Pastor Kevin and Misty Inafuku have returned to Guam for our 48th Anniversary. We get an update on their family and discuss Harvest memories on this edition.
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Episode Transcript
Chris Harper: Hafa adai, and welcome to Harvest Time. My name is Chris Harper. Every week, we spend these twenty five minutes together telling you the stories of our church by interviewing our members and other friends of the ministry. We’d invite you to join us at Harvest Baptist Church this week. We have two services Sunday, 08:45AM and 10:45AM.
We offer Japanese and Korean translation during the 10:45AM service, and that’s also when we livestream at hbcguam.org. Hbcguam.org. This week, we’re celebrating our forty eighth anniversary at the church with special guest Pastor Kevin Inafuku. He’ll be speaking in our Sunday morning services. We’re very thankful to have Pastor Kevin and Misty Inafuku in the studio this week.
So let’s start by saying hello. Welcome.
Kevin Inafuku: Hafa adai. It’s good to be here, Chris. Thanks for having us. It’s great to have you here. I thought about one question immediately when it was on my schedule to have you on Harvest Time, and that was when someone called, I’m assuming Pastor Walton called and said, come out for our forty eighth anniversary. Were your first thoughts about
Yeah.
Chris Harper: Coming to Harvest?
Kevin Inafuku: That’s a great question. I said, really? You want us to come? And said, Well, why? I think that’s what I said.
I think I said to him, which is kind of funny. But, yeah, it’s good to be here. And I think when you think of an anniversary, it’s a celebration and a time to remember the things that God has done. And I think that’s kind of what went through my head after that is just reminiscing through the years and the great things that God has done here at Harvest and through Harvest.
Chris Harper: People who are new listeners or people who may have been on Island just a short time may not know either one of you. So sort of explain and describe history here at Harvest, maybe both of you.
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah. Maybe I’ll go maybe you want to go first? I’ll let Misty go first because she was here before I was.
Misty Inafuku: Okay. Okay. I’ll say a little. Yeah, my family came in 2000. My dad is Pastor Marty Herron.
So we came out in 2000 and I was in high school at the time. So I ended up being out here for seventeen years. Kev came a few years later and have just loved being able to be a part of the ministry and, in a sense, grow up here and just kinda see what God’s continuing to do here.
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah. I think when you think of Guam, it’s actually kind of our story because she came out with her family and got I mean, you’ve heard that story through Pastor Heron and Tammy. But as far as Misty’s story and then and the guy bringing me here in 2003, a couple times prior to that, and then, yeah, I I think of when you think back to Harvest, when we came here last night and drove through, wow, some things are the same and in lot of ways there are a lot of things that are different. People, come and go and there’s a lot of people have been added to the church and so that’s really exciting. But back then it was kind of like a little smaller, I think, and things were growing.
So being a part of that was pretty awesome. The vision that Harvest had in reaching the island and beyond was really exciting for us. For me, just being a part of helping to see the music program being developed and built. And I say that because Dave Mincy actually did a great job prior to me in developing the band program and laying some of the foundation for the music program and the academy and the church. So it was just neat to be a part of him handing the baton off and and seeing God do some neat things while we’re here as well.
Chris Harper: Right. So you were the music pastor? Is that
Kevin Inafuku: Yes. I came originally, to help lead the music in this in the academy in the college and the church. And then as time went on and we got to see, Lord grow that through bringing the right people and using people’s gifts in the church to see the worship expand and grow. And then through the pastors that kind of come and gone, I think F. G. Holmsher was here and then Pastor Jared left.
And so as people kind of move in and out, you start to take on more things on your plate as well. And so and all of that was really good, being able to see God, grow us through through those times as well.
Chris Harper: Yeah. Yeah. Misty, people will probably want an update on your family and how everybody’s doing and and that sort of thing. So
Misty Inafuku: Yeah. So we have four kids. My Leah is our oldest. She’s 11 now and in seventh grade. And then Aria, and she’s 10.
Almost 10. No. Sorry. Almost 11.
Kevin Inafuku: Almost 11.
Misty Inafuku: Oh, boy. Sorry. Yeah. So she’s almost 11, and she’s fifth grade. And then, Misaki is nine.
And I’m sorry. I’m getting them confused. Yeah. Misaki is nine, and he is fourth grade. And then Isaiah, our baby, is first grade and he is six years old and ready to take on the world.
Kevin Inafuku: Mhmm. He is.
Chris Harper: So since you’ve been gone, a lot of things have happened.
Kevin Inafuku: Yes.
Chris Harper: And so sort of explain what
Misty Inafuku: Yeah.
Chris Harper: What has happened in your lives.
