Wednesday, December 13, 2006

A strange way to save the world

Aloha and Mele Kalikimaka-

It is December 13th at 9:30pm. I am sitting here with a purring cat on my lap trying to get some computer work done so I thought I would send out a quick email.

Tonight was our annual preschool Christmas play. Trying to get 20 children that are 3 and 4 years old to perform with singing, dancing, and signing for half an hour is quite a feat! And as usual the children were adorable and did a great job. The program title was "A Strange way to Save the World!". I will try to post pictures eventually. After tonight I have let out a quick sigh of relief because everything dealing with the program is pau and now I can concentrate in packing and cleaning up before I leave Friday afternoon!
Yes I am headed to the mainland for two and a half weeks for the holidays to visit family and friends. I fly in to NC Saturday (the 16th) and then driving to TX for a week on Monday. Headed back to NC on the 24th and leave for Oahu January 3rd. I will be in Oahu for a teaching conference the 4th - 6th and then headed back to Molokai on the 6th. If at any point you are in the area of Elon (or Waco, TX) I would love to meet up with you. Call my parents house  or send me back a quick email with your phone number and when you are available.

May the Lord bless you with an awesome Christmas and a hauole makahiki hou!! (HAPPY NEW YEAR!)

Much love and God's blessings,

Angela

Sunday, October 15, 2006

Earthquake

Aloha family and friends-


What an odd morning it has been! I awoke to my entire house shaking, windows clattering, and pictures falling off of the cabinet. Oddly enough we had an earthquake and after shocks this morning. The first quaking lasted between 30 and 45 seconds, which doesn’t sound that long until the ground under your feet is moving and you can’t do a thing about it. After that we had a few minor tremors. FYI- It had a 6.5 magnitude and an epicenter between Big Island and Maui. Thankfully there was no major damage at least on Molokai. On the other islands, there were power outages, rockslides, and some structural damage.

Here I am prepared for the tropical storm that was supposed to hit the islands this morning but totally surprised by the movement of the land under my feet. We were just talking on Thursday night in our Bible study on the book of Revelation, how the whole earth is groaning for the Lord to come back (Romans 8:22). God made this earth and it is crying out for his return. His return will happen and it looks soon.

In Matthew 24:6 and 7, Jesus is talking to his disciples about the signs of the end of the age and he says “You will hear of wars and rumors of wars but see to it that you are not alarmed. Such things must happen, but the end is still to come. Nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. There will be famines and earthquakes in various places.” Sound familiar- just listen to the 6 o’clock news and you will see these things taking place.

Now I am not writing these things to scare you but to show you that there is hope. Jesus is coming back soon to take his children to heaven. Are you ready? If not, talk to Him, tell Him you are a sinner and you need His forgiveness. He died on the cross to pay for your sins and mine. He conquered death and the grave by rising from the dead. He wants us to choose Him for eternal life. We can’t do it in our own strength. It is all Him.

One of the songs we sang in church this morning was Not to Us by Chris Tomlin.

The cross before me the world behind
no turning back
raise the banner high
it's not for me
it's all for YOU
let the heavens shake and split the sky
let the people clap their hands and cry
it's not for us
it's all for YOU
CHORUS:
not to us but to YOUR name be the glory
not to us but to YOUR name be the glory
our hearts unfold before YOUR throne
the only place for those who know
it's not for us
it's all for YOU
send YOUR holy fire on this offering
let our worship burn for the world to see
it's not for us
it's all for YOU
for YOU

CHORUS
the earth is shaking
the mountains shouting
it's all for YOU
the waves are crashing
the sun is raging
it's all for YOU
the universe is spinning and singing
it's all for YOU
YOUR children dancing
dancing
dancing
it's all for YOU it's all for YOU my all for YOU my all for YOU

This song really pointed out that it is ALL for God. I especially like the verse that says…

“the earth is shaking
the mountains shouting
it's all for YOU
the waves are crashing
the sun is raging
it's all for YOU”

…not just because of what happened this morning but God is calling out to us all through creation. I went to the beach yesterday with Candace and the waves were pounding. We were out past the break swimming. There was one point when we turned around and there was a wave behind us that was towering over our heads by about 8 feet. We cruised over the wave landing safely on the other side and waited till the set died down before we made our way to shore. It was an amazing thrill! But again it is not for us but for His glory!!!

I think of each of you often and pray that I will see all of you in Heaven one day whether we die to get there or the Lord comes back first. What a glorious day that will be!! There are some of you that I won’t see again on this earth but God allowed our paths to cross and I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that I will stand with you in Heaven. If you have any questions about joining us in Heaven, email me or call me. I love you all and look forward to hearing from you soon!

Much love and God’s blessings,

Angela

Sunday, October 1, 2006

Changed by His love

Aloha friends and family-
Wow, what an awesome day/weekend it has been! But… before I go into the events of today, I have to say I typed up a different newsletter a few days ago to send out over email. This was requested of me by a friend but when I went to send it my email would only allow me to send it to just her. The following email God laid on my heart today and I thought I would share. So… this is going to be sent out to everyone even if I have to snail mail it because I want to brag on the awesomeness of my God. So here goes…
Today started off like any other Sunday morning. My alarm went off at eight o’clock am, I rolled over, and reset it for 8:45am! (Normally Sunday mornings are the only opportunity I have to sleep in so I have figured out the latest I can sleep and still make it to church on time!) Any way before my alarm could go off for a second time, the phone rang. It was a potential preschool parent telling me that she wasn’t going to be at church today for our scheduled meeting because her son was sick. Once we hung up, I started praying that God would make today special. All of my close friends are off island and I didn’t have any plans all day, so I gave the Lord my day and boy did He make it memorable!!

