When I first felt called to YWAM Kona, Hawaii, I had no idea what I was really stepping into. Like many others, I came with a suitcase full of dreams and passions, a heart ready for the nations, and maybe even a few assumptions I didn’t realize I was carrying. I quickly discovered that Hawaii is not just a scenic backdrop for a missions base — it’s a battleground of cultures, spiritual histories, strongholds, and divine invitations.

A Spiritually Charged Atmosphere

Hawaii is one of the most spiritually rich and spiritually contested places I’ve ever been. You can feel it. There’s a unique tension — ancient Hawaiian spirituality, new age practices, and deep Christian roots all intersecting on these islands. And in the midst of that, God is moving in powerful, sometimes surprising ways.

There’s also a stronghold of bitterness and distrust that many locals carry toward outsiders — especially white Americans, mainlanders, and missionaries. That pain still impacts the local identity. But as a believer, I wrestle with this tension: I want to honor that pain, listen well, and not rush healing — but I also believe Jesus came to heal all wounds. Bitterness is understandable, but it can’t be a place we stay in forever.

“My prayer is that they would recognize God’s work and see themselves as part of it.’”

I saw this picture while I was in Hawaii: a group of Hawaiians stood together in a circle and made a pathway for me to step into. As I was walking, I carried precious gems on my back, and the ground beneath me was made of the same. I was carrying something sacred, and walking on something sacred. I knew I had to move with reverence.

As I stood in the center, they looked to me to speak — but instead, I sat down and listened. Then, they began to build a human tower. I wasn’t lifted to the top — instead, I found myself at the bottom, supporting and lifting them upward.

Maybe that’s how I see missions here now: not elevating outsiders, but helping Hawaiians rise into the fullness of what God is doing through them. Not “Look what the missionaries are doing,” but, “Look what God is doing — with us, in us, through us.” Honoring what’s already present, joining in as a servant, and reminding Truth where it’s been distorted.

The Local Church and God’s Invitation

The local Church in Hawaii is essential to what God wants to do in the state. There’s a rising call for deeper unity between local believers and missions movements. Not a competition — a partnership. God’s not just interested in sending people from the YWAM base in Hawaii— He’s pouring out His Spirit in Hawaii, raising up Hawaiian sons and daughters to be revivalists in their own right.

The enemy has claimed some strongholds here, but God is reclaiming them. The New Age movement has a loud voice in Hawaii, but the Holy Spirit is whispering louder. I’ve sensed a fear of the Lord here like never before — a reverence for the sacredness of this land and the people who inhabit it. It’s holy ground, and we must tread with care.

YWAM Kona — Controversy and Calling

Let’s talk about YWAM Kona. It’s a massive missions base with a global reach. Thousands have been trained here. But it’s also misunderstood, often criticized, and even disliked by many locals.

“YWAM Kona has been a hub of innovation and risk-taking to develop projects that share the love and truth of Jesus with people in nations around the world. Young people who come for training not only develop godly character, they also get a global vision for how God is building His church.”
– John Mark, YWAM Kona Staff

In YWAM, there’s controversy — around theology, spiritual gifts, emotional worship, and the charismatic movement. But that’s part of why it’s powerful. You don’t come to Kona to stay comfortable. You come to be shaken. You come to be changed. It’s a place where the Gospel is not just taught, but lived out.

I’ve had my ups and downs with YWAM — but I love it. I really do. I’ve seen lives transformed. I’ve seen bold faith. I’ve seen people encounter Jesus in radical ways. And yes, I’ve questioned things too. Am I being critical or am I being discerning? Those tensions have made me press deeper into God. I spiritually wrestled a ton during my time in YWAM — but the deeper faith it’s built in me is even greater. I’ve learned to tear down walls that kept me from trusting in God’s full power, while also pursuing a stronger foundation rooted in sound doctrine. Something I can say with confidence: YWAM Kona is filled with people who genuinely live out the Gospel — with boldness, surrender, and the fruit of the Spirit in a way I’ve never encountered anywhere else. I’ve watched families with barely enough to get by financially remain unwavering in their belief that not a single day spent on the mission field is wasted. I’ve seen young adults encounter the presence of God so deeply that they willingly lay down worldly desires, habits, addictions, and fears to follow Jesus with everything they have. And I’ve experienced a culture where prayer and worship aren’t just weekly activities — they are the heartbeat of daily life, unlike anything I’ve ever seen in churches on the mainland.

Tetelestai — It Is Finished

Just before I moved to Hawaii, a stranger airdropped one word to my phone on a plane: “Tetelestai.” The final words of Jesus on the cross — “It is finished.”

That word followed me to the islands. It reminded me that what Jesus did wasn’t just for the world in general — it was for this place, these people, this moment. And it is finished. Complete. Whole.

So we don’t come to Hawaii to “fix” it. Jesus already paid it all. We come to listen. To obey. To partner with what the Holy Spirit is already doing among His people here.

A Final Benediction — In Hawaiian

As we remember what God is doing, may this traditional doxology rise from Hawaii to Heaven:

Ho’onani i ka Makua Mau,
Ke Keiki me ka ‘Uhane no,
Ke Akua Mau ho’omaika’i pū,
Ko kēia ao, ko kēlā ao.
ʻĀmene.