Hello from Hawaii!

Naomi and I are very happily back with our community and ministry in Kona!  We are very excited about what God is doing here!  

How has Kona been?

Matt:

We are loving being back here!  Students for the Fire and Fragrance ministry school arrived on the 14th and it has been really special.  As some of you know, my sister, Molly, decided to come and do the ministry school with her son Myles.  It has been truly special.  Easily the most difficult thing for me about following God to Kona and everywhere else has been missing my family, which is why I am so thankful God spoke to Molly and brought her here.  She and Myles are so amazing and have brought so much joy for Naomi and I!  Please be praying for Molly as she has taken such a huge step of faith being here and trusting God not just for herself, but for her 2 year-old.  We look forward to seeing what God does here in Kona and outreach for the two of them!  

In order for Molly to attend the program, she needed to have a full-time nanny so she could attend classes, ministry and other responsibilities, which Naomi very generously volunteered to do, so she has been able to take a step back from her normal staff responsibilities in order to take care of Myles during the days!  For me I have taken a step forward in staff responsibilities handling many of the of the administrative responsibilities for the school including much of the finances, flights, and insurances.  We have really taken on some new challenges and are enjoying them a lot! 

Naomi:

Being in Kona has been a great transition from getting married. We have multiple ways to serve and are constantly surrounded by Godly community. Matthew has taken on so much with finances and administrative roles this quarter and is working incredibly hard, the school really appreciates him. I have been having so much fun running around with our nephew while my sister-in-law Molly is in class throughout the week. It’s been such a blessing to have family around. 

Matthew and I have been praying about ways we could offer more help with the school. We felt like God placed an emphasis on the staff crew, and we began thinking about what we could do in this season to offer extra resources and take stress off the staff as they prepare to lead outreach. After talking with the school leaders, we decided to offer Co-Leader Dynamic Sessions. 

These sessions are designed specifically for co-leaders—the two leaders who are primarily responsible for leading each mission team. The heart behind these sessions is to help co-leaders grow in healthy leadership together and learn how to work as a strong, unified team. We want to create a space where they can develop practical tools for ministry, such as navigating finances, clarifying roles and responsibilities, and balancing practical and spiritual leadership. 

We also focus on relational and emotional health: how to communicate well, handle healthy confrontation, remain professional while still having fun, and support one another under pressure. Another key aspect is helping co-leaders learn how to build and maintain long-term relationships with missionary contacts, especially when visiting and partnering with them in the field. 

Overall, these sessions are meant to strengthen co-leader partnerships so they can lead with clarity, unity, and humility—setting a healthy foundation for their teams and for the communities they serve. We are very excited to start these next week so please pray that these are helpful and impactful and truly serve as a helpful tool before they leave.

A big announcement from our organization!

The organization I have been working for the past 4 years, Fire and Fragrance, is in the midst of a huge shift!  For the past 18 years, our organization has served within the much larger organization Youth with a Mission.  Our leader, Andy Byrd, along with the leaders of Youth with a Mission have come to the conclusion that it is time for Fire and Fragrance to become a completely different organization in order to properly serve God’s calling for us!  

What does that mean for Naomi and I?

Right now it means we get to support our organization from Kona while it prepares to move to Charlotte, North Carolina by August 15th. There are many extra things going on and much more work to be done, so we are very excited to continue supporting as best we can. While our goal is still to move to the Fire and Fragrance location in Istanbul, Turkey come January of next year, we are praying and asking God what to do in the present. We had planned to live in Kona until the end of the year then move to Turkey, but with the transition coming much sooner than that, we are asking God for clear direction!  

Thank you!

We really enjoy your continued love and support!  It means a ton to us!  Please feel free to reply with your thoughts or message us!