So Many Things...

Stories keep lining up and time is passing by quick. This past week was amazing and God is so incredible. I thank you all for your prayers and checking out this blog. Again feel free to leave comments, questions, concerns, prayer requests, money.....haha j/k .....but seriously. =)

This past week was a lot of fun. Halloween week and fun stuff. Well, on Tuesday and Wednesday our team joined a group of Salvation Army officers and employees at camp Homelani on the North Shore for ESC (Emotional Spiritual Counseling) training. It was geared to those interested in disaster services (hurricanes, tornadoes, tsunamis...Disasters) but it was also very relevent to us on the Rev Hi team. Topics discussed were bassed on organizing an ESC group but also the process of being an Emotional Spiritual Counselor. The portions dealing with the "process of being" and ESC was applicable to us as we reach out to those in need out here on the island.

You wouldn't believe how much need is out here, maybe you would. But like any major city, this island is struggling with those suffering from drug abuse, alcoholism, houselessness, emotional trauma,... It keeps going. It can be shocking though because of the image many of us have of this beautiful island; lush green scenery, vast pearly shore lines, Rainbows gracing the breathe taking sunsets, locales giving not out of excess but out of necessity... This is all here and it is so beautiful, sceneery, people, and all. But under that veil, right next to the Louis Vuiton store, on that shorline, in the many parks run the struggles of war veterans, fathers, mothers, uncles, aunties, professors, doctors, and the "forgotten."

It is very humbling how as we go out to minister to those people we believe are in need, which so many are, we end up being the ones ministered to. Though so many face despair, agony, and hopelessness you still get a sense of Gods spirit entering, running, and saturating through the city streets and into the lives of these people. We have seen the faces of men change as the weeks go by as they start to have hope of a better tomorrow. We have seen men weep because of the sores of their past which have been unable to heal. We have seen prayers answered and progress continue. We have also seen that progress crumble through a relapse. Feeling as though our prayers, how convicting and numerous they are, hitting a wall. We have seen the joy seen in the people a week prior change to fear, anger, and hatred beacuse of death, struggling through a bad batch of drugs, or because they hit that reality they might be running from.

I thank you for your encouragement. I have heard people complimenting our team because we made a decision to spend a year in ministry. We have heard the applause of people because "the younger generation is making a bold stand for Jesus." I thank you so much for that support because at times that is what we need to hear. It's amazing how encouraging words can change the whole spectrum of a day or a life. Jesus is Lord. But we (I say this in faith that as a team our motives for being here are so...) aren't doing this for the approval of man but beacuse of the convictions we have in our hearts that this is what we are called to do as Followers of Jesus. That as we deny ourselves a year, a Lifetime of self that the Glory will be all Gods in our ministry here. It is hard at times, for me, when I see God working and using me because I see that pride well up in me as I feel I am "worthy" of this. I struggle with my pride because I desire so much to be a better Me but the more I have lived for that the more I see that I fall farther from Him. Plus I mess almost everything up with my anxiousness and stubborn attitude. haha I see that as a team, as this year progresses we are finding ourselves so unworthy of God's love, forgiveness, and grace. But God never called us in our "perfection" (like that would happen, Ha) but in the people we are right now, flaws, my pride and all. I see more and more that as I focus on those around me, as I set myself willingingly to be used by God, as I deny myself He will use me, He will use us as the Body of Christ (church: more than a building, it is you and I).

