Hey!
So, in Hawaii 'i'll write soon' means next month. Theres another little piece of cultural info for you all!! As you can imagine I fit in really well with Hawaiian time keeping, hang loose.

So, I've just got over the half way point and life is really starting to pick up pace, I can not believe how quickly everything is going. I feel that if I tried to hand on to it it would just slip through my fingers. So I'm trying to just ride it as it comes and I pray that the lessons and things that I need to learn and remember will stay.

Study wise I have now gone through Philemon, Ephesians, Mark, Acts, Romans, Genesis, and Galatians, and this week am doing an overview of the Old Testement (OT) - it's quite a big chunk of time and we litterally are just skimming a stone over it. But after doing Genesis really in depth things are easier to grasp (though that is still surface level stuff). We had Dr Ron Youngblood talk teach us Genesis. Among other things he helped to put together the NIV Bible, and it was so cool to have the chance to quiz him and draw from his knowledge. The whole week he didn't use any lecture notes, just his Bible. I guess being able to read and speak hebrew helped him in this. He is one of the most knowledgeable guys I have ever met and one the humbleist, and helped my view of the OT switch around. I had struggled with how wierd it all seemed, and how some of it just didn't seem to fit in with my understanding of Gods nature and character, of how I see him act in my life and in the NT. Studying it two weeks ago helped me to understand that the areas I struggle with are the areas I don't understand, either because of cultural differences, wrond interpretations, translation difficulties or just because they are a mystery. This last one is not a cop-out answer, rather it is submitting to the fact that I will never be able to fully understand God or his ways and I am glad of it. I am mostly happy to fully realise that there isn't a differnt God betweem the old and the new, God is the same God always, and there is rest in that.

So last weekend I was shown by the Pacific Ocean that it is as faliable as any other Ocean and doesn't always have what it takes to make waves. It was a sad and frustrating day...I mean I expect it in England but 0-1ft waves in Hawaii...now that's not what I signed up for!! I also got to watch a bit of local surf contest yesterday and was shown just how far I have to go! But I've still got 6 weeks to become a pro and get signed, I think it can happen!

What else is there to report...It's my birthday today in Hawaii, yay! I hope you all celebrated it yesterday for me back on your side of the time zone (the correct side). I'm having a very chilled day inbetween lectures, and it's nice. Tomorrow we're heading down to Waikiki to watch the sunset over us, heading over to rise over you guys. That will be nice. Last week I went up to a chinese cemetary to watch the sun set, sounds wierd but it was beautiful. Check out pics on facebook if you can. And on a sad note my computer has got ill and is in a coma which is just frustrating, but I'm hoping a friend will be able to work some magic on it.

Anyway, I could keep going on all day but should probably stop now. Will try and up-date more regulary with things here and revelations of how great and big God is.

Hope your all well!
Kas xxx