So the Hawaii Cru team is mostly based at UH Manoa, but we actually also work on a few different smaller universities/community colleges. I'm specifically assigned to go to Kapiolani Community College every Tuesday with two other staff members, and this past Tuesday was my first day on "KCC". It's a beautiful campus, just above the base of Diamond Head, and there are some really nice views of the ocean. But what was really exciting was that Natalie (Intern with EPIC- the Asian-American movement of CCC) and I showed up a couple of hours early and got to go out "sharing". That's just what we call it when we go out onto campus, meet students we don't know and try to have spiritual conversation with them. So we spent about an hour and a half and got to have some legit spiritual conversations with 3 students.
Today, I did "Talk Story" (Hawaii Cru's weekly version of going out sharing) and got to go with a junior girl named Donna. She had gone out sharing with Karisa (our girl director) before but had never initiated. Well, today was her chance! After having me initiate in a conversation with a buddhist hapa girl from LA, she was ready and I got to accompany her as she initiated conversation by doing a spiritual survey with an agnostic local girl who'd done her undergrad studies at Harvard. It was a fanTAStic conversation, and Donna said she had a lot of fun doing it!
Honestly, a few years ago I never would've imagined myself saying this, but I'd really missed going out sharing. Because of the busy schedule during support raising, I hadn't done it since New Staff Training back in July! And that was just twice- once at Daytona Beach, and once University of Central Florida's campus.
It felt so good to go out onto campus as an ambassador for Christ, meeting and developing relationships with students and helping them along in their spiritual journey. I love that it's part of my job, and I love that I love doing it. Thank You, Lord, for this blessing :)
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Just for "kicks"
I've never actually compiled all of my heel-click jump pictures...
The collection has grown quite a bit so I thought I'd post my inventory thus far.
I understand this post has absolutely nothing to do with ministry or being in Hawaii or anything.
It's really just for kicks...
Starting with the Disney Parks (where this all began):
Disneyland- Main Street, U.S.A. 2007.
[The pic that started it all... with my SC friends Molly and Arthur]
Disneyland- Sleeping Beauty Castle. Nov 2008
[Every year around Christmas time I use a festive picture taken at Disneyland for my facebook profile picture. This is the one from 2 years ago.]
Tokyo DisneySea- Port Discovery. Jun 2008
[First one not at Disneyland. Taken while visiting the 2008 Summer Project]
Magic Kingdom- Cinderella Castle. Jan 2009
[During my first visit to Walt Disney World (right after Summer Project directors' training)]
Tokyo Disneyland- Cinderella's Castle. Jun 2009
Disneyland- Main Street, U.S.A. Dec 2009
Disney's Hollywood Studios- The Sorcerer's Hat. Jul 2010
[During and after New Staff Training, I visited each of the four parks at Walt Disney World- all of them for the first time, except for Magic Kingdom.]
Magic Kingdom- Cinderella Castle. Jul 2010
Disney's Animal Kingdom- Everest. Jul 2010
Epcot- Spaceship Earth. Jul 2010
[Considering how exhausted I was after a long, hot day, and trying this picture 15 times before we finally got it right (thanks for your patience, Heather), I'm pleasantly surprised at how it turned out.]
The collection of heel-click jump pics from random places around the country/world is pretty new, so there are only a few. More to come, hopefully!!
Victoria, Australia- The Twelve Apostles. Mar 2009
[The 12 Apostles are a beautiful rock formation off southeastern coast of Australia. I got to see them on our free day during the spring break mission trip to Melbourne.]
Tokyo, Japan- Odaiba. Jun 2009
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic- Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo. Mar 2010
[The campus where we did ministry during our spring break mission trip to the DR]
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic- Columbus Park. Mar 2010
[Plaza in the Colonial Zone of the city, dedicated to Christopher Columbus. Behind me is his statue and behind him is the oldest church in the Americas.]
Winter Park, Florida- Rollins College. Jul 2010
[In front of our dorm building at New Staff Training]
Estes Park, Colorado- YMCA of the Rockies. Oct 2010
Yes, I'm weird.
The collection has grown quite a bit so I thought I'd post my inventory thus far.
I understand this post has absolutely nothing to do with ministry or being in Hawaii or anything.
It's really just for kicks...
Starting with the Disney Parks (where this all began):
Disneyland- Main Street, U.S.A. 2007.
