Our Hawaiian Adventure Begins Here

We are now at T-67 days. As in a mere 67 days left to live on the mainland. Sounds like a death sentence? Sometimes it feels like one. And in many ways it is a death. A death to life as we know it and have always known it, especially for our kids. A death to seasons (yes, as in winter, spring, summer and fall). A death to being able to drive 6-7 hours and see any friend or relative within the state of California. But if I focus on this side of our transition for too long, I can easily be overcome by the grief of it all. I've come to the realization that we cannot fully live the life that has been set before us if we keep one foot in the past, constantly lamenting "the way things used to be." While I am prone to do so, I know that for my own good and the good of our family, I must take that foot and take a step across the ocean into our new life with a big fat smile on my face.

Some watch us in awe wishing they, too, were moving to a Hawaiian paradise. For many it has been a dream and will always remain one. This has never been my dream. At least not until November of 2007 when I literally began having dreams that we were moving to Hawaii. I actually had two dreams in which we were making a move to Hawaii and the move was so fast that we had not had time to pack. Needless to say, I was freaking out! Then I had a third dream in which I was talking to our Hawaiian friend, Kawika, and telling him about my previous two moving-to-Hawaii dreams. I asked him what they meant and, though his mouth did not move in true dream fashion, I heard him say, "It's time to get ready." I woke up in a start and also awakened my husband and told him I really believed we were going to move to Hawaii! After ten years of marriage he had come to realize that God seems to speak to me first when our family is about to make a major move. So he listened to my dreams with interest but put them on the shelf, as did I.

In April of this year we were introduced to Jenny & Sully Sullivan on the Big Island by a mutual friend. We learned that they owned 30 acres of land and a special use permit to build a camp on their property. They had been in the process of starting this camp in partnership with Alliance Redwoods in California, however funding fell out for the project and the Sullivans were left wondering what to do next. We began getting to know one another via Skype and quickly sensed a connection with them that we felt was from the Lord. Peter shared with them his vision for a camp-like training center for Christian musicians and their hearts leapt! This was much more along the lines of what they had dreamed of than what they had been pursuing with Alliance Redwoods.

But Peter was not yet convinced that a move to Hawaii was in our future. So, while up in Redding at a pastor's conference, we prayed for God to confirm it one evening as we headed to a dinner with other pastors. We sat down next to a man we had never met. When we asked where he was from, his first words to us were, "Well, I just moved to Desert Hot Springs but I used to live in Hawaii...would you like to take my place?" WOAH! We just started laughing! Not only did this man now live in the small town we lived in for 3 1/2 years, but he was also asking us to take his place in Hawaii! Later we also learned he had a 16-year-old adopted child from a schizophrenic mother, just as we do, and that her name was ILIMA! This is the Hawaiian spelling of the name we have had for our future daughter since 1999, Alyma. As it turns out, Ilima is the name of the flower used to create leis for Hawaiian royalty! When Peter heard this, he had heard enough. It was clear God had put this man in our path to confirm our future move to Hawaii. The very name we had chosen for our daughter was the name of a Hawaiian flower! And, as we know now, she will soon be born in Hawaii!

In August of this year we made the journey to the Sullivan's land for 11 days. I must admit that for the first half of that stay I was in shock. I knew we were going to move there before we even visited, and to be there in person and imagine my life being there was hard to take in! It's beautiful, the weather is great, the people are amazing, what's not to love??? I know we're going to love it, but adjusting to the culture shock is going to take some time! The north tip of Hawaii is a rural hippy zone (in my opinion). Very small-townish. After a visit to the free community pool I felt like I had time warped about 30 years back! The paint, the smells, the fixtures, everything...it was just like visiting the pool I used to go to as a small child! It was hard to believe I could possibly still be in America. There were foods I had never heard of before let alone tried, there were police officers who drove their own personal vehicles with a light on top (I'll have to get used to that one quick!), I often heard a language spoken that I did not understand, and I was a minority just about everywhere I went! I learned quickly that I cannot move to that area thinking I am moving to another piece of America; this really is a whole new world.

During our time in Hawaii we officially made the decision to move there in May or June of 2009. I told Peter and the Sullivans that I was feeling like we would move after the 1st of the year because of a dream I had had in which I was writing our 2008 Christmas letter telling everyone we were about to move. But January of 2009 just didn't seem possible or practical. It fell in the middle of the school year for the kids. We had a lease on our condo until May of 2009 and Peter also had a contract with our church through May of 2009. But, as God has a way of doing, the doors for us quickly closed upon our return to Mammoth. Peter's contract was changed, due to a lack of church resources to pay him, and set to end December 1st. A new tenant was interested in our home and took over the lease as of October 15th. So, really we were left with no choice but to buy one-way plane tickets to Hawaii and we are set to leave on January 6th of 2009.

So, having been there and knowing what I'm getting myself into, I sway from moments of pure excitement to longer moments of intense grief. When Alex cries in sadness over leaving his dear cousins and flying so far away to our new home and new school, I can't help but cry with him. It breaks my heart! I know he's going to love it there. He'll be able to play outside nearly 365 days a year without the threat of snow or cold weather keeping him indoors. And, HELLO, the beach! What 5-year-old boy doesn't love THAT? He's such a friendly guy, I know he's going to easily make new friends...even if he is the only albino boy in his class. :) Peter & I have felt that having him at Mammoth Elementary this year (which has a large Hispanic contingency) has been great preparation for going to school with a class full of Hawaiians.

There are many questions left unanswered and daily I am trying to work out the kinks in every last detail of this move. Where we will live? How will we ship our things across the ocean? Do we ship our car or sell it? So much to think about and so little time! It is clear that we are about to embark on yet another forerunning adventure. Our life is far from dull and we will definitely have great stories for the grandkids someday. It's hard to imagine what emotions I will experience as I sit down on that plane with my family in 67 days. I'm sure it will be intense and surreal all at once. In many ways I'm already on the plane and there's no stopping it now. Take-off is inevitable and our destination is North Kohala.