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah. First of all, what’s all our children were born here, there’s a special place, you know. I’m married and doing ministry and our kids were born here. So one day they, you know, they have a desire to represent Guam on some stage as far as soccer or volleyball. So they have that ability to do that, which is kind of cool.
Yeah, we left in 2017 and actually for many years prior to that, when God got ahold of my heart in college and then traveling with Steve Pettit around the country, there was always a desire and a burden to go to Hawaii, primarily because that’s where I was born and raised and spent seventeen years of my life there. And then even at that time, there were not very many churches there when I left for college. So, there was always that burden to go back. So when we even got married here, we always had this idea of like, let’s prepare, you know, if God one day would have us to go back. And so in 2016, we actually approached Pastor, maybe it was ‘fifteen or ‘sixteen, and said, Hey, we want to start preparing for that and start praying.
And we didn’t know how God was going to align all that. And then when 2016 Danny Brooks called and said, Hey, I know you guys want to go to Hawaii, but what about coming through Utah and maybe getting some time and preparing? And we’d never thought about that, but at the same time there was when you start to learn about Utah, you’re like, Wow, I’ve known this. The fact is I remember Mission Prayer Band in college on Thursday nights, we’d pray for missionaries, and I remember praying for missionaries in Utah and the hard work that was there. So you start to connect like, wow, it is a mission field in our country and they speak English and it’s just unbelievable.
And so we’re like, yeah, let’s go through and prepare because all we had known was actually big ministry. In our tool bag of ministry, it was big ministry ministry at Harvest. And so to be able to go and be at the grassroots level and learn church planning, revitalization work which ended up happening. And I tell people, I said, you know, when pray for a certain thing, it’s just unbelievable how God actually does his work behind the scenes in aligning things and going, okay, let’s we would never have in fact, I was just in Utah last weekend preaching for another church that was started ten years ago, and you’re just amazed at what you didn’t know in 2016 or 2017 and how God has prepared, even used the Utah revitalization, which is unbelievably growing. They’re in a building project.
They have they have two hundred twenty five people there, I think.
Misty Inafuku: Yeah. Yeah. We went and ended up at a church called Gospel Hope.
Kevin Inafuku: Gospel Hope. Yes.
Misty Inafuku: Develop that and
Kevin Inafuku: we’re able to
Misty Inafuku: be there.
Kevin Inafuku: And they they had flown us out last year actually for their anniversary, and it was just amazing to see all that God’s doing and and, to be a part of that. But but, yeah, our our trajectory was to go through Utah to Hawaii, and we landed in Hawaii right before COVID twenty twenty to be part of a revitalization at AA Heights Church. And, yeah, you look back and you go, we were probably super excited about the fact that we’re going back to Hawaii. When you’re excited, sometimes you you ask questions, but you’re all saying the same thing. And so I think for me, probably learned I need to ask more questions.
But but nonetheless, God used the time there to help this church move forward in an unbelievable way because of the revitalization as far as core documents that need be changed, name change, getting things current as far as just even how they operate according to bylaws and bylaws up to date, and then being outward facing in the community, and then helping even that Pastor move forward in a way that’s healthy for him and his family. So we look back and we go, none of those things are wasted. God’s doing great things there at that church, but for us we had to kind of go, Okay, is this a good fit? And that’s a hard decision sometimes to actually go, We thought we were going be here forever actually. Yet it was pretty obvious that they needed a different kind of guy that needed to be there.
And that was a hard decision for us. In the last year and a half, we’ve been in a place we’ve never been before. And I don’t think I ever would have thought in my ministry trajectory that this is where we would be at 46. And yet God knows what He’s doing. I was sharing with the HBBC, or with maintenance this morning in devotions in John 15 that God desires Jesus is telling His disciples He wants us to bear much fruit.
And the way that he does that oftentimes is he’s pruning us and he’s changing us and he’s doing that in ways that we don’t always think. It’s not our plan. And so yeah, so the last year and a half we’ve been doing ministry in many different ways, filling the pulpit for a lot of churches and think Hawaii, I think because we came back in a weird time in COVID as well, learning Hawaii again, helping people to know who we are and it’s always a prophet’s without honor, so it’s always hard to feel like you feel accepted. And so coming back into that was difficult and I think it’s, it’s been difficult actually. We just said, Lord, whatever we can do to help.
