i am not a writer and i won't pretend to be one in this post . i have never written a blog post but i feel as though i should let some stuff out . I will call this a life between two worlds as this is how i feel .
Every time i leave the US to come to Tonga or from Tonga to the US , there is a great battle in me , that can last a few days ,to a few months . i feel as though i can't move forward in anything that is pressing on my heart . when i come to Tonga i give up my rights to a life in the US , a house ,family ,friends and so on . when i am state side i work as much as possible to try and save to head back to Tonga , to our stick house in the bush , but when i am in NH -MA i fall in love with the amazing people that are there . so i become torn . i am very much attracted to the good life that the US can offer me . when its time to say good bye again . i mostly cant wait to return to the people that i was called to . Back to Tonga . my love for our friends and family in Tonga is very strong , so strong that i can't stay away . but i know its Christ that gives me that type of love .
Every time i return my house and some important things get destroyed or blow away in the wind . So i wipe my eyes , pick up my tools and rebuild . this has created a fear in me that has held me back . i know its silly .. but i get tired of leave the place i was called to , to go to a place where i cant move forward just to be waiting to get back to the place that i will have to rebuild . .
so for the past few years we have been waiting and looking for land to build a camp . Thinking i needed the land to even try to step forward . 2 weeks ago we looked out the front of our bush house and saw we had everything we needed to start this camp . we have a massive cement slab , the second my eyes where open to this , i found so much joy . its like the spirit opened my eyes to see . so this up coming week i will take the money we raised for the warehouse and start getting wood to build Tonga's very first skateboard park . . it will have to be a closed park . which means we cant just let the whole Island come at once or when ever they want . the land we have our house on is a gift to us that we do not want to take advantage of . so please pray that land will present it self to us so we can grow and when i say grow i mean it . this Island and its youth are starving for new things like skateboarding . and also will help the deportees in so many ways . the money we are raising now will help build the ramps and the paint to protect them .
We are so happy to see these thing come in to play and we are looking forward to see them unfold .
so please keep us in your prayers . that we won't give up or give in
Thanks for sharing your heart my dear son in-law. It makes me think of a story in the bible. I think it was Abraham's servants who were digging a well. They would dig and then someone would come along and take the well from them. They then moved to another spot, dug another well and the same thing happened. They did this a number of times till finally no one came and stole their well. Not sure what it all means but God is with you and you are in our prayers !! Love you to the stars and back!!
ReplyDeleteThank you for your sacrifices. The value of a soul is worth it all. Thanks be to God who considered us so valuable that gave His most precious unspeakable gift of Jesus. The enemy whispers that it is not worth it, but Greater is He that is in us than he that is in the world. The picture of these stars says it all. He is able! May He reward you with seeing more of Him & His glory and strengthen you in faith in the inner man. His lovingkindness is better than life. Appreciate your updates so we can better be praying for you.
ReplyDeleteHey Chris its Brad. Just wanted to say I miss ya and love you. And don't give up!
ReplyDeleteI've been thinking a whole lot in the past months about what it means to surrender to God. The thought that I keep coming back to is that everything other than God is just not enough...to chase anything other than God is selling our dreams short because even though so many "comforts" in the world are tempting, we know in the back of our minds that it won't satisfy.
Basically what I'm trying to say is that its better to be serving God, despite struggle and suffering and all sorts of unanswered questions, than to have friends, family, comfort and not have God.
Naw'm sayin man? Miss ya. Say hi to Ashley and the kids for me.
- brad
Hey Chris, I've been in Tonga annually the last three years and first noticed your spot last year and this year the awesome half pipe in place! Decided to google search and found your story. Awesome and inspirational to say the least! I'm still here til Saturday October 1st and will do my best to swing by and say what's up!
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