I thought I would take the opportunity to say hello and let you know what has been going on since the last time I wrote. I have been back on island two and a half weeks and have been kept very busy.
When I signed up to tutor this summer I thought I was going to be tutoring 1hour a day three days a week. It has turned into three hours a day five days a week. So I am up at school at 6:45am, tutor until almost 10 am, work in my classroom for a couple of hours, and then go home and work on projects around the house. I have cleaned up my yard after being gone for five weeks. Planted a plumeria tree, a bird of paradise, eight boganvilla (sp??), two hibiscus and several other plants. Had a massive garage sale this past weekend so I have spent time getting everything priced and organized. Came home to a huge garbage bag full of box tops and Campbell's labels. I have cut and bundled over 11,000 labels and about 170$ worth of box tops. Mahalo nui loa to all who have sent these to support our school. Please keep them coming!
Wednesday afternoon Bible study has been going again for the past two weeks. I had two high school girls the first week and then four different ones this week. These girls desire to be in the Word and learn more about what God has for them. Please keep praying that God will continue to grow these girls into His image.
This summer has also been a time of good byes. Between all of the trips to the airport to say goodbye to close friends and all of the going away parties, I am beginning to not like the airport. But God is faithful to provide all that is needed!
At the moment, five girls are here at the house eating pizza and watching movies. We spent the afternoon at the beach and now we are just hanging out. Two of the girls, Candace and Amber, leave for the mainland on Saturday so I am trying to spend time with them before they leave. Outside of my house, all the neighborhood kids are setting off fireworks, so it is quite smokey and loud!!
Well I will sign off for now. Hope everything is going well for you! I would love to talk with you and know what is going on in your life.
Monday, July 4, 2005
Friday, June 17, 2005
I'm Back
After 5 weeks of being on the mainland with family and friends, I am back home on Molokai. While driving to my parent's house from town one day, the song "Voice of Truth" by Casting Crowns came on the radio. If you are not familiar with the words, they go:
Oh what I would do to have the kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I'm in on to the crashing waves. To step out of my comfort zone into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is and He's holding out His hand. But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me. reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed. The waves, they keep on telling me time and time again, "Boy, You'll never win!! You'll never win!!"
Chorus: But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story. The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!" And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory" Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth.
Oh what I would do to have the kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant with just a sling and a stone surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors shaking in their armor wishing they'd have the strength to stand. But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me. Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed. The giant keeps on telling me time and time again, "Boy, You'll never win! You'll never win!"
But the stone was just the right size to put the giant on the ground and the waves aren't looking so high from on top of them lookin' down. I will soar with the wings of eagles when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus singing over me. I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth!
How many times do we feel the waves and giants in our lives laughing at us? One of the things that the Lord has been growing me in recently is trust. Do I truly trust what the Voice of Truth is saying or is my focus on the crashing waves and intimidating giants? Do I have the faith to climb out of the boat on to the crashing waves?
God has put several "giant" situations in my life over the past couple of months that if I were to listen to the giants, I would be hiding. But Christ is holding out His hand saying "Trust Me. I will not let you fall! Don't be afraid!" This is the Voice of Truth that I have to make the conscience effort to listen to. Jesus Christ's voice of truth is a quiet voice that can easily be drowned out by the noise of the waves and giants. There have been numerous times that like Peter, I take my eyes off of Jesus and I start sinking beneath the waves. Jesus is faithful to pull you up from beneath the crashing waves if you ask and trust in Him.
In several of the gigantic situations that I mentioned earlier, Jesus has me trusting that even though I don't know the outcome- He does and it will all work out for His honor and glory!!
So friend- will you choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth!!
I enjoyed spending time with those of you I saw while on the mainland. Jared and Laura's wedding went beautifully! I look forward to hearing from each of you. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Please be in prayer for the island of Molokai and All God's Children Preschool.
Oh what I would do to have the kind of faith it takes to climb out of this boat I'm in on to the crashing waves. To step out of my comfort zone into the realm of the unknown where Jesus is and He's holding out His hand. But the waves are calling out my name and they laugh at me. reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed. The waves, they keep on telling me time and time again, "Boy, You'll never win!! You'll never win!!"
Chorus: But the Voice of Truth tells me a different story. The Voice of Truth says, "Do not be afraid!" And the Voice of Truth says, "This is for My glory" Out of all the voices calling out to me, I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth.
Oh what I would do to have the kind of strength it takes to stand before a giant with just a sling and a stone surrounded by the sound of a thousand warriors shaking in their armor wishing they'd have the strength to stand. But the giant's calling out my name and he laughs at me. Reminding me of all the times I've tried before and failed. The giant keeps on telling me time and time again, "Boy, You'll never win! You'll never win!"
But the stone was just the right size to put the giant on the ground and the waves aren't looking so high from on top of them lookin' down. I will soar with the wings of eagles when I stop and listen to the sound of Jesus singing over me. I will choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth!
How many times do we feel the waves and giants in our lives laughing at us? One of the things that the Lord has been growing me in recently is trust. Do I truly trust what the Voice of Truth is saying or is my focus on the crashing waves and intimidating giants? Do I have the faith to climb out of the boat on to the crashing waves?
God has put several "giant" situations in my life over the past couple of months that if I were to listen to the giants, I would be hiding. But Christ is holding out His hand saying "Trust Me. I will not let you fall! Don't be afraid!" This is the Voice of Truth that I have to make the conscience effort to listen to. Jesus Christ's voice of truth is a quiet voice that can easily be drowned out by the noise of the waves and giants. There have been numerous times that like Peter, I take my eyes off of Jesus and I start sinking beneath the waves. Jesus is faithful to pull you up from beneath the crashing waves if you ask and trust in Him.
In several of the gigantic situations that I mentioned earlier, Jesus has me trusting that even though I don't know the outcome- He does and it will all work out for His honor and glory!!
So friend- will you choose to listen and believe the Voice of Truth!!
