Reflection on Time in O’ahu
Missions is everyday life. The team I was a part of for the outreach portion of YWAM, spent nearly three months in a stunning first-world nation and was shocked by the layers of intricate pain so simply swept around the corner. Being in Oahu for three months meant we could build consistent relationships and continue to follow up with people we met along the way. (I loved this!) I did not know what outreach would look like; sometimes you are only in one place for a week or two before moving on, so being able to follow up with people and help them get plugged into their community was so exciting!
Outreach in Oahu looked different every day. There was never not someone to talk to since we were so close to Honolulu. Some days we worshiped downtown, evangelized, served at food distribution centers, brought donations to encampments, worked with CRU at the University of Hawaii Manoa, served local churches, or got involved in justice ministries tackling trafficking downtown. The three primary ministries we were involved in were working with the homeless, children in public housing and human trafficking.
Oahu also has over 4,500 people living homeless on this little island, according to Hawaii Health Data Warehouse. River of Life is a wonderful ministry operating to serve the people of Oahu. I worked at the same distribution center twice a week, and it was always interesting to talk story with the people we became friends with. River of Life has so many distribution centers across the island. I was working at one on the outskirts of Honolulu; we got to see the same people consistently. River Of Life does food distribution every day. It was intriguing listening to how people have their days scheduled around the distribution center and where they are. In some ways, I had peace of mind that there were so many distribution centers throughout the city. However, the hardest was working on the west side. The Wai’anae Boat Harbor was about 45 min. from Honolulu. With very little between the two towns, the boat harbor was secluded from many businesses or places to work but held “home” to hundreds.
Sunset with West Side Alive - https://westsidealive.org
There was a new ministry we worked with called West Side Alive. They are absolutely amazing and serve in incredible ways. A leader of West Side Alive, named Ed, had lived and served in ministries through Kensington Philadelphia for the last 16 years. Hearing testimonies from his time there was so interesting, especially since it is not far from my hometown. Wai’anae was a large tent city that stretched across the harbor, West Side Alive was there to provide Sunday church services in a community center they built, hot meals on the weekends, fresh tarps and tents, and help people receive resources and find jobs. The fascinating thing about Wai’anae is how many people had jobs and children living here.
We worked with West Side Alive again when doing kids ministry in Nanakulie in the public housing. This was one of the most eye-opening times for me. We would meet in the neighborhood basketball court, do a bible study, play games, have dinner, and give out groceries for lunch or breakfast. Working with kids was always bittersweet, but they were all so full of life. I had been truly moved by one friend in particular. This encouraged what I thought of when I thought of a missionary and the whole purpose of missionaries in general. While working with West Side Alive, many testimonies sprouted and evidence of God always speaking to both parties was exhilarating. One of the friends I had made at the park expressed they did not believe in God and did not want to engage with West Side Alive because they were Christian. Instead were simply there because it was fun to play games and hang out at the park. We became very close and talked throughout the week on the phone and on some of my off days, we got to hang out as well. They opened up about their story and what their life was like. We just talked and listened; after a few weeks, she asked for a bible and wanted to do a bible study together. The next time we got together, we did a bible study. They were so excited to start reading the word. Another friend had joined in and asked them how they came to faith. They started sharing how God had been speaking and moving in their life since they were little and gave a specific story of when they were seven. I loved hearing this because it highlighted how God has always and will always be present.
Oahu was full of testimonies and highlighted what hope looks like in admirable ways. I never expected a location like Oahu to be so far from picture-perfect. It was a gripping experience to look at such a beautiful landscape and to turn your head to such harsh realities. I grew a lot and learned a lot. I was ignorant and unaware, if I am being honest I was almost unsure of how missions would look in Hawaii because It was not what I pictured when I thought of missions. Regardless, I simply wanted to work and serve. The ministry opportunities we found on Ohahu blessed me with relationships I will never forget and have fueled a fire to continue sharing observations and realities in this world. There are simply never enough hands to help. Working here made me realize how few are involved in their communities, how needed volunteers are, and how necessary local services are with hands willing to help.
