Leaving on a jet plane....

Kieva and his friends at the zoo.

Saying more goodbye's then the average joe is one of the hardest things about YWAM life. We woke up at 5 :30 this morning so we could say our farewells to our friends The McDonalds. Thay are long term missionaries in Kyrgystan  who were taking a year stateside for rest, reflection, and overall rejuvination. What a blessing they have been to us and to the base. We will miss Jim's insights and wry sense of humor and will miss Melissa's strategic mind and genuine heart for people. We will miss Shawn , Isaac, and Aisha. All of their energy, joy and laughter.

Our loss is Kyrgystan's gain. Melissa saw the need when she 19 and moved their on her own. Jim  met her while on his DTS outreach and decided to go back for the ministry and for her. Now 10 years later they will continue to live full time in a place where there is much despair and not much hope. They sacrifice their  daily comforts for the people wo seek true internal comfort.  They will contniue to grow the Greenhouse.. a ministry to the college age and expanding it to the homeless. I encourage anyone reading this blog to consider taking some time to research Kyrgystan and asking the Lord if there is a place for you there.. long or short term. We have so much to give and so little time to give it.

One of the many plus's of YWAM life is that we have friends all over world. This helps to keep our hearts alive to what is happening globally and not just in our own backyards. We never want to be led only by the need but by the call to the need. What need is calling out to you? and what is the Lord asking you to do about it?

Thank you for answering the call Jim and Melissa .. we will not forget you or the work the Lord is doing through you and your family. Kyrygstan will never be the same because of your willingness to serve and give.

So here we are, me and the group of DTSers that I had the privelage of teaching to in Maui. we spent 7 great days together exploring the subjects of intimacy with Jesus and hearing His voice. There is nothing like seeing young people's hearts bloom in the light of God's beautifully overwhelming love for them. Its always there but when they begin to grasp the truth of who He is they have no choice but to allow Him to move freely within them or to shut Him out. These young people are hungry to know more about how the Lord can really effect their daily lives. They want to be doers of the Word rather then just readers. It was so refreshing to see and a great reminder that I love my job!!  I came home tired but spiritually rejuvinated from my time with them.
Another highlight was to be able to meet one on one  with many young men and women that have allowed me to walk with them their lives. I love it. the talking , the crying, the laughing, the praying, and the best is seeing them grow and embrace who they are.. and who the Lord created them to be. There are perks to taking time to mentors others as well..my friend Liz purchased a small suprise for  me.. only the DIAMOND edition of SCRABBLE!!! I mean how can it get better then that?!
We got to sneak some family time in as well, Bryan came for three days as we "vacationed" in our friends Shauna"s house upcountry.. His favorite place on Maui.
Kieva had a great time hanging with his friends, going to the beach, and the park and just haviing social time all day long. He actually asked me if we could stay in Maui "just until Christmas".  He really does say the darndest things.
We continue in our transition... Honolulu feels a bit more like home but I know we all still miss some parts of our lives in Maui. We believe that the Lord conitnues to woo us to missions as a family.. He is not sayiing more then that at this stage.. so we continue to serve Him through giving of ourselves on this base.
The base is going through a time of reconnecting with the simple things of relationship. We had very low numbers for the DTS and saw that the Lord may be giving us an opportunity to focus more on Him as a community duriing this season. So we have implemented a wednesday morning prayer room time where the staff are free to come and pray together for the base while we stream in the IHOP prayer room music . It has been really good, this coming wednesday we will implement a 24\1. One day of continuos prayer by us and for us. We will end this quarter with a time we are calling Consecrate. We will spend 10 days coming together for two hours each day seeking the Lords face for the base, our vision, our goals, and crying out for greater intimacy with Him .
We have seen the Lord answer many prayers for our provision.. but we continue to seek longterm steady support. We would like to be able to really focus on the task at hand instead of on the art of support raising. So please be praying for us as we try to figure this all out.
We thank God daily for what He is doing in our lives and in the lives around us. He is so worthy of our thankfulness. Maria

Freshness in Michigan!

To all you out there in Michigan or nearby.. My friend Daniel Looman will be hosting a photo show!! His photo's are not only amazing but from all around the globe. Give him a call and confirm the date, but I believe it's March 6. He's a fellow WAMer and a crazy character! Wish I could be there!

If you go tell him Maria says hi!!

Loads of YWAM work clothes

Loren and Darlene Cunningham

Last night I had the privilage to attend the" Doing Church as a Team" conference run by Wayne Corderro's church. I have to say that I was reminded what a counrty mouse I have become because I was so overwhelmed by all the lights, the camera's, camera men on the stage getting close-ups of the drummer and guitarists, the singers, the dancers.. and that was all in the first three minutes!!  Bryan and I decided we wanted to go and see Loren Cunningham ( founder of YWAM) speak. We actually heard from Loren as he sat in Chang Mai, Thailand.Technology has afforded us many awesome opportunities and this was one of them.

