maui march madness

1. Shamrock Shakes (or lack thereof)
It's March. Which means the Shamrock Shake is a staple at McDonalds. My roommate, Lisa, loves them, and I have had positive experiences with them in the past, so we concluded that it was a matter of importance to try one in honor of Maui March Madness. The first time we went to get one, they were out of the mix. Popular. The next time we went, I called in to check, and they were ready for Shamrock Shake business. A mere few hours later, we ordered and paid, only to drive to the next window and find out they were sold out! Now, with much anticipation, and high expectations, I look forward to actually experiencing a Maui Shamrock Shake.

2. Roommate Birthdays
For Jena's birthday, we all piled into our trusty 15 passenger van and headed to the West side to Lahaina Pizza Co on a Sunday afternoon. It was an idyllic and relaxing afternoon. Bbq chicken pizza with ranch was consumed. [Ranch goes great with EVERYTHING!]. Limitless Diet Coke. Reasons why we love Jena. Her excitement and passion for her ministry is contagious. She is always fun to be around. She's just cool. After a late lunch, we wandered around Lahaina and window shopped like tourists :)

For Lisa's birthday, the following Sunday, we all met up at Kalama park and had cake and ice cream. It was super chill, hanging out under the shady trees. The boys threw around a frisbee while the girls chatted. We all gathered along the beach to watch the sunset. It was stunner. I love Lisa. She embraces life and brings joy into all situations. She just knows. Also, I've always wanted to be close friends with a Lisa, so we could be "Lisa and Risa." :)

3. Tsunami Day 2011
I came home from worship practice on Thursday night to an empty house but a phone loaded with messages. Earthquake. Japan. 8.9. Tsunami created. Destruction. I turn on the news to be bombarded by insane images of buildings/cars/homes being completely dominated by water. Hawaii news informs me that this will DEFINITELY send a tsunami our way. At 3:23 to be exact. The waiting game begins. I remember our tsunami scare last year, and immediately get out a map to see how far away Hawaii is from Japan. It's MUCH closer than Chile is to Hawaii. The lesson I learned from my last tsunami experience is to NOT PANIC. Our condo is out of the evacuation zone. So if we were to get hit, our home would be up far enough from danger. That fact isn't comforting enough though. Jena and I (the other two girls were with friends safe and sound) filled up our tubs with water and semi-jokingly ran around trying to decide what to pack in case we needed to leave. Important papers. Expensive things. Journals. Comfy clothes. Done.

The boys came over and we decided to spend the night at our High School Pastor's place in Waikapu, which is nestled right in the midsection of Maui. The drive there was eerie. Roads close to the ocean were closed off. Police everywhere. Sirens going off. Deep breaths. We get to the Smith's and they have snacks and coffee. We kept up with the news. Decided to make a bonfire outside. It was actually a great night, sitting around the fire, sipping good coffee, talking story. Once the first wave hit with minor damage, I was able to fall asleep. Early morning fellowship. Then right back to work as usual. Madness. I am so thankful that Maui came out virtually unscathed. I love this island so much. Wow. So much. It's home. God sits on the throne.

4. Maui Garage Sales

In order to raise more money for our trip to Oahu for the HIM Conference, the Mauck's (my boss and his family) had a garage sale. We're pretty stoked about the exciting trip to Oahu! Maui garage sales are different in many ways from Kansas garage sales, but the exact same in others. Some of the items you might find at a Maui garage sale would be things left by vacationers from condos, lots of swimsuits, board shorts, and body boards. But there will always be the same feelings of satisfaction when you find a good deal on something you want. That, in my opinion, is a universal feeling tied to garage sales.

This month really has been madness. I feel like I can never really catch my breath. It's one thing after another. But I feel like these will be my favorite times to look back on. God is in the details.

Aloha,
Risa