jaws

This is just a taste of Jaws. It was unreal how big those waves were! I guess they are created by storms in the north, up by Alaska. And once they hit warm waters it causes a swell. And surfers love it :) Pastor Craig picked all the interns up and we trekked out to catch a glimpse of these epic waves. This is the biggest they have been since the winter of 1969. So we were all pretty stoked to have the opportunity to be able to witness the epic waves.

"At famous breaks like Waimea Bay on Oahu and Jaws in Maui, the world's top big wave riders challenged the mammoth swell, spawned by an intense low pressure system which formed northwest of the Islands over the weekend."-Billabong rep.

We drove through an old pineapple field in order to get down to the cliff where spectators watch. As you can see from this next picture....it's a pretty big deal to watch. I loved running into people we knew and swapping stories about the wipe-outs we had seen. Basically, it was amazing.

Afterwards we piled into our van and went to eat breakfast at a local place in Paia. (Willie Nelson played there!) All of us downed large amounts of pancakes and bacon. After all the excitement died down, Alyssa, Leslie, and I got to go to the beach for a couple hours and unwind. It is such a blessing to have those girls in my life.

I met with my alpha table, then after that I walked over to the Kim's house. I was able to talk with Stephanie (a woman that I am meeting with) and we made dinner. She has two sons and a daughter. So I adored helping Sissy with her homework and goofing around with the boys. It was so relieving to step away from everything for a little while and just relax. Earlier, Leslie, Alyssa and I had been talking about how hard it is to explain to people that even though Maui is paradise, your car still breaks down and you still have to pay the bills. I love Maui, and it feels like home, but I'm really looking forward to a break for Christmas. I miss family and friends.

These next two weeks are jam packed with lots of holiday activities and life will be super busy. Please be praying for my focus to remain on the King and seek His kingdom first!

Risa.

blessed.

The greek word translated "blessed" in Matthew 5:4 beautifully expresses the essence of the blessed life.

"Biblically, one is pronounced blessed when God is present and involved in his life. The hand of God is at work directing all his affairs for a divine purpose, and thus, in a sense, such a person lived coram Deo, before the face of God."

Blessedness describes the condition of a person who reveres God, steeps her life in Him, and follows His ways. She doesn't just look to God in spiritual or religious matters. She looks to Him in every matter. He's not just the most important part of her life. He IS her life. The result of this divine invasion is that the life operates overall at optimum earth-satisfaction, joy, and purpose and without the crushing burdens of self-glory and sin. In other words, her life actually works.

-I took this idea from one of Beth Moore's studies. This is something I've been dwelling on a lot the past few days.

Mondays have turned into my favorite day of the week! I get to hang with Erin in Wailea, and we make coffee and talk and watch Gilmore Girls. She is so precious to me. Then the past couple weeks I've wandered to the ocean on my own for a couple hours. I'm starting to treasure that time. I get to pray and meditate and read my Bible. I tend to think my weekend is a break from the week, but in reality I end up doing more on the weekends than during the week! So Monday is a great day to rest and reflect on the past week and what is to come this week. I met Joy for smoothies/Starbucks around 1 and we had some great conversation. Joy works part time as a volunteer secretary at Hope so I have chatted with her a bit just during work when she is in but after yesterday I am hoping we can meet weekly! She is a sweet heart.

I served on the worship team on Sunday. It was a humbling but enjoyable experience! There is so much that goes into every service that I never even knew about. The team was absolutely full of amazing and talented singers and musicians so I had a blast learning from them and singing together.

Last night at Alpha we talked about why we tell others about Christ. One of the questions our table discussed was what each person thought was the best way to share the gospel. If we wanted someone older, our age to tell us, or if we wanted it to be straight up, direct, or relationally shared through a testimony. I shared that I like things clear and precise, drawn out really simply (since I'm a blonde and all ha) and told them about the bridge illustration based off of Romans 6:23. It's an illustration I'm very familiar with since it's the tool we used for beach evangelism in Jax a couple summers ago. I briefly explained what it was and my table still seemed slightly confused so I just dove in and walked through the whole thing. I prayed before I started sharing, because I know that the members at my table (the picture) are seeking the Lord, but I am not sure if they have made that decision and accepted Jesus. So, at the end of it, I just prayed that it would be taken to heart and hopefully clarify or sharpen what they already knew. All of them thought it was a really awesome way to present the gospel and Jessie ended up keeping it. All in all, it went well!

Christmas season is here! And busy!

