program director :)

Hello friends!

Yesterday was my first time being the Program Director at Hope! The worship interns rotate between shifts of graphics, sermon formatting, being Program Director, and now MCing :) I've been getting used to using new programs and observing the flow of the service and how to keep things running smoothly. So much work goes into each service, I had no idea! So yesterday, I put my new dress on (see above picture) and got the show on the road! Since it was my first time, I mostly just followed Craig around, made humming noises, and nodded my head a lot. I'm learning that the most important thing in ministry is communication. Seriously. Communication gets you places. I love being behind the scenes and I am so thankful for all the people that are involved in this ministry. I wouldn't know the first thing about that complex lighting board!!

After both services, the interns hung around and ate lunch in the courtyard. Then it was naptime! I took the afternoon to become a crocheting fiend and now I am almost done with the blanket I've been working on for months now! Then Jena and I went over to Jake and Toni's where the intern boys were watching the Cowboy's game to eat spaghetti with them. Always satisfying! We planned on swimming in the pool but it was closed due to feces. YUCK. So we decided to do a little pool hopping and went to a very swanky part of Wailea and utilized their hot tub :) It was so relaxing!! A great way to end a Sunday and start a week!

In Pierre's sermon yesterday, he mentioned a passage in 1 Chronicles:
"I know, my God, that you test the heart and have pleasure in uprightness. In the uprightness of my heart I have freely offered all these things, and now I have seen your people, who are present here, offering freely and joyously to you."
-1 Chron 29:17

I've had one particular thing on my heart lately, that I've been really working on giving it over to the Lord. And it's tricky because I keep feeling like I'm making progress in surrendering it, and then it'll be right there, heavy on my heart again. So when I was reading this passage, I thought about Proverbs 16. And I'll be honest, I'm not really a big fan of Proverbs. Ha, I LOVE God's Word but every time I read Proverbs, I can't get over how fortune cookie-ish it all sounds. The Lord is definitely softening my heart about it :) Anyways, Prov 16 talks a lot about the plans of a man's heart and how when we commit our work to the Lord, our plans will be established. I want the Lord to establish my steps. And for the answer of my tongue to be from the Lord.

-Every decision is from the Lord-

I just prayed over that 1 Chron verse all morning yesterday. I decided that I wanted to freely offer up every single thing on my heart and trust that my King has it in His hands. Then it was so cool, because Pierre mentioned that verse in the 1st service. So while I was in worship at the 2nd service, I was standing in the back, looking out over everyone with their hands raised in worship, and totally loved the picture God put in my mind. To be around everyone else who is freely and joyously surrendering everything over to the Lord. It was sweet!

-Direct my whole heart to you, LORD-

God pleasures in uprightness. How can I be more upright in my thinking, praying, and daily conversation? He tests our hearts and refines us constantly. That way we can straight up OWN what we believe. Solid.

In Him,
Risa

-fresh start-

"Since before time began
no one has ever imagined,
No ear heard, no eye seen, a God like you
who works for those who wait for him.
You meet those who happily do what is right,
who keep a good memory of the way you work."

-Isaiah 64:4-5 (Message)

I am so incredibly blessed to be starting another year as an intern at Hope Chapel in Maui. Part of me still feels a bit crazy for signing on for another challenging year. But out of all the things I learned last year, it's that the most growth happens when I am stretched and challenged. I switched ministry departments, and I am now serving alongside 3 wonderful men in the worship ministry. Things have been completely busy, as usual. We just celebrated our 30th Anniversary last weekend and had our service out in the "backyard" of Hope. It was a blast! Over 700 people attended! I was able to sing in the choir, do copious amounts of folding booklets, and I learned a lot about what chords plug into what instruments! We were all pretty exhausted by the time the service was over, and the interns were able to relax a little and eat out in the courtyard. I am honored to be here during this season.

4 of us interns stayed for another year-
-Alyssa: High School intern
-Jena: Children's intern
-Steven: Worship intern
-Me: Worship intern

...and we also have 4 new additions!-
-Ryan: Junior High intern
-Martin: Young Adult intern
-Blake: Children's intern
-Lisa: Small Group intern

It's been great getting to know the new interns. We have a lot of fun together!! They all have such servant's hearts. I'm pretty stoked to see what the Lord does in our lives this year. A lot of us are living off fundraising, since the church is struggling financially right now. It will definitely be a year of relying and trusting in the Lord. Already, we are seeing provision in cool ways! I will be working on Saturday's in the bookstore.

I am still in awe of the fact that I live in Maui. It is beautiful here. The people are beautiful here. I have a wonderful ohana here that I just cherish so much!

Risa