My family has been going through a pretty tough time of acclimating to Honolulu. I know.. I know.. many of you are trying to feel sorry for us that we moved from one  island of Hawaii to another.. and wish you could have a "hard time" here.. but I musst say that it has been uphill. We are finding it hard to find our niche, find friends, find friends for Kieva.. I thought finding a Beth Moore bible study here was going to easy but still NOTHING!! So we had just been discussing our time here in Oahu and Loren seemd to be the reminder that we so badly needed.

He talked about one verse really . John 1:6.. There came a man , sent from God, named John. He had us all say "There came a man/woman sent from God ,named ________. Then he continued to talk about the nameless faceless people with amazing God stories that are out there changing the world for the Kingdom of God. He kept repeating this idea.. that we are each sent by God. Will we go.. will we go to the buisness world, will we go to the high places of government, will we go to the low places with the poor, needy, and abandoned? Will we understand that we each have been given a destiny to fulfill and that people's lives are changed for eternity if we say "yes".

He used Joseph as an example of one who kept believing in the ways of the Lord. He then asked another question.. when we reach that place of influence.. will we use it for our glory our for God's glory? Unfortunately in the end Joseph used it for his own.. and his family paid the price in the coming generations. How will the future generations of your family be affected by your choices? What legacy will you leave behind? Will they think of you as one who followed the voice of God? Will they see that life may have ups and downs but He is forever faithful because you walked His way and they see your life before them as a spiritual map?

We know the Lord has called us to missions as a family. We know that there was a man and a woman sent from God named Bryan and Maria Daughtry. We know that there has even been a child sent from God  named Kieva Daughtry. We know that at this time we are called to be at this base in Honolulu. So we continue to ask for your prayers. We have had a hard time raising support but continue to seek the Lord for His way. Please pray that we can stay focused on the call and the caller not the hardships or disappointments. Pray that we will touch every life we are meant to here. We again say "Yes Lord" .. not only for our sakes.. but for our son's sake, For our future generations sake, and the for the sake of those around us. We may be imperfect, we may not fit the mold, but we have heard Him and there is no turning back.

Washing and Drying in Oahu

Over Christmas break we headed back to Maui to sell the rest of our things and to give up our lease on the infamous "Shack by the sea".  It was quite the adventure as we had tons of cleaning ahead of us, yard sales to plan and execute, clutter to go through and throw away... and of course friends to see.  We had so many lasts to enjoy.. last time at our favorite beach spots, last time coffee at Amy's, last time enjoying our private street , last time walking into Paia for a quick something at Manna's, last time going to Kieva's store ( the Minit stop) for Katsu Chicken, and last time driving up to the base for a one on one. We will actually have to fight for parking the next time we visit the north shore! We closed down all of our accounts, tied up so many loose ends, which we could not have done without all of our friends chipping in their helping hands, and literally worked until we were running to get on the plane!!!

When we arrived at the airport we saw a friend of a friend behind the ticket counter. I actually didn't even notice her. I was focused on being stressed about the cost of the four overweight boxes we were bringing on the plane. She recognized me first and then we began chatting.. I was telling her that I had mixed emotions about leaving Maui and thats when she noticed how overweight all of our luggage was. I actually got distracted with Kieva so Bryan took care of paying for the luggage. We said our goodbye's and  started walking toward the gates. Bryan was so excited he said "Babe.. isnt that awesome?" and I asked "What?" "She only charged us 20.00 dollars for all of that luggage!!!!" It was yet another blessing from the Lord. 

  We have been back in Oahu since the 4th and something strange happened... We began to grieve the ending of our time in Maui. I think that we all , including Kieva, thought we had gone through that process already, but it seemed to hit us all at the same time. Kieva said we had to get on the next plane to Maui and get all of our stuff back from people and tell them to bring it back to our house! I cried for three days missing my friends and the mommy community that I have left behind.. Bryan didn't say much but he was saying his own private goodbye's as well. We know that we know that the Lord has CALLED us to this place for this time and we are excited for what He has in store for us... so we continue forward in this adventure and willing say "Yes" to His ways and His timing.

  We are in the process of unpacking the ten boxes that we shipped over here. We want to paint and fix our little place up a bit.. so as soon as we have put everything in it's proper place we will post some photo's! 

The new quarter on the base officially begins tomorrow..  I will be staying with Kieva this quarter as we have decided to send him to school this coming fall. we felt that it would be best for me to help him become emotionally, mentally, and spiritually ready for kindergarden. I will still be heavily involved in ministry..  teaching here and in Maui in the DTS programs, helping facilitate worship times here on Monday mornings, and  I am hoping to be mentoring some of the young people, staff and/or student, on this base. There is a new transportation head in town! Mr. Bryan Daughtry will be watching over all the vehicles on base as well as being able to pour into some young men's lives that will be working with him. His first big job this week is to dig a deep deep hole to put up a "No Parking" sign.. woohoo for moving across the leadership ladder!! haha .. Seriously though, the base will be blessed to have him in this position as he will take on this position with humility, hard work,and care for others.

It's Aloha Day here, We will have a great celebration welcoming the students that are here for DTS  and Korean DTS. All together there are 22 students that the Lord has entrusted us with this quarter. There are three teams out in the field right now as well. Pray that as a base we will  help cultivate a lifestyle of intimacy with Jesus in their lives. We hope and pray that from that  intimate place they will become helping hands, hearts, and minds to others.