I have been told all that so many times but I have finally seen it and experienced it so I wanted to share that with all of you. I will get off the soap box...haha

Story Time (I need to work on telling stories because I have been told I need to...Shhoooot) :

This story is from Halloween Night and Saturday night. There is this man who is well known around China Town and has been visited by Rev. Hi. for many years. He is a local man who has lived on the streets for years and years and every week we do out reach he is there and we spend time with him. He is usually one of the last people we see and we give him most of the leftovers of the nights food (we always make sure he gets something). But, man does this gentlemen have stories. He knows so much of the history of the city, his own experiences would make sheil silverstein shiver, and he knows his 90's wrestling facts like an art. This man has always seemed comfortable on the streets seeming to be under the blanket of the street very tightly. But recently he voiced his desire to get of the streets. (A side note: our mission here is not get people off the streets. If they voice that desire we will help them in anyway possible. But we are here to build relationships and show them Christs love through our actions and hopefully plant some seeds along the way. Ok, back to story) Since then he has opened up to the group so much more. On Friday night our team went to the ATS biblestudy and afterwards went to china town to walk around. Some of us had costumes, A few of us were zombies though Mark confused all of us with his kangaroo hat oozing blood all over his face...haha But, we saw this man and he came up to us wearing his costume and tried to scare us, good times. We all were talking, some of the girls painted his face and he poured this fake blood all over my head and we were all just having fun. It was awesome to see this man looking past his circumstances and enjoying this one moment we all shared. We all went up towards the main road where there were bands, people in the wackiest costumes, and shows. Half way up the gentlemen said his leg was hurting and went back down the road. We encouraged him to come but he continued on. We enjoyed ourselves that night leaving China town and Going to this U.H. Christian club dance party at kahala mall. That S.S.S. group threw it and our team had a blast. It was amazing how any barriers that might have been between our team all went down and we danced our heads off. We all had a blast and God really used it to build our team up.

Well, continuing on to Saturday night. As we were doing our out reach in china town our group ended up getting split up and the 3 people i was with went back to where we started to meet the rest of the team. When we got there the rest of the team wasnt there, like they said they would be, Happy Day haha, but that man was there. We spent a little more then an hour hangin' out and having a blast. He opened up a lot as we were all acting like "guys" rough housing around. He made a comment about how much fun he had with our team and started sharing some more of his story with us.

I share that short story because I wanted to show how we may not always see what God does through us or see "the fruits of our labor" but that God does things in His time. The two teams prior to us also met and built relationships with this man and seeds were planted. One of the prayers that all the teams have shared is for God to get this man off the streets because it almost seemed like a hopeless case in mans eyes. The teams prior didn't really see the answer to that prayer, as Rob said this was the first time this man voiced wanting to get off the streets. But those seeds were planted by people before us and now the prayers are slowly being answered. Tonight our team had a bible study ( we have quit a few of those, yah?) and we were looking at John 4. In verses 34-38 Jesus is telling his desciples that they are reaping the benefits of others hard work. We have experienced that here and it's humbling because some of the work has already been done but it is also encouraging because we ARE being used in some way.

Thanks for reading this post all. I am sorry if some parts don't make sense but it is getting late and I am pretty tired AND I probably shouldn't be on the cpu....I did get permission though =). Again, I thank all of you for your prayers and encouraging comments, it means so much to me. For the anonymous post thank you for keeping my Great-Uncle in your prayers and for those of you who are praying for him and didn't comment I thank you as well. Please continue to pray for him though and also pray that God continues to stretch our team leading us in His will. Pray that God will continue to give me a humble spirit (is it really humble to ask that?....hmmm) and that he keeps working , transforming , and using me. Until Later Aloha


Surf Report Update:
Ok so yesterday I had an amazing surf session. Rob took some of us up to Camp Homelani on the North shore and we surfed this 2-3 swell up there. It wasn't huge but oh baby it was so much fun, one of the best sessions so far. I'm ready to start surfing competitions now, Pipe Masters here I come....hahaha ok I'm not fooling anyone but still is was a fun session. Along with that in the afternoon some of us went to Ala Moana (the South shore) and surfed there. It was a good North-South surf day. I am still praying for bigger surf so someday I will see it and pray it isn't my last session. Happy Day. No Worries mom the lifeguards out here are well trained in what they do... =)

But, Love you All and May " 'The Lord Bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face shine upon you and be gracious to you; the Lord turn his face toward you and give you peace.'" Numbers 6:24-26