[The pic that started it all... with my SC friends Molly and Arthur]
Disneyland- Sleeping Beauty Castle. Nov 2008
[Every year around Christmas time I use a festive picture taken at Disneyland for my facebook profile picture. This is the one from 2 years ago.]
Tokyo DisneySea- Port Discovery. Jun 2008
[First one not at Disneyland. Taken while visiting the 2008 Summer Project]
Magic Kingdom- Cinderella Castle. Jan 2009
[During my first visit to Walt Disney World (right after Summer Project directors' training)]
Tokyo Disneyland- Cinderella's Castle. Jun 2009
Disneyland- Main Street, U.S.A. Dec 2009
Disney's Hollywood Studios- The Sorcerer's Hat. Jul 2010
[During and after New Staff Training, I visited each of the four parks at Walt Disney World- all of them for the first time, except for Magic Kingdom.]
Magic Kingdom- Cinderella Castle. Jul 2010
Disney's Animal Kingdom- Everest. Jul 2010
Epcot- Spaceship Earth. Jul 2010
[Considering how exhausted I was after a long, hot day, and trying this picture 15 times before we finally got it right (thanks for your patience, Heather), I'm pleasantly surprised at how it turned out.]
The collection of heel-click jump pics from random places around the country/world is pretty new, so there are only a few. More to come, hopefully!!
Victoria, Australia- The Twelve Apostles. Mar 2009
[The 12 Apostles are a beautiful rock formation off southeastern coast of Australia. I got to see them on our free day during the spring break mission trip to Melbourne.]
Tokyo, Japan- Odaiba. Jun 2009
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic- Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo. Mar 2010
[The campus where we did ministry during our spring break mission trip to the DR]
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic- Columbus Park. Mar 2010
[Plaza in the Colonial Zone of the city, dedicated to Christopher Columbus. Behind me is his statue and behind him is the oldest church in the Americas.]
Winter Park, Florida- Rollins College. Jul 2010
[In front of our dorm building at New Staff Training]
Estes Park, Colorado- YMCA of the Rockies. Oct 2010
Yes, I'm weird.
Perks
I know that I talked a lot about how scared I was to move all the way to Hawaii- how ministry was going to be hard, how different the culture was going to be, how far away from everything/everyone I've known I was going to be... And we'll see how those things end up going. But let's be honest- there are some major perks to working here on Oahu.
Case in point, check out some scenes from our Fall Getaway that happened this past weekend on the North Shore (We really did have meetings with biblical teaching and worship and spiritual growth and stuff! But that's not the point of this post. So please realize that the following isn't ALL that happened haha):
Gorgeous green mountains in the background
Students having their morning quiet times right outside their cabins
The beach in front of the campground
Not bad, huh? :)
Case in point, check out some scenes from our Fall Getaway that happened this past weekend on the North Shore (We really did have meetings with biblical teaching and worship and spiritual growth and stuff! But that's not the point of this post. So please realize that the following isn't ALL that happened haha):
Gorgeous green mountains in the background
Students having their morning quiet times right outside their cabins
The beach in front of the campground
Not bad, huh? :)
Monday, October 11, 2010
I love/miss my NST friends
I was in Estes Park, CO, from 10/3-6 with 25 of my New Staff Training friends, going through the west coast version of the support raising training follow-up conference. It was a much smaller group than the one we experienced in Orlando this summer, but it was suuuuuch a good time! I think the smaller, more intimate group, in the more secluded and nature-filled setting made for really good community. I'd forgotten how much I loved and missed these people. It was such a blessing getting to spend 3 and a half days with these people enjoying God's creation, being goofballs and having fun, having one-on-one time with trainers and coaches who gave us pointers in support raising as well as personal financial stewardship, hearing from wise men and women about Spirit-filled living, and just getting away from it all.
Some highlights:
Lots of wildlife! Animals aren't scared of people at the YMCA of the Rockies, apparently
I know it's hard to see but that's a family of deer
There were at least 4 bull elk on the grounds, sometimes even fighting each other with their antlers!
Little bunnies EVERYWHERE!
I was half hoping I would find Aslan in there somewhere...
Training times!
Stephen (new staff with Keynote- CCC's music/arts ministry) and Jenny (new staff from ASU, going to Cal Poly SLO) leading worship for us!
Community time!
Back to dining hall life :)
Ah, how I've missed playing Ninja
Breathtaking views on a hike
Tribute to the YMCA camp. During a hike with my friends Stephen, Jake (new staff to Montana State), and Chris (new staff to our regional office)
Such a good, refreshing, needed time. Except... now my awareness of how much I love and miss my friends from NST has been renewed. :(
Thank You, Lord, for bringing these awesome brothers and sisters in Christ into my life!