Prayer Requests

1. We have been blessed with 210.00 a month in support but are needing another 1500.00 a month

2. We have been praying for the blessing of another baby

3. Wisdom ,as to, how  do we walk out this call from the Lord,

4. For our family, that we would  continue to be bound together by His love

5.That we would be a lights in dark places

If you would care to be a part of our support team as we embark on changing lives in Oahu and across seas ;

Send support to YWAM Honolulu

                         2707 Hipawai Place

                          Honolulu, HI 96822

Checks payable to YWAM. Please include a note with your check stating whothe donation is for.All donations to YWAM Honolulu are tax deductible

Saying "Aloha from Oahu!" will still take some getting use to but we are officially residents of the "gathering place" of the Hawaiian Islands. Maybe you should come and gather with us.. we would love to have you!!!

                                                                       The Daughtry's

The garden of evil....

I am constantly intrigued by our humanity. Especially those of us who follow Christ. We are broken people who have the truth written before us.. statutes, principles, understandings.. and much of the time we dont follow those. Though we have given our life to Jesus we have a hard time trusting Him.
Trusting that a soft answer turns away wrath.. trusting that though we experience sadness, lonliness, or anxst in this world that He is good. Trusting that the best the way is to forgive and allow the restoration of Christ to heal our hearts.. instead we harbor bitterness or frustration at how things should be or should have been...
Today we go and see Holly's attacker.. in prison. The last time we saw him he was hugging family members as he was getting ready to begin serving his 8 year sentence. There was no gratification in his sentence.. just more pain that he chose actions.. that he was compulsed in such a way that has changed all our lives.. forever.
I remember him smiling on the stand.. saying he was a good samaritan that was only trying to "help" Holly.. that he was misunderstood.. that he was a good "normal" guy.. He laughed everyday of the trial with his girlfriend.. and I think that he thought and perhaps still thinks that he is normal and that he is a victim.
So now here is my heart.. so angry that he could do this.. so upset that there has been no remorse... so upset to see my best friend go through these things.. and yet I cannot turn away from the still small voice that says "forgive"
I know that forgiving someone does not mean that we sweeo what they have done under the carpet but instead that we see the horrendous debt that they have caused and that we lay that debt at God's feet and we say "take this and carry this burden" that we say they have no debt towrd us.. and the promise is that when we do that we will be restored... do I believe the promise.. I think on tuesdays and thrusdays.. but the rest of the week is a battle..
Do I desire God's restoration more then carrying the shield of bitterness and anger and anxst? I pray that I choose the Truth that has been set out before me.. I pray that the Lord can conovince me that HIs way is best.. I pray...

Immersed in a load of radical revelation

Well its been a whirlwind month and a half. My family took a step of faith and moved from Maui to Honolulu, HI. If you would have asked us 6 months ago if this was our plan we would NOT have said yes.. but the Lord knows what He has in store for us if we are willing to hear Him and be obedient. We were sad to leave our friends, YWAM Maui, our 5 minute walk to the beach, the lifestyle of Maui, etc, but we could not shake the fact that we had recieved this Macedonian call from Honolulu. It was a rough start as our kitty decided not only to throw up on the plane but roll around in it until we touched ground. A group of 5 staff picked up a family running fromk bathroom to bathroom trying to clean the kitty.. we weren't too succesful as the whole way to our new home we would get strong whiffs of cat puke....

We seemed to survive that night and ever since have been in awe of the "rightness" of us moving here. We cannot deny the peace that has invaded our life as we have launched out as a family in missions.

Bryan is working in maintenance, and has been a tremendous blessing here.. as he is a jack of all trades and will figure out what needs to be done to fix something.He is a man that is blessed with creative and artful skills. He helped the base director by laying tile in their new home and will be helping our new pastor in another tiling endeavor soon. He is getting accustomed to community life and all that that brings

Kieva has made new friends with kids on the base and loves having friends to play with all the time!!! He is loved here and thinks that all the aunties and uncles are here to play with him and love him....they do a great job at both!!

I have been immering myself in the word and in time with the Lord. as we draw closer to the beggining of this Prayer Seminar I am in awe of what the Lord is doing in my life. Once again filling me up with an insatiable hunger to spend time with Him just for the sake of His loveliness, We have 7 students as of today and are still recieiving phone calls and confirmations daily!!

The Lord let us know that this seminar was not about numbers or even big name speakers that would bring a large crowd but instead about those that have captured the understanding that more time in the presence of the Lord equals a greater Kingdom perspective. This equals out to greater love for our GOd and one another.. the first commandment. It also boils over into hearts filled with mercy and compassion, a willingness to give of ones whole self to the obedience of Christ and an eye for beauty that we cannot attain without Him.

I am excited to see what He is going to rock us a s a school and give us more radical revelation of Himself.

We serve a God that is absolutelyy amazing... a restoring, forgiving, loving, creative, wonderful God who has bent over backwards to communicate with us. I encourage you.. take some time today and bask in His presence.. there is only good thins waiting for you there!!