"Come As You Are .... Leave Better!"

It’s hard to believe we have been in Hawaii for four months. We are settled into our home and community. This part of the Island is called the Hamakua Coast and is considered country. There is quite an ethnic variety here in Ookala. Portuguese, Chinese, Japanese, Filipino, Hawaiian and Haole (White) live in four “camps” consisting of one street each. Most everyone here has lived in this town all their lives. Others have been here a very long time and are accepted members of the community. We are still working on the acceptance thing and will be for quite some time. However, everyone is most friendly and we have become casual friends with several people. We would like to share them with you:

• One family (Shawn & Courtney) that lived right next door to us that we had invited over for supper (they never came) has moved away already. Cindy was able to bake them several loaves of bread and they really appreciated that (especially the kids).
• There is a guy (Ryan) and his girlfriend (Joel) that have a house at the end of the street that they are fixing up, and Phil has been able to go down and help them work on it from time to time.
• A man (John) that lives right across the street from them came to our very first Bible study. So far he is the only one to come to our Bible study that we have advertised on the bulletin board at the post office.
• Cindy has met another lady (Cathy) that lives down the road a little way. They have walked together a couple times and hung out at the post office a few times while waiting for the mail.
• The lady (Colleen) who works at the post office and her husband (Peter), who owns a woodworking shop next door, have expressed interest in coming to the Bible study but so far haven’t come.
• There is an older Catholic lady (Veronica), who runs a sewing shop here, and her husband (Tony) have been very friendly to us and know what we are doing here.
• We have also invited our neighbors Josh & Stef over for a meal, they said they would come!
• By the way those three businesses mentioned, are the ONLY ones here in our village. Not even a convenience store!
Please join us in praying that we could have a spiritual impact in their lives
Blessings!
• Your prayers on our behalf. Many of you have contacted us to let us know you are praying. What an encouragement! Thanks to all who pray for us!
• Our Support! It continues to grow and meet our needs. Thanks to those churches and individuals who give. We have experienced the same joy Paul talked about in Philippians 4.
• Phil has a part-time job, 3 days a week, delivering books and souvenirs to Walmart (yes, we have a Walmart, 45 minutes away), stores and tourist spots. Through the company we are able to buy excellent health insurance for $220 a month.
• Derek is working full-time for a Christian drywall contractor. We don’t see him during the week as he stays with his boss on the other side of the Island. However, he is home on the weekends.

God bless you!

Phil and Cindy

Phil & Cindy Underhile

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