I enjoyed spending time with those of you I saw while on the mainland. Jared and Laura's wedding went beautifully! I look forward to hearing from each of you. Please know you are in my thoughts and prayers.
Please be in prayer for the island of Molokai and All God's Children Preschool.
Friday, March 11, 2005
Adventures in Tahiti
March 11th, 2005
It is the day before we leave for Tahiti. God has not shown us any of the details as to what we are doing, where we are staying, etc... but He has given Jon and I His perfect peace concerning all of the details being worked out.
At school this morning, I was given a $500 support check for the team and $40 from a parent to spend on Candace and myself. The student body had a commissioning service where they prayed for the health of the team (as 4 of the 5 seniors are sick), the details to be worked out and for us to minister to the people of Tahiti.
This evening I was getting uneasy about not knowing all the details and leaving in the morning. I picked up the book "Secure in the Everlasting arms" by Elizabeth Elliott and read while I soaked. One of the excerpts in the book made me hit my knees concerning the details. I prayed for a fleece to be revealed (a sign). As soon as I was pau praying the phone rang. It was Nicci Pou saying they had finally gotten in touch with Michu and that she would work out the details. Nicci called back a little later to let me know that a lady named Freda is picking us up and we are staying at the First Assembly Church in Papeete! My how God answers prayer in the 11th hour!
"Thy shoes shall be iron and brass and as thy days, so shall thy strength be" Deuteronomy 33:25
March 12th- Day of departure
When I woke up this morning it was raining. Lisa and I went to Stanley's for breakfast and then I headed to the airport. When I arrived I was told that all Molokai Air Shuttle flights were cancelled due to the rain. I went to the Island Air counter and they had 2 seats on the 10:55 flight but they were $110 a piece (one way). The lady said that if I went to see Shirley Rawlins, I could get them for $90 a piece. So I went to town and ended up getting them for $65 each. My how God works it out. Tirzah and I checked in and flew to Honolulu. On the way I met two ladies from North Carolina- one from Charlotte and one from Asheville.
Once in HNL, Tirzah's dad picked us up and we went to Costco and Walmart. Went back to the airport to pick up the rest of the team and was told their flight was delayed until 4:45... which puts them being into HNL at 5:10. As I just finished that last sentence Bill Umi pulled up with the rest of the team. Praise the LORD!
Now we are sitting in HNL airport waiting for our plane to arrive. I just called to check in with Dan. We are now on the plane headed to Papeete. I have just started reading when this passage stuck out to me.
"It is for His kingdom and His will, yet we ought not to ask it unless we ourselves are prepared to cooperate. But how pitifully tiny our efforts seem, how ineffective, how absurd. (pg 34)
early March 13th- Arrival into Papeete
Our flight was a fairly smoth one that allowed me to take a 3 hour nap while the movie was playing. I sat beside Tirzah and it was like flying with someone who has just flown for the first time. She was so thrilled.
We arrived at 12:15am and had to go through customs. People met us at the gate with gardenias or Tahiti's flower and singing with Ukulele's.
When we walked out a group from the church met us with fresh flower lei's. I met a young man that worked at Molokai General Hospital. He now owns a Christian tv station in Tahiti and asked if we would come to the station and talk about what we are doing. He gave me his phone number so I plan to call him this week!
The universal langage is love!
I woke up at 6am this morning with the sounds of voices outside. The youth singing group werer getting ready and practicing. Even though we do not know much french, we can truly understand that they are worshiping our Lord.
Dieu est la source de my joie
Psalm 119:9-12
After sitting through a 30 minute prayer service, then onto worship through song and message. The worship through song was awesome even though we could not understand. The message was translated into 3 languages - French, Tahitian and English. The service lasted for three hours. Jon and I were proud of the kids for sitting through the service. After the service we had lunch, talked story, learned Tahitian dance, had a meeting with the church board as to what we are doing here. We are going to paint the inside of the church and lunch room. They said they were thrilled with what we were going to do.
John (black) came by and took us down to the river. It was so beautiful and clear. We all stayed there until the sun set. We then came back... had leftovers for dinner. After my shower I had a good conversation with Hetote, a 23 year old local guy that was raised in Miami.
March 14th
Today we all woke up with few mosquito bites due to the mosquito coils in our room. We slept really well in our new rooms. It is close quarters but livable. Joelle was to come by at 9am to exchange $ and do some sightseeing. I learned Tahiti time is the same as Molokai time. He came at 9:45. We all loaded in his truck and headed out. We went to the bank and then headed to the overlook on Taiarapu Peninsula. We were able to see Tahiti Nui (the big part). Then we drove to Teahupoo, so Jon could see where the pro surfing tournament takes place. By the time we got back we rested a while and then walked down to the black sand beach where we played for a long time. I found 4 conch shells and brought 2 back with me.
Every stop we have made today we have had the opportunity to talk with local people. Thankfully Tia has been here to help translate. It is really cool to be able to communicate with everyone. We have been learning French from the local kids hanging around. Most want to talk English as much as we want to learn French. At the beach I met a 24 year old girl that had twins. She asked how many kids I had. I explained I teach school and have 10 children in my class at school. Something got lost in the translation because she thought I had 10 children of my own. oops!
March 15th
This morning I got all the girls up thinking the guys all went to town to get painting supplies. We ate breakfast, had devotions, and then started on work projects. Christian and Daniel came in and said they didn't go to town. Oops! After we cleaned the bathrooms, the kitchen, our rooms, and wiped down all the walls of the kitchen we had a group meeting. I talked to the seniors about what they had been learning. Most of them were thankful for the things they have on Molokai. They ahve enjoyed the times of worship in French and the friendliness of the people. I think it is really cool that we have only been here two days and the kids are already seeing that.
Right before lunch, I took the kids (5 seniors and 3 local kids) down to the river to play. It has been so stinkin hot and the water is so nice and cool. We played down there for an hour and then came back to lunch. Shortly after lunch Joel came back with Jon and the painting supplies. Joel then took the girls and I to "hyper Champion" to do grocery shopping. I got 2 nights worth of food and spent $30.