As I made my way into church, I was talking with some friends sharing the news of Sybil (my coworker and friend) having her baby yesterday and the preschool winning fourth place and $200 in the Aloha Week Parade Float competition yesterday. When we came together to open our church service with praise and worship, each song seemed to just open my heart up more and more. By the third song, I was on my knees before God. The words of the song were…

Majesty (Here I Am) by Delirious

Here I am humbled by your Majesty
Covered by your grace so free
Here I am, knowing I'm a sinful man
Covered by the blood of the Lamb
Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice
Majesty, Majesty
Your grace has found me just as I am
Empty handed, but alive in your hands
Majesty, Majesty
Forever I am changed by your love
In the presence of your Majesty
Here I am humbled by the love that you give
Forgiven so that I can forgive
Here I stand, knowing that I'm your desire
Sanctified by glory and fire
Now I've found the greatest love of all is mine
Since you laid down your life
The greatest sacrifice

Boy, was I humbled! The wretched sinner that I am, God still chooses to bless me with precious gifts like the birth of a friend’s baby and winning a prize for our float.

God didn’t tell me… ‘In order to be my child, you have to clean up your act.’ No! In fact, His loving hand picked me up right where I was and He loved me! He loved me enough to die for me. That has changed me forever- Not only do I get to spend eternity praising my precious Savior in Heaven but I know beyond a shadow of a doubt that nothing I do will change God’s love for me.

That is such a humbling thought that He loves me even when I do things that He has specifically told me not to do like “Do not worship other gods” and I turn around saying “I am doing this today.” By me planning my day without asking God what He wants me to do, I am worshipping me and making an idol out of my time. God totally blew me away today by reminding me that when He is included first in the day, the day goes so much smoother and I get blessed in return.

So after an awesome message through song, we watched a slideshow of our high school students at “See You at the Pole”. On our small island, 43 students showed up and prayed for their school, families, friends, island, state, and nation. Seeing all of those young people bowing their heads, standing in the gap for the place where they live. It was powerful!! God convicted my heart that I don’t pray enough!

All of the “lessons” took place before Pastor Randy even started his prepared message. God was about to teach me a couple of other very important lessons. Remember when I said I didn’t have any plans for the day, God had plans already set up for me. We had an island wide prayer meeting scheduled for 3 o’clock (that I had forgotten about) and then a preschool family invited me up for dinner.

At 3, I went down to New Hope Retreat Center for ‘United in Prayer’ for a time of youth led worship. Then we broke into teams and went to all of the different schools on Molokai walking and praying around the school building for the students, faculty, staff, and administrators. I chose to pray at Akaula with Pastor David and Shirley Nanod. What a blessing it was for me to spend time and pray with this couple who love the Lord and this island!

Aunty Shirley and I worked together last year and became friends and prayer partners. So she encouraged me with the work at preschool and we prayed for the children and their families. We also got to catch up on what was going on in one another’s life. When I got back in my car to leave I felt like I could have floated home… Such a feeling of peace and excitement for what the Lord is doing in this place.

I headed up to the Go’s for dinner and was treated to a wonderful home cooked dinner of porkchops, salad, and noodles. We talked story for almost four hours but it was such a blessing to finish up my day fellowshipping with friends.

By now it is after midnight, I am very thankful I am on fall break, so I don’t have school tomorrow. I love each one of you so much and pray that each of you will experience the greatest sacrifice when Jesus laid down His life for you. May you be changed by His love, too!!!

Much love and God’s blessings,

Angela

Friday, July 14, 2006

Red, hot, boiling lava

Written July 7th, 2006


Here I sit in the middle of a lava field watching hot magma flowing into the water of the Pacific Ocean. The steam from the collision of hot versus cold shoots up into the air and the trade winds carry it out to sea!!! What a magnificent sight! As night approaches, I can now see not only where the hot lava meets the sea but also the path down the side of the mountain.

Well if you haven’t guessed yet, I am at volcano national park in Hilo. My parents are out visiting. I met them at the airport on Monday and we flew to Big Island together. We have driven all over this island and have seen almost every part imaginable. I have gotten carsick and I have gotten soaked because I didn’t bring a raincoat!! Word to the wise: when visiting Hilo, bring a raincoat!

The longer I sit here writing the darker the sky is getting and the brighter the red of the lava shows which reminds me of God!! How so you may ask??? Just like the lava, God is always flowing through our lives creating a new landscape. When dark times approach, God should shine even more brightly. We should fade into the backdrop and the only thing that others see should be God through us.

Written and Sent July 14, 2006

After I wrote that last line in my journal, it was really too dark to see anymore! Mom, dad, and I hiked the three or so miles from the lava flow to our car parked on the side of the road. On our way back, I stopped to wait on mom and dad. Several people passed and I thought I recognized Dr. Nichol with his wife and daughter, Alanna. So I called, “Alanna” and she turned hearing her name. Sure enough, it was them! I go to church with this family on Molokai and he is my doctor. We talked while we walked back! “It’s a small world” became our theme song on our drive back to our hotel.

We left Big Island on Saturday afternoon and made it into Molokai that evening. Even though it is only a stone throw away, it takes several hours to travel between islands. To give you some idea… we arrived at Hilo airport at 2 for a 3:05 flight, flew 47 minutes to Oahu where we had to check in for our flight to Molokai that didn’t leave until 5:50. The flight to Molokai is only 20 minutes so we arrived at a little after six got our luggage and loaded into my jeep. We got to my house at 6:30!!

In the past week, mom, dad, and I have gone to the beach 3 times, been to the bog, worked up at school, and seen the sunset from the wharf. My parents have blessed me by doing electrical work, plumbing, gardening, cleaning, and organizing since they have been here. My car has had its oil, oil filter, air filter, and brake pads changed, tires rotated, and the underneath side greased!! I have definitely been blessed with parents who enjoy serving!!! I don’t know who is getting a better vacation!!

This is going to be the last email newsletter for the summer!! Mom and dad leave Tuesday the 18th. I have preschool parent orientation that night. Teacher meetings will be the rest of the week. School starts July 24th (my birthday)!! So far I have 17 children enrolled! It will definitely be an adventure this year. Please be praying!