Some highlights:
Lots of wildlife! Animals aren't scared of people at the YMCA of the Rockies, apparently
I know it's hard to see but that's a family of deer
There were at least 4 bull elk on the grounds, sometimes even fighting each other with their antlers!
Little bunnies EVERYWHERE!
I was half hoping I would find Aslan in there somewhere...
Training times!
Stephen (new staff with Keynote- CCC's music/arts ministry) and Jenny (new staff from ASU, going to Cal Poly SLO) leading worship for us!
Community time!
Back to dining hall life :)
Ah, how I've missed playing Ninja
Breathtaking views on a hike
Tribute to the YMCA camp. During a hike with my friends Stephen, Jake (new staff to Montana State), and Chris (new staff to our regional office)
Such a good, refreshing, needed time. Except... now my awareness of how much I love and miss my friends from NST has been renewed. :(
Thank You, Lord, for bringing these awesome brothers and sisters in Christ into my life!
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
I missed it by an HOUR!!!!
So Sunday and Monday in LA were heinously hot. I know everyone's tweets and facebook statuses talked about it, so I feel like I'm just being a bandwagoner. But I have a slightly frustrated perspective on it.
Now, first, let me remind you all that I cannot stand heat. I don't know how I'll survive in Hawaii and I'm pretty sure God started prepping me for the adjustment in climate by having me go on a week-long trip to the Dominican Republic over spring break (up to that point, the hottest/most humid/most miserable weather I'd ever experienced) and then by spending five weeks in Orlando this summer for New Staff Training (now, the hottest/most humid/most miserable weather I've ever experienced).
But even with my absolute dislike of heat and my passionate love of semi-cold weather, I'm really mad that I MISSED THE HOTTEST DAY IN LOS ANGELES HISTORY (see the LA Times story here that proves Angelenos weren't just being whiny about it getting a little warmer than our usual year-round 75F with no humidity)! UGH! I love records! I love being able to say "I was there for that"! And yet, on Monday, I left Los Angeles at 11:10 am (when it was already well into the triple digits) for a support trip to Phoenix (which, quite ironically, turned out to be an escape from the LA heat), and an hour and five minutes later, the thermometer in downtown Los Angeles FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN RECORDED hit 113 degrees Fahrenheit!!
BY ONE HOUR AND FIVE MINUTES! COME ON!!!!!!!!!
I got to Phoenix and found out that the high that day was only 106. Weaksauce.
Sigh... Maybe I just have to be alive for another 120 years or so and maybe, just maybe, I'll be there when LA hits 114. :)
Now, first, let me remind you all that I cannot stand heat. I don't know how I'll survive in Hawaii and I'm pretty sure God started prepping me for the adjustment in climate by having me go on a week-long trip to the Dominican Republic over spring break (up to that point, the hottest/most humid/most miserable weather I'd ever experienced) and then by spending five weeks in Orlando this summer for New Staff Training (now, the hottest/most humid/most miserable weather I've ever experienced).
But even with my absolute dislike of heat and my passionate love of semi-cold weather, I'm really mad that I MISSED THE HOTTEST DAY IN LOS ANGELES HISTORY (see the LA Times story here that proves Angelenos weren't just being whiny about it getting a little warmer than our usual year-round 75F with no humidity)! UGH! I love records! I love being able to say "I was there for that"! And yet, on Monday, I left Los Angeles at 11:10 am (when it was already well into the triple digits) for a support trip to Phoenix (which, quite ironically, turned out to be an escape from the LA heat), and an hour and five minutes later, the thermometer in downtown Los Angeles FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE TEMPERATURES HAVE BEEN RECORDED hit 113 degrees Fahrenheit!!
BY ONE HOUR AND FIVE MINUTES! COME ON!!!!!!!!!
I got to Phoenix and found out that the high that day was only 106. Weaksauce.
Sigh... Maybe I just have to be alive for another 120 years or so and maybe, just maybe, I'll be there when LA hits 114. :)
Friday, September 17, 2010
Letting go
A couple of months ago, God put it on my heart to pray that He would reveal idols in my life, so that He could remove them. I had NO idea how intense a prayer I was praying!
A week or two later, there were three weeks IN A ROW where the speaker at Reality LA mentioned idolatry and explained it in a way that stabbed at my heart in a different (yet equally severe) way each time. Who knew I had so many things that I wasn't willing to let go of?
