Time to Go - Praying all goes well!

Less than 2 days to go and we are off to Honolulu and Kona! With added security measures these last few days and many delays, we are praying that all goes well. Broens and Heises are awaiting our arrival! So it is last minute packing, and all the details that come with leaving, and saying good-byes. Busy last few days.
Christmas has been good for us all with family and friends around! Kids, grandkids, cousins.....
Pastor Kenn said on Sunday that "pleasure is for the body, but joy is for the soul". So we pray that this experience brings us and those that we will meet, much JOY! We go to serve and pray we can be open to whatever comes to us.
Melody and David Brager are home in Camrose after spending 3 months volunteering at Haggai Institute in Maui. They will also join us at Kona on Jan. 15, spending another 3 months there! They have been YWAM volunteers a number of times! So we look forward to their arrival too.
Please keep us in your prayers that our travelling will go smoothly, and that we will settle quickly into our new homes and assignments.

One Week to Go!!

One week from tonight Bergquists, Vivianne Grue and myself should be almost set to fly!! We leave early on Dec. 31, fly to Honolulu to get in on the Waikiki New Years fireworks, and then fly to Kona the next afternoon!
We are excited to meet up with the other Messiah, Camrose couples, the Broens and Heises for that first weekend! Broens leave Jan. 4, but Heises are there until Jan. 15.
Here in Camrose the snow has been piling up these last few days! Today we had beautiful sun so things looked really nice!
But I am looking forward to wearing my flipflops and not having to tie up my boots every time I go out. And where did I set my mittens this time????
More news when we get there, and hopefully some pictures too!
But for the next week, we look forward to celebrating the birth of our Savior King, at church services and with our families, and in our homes and hearts.
A Blessed and Merry Christmas to you all! May God's love incarnate reach deep into your hearts!
Love from Marlys

Christmastime in Hawaii!

From Lavona and Ordean in Kona for Christmas.....
Dec. 9 "Things are going good here....the count for lunch today was 485. Tomorrow I get a day off to take in a class of my choice. Ordean is so into his project he wants to keep working. He has redone 3 bathrooms and replaced a lot of plumbing. Ben Heise from Camrose has been assigned to work with him this week. Kitchen is best for me. I start at 5 am, suits me fine as it is cooler. Off at 1:30 pm. Cooler probably isn't what any of you are thinking.
Lots of fun Christmas events coming up, including Christmas Eve at the church we will attend the rest of the time here.....oldest church built in 1867. A real lively service with lots of music and a good speaker.
We got to hear the founder of this place (Loren Cunningham) speak. He is amazing, still going strong at 73. Just got back from Asia where the church is really growing. What's wrong with Canada?"

Dec. 12 - " We are sunburnt and tired tonight....went to a remote bay, snorkeled and Ordean swam with the turtles...really big.
What is so good about being here with the group is we are getting into places we wouldn't even know about, we earn our keep but the weekends are awesome.
This weekend we are taking in all the Christmas programs at church and at the university. We went out for supper to an outdoor restaurant upstairs where we could sit and watch the Christmas parade, in our shorts or course.
I had a free day this week to sit in on a class. It is really something to be around all these different races. Most of the students leave this week (on mission trips), so there are many changes in work places.

Dec. 17 - "We are having a totally green Christmas with lots of color added. I stood and admired a huge tulip tree loaded with red flowers.....pretty much the Christmas colors. Seeing the lights in also very Christmas like. However the warm weather and the kids all trucking to the beach kind of changes that feeling.
We are leaving this weekend to do some site seeing with another couple, then have to work right through Christmas. We will have one more weekend after that to go to the beach, then the rest of the Camrose group arrive the last 3 days we have here. (Jan. 1-3)
We are back in Phoenix on the 5th....looking forward to that. We have enjoyed our stay here....Ordean has made great strides with a lot of projects. I have been in the kitchen the last 2 weeks. We are both there for the Christmas days.
We will miss friends and family a lot. We wish you all a Special Blessing this year during this time of reflecting on why we really have Christmas. No matter where we are Jesus love never changes. Our love to each of you at this time."