And we’ve been filling pulpits with many different churches, Korean churches, English speaking churches, and running camp there the last few summers that’s been awesome. I was the chairman of the board for FCA Hawaii Fellowship of Christian Athletes, which I had been a part of in Utah, which was really awesome to see God do work there. So helping Hawaii athletes both at the university levels all the way through high school through middle school and even elementary, starting huddles, we call them, or Bible studies on campus through a national organization because it’s easier to do it that way to get the Bible in, and it’s been a real awesome thing to see and happen. We been in trajectory of phasing out of our support and phasing in at AYA Heights, and so that was happening. And so because that was happening when we left, we had actually lost a number of support, we jumped into real estate through actually another Christian guy that said, Hey, you should just come and do this because it’s flexible and it gives you opportunities to stay still be in ministry.
And God’s been kind to pay the bills for us, so we’re super thankful for that. Yeah. Yeah.
Chris Harper: I wanna talk about the forty eighth anniversary and kind of Yeah. Harvest, and and I know people wanted to get, you know, updated on what you guys were doing and and everything. But you’ll both have a long experience with Harvest that gives you some perspective. Yes. And I was just wondering kinda from both of you, what what is kind of your over overall thoughts about Harvest and about what it means and at the forty eighth anniversary, you know, what the the themes of the ministry have been in your mind and in your experience?
Misty Inafuku: I think this morning, just what hit me. It’s always special to come back because of the the past and that I have here. So just thinking this morning of, wow, what God has done and the memories that I have and, having attended Harvest Christian Academy and graduated from from here and seeing even now graduates, still friends, close friends, you know, who are here and still in some ways part of the ministry, some aren’t some are maybe their kids are at the academy now. But just seeing that and the impact from those times and then, again, thankful just for how God has used it in our own lives, in our marriage, and, our family, and just being a part of that and having worked here in the preschool and then in the office and but seeing it now and yet how, it’s changed in many ways. In many ways, it’s the same, but just knowing that God’s continuing to do his work and minister to people, and I’m thankful for that.
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah. I think twenty three years ago when I first came to visit, I remember writing my journal, since we’ve moved a few times I’ve been looking back at journals, I remember writing down this journal because I had wanted to go back to Hawaii but God wasn’t opening the doors then. And then going, Wow, there’s this unbelievable ministry on an island. And I grew up in Hawaii and never been a part of a ministry like there wasn’t a ministry in Hawaii like this. And so I think what drew me twenty three years ago was the fact that I could learn how to do ministry on an island in my 20s.
That was pretty cool. And then to be able to see multiple cultures and ethnic backgrounds come together, and it’s still happening. And it’s pretty amazing. And the fact that God is continuing to bring people through with their gifts and their abilities and to be a part of that is pretty awesome. And sometimes it’s easy to kind of forget and the machine is going and there’s so much going on.
But like Misty said, it’s awesome to watch kids grow up here and are serving here and I’ll try to get emotional because it makes you feel old, you’re like, Wow, it’s really exciting to see the Lord bring the right people at the right time for his purpose and his glory.
Chris Harper: What about, what about some specifics? I I know that’s kind of a general thing about Harvest, but what about some specific stories about people or about circumstances or anything that are kind of highlights? I know it was a long time, so you may have a lot to choose from.
Kevin Inafuku: Okay. For me, what comes to my mind is I remember in the early days when we were here, staff prayer meetings, praying for students and praying for God to do a work in the kids. And so through the youth pastors, through Michael Saunders and over the years, just the burden and the principals at the time, would just pray that God would break through and revival would happen on this campus. I remember, the themes that Pastor Herron had and really praying through, writing a song and developing them. Those were kind of actually looking back, because I don’t do that anymore, I look back and I’m like, Man, those are actually pretty cool things to do and be a part of.
And, yeah, I don’t know. I think, developing the music program, think because it’s in my lane, I think of, if Lisa were here, probably would be like, yeah, he made me cry so many times. But I think you’re just, seeing even how they’ve grown in their gifts and abilities and trying to, you know, whether it’s modulating or doing key changes or doing all that, like those little things actually give up getting Kelly here and desire to see a strings program start in our church and the school and then watching the orchestra develop and grow. Those were some really cool birthing of things that happen. And then non music, think of the volleyball.
I can’t, you know, it’s always been a burden of mine to see actually a volleyball program and, those were some hard years that we didn’t have a gym and we’re outside practicing out in the court in the hot sun and in the rain and but getting these kids to like, you know, we can do it. We can we can start a program and, you know, coaching Brandon Pegarito and Kyle and these are guys that were on my first team when we first started and then now they’re here running the show. And so it’s pretty exciting.
Chris Harper: Yeah. Misty, anything particular that that you remember or a story? Or
Misty Inafuku: I don’t know. I mean, I was you guys had mentioned about the most recent typhoon, and it did kind of take us back to Pungsona, which I don’t know 2001? I don’t know what year that was.
Chris Harper: Yeah. Maybe 2002.