March 16th
Today was paint day. We all got up and ate breakfast then had a share time of devotions. When we were through we got out the paint stuff and painted the fellowship hall. The paint was oil based so it was difficult to get off of our skin but it looked really nice on the walls. It took more paint than we were expecting but that's ok. When we finished, they had prepared lunch for us so we ate. All the kids except for Kanoe went to the river. I stayed behind due to Kanoe being here. So far I have done some reading, laundry, writing in my journal and I am about to head down to the store. As I finished that last line Jean Marc came by and volunteered to take Kanoe and I to the store. We went grocery shopping and to a clothing store.
Evening Bible study lasted for two hours. Worship was awesome and all the kids understood the message. I am amzed at the turn out of youth on a Wednesday night. The music with all of the voices was absolutely amamzing. After the service Naomi gave me a beautiful shell labeled with Tahiti. We all sat out on the lanai and talked story and snag. It was so great. The mosquitos were really bad.
March 17th
Woke up bright and early at 7am. Had breakfast with the team and then did a devotion on God's perfect peace. We painted the sanctuary until we ran out of paint. Tia and a couple of the other guys bought Chinese food for lunch. You have to bring your own take away containers. After lunch we rested and then went on a long hike to the waterfalls. We walked for an hour until we came to a crystal clear pool of water flowing from the mountain. It was beautiful.
March 18th
Today when I woke up my right leg had lots of little red blisters on it from the branch I ran into yesterday. The team met in the kitchen for breakfast and devotions. We all got ready and when John (black) came by we hopped in and caught a ride down to the Gauguin Museo. We walked around there for an hour. Great history of Paul Gauguin and the island of Tahiti. Tiana's mom works there and she got us in for free instead of the 600 CFP's. We started walking home after the museum and got picked up by Joel, taken back to the church, changed clothes, and headed to Paparo beach. Jon wanted to surf but had no board so he body surfed. Then we went to Vaima (the river) to rinse off and grab a snack. We got back to the church, ate, showered and had a worship service. There was dinner afterward but nobody told us about it.
One other exciting event is the mother dog here got torn into and Jon offered to stitch the dog up.
It was a struggle to get the kids to bed because they were so wound up!
March 19th
My alarm went off at 4am. Paco had slept in our room so she also got up. Joel came to pick us up at 5am. We drove to Papeete, drove the trucks on the Arimonte ferry and we headed to Moorea. The ride was 45 minutes and cost 650cfp per person per way. The car was 3500 each way. We got to Moorea about 7:30 and went to Joel's sisters house for breakfast. We enjoyed a time of fellowship with them and then headed around the island. We stopped at Usine de Jus de Fruits where they make fruit juice. Then we drove to Baie de Cook then up to the old Temanoha Village and then to Le Belvedere Lookout. Moorea is a beautiful island. At lunch we went to Tamae beach where the water was crystal clear and white sand. We played and rested there until we needed to head back to the boat dock. We took the ferry back to Papeete and then drove back to Papeari just in time for service at 7pm. Our seniors were tired and fussy. They didn't want to go to the service so I gave them the choice. You can go to the service or you can go to bed. Kelly chose to lay down and the rest went to the service. We had a great time of worship and then watched a dvd on YWAM-Pacific Quest.
March 20th
We have officially been here a week. It feels like longer because we have done so much. Tirzah woke up at 3am screaming... shortly after Paco saw Jon using the bathroom in the bushes. We got up at 7am. People were outside raking the yard and cleaning up everything. Daniel's stomach was sick so he spent all of church in the bathroom. We did a short performance at church. Jon, Kelly, Kanoe, and Christian sang Shout to the Lord while Tirzah signed and I did a hula. Church went from 9:30-12:30 and by the time church was pau I was feeling really sick. I went and laid down. Somebody came in and coearced me to eat lunch. I ate and felt no better. Sadley enough I have been in bed most of the day. I got up to watch the Tahitian dance practice but the drumming was hurting my head so I laid back down and have stayed here except for a couple trips to the bathroom.
March 21st
Today is Monday morning. We spent the day painting the rest of the church. We repainted all of the trim red. By the time we finished it was 4 o'clock. The church looked very snazzy! After painting Jon ran to the store to pick up ham and cheese for sandwiches. Once he got back we cooked up dinner and I went to lay down as I was still feeling a little funny. I had to give the kids a 10 o'clock curfew because I was getting tired of them waking me up at 1:30am and then not wanting to get up the next morning. I did some reading before I went to bed.
March 22nd
We got up with the thought of Joel coming to pick us up and taking us around the back side of the island. Jon went surfing with Teva's friend named Teva. John ended up coming to take one of the other guys to the doctor. He ended up taking us cruising with him. We went to Taravao then came back picked up Tia and headed to Papeete. The kids begged to eat at McDonalds so John stopped there for us to have lunch. A kids meal was 560 francs and a "value" meal was 780 francs. We then went to Le marche de Papeete and I bought pareo's and a couple of necklaces. It was a fun day. We ran into several people from the church in Papiera. We came back and ate dinner with the guys here. After dinner I went out to wash clothes and Kelly and Tirzah came in to talk to me. Glad that these girls trust me and want to know my opinions on certain issues.
March 23rd
Jean Marc was supposed to come by and take us to Papeete shopping today but he never came by so I spent the day reading my Bible, praying and reading in the Elizabeth Elliott book. It was a nice relaxing day. Kanoe and I took mattressess under the tree and laid out there and read.
I actually had my first half warm shower today because I was the first person in and the water in the pipes was warm. I made speghetti and green beans for dinner. Jon ran down to the store and bought ice cream. We had Wednesday evening service at 7:30. The worship again was absolutely amazing. We had a time of prayer and then Freida gave a message on Joshua and how each of us are called to be Joshua's. She also added in how sometimes God calls people to be Joshua's from a long way away to bless others by painting their church. I was blessed by the hospitality and kindness that has been shown to us in our time in Tahiti.
