Pulling Together

Pulling together is such a feel-good idea; and yet, there can be a somewhat painful process which needs to occur for it to be done. Its a process in which you must rid yourself of pride and indifference, and gain the willingness to sacrifice yourself and prefer others. Pulling together has really been the theme of what the time here in Kona has been to this point. There are so many things which need pulling together. In the last 6 weeks, 20 people have been working together to do something we have never done before: to create a publication. This has required us to come together, bringing our photos and stories and deciding what needs to be included. It has been a difficult process selecting only one story per person and writing it in a simple way which will be precise and yet concise at the same time. This time has been ridden with difficult decisions that have needed made. Choosing the overall look of the book, the topics of focus, and the message we want to send. We have all had to make sacrifices about our ideas for what we had envisioned and really come together and pray and see what is God's focus for us at this time.

I too have been on a personal journey of seeking what God's focus is for me for the months after finishing the publication. Currently I'm praying about traveling in Australia for 3 months to speak out publicly about these injustices and get the word out about how people can practically make a difference. I have been taken captive by the friends I have made around the world. Despite their desperate situations and their undeniable and very present physical needs, they have shared with me. They have shared their food: showing me what it means to serve, and their joy - teaching me what it means to truly be grateful, and they have also shared with me their stories and their felt needs. God has laid it heavily upon my heart that these experiences are not mine to hold on to, but to speak out about. The people who were so hospitable to me deserve their stories to be told. I am their voice, crying out, and God says He will hear the cry of the poor and the needy. (Psalm 72:12-14)