Misty Inafuku: 2002. Yeah. So that was early on, I was still in high school at the time and just remembering those times, and you guys were saying how this most recent one had been quite devastating. And and, again, just remembering back, yeah, we we were in the church building or up in the radio station here and just kind of hunkering down and, and then just the recovery time after, you know, still kind of living on the campus and, until water and power and things like that were back and just being able to even be a part of I know Kevin has you know, he has those memories of, like, going out and helping in the community and just to Yep. Rebuild in a sense or, you know, get rid of debris and all the things, however we could help neighbors and stuff.
So, I probably really clearly remember those things and just special times that really, I think, put the people and staff and and the community of Guam just knit you together. There’s a special bond that there is, I think.
Kevin Inafuku: I think also we there’s a couple other stories come to mind as far as, people in the church that got saved, and then you’re in their lives, and then also people that have passed away and you’re walking through the valley with them. Those are just special times of hard times, but special times that, draw the church close together and and just part of church life that you don’t forget is special. These people are now in heaven with the Lord.
Chris Harper: Yeah. So If, if you had to think about, Kevin, your future in ministry and your, where you’re gonna go from here and
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah.
Chris Harper: It are there things that Harvest, and the ministry here, probably the people here have have done and have said and have they’ve worked in such a way that’s affected and impact impacted how you’ll go forward yourself?
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah. Yeah. First of all, we don’t know what God’s doing. We’re like, Lord, help us. I actually feel like I pulled up a little story about Amy Carmichael that that reminds reminds me of what she went through, like, one to the other, but yet God had his perfect plan in and of that.
But when I think of Harvest, yes, we cut our teeth here in ministry and so we always are kind of filtering back through things that we’ve learned, whether it’s a philosophy of ministry or whether it’s administrative stuff or whether it’s just on a church level like pastoring and shepherding people, those experiences have shaped us. And we carry that everywhere we go. We And don’t know what God has for us. It’s actually really difficult. But yet we hold on to the fact that God knows and we take these, we say, tools that He’s allowed us to put in our toolbox of ministry that have been pretty impactful.
And the people here have shaped us in those ways philosophically. We’re forever grateful and thankful and pray that God would help us to be able to lead us into the right place soon.
Chris Harper: And then what about Harvest? I mean, if you as you think and pray about Harvest in the future, I mean, you know, some of the newer people that are here too, Pastor Walton and some. But, what do what do you think about for the future? What what can the ministry do here?
Kevin Inafuku: For Harvest?
Chris Harper: For Harvest, the people of Guam, for expansion of our outreach.
Kevin Inafuku: Well, I think Pastor, you know, I know Pastor Gary has a huge burden to reach this island in the community and I know likewise all the pastors. I am excited to see what God’s going to do. I think it’s been five years that he’s been here now. And so I think he’s probably just reared up and ready to go and I know he’s praying for the right people to come along. But I, you know, there’s so much going on in our world and to have a constant harvest where they’re committed to the Bible, committed to loving people and discipling people, I just think that I’m praying and I just think God’s just going to continue to keep doing great things and hopefully send out more people.
Send out more people for the Gospel. And I will say this too, I know people are like, Well, are the influences doing? Harvest has sent us, and to be affirmed as a pastor and then to be affirmed as a sent missionary is, I mean, most churches would die for that, you know, to be able to do that. I think that’s the heartbeat of really the Bible is sending out your own to continue to do Gospel ministry, and I pray that many, many more young ones, whether they’re students or people in the church or pastors, would be sent out from this place to do do gospel work.
Chris Harper: Well, our our church members and visitors and everybody is gonna be really happy to see you and and they’re gonna be excited to have you preaching on Sunday and and you’re going to have a lot of conversations, a lot of memories over the next few days.
Kevin Inafuku: Yeah, we’re excited. I’m excited to I think I’m going to actually be in John chapter three and really kind of talk through ministry and Jesus’ teaching of his disciples and also John the Baptist. And I won’t spoil it, but I it’s been really good for me in my own heart and so excited to to do that on Sunday.
Chris Harper: Well, thank you both for being with us today.
Kevin Inafuku: Thank you, Chris. For having us.
Chris Harper: And we wanna thank you as well for listening to Harvest Time. Of course, we always wanna personally invite you at this time during our program to Harvest Baptist Church this week. You’ll be joining us on a great on a historic day, our forty eighth anniversary. We’ve got two services, 08:45AM, 10:45AM.
Remember, we have Japanese and Korean translation available at 10:45, and that’s when we have the livestream as well. You can join us that way at hbcguam.org. Hbcguam.org. We really hope to see you this Sunday. Thanks for listening to Harvest Time.