Love you all,

Risa

lava tubing, laird hamilton, new moon, camp piiholo

Aloha,

Two weekends ago Rise put together an event at Uncle Pat's land Upcountry and it was a blast! Leslie picked up the intern girls and we grabbed Starbucks, and headed up to the mountains with the top down to eat lunch at a park. Leslie introduced us to cardboard sledding. It was so much fun! Some other church families joined us and we spent hours flying down a large hill on old cardboard :) After awhile we decided to head to Uncle Pat's and the adventures continued! We hiked down into a huge hole with trees where cowboys had thrown their coffee in the old days. It was quite a trek just to climb down to the entrance of the lava tube! Basically, you had to squeeze through a tiny entrance which led into a large, pitch black cave. About 20 of us clambered around in the lava rock cave until we reached the end. It would have been impossible without a flashlight. I was reminded of how God works in my life, only giving me enough light to get one step further. While I was struggling up and down sharp lava rock I felt like a dweeb and couldn't figure out why anyone would do something like this for fun. But once we crawled back out of the cave and the sun was setting over the ocean.....it was worth it. The bigger picture is ALWAYS worth it. We ate grilled salmon and steak for dinner and sang some worship songs around the fire. Then Uncle Pat drove us up in his old Bronco back up to the top of the hill and that was probably my favorite part of the day. Talk about Xtreme offroading!! Leslie, Alyssa, and I drove back, chilly from the cool air and sang praises to our King with our eyes on the stars. Best day ever.

Last Thursday, some of the interns drove to Paia to eat at the Flatbread Pizza place. So good! Towards the end of our meal, a man walks up to the table next to us and they are talking loudly about surfing and being boisterous and Jena goes, "Ohmy, that's Laird Hamilton! The pro surfer!" So we got all excited and watched him talking to his friends and I laughed to myself because it was my first famous person sighting! He is a legit surfer. After an eventful dinner, Jessie, Tiffany, and I decided it would be a necessity to see New Moon at the midnight showing. I have never been in a room with more screaming teenage girls! It was out of control! I really enjoyed my time with Jessie and Tiffany though, they are both nannies here and such sweethearts.

Saturday was our Alpha weekend away up at Camp Piiholo, nestled in between some tall trees. The theme of the day was about the Holy Spirit. God did some pretty cool things that day! I was so blessed to fellowship with everyone and we played volleyball and I got to lead evening worship. Pastor Craig shared his testimony and I really appreciated his openness and honesty about the work God has done in his life.

Please continue praying for me to radiate God's character in my time here. There are so many people seeking Truth here. God has been answering my prayers in BIG ways lately and I am feeling so thankful!! I am being stretched daily by trying new things and being challenged in new areas. God knows our needs.

1 Thess 5:23-25 is my prayer this week.

In Him,
Risa

honolulu coffee in wailea

Hello friends,

This morning I met with Janna who is in charge of making sure the interns are set up with mentors. She was fantastic to talk with, very calm and wise. She took me to Honolulu Coffee Company at the Shops at Wailea. It is on my list of favorite coffee places now! Her and her husband have an art store called Dolphin Galleries and Janna was telling me that the King of Morocco had come to their store a couple months ago and bought a ton of paintings! We just chatted about life and she was so encouraging.

This weekend, Rise is going up to a lava tube Upcountry to hike and have a bonfire. I'm stoked! Good fellowship along with adventure will make for a rockin Saturday! Last Sunday, I was so blessed to connect with a freshman girl, Yashaira, who is attending Maui Community College. She was telling me she didn't really know what she was doing in college and how she felt like she was wasting time and money deciding what to do with her life. Just my type :) I am praying I will be able to stick with her and encourage her to seek the Lord in these big life decisions and that school is so great for some people but there are other options as well. She has lived on Big Island and Oahu and now she's on Maui so I loved listening to her stories. She came with us to Big Beach Sunday afternoon and met a lot of people. God is so good. He knows our needs.

This Sunday night is Hope Chapel's Prayer and Praise Night. They will have food, and Steven and I were asked to put a set of 10 to 11 songs together to perform in front of the congregation. I'm a little nervous, since this is a bigger event and I've only been singing for smaller things. But I am really excited to help out and be involved.

Christy's birthday was on Monday and it was a blast! A lot of people came for dessert at Outback, and we all came back and played games at our condo. On our day off yesterday for Veteran's Day, the interns were invited over to the Spencer's for breakfast again. They are such a blessing! Jori and Mark made us banana pancakes, sausage links, starfruit, and french pressed coffee. I covered my pancakes with coconut syrup and it was delicious :) Then some of the interns went and chilled at the beach. It was a perfect beach day!

I'm memorizing 2 Cor 10:3-5 for our bible study this week. It's quality.

All my love,
Risa

God knows.

Hey ya'll!

This week is a blur! We picked up our newest intern, Vanessa, from the airport on Tuesday. She's such a sweetheart! It feels complete now to have all of us here now.

Alpha is still going strong. I'm loving seeing the hand of God so clearly in people's lives. Two weeks ago we focused on prayer and practical ways to pray. At the end of our discussion time, we prayed together, and even though some of the guys didn't pray, they seemed comfortable about the whole situation. Two of the guys were in desperate needs of jobs. The next week we found out that both of them found jobs!! Praise God! He answers prayer. I was inspired to pray for specific things and see God bless me in that. It is so cool!

