About Us

E.L.

I was saved in the Fall of 1979 as a Sergeant in the U.S. Army while stationed at Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.  I was led to the Lord by a missionary’s son, Maxwell Scott, while I was waiting for a haircut outside of the base Barber shop.  Brother Max was a faithful witness for the Lord, a single man who loved the Lord without any inhibitions to witnessing for Christ.   He left just two weeks after I was saved, but tried to get me in a Baptist Church. Before he left he gave me 5 scriptures to memorize, which I still know to date.  The memory cards had the NIV on one side and the KJV on the other, he said, "Memorize this side, the other's ok but the Bible is on this side"; ever since then I've only used the KJV of the Bible.

Rubi

I got saved at home under the conviction of the Holy Spirit after my husband asked me if I was saved.  We had just moved into our apartment in Colorado Springs, CO.  My husband’s new military assignment had been God's way of guiding us into His will.  He came home one day after talking to his chaperone, SP4 Larry Duffy.  He came home saying we were going to Church this Sunday and wanted to know if I really knew whether or not I was saved.  He asked me if I really knew whether or not I'd go to heaven if I was to die.  After my husband left, I was listening to Christian music and couldn't stop thinking about whether I was saved.  While sweeping the floor, I remember holding a broom that got very heavy.  I knew I needed to stop, get on my knees and pray the Lord to come into my heart.  I remember telling the Lord that I don't know you that way; I've always talked to you and asked you to help me, but never to save me from my sins.  That day I was convicted that I only knew of God and did not really have a relationship with Him.  

Our Service

By July of 1981 my family and I were re-assigned to Fort Carson, CO, and was given a chaperone, SPC Larry Duffy, who was a member of an independent Baptist church in Colorado Springs, CO.  He drilled me about my salvation and church affiliation after I was saved.  To him it seemed contradictory that I'd be saved and attending a charismatic church in Hawaii.  He immediately invited me to his church, First Baptist Church of Peaceful Valley, Colorado Springs, CO and my whole family attended.  That morning we joined the Church by baptism; as we were never scripturally baptized.  My wife and I submitted to the authority of our Pastor Gene Woods and the local church.  Within a few weeks of joining the Church we had started our own bus route by filling our station wagon with 15 kids and then eventually given a bus to fill.  Six months later during Revival services I surrendered to preach the gospel with my wife at my side. She knew I had been burdened about preaching   gospel and prayed with me as I surrendered to preach.  We weren't there for a year when I got out of the military and continued our walk of faith to Baptist Bible College, Springfield, MO.

Our Surrender

While in Springfield; we joined Berean Baptist Church, Pastor Leon Gray and served the Lord there helping with the bus ministry, rest home services and visitation for 3 years.  We had experienced our first mission conference at the church and I answered the call to do missions work, but where?  It was in 1982 when my parents were visiting us after a great hurricane afforded their visit.  Anticipating their arrival the whole church prayed for their salvation. After several services they attended with us my parents both went forward to be saved and later baptized at Berean.  At the time I had surrendered to be a missionary to Mexico, then Japan, but God never convicted my heart or soul about neither one.  Until the day before my parents returned to Hawaii my father asked what would I do after college; he told me that there was no church near them.  I immediately became burdened, but refused to answer the call.  

I really didn't want to surrender to Hawaii. I had been asking God to call me anywhere but Hawaii. It was at our second annual mission conference in 1984 that the Lord confirmed in my heart his calling and used Mark 5:19 to help me know.  It was also confirmed by my wife’s surrender as well.  I had asked her if you'd go wherever the Lord would lead me to go and together with our whole family we went to the alter to surrender to go to Hawaii.

Our Support

In 1982 while in Bible College I learned that the field of Hawaii was a closed field with the BBFI.  That of course led me to believe even more that Hawaii was not where God wanted us.  In 1985 not withstanding the Lord's leadership we went as independent missionaries out of Berean Baptist Church in Springfield, MO and attempted to raise financial support for almost a year.  Sensing the urgency to start the ministries in Hawaii, we left under supported and founded the Leeward Baptist Church in Nanakuli, HI.   

In 1990 we pursued the opening of the field of Hawaii with the BBFI clearinghouse  emphasizing that we were ministering to the native Hawaiian people.  We were successful and spent another 1.5 years of raising support. Notwithstanding the Lord's leadership we went back to the field still under supported to continue with the work.  God called a preacher out of the church in Nanakuli who attended Bible College and in 1995 he returned with his master’s degree to take over the work.   

In 1997 we went to begin working in Hilo, Hawaii on the Big Island with Ohanalani Baptist Temple, started the Keauhou Baptist Church and are presently working out of the Aloha Baptist Church in Honokaa, Hawaii.  

Our Family

The Lord’s given us three children Keoki, Paula and Laura  who have been a big part of our ministries in Hawaii through the years.  Today they have all left home and began their own life’s ministry.   

Our oldest son Keoki married Dana Erber of Waipahu Hawaii both have surrendered their lives to serve the Lord; they completed their Bachelors at Baptist Bible College in Springfield, MO together and Dana went on to complete her masters degree in elementary education at Drury College. In 2002 they left to serve for several years at Temple Baptist in Dumas, TX, as Youth Leader and later left for Los Angeles to serve at Sonrise Church of Rialto, CA. Presently they minister at Skid Row in LA every Friday and hold home meetings on Sundays. They have one of our four grandchildren named, Genesis Josiah Kanawai.

Our oldest daughter Paula married Chad Enos of Waianae, Hawaii, both are members of the Waianae Baptist Church. They have three of our grandchildren, Cruzita, Kawai and Celicia and still live in Oahu, HI. Paula has spent two years helping our ministry as our piano player and serving at her husband’s home church family.

Our youngest daughter Laura is not married, she is a high school counselor and volleyball coach in Los Angeles, CA. Attending college part-time, she is majoring in Sociology and hoping to finish soon.

Both of our daughters attended at least one year of Bible College in Springfield, MO and continuing to pray the Lord’s will be done in their lives. We are grateful for their willingness and pray the Lord will use all of our children and grandchildren for His service.