I hope all is well with you. I would love to hear from you.
Much love and God’s blessings,
Angela

Wednesday, June 7, 2006

A morning accident

June 7th, 2006
What a day it has been!! My heart is so sad and broken at the moment for the people of Molokai. I was awoken this morning at 7:15 to a friend calling to inform me that a car accident had occurred this morning about 1am involving some of our youth. She really didn't know any details but was calling to make sure my roommate, Jasmine, wasn't involved. Praise God she wasn't but as I later found out four of our young people were involved. One killed, three in critical condition.
Living on an island of 7,000 people news travels quickly through coconut wireless and everyone knows everybody. So when something like this happens everyone is affected. The young lady that was killed was an exchange student from New Zealand. I met her when I went to New Zealand in March. (She was traveling to New Zealand with Molokai's Hawaiian Immersion class). She returned home to New Zealand and came back out to Molokai recently for the Hawaiian Immersion graduation last weekend. I also knew the driver of the car.
On my way to school this morning, I had to take a detour through Kualapuu because they closed a two-mile stretch of the main road. The accident took down two telephone poles. On my way home this afternoon, the road was reopened and there were friends and family cleaning up the remaining debris from the accident sight. After seeing that, I felt like bursting into tears, screaming at the top of my lungs, and stopping to pay my respects. I did the only thing that would do any good- I prayed!
Why are situations like this so tough???? God has promised in his word that he can turn a situation intended for evil and make it out for good. I have seen this happen where someone dies but through their death so many of their relatives and friends come to know Christ as the Savior of their life. A couple of years ago on Molokai, we had three of our youth die in separate incidents. God used these incidents to convict hearts and get our kids back on track. Our Tuesday evening youth Bible Study grew so much that there was no sitting room available.

I know in my own life it took losing a friend to an accident to get me back on the right track with God. It is a chilling thought- If you died tonight, are you going to heaven? If you can't say for positive that you are going to heaven, then I give you Jesus. He is the only way to heaven!! Just believe and receive. Acts 16:31 says, "Believe in the Lord Jesus and you will be saved." It is not by works but by accepting the gift of salvation. I love each one of you and want to spend eternity worshiping Jesus with you!!
Please be praying for Molokai- that God would use this accident to turn hearts and lives back to Him!!!
Much love and God's blessings,
Angela

Tuesday, May 30, 2006

Survey

Participate with me on this. It's actually quite interesting. I only

sent this to folks whose answers are bound to be clever!

This is what you are supposed to do, and try not to be LAME and spoil
the fun! Just give in and do it.


Change all the answers so that they apply to you then send it to a whole
bunch of people *including* the person who sent it to you. Put your
name in the subject. The theory is that you will learn a lot of little
known facts about your friends. It is fun and easy.

50 questions to answer. (GROAN ! ! !)

1. FIRST NAME? Angela

2. WERE YOU NAMED AFTER ANYONE? Nope.

3. WHEN AND WHERE WERE YOU BORN? 7-24-1979 Provo, UTAH

4. WHEN DID YOU LAST CRY? Can''t remember

5. DO YOU LIKE YOUR HANDWRITING? Most of the time- but I am also comparing it to my preschoolers! :)

6. WHAT IS YOU FAVORITE LUNCH MEAT? Lunch meat-ugh! I prefer turkey!

7. ANY CHILDREN? Do my 11 preschoolers count???

8. IF YOU WERE ANOTHER PERSON WOULD YOU BE FRIENDS WITH YOU? Probably

9. DO YOU HAVE A JOURNAL? Yes- actually I have a couple- one for personal thoughts and what the Lord is teaching me and the other one is for prayer requests.

10. DO YOU USE SARCASM? I try not to b/c it hurts others but occasionally it slips out.

11. DO YOU STILL HAVE YOUR TONSILS? Yes

12. WOULD YOU BUNGEE JUMP? I had the chance in New Zealand and chickened out!

13. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE CEREAL? Can it be hot cereal? If so cream of wheat. IF cold, Oh's !!! (Can't find those out here, however)

14. DO YOU UNTIE YOUR SHOES WHEN YOU TAKE THEM OFF? Depends on how many times I go in and out of the house. Most of the time I just wear slippah's because it easier to take on and off when entering a house. (Hawaiian culture- You remove your shoes before entering)

15. DO YOU THINK YOU’RE STRONG? Sure

16. WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE ICE CREAM FLAVOR? Hawaiian Mud Pie!!! (Oreo cookies, chocolate, and kona coffee ice cream combined)

17. SHOE SIZE? depends on the shoe- normally an 8 1/2 to a 9

18. RED OR PINK? Red

19. WHAT IS YOUR LEAST FAVORITE THING ABOUT YOURSELF? my sympathetic heart- it gets me into trouble!

20. WHO DO YOU MISS THE MOST? depends on the moment and where I am at. Right at the moment- my family

21. DO YOU WANT EVERYONE TO SEND THIS BACK TO YOU? yes, please! I am curious of your answers.

22. WHAT COLOR PANTS AND SHOES ARE YOU WEARING? blue jean capris and no shoes (b/c I am inside- see above)

23. LAST THING YOU ATE? A casserole I made for dinner

24. WHAT ARE YOU LISTENING TO RIGHT NOW? The 6 o'clock news- concerning a shark attack!

25. IF YOU WERE A CRAYON WHAT COLOR WOULD YOU BE? Why would I want to be a crayon when I see what my preschoolers do to crayons on a daily basis? Chewed on, stuck in their noses, broken, etc.