The girl interns started a bible study together. We are going through "When Godly People do Ungodly Things" by Beth Moore. It is such a great study! All of the girls were feeling like we need to be more intentional with each other and making sure we aren't too involved in our own ministries. These next 6 weeks are going to be filled with growth. I love those girls! The other morning we started a work out called Hip Hop Abs with Shaun T. It is intense! But filled with lots of laughs and good times.

God is really revealing to me my spiritual gifts. Hope is doing a series of classes called Get in the Game and it's all about discovering your spiritual gifts. My singing is something that God has really been pushing me to use. It seems foreign to me that singing could be a way of ministering to people. I've always viewed singing to God as something personal and for myself, like something between me and God. But after Steven and I sang at Friday night's service and the feedback people had for it was very eye opening to me. I never thought I could bless someone in that way. The fact that I am enjoying myself as much as someone listening to me is awesome. God knows.

Tonight, Erin, Jessie, and I are driving out to the Hyatt in Kaanapail Beach to eat a three course meal. We are going to dress up and have girls night. Erin is in culinary school so she always finds good deals (the whole night will only be 20 dollars!). I'm very thankful for these women and I'm looking forward to spending the evening with them and learn about what God has been doing in their lives.

Please pray for:
Smooth transition for Vanessa
Continued prayer for Alpha
These next two months will be incredibly busy for all the interns.

In Him,
Risa

swimming with dolphins!

Aloha!

Last week flew by! Jason made it safely to Bulgaria and I'm set with a list of things to do. On Wednesdays the interns meet with a staff member or other designated couple/person and they make us lunch. This month Michael and Laura Bagby have been meeting with us. They are such a blessing and I always feel physically and spiritually fed after our time with them. We are going through a book that they have written together and compiled on what really echoes into eternity: discipleship. They are challenging us to examine our lives and what we are pouring into, making sure the log is out of our eye so that we can let the living water flow out freely. It's been really great, and the food is always incredible! Alyssa and I took the afternoon to go to the beach. It felt so refreshing to float in the ocean and reflect on God and what He has been revealing to us. I don't know how I've lived so long away from the ocean! I feel like I can't go longer than a week without some beach time!

Thursday was a long afternoon in the bookstore, but I enjoyed it. I finally feel like I'm capable of holding my own in the daily tasks around the store so that's an encouragement! Thursday night I drove out to Wailea to visit my friend Erin. She is here for culinary school, so I said if she ever wanted to fix me dinner, I would be more than willing to give her feedback :) She made me delicious bow tie pasta with pesto and we ate it on her back porch that over looks a gorgeous golf course while the sun set. I loved just talking with her and spending time out of Kihei.

Friday morning the Spencers invited us over for acai bowls. Acai (ah-saw-ee) bowls are big here and they are my new favorite breakfast :) It's like a smoothie, with granola, and banana. So good! We sat around sipping coffee, soaking up wisdom from Jori and Mark, they have a great story and I admire them so much!

Saturday we woke up with the sun, packed up our tents and sleeping bags, grabbed some iced coffee and hit the road to Lahaina to catch a ferry to Lanai! It's a 45 minute ferry trip to another gorgeous island. Around 30 young adults from Hope Chapel went out together. It was an absolute blast! I loved the fellowship and getting to know people better. We had a worship session and some of the guys shared what was on their hearts. And of course, I learned the ways of how to make the perfect golden tan marshmellow for our smores :) We spent nearly all our time on the beach or in the ocean, and although I had high hopes for sleeping on the beach, we weren't allowed.....so we slept on the grass close to the ocean. I was content with the ocean waves lulling me to sleep. Sigh. Saturday morning we woke up and jumped straight into the ocean to snorkle and swim with the dolphins!! There were so many dolphins in the water! They are tricky though and it was tough to get close, but you could hear them when you put your head under water. What a dream. The Four Seasons Resort was breath taking and we spent some time wandering around up there. A truly great weekend.

^1-2 "Come, let's shout praises to God, raise the roof for the Rock who saved us!
Let's march into his presence singing praises,
lifting the rafters with our hymns!
^3-5 And why? Because God is the best,
High King over all the gods.
In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns,
in the other hand grasps the high mountains.
He made Ocean—he owns it!
His hands sculpted Earth!
^6-7 So come, let us worship: bow before him,
on your knees before God, who made us!
Oh yes, he's our God,
and we're the people he pastures, the flock he feeds."
--Psalm 95:1-7

Risa Elena

aloha

~Aloha~

It's a word that does not translate easily, yet it defines and encompasses a race of people. In Hawaii, it's a common word, used in greeting and farewell.

Taken to its roots:
- alo means "in the presence of"
- ha means "the breath of life" with its implications of divine gift.

It is a tender word that has the power to shape a life. It is the single word that sets Hawaii apart from any place else in the world.

