to send almost 20 people, however, God is providing in some incredible ways and we are so thankful for the parents who are helping plan large group fundraising opportunities.

This week should be a little less busy (I always think that, and it never is the case). I'm trying to get over a head cold...yuck! I think this is the first time I have been really sick in our marriage, and I have an amazing husband who has been waiting on me hand and foot which I am so thankful for and I think has led to my speedy recovery. David and I are going to help take care of our friend's mother/mother in law (for Art). Art and Donna are celebrating their 25th wedding anniversary and we have the privilege of being with Mamacita while they are gone, we are looking forward to that. After they get back we move to another house where we will be chilling with some of our youth students while their parents are in Oahu. Not babysitting (because they are old enough to take care of themselves) but what a wonderful opportunity to spend some time together with 2 of our students.

We are very blessed! We pray you are too!

Let us know what God has been doing in your life

kelsey.poole09@yahoo.com

david.poole09@gmail.com

David and Kelsey

busy busy

Aloha friends and family,
Gosh, it's been a while since I last gave you all the update. Let's just say it has been pretty busy here on the Big Island.
A few weekends ago we had a group of Bethel students come and stay with us. They were coming to recruit/be counselors for a Missionary church camp in Oahu. It was so good to see familiar faces, and even meet a new freshmen. I love when people from different backgrounds and different majors unite to 1)recruit for Bethel but 2) most importantly devote an entire week to share Jesus Christ to teens from all over the islands! I pray their efforts were fruitful.

David then launched into his own spring break activities with our hmc teens. We started off with a pi retreat on March 14...I'll let you figure that one out (answer is below). He, along with some parents and leaders, took the kids to the beach on Kona side, while I sadly had to work, *sigh*. What was great about the retreat was that we had about 4 new faces show up, we love meeting new teens! David then had beach Olympics at Bayfront Tuesday. My husband came home nice and toasty after two days from being in the sun. Wednesday we had a family movie night at the dollar theatre where we watched the Blindside. If you have not seen this movie, it is a MUST SEE! What an excellent movie. David and I looked at each other and said, "We want to have hearts/compassion/sacrifice like that family".

My parents and Grandma are currently here visiting. We realized after them, we don't have anyone visiting until our Bethel interns in May. So if you are longing for that vacation with sunshine, white sand beaches, and surf...well Hilo may not be for you (that is Kona side). But if you are longing for beautiful ocean, black sand beaches, and awesome fellowship...well we'd love for you to come visit!

Prayer requests!
-Strength especially in my job (it requires a lot of time and energy)
-Communication and Direction for HMC youth
-A house to live in/ not an apartment one that allows us to have our teens over and allows us to have a pet
-A Bethel semester abroad opportunity starting Jan 2011 (maybe?)
-More youth leaders/worship leader for the youth group
-God reveals himself in a real way to us, and to our youth

Love you all!
Email us
David and Kelsey

Bethel visitor and movie set all in one weekend

Whew, what a busy week! Where do I begin? Well David and I had our first Bethel visitor *drum roll please* Joel Runyon come visit us Thursday night through Saturday night. And what fun we had! After work David and Joel went diving, and as the story goes they shot a puffer fish...why shoot a puffer fish you environmentalists ask? I don't know, you'll have to ask my husband. Friday after work I brought home pizza, and we just sat around and talked. I was about ready to talk them into going to go see a movie, when they came up with this brilliant and strange idea of camping and seeing the stars at the top of Mauna Kea. Well, I'll let you guess what we did between movie and camping/stars? Yep, you guessed it, camping and stars. We actually had a really great time. We got as close to Mauna Kea as we could and watched the stars for about 45 min in sub zero degree temperatures...ok...not that bad but super cold! Looking at the vast universe with the millions of stars led to some incredible conversation. God is so BIG and we are so small was our ultimate conclusion. It really was an incredible time. We then made our way down to Kona side where we parked and the three of us decided to camp in the back of our Ford explorer. It made for an interesting and cramped night. Saturday we went to the beach and snorkeled and threw the frisbee, watched the dophins, went grocery shopping at Cosco and spent way too much money, played tourist with Joel as our tour guide, and had a fabulous dinner (says the cook).
Sunday was a very busy day for us. We had youth group, our college/jr/sr small group and David went Noni picking and I went to Oahu. David and I felt that we haven't spent enough time away from each other that another weekend apart would be fantastic (please note the sarcasm). David and the students raised a lot of money in just one day for the Colorado trip...hurray! I went to Oahu to meet my dad since he was invited by Sony to be on set of a new film being made called Soul Surfer, a story about Bethany Hamilton's life. For those of you who don't know, Bethany Hamilton when she was 13 lost her arm in a shark attack while surfing. 3 weeks after the losing her arm, she was back in the water...surfing. She now, at age 20, is ranked the 14th best female pro surfer in the world. Pretty cool stuff. I had the privilege of hanging out with the producers, promotion guys, media experts, and the entire Hamilton family including her youth pastor, Sarah Hill, who had tremendous influence in Bethany's life. Meeting Sarah was probably my favorite part of the whole trip. She was genuine and so passionate for the Lord, I could see how the Holy Spirit has used her life to influence others. We exchanged phone numbers and hope to do some youth ministry together in the next few years. Oh, I almost forgot, I joined all the media-guys for an all expense paid surf lesson by instructors and Bethany Hamilton. Needless to say I am in so much pain today. I didn't know I had some muscle in my arm, shoulder, back, and neck...ouch!
Well it's back to work for both David and I (although he worked Monday as I took surfing lessons). We would ask that you join us in prayer for next week especially. David has planned a 3-day SPRING BREAK event, and we want to see new students come, old students come, fun, safety, and most importantly that the Holy Spirit would come in and radically transform and convict all of us in supernatural ways.