26. FAVORITE SMELL? The smell before it rains.

27. THE FIRST THING YOU NOTICE ABOUT OPPOSITE SEX? Do they have a ring on their left hand!!!

28. DO YOU LIKE THE PERSON WHO SENT THIS TO YOU? yes- we have been friends since kindergarten. That is over 20 years!!! :-)

29. FAVORITE DRINK? honestly, pink lemonade

30. FAVORITE SPORT? soccer, softball, and swimming

31. HAIR COLOR? dark brown with red highlights when I am in the sun

32. EYE COLOR? brown

33. DO YOU WEAR CONTACTS? no

34. FAVORITE FOOD? katsu chicken

35. SCARY MOVIES OR HAPPY ENDINGS? happy endings- I do not like scary movies

36. LAST MOVIE YOU WATCHED? Into the blue

37. WHAT COLOR SHIRT ARE YOU WEARING? pink

38. SUMMER OR WINTER? summer (reminder- I live in Hawaii) I don't do well in the cold!

39. HUGS OR KISSES? hugs

40. FAVORITE DESSERT? icecream

41. WHO IS MOST LIKELY TO RESPOND? I am not sure b/c I am normally not responding!

42. LEAST LIKELY TO RESPOND? we will see

43. WHAT BOOKS ARE YOU READING? God's word, Brown bear, brown bear what do you see (preschool), ask in another week and I will be on summer vacation

44. WHAT'S ON YOUR MOUSE PAD? Nothing- I don't have one!

45. WHAT DID YOU WATCH ON TV LAST NIGHT? Nothing- I went to a raw foods dinner. Very interesting

46. FAVORITE SOUNDS rain drops on my aluminum roof, waves crashing on the shore, children laughing

47. ROLLING STONES OR BEATLES? Beatles

48. WHAT IS THE LONGEST YOU'VE BEEN AWAY FROM HOME? Home is where the heart is!! Molokai is now my home!

50. DO YOU HAVE A SPECIAL TALENT? hanging a spoon on my nose, my preschoolers think I have a special talent of kicking a playground ball across the yard!

(and by the way there are only 49 questions because there is no question number 49.)

Sunday, May 28, 2006

Take time to relax

May 28th, 2006


I was just reading in an education magazine that teachers that take work home with them on a regular basis are more likely to end their career earlier than those teachers who leave their work at school. Now as I am ending my fifth year of teaching, I am realizing how important it is to leave work at school. Even with teaching preschool, I find myself going to school at 6:45am, getting home at 4:30pm, and working til 9 or 10 on paperwork. As I look back, this is craziness.

So I am taking the advise of the article- delegating more, stressing less over the little things, and taking back my weekends. Most Sundays you will find me in my classroom setting up for the following week. I am now preparing for Monday before I leave on Friday rather than Sunday.

Which brings me to the current moment... It is Sunday afternoon and I am sitting on the beach journaling and thinking about everything that has gone on over this school year. As I reflect, the one thing that sticks out most in my mind is how God has kept me on my knees before Him. There have been so many odd situations this year that I can only look up and say, "Thank you, Lord, for your faithfulness."

School is pau here on June 2nd. Preschool graduation is June 1st. Then the last day is water fun day. I will be working all of June- cleaning, setting up, registering children, interviewing parents, etc. My parents come out July 3rd through the 18th. The day they leave, I have preschool parent orientation. Then Thursday and Friday of that week are teacher workdays. School starts on July 24th (my birthday).

So far we have 17 children registered and I have 2 full time aides. Our goal is 24 children. Please be praying that God will bring in the children He wants. I am excited about the upcoming school year.

Thanks agian for all of you that are saving General Mills box tops and Campbell's labels. We have been able to get some much needed outdoor equipment this year. Keep them coming!!!

Hope all is well with you! I look forward to hearing from you soon.

Much love and God's blessings,

Angela

Sunday, April 16, 2006

Healing Rain

April 16, 2006


Aloha Kakahiaka and Happy Easter!!

What a day it has been!! What a week it has been!! I have been back from New Zealand for 2 weeks and God has really been working so I thought I would share.

In preparation for today’s service, our halau (hula group) has been practicing for the past couple of months. Then about a week and a half ago my left foot started swelling and in severe pain. I had already gone to the doctor concerning the foot about 7 months ago. Since going to the doctor, I have been doing the exercise for my foot but sometimes it just hurts for no apparent reason. Most of the time it only swells and produces pain for a day or so. But not this time… Even after the exercises, wrapping it, icy hot, soaking it, and keeping it propped up, it has been really sore for a week and a half. I started praying that God would take the pain away. Then during hula practice on Wednesday, I was still in a lot of pain so I asked our halau to be praying for healing. I also asked my home fellowship group to be praying.

Well Thursday morning I woke up at 4:45am to take Jasmine and Marcus to catch the ferry. As soon as I placed my foot on the floor getting out of bed, pain shot up my leg. I took them down and came back to the house. I started my morning devotions and the lyrics to the song “healing rain” by Michael W. Smith came to my mind.

Healing Rain
Healing rain is coming down
It's coming nearer to this old town
Rich and poor, weak and strong
It's bringing mercy, it won't be long
Healing rain is coming down
It's coming closer to the lost and found
Tears of joy, and tears of shame
Are washed forever in Jesus' name
Healing rain, it comes with fire
So let it fall and take us higher
Healing rain, I'm not afraid
To be washed in Heaven's rain
Lift your heads, let us return
To the mercy seat where time began
And in your eyes, I see the pain
Come soak this dry heart with healing rain
And only You, the Son of man
Can take a leper and let him stand
So lift your hands, they can be held
By someone greater, the great I Am
Healing rain, it comes with fire
So let it fall and take us higher
Healing rain, I'm not afraid
To be washed in Heaven's rain
To be washed in Heaven's rain...
Healing rain is falling down
Healing rain is falling down
I'm not afraid
I'm not afraid...

Did I truly believe in that healing rain from heaven that Jesus could heal my foot? Could he heal the leper or the lame man?? After the reminder of several of Jesus’ miracles, I knew that Jesus’ could heal my foot in his perfect timing. The problem was that God’s timing isn’t always my timing.

Anyway, I woke up this morning at 5am to get ready for Sonrise service and MY FOOT DIDN’T HURT!!! Hallelujah!!! I learned God as Jehovah Rapha- the God who heals! I was able to dance this morning with absolutely no pain. Praise be to the God who heals!!

This song covers both spiritual and physical healing. I have seen both types of healing in my life. The spiritual healing is what makes Easter so special. God sent his Son to die on the cross as the sacrifice for our sin. Jesus Christ didn’t stay dead but he rose on the 3rd day. He conquered death and the grave. He is our true healing rain sent by heaven. He can give this old, dead heart new life.

