YWAM in Kona is a place that has been called a green house of spiritual soaking. The living quarters mimics a village structure  that complements  a corporate gathering center between two rows of village dorms known as the Ohana court. Meals are cafeteria buffet style and classes are like college lecture courses, but less formal. The best imagery I could compare it with is in the movie Hook, where the lost boys are living in community in Neverland. It is fascinating for me as a people watcher to see hundreds of people from many nations come together with one heart… the heart of Jesus Christ. Everyone here is a volunteer, which can be confusing when you want to talk to the person in charge. Life here revolves around praising Jesus and incorporating it into our attitudes, our daily tasks, and our intentionality to give Jesus away. The campus has a lush landscape with basic but modern facilities. Everything seems to serve a purpose and be decorated or beautified at the same time. I have an amazing dorm room with good roommates. One of my roommates is from South Korea. There is a coffee cafe on campus that is like a simple coffee shop with wooden outside tables on a wooden deck. A banyan tree hangs over it all bringing  shade over the tables and completion to the natural scenery.

I have been thinking about the concept of purpose and beauty after our first lecture on the Kingdom of Heaven and God’s glory. Every Christian believer has to wrestle with their purpose in life and how to go about doing it. I can’t help but think about the Kingdom of God and its advances being incorporated into my life accomplishments. Most people are task driven or they are striving to accomplish something in their lives. Glory is in the heart of man, and God created man for his glory. But God has created beauty to also glorify him as well. When something is beautiful like a plant or animal it reflects the glory of Gods Kingdom just as much as doing a good deed in his Jesus’s name. This is interesting, because it challenges me to know that my purpose is far beyond the mere completion of assignments. God is in me and I share in his glory like a son shares the glory of his dad.  How I go about doing the will of God is glorifying to him and he thinks its beautiful.  I feel sometimes people miss the point of assignments from God. We dont have to appear serious to be holy, or dull to be obedient. God calls use to be passionate and creative with the talents and gifts he has given us. We must be functional and pleasant to all who see our lives if we really want to glorify God. The Kingdom of God is more than the salvation of people’s souls, its all things that has been made from the creator glorified to its creator (if we dont praise him the rocks will).   I want to be like that Bayan tree; pleasant, functional and completing the surrounding I’m in because God designed me for such purpose and pleasure.