We are also having a big drug problem with our neighbors next door. I'm beginning to think that we need to move, and move in the next month. So God has to open up affordable and practical doors for us to move in Hilo and prefferably a house that allows us to have a pet.

We have 4 Bethel students coming this weekend to recruit for Bethel. Speaking of Bethel, I have a proposal out there to the VP of Bethel, and I've been praying God really opens some doors in the next year with this proposal.

Patience and endurance with my job. Love my client, but there are some things that are getting weary. I need the strength of God each and every day.

If you can't seem to comment on our blog...please email us at kelsey.poole09@yahoo.com or david.poole09@gmail.com

We are always in some need of encouragement and prayer!

David and Kelsey

tsunami

Just an update...I'm too exhausted to write much more...it was an early morning

WE ARE FINE. We did have tsunami, but minor, no damage. It was pretty incredible to watch the water at around noon today...

Thank you for your prayers, I'll try to find the time to give you more of an update...but we are fine...David was on Kauai and I was not near the ocean here in Hilo

it's been a while

Whew, well hello, I'm back again.

It has been a busy couple weeks. Some of you I saw just this past week in the snowy and very cold state of Colorado. But before I get there...let me back up...

Friday, Feb 12, we had a Valentine's Day dinner. Let me just say, I am so incredibly proud of our students and my husband. A lot of behind the scenes needed to happen, and my job has me working about 8.5 hours a day, which does not give me much time to do anything else (we are working on that right now). So David, who has not been much of an event planner in the past, did an incredible job down to the detail of getting things set up. That night, the students took over and ran the whole event. They did great! And many compliments were shared; the adults were so impressed with how the students presented themselves...so way to go HMC Sonlife!

David and I then had a very random trip to Oahu. We were suppose to meet my dad for a movie set (a movie called Soul Surfer), but things were postponed, but David and I were left with tickets to Oahu and a hotel in Honolulu...so we went ahead and went. What turned out to be a very expensive Vday had many memories made as well. David and I rented our first working car (email me if you would like that story). We then went and drove around the island. Many of you recieved my texts that we saw John Locke from the TV series LOST...yes, be jealous:) We laid on Waikiki beach, walked downtown Honolulu, watched surfers at Sunset beach, ate delicious shrimp from the shrimp farm...good times:)

David then had a 5 day conference in Oahu and I went to Colorado to visit family and put on a bridal shower for my beautiful cousin/sister getting married in June. While home I saw family, my doggies and horses, went snowboarding with my dad, and ate some really amazing food. We don't have Chipotle in Hawaii, but please don't let that discourage anyone from coming:) However, this was the first time away from my husband for a long time, and I missed him very much. It was so good to see him at the airport on Sunday, picking me up in our God-car, and heading to our apartment which has an ocean view, knowing we both have work Monday...I say all this not to boast in myself, because left unto me or David we would have nothing...nothing of value at least. But because it has been God all the way, and even despite our mistakes He still provides, protects, loves, gives, etc...we are Amazed at God's goodness. So I say all that to brag on God, He has been so good to us, and we are so blessed!

Hope to see you soon on the Island,

DAVID AND KELSEY

prayer requests:

Colorado Trip-financing for us and our students, a dorm to stay all together, a 15 passenger van or transportation for 15, and safety, and most importantly for God to impact our students in an incredible way...First hand experience!!!!