After service Naomi left a bag of pareos and black pearls for all of the girls and t-shirts for the boys. She has been such a blessing to us!
March 24th
Today we all slept in and had devotions at 10am. Joel came by at 11am to pick us up. We were supposed to head around the island to the other side but Joel's wife was sick. We ended up going to the bank to exchange $ but it closed right as we arrived at 11:45am and didn't reopen until 2pm so we went to Papara to swim then to the Fern Grotto. It was so much cooler and beautiful. We had lunch at the beach. Hamburgers and french fries. Yummy! When we got back to the church, we rested, read, played cards, and talked story until dinner. We had saimen and bread for dinner with ice cream for dessert. Paco fell asleep in Kelly's bed and didn't leave until early this morning.
March 25th
Kelly woke up this morning saying how much body heat Paco radiated. We got up and had devotions under the tree. We talked about the significance of Good Friday. As we were finishing up it started to rain. Each person was given a job to do. With 7 of us the tasks got done really quick. Taimati was to take us on a hike but due to the inclement weather we were unable to go. The weather during the rain was very cool. I finished my book and rested. Freida, her daughter, and Naomi all came. Frieda cooked us a traditional Tahitian dinner. Her daughter taught us a couple of Tahitian dances.
March 26th
Our last day in Tahiti! A bitter sweet moment. I have enjoyed my time here and have been extremely blessed. Last night/this morning the girls raided the guys room. Kelly painted Jon's finger and toe nails bright red. The funny thing is that we had no fingernail polish remover and paint thinner didn't work. We got up at 5:30 to catch the bus into Papeete. We waited until 8:15 when the bus finally came. We shopped for a few hours and then caught the bus back at 11:15. The bus was super crowded but we made it back. We packed our suitcases and cleaned up. Frieda's daughter took Naomi, Kanoe, and myself to Champion to get a few treats to take back with us. We had evening service where we were thanked for coming and serving. They asked for Jon to share something. He did and then I shared how 2 weeks ago we were strangers visiting a foreign land. Today I feel like I am leaving family. Each of the kids got up and told what the Lord had been doing in their lives while in Tahiti. Then we had a time where the people there prayed over us. We are so blessed to have met these wonderful people. After service they gave us dinner and then we said our goodbyes and headed to the airport.
It is the day before we leave for Tahiti. God has not shown us any of the details as to what we are doing, where we are staying, etc... but He has given Jon and I His perfect peace concerning all of the details being worked out.
At school this morning, I was given a $500 support check for the team and $40 from a parent to spend on Candace and myself. The student body had a commissioning service where they prayed for the health of the team (as 4 of the 5 seniors are sick), the details to be worked out and for us to minister to the people of Tahiti.
This evening I was getting uneasy about not knowing all the details and leaving in the morning. I picked up the book "Secure in the Everlasting arms" by Elizabeth Elliott and read while I soaked. One of the excerpts in the book made me hit my knees concerning the details. I prayed for a fleece to be revealed (a sign). As soon as I was pau praying the phone rang. It was Nicci Pou saying they had finally gotten in touch with Michu and that she would work out the details. Nicci called back a little later to let me know that a lady named Freda is picking us up and we are staying at the First Assembly Church in Papeete! My how God answers prayer in the 11th hour!
"Thy shoes shall be iron and brass and as thy days, so shall thy strength be" Deuteronomy 33:25
March 12th- Day of departure
When I woke up this morning it was raining. Lisa and I went to Stanley's for breakfast and then I headed to the airport. When I arrived I was told that all Molokai Air Shuttle flights were cancelled due to the rain. I went to the Island Air counter and they had 2 seats on the 10:55 flight but they were $110 a piece (one way). The lady said that if I went to see Shirley Rawlins, I could get them for $90 a piece. So I went to town and ended up getting them for $65 each. My how God works it out. Tirzah and I checked in and flew to Honolulu. On the way I met two ladies from North Carolina- one from Charlotte and one from Asheville.
Once in HNL, Tirzah's dad picked us up and we went to Costco and Walmart. Went back to the airport to pick up the rest of the team and was told their flight was delayed until 4:45... which puts them being into HNL at 5:10. As I just finished that last sentence Bill Umi pulled up with the rest of the team. Praise the LORD!
Now we are sitting in HNL airport waiting for our plane to arrive. I just called to check in with Dan. We are now on the plane headed to Papeete. I have just started reading when this passage stuck out to me.
"It is for His kingdom and His will, yet we ought not to ask it unless we ourselves are prepared to cooperate. But how pitifully tiny our efforts seem, how ineffective, how absurd. (pg 34)
early March 13th- Arrival into Papeete
Our flight was a fairly smoth one that allowed me to take a 3 hour nap while the movie was playing. I sat beside Tirzah and it was like flying with someone who has just flown for the first time. She was so thrilled.
We arrived at 12:15am and had to go through customs. People met us at the gate with gardenias or Tahiti's flower and singing with Ukulele's.
When we walked out a group from the church met us with fresh flower lei's. I met a young man that worked at Molokai General Hospital. He now owns a Christian tv station in Tahiti and asked if we would come to the station and talk about what we are doing. He gave me his phone number so I plan to call him this week!
The universal langage is love!
I woke up at 6am this morning with the sounds of voices outside. The youth singing group werer getting ready and practicing. Even though we do not know much french, we can truly understand that they are worshiping our Lord.
Dieu est la source de my joie
Psalm 119:9-12
After sitting through a 30 minute prayer service, then onto worship through song and message. The worship through song was awesome even though we could not understand. The message was translated into 3 languages - French, Tahitian and English. The service lasted for three hours. Jon and I were proud of the kids for sitting through the service. After the service we had lunch, talked story, learned Tahitian dance, had a meeting with the church board as to what we are doing here. We are going to paint the inside of the church and lunch room. They said they were thrilled with what we were going to do.
John (black) came by and took us down to the river. It was so beautiful and clear. We all stayed there until the sun set. We then came back... had leftovers for dinner. After my shower I had a good conversation with Hetote, a 23 year old local guy that was raised in Miami.
