E Komo Mai! Sept Newsletter

Aloha! I hope you are doing well and that your lives and your churches are marked by conformity to Christ. I (Josh) want to share this ministry with you in hopes that you can help support us or add us to your daily prayers. I know God is sovereign and has always provided for our needs, but I also know He works amazingly through His church to show the world a taste of what selfless love looks like. We covet your prayers for our church here and the ministries we are engaged in.

HOW WE GOT HERE:

Here is the background for those who do not know what Big Island, Hawai'i, is like or who we are. Elizabeth and I moved to Big Island in 2015 from North Dakota. We have five children: Caleb, Eli, Canaan, Eden, and Andrew. We live in a rural place on the southern tip of Hawai'i, the District of Kaʻū. We live 7 miles from the small town of Na’alehu, 7 miles from the slightly larger town of Ocean View, and 60 miles from the bigger cities of Kona and Hilo. Our community is very diverse. There are many in the community who have come to the island to retire and live comfortably, but we have many, especially in the community we are serving, who live in tents or small shacks made of old plywood, pallets, and worn metal. These shacks often have multiple families living together in a small space without electricity or running water.  Welfare, poverty, drug use, alcohol, and broken families are abundant. 

Another way in which Hawai'i is diverse is in the ethnicities that live here. The most common are Native Hawaiians, Japanese, Filipinos, Marshallese, and Whites.  This makes Hawaii culturally unique in traditions, cultural norms, and religion. Most Native Hawaiians, or ‘locals,’ are very nationalistic to their Hawaiian roots and can be highly defensive about ‘outsiders’ stealing and changing their lands and changing their way of life. There is a tribal mentality mixed with California liberalism.  A mishmash of spiritism (occult, yoga, everything in between), Hawaiian culture, and Christianity are also present. Historically, the Hawaiian people experienced one of the world’s most significant revivals at the turn of the 19th century. This has made reaching the people difficult because so much of their culture has changed because of outsiders coming to this island. 

Most of our ministry is with the Marshallese community, who were implanted here within the last 30 years. They came to Hawai'i after their island was used as a testing site for nuclear bombs.  The atomic bombs caused their islands to be radioactive and no longer habitable.  They chose Ocean View because the land was cheap and underdeveloped. They could continue living as they were accustomed. Despite this challenging way of life, they are extremely happy and pleasant people and have been heavily influenced by Western missionaries. The official religion of the Marshall Islands is Christianity. The youth, however, are typically destined for alcohol, drug use, and low-paying jobs such as picking coffee, picking mac nuts, landscaping, or working in hotels. 

OUR CHURCH:

Not long after we moved to Hawai'i, we began a Thursday night Bible study that met at our house. This study has continued at one of the local parks in Ocean View. When the Covid ‘pandemic’ happened, many churches throughout the island closed, including the church we were a part of. Our Thursday night Bible Study group decided to begin meeting on Sundays at our house.  We are a small group that meets under a pipe tent in our yard. We average 30-40 people each Sunday. We sing old hymns with a few doctrinally sound newer songs.  We often sing acapella, but sometimes we have a guitar or piano to accompany us.  Most Sundays, the adults are outnumbered by the kids that have been coming the last year.  Since our beginnings, only a few original attendees have continued to come, yet some new families have joined as well.  Hawai'i is a very transient place (this is why most white people are not trusted). People come and go often.

Because of this transient reality, it is also tricky to personally minister and disciple people since we never know who will attend on Sundays. The other elder, Fred, and I were ordained as Elders about three years ago, and we trade off teaching on Sundays, Thursdays, and Fridays. Our church is commonly called ‘The Church that meets at Josh’s house.’ If you were to label us with a denomination, we would be considered ‘Reformed Baptist.’  We remain faithful and hold fast to the scriptures, and most of our teaching is expositional.   

THE MINISTRIES:

BASEBALL: A super long story short... Little did I know our boys’ love for baseball would move us into a lifetime of baseball. I started coaching baseball shortly after we moved here in Na’alehu. I then moved to coaching in the low-income community of Ocean View. Baseball became the foundation needed to be ‘accepted’ by the locals. The people here need to see that you’re here to invest in the community and not just take from it, like so many others who move to ‘paradise’, get their picture taken, and then leave. Baseball also is the foundation for drawing the kids to other events. This bridge filled the gap of cultural differences, as baseball is a universal language. It is a way to not only exercise the children and get them off screens but to connect with them and get to know them. The losses, the wins, the failures, and the long drives are all valuable tools for discipleship. I could write endless stories of our discipleship moments over the years. 

FOOD: A few years ago, Fred and his wife, Brenda, moved here from Alaska. They started what we call the  ‘hot dog ministry.’  In this ministry, they provided food for the baseball kids, leading to feeding people hanging out at the park every Thursday. This is where the children’s ministry really took off. The baseball numbers went from 14 to 25 and then to as many as 50 kids.  Now, Fred and Brenda feed as many as 80 people at the park. This also led to our Bible Study changing. At one point, I took the kids to my house after practice for dinner and Bible Study.  Because of the food ministry, Bible Study is held at the park. We also have partnered with a local church once a month to watch a Bible-based movie, have a short study, and eat popcorn.  

FFYN: We also started Friday Family Youth Night with the intention that families would come and play games with their kids, sing a few Bible songs, and hear a Bible message. We also intended for other churches in our communities to participate. Initially, we met at Na’alehu Park but have since moved to Ocean View Park.  We were transporting kids back and forth with every car we could find but eventually had to purchase a 15-passenger van. Another local church helped us with this purchase. A year later, we bought another 15-passenger van. At FFYN, we have seen up to 100 people attend. Recently, we are averaging around 40. We usually play ultimate frisbee, basketball, four square, volleyball, dodgeball, and pickleball. After free play, we sing songs, teach the kids the books of the Bible, and memorize verses. Then, one of the men in the church gives a short message, and we serve food.