David heads to Kauai for another conference this weekend, then I head to Oahu for the movie set the weekend after...so good and sweet time together...when we are together

My job...trying to move back into the school setting...but needing wisdom and clarity if that is the right thing to do...but still blessed that I have work

Working on a proposal that could impact this island, church, maybe my job, and those who are a part of this proposed idea in an incredible way

We are wanting to move into a new apartment or better yet a house soon...maybe based on this proposal...but some specifics...at least 2 bedrooms, a great place to host youth and other people, safe neighborhood, good parking, pets allowed, and affordable!

Thanks for joining in our prayers!

Aloha everyone!

Just a quick update from my seminar to post some pics from O'ahu thus far. Hope you all enjoy!

Kelsey and I spent some time here on O'ahu for Valentines since I had this seminar and she was travelling back to see family in Colorado. Other than Honolulu side, I really enjoy being on this island.

This seminar has been really good so far. I feel that this idea of true, transformational discipleship is what I have been longing for and desiring to do. I am really seeking the Spirit as to how it needs to be done, but that will come.

Hopefully I will get some more time to post some long awaited pics from when the Waliszewski's were out, as we visited Hapuna and Waipio Valley that I finally put on the computer.

Blessings

the dentist office

**the little girl picture is me at 2 years old. My aunt Susan sent it to us and David said he would us it as blackmail. But I figured if I could confidently display this on a public blogging site, it can no longer hold as blackmail.

Well hello there:

I'm here at HMC church writing while David is just right out the door practicing a drama with our teens that they are performing during Easter. I have to admit, these teens are amazing. They have dedicated an entire day (9am-6pm) to practicing for the Easter production, and they are good!

So, I know it's been a little while, but let me catch you up with life. I'm going to start by talking about my Hawaii dental experience. I know you are on the edge of your seats for this story, but patience my friend...

So yesterday I went to the dentist. Let me tell you, Hawaii dentistry is thorough and very painful. But I've never seen a dentist office so efficient with their time and on schedule. They ushered me into the first room, where I had over a billion Xrays taken, ok, not that many but I don't know how many times I heard "Open you mouth just a little bit wider, now it's going to pinch, wait there...hold it" as they run to click the button while you are sitting there with cardboard sticking out of your mouth feeling like you might gag at any moment. Anyone been there with me? Well I then saw the actual dentist, I nice man who explained the procedure of checking my gums as he showed me a needle device about 1 1/2 inches long. I panicked, "That device is going in my gums?" Well not quite but close, that man poked at my gums checking for swelling and bleeding...I thought, well yeah of course they are going to swell and bleed if you are poking me with that...but he proceeded to continue, I guess he knew what he was doing:) Then they ushered me into another room where a jovial lady was waiting to finally clean my teeth. This lady was the sweetest lady until she started cleaning my teeth. Ruthless, that's all I have to say. It took 24 hours for my mouth to finally feel normal again. Well why am I sharing this with you? As I always do, I see Christian parallels from normal life situations. Although the whole dental experience was quite uncomfortable and painful, and I questioned the mental capacity of a man poking me with a needle, my teeth turned our clean and my mouth more healthy. I just wonder if that's what it's like with God when we ask him to clean us out and "purify us". It's uncomfortable and then becomes quite painful, we begin questioning Him looking to other things to relieve the pain, but in the end it is totally worth it. We are pure, we are clean!

So I hope you enjoyed my little story.

We have a very busy week ahead of us. My R.D. from Focus on the Family Institute is coming to visit on Tuesday. I'm really excited to catch up with her.

God has given me a passion and a vision for a college opportunity here on the islands. I'm not sure how it's going to happen, but I've had a few conversations with people and it seems I'm not the only one who shares the passion...we'll see what God has in store.

David is staying busy. He's busy planning a Vday dinner for our youth group Feb 12, he then goes to a week conferene in Oahu and then the following week has a 2 day conference in Kauai...gosh, I wish I had his job:) But I'm blessed because he's letting me go visit Colorado for a few days 15-21, so I'm looking forward to seeing family!

Our biggest youth project is the Colorado Trip for the Desperation Conference, helping the homeless ministry, and some fun!. We are needing to help these students fundraise and we are praying for a great deal on tickets (group rate). If you would like to help sponsor a teen to go to Colorado (they are looking to fundraise 1000/child) please send a check to ($5, 10, 15, 20, 50 would be a tremendous help): If you are from Hawaii and would like to partake in Rent a Teen (hire a teen for teen labor) please call Pastor David.

Hilo Missionary Church

attn: David Poole/Colorado Trip

1044 Komohana Street

Hilo, HI 96720

by the way this is the fish pic, and yes david actually ate it...but he's alive and still breathing, so that's the good news.