I grew up crossing oceans and love learning about the Creator through the diversity of cultures.
Isn’t it like God to use a white self-professing Buddhist to bring reconciliation to the Native Hawaiians’ divided identity–that they can be both Hawaiian and Christian!? Dr. Ron Williams, a professor of Hawaiian Studies at UH Manoa, became an avid student of Hawaiian history while living in Maui. For his doctoral dissertation, he looked more … More Prayer & Oli
A few days after writing Ke Kai Wa’a, my poem about the ocean canoe, I wrote a little prose piece called “The Voyager and The Voice.” In it, I explored celestial navigation as a way God leads us to our destination. Little did I know this ancient way of sea-faring was re-birthed in the Hokule’a! … More Before I met the Hokulea (part 2)…
In May 2013, I spent a day in quiet retreat with the Lord. That year I had taken up a practice of doing a 24 hour solo retreat once a month–I cannot emphasize enough what a difference this made in my personal well-being and fruitfulness in ministry! God has been teaching me good patterns of … More Before I met the Hokule’a
On Sunday evening I attended an event at Kawaiaha’o Church to pule (pray) for the voyaging ship, Hokule’a (pictured below). Hokule’a (Star of Gladness) brings the past to life for the Native Hawaiian people. This traditional double-hull voyaging canoe built in the 70’s is built like the early vessels that carried the Polynesian people from the south … More Pule for Hokule’a
An exposition on Acts 10 & 11* Cornelius’ faith changed everything for the early church. Here’s a Roman military commander and generous man of God who is visited by an angel in a vision. Kind of your every day experience, right!? He learns that God is pleased with his gifts to the poor and he … More Mutual Conversion
I’m an external processor so sometimes I don’t realize something until I say it out loud. While debriefing the semester with my staff team today I reflected on what brings me joy in ministry… “I love that I can bring my whole self to this ministry with international students!” I exclaimed, “I feel like I … More being my whole self… gold hair and all!
Recently a friend of mine likened post-revolution 1980’s China to North Korea. Really!? I thought… North Korea seems like a much more totalitarian regime. But when my parents describe the drab-colored attire, the rations, the police-watch on every street, the bugged rooms, the government-run churches, it starts to sound more and more like the land … More Wow… my parents!
Whilst sipping on oversized straws filled with boba* at my favorite Taiwan tea shop, Mr. Tea, my Japanese friends and I found ourselves engaged in a thoughtful discussion about what it means to have a prophetic voice in our cultures. There’s something wonderful about our conversations at Mr. Tea… in fact, one of our friends … More tea & the prophetic voice
Today I toured the Iolani Palace for the fourth time, this time with my wonderful parents! Each time I notice something a bit different… and today I found myself looking “up” a lot and noticing the lights. These lights contain a story unknown to most of the world. This story needs to be told. Iolani … More Let there be light
See instructions for writing your own letter to the board here. April 22, 2014 Dear Board of Trustees of Simpson University, I am Rachel Kuhn, Simpson student from 2004-2009, graduated with a BA in Communications. While attending Simpson, I never held any official leadership positions, but I was heavily involved with the Gatehouse Community, Commuter … More Letter to Simpson Board of Trustees
crossing oceans bridging cultures 