life in hawaii {a guest post}

after getting a super sweet comment from a girl named Kimberly, on my other blog,

i checked out her blog and discovered that she lives in hawaii.

i emailed her and explained what i was doing (YWAM - DTS),

that i was going to be leaving maryland to live in hawaii while doing my training,

and asked her if she'd be interested in doing a guest post about hawaii.

it turns out that she actually lives on the island that i'll be staying on,

and she's been to the University of the Nations' campus where i'll be living for 3 months! it's a small world. :)

i love being able to see how God is directing me and using little things

as a confirmation that this DTS is what i'm supposed to be doing.

but enough of my blabbering...enjoy Kimberly's post and lovely photos! :)

~Valerie

This place is dubbed the land of Aloha, pristine beaches, and hula dancers.

At least that's what most people associate with this little dot in the middle the the Pacific Ocean.

However, after having lived here most of my life, for me Hawaii is much more then a vacation getaway.

It's home.

The terrain here is quite diverse for such a small area.
There are mountains, rain forests, beaches, barren lava fields, and green pastures.
One can even admire snow-capped peaks in winter from a sunny beach on the coastline.
(And I certainly won't deny that the beaches here are gorgeous; even after living here for years, the view can still take my breath away).
At times, the water is crystal-clear, the sun is beaming, and the breeze is enchanting.
At other times the atmosphere is stormy, the foamy waves billow, and surfers dot the waters.

 Not only is the terrain unique, but the local lifestyle is also interesting. Many people speak "pigeon" which is a sort of local slang. It can be hard to understand at times; for example, instead of asking "Would you like to go to the beach?" it would go more like, "Eh, you like go beach?" Then there's the food. Locals love to eat poi, which is a purple, pasty food which is made from pounded taro roots. Another popular dish is called lau lau, which is salted pork wrapped in tea leaves and then steamed to perfection.


One of the interesting places on the island is the YWAM base in Kona.
It's a place of worship and spiritual growth, filled with people devoted to spreading the gospel.
The few times I have attended a YWAM meeting, the energy of the worship filled me with joy.
Seeing so many young people gathered to serve Jesus Christ is encouraging and overwhelming all at once.
I am so very excited for Valerie, and know the Lord has amazing plans for her time here!




this blog post is brought to you
by the lovely kimberly.
you can find her over at AMUSING.
go check out her super adorable blog
and leave her some aloha (love)! :)