March 14th
Today we all woke up with few mosquito bites due to the mosquito coils in our room. We slept really well in our new rooms. It is close quarters but livable. Joelle was to come by at 9am to exchange $ and do some sightseeing. I learned Tahiti time is the same as Molokai time. He came at 9:45. We all loaded in his truck and headed out. We went to the bank and then headed to the overlook on Taiarapu Peninsula. We were able to see Tahiti Nui (the big part). Then we drove to Teahupoo, so Jon could see where the pro surfing tournament takes place. By the time we got back we rested a while and then walked down to the black sand beach where we played for a long time. I found 4 conch shells and brought 2 back with me.
Every stop we have made today we have had the opportunity to talk with local people. Thankfully Tia has been here to help translate. It is really cool to be able to communicate with everyone. We have been learning French from the local kids hanging around. Most want to talk English as much as we want to learn French. At the beach I met a 24 year old girl that had twins. She asked how many kids I had. I explained I teach school and have 10 children in my class at school. Something got lost in the translation because she thought I had 10 children of my own. oops!
March 15th
This morning I got all the girls up thinking the guys all went to town to get painting supplies. We ate breakfast, had devotions, and then started on work projects. Christian and Daniel came in and said they didn't go to town. Oops! After we cleaned the bathrooms, the kitchen, our rooms, and wiped down all the walls of the kitchen we had a group meeting. I talked to the seniors about what they had been learning. Most of them were thankful for the things they have on Molokai. They ahve enjoyed the times of worship in French and the friendliness of the people. I think it is really cool that we have only been here two days and the kids are already seeing that.
Right before lunch, I took the kids (5 seniors and 3 local kids) down to the river to play. It has been so stinkin hot and the water is so nice and cool. We played down there for an hour and then came back to lunch. Shortly after lunch Joel came back with Jon and the painting supplies. Joel then took the girls and I to "hyper Champion" to do grocery shopping. I got 2 nights worth of food and spent $30.
March 16th
Today was paint day. We all got up and ate breakfast then had a share time of devotions. When we were through we got out the paint stuff and painted the fellowship hall. The paint was oil based so it was difficult to get off of our skin but it looked really nice on the walls. It took more paint than we were expecting but that's ok. When we finished, they had prepared lunch for us so we ate. All the kids except for Kanoe went to the river. I stayed behind due to Kanoe being here. So far I have done some reading, laundry, writing in my journal and I am about to head down to the store. As I finished that last line Jean Marc came by and volunteered to take Kanoe and I to the store. We went grocery shopping and to a clothing store.
Evening Bible study lasted for two hours. Worship was awesome and all the kids understood the message. I am amzed at the turn out of youth on a Wednesday night. The music with all of the voices was absolutely amamzing. After the service Naomi gave me a beautiful shell labeled with Tahiti. We all sat out on the lanai and talked story and snag. It was so great. The mosquitos were really bad.
March 17th
Woke up bright and early at 7am. Had breakfast with the team and then did a devotion on God's perfect peace. We painted the sanctuary until we ran out of paint. Tia and a couple of the other guys bought Chinese food for lunch. You have to bring your own take away containers. After lunch we rested and then went on a long hike to the waterfalls. We walked for an hour until we came to a crystal clear pool of water flowing from the mountain. It was beautiful.
March 18th
Today when I woke up my right leg had lots of little red blisters on it from the branch I ran into yesterday. The team met in the kitchen for breakfast and devotions. We all got ready and when John (black) came by we hopped in and caught a ride down to the Gauguin Museo. We walked around there for an hour. Great history of Paul Gauguin and the island of Tahiti. Tiana's mom works there and she got us in for free instead of the 600 CFP's. We started walking home after the museum and got picked up by Joel, taken back to the church, changed clothes, and headed to Paparo beach. Jon wanted to surf but had no board so he body surfed. Then we went to Vaima (the river) to rinse off and grab a snack. We got back to the church, ate, showered and had a worship service. There was dinner afterward but nobody told us about it.
One other exciting event is the mother dog here got torn into and Jon offered to stitch the dog up.
It was a struggle to get the kids to bed because they were so wound up!
March 19th
My alarm went off at 4am. Paco had slept in our room so she also got up. Joel came to pick us up at 5am. We drove to Papeete, drove the trucks on the Arimonte ferry and we headed to Moorea. The ride was 45 minutes and cost 650cfp per person per way. The car was 3500 each way. We got to Moorea about 7:30 and went to Joel's sisters house for breakfast. We enjoyed a time of fellowship with them and then headed around the island. We stopped at Usine de Jus de Fruits where they make fruit juice. Then we drove to Baie de Cook then up to the old Temanoha Village and then to Le Belvedere Lookout. Moorea is a beautiful island. At lunch we went to Tamae beach where the water was crystal clear and white sand. We played and rested there until we needed to head back to the boat dock. We took the ferry back to Papeete and then drove back to Papeari just in time for service at 7pm. Our seniors were tired and fussy. They didn't want to go to the service so I gave them the choice. You can go to the service or you can go to bed. Kelly chose to lay down and the rest went to the service. We had a great time of worship and then watched a dvd on YWAM-Pacific Quest.
March 20th
We have officially been here a week. It feels like longer because we have done so much. Tirzah woke up at 3am screaming... shortly after Paco saw Jon using the bathroom in the bushes. We got up at 7am. People were outside raking the yard and cleaning up everything. Daniel's stomach was sick so he spent all of church in the bathroom. We did a short performance at church. Jon, Kelly, Kanoe, and Christian sang Shout to the Lord while Tirzah signed and I did a hula. Church went from 9:30-12:30 and by the time church was pau I was feeling really sick. I went and laid down. Somebody came in and coearced me to eat lunch. I ate and felt no better. Sadley enough I have been in bed most of the day. I got up to watch the Tahitian dance practice but the drumming was hurting my head so I laid back down and have stayed here except for a couple trips to the bathroom.