I mean, it's fairly easy, after a while, to recognize "obvious" idols- money, prestige, (both heavily tied to) career, etc.
But it gets trickier when it becomes things like social status/popularity in spiritual communities, talents, even spiritual gifts! Or aesthetic things like the beauty of nature, gorgeous music, God-given talent in sport/dance/performance, etc. Like most other idols, these are not, in and of themselves, bad things. In fact, a lot of them are things given to us by God to help us worship Him better. But it can actually be sneaky and turn into the very thing we worship. YIKES.
When you're getting ready to leave a state you've lived in for 17 years, and are coming face to face with leaving behind just about everything, you really start to see what things you hold on to too tightly... and I've been discovering that these "security blankets", these things I say that "I can't live without", are IDOLS. All I truly need, is God. And He is a jealous God- He doesn't like there being anything other than Him at the center of my life. Because, really, if I'm saying that I NEED other things, that I can't live without them, that it would hurt too much to lose them, I'm basically saying they are part of my life source, my GOD. No bueno.
It's a really freeing experience, but boy does it hurt! I'm just glad my God is a God who cares deeply for me and walks right beside me/ahead of me leading me as I go through these experiences, comforting me, healing me, filling the holes left by the idols, and satisfying and fulfilling me in ways that nothing else could ever even attempt to pretend to act like they could.
When God commanded in the Ten Commandments to not have any idols, I know that a big part of it was because He is God and refuses to have His people worship anything else... but I also thing that a big part of it was that He KNEW how much idols were hazardous to our health, and becausee He KNEW just how good it would be for us to be wholly given over to Him.
"You shall have NO other gods before Me."
A week or two later, there were three weeks IN A ROW where the speaker at Reality LA mentioned idolatry and explained it in a way that stabbed at my heart in a different (yet equally severe) way each time. Who knew I had so many things that I wasn't willing to let go of?
I mean, it's fairly easy, after a while, to recognize "obvious" idols- money, prestige, (both heavily tied to) career, etc.
But it gets trickier when it becomes things like social status/popularity in spiritual communities, talents, even spiritual gifts! Or aesthetic things like the beauty of nature, gorgeous music, God-given talent in sport/dance/performance, etc. Like most other idols, these are not, in and of themselves, bad things. In fact, a lot of them are things given to us by God to help us worship Him better. But it can actually be sneaky and turn into the very thing we worship. YIKES.
When you're getting ready to leave a state you've lived in for 17 years, and are coming face to face with leaving behind just about everything, you really start to see what things you hold on to too tightly... and I've been discovering that these "security blankets", these things I say that "I can't live without", are IDOLS. All I truly need, is God. And He is a jealous God- He doesn't like there being anything other than Him at the center of my life. Because, really, if I'm saying that I NEED other things, that I can't live without them, that it would hurt too much to lose them, I'm basically saying they are part of my life source, my GOD. No bueno.
It's a really freeing experience, but boy does it hurt! I'm just glad my God is a God who cares deeply for me and walks right beside me/ahead of me leading me as I go through these experiences, comforting me, healing me, filling the holes left by the idols, and satisfying and fulfilling me in ways that nothing else could ever even attempt to pretend to act like they could.
When God commanded in the Ten Commandments to not have any idols, I know that a big part of it was because He is God and refuses to have His people worship anything else... but I also thing that a big part of it was that He KNEW how much idols were hazardous to our health, and becausee He KNEW just how good it would be for us to be wholly given over to Him.
"You shall have NO other gods before Me."
Wednesday, September 1, 2010
NOM
Like I've said, it's been a blast meeting with a bunch of people and getting to tell them about the ministry I'm involved in and such. The conversations have all been so refreshing and encouraging. But there's another perk to this support-raising period of my life: FOOD.
I've been meeting with people all over Southern California, and they all have local places that they like that they've been taking me to. So I'm getting to discover some sweet socal finds. Here are just a few:
- The Counter: These gourmet build-your-own burgers are out of this world. All the ingredients are super fresh, the meat is sustainable, hormone/antibiotic-free yumminess, and the choices are endless. Choose from 12 different cheeses (like Tillamook cheddar, Gruyere, soft-ripened Brie), 21 toppings (like awesome grilled onions, roasted green chiles, hard boiled eggs), 21 sauces (like chipotle aioli- SO GOOD, horseradish mayo, ginger soy glaze), and even 5 buns and 5 meats. The sweet potato fries are also legit. The Surprise-I'm-Awesome Award goes to the veggie patty. It's the best veggie burger I've had. Thanks, Lisi Keye.
