Nā Palena Kea sends mission-minded volunteers to assist and develop systems for spiritual change in Latin America and Hawaii.

Why mission? Why here? Why you?

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First, why missions? That’s easy, we were called. But, before we were called, we were ordered. As Christ's followers, we take these orders very seriously. Our marching orders were, ”Go into all the world and preach the good news to..well.. ..everyone."

 

That command brought us to Hawaii, Brazil, and Mexico several times. But Mexico and Hawaii took our hearts and truly hold them to this day. So, here we are in Southern Mexico. The joyful challenge we accepted is to bring these two remarkable cultures and people together under one banner - His. Paul, writing to his people in the city of Ephesus, said this in regard to the ethnocentrism, and cultural racism of Jewish believers versus non-Jews…basically the rest of the world.

 

"For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two groups one and has destroyed the barrier, the dividing wall of hostility, by setting aside in his flesh the law with its commands and regulations. His purpose was to create in himself one new humanity out of the two, thus making peace, and in one body to reconcile both of them to God through the cross, by which He put to death their hostility. He came and preached peace to you who were far away and peace to those who were near. For through Him, we both have access to the Father by one Spirit. Consequently, you are no longer foreigners and strangers, but fellow citizens with God’s people and also members of His household, built on the foundation of the apostles and prophets, with Christ Jesus himself as the chief cornerstone. In Him, the whole building is joined together and rises to become a holy temple in the Lord. And in Him, you too are being built together to become a dwelling in which God lives by his Spirit." ~ Ephesians 2: 14

 

Jesus conveyed it. Paul wrote it. And we are to do it. So, we started Nā Palena Kea for this purpose.

 

Now, how do we accomplish this?

 

1. Connect:

We strive to connect like-minded believers. We bring teams and volunteers from Hawaii to Southern Mexico and teams from Southern Mexico to serve in Hawaii. We connect at the foundational level, in homes, over meals, worshipping in churches, and playing together.

 

2. Serve:

There is a lack of physical resources with many felt needs in Southern Mexico. The areas we serve are among the poorest in the world. On the other end, Hawaii nei..there is a spiritual vacuum in what was once the most vibrant Christian country in the world. Our teams address this on both ends. No one stands alone and under Akua, Dios, God...we serve each other.

 

3. Grow:

One life lesson gained is the broadening of your worldview. It is important to have a prolonged experience where you are the minority. A season where you have to rely on the mercy and generosity of others. By leaving the familiarity of your comfort zone and interacting with people from different cultures, you learn a great lesson in humility: Despite language and cultural differences, all humans are fundamentally the same at the core. We all have the same basic needs; the need to be known, loved, and cared for, and to know our lives have a meaning and a purpose for God.

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Another life lesson learned through mission trips is compassion. Pain, suffering, and the reality of poverty are no longer things you just read about in textbooks or watched on YouTube. Pain has a face. Suffering has a name. Poverty has a heartbeat. Need becomes humanized. These are real people with real names, with real families, living in real communities. Here you see with your own eyes, talk with, play with, listen to, feed, and hug. Experiential learning is the most powerful form of learning there is.