her!” she said excitedly. “That’s Bethany!”
Just as the driver turned the limo around, Andrea saw Bethany hand the sign off to a woman and hop into a waiting car that drove off.
“Oh, no!” Andrea and her mom said at the same time.
“Maybe that woman can tell us where to find her,” Andrea’s dad suggested, sounding as disappointed as Andrea felt.
They hurried across the parking lot towards the young blonde woman who was now rolling up signs and putting them in the back of her SUV. Other than her, there was no one else around.
“Excuse me,” Andrea said, trying to remain calm.
“Yes?” the woman straightened up, shielding her eyes from the sun as she took in the family, as well as the limo. “Can I help you?”
“I was looking for a girl named Bethany … and her friend Holly. At least I think that’s her name.”
“You mean Bethany Hamilton and Holly Silva?”
“I … I mean we … we don’t know their last names … but how many could there be?”
The woman smiled at Andrea. “Holly is dark haired and about so high.” She raised her hand to approximately Andrea’s height. “And Bethany is tall and blonde with only one arm?”
Andrea looked back at her mom and grinned. “That’s them!”
“I’m sorry, we should introduce ourselves and explain why we are looking for them,” Andrea’s mom interjected. Then she rushed on to tell the woman their story; how they had gotten into trouble on the Hanakapiai Trail, and how the girls had come to their aid.
“We wanted to meet with them before we left,” Andrea’s dad added. “And I really wanted to give them some sort of reward … to show my gratitude.”
“You know, I am sure that they would be happy to meet you, but they won’t take a reward. I know those girls well.” The woman smiled prettily. “They would say that they were just doing what God would have wanted them to do.”
Andrea and her mom smiled at each other.
“Well, there must be something we could do for them!” Andrea’s dad persisted. “I realize that you don’t know me, but I’m telling you that I feel very strongly that I want to do something for these girls!”
The young woman looked at Andrea’s dad for a long moment and then nodded to herself — as if some sort of decision had been made.
“Well, there just might be something you could help them with after all.”
seven
Bethany stood at the edge of the beach and gazed happily at the crowd that was quickly forming for the surf-a-thon fundraiser with inflatables.
She couldn’t have asked for a nicer day. A few traces of puffy white clouds were pushed along by gentle trade winds as the sun glinted off the waves that were rolling in, promising a fun, easy surf.
A short distance away, her youth group stood in clusters around a huge array of silly inflatable pool toys: whales, turtles, sharks, and dolphins. There was also a queen-sized air mattress, old black inner tubes, small boats, and even an inflatable kiddiesized swimming pool.
Bethany smiled as she listened to her friends in the youth group laughing as they each picked their “ride.” Most of the boys lunged for the sharks or whales.
Big surprise,
Bethany thought, shaking her head. Monica took the air mattress, while Holly and Malia opted for the inner tubes. Jenna grabbed up a boat and then turned and waved at Bethany. Even from where she stood, she could see the excitement in their faces.
It was so crazy, it just might work!
Bethany stacked the sponsor forms in a neat pile and glanced towards the parking lot. She could see Sarah being approached by some more people. She said a quick prayer that God would bless their day and that somehow, someway, they would meet their goal.
You never know how God is going to work it all out,
Sarah’s voice whispered through her memory. Bethany smiled to herself. If she had learned anything over the past couple of days, it was that. While she didn’t know
how
God would work it out, she knew he would
Just as the driver turned the limo around, Andrea saw Bethany hand the sign off to a woman and hop into a waiting car that drove off.
“Oh, no!” Andrea and her mom said at the same time.
“Maybe that woman can tell us where to find her,” Andrea’s dad suggested, sounding as disappointed as Andrea felt.
They hurried across the parking lot towards the young blonde woman who was now rolling up signs and putting them in the back of her SUV. Other than her, there was no one else around.
“Excuse me,” Andrea said, trying to remain calm.
“Yes?” the woman straightened up, shielding her eyes from the sun as she took in the family, as well as the limo. “Can I help you?”
“I was looking for a girl named Bethany … and her friend Holly. At least I think that’s her name.”
“You mean Bethany Hamilton and Holly Silva?”
“I … I mean we … we don’t know their last names … but how many could there be?”
The woman smiled at Andrea. “Holly is dark haired and about so high.” She raised her hand to approximately Andrea’s height. “And Bethany is tall and blonde with only one arm?”
Andrea looked back at her mom and grinned. “That’s them!”
“I’m sorry, we should introduce ourselves and explain why we are looking for them,” Andrea’s mom interjected. Then she rushed on to tell the woman their story; how they had gotten into trouble on the Hanakapiai Trail, and how the girls had come to their aid.
“We wanted to meet with them before we left,” Andrea’s dad added. “And I really wanted to give them some sort of reward … to show my gratitude.”
“You know, I am sure that they would be happy to meet you, but they won’t take a reward. I know those girls well.” The woman smiled prettily. “They would say that they were just doing what God would have wanted them to do.”
Andrea and her mom smiled at each other.
“Well, there must be something we could do for them!” Andrea’s dad persisted. “I realize that you don’t know me, but I’m telling you that I feel very strongly that I want to do something for these girls!”
The young woman looked at Andrea’s dad for a long moment and then nodded to herself — as if some sort of decision had been made.
“Well, there just might be something you could help them with after all.”
seven
Bethany stood at the edge of the beach and gazed happily at the crowd that was quickly forming for the surf-a-thon fundraiser with inflatables.
She couldn’t have asked for a nicer day. A few traces of puffy white clouds were pushed along by gentle trade winds as the sun glinted off the waves that were rolling in, promising a fun, easy surf.
A short distance away, her youth group stood in clusters around a huge array of silly inflatable pool toys: whales, turtles, sharks, and dolphins. There was also a queen-sized air mattress, old black inner tubes, small boats, and even an inflatable kiddiesized swimming pool.
Bethany smiled as she listened to her friends in the youth group laughing as they each picked their “ride.” Most of the boys lunged for the sharks or whales.
Big surprise,
Bethany thought, shaking her head. Monica took the air mattress, while Holly and Malia opted for the inner tubes. Jenna grabbed up a boat and then turned and waved at Bethany. Even from where she stood, she could see the excitement in their faces.
It was so crazy, it just might work!
Bethany stacked the sponsor forms in a neat pile and glanced towards the parking lot. She could see Sarah being approached by some more people. She said a quick prayer that God would bless their day and that somehow, someway, they would meet their goal.
You never know how God is going to work it all out,
Sarah’s voice whispered through her memory. Bethany smiled to herself. If she had learned anything over the past couple of days, it was that. While she didn’t know
how
God would work it out, she knew he would
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