Aloha Means Love
September 19, 2011 | 
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“Aloha” in the Hawaiian language means “love.” Over time, it has also come to be used as a greeting and a farewell, much as the Hebrew word for peace (shalom) has also come to be used for “hello” and “goodbye.”
ZOE was blessed recently by a 9-member short-term mission team from Word of Life Church in Honolulu, Hawaii. The team definitely brought their aloha as they shared God’s love with our ZOE ohana (family) through fellowship, worship, preaching the Word, elective classes, and sports.
The Hawaii team also participated in evangelistic outreaches to a remote hill tribe village and a local school in Doi Saket bringing the Good News to the wonderful people of Thailand and helping to educate against the dangers of human trafficking.
They also brought a taste of Hawaii to the ZOE Children’s Home! The team prepared the ono (delicious) traditional Hawaiian coconut dessert haupia for us at the barbecue dinner they sponsored. During our worship services, the wahine (women) shared several beautiful hula worship dances while both the wahine and the kane (men) performed a modern interpretive dance. Before leaving, the team blessed the ZOE staff with colorful lei for all.
It wasn’t all work for our Hawaii friends, though! They enjoyed a traditional northern Thai khantoke dinner which in some ways is similar to a Hawaiian luau. They also visited the Maesa elephant camp and it is rumored that there may have even been an evening spent shopping at the night bazaar!
We were so happy to say aloha to our brothers and sisters from Hawaii when they arrived and sad to say aloha as they left to return home. But we will never forget the awesome aloha they shared with us while they were here!
Mahalo nui loa and ahui hou!
To see more photos from the Word of Life team click here.
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Aloha everyone,
We just got back to Hawaii about a week ago from being in Thailand with ZOE. It’s amazing to think we were just there, just with these beautiful children, just speaking with the bible school students and going street witnessing with them, just doing luau’s with the children, and staying overnight in a village with a flourishing church! Thousands of miles away, and I am a witness that God is moving throughout Thailand and He is using Michael and Carol Hart, the missionaries, and all the bible school students, even the young children!
I was reading their page about sponsoring and supporting a child at ZOE and it’s true, you begin to think about the times at home when you saw on TV the children without a home who couldn’t even afford a meal. But what was the most interesting is as I was looking down the page at all the pictures of the children…there was something different…I realized that I had actually played with each of these children, I saw them do their best to break dance, I heard them practice their English, heck I even helped teach many of them how to do the electric slide! They weren’t just a group of poor orphans I saw on TV, instead they were true human beings, each of these children had their own very unique personality, they were joyful, there was healing, they knew love, and I got to experience getting to know each of them.
It blows me away to think about how generous they all are, whether it be the ZOE kids, or even the bible school students, the missionaries, Carol and Mike Hart (I would refer to them as P Carol and P Mike, but I doubt that is the way it’s supposed to be written =] )!! Anyway, the generosity, the simplicity, and the intimacy with God that each of them holds is breathtaking. You begin to evaluate yourself…I noticed when I came back to America I just had this urge to serve everyone else…there was a gratefulness not only for material items but just for the presence of certain people in my life. Truly life transforming, I even keep finding myself bowing to people, just without the Wei!! Haha (:
I just want to say thank you ZOE and I know our whole team from Hawaii and even our church says thank you, we love you, and you will be in our prayers. Can’t wait to hear about the miracles that are coming up!
Mahalo,
Carly
Hi Carly,
What a HUGE privilege for us to spend time with you and your team.
We had so much fun hanging out with you all….
We sure do love to have fun at ZOE, thank you for helping to make this a reality!
Electric slide on!
P Dave
Aloha Zoe Family,
Even though I am back here in beautiful Hawaii, a big piece of my heart is still at Zoe. It was very difficult for me to transition back here. God spoke to me clearly about going on the short term mission’s trip, and although there were some mountains to climb to get to Thailand, I knew as I knew as I knew that I was destined to go on this trip. God is so good! When He sends; He provides!
My experience was life changing. Truly it was! God started depositing things into my spirit before I went on this trip, and when I got to the Zoe home, He confirmed things for me. On day 2 of our trip, God gave me a powerful word, 1 John 4:7-221. John talks about the Love of God, and John states in verse 18, “There is no fear in love. But perfect love drives out fear.” God’s love permeates and radiates everywhere at Zoe.
It is so apparent that P. Mike and P. Carol have the heart of their Father in Heaven. I know it is because The Greater One lives and resides in them; therefore, God’s love oozes out of them. It is contagious and has manifested in and through the lives of the Zoe children and everyone at the home. That day when our team first entered the prayer room, and we were greeted by the Zoe children and family, that room was so thick with God’s love. I could feel it so strongly. I know God was in that room. I felt His presence so strongly.
So when I returned, I asked God, now what do I do? God answered me. Trust in the Lord….. Delight yourself in the Lord….Commit your way to the Lord… Be still before the Lord and wait patiently for Him. Psalm 37:1-7. I am trying to be stiil and am waiting patiently for Him. I know God’s timing for everything is the best timing!
Thank you my family at Zoe! I love you all very much, and I am praying for you!
Love you,
Sharla