March 21st
Today is Monday morning. We spent the day painting the rest of the church. We repainted all of the trim red. By the time we finished it was 4 o'clock. The church looked very snazzy! After painting Jon ran to the store to pick up ham and cheese for sandwiches. Once he got back we cooked up dinner and I went to lay down as I was still feeling a little funny. I had to give the kids a 10 o'clock curfew because I was getting tired of them waking me up at 1:30am and then not wanting to get up the next morning. I did some reading before I went to bed.
March 22nd
We got up with the thought of Joel coming to pick us up and taking us around the back side of the island. Jon went surfing with Teva's friend named Teva. John ended up coming to take one of the other guys to the doctor. He ended up taking us cruising with him. We went to Taravao then came back picked up Tia and headed to Papeete. The kids begged to eat at McDonalds so John stopped there for us to have lunch. A kids meal was 560 francs and a "value" meal was 780 francs. We then went to Le marche de Papeete and I bought pareo's and a couple of necklaces. It was a fun day. We ran into several people from the church in Papiera. We came back and ate dinner with the guys here. After dinner I went out to wash clothes and Kelly and Tirzah came in to talk to me. Glad that these girls trust me and want to know my opinions on certain issues.
March 23rd
Jean Marc was supposed to come by and take us to Papeete shopping today but he never came by so I spent the day reading my Bible, praying and reading in the Elizabeth Elliott book. It was a nice relaxing day. Kanoe and I took mattressess under the tree and laid out there and read.
I actually had my first half warm shower today because I was the first person in and the water in the pipes was warm. I made speghetti and green beans for dinner. Jon ran down to the store and bought ice cream. We had Wednesday evening service at 7:30. The worship again was absolutely amazing. We had a time of prayer and then Freida gave a message on Joshua and how each of us are called to be Joshua's. She also added in how sometimes God calls people to be Joshua's from a long way away to bless others by painting their church. I was blessed by the hospitality and kindness that has been shown to us in our time in Tahiti.
After service Naomi left a bag of pareos and black pearls for all of the girls and t-shirts for the boys. She has been such a blessing to us!
March 24th
Today we all slept in and had devotions at 10am. Joel came by at 11am to pick us up. We were supposed to head around the island to the other side but Joel's wife was sick. We ended up going to the bank to exchange $ but it closed right as we arrived at 11:45am and didn't reopen until 2pm so we went to Papara to swim then to the Fern Grotto. It was so much cooler and beautiful. We had lunch at the beach. Hamburgers and french fries. Yummy! When we got back to the church, we rested, read, played cards, and talked story until dinner. We had saimen and bread for dinner with ice cream for dessert. Paco fell asleep in Kelly's bed and didn't leave until early this morning.
March 25th
Kelly woke up this morning saying how much body heat Paco radiated. We got up and had devotions under the tree. We talked about the significance of Good Friday. As we were finishing up it started to rain. Each person was given a job to do. With 7 of us the tasks got done really quick. Taimati was to take us on a hike but due to the inclement weather we were unable to go. The weather during the rain was very cool. I finished my book and rested. Freida, her daughter, and Naomi all came. Frieda cooked us a traditional Tahitian dinner. Her daughter taught us a couple of Tahitian dances.
March 26th
Our last day in Tahiti! A bitter sweet moment. I have enjoyed my time here and have been extremely blessed. Last night/this morning the girls raided the guys room. Kelly painted Jon's finger and toe nails bright red. The funny thing is that we had no fingernail polish remover and paint thinner didn't work. We got up at 5:30 to catch the bus into Papeete. We waited until 8:15 when the bus finally came. We shopped for a few hours and then caught the bus back at 11:15. The bus was super crowded but we made it back. We packed our suitcases and cleaned up. Frieda's daughter took Naomi, Kanoe, and myself to Champion to get a few treats to take back with us. We had evening service where we were thanked for coming and serving. They asked for Jon to share something. He did and then I shared how 2 weeks ago we were strangers visiting a foreign land. Today I feel like I am leaving family. Each of the kids got up and told what the Lord had been doing in their lives while in Tahiti. Then we had a time where the people there prayed over us. We are so blessed to have met these wonderful people. After service they gave us dinner and then we said our goodbyes and headed to the airport.
Monday, January 31, 2005
Happy New Year! 2006!
Aloha and Happy New Year!!!!
Boy, it has been a while since I have last sent out an email. Things have been busy. Several people have asked me recently what God has been teaching me… Oh, where to begin- 1) God’s grace is sufficient, 2) to trust Him in all circumstances, 3) to be patient, and 4) to spend each day focused on what God has put in my life.
So what has God put in my life at this moment in time:
Preschool- God has blessed me with 12 adorable preschoolers and a full time teaching assistant. I am with children from 6:45 am til 4 pm on a daily basis. May, my part time assistant, moved back to Samoa after Christmas. The day before I left for the mainland for Christmas I hired Aunty Sybil. I am still in the process of training her and taking care of all the administrator/director duties of preschool as well as teaching all day. Needless to say by the end of the day, I am worn out.
More sad good byes- Boy am I looking forward to heaven, where there will be no more sad good byes. I had to again say bye to two of my close friends. May left in December and Aisha just moved to Big Island this past week. No one told me that when I moved to Molokai, that I would have to say hello and good-bye to so many people. In the five years I have been here, I cannot begin to count how many sad airport departures I have been apart of.
An answered prayer- Well after losing two friends, God has blessed me with two new buddies- Jasmine and Marcus. They have come to Molokai for a few months to be student interns with Mission Molokai. Jasmine is my new roommate and Marcus is staying up at the church. God has been so gracious to allow Jasmine and I to become friends so quickly. They have only been out here a week and a half, and yet I feel like I have known them a lifetime. God is so awesome!!
Christmas and New Years- Going back in time, a month or so. I was able to spend Christmas in Washington State with my mom, dad, Gramma, and all of my aunts and uncles. It was the first time that I had ever spent Christmas with my dad’s side of the family. We had such a wonderful time. I even got to play in the snow and spend New Year’s Eve snow mobiling. It was a blast!!!
