One Year in Kona

August has been a month of returning, resetting, and remembering. We came back from Montana on the 4th, and almost immediately we realized that this wasn’t just another month — it was a milestone. August 14th marked one full year since our family landed in Kona. A year ago, we stepped into the unknown with seven suitcases, kids in tow, and a clear word from the Lord that this was where we were supposed to be. Now, looking back over these twelve months, it’s impossible not to trace the faithfulness of God through every season.

Those first few months, from August to November, were all about building foundations. Everything was new: friendships, rhythms, community. We were learning what life here looked like, finding our people, and letting roots go down into the soil of this place. God gave us favor in relationships, and by the end of the year, it already felt like family.

December and January brought a whirlwind of hosting. Friends came for Christmas. My parents flew out. The Mazevo executive team visited for a week. Our home turned into a revolving door of faces and meals, late-night talks and early-morning coffee. Then January came, and Keira began her DTS with YWAM. That meant 50+ hours a week of classes and ministry for her, and full-time kid duty for me. Two of the kids got spots in the campus school, but two didn’t, so I was homeschooling while running daily drop-offs and pick-ups. It was messy, exhausting, and beautiful all at the same time. Looking back, I can see how the Lord used the chaos of that season to shape our character in new ways.

April and May took us to New Zealand for Keira’s outreach. It was two months of serving, traveling, and watching God move. From there, we came back to Kona for just 20 days before heading straight into 40 days in Montana.

That trip was packed with family highlights — cousin sleepovers, helping my dad install their new backyard pool, and watching his band play at the Hot Air Balloon Festival. We also went camping near Lewistown with Keira’s family, which was such a gift. Family, kids running wild, hikes during the day, campfires at night, and even starting a few fires the old-fashioned way with flint and steel. Those simple family moments felt like the heartbeat of our time in Montana.

Back Again

Which brings us to now — one year in. This August has been less about flash and more about foundation. We’ve made the decision to homeschool our kids this year, a choice born out of prayer and a sense of God’s leading. Keira has been diving deep into curriculum and lesson plans, and we’re stepping into the unknown again, trusting Him to guide us. 

Keira released her new single, My God is King. The song carries a message that has been so real for us this year: we don’t need to live anxious for anything because our God is King. Even in a vast universe where we are but a breath, He chose to love us first. That truth has steadied us in this season of waiting and transition.

And at the end of this month, we’re releasing our first book, Marriage in His Presence: How the Presence of God Transforms Marriage. Writing this together over the past year has been humbling. It’s not a book from the finish line, but from the trenches and victories of our first ten years of marriage. We’ve tasted both near-failure and restoration, and our prayer is that this book will offer hope to others walking through their own story.

Faithful Still

Looking back, the common thread has been God’s faithfulness. Whether in the sweetness of new friendships, the stretching of transition, the chaos of schedules, or the peace of His presence, He has carried us through every step of this year. And as we step into year two in Kona, we sense Him saying the same thing over and over: be patient, rest, trust Me. That’s not easy for us (our instinct is to run), but we’re choosing to lean into His timing.

We know His call to Kona is no accident. Some things don’t make sense on paper, but we believe He’s only just beginning to unfold what He has for our family here.

As always, we’d love your prayers for wisdom as we homeschool, for our new book launch, and for steady faith as we wait on the Lord’s timing.

—The Taylors