Aloha says "Come, bring your heritage, your family, learn aloha."

• A is akahai, kindness
  
• L is lokahi, unity
• O is oluolu, pleasantness
  
• H is haahaa, humility
  
• A is ahonui, patience

Risa Elena

remix

Goodmorning!

This week at Hope Chapel is the first week they are allowing a craft fair on our grounds. It's every Tuesday through Thursday and it will be here indefinitely if they get good business. Hope Chapel is off Piilani Highway, but not the main road that lots of other shopping is done on that runs along the beach. It was great for bookstore business though! I went down for coffee and there were donuts and our espresso machine was up and running! So you can imagine how thrilled I was when it was my time to work and Leslie showed me how to make lattes, iced mocha's, and cappuccinos! Then I learned there were smoothies in the back to make as well. It was so great. Lot's of ministry opportunities too.

Jason will be leaving for Bulgaria next week. It's a trip he makes every year to teach his School of the Bible material to local churches there. Jason preached the sermon on Sunday called "Straight Talk about Integrity" and it was so great! He's a great speaker. So this week will be a week of loading up for next week and figuring out how to balance without him here.

Alpha is still going really well! Chris and I have discovered our table can be inconsistent and at first I was a little frustrated. But I am just so thankful that God is constant and He is the one that does all the work! Please continue praying for open hearts and curious questions in their pursuit of truth.

Last week I was blessed to co-lead worship at Big Rise, the young adult group that meets the first Wednesday of every month. Steven is so great at leading worship, and I loved strumming my guitar and singing with him. The night was intended to be a prayer and praise night so there were different stations set up for prayer, thanksgiving, praise, etc and then the main room of the house we were in was to be a worship area for about an hour. I loved every minute of it.

After we moved out of our wonderful house sitting home :( the girls came back ready to amp up our condo and make it more homey. So we switched rooms, Christy and Jena wanted bunk beds and Alyssa and I wanted to push our beds together, and we were able to decorate and really personalize our rooms.

On Tuesday's Alyssa has her high school small group girls over for Bible Study. It turns out one of her girls, Michelle, has scoliosis and had the same surgery as me (2 rods, 14 screws too!) Her curve was even more advanced and she had the surgery last August when she was only 15! We got to talk and compare scars and both of us were absolutely stoked to find someone who simply understood. I hope to spend more time with Michelle, she's such a sweetheart!

The children's ministry hired a new intern! His name is John and he moved here a couple weeks ago to live with his sister, who worked at Hope Chapel for a season. He was having trouble finding a job, so we suggested he pray about helping us out, and Toni is always looking for more help! He will get to move in with the boys on Thursday and his first day is today. Please pray for a smooth transition for everyone in this time!

I'm reading in Acts right now and I have been inspired, yet again, by the work these men of the Lord started for us to continue!

"So the churches were strengthened in the faith and grew daily in numbers." -Acts 16:5 :)

Risa

grace driven.

Hey ya'll!

This weekend was a total veg out for me. I needed it! We lit the pumpkin candles and imagined that outside it was cool and crisp and orange leaves were on the ground. Then we walked outside and melted. I love that it is still warm here. Truly.

Last night was our first night to break into small groups with Alpha. Chris and I managed to pull together a young adult table so we snuck out to the playground with our group to get out from under the tent and get some fresh air. The first week was "Who is Jesus?" and our group discussion flowed really well. What a blessing! I'm so stoked for all the people in my group and the growth we will have in the next ten weeks.

I've really been trying to focus on the concept of grace for the past few weeks. What grace practically looks like and how I can exhibit it in my life. Loving people where they are at is so vital here. Maui is very transient. Generally people are either coming to Maui to run away from something, or seeking something. I'm just seeing the power of God so vividly lately it's incredible!

-Short update, but this week will be pretty busy so I'll have more to tell soon!

In Him,

Risa

2 week retreat

Aloha,

The four girl interns were asked to house sit for a family in the church for two weeks. Even though it's practically in the same neighborhood where we live anyway, it's like a mini retreat staying here. It feels homey. And air conditioned :) Ha, and snuggling into a bed with a luxurious foam mattress pad and actually sleeping under the covers and staying cool is such a pleasant break from the usual. Alyssa and I had girl talk before we went to sleep last night and I just cherished every minute of it! I am just so thankful for Alyssa's tender heart and how both our hearts are in similar places. I love that she is a big dreamer and we can get excited about God's awesome plans for our lives. Mhhmm.

