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
Monday, October 26, 2009
Thursday, October 22, 2009
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."
Risa Elena
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
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
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
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
Tuesday, October 6, 2009
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
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
Friday, October 2, 2009
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
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
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