~Coming to California~
Hey Everybody!
We’re packing our bags and heading to the mainland for the summer! Yes, it’s all happening quickly as our plans come together. We leave next Thursday (the 25th) and head for Cali! After some time there with family and friends, we’ll make our way up to Montana for a six-week course called DTS Equip. Then, come back to the Golden State and celebrate Josh and Shannon’s big day. It’s all so exciting. We have really been looking forward to a trip like this. We want to reconnect with people and tell more about what we’ve been up to. We want to be poured into as we learn in Montana. We want to get some good rest as well. The Lord has such wonderful things in store for us, and all of you too!
Goodnight, and we’ll see (some of) you soon!
Love,
Jenni and Johnny
Photo Shoot
Yes, the rumors are true- John and I have just gotten our big breakthrough in modeling. Sort of. Our friend Leanne who works for the Hilton in Waikoloa asked John and I if we would like to be models for a couple of new advertisements at the resort. So without much hesitation… we said yes. We had a great time! We started out at the Kohala Couples Spa, where we each had a masseuse assigned to us while Michael, our photographer, snapped away. A little later we were seated at the tea room of the resort’s Japanese restaurant where we modeled some more. Not too bad! We really enjoyed ourselves, and Leanne was super grateful for our help. So, we’ve officially began building our portfolios. Anyone out there in need of a couple missionary models?
One Voice
Last week I had a rad opportunity to lead worship for the ‘One Voice’ event! One Voice is an initiative started by the Lausanne base to run quarterly satellite linked worship times across the globe. Using YWAM’s ‘Genesis’ technology, we were linked last Wednesday night to nine other bases, in Switzerland, Egypt, Brazil, Argentina, Colorado, Denver, Ensenada
Ocean-view, BBQ, and Stretches
Today we started our day with an ocean-view church service at Living Stones. It was glorious! God is so creative and so good. Then, this afternoon we went to a farewell BBQ for three of our really good friends- Dave and Mia will be getting ready to go out on the field again, and Samuel is going home to Finland. We will miss them so much but we believe God will use them so powerfully in the places they are going. We ended our especially fantastic day with some stretching with Alister and Jade. Not really sure how that happened, but when we stopped by to say hello, we ended up staying about an hour, and spent time stretching on the carpet. It was a perfect day, if you ask me! 
Home- Safe and Sound
Three Outreach teams returned to Kona tonight! We sent them out in March and they’ve just arrived back for their debrief time here. One group was in Iraq, one went to Turkey, and another to Spain. It was so cool to see them come back, their faces shining and excited to process and share all God had done in them and through them in the past 8 weeks. John and I both played bus-driver as we picked them up in the fifteen-passenger-van from campus. Not exactly a glamorous mode of transportation, but it got the job done! By now, they’re all in bed, weary from their hours of travel. Lord, bless them as they sleep!
Goodnight everybody!
Gallup Poll of the Week….
An interesting poll result on the views the average Americans hold on abortion….
http://www.gallup.com/poll/118399/More-Americans-Pro-Life-Than-Pro-Choice-First-Time.aspx
Saturday
Today was glorious! Woke up at 8:15 to my wife kissing me on the cheek. Got a call from Al asking if I wanted to go surf. Endeavored for a couple hours learn to shortboard on brilliant secondhand board wife bought for me recently. Small chop but amazing waves in the emerald water at Honl’s. Had tremendous joy and fun failing miserably. Kicked reef. Hurt like heck. Foot bled. Went to market and picked up way too much produce for $6. Enjoyed crepes at Beth’s for Brad’s birthday. Hung out in cute apartment with cuter wife. Went to skate competition and pretended to be security for two hours while watching said comp. Came home. Ate hot dog at Jensen’s birthday party and wrestled with Batman (my nephew Carter) for half an hour. Got dressed up nice and went to Kona Brew for Brad’s birthday. Ate delicious thai chicken pizza with extra peanut sauce. Enjoyed ride home on moped with wife’s arms wrapped around my waist. Got ready for bed.
Um…Sorry!
…We haven’t written on our blog in a while! We’re not even sure if anyone out there reads this (although we suspect a certain man living in Scotland is a faithful visitor at johnnyandjenni.net), but we will continue to write no matter what. Here are some things going on with us lately:
-We were blessed with the use of our friends’ car (Johnny loved it – Toyota Highlander!!!) while they were away in Australia for two weeks
-Celebrated Mother’s Day and Beth’s birthday with Jeff, Beth, Elijah, and Carter
-We are currently filling in as the official bath-givers and bed-time-enforcers for Christian and Ava while their parents, our next door neighbors- Nick and Jen- are away for a two-day-trip to the north end of the island
-Still waiting to hear if we are accepted to DTS Equip in Montana, a six-week seminar for DTS leaders, coming up this summer
-And of course, we’re busy planning our trips to come home (England and California) this summer!!!
Well, that’s just a tiny glimpse of what we’re up to. Please write to us, call us, text us, or whatever us and share the fun things you’ve been up to! We love you and bless you in the Name of the Lord!
Love, Johnny and Jenni
Will you tarry with me…?
Tonight is the Thursday of the Easter weekend, in the midst of the Passover, the feast where we remember the Lamb that was slaughtered, the Saviour who rose victorious and the King who is coming.
Through the night hours tonight we’re keeping watch in the prayer room here on campus – I was able to lead the worship set from 1-2am. What a glorious time! When we begin to look at Jesus, his Nativity, life, death, resurrection, ascension, and look forward to his future return, we can’t do much more that lay ourselves completely before him, overcome with joy, lost in love, overcome by goodness.
I can’t help but wonder about the real Jesus. I mean, I have been on this journey pursuing him (and more often being pursued by him) for a while now, but it’s still so unfathomable that God would do this for me. In the words of a friend of mine:
“Who is this God
Who came to earth as a man
Clothed in Humanity
Dying upon a tree
He gave himself for me
Stepping into creation
And leaving with exaltation
Who is this God?”
- Angela Pinkston
May you know new depths of the riches of Christ in you as you remember him these coming days.