Yesterday I met with my friend Erin who is here in Maui for culinary school. She is so great! We ate at this quaint cafe called Cafe at La Plage. It reminded me of Edesias in Manhattan and I loved it! We sat at a table with a view of the ocean and I sighed with happiness. On Thursday afternoons I'm in the bookstore. After organizing bookmarks and putting belated birthday cards back in their correct spots I went over to the children's building to restock coffee supplies in the classrooms. I heard the melodious sounds of a ukulele class floating down the hallway. I found myself stuck to the spot outside their doorway just praising God that I was in Kihei, HI listening to a ukulele class--complete with "yes Lord!"s and "yeehaws". And the moment I walked outside and felt the warm breeze and heard the rustle of the palm trees and saw Haleakala in the distance I sighed with contentment. I love admiring and simply being in awe of the natural beauties and wonders God creates for us to enjoy. God has been growing this dream in my heart my whole life. It's His perfect plan.

A question I read in the book Crazy Love by Francis Chan was this:

"If you could have heaven, with no sickness, and with all the friends you ever had on earth, and all the food you ever liked, and all the leisure activities you ever enjoyed, and all the natural beauties you ever saw, all the physical pleasures you ever tasted, and no human conflict or any natural disasters, could you be satisfied with heaven, if Christ was not there?" -John Piper.

This makes me think of my current situation (and also eternity). This is all I ever dreamed of and more. But I would not even be close to satisfied if I were here for men and not for the Lord....if I wasn't compelled by Christ's love and comforted daily by the thought that He wants me here. He's using me here. I am desiring to walk intimately with the Creator of the Universe. I think it is SO important to thank God for everything. For His blessings, for our tribulations. Praise Jesus for placing desires in our hearts and being joyful to serve Him because He delights in that! What are you living for?

"Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days." Psalm 90:14

Risa Elena

tsunami watch?

Hi friends,

It's been over a month of life in Hawaii! It's absolutely incredible how fast time is going! On Friday morning last week, Pastor Craig and Mark Spencer took four of us out surfing at the Cove. I was struggling to get up this time, but got a rhythm going towards the end. I think I'm finally ready to take off the training wheels and start catching my own waves! I enjoy our time with Craig and Mark, soaking up their surfing knowledge, but also their wisdom about God and life.

My favorite part of the week is Friday evenings when the interns eat dinner together at the church. I look forward to just chilling and recapping our weeks. Friday afternoon I had a really solid coffee date with a woman that is on leadership team for Alpha with me. Her name is Sandi and she just has a lot going on in her life. Our conversation was totally spirit led and filled with some tears. God is so powerful. I love seeing Him at work so vividly in people's lives.

Saturday morning we drove up to the North Shore outside of Paia and checked out the surfing scene there. I definitely have surfer's stoke and it was cool just to watch and see some bigger waves and some surfers who live the surfing lifestyle. Then we got hungry and headed into Paia to eat at the Fish Market. I got the Mahi Burger and it was absolutely amazing. Mhhmm. I love seafood with my whole heart. We drove into town (Kahului) and hit up the mall for a little bit. It's open and breezy and it was relaxing to stroll through the stores and chill for awhile. We met up with some friends, drove through Wailuku and headed for Iao (Ee-ow) Valley. Iao Valley is probably one of my favorite things in Maui right now. We trekked through the jungle and passed guava you could just pick up and eat, or throw :) It reminded all of us of Jurassic Park. Ah, I loved it. Then Glenn led us to a spot where you could jump off rocks into the river. It was freezing! All of the girls were swirling around, struggling against the current while the boys were practically swan diving into the raging river--slight overstatement but once I clambered up onto the boulder and leaped into the water I felt invigorated! It was such an adventure climbing through the rocks and along a gorgeous river. I loved it. After our expedition at Iao, the four intern girls drove to the high school pastor's home to babysit their three kiddos- Brody, Brooklyn, and Braden. Between the four of us girls, it was a breeze! I feel like I hardly had to do anything! They are great kids.

Sunday I was so sleepy from all the events of the previous day. I was struggling to stay awake and hold normal conversations! God really spoke through Mike's sermon to my heart. It was on living an intentional and purpose driven life. Something that God has been gently placing as a priority in my life in my time here at HopeChapel so far. If ya'll get a chance to listen to Hope's sermons online, Mike's sermon was solid! He pulled a lot of Scripture from Ephesians 1. I came home after church and crashed for an hour nap. Chris and I went to Makena to play volleyball for the afternoon. I was so thankful to play some volleyball and wake up from my sleepy day. It was great. Then, the Pragnell's (Ben is the Young Adult Pastor) invited us over for a dessert/movie night. We watched Endless Summer II. It was pretty priceless. It follows Pat and Wingnut all over the world on their surfing adventures. I mean, who knew there was legit surfing in France? It was a great way to end the day!

Our first night of Alpha was last night. The dinner was incredible and I was able to meet a lot of new people! Our prayers were answered and we had over the amount of people we were expecting. God is so good. I sat with a woman who I had actually met before so we were able to talk and hopefully meet up outside of Alpha. Shibby. Thank you for all your prayers!