I hope and pray that all is well for you. If you would like to know more about that healing rain let me know.

Much love and God’s blessings,
Angela Calhoun

Friday, April 7, 2006

Indescribable!

April 7, 2006




Aloha family and friends-
Wow, time flies when you’re having fun (or so they say!). It is Friday night. I have been home one week from New Zealand and what a week it has been. On the 9 hour plane flight from Auckland , I started a letter to email while I was stuck in my seat but I really have not had the chance to type it up and send it. So I will attempt to rewrite and send this again.

After a nine hour flight and a 22 hour time difference, my friend, Julie, and I arrived in Auckland , New Zealand to stay with some of my friends that I met while I lived in NC- the Frinks. God had some spectacular things for us to learn while we were visiting New Zealand . We spent the first 4 days in the Auckland area then we flew down to Queenstown on the South Island for 4 days. While Julie and I were cruising around Queenstown, we were listening to Chris Tomlin’s song “Indescribable”. That became the song for this trip because it so described what our hearts were saying. The words are…

From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea
Creation's revealing Your majesty
From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring
Every creature unique in the song that it sings
All exclaiming
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Who has told every lightning bolt where it should go
Or seen heavenly storehouses laden with snow
Who imagined the sun and gives source to its light
Yet conceals it to bring us the coolness of night
None can fathom
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
All powerful, untameable,
Awestruck we fall to our knees as we humbly proclaim
You are amazing God
Indescribable, uncontainable,
You placed the stars in the sky and You know them by name.
You are amazing God
Incomparable, unchangeable
You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same
You are amazing God
You are amazing God
Even as I reread the lyrics of the song, my heart and mind are flooded with wonderful memories of this trip and how amazing our God is!!! Every part of creation screams of God’s amazing hand. My heart cannot fathom all that God has done.
As we were driving from Queenstown down to Milford Sound, the views were majestic. On one side of the road, we had the Remarkables mountain range and on the other side there were the depths of the crystal clear waters of Lake Wakatipu . It gives a whole new meaning to “From the highest of heights to the depths of the sea Creation's revealing Your majesty”.
Since New Zealand is in the Southern Hemisphere, they are headed into fall. The colors on the south island were absolutely breathtaking. “From the colors of fall to the fragrance of spring every creature unique in the song that it sings, All exclaiming Indescribable, uncontainable,”
The weather was much cooler than Hawaii and the sunsets were magnificent. There were moments that I so wanted to take a picture and did, but looking back at the photo it just doesn’t do the actual image justice. We serve a Holy God that made all of this to reflect His glory!! Do we give Him the glory He deserves or do we dismiss it as “Oh that’s nice”???
The most humbling part of all this is the last line of the song that says- Incomparable, unchangeable You see the depths of my heart and You love me the same, You are amazing God!
The same God that created everything also created you and me. He sees the depths of our wretched hearts and HE LOVES US THE SAME!!! That is amazing to me! Even in our sin, God loves us. He loved us enough to send his only son, Jesus, to die on the cross to be the sacrifice for that sin. That is our only way to heaven. We must accept that sacrifice in order to go to heaven. Jesus conquered death and the grave for you and for me! I pray that if you do not know this amazing God, that you will call me or email me to find out more information.
I had a three year old in my class accept God’s forgiveness for her sins today! What a day of rejoicing it was to see her name written in the Lamb’s book of life. Oh how my heart desires to see each one of you in heaven one day!!! God has given each one of us the choice- accept Him and live eternally in Heaven with Him or deny Him and live eternally condemned to Hell. It is your choice!!
Again, if you need to talk, call me (808-553-8124) or email me!! I would love to talk with you!
Much love and God’s blessings,
Angela Calhoun

Monday, March 20, 2006

NZ Adventures

March 20th

Our journey has begun... Candace, Ginger, and Aisha picked us up about 4pm and took us to MKK airport.  It took no time to check in and our flight didn't leave until 5:30.  Ginger is such a hoot. Julie and I are now sitting here waiting to check in at Air New Zealand.

Check in went really fast.  Julie and I went to the food court for dinner and had Chinese.  While eating, we had the chance to talk with an older couple from Lake Tahoe, CA.  They are involved in a Catholic church there. 

Galatians 1:10- "For do I not persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased man, I should not be the servant of Christ."

Romans 1:16

Wednesday, March 22nd

We arrived into Auckland airport about 7am, got our luggage, went through customs, and then waited on Charlie.  He got stuck in traffic so it took him about half an hour longer then he thought.  I realized coming in that people drive on the left side of the road.  That is something  I still haven't gotten used to yet. 

Charlie took us to their house- very nice 2 story house.  We are staying in Caleb's old room.  I didn't know that the Frinks have been serving here for 17 years! 

We settled in and went with Bo to town to exchange money and go grocery shopping.

Gas is $1.57 for a litre! 
Postage to mail a letter to the US mainland is $2.00.
Postcard $1.50
Fruit is relatively inexpensive.

Julie and I came back to the house and worked on booking a trip to the South Island.

About 2pm, we all loaded into the van and headed to downtown Auckland to the Kelly Tarlton Antartica Encounter.  There we got to go on snow cats and see gentoo and king penguins.  All of this is build under the road.  The Underwater world was built in Aucklands old sewer system.  It is one of those clear tunnels with sharks and fish swimming all around.  They also have a huge stingray tank.

After we finished there, Charlie and Bo took us to Mt. Eden (an extinct volcano).  There was an excellent view of Auckland.

Came home and had lamb chops and beans for dinner.  After dinner, Abigail found a hedge hog outside and ended up bringing it to the kitchen.  They are so cute to watch.  They ball up when scared and they are really poky.  We named him Hedgy!

We were in bed by 7:30pm.  It had been Sunday since we had actually slept in a bed!