Upcoming plans- God has allowed me again to travel over spring break. I leave March 20th to head to New Zealand to visit with some missionary friends for 10 days. I am looking forward to this change of scenery and a time to grow with God. Please pray that His will, will be done.
Mahalo nui!!! – To all of you saving Campbell’s labels and box tops, I have to share a picture of some of the new equipment we were able to get. We were able to get a t-ball set, bat, bases, art materials, and a digital camera. If you have never watched a t-ball game with 3 and 4 year olds, it is the cutest thing imaginable. Keep the labels and box tops coming!!! We all appreciate them greatly!!!
Prayer Requests-
Future plans
Preschool Enrollment for next year
Safe travel and God’s provision for New Zealand Trip
If at anytime, you would like to come for a visit, I would love to see you!!! Email me back or call me (808-553-8124 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 808-553-8124 end_of_the_skype_highlighting) if I can pray for you or you just want to talk. I hope and pray all is going well for you.
Much love and God’s blessings,
Angela Calhoun
PS You know you have been on Molokai too long when you are trying to say “more adequate” and it comes out “Mo bettah!!!”
Boy, it has been a while since I have last sent out an email. Things have been busy. Several people have asked me recently what God has been teaching me… Oh, where to begin- 1) God’s grace is sufficient, 2) to trust Him in all circumstances, 3) to be patient, and 4) to spend each day focused on what God has put in my life.
So what has God put in my life at this moment in time:
Preschool- God has blessed me with 12 adorable preschoolers and a full time teaching assistant. I am with children from 6:45 am til 4 pm on a daily basis. May, my part time assistant, moved back to Samoa after Christmas. The day before I left for the mainland for Christmas I hired Aunty Sybil. I am still in the process of training her and taking care of all the administrator/director duties of preschool as well as teaching all day. Needless to say by the end of the day, I am worn out.
More sad good byes- Boy am I looking forward to heaven, where there will be no more sad good byes. I had to again say bye to two of my close friends. May left in December and Aisha just moved to Big Island this past week. No one told me that when I moved to Molokai, that I would have to say hello and good-bye to so many people. In the five years I have been here, I cannot begin to count how many sad airport departures I have been apart of.
An answered prayer- Well after losing two friends, God has blessed me with two new buddies- Jasmine and Marcus. They have come to Molokai for a few months to be student interns with Mission Molokai. Jasmine is my new roommate and Marcus is staying up at the church. God has been so gracious to allow Jasmine and I to become friends so quickly. They have only been out here a week and a half, and yet I feel like I have known them a lifetime. God is so awesome!!
Christmas and New Years- Going back in time, a month or so. I was able to spend Christmas in Washington State with my mom, dad, Gramma, and all of my aunts and uncles. It was the first time that I had ever spent Christmas with my dad’s side of the family. We had such a wonderful time. I even got to play in the snow and spend New Year’s Eve snow mobiling. It was a blast!!!
Upcoming plans- God has allowed me again to travel over spring break. I leave March 20th to head to New Zealand to visit with some missionary friends for 10 days. I am looking forward to this change of scenery and a time to grow with God. Please pray that His will, will be done.
Mahalo nui!!! – To all of you saving Campbell’s labels and box tops, I have to share a picture of some of the new equipment we were able to get. We were able to get a t-ball set, bat, bases, art materials, and a digital camera. If you have never watched a t-ball game with 3 and 4 year olds, it is the cutest thing imaginable. Keep the labels and box tops coming!!! We all appreciate them greatly!!!
Prayer Requests-
Future plans
Preschool Enrollment for next year
Safe travel and God’s provision for New Zealand Trip
If at anytime, you would like to come for a visit, I would love to see you!!! Email me back or call me (808-553-8124 begin_of_the_skype_highlighting 808-553-8124 end_of_the_skype_highlighting) if I can pray for you or you just want to talk. I hope and pray all is going well for you.
Much love and God’s blessings,
Angela Calhoun
PS You know you have been on Molokai too long when you are trying to say “more adequate” and it comes out “Mo bettah!!!”
Monday, July 12, 2004
Prayer of my heart
As I lay here tonight, my mind is going a million miles an hour over all of the things that you, O God have done and what you are about to do. You have provided a house, people to work on it, money to fix it up, supplies to fill it, and yet I still get anxious over the things yet unseen.
Father please forgive my unbelief. Help me to trust in you fully. You keep providing. I need to be reminded of your constant goodness. You have been so faithful while I have been so faithless. So tonight I lay all of my cares at your feet... trusting in your strength that you will answer in your perfect time!
Father please forgive my unbelief. Help me to trust in you fully. You keep providing. I need to be reminded of your constant goodness. You have been so faithful while I have been so faithless. So tonight I lay all of my cares at your feet... trusting in your strength that you will answer in your perfect time!
Saturday, November 9, 2002
Challenges
November 9th 2002
Aloha family and friends-
The most amazing thing happened to me at 4:30am this morning. I was sound asleep and awoken to the sound of a high pitch bark very close to the house. I knew immediately it was a deer.
Yes, the deer here bark like dogs!!!
I quickly but quietly went downstairs and opened the screen door. It was too dark to see but I could hear them running beneath me. (Sarah and I are staying at a friend's house in the Kawela's that overlooks the rocky and grassy hills of Molokai!) Anyway I went back inside and got the handheld spot light and turned it outside. There were baby deer everywhere. I think I counted 17 babies not to mention all of the mom's and dad's. All of the deer had been within a few yards of the house. As I shown the light, I saw dozens of pairs of deer eyes staring back at me. It was the neatest thing to be awoken to!!!
Well I think it has been at least 3 weeks since I have sent out any kind of note, so I thought I would email and let you know what is going on out here.
At school we are almost halfway through 2nd quarter. Each of my fourth graders are doing well and keeping me on my toes to challenge them. The majority of them are doing very well on introductory fractions. Which is awesome!!!