My quiet time is in Exodus right now, which I tend to brush off as story time, instead of viewing the stories as practical experiences to learn from. I was in Exodus 16 and I felt like I could seriously relate to the process of gathering only enough manna for the day. If they gathered too much in preparation for the next day, it would be gross and full of maggots. I feel like I get asked very frequently about what I'm doing after this year. Or what the future will look like. And I start to get flustered. But God promises our portion for the day.

"Moses said to them, "It is the bread the LORD has given you to eat. This is what the LORD has commanded: 'Each one is to gather as much as he needs."

God is calling each of us to live for today. Tomorrow worries about itself. He gives us what we need every day. And like what Mike was saying on Sunday, we should live intentional lives with what God gives us each day. Every morning His mercies are brand new! I challenge you to read Ephesians 1. It is packed with Truth. God's Truth!

Risa

(Oh and today there is a tsunami watch for Hawaii!)

rise day

Hi :)

Today nine months ago I was waking up from back surgery....it's unreal! When I think of the physical condition I was in less than a year ago, I can only praise Jesus for the physical healing He has blessed me with! I am able to play volleyball, hike, surf, swim, work longer than a nine to five job, and be virtually pain free! God is the ultimate Healer, yeah?

Tonight is small groups again. Then next week will be Big Rise where everyone meets together. I was asked to help lead worship and I am straight up amped! Alpha starts next week too. Three people put down that they accepted Jesus on the response cards from Sunday!! Wow, what a happy day in heaven. I am just praying that I can mimic Paul's character and seek these people out to encourage them in their walk. Fellowship is so important. I am meeting with two women this week just to talk and share our hearts. I love my job! It's almost been a month since I've been here. Mhhmm I love it.

Jake asked if I would be interested in spear fishing with him sometime! Haha I said yes please! Hopefully the interns will be planning a trip up to the volcano Haleakala soon. We have heard the sun rise is INCREDIBLE up there! There is just so many stinkin' fun things to do here! Yesterday was staff photos. It was so hot out! And we were looking into the sun. The interns all piled onto the slide and posed all cutie pie like :) They are great! As far as active goals go...Chris told me I should look into playing tennis. I would really enjoy that. Now the key is to find a teacher who will be patient enough to teach me!

God has really been revealing to me that I should be single-mindedly pursuing Him. Shaking off the hindrances that so easily tie us down. I have had this thirst to know Him lately and every time I open up His word for the drink to quench my thirst, He is eager to give it to me.

Love you all, let me know how I can be uplifting you!!

Risa Elena

-face melting-

Hey ya'll!

I'm catching my breath before it gets taken away again tomorrow :) I have had an awesome past few days! I had been praying for more opportunities to hang out with locals/people who live here and I was blessed to be invited over for a girls night with two of the girls in my small group! And I was absolutely stoked to find out they were BIG Jane Austen fans and love watching the movies. So when we sat down to watch Mansfield Park, I was very happy and content. Then the next morning, Friday morning, Leslie (she works at the bookstore full-time) invited me to go paddle boarding with her before work. I absolutely adored paddle boarding! The board is similar to a surfboard but heavier and wider, and you just take it out into the water and paddle with an oar! Standing up was a bit of a challenge at first to find your balance, but once you get the flow then it's so cool to look down at the clear blue water...we even saw a sea turtle!

So I came to work feeling kinda sore (the boards are heavy!) but so refreshed. Jason and I had some good prayer time and talks about following up with people and connecting them into the church body. This is totally where my heart is at! The Gathering on Friday night was solid, we had a guest worship leader who did some really creative new stuff, and then the speaker is from another local church here in Kihei and it was pulled from Acts 2 and was about fellowship. So great. The interns stuck around and set up the projector in the Tweens room to watch the new Office episode, PARKOUR! haha. I had a blast winding down with the girls, we danced around to the beach boys while the boys were still out helping with stuff. Loved it.

Saturday we were invited to spend the morning with Jena's family while they are here for the Maui Marathon. Her family has been such a blessing in their time here! They bought us groceries and treated us to lunch on Saturday. The Grand Wailea is incredible! There were water slides and all sorts of things to do! We got to ride in the only water elevator in the world! It was pretty neat. We saw the chapel where Jon and Kate (plus eight) renewed their vows. It was a relaxing morning and much needed!

We hurried home to shower and piled into the Man-U-V for the trek to Lahaina. The drive is so beautiful. Rise, the young adult ministry, put on an event to take a sunset cruise on the Trilogy. It was so much fun! Lots and lots of new people and friends to talk with and enjoy the beautiful sights. I just love hearing how people end up in Maui and I was reminded at how God brought me here and what a blessing it is to be a part of the family of God. God just really quieted my heart about His plans and what an honor it is to be serving here. I was reminded of that again this morning when I attended the Sunday service. It's Hope Chapel's 29th anniversary! There were hymns and so much history and hearing the core values of the church made me even more stoked to be a part of this ministry. And the hula worship just brought me to tears! God is so big, and when we ask Him to show us His heart, He will!