Thursday, March 23rd

Woke up at 7:30 to use the "loo".  Laid back down to read my Bible and ended up falling back to sleep until 8:45.  Got up and had breakfast.  We then walked into town to go to the mall.  Julie and I shopped for a while, had McDonald's for lunch, then walked back.  On the way back we dropped tracks in mail boxes along the road.  Came back and did some of my Bible study.  Had dinner of corn beef, potatoes, and carrots.  Then figured out what we were going to do over the next couple of days.  Watched some of the commonwealth games with Abigail.  Wrote postcards.  Had chocolate chip ice cream and went to bed.

Friday, March 24th

We got up a little after 8 and go ready.  Julie and I went up and had breakfast and devotions with the Frink family.  I was really impressed that they do a morning Bible Study and they are singing through the hymnal.  So we sang "Away in the Manger!"  Bo took Julie and I to the travel agency to pick up our itinerairy for our trip to Queenstown.  Once we got some material for our trip we drove to Auckland Domain where Bo dropped us off at the Auckland Museum.  Julie and I explored there for a couple of hours.  They had a lot of artifacts from the different Pacific Islands.  They also had a very cool volcano exhibit.

Julie and I were both amazed at how museums are brainwashing the public in the areas of the world being "millions" of years old and what evolved from what.

After the museum we caught a bus for $3.00 to the Sky tower and walked to the Victoria Park Market.  Had a chicken kabob and potatoe wedges for lunch then did some shopping.  About 3:30pm we called Bo and Charlie to come pick us up.

We drove home in pretty heavy traffic.  Unpacked.  I got my stuff together for Sunday's children church.  Had dinner of sausages, pea salad, and potatoes.  Ended our day by having a major pillow fight with Abigail and Julie!

Saturday, March 25th

After a night with a sore stomach and several trips to the loo, I woke up at 8:45, put on hiking clothes, went upstairs for breakfast.  Had devo's with the Frink family.  Did a load of laundry.  Their washing machine is very small compared to the American washer.  I hung the clothes on the line.  Bo took Julie, Abigail, and myslef up to the Arataki Visitors Center where we walked around for a bit.  We then drove down to Piha Beach- which is known for its surfing with pretty rough undertow.  There were quite a few surfers out.  We hiked up and around the edge of the beach.  It was quite the hike.  Once we got to the end we climbed down the rocks to an area with several tidepools where we discovered starfish and lots of other mollusks.  It was really cool.  The beaches are black sand and absolutely beautiful.  We drove back home, had lunch, and then went to craftworld where NZ artisan's sell their homemade goods.  I bought a candle for J & L and a head pack for myself.  We also stopped by the grocery store to pick up some treats to take home.  Bo bought some TimTams and HokeyPokey Ice Cream (which is very yummy!!)  We drove home.  Julie and I with Abigail's help washed all of the windows in the house.  Had fish and chips for dinner and then watched NZ brightest kid and the Common Wealthy games.  Julie and I packed for Queenstown and now it's time to sleep!

Sunday, March 26th

Well it is Sunday!  I can't believe that we are half way through with our trip.  We have seen a lot but there is so much more to see.  God has been so good!

Julie and I got up a little after eight.  We got dressed for church then went upstairs for muffins.  We left for church about 9:30.  The church that Charlie preaches at is Waitakere City Bible Church.  We met several families.  The church is small (maybe 25 people) but very multicultural.  They are very conservative with their music (all hymns).  Bo played the piano.  After worship, I ran through the rain to the Sunday school room where I had 2 kids (Sam and Nicca) and 4 adults.  We went through the Easter story with the Resurrection Eggs.  The kids were very quiet.  The adults were evaluating me so that was kind of odd.  Afterward they went over the evals with me.  Everything went well except for being questioned if "Father Abraham" the song was Biblical.  I will have to do some investigative work on that.  Julie and I chatted with some of the people while we waited on Bo to have her women's meeting.  We had enough time to run home and grab a bite to eat before we headed to the airport.  They dropped us off at the airport, we checked in and headed toward the gate to board.  For domestic flights you only have to be there 30 minutes in advance.  I sat beside a man named Iesu from Kuwait.  We had a good conversation on the hour and 45 minute flight.  He is flying to Queenstown for a United Nations Agriculture meeting.  Landing in Queenstown, the scenery was beautiful.  We rented a car from Budget then went out and prayed over it.  Julie was a bit nervous driving on the left side of the road.  She did a great job driving to the Queenstown lodge where we had reservations to stay.  Very nice place!!!  In awe of the beauty.  We checked in and took the 6pm shuttle down to town for dinner and window shopping.  The temperature was nice and cool and the sunset was magnificent over Lake Wakatipu.  We caught the evening bus back to the lodge.  We mapped out what we want to see while sitting here watching the closing ceremonies of the Common Wealth Games.

Monday, March 27th

It is 6:30am!  Julie and I are up and getting ready for a long day of driving and sightseeing.  Breakfast was at 7am with eggs, toast, sausage, cerael, yogurt, fruit, etc.  Very nice to be complimentary.  God our bags and hit the road at 7:30am  bound for Milford Sound.  Our first major sight was the Remarkables (a huge mtn range) right outside of Queenstown.  We stopped at a cafe about 2 hours into the trip for coffee.  Very good.  Stopped a lot for scenery pictures.  Went to the visitors center in Te Anau.  Julie got a book about backpacking through the Fjiordland.  Also went past and stopped for pictures at Walker Creek, Lord of the Rings Scenery, Eglinton Valley, Mirror Lakes, Lake Gunn, Homer Tunnel, The chasm...

Got to Milford Sound about 2 and walked around a bit.  Paid $3.00 for a 20 ounce soda!! Then hit the road to head for Queenstown.  After a couple of stops for pictures and a dinner stop in Te Anau we made it to Queenstown in a little over 4 hours.  For dinner we had meat pies per Bo's suggestion.  Julie had steak and I had chicken.  They were very yummy. 

Well after a long day of riding in the car and walking around... I am going to bed!

