Aloha!
I wanted to take a moment to introduce myself, as well as my wife – Briana, and son – Malachi (Kai for short). We are so excited to partner with Lihue Lutheran in Lihue, Hawaii to begin ministry and service. Before we begin, we wanted to share some background info on all of us!
- Where are you all from?
I was born in Seoul, South Korea and adopted at the age of 4 months to my family in Stillwater, Minnesota. Long story short, my parents had a spiritual awakening and decided to move to Phoenix, Arizona when I was about 8. I lived there until I went to college in Southern California and have basically been there ever since; though I went to seminary in Portland, Oregon and worked in a psychiatric clinic in Bellevue, Washington. Before moving to Lihue, my wife and I lived and worked in Fresno, California for 3 years.
Bri was born and raised in Chico, California. Her parents moved to Portland, Oregon when she was old, and Bri has one brother, who lives in Seattle, Washington – who is engaged! I will be doing their wedding this summer. Her brother, small FYI, is 6’5. And all of the Lithuanian men on Bri’s side of the family are about that size, so we hope Kai will turn out around 6 foot or taller!
Bri went to college in Arizona, worked as an EMT, and went to physician assistant school in Nevada. She has been a PA-C since 2016, and worked in pediatric emergency medicine in Fresno for about 3 years. She is currently looking for part-time work here in Lihue.
Kai was born 7/11, slurpee day, and is a big boy. He never misses a meal and usually shouts out for extra snacks between meals. He is mild tempered, easily delighted, curious, and an all around great kid (though we’re biased). - What are your favorite hobbies?
Bri and I love to be outdoors. We usually fit in a 2 mile walk each day for our daily exercise. I built a garage gym and typically work out 5-7 days of the week. Exercise is a huge self-care area for our family. We love hikes and we love to hang out at the beach. Kai is still unsure what to make of the ocean but we’ll make a fan out of him!
I love to golf, bowl, read books, teach, listen to random lectures and videos on YouTube. I have a unique memory in that I can remember most of the research studies I’ve read. Having gone through three master’s degrees and am almost finished with a PhD, this makes for quite a few research studies. So, if you hear me talking about research in a wiki-like way, bear with me! Sharing knowledge, discussing knowledge, and thinking out loud are my passions! - Why Lihue Lutheran?
The fit. Bri and I were initially tentative about moving the middle of the Pacific. However, after meeting everyone here at Lihue Lutheran, the Spirit of Aloha and the culture of Ohana had us sold. Drawing from a Wesleyan train of thought, God is alive and active on the margins. With Hawaii being on the geographical margins of the US boundary, I believe God is strongly at work here, and I believe God has much to teach and show the rest of the world through two primary concepts: aloha and ohana.
That being said, I want to come back to the idea of fit. We felt strongly that God’s calling had opened doors for us to be here and that the fit was a very very good. Based on who I am, who LLC is, and the dynamics between us, we felt this would be a wonderful partnership. - What’s your vision for LLC?
Initially, my response during the interview was deep listening for about the first year. I wanted to sit back, watch, listen, and learn how everything “works,” and step in when and where needed/invited. However, in the wake of COVID-19, I have been more pro-active and responsive than I had initially intended.
This past week I have worked to call everyone in the membership directory and it has been such a joy and privilege to get to know so many people in our community of faith. Through many of these conversations I have learn and interpreted hopes, visions, and desires for our community. It is my goal to find collaboration partners, people with the same call and passion, to help develop these ideas for ministry to help them become reality. In everything we pursue, we want to serve, strengthen, and encourage our community of LLC, city of Lihue, and island of Kauai. - In the time of COVID-19, we really want to get to know you better? I’m not good with technology and I’d rather meet in person….
COVID-19 presents us with a very unique, and possibly a once-in-a-lifetime situation. That being said, we need to address the ideal versus the real. There are many things we would like to do or would like to happen, but this just isn’t realistic in the wake of COVID-19. Therefore, the question to ask is, what possibilities exist in the midst of our circumstances? This means we may need to try new things, enter new waters, and stand in unikely and uncomfortable spaces to be connect and commune with one another.
That being said, I have been reaching out via phone, and will continue to do so. However, I would also like to note that the phone is a 2-way-street so to speak. Do not hesitate to reach out or call or email. If we play an extended game of phone tag we can set up an official time to connect via phone, zoom, facetime, or another mode of communication. I am anxious and excited to get to know everyone here at LLC.
I’m pretty much an open book, and always open for questions. Don’t hesitate to reach out. This is the first of future blogs to come, so stay tuned!
The Pineapple Shack 