fake fall :)

Since seasons on Maui don't really exist like they do on the mainland, we compromise and do fall like things. Last weekend we went and bought pumpkins and carved them on our lanai. I had forgotten how much fun it is! We invited lots of friends over and ate pumpkin pie, drank hot apple cider, and Lisa baked us up some pumpkin seeds :) We didn't have work on Columbus Day, so we took advantage of our day off and did fun Maui things! Alyssa and I have been paddle boarding every time we get a chance, so that is how I started my Monday morning. It was kinda rough out, so I got quite the workout! Sea turtle sightings make it worth it every time. Seriously. I came home, made a smoothie, and then the four of us intern girls were invited to spend the day with our friend Tara, whose husband is an elder at Hope. They live in Launiupoko which is close to Lahaina, and the view from their back yard is straight up stunning! We vegged by their pool most of the day and Tara blessed us in such a big way by feeding us and chatting with us. I am still blown away daily at the community here in Maui. I definitely want to open up my home the way homes have been opened up to us. It's such a blessing!!

Sometimes this internship is bogus. And intense. Haha I've realized my blog entries make it look like I'm living the dream here. Which is true. But it's tiring and occasionally stressful. I guess I can't say that anyone ever told me a life of full-time ministry at a church would be easy. I still have absolutely no clue what degree I want to finish college with or what career suits me or where I'll be living after this internship ends. I'm really learning what it looks like to rely on the Lord in every detail of my life. Turns out that lesson keeps needing to be learned :) I just want to be close to my Papa God!

"Now you've got my feet on the life path,
all radiant from the shining of your face.
Ever since you took my hand,
I'm on the right way."
--Psalm 16:10-11 (Message)

my heart is full

Good morning!

This past week I experienced some new Maui things! I dropped off Leslie at the airport and drove her convertible back to Kihei listening to my reggae jams under the Maui night sky. I got to go to the Maui County Fair, which was epic, I must say. I tried poi mochi (see photo) which is definitely an island favorite. I don't know what I was really expecting to be different about a county fair in Maui compared to Kansas, but it still had the same long lines, greasy food, and excited kids to ride on rides that are scary mainly because you're not actually sure if they'll stay together while you are on them! Sunday morning I was on the worship team, and I lead a couple songs. Steven and I sang a duet during communion. Because of Your Love by Phil Wickham. I realize more and more what a passion the Lord has given me for singing. I am energized by it, and I love every second I am anywhere singing praises to Jesus. On Sunday night, I took advantage of a hammock in Wailea and listened to the waves crash, and saw shooting stars through the branches of a palm tree.

On Mondays and Thursdays, I have what the interns fondly call "green time" where we serve in another area of the church outside our ministry. Some interns do outdoor maintenance around the Hope campus, some work in the bookstore, and others clean toilets. It is hard work and it's humbling. After my green time on Monday, my friend Jenny picked me up (she had a day off from her job) and we went to the beach. When we were chatting in the ocean while the waves gently lapped at the shore, we were both so stoked that this is the kind of thing we get to do on our day off! I get to splash around in the ocean! I always feel so uplifted when I spend time with Jenny. We just talked about God's Word, and rejoiced in what the Lord is doing in our lives.

We went to Jamba Juice and tried out the Pumpkin smoothie (it was really good!) and then split an acai bowl together. MAN I love the acai primo bowl from Jamba with my whole heart. Acai, banana, almonds, coconut, and honey. It's amazing. Seriously :)

The Lord totally orchestrated a rockin' night of fellowship that night! As you can see from the photo, we had a lot of people over!! And 4 more people came after we took the photo! We ate dinner together--I'm learning to cook for others on my own and not be an awkward flamingo in the kitchen. The guitar always makes an appearance when we all hang out. We have a lot of musical talent in our group which is so amazing. New people came over which I just love and we ended up playing a hilarious game of telephone pictionary. Maui is just such a sweet place to live as a young adult. I'm so thankful for the Ohana the Lord has given me here.
-It's a Good Thing to Hope for Help From God-
"God's loyal love couldn't have run out,
his merciful love couldn't have dried up.
They're created new every morning.
How great your faithfulness!
I'm sticking with God (I say it over and over)
He's all I've got left.

God proves to be good to the man who passionately waits,
to the woman who diligently seeks.
It's a good thing to quietly hope,
quietly hope for help from God.
It's a good thing when you're young
to stick it out through the hard times."
-Lamentations 3: 22-27

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

logos and rhema

At Hope right now, Craig is going through a sermon series based on Hebrews. Last week he was preaching out of Hebrews 4 and talked a lot about the Word of God. A couple things he spoke about really sparked my interest and I thought I would share it with you :)

Logos- Word of God
There are two primary Greek words that describe Scripture which are translated "word" in the New Testament. The first, logos, refers primarily to the total inspired Word of God and to Jesus, who is the living Logos.

Examples of the logos of God:
-John 1:1
-Luke 8:11
-Phil 2:16
-2 Tim 2:15
-Heb 4:12
-1 Peter 1:23

Rhema- the spoken word
The 2nd primary Greek word that describes Scripture is rhema, which refers to a word that is spoken and means "an utterance." A rhema is a verse or portion of Scripture that the Holy Spirit brings to our attention with application to a current situation or need for direction.

-Every Word of God is inspired (2 Tim 3:16). It is the Holy Spirit that illuminates particular Scriptures for application in a daily walk with the Lord.