Tuesday, March 28th

Almost the end of our trip!  We leave Queenstown tomorrow and also arrive in HI on the 29th. 

Julie and I got up at 7am, dressed, went to breakfast and left the room at 8:30.  Filled up with Petrol on our way out of town.  Got $ and hit the road.  As we were driving we stopped to see some guys bungee jumping.  The river they were jumping in is used in LOTR as the river that the fellowship float down.  We passed by several vineyards and wineries.  Drove up to Wanaka.  Stopped at a cafe for a Mocha and a Austrian delight.  Enjoyed walking around then got back in the car and headed back down to Queenstown via the crown range.  We got pulled by a police woman on our way to Arrowtown for going 61 km/hour in a residential neighborhood.  We were supposed to be going 50!  Anyway, Julie got an $80 fine.  We headed to Arrowtown with dampened spirits.  Drove around and took some picts.

Highlight of the day-  Driving through Deer Park Heights ($20 entrance fee).  There are animals everywhere.  We stopped to take a picture and I almost had a goat in my window.  He jumped up on the car window!  We got some great movie shots from Lord of the Rings.  Drove back down and around to our lodge.  Parked, unloaded, and caught the shuttle to town... had pizza hut for dinner and then cruised through the shops looking for souvenirs.  God back to the room at 9:15pm... showered and wrote postcards.

Wednesday, March 29th

Last day in Queenstown.  We slept in until 8am.  Got packed ate breakfast and headed to Glenorchy.  It was about a 45 minute drive down.  Some pretty sights and a very small town at the end.  We drove back to town and circled a while trying to find a parking spot.  Ended up paying to park.  Walked down to town.  Julie paid her speeding ticket, bought a hoodie and the nwe walked up to the gondola.  It was $19 to take the Gondola up but an awesome view from the top.  We headed down a little after 1pm... ate lunch at KFC, got the car, filled up with Petrol, and headed to the airport to drop off the car.  We checked in with no worries and sat in the terminal for a few minutes before board to head back to Auckland.

Thursday, March 30th

Well we head back to Hawaii today.  What a trip it has been!

We got up at 5:45, finished getting packed and got ready, had breakfast.  Abigail came down to say goodbye.  She is such a sweet girl.  Charlie took us to the airport and walked us to the security check point.  Did a bit of shopping to spend the rest of my $.  Waited to board the plane and then once we boarded we waited on the tarmac for a while.  As I am writing this we are three hours into the flight.

Dear Lord, As I sit here watching people, reading a book and listening to music, my heart wonders what you have in my future.  Please make my hearts desire yours and if it is not in your will for me to get married and have a family then take the desire away.  I want to be focused on your work not on the things of this world.  Please forgive me for not being bold with my faith and witnessing.  Lord I want to believe you but so much of me wants to see proof but that goes agains faith.  I don't want anything less than your best.  Show me where you want me!

Thank you for your patience with me.  I am amazed that you haven't struck me down yet.  Thank you for your grace and mercy.

Saturday, March 18, 2006

Craziness!!!

Aloha ahiahi!!!


Boy what a couple of weeks it has been… I had to say goodbye to another friend today that is headed back to the mainland. Jon Small, who went to Tahiti with me as co- leader of the senior trip last March, said farewell to Molokai today as he left after being out here 2 and a half years. I think I have said this before but I will repeat it. I am so glad there will be no more sad goodbyes in heaven. I have gone through way too many living on Molokai.

Even through the turnover, God has constantly put people in my life even if just for a short time. Lately, I have been hanging out with the guys, literally! Marcus, Nick, Al, Rob, Jon, and Joshua (and Jasmine) have become my group of friends. Thankfully I am blessed to have a few of my old friends back visiting at the moment.

God is so faithful to provide!!! I go from living by myself to having a house full of people in a matter of weeks. Julie and Aisha are back on island visiting and Candace has moved home to Molokai. Almost every evening this week, there has been something going on. With that said there has been very little time to sit down and type up a news/prayer letter.

We have a mission team from Alabama out here at the moment. Last night they did a youth rally and more than 8 people accepted Christ and 7 rededicated their lives to Christ. Tonight they did an island wide praise and worship service!!! Which included local style music, hula, praise songs, drama, hymns, and southern gospel music. Wow!! Oh, how I miss Southern Gospel music! Anyway, I skipped out after the service to prepare food for tomorrow’s pot-blessing and then I thought I would sit down and send out a quick email before I head to bed.

I am mainly writing to ask for prayer.

The last two weeks at school have definitely been a spiritual battle. We have a two-week break so pray that God is doing a mighty work in my heart, my assistant’s heart, and the heart’s of the preschoolers.

There is one child in particular that burdens me. His name is Vincent. He hears about Jesus everyday that he is in preschool. His family is in the Bahai church and they are moving back to Holland. I have been talking to the mom since November about spiritual matters. The child is so precious but not knowing what he is moving into brings me to my knees. Please pray for Vincent and his family.

I also have a little girl in my class with special needs. As the year has progressed I see more and more things that need to be addressed in her behavioral development.

Enrollment for next year- Please pray that God will send the children that He wants in preschool for next year. Out of the upcoming 24 spots available, 12 are tentatively filled.

Spring Break- Monday, a friend and I head to New Zealand for 10 days to serve where needed. Please pray that God will use us according to His perfect plan. I am excited to see what God is doing
*Feel free to email me while I am gone. I am not promising a response until I get back though!!
Hope all is going well for you in your corner of the world. Thank you so much for your prayers. If there is anything I can pray for, for you, let me know.