Prayer Requests:
As the newness wears off, I just pray and hope that I can draw from the comfort of knowing this is where I am supposed to be. I feel so confident and assured that Maui is home right now. I am praying for opportunities to go outside my comfort zone and simply be available and transparent to the people here.

Thank you for your support and prayers!

Compelled by Christ's Love,
Risa

legepic

Hello friends,

It's a beautiful, sunny Wednesday here in Kihei, HI! This past weekend was great, very restful. One of my favorite parts was going Upcountry with Kalani (he works in the worship department) and Chris, the young adult intern. Kalani coaches a highschool men's volleyball team and we went up to use the gym and play for a couple of hours. It felt really good to play again, even though those men's nets are stinkin' tall! Ha. I just enjoyed my time with both of those guys, and Kalani drove us through some of the Upcountry towns on the way back home. All the homes are nestled into the mountain and the towns remind me of small towns back on the mainland. I loved it :) We stopped in Paia to get gelatto (I got a mix of kula strawberry and pineapple) and then strolled down the street. We ended up deciding that we were pretty hungry after all that ball playing and so we hit up a wood oven pizzaria. It was delicious! By the time we got back home, it had been dark out for awhile (the sun goes down around 6), but we were feeling adventurous. We rallyed up the interns, some blankets, and my guitar and drove out to the lava fields. It was breath taking! The stars were twinkling and we were perched right on the edge of the water. We saw plenty of shooting stars and sang worship songs. Definitely a new favorite. I'm already wanting to camp out there!

Mondays at the office are pretty slow since it's more of a day of rest after a busy Sunday. A few of us went to the beach for a couple hours. I love being in the ocean. It just relieves all stress and worry and washes it to the shore. After a quick dinner, I went to our Alpha leader training meeting. Each meeting makes me even more stoked for this ministry. After some intros and a video we split into groups and just prayed for all of the people involved and open hearts and God's sovereign hand over the whole ministry. Covering things in prayer is done frequently here and I love it. Since Chris and I were both dropped off at the meeting we decided to walk back to the condos. There is a dirt path that cuts through and it was DARK! Ha but it was fun.

On Tuesdays I have bookstore time, and I get to go to Haggai and pick up people to shuttle them to the bookstore to look around. 7 men crammed into the van and I was absolutely thrilled to get to talk with them. All of them are influential leaders in their countries. It was so enjoyable to talk with them. They have trouble forming lines to check out and watching them operate the van doors seriously made my day :) I mean, America is crazy different from what they are used to! But they asked if I was saved and I was excited to tell them that I was and that I admired their visions of bringing Christ back to their homes and we sang a hallelujah worship song. Precious.

Prayer Requests:
-Alpha still. We start meeting in a week so keep praying BIG for lots of people to show up wanting questions answered.
-For my department to continually show off God's character and be faithful in contacting people in our church family.

Aloha,

Risa

morning adventures :)

Aloha,

Today is Alyssa's 22nd Birthday! Happy Birthday Alyssa! Our morning started off pretty early and it was wonderful! Alyssa made pumpkin flavored coffee and the taste of fall was so refreshing and comforting. The interns drove out to Ulua Beach and snorkled! Some of our sightings included bright fish, sea urchin, an octopus, and I saw a sting ray! Being able to explore the ocean before work was like a dream come true. It's my favorite :)

Wednesday night was the first meeting of my small group. It went so well I think! We are going through Acts and since I kinda just joined in after they took a break over the summer we are on Acts 8. I am constantly inspired by the start of the church and how to practically model our church/ministry today after it. I always feel when believers gather together in small groups, God really delights that we are diligently seeking Him together.

Thursday was really busy! There are a lot of projects going on and things to organize. It is Hope Chapel's 29th Anniversary Celebration this weekend so that's exciting! I was asked to lead a small group for a brand new ministry that Hope is starting this month for the first time. It's called Alpha, and it's geared towards seekers and non-believers to come and eat a meal together and ask questions and talk about Jesus. It has a laid back approach with the concept that people want to belong first and then believe. The leaders are fired up about it and after last night's 3 hour meeting, I'm completely amped to be a part of this vision!

Prayer Requests:
-Alpha! Pray for open hearts and for tons of people to come and ask questions and seek truth, HIS truth! Also, please pray for me to be sensitive in relating with them and being a transparent follower of Jesus.
-My personal walk with the King. My year through the Bible plan (I just started it again after being totally blessed this past year!) has me in Genesis right now and I'm needing a breath of fresh air or something to get me moving again. God has been so faithful in revealing Himself to me when I ask. His nuggets (or "nugs" as Jena and I like to call them) of wisdom are always readily available and all we have to do is ask! So simple ha.

Missing you all!

Risa

labor day baptism

Hi friends!