When God gives us a rhema to act upon, He often confirms it by a 2nd rhema, that "in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word [rhema] be established" (2 Cor 13:1)

Examples of rhemas:
-Luke 5:5
-Luke 1:38
-Luke 2:29
-Luke 3:2
-Acts 11:16
-Matt 26:75

How can we get a rhema?
-In the regular course of our daily reading of God's Word (logos), we need to ask God to speak to us through His Word and give us insight into it. The Holy Spirit can cause certain passages to stand out with significant meaning or application for our lives. These are the rhemas of Scripture that should become part of our daily thoughts and actions.

My rhema for today:

"See, I have refined you,
though not as silver;
I have tested you in the furnace of affliction.
For my own sake, for my own sake, I do this.
How can I let myself be defamed?
I will not yield my glory to another."
-Isaiah 48:10-11

IT'S ALL FOR HIS GLORY.

I meet weekly with a woman that I admire and love so much and while I was telling her about my week she was telling me how the Lord is refining me and that it is all for His glory. Then I was able to explain to her how I had asked the Lord to give me a rhema that day, and that she had confirmed it by talking about refining. It was so cool! My challenge is that you all could be in God's Word daily, consistently asking the Holy Spirit to reveal something new and personal to you.
On Monday night, Craig and Kathy invited the interns over for dinner and they made us a wonderful dinner of prime rib and baked potatoes and salad and brownies and ice cream for dessert. They had amazing coconut coffee for us too :) It was so much fun! We had a time of worship and then prayed and played games. We have been so blessed by them. I am very thankful for their ministry and the way that they love Jesus and love others.

Risa

catch up

The past three weeks have gone a little something like this:

The Crochet Brigade was created. That involves Christy, Alyssa, and I buying Walmart out of yarn. Gummy worms (they taste amazing when you keep them in the freezer!). Swing dancing class at Hope. Tanning oil. Lots of laughs. Friends Season Three. Helping lead worship on a Friday night. Bought a ticket to Canada for a week to visit Christy and the Rendalls. I've finished 3 books. Talking/connecting in the court yard on Sundays. Maui Lovin' nail polish on my toes. Katherine had a baby! Taylor Anne. She's precious and I wish I could experience more than just the photos.

Movie night at Jake and Toni's. Sabrina. Processing. Sweet trip to town with Jenny to buy 100 dollars worth of neon pool toys for her job. Great talks with my mentor, Jill. Meeting with Joy and chatting on the beach for hours. Learning what a van does when it over heats....3-4 times a day! Eating brazilian coffee candies on the floor of Jake's office whilst soaking up his knowledge. Taking pictures with glow in the dark glasses with Christy. Sneaking the children dept's animal crackers with Lyssa during green time--and inviting Jake to come with us. Only using the second to last stall in the church restrooms. Worship with Jenny in the car on the way from Kahului to Kihei. Verona coffee. Attempting to change the air conditioning filter with Alyssa to no avail. It's tough being a grown up! :) Esther Bible Study is rocking my world.

I've done a lot of dying to myself over the past month. Gal 2:20. I've learned that anytime God calls us to die, His purpose is to reveal larger life. The one who has the mind of Christ doesn't necessarily understand all the mysteries....maturity is the ability to carry the unanswered question in faith, holding to the word by which we live. I'm still floored by the Lord every morning when I open my eyes and realize I'm living on an island. This internship ends in three short weeks. And some of my best friends are leaving. And then I embark on another exciting and growth filled year in a place that I've completely fell in love with.

Psalm 62:7

refining

Hello!

I think I'm struggling to want to blog recently because God has been doing a lot of refining in my life lately. So it's hard for me to write things out and share when I'm in the middle of processing, growing, and learning.

I've been reading through Psalm 119. A chunk of verses every day. Reading it, writing it out, then praying it in my own words. At first, it felt like it wasn't applying. It was routine. As I was praying or reading, they were just words on a page. As I've continued doing this same process every morning, I have been in awe at the way that God's Word is ALIVE! I went back and re-read previous verses and prayers and was shocked at things I had written down so flippantly that seemed earth shattering a mere week later! My heart is changing without me even noticing. And the coolest part is that Psalm 119 is ALL about God's Word, following it, and always choosing His Word over our feelings and emotions. Some of my favorite verses are these from the Message.

"I set your instructions to music and sing them as I walk this pilgrim way. I meditate on your name all night, God, treasuring your revelation, Oh God" Psalm 119:54-55

"And let me live whole and holy, soul and body so I can always walk with my head held high." Psalm 119:80

"In your great love revive me so I can alertly obey your every word." Psalm 119:88

I've just been really challenged to allow God to work on my heart and let His words transform my mind. And His words show me where I am going. They cast light onto my dark path. I am in this for the long run. When things fall apart, God stitches everything back together. He festoons us with His finest sayings. I want to learn. God's promises are mine FOREVER. What a gift! I'm overjoyed! My concentration is on obedience. And it always will be.

On another note :)
Some things on my summer list are:
1. Take test to get Kama'aina so that I can officially have proof that I'm a resident on Maui!
2. Buy soft top rack for our van so that paddle boarding can become a regular part of my routine.
3. Focus on the church body of Hope Chapel and meet their needs like Jesus would.
4. Continue to let God's Truth sink directly into my heart and transform me from the inside out!

Aloha,
Risa