What a Father's Day! What a week!!

Wha' Happened???

My parents, Dave & Kathy Lindsey (aka Big Daddy and Big Mommy) and Jessica's mother, Anne, just left from visiting us in Kona.  It was truly a blessed visit and I think they were able to experience the special "clarity of spirit" that surrounds our campus. 

The highlight of the visit was a Father's Day full of baptisms!  All three of our kids were baptized along with our Big Mommy and Big Daddy!!!!!!  It was beautiful and an answer to many, many prayers.  Big Daddy said with tears welling in his eyes, "I have actually had dreams, real dreams, of this day for many years.  To know I will be in heaven with my family, especially Big Mommy, is an amazing blessing." 

Simple Church on Queens Beach

We traveled to a local, protected beach called Queens Bath and first had a Simple Church service on the beach.  We read from God's word and discussed it sitting in a circle on the beach.  Then we sang along with the ipod while it played "Our God is an Awesome God".  We concluded with communion which consisted of breaking off a piece of a big cookie and berry juice in plastic cups.  Simple yet beautiful.

My Dad and the kids were baptized by our classmate and close friend, DY, who is a pastor in LA and will be leading our outreach team to Japan.  And I had the pleasure of baptizing my mother!  What an honor!!  My first baptism :)  Of course our good friends the Cheeks were there in support and love.

Jackie Ray led us off.  She had Mom speak her prepared words for her, "This morning I prayed and God said, 'Let there be light!  and there was light.' and then God said, 'Let Jackie Ray get baptized!"  and I want to do it!"  (If you can, try to play the videos full screen to see the full love of a mother and daughter's embrace.  Might be too blurry to see the tears in Jess' eyes :)

Maggie followed saying, "Here at our school we learned that God is our Papa and that he will always be there for us...  I want to make sure that one day I'll go up and live with him."

David and my Dad followed doing a double dunk.  All smiles!!

I don't know who is more happy... Me, Big Mommy or Jesus?

Finally, Big Mommy and I entered the deeper water and she pronounced her desire to follow Jesus and make him her savior... and for the first time in her life she let me dunk her.

The sun shined and the Holy Spirit's presence was felt by all as one of favorite songs, "You are More" by Tenth Avenue North played.

And, as if that wasn't enough...  we went from the beach straight to a plane tour of the island and the active Volcano, Kilauea.  Normally folks only get a glimpse of the volcano and the erupting lava from a distance, as the planes have to be careful of the volcanic ash.  However, as we approached the great mountain the pilot declared, "You guys are blessed today, you are going to get to do something only about 1 in 2000 people get to do, fly directly over the volcano!!"  The winds had shifted and cleared all the ash allowing us a direct path.  It was amazing (and a little frightening) to fly very flow and directly over the bubbling lava.  It was like God had left something on the stove and it was violently bubbling over, spilling from bight orange to a shiny silver molten  and streaks of black lava forming as it cooled.  So cool!

We even got to fly over and clearly see the city of Hilo, the second largest city in Hawaii after Honolulu.  It rains almost every day in Hilo (270 inches per year), but we again were blessed with clear skies as we traversed the city.

God was shining down on us all day as we went back to the hotel and rested by the pool.  What a blessed day!!!

And that was just the start of an amazing week for our family...

Big M & Big D join us in class. Speaker spent 25 years missionary in China

We also were able to have our folks join our class lectures and sit in with the kids as they learned about thee Holy Spirit, prophecy and speaking in tongues!  An exciting, moving time for the kids and their grandparents.

I was impressed that my parents focus was to serve and learn vs. vacation.  We gave them the option of sightseeing, etc. but instead they chose to work at the Homeless Feeding on the beach and to visit an elder care facility with the kids as they did their weekly outreach project.

We started each day in the prayer room being filled up with Holy Spirit.  Our parents were able to fully understand the power and peace one feels being in this special place that has prayer and worship overflowing 24/7/365.  On the last day everyone in the prayer room, including our parents, were able to pray over us for protection and guidance as we leave for Japan next week.

Another highlight was that the kids graduated from their Foundation School program while they were here.  This was an especially joyful night for Anne as she reveled in the dance show the kids had prepared for us and the slide show of the quarter.

The School verse for the quarter, "The JOY of the Lord is our STRENGTH"

SMILES

It was such a delight to have Anne visit.  She had such a grateful heart and was specially encouraging to Jessica and I.  Anne & Big Mommy were just gabbing away the entire trip :-)

Anne has come soooooooooooooooo far and is growing so much!!  God is soooooo good!  We loved every minute of her visit and can't wait to see her when we return to Indy. 

happy, relaxed Anne.  she loved Hawaii

I could go on and on (I guess I already have :)  It was a blessed week and it gave us a "rejuvenation fix" as we prepare for our outreach for Japan.

Thank you for letting me share our excitement ;)

The Class of 2011