Today was my first experience at a Hope Chapel Baptism. And I LOVED it. I had only been baptized Catholic and didn't actually plan on getting baptized today, but God was totally persistent last night and I spent a lot of time praying about it and felt like September 7, 2009 was the day meant to be my outward expression of an inward reality :) Or in Jason's words "If you haven't been dipped...you've been jipped!" I feel really good about my decision. I love the fellowship and family here. Solid.

On Saturday, our first day off with no obligations, the interns headed to the beach! We didn't realize, however, that when it's super windy, the sand pelting your skin is not very pleasant! Ha, but it was a blast anyways. We cleaned up and headed to Lahaina (a chill/beachy town on the other side of the island). We got to shop around and eat at Cheeseburger in Paradise--which was delicious! When the 7 of us get together we always laugh and have a blast! The interns are such a blessing and encouragement in my life right now.

Steven and I had a little jam session on the back porch of our condo once we were home. He's a very talented musician and I'm stoked to learn from him! We started playing some Beatles songs and a guy on his balcony started yelling suggestions down to us! Haha, so we serenaded "Let it Be" to him on his balcony. He ended up coming down and jamming with us and gave us some boogie boards he didn't want anymore. Shibby.

I am just beyond excited to start meeting with women here. It's been so great to see that when I ask God to present ministry opportunities to be intentional with the women here, He is gracious and opens up more than one door! I have a few women in mind that I'm thrilled to get coffee with! A verse I've been clinging to this week is Col 1:10-14

"And we pray this in order that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and may please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God, being strengthened with all power according to his glorious might so that you may have great endurance and patience, and joyfully giving thanks to the Father, who has qualified you to share in the inheritance of the saints in the kingdom of light. For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins."

Prayer Requests:
-That I would live worthy of my calling here in Maui.
- Over 30 people were baptized!! Praise Jesus! :) Please be praying their walks with Christ grow and stregthen.

In Him,
Reese

week one: a whirlwind

Hello friends!

It's been a week since I've been here and things have been so busy! I love it. And it really has been a whirlwind...it's pretty windy here! :)

Some of the wildlife that lives here is very different from what I'm used to in Kansas. Compared to Kansas, there are NO bugs! Everyone leaves doors and windows open constantly. We have a gecko friend that hangs around the condo, and ants crawl around in the kitchen area. Which was fine, until this morning when they crossed the line! I had ants in my bed :( But, it's about time for laundry and I'll just throw the sheets in and pray they don't come back. Yeah?

Some of the things I have been working on here is following up on response cards. Jason has a finger in what seems like every ministry here at Hope Chapel. I go through the response cards and delegate where each person can best be helped. This Monday is an all church baptism and I am thrilled to be involved in all the planning. There are over 30 people that want to be baptised! Praise Jesus! It's at Kamaole Beach, Part 3 (They call the 3 stretches of beach Kam Beach part 1, 2, and 3) on Monday morning. It's pretty busy though right now because there is a lot of work that goes into these events. And virtually every ministry is kicking off with their activities for the semester. I am also a contact person for around 30 small groups here. If someone signs up I am responsible to make sure their leader gets their information. And I'm also just a faithful intern to Jason. Which practically looks like me following him around doing little things. Ha, I love every part of my job though, really.

Every Friday night is a young adult service called The Gathering. It's basically a more contemporary version of the Sunday services. There is no University here in Maui, just a junior college. So the young adult population is constantly changing. I have been so curious as to how people my age end up in Maui. I have heard some awesome stories! One thing I absolutely ADORE here is the love people have for the land. No one really likes being indoors. Media hype is virtually non-existent and popular stuff from the mainland takes awhile to get over here so it doesn't seem as exciting I guess. There is a sense of adventure here that I love! Hiking, surfing, biking, long boarding...it's thrilling. And the food is definitely my style! :) They have pupus (which is our version of appetizers) and they are always delicious. Sometimes if there are a lot of pupus they call them "heavy pupus" haha it takes awhile to get used to saying that lol.

Prayer Requests:
-For the people I'm rubbing shoulders with here. I have met hundreds of people and I want to get to know every one of them!
-For the interns. Being away from home is going to be a bit harder in the next few months. Please pray that we will stay focused on our King and soak up more than just the sun in our time here!

Aloha,
Reese

the start of an adventure!

Aloha!

I am finally here! Maui is everything I thought it would be and more. It feels like home here. Already, in my week here, I have learned how to surf, swam with sea turtles, and seen a new side of God. I have been challenged to live above my circumstances. This place truly is paradise. But God is constant. My first week on the job has gone pretty smoothly! Jason is a great boss, and he's really great at checking in on how things are going. I get to do what we call "green time" which is 5 hours of service outside of our ministry. My green time is in the bookstore at the church and so far I am loving it! All the other interns are so solid. Alyssa, Christy, Chris, Jena, Glenn, Steven, and soon to be arriving, Vanessa. I'm straight up stoked to spend this year with them!

What kinds of things would ya'll like to hear about? :)

In Him,
Risa