- The Habit: Apparently LA is becoming one of America's top burger hot spots. This Santa Barbara-born joint makes super fresh, charbroiled burgers. It's not so much variety- just quality. A good, solid, tasty, fresh burger with a side of hefty onion rings makes for a great lunch! Thanks, Will Liu.
- Alcove: I hate driving to Los Feliz, but once I'm there, I'm in love. It's a trendy neighborhood, lined with cool cafes and bars. Alcove is simultaneously cute and cool. Everyone there's definitely hipster and the menu is super west coast with its selection of paninis, salads, breakfast dishes, most with fresh and healthy ingredients (lots of fruits and veggies). And yet it's a small building with a big front patio area with garden lights and "cute" seating. My apple and brie panini was yummy. And I hear they have a great bakery. Thanks, Lana Sanfilippo.
- House of Breakfast: Kind of a hole-in-the-wall place on Olympic and 5th. The place is owned by a Japanese-American family. Classic breakfasts with a slight Hawaiian twist- spam and eggs, Portuguese sausage, etc. And REALLY good pancakes. Don't know what it is about them- they're just good. Thick, fluffy, and totally tasty. Friendly service too. And it's so close to where I live! Thanks, Dave Kleinknecht.
- Shoops: It's half European market (Swedish, Danish, German imported goods) half delicatessen. Lots of heart and healthy options. The place feels very local- it's on Main St in Santa Monica and doesn't feel at all like a snooty tourist trap kind of place. Urth Caffe (which is also great) is across the street but it has such a different, more pretentious feel. I loved Shoops' feel, service, and food- the wraps are great. Thanks, Jed Bunkowski.
Plenty others... these are just a few of the places I've tried out in the last couple of weeks. Check them out! :)
I've been meeting with people all over Southern California, and they all have local places that they like that they've been taking me to. So I'm getting to discover some sweet socal finds. Here are just a few:
- The Counter: These gourmet build-your-own burgers are out of this world. All the ingredients are super fresh, the meat is sustainable, hormone/antibiotic-free yumminess, and the choices are endless. Choose from 12 different cheeses (like Tillamook cheddar, Gruyere, soft-ripened Brie), 21 toppings (like awesome grilled onions, roasted green chiles, hard boiled eggs), 21 sauces (like chipotle aioli- SO GOOD, horseradish mayo, ginger soy glaze), and even 5 buns and 5 meats. The sweet potato fries are also legit. The Surprise-I'm-Awesome Award goes to the veggie patty. It's the best veggie burger I've had. Thanks, Lisi Keye.
- The Habit: Apparently LA is becoming one of America's top burger hot spots. This Santa Barbara-born joint makes super fresh, charbroiled burgers. It's not so much variety- just quality. A good, solid, tasty, fresh burger with a side of hefty onion rings makes for a great lunch! Thanks, Will Liu.
- Alcove: I hate driving to Los Feliz, but once I'm there, I'm in love. It's a trendy neighborhood, lined with cool cafes and bars. Alcove is simultaneously cute and cool. Everyone there's definitely hipster and the menu is super west coast with its selection of paninis, salads, breakfast dishes, most with fresh and healthy ingredients (lots of fruits and veggies). And yet it's a small building with a big front patio area with garden lights and "cute" seating. My apple and brie panini was yummy. And I hear they have a great bakery. Thanks, Lana Sanfilippo.
- House of Breakfast: Kind of a hole-in-the-wall place on Olympic and 5th. The place is owned by a Japanese-American family. Classic breakfasts with a slight Hawaiian twist- spam and eggs, Portuguese sausage, etc. And REALLY good pancakes. Don't know what it is about them- they're just good. Thick, fluffy, and totally tasty. Friendly service too. And it's so close to where I live! Thanks, Dave Kleinknecht.
- Shoops: It's half European market (Swedish, Danish, German imported goods) half delicatessen. Lots of heart and healthy options. The place feels very local- it's on Main St in Santa Monica and doesn't feel at all like a snooty tourist trap kind of place. Urth Caffe (which is also great) is across the street but it has such a different, more pretentious feel. I loved Shoops' feel, service, and food- the wraps are great. Thanks, Jed Bunkowski.
Plenty others... these are just a few of the places I've tried out in the last couple of weeks. Check them out! :)
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