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| Jeremy Flores, winner of the Pipe Masters. Photo: Shieldsy |
The year has come to an end for the ASP World Tour. It has been a huge year with highs and lows. Lize and I recently arrived home after the Billabong Pipeline Masters, In Memory of Andy Irons. It was an excellent event with beautiful waves and awesome competition. Jeremy Flores the young French kid from Reunion Island won the event in a nail bitting final against tour veteran and Aussie Kieren Perrow. The surfers were stoked to be finishing the year as it has been a year of challenges and heart ache for the World Tour family.
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| Perfect Backdoor, all the natural footers were stoked. Photo: Shieldsy |
Coming into Hawaii is always exciting and much anticipated. With only a week before Lize and I left the Gold Coast for the North Shore, we were missing one key ingredient for our trip. A place to stay.
I try not to get to concerned with things like accommodation, as I try and rely on the Lord and his provision. However, as the date of our departure grew closer, I was becoming more anxious with where we were going to stay. I began to think that maybe we would end up sleeping at the backpackers on the North Shore, which although is conveniently close to the event site, is quite pricey, even for a backpackers. With not many options and little on the horizon I could see the Lord was doing His work. Out of the blue, I receive an email from a friend of one of the surfers. He tells me he is coming to Hawaii to stay with his Pro Surfer friend and would like to meet up with me while we are over there. He expressed that he has an avid interest in the chaplaincy and is keen to see how he can support the chaplaincy further. After a few emails back and forth, this friend asks if Lize and I have a place to stay. He then goes on to offer us free accommodation at Sunset Beach. Lize and I gladly accepted his offer and felt so blessed to be able to stay with some great people. It's amazing how God's faithfulness and provision continues despite my own lack of faithfulness at times.
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| Kieren Perrow was a standout during the event. Photo: Lize |
It is interesting to see God continues to bring me to new places in my relationship with the surfers and staff on tour. I had a few surfers and staff on the plane home with me from Hawaii. As we were waiting for our boards at the oversized baggage in Sydney I started talking to one of the guys. We were just chatting about Christmas and how good it was to be home. Out of the blue he said how stoked he was that I was there in Puerto Rico when Andy died. He said it was as if no one knew what to do, but just having me there gave everyone a peace (I know that it's not necessarily me that brings peace but God who brings peace through me). I had a few similar chats with the guys during the contest. Andy’s death is still such a difficult thing to comprehend amongst the surfers and staff. I found myself in the midst of many conversations centred on Andy, and in those divine appointments the Lord has been ever present guiding the words I say.
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| Adrian "Ace" Buchan charges a rare left at Pipe. Photo: Lize |
As I reflect I can see that every relationship I have with each surfer is growing to deeper levels. It is a privilege to be able to invest my life into these people God has placed around me. Remember you are as much a part of this as I am. I encourage you to continue to pray and support the chaplaincy as I continue in this journey with you.
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| Abe and Lize at Pipe |
Thank you and Merry Christmas, Abe and Lize.