What am I up to? Besides teaching, I tutor a little girl. I am learning the sign language to Rachael Lampa's song "No greater love". I housesit and animal sit for a menagerie of animals almost every weekend. I try to spend some time finishing up projects and I also try to relax with friends occasionally. :)
Challenges- God has been putting some pretty big challenges in my path over the past few weeks. Even though I cannot go into the situations, I do ask that you will keep praying. As Pastor Randy mentioned last Sunday "How do we deal with the unexpected challenges in our lives?" Do we look to things of this world to "solve" our problems or do we look toward things of heaven? He was starting a series on the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah, when faced with an unexpected challenge, reacted in three ways- physically (sat down and wept), emotionally (mourned), and spiritually (fasted and prayed). Our eyes need to be focused on things of heaven rather than things of this world. So keep looking up!!!!
Plans for the holidays- I will be leaving Molokai on December 13 and flying to the east coast to arrive on Saturday December 14. I will be headed back home on January 8th. I would love to see you if you are going to be in the Elon area, during that time. Please let me know. I will also be presenting on Molokai, December 29th at Kerr's Chapel Baptist Church (morning) and Pleasant View (evening service). I look forward to seeing you!
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests or praises that you would like me to pray for.
Much love and God's Blessings-
Aloha family and friends-
The most amazing thing happened to me at 4:30am this morning. I was sound asleep and awoken to the sound of a high pitch bark very close to the house. I knew immediately it was a deer.
Yes, the deer here bark like dogs!!!
I quickly but quietly went downstairs and opened the screen door. It was too dark to see but I could hear them running beneath me. (Sarah and I are staying at a friend's house in the Kawela's that overlooks the rocky and grassy hills of Molokai!) Anyway I went back inside and got the handheld spot light and turned it outside. There were baby deer everywhere. I think I counted 17 babies not to mention all of the mom's and dad's. All of the deer had been within a few yards of the house. As I shown the light, I saw dozens of pairs of deer eyes staring back at me. It was the neatest thing to be awoken to!!!
Well I think it has been at least 3 weeks since I have sent out any kind of note, so I thought I would email and let you know what is going on out here.
At school we are almost halfway through 2nd quarter. Each of my fourth graders are doing well and keeping me on my toes to challenge them. The majority of them are doing very well on introductory fractions. Which is awesome!!!
Weather wise- While most of you are experiencing the colder weather, our fall started out wet. We have already missed two days of school on the account of rain. The island was in much need of some rain, so now our island is beautiful and green again. The temperatures are getting cooler here as well. It was 62 degrees in Kaunakakai the other night and I thought it was nippy and cool. Our daytime temps are still in the 80's.
What am I up to? Besides teaching, I tutor a little girl. I am learning the sign language to Rachael Lampa's song "No greater love". I housesit and animal sit for a menagerie of animals almost every weekend. I try to spend some time finishing up projects and I also try to relax with friends occasionally. :)
Challenges- God has been putting some pretty big challenges in my path over the past few weeks. Even though I cannot go into the situations, I do ask that you will keep praying. As Pastor Randy mentioned last Sunday "How do we deal with the unexpected challenges in our lives?" Do we look to things of this world to "solve" our problems or do we look toward things of heaven? He was starting a series on the book of Nehemiah. Nehemiah, when faced with an unexpected challenge, reacted in three ways- physically (sat down and wept), emotionally (mourned), and spiritually (fasted and prayed). Our eyes need to be focused on things of heaven rather than things of this world. So keep looking up!!!!
Plans for the holidays- I will be leaving Molokai on December 13 and flying to the east coast to arrive on Saturday December 14. I will be headed back home on January 8th. I would love to see you if you are going to be in the Elon area, during that time. Please let me know. I will also be presenting on Molokai, December 29th at Kerr's Chapel Baptist Church (morning) and Pleasant View (evening service). I look forward to seeing you!
Please let me know if you have any prayer requests or praises that you would like me to pray for.
Much love and God's Blessings-
Wednesday, October 16, 2002
"All you need is LOVE"
Love- There is the age old question: Is it better to have loved and lost or to have never loved before? This is a difficult thing to talk about because there is a big difference between the world’s view of love and God’s view of love. God has been teaching me a lot about this subject and showing me how to love others with the same type of love that God shows us.
From a young age many of us grow up hearing songs like “Jesus Loves Me” then as we get older, we listen to the more “popular” music with lyrics like “Love me, love me, say that you love me” and “Do you love me?”. Even though it is the same English word, it has two very different meanings. God’s love or agape love is shown in 1 Corinthians 13:4-7 with characteristics like being patient and kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud, it is not rude, it is not self seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs, and it doesn’t delight in evil but rejoices in the truth. This type of love always protects, trusts, hopes, and perseveres. It is probably not hard to show some of these characteristics to someone you like or are friends with, but what about someone who has hurt you or betrayed your trust? Can you love them like this?
As I look around, at the media, that is not the “love” they are showing. (See how many of these characteristics fit with our media and culture today!) The world’s “love” is shown as people being lovers of themselves (the all-about-me syndrome), lovers of money, and lovers of pleasure rather than lovers of God. This type of “love” is boastful, proud, abusive, ungrateful, unholy, unforgiving, and slanderous. The Bible also mentions this type of “love” in II Timothy 3:1-5. This is the type of “love” most easily shown from our sinful nature.
These are the two types of love that we have to choose from- one is a temporary love that will only lead to self destruction but the other is an unconditional love that no matter what we have done, we can still be loved. The God of the universe created you and me for a love relationship. He wants us to love others the way He has shown His love to us.
Wow! Those words are heavy- you mean I have to love even my enemy? Yep (Read Matthew 5:43-48) just as Christ loved us enough to die on the cross to save us from our sin.
God has really been working on my heart concerning this agape love. Everywhere I turn I find a new and interesting aspect of Christ’s love for me. My prayer for you is that you will know this love that only God can give. The world can’t even come close to the love shown by a God who knows how many hairs are on top of each of our heads.
Much love and God’s Blessings,
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