Much love and God’s blessings,
Angela

Saturday, March 4, 2006

Out of the mouth of children come the most pro-founding statements!!! Being a preschool teacher I have the privilege of hearing a lot of these statements. One that I heard this week really made an impact on my heart. During Bible time with these little ones, we have been learning about the miracles of Jesus. To emphasize the lesson we have been teaching the kids this song…


Blind man stood by the road and he cried
Blind man stood by the road and he cried
Blind man stood by the road and he cried
He cried “whoa, whoa, whoa”
Show me the way, Show me the way, Show me the way, and the way to go home…

Woman stood by the well and she cried
Woman stood by the well and she cried
Woman stood by the well and she cried
She cried “whoa, whoa, whoa”
Show me the truth, Show me the truth, Show me the truth, and the way to go home…

Zaccheus sat in a tree and he cried
Zaccheus sat in a tree and he cried
Zaccheus sat in a tree and he cried
He cried “whoa, whoa, whoa”
Show me the life, Show me the life, Show me the life, and the way to go home…

Jesus hung on the cross and he died
Jesus hung on the cross and he died
Jesus hung on the cross and he died
He cried “whoa, whoa, whoa”
I am the way, I am the truth, I am the life and the way to go home!
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

While teaching a new song, we sing them all day long… at circle time, when we are dismissing them for snack and lunch, during outdoor play, etc. On Friday, we were singing this song while dismissing the kids for snack and one of the little boys went up to my teaching assistant and said “Did Aunty Angela just say that Jesus hung on the cross and he died? Why did he do that???” Perfect lead in to tell this little one why Jesus hung on the cross and he died. He did it to pay for our sins so that we don’t have to. This little one doesn’t come from a Christian home but from one where they are involved in the Bahai religion. What a testimony for him to go home singing this song to his parents. His mom has been asking a lot of questions about Christianity lately. Please pray that the Lord will continue to work on her heart.

I have had numerous parents, come back and tell me that their child is always singing about Jesus!!! Jesus said “let the little children come to me”. God calls us to come to him with child-like faith. I have been called to teach these precious little ones and through them their parents are being taught the truths of God’s word. On the other hand, it is extremely humbling for me to know that everything that comes out of my mouth and every action that I do, gets imitated to their moms, dads, aunties, and uncles.

God has been so faithful to provide in so many ways.

Praises
- Preschool has been blessed with our kitchen being completely remodeled!
- Pre-registration for next year’s preschool class is growing by leaps and bounds.
- Julie (my roommate) from last year is coming out for a visit.
- Candace (a dear friend) is moving back to Molokai after spending several months in Mexico with family.
- I have a teaching opportunity while I am visiting New Zealand.
Thanks for all of the thoughts, prayers, and support.
Much love and God’s blessings,
Angela Calhoun

Monday, February 20, 2006

The Sunrise

As dawn breaks, I sit at Rock Point with the sunrise before me, the moon behind me, and the few remaining stars that I can see above me. The only sound I hear is the crashing waves below me. This is peace!


So why am I out here??? Wednesday morning God woke me up and laid on my heart that I needed to take off from school on Friday. After asking God why and telling him I am not sick, God said again take off on Friday. So I started making all of the arrangements to take off on Friday- finding a sub, writing plans for the day, making sure that my three after school kids would be picked up, etc. God worked out all of the details- even with one of the parents confirming it by saying "You deserve a day off!!" The more I asked God what He wanted me to do with my time on Friday, the more things He gave me to pray about.
In my own mind, I was excited because a day off from school meant sleeping in. Again God had other plans. Friday morning, God wakes me up at 5am to head 45 minutes outside of town to watch the sunrise at the east end of Molokai.

"He is like the light of morning at sunrise on a cloudless morning, like the brightness after the rain, that brings the grass from the earth." 2 Samuel 23:4

"In the morning, O Lord, you hear my voice; in the morning, I lay my requests before you and wait in expectation." Psalm 5:3
God is teaching me new things about him and when I see the spectacular beauty of the sun rising over the water, I can't help but think- Wow, God, You did that!!!!
I ended up moving down from Rock Point to sit on the white sand by the water. I must have been quite the sight with a fleece sweatshirt on and a towel wrapped around my legs. Yes, I was cold!!!
The longer I sat there, the more amazing the sunrise became. I was in awe of the gold trim of the clouds just before the sun peaked over. It reminded me of what Christ's glorious appearing might look like. I spent several hours, praying and reading God's Word, enjoying my time in His presence. Did I get any major revelations or answers to prayer while sitting there? No, but God did give me his peace to trust in Him, knowing that His ways are best.
I spent the rest of my afternoon getting in touch with friends on the mainland, doing some housework, and keeping a friend's four children for a couple of hours.
Please know that you are in my thoughts and prayers. If I can pray for you specifically about something, let me know.
Much love and God's blessings,
Angela

Friday, January 6, 2006

Next Door Savior

Today was a good day.  I have been staying with the Baniaga's in Mililani while I have had this conference.  Lisa and Mark took me out to dinner at Ruby Tuesday's last night.  I always get so spoiled when spending time with this family!  Went to the conference and set up for the seminar I was doing called "Popcorn to Pizza".  Then went to hear Dr. Jeff Myer speak on Thinking like a Christian.  The seminar I presented went great.  There were 38 people in the room and I received a great number of encouraging comments and suggestions.  The adminstrators  luncheon was held at Buzz's steakhouse.  After lunch went to a seminar entitled "Shape up- Tips to engage even the most reluctant sutdent".  The last seminar I went to was led by Barbara Fidellow.  As I sat there I was trying to figure out who she was... then it  hit me- she was one of the stories on Max Lucado's - Next Door Savior Bible study tapes!  She and her husband ran a Christian Montessori School in TX that had to close 4 years ago.  I spoke with her afterward and she said what a blessing it had been because it allowed her and her husband to speak and share their wealth of knowledge!  She said I was the first one who had ever mentioned seeing her on Next Door Savior.  I told her what an inspiration she had been to me!

Wednesday, January 4, 2006

Standing in line

I am on the flight headed back to Oahu.  What a great trip it has been.  Yesterday Kimberly took Gramma and I up to Lincoln center to see Memorirs of a Geisha.  It was a good movie.  After that we went to Bellvue Mall then to Lifeway Christian.  We had dinner with Kimberly's mom and dad last night.

This morning I drove to John and Kimberly's and they took me to the airport.  While standing in line I ran into an old roommate who was also flying back today.  It was so good to meet up with a friend.