ART: Fred began teaching an art class to children of all ages with different art abilities. Every other Monday, he hosts kids in two different classes at 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. He averages around 15-20 kids, and the moms have fellowship with other moms simultaneously.

POOL: Fred also bought a pool, and he quickly turned into the ‘cool house.’ He periodically hosts about ten kids who come over to swim, eat lunch, and have a Bible devotional.

TEEN NIGHT: About once a month, Fred hosts teens who are 14 years old and older at his house. They play games, go bowling, watch movies, swim, eat dinner, and have a short devotional.

MEN’S PRAYER AND BIBLE STUDY: Every other Saturday at 7:00 a.m., the men and young men gather to pray, study a chapter or book of the Bible, discuss it, pray, and eat together.  

EXPENSES:

Our main expense is food, as we feed an average of 40+ kids every Thursday and Friday.

Gas/Van maintenance: Gas in our community is $5.09 a gallon. We have to fill the vans with gas every other week, which costs us $125.00. We drive the vans up to six days a week, so the van are in need of constant repairs.

Baseball/Sports/Art/Equipment: The equipment costs are as follows: One baseball costs $7.00, and a low-end bat costs $150.00! The kids don’t have cleats, baseball pants, gloves, bags, etc. We supply them with used equipment, but we constantly need new equipment since they share and wear things out quickly. I would also love to be able to buy shirts and hats (averaging $50.00 per set) with our ministry’s name on them. 

Friday Family Youth Night: Sporting equipment and game supplies must constantly be replaced. We would love to expand the time spent with the kids and diversify games and projects. We would love to take them on camping trips and other adventures in the future, but we would need the gear to do so. 

FUTURE GOALS:

My wife, Elizabeth, and I are farming oranges and raising beef cows on 20 acres of land. Buying 32 acres of land connecting ours might be possible soon. I want to turn these acres into a ‘kids ranch’ where we could teach them skills such as farming, ranching, welding, mechanics, woodworking, cooking, etc. If we could buy the other property it would greatly enhance our our mission. Our PURPOSE is to give skills to kids who otherwise have minimal access to them. The ultimate PURPOSE is to provide biblical training alongside a trade to be used in missions. I believe someone should have something to offer a culture alongside the gospel. We need to show people we care about them because they are unique and made in the image of God. It is the gospel that changes lives, and it is essential to believe unto salvation, but to have a skill or a gift provides a way to share the glorious gospel of our blessed hope. We are thinking the property next door will want a million or more. We would also need supplies and equipment to carry out the above mentioned activities.  Please keep this in your prayers. The possibility of the property coming up for sale could be soon. 

PRAYER REQUESTS:

I think it’s pretty obvious what we need most is prayer. Please pray for our diligence as leaders (Fred and I) and that we wouldn’t tire from proclaiming the Word accurately, that we wouldn’t sell off the gospel for church growth, that we wouldn’t get distracted with sports, art or anything else that can entangle men. Please pray for our family lives.  Pray that we would be faithful husbands and fathers. Pray that our personal walks would be in holiness and righteousness, walking humbly with our God. Please pray that God blesses the hearing of His Word by the kids and adults involved and that He would so move in a revival that men would forsake the idols of self, drugs, lusts, and false gospels and serve the living, true God. Please pray for laborers for our ministries. Many have already grown weary and quit. Please pray for young, solid mentors for the boys. Please pray we can reach the young women. We need more outgoing, creative, seasoned women who know the true gospel and will come alongside the girls and young ladies. Pray and thank God for the fruit we have seen already. We are just fellow servants and undeserved recipients of His amazing grace. 

The children here are constantly hearing the Word of God. We pick them up on Sundays, and they spend the day with us. I am with them on Tuesdays and Thursdays in Ocean View, and Wednesdays in Na’alehu. On Thursday after baseball, we have a prayer time and Bible study. I am currently going through Galatians, and Fred is in Psalms. On Fridays, the children hear the parables of Jesus, the historical stories chronologically in the OT, and other Bible truths. The pool parties, baseball games, art classes, and other activities are all purposeful in discipleship. Our church aims to train and equip men to be leaders who boldly proclaim the gospel in whatever area God leads them. We also desire for them to become godly husbands and fathers. We aim to create young ladies with dignity who will raise families and boldly proclaim the gospel.  In the last couple of months, we have been blessed with baptizing 17 young men: Janny, Tira, Stoney, Leeson, Ralton, Jonah, Lotwon, Philip, Jimson, Lutin, Larry, Nephew, Moby, JR, Clenney, Kevin, and BJ. They publicly declared Jesus as Lord and committed to following Him all the days of their lives. We gave them Bibles and continue to disciple them. 

We are so thankful for all the Lord has done in this ministry, and we can’t wait to see what unfolds in the future. Aloha!

Contact us at: 808-480-1291 Email: purposeministries@yahoo.com

Follow us on Instagram @ Purpose_Ministries_Big_Island

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Sermons and teachings @

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Website

https://www.purposehi.com

Donations

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CHECKS: made out to Purpose Ministries

Please mail checks or responses to Josh Crook, PO Box 196, Naalehu, HI 96772

Purpose Ministries is a 501 (c) (3) and is recognized by the state of Hawaii as a non-profit organization. 

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"...BEING JUSTIFIED FREELY BY HIS GRACE THROUGH THE REDEMPTION THAT IS IN CHRIST JESUS..."

Romans3:24

Sincerely,

-Joshua-