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 18, 2006
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
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
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.
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.
Saturday, December 31, 2005
New Year's Eve
It is New Year's Eve! We received about 3-4 inches of snow last night so we took the snow mobiles out this morning. We rode up the mountain to the lookout which was pretty foggy. It was a blast! Took some really cute pictures. After we went to the lookout we went down to the field and played. I have really enjoyed my time with Uncle John, Aunt Kimberly and their exchange student Ana from Spain. We had sandwiches for lunch and now are just relaxing. John and Ana are playing Super Mario and Kimberly's reading.
As 2006 starts tomorrow, I thought today would be a good day to set some goals for next year.
Another exciting part of the day- I was able to talk with Ana about spiritual matters. She is an unbeliever that agreed that God's word is truth but that she didn't understand why she would want to accept the Lord and still stay here. I was able to prayer with her that God would give her a clear understanding.
As 2006 starts tomorrow, I thought today would be a good day to set some goals for next year.
- Keep God first!
- Read the entire Bible
- Lose weight
- Travel to New Zealand
- Stay in touch with friends
- Keep a budget
- Journal regularly
Another exciting part of the day- I was able to talk with Ana about spiritual matters. She is an unbeliever that agreed that God's word is truth but that she didn't understand why she would want to accept the Lord and still stay here. I was able to prayer with her that God would give her a clear understanding.
Friday, December 30, 2005
Playing in the snow!
Well it is almost 2006! I have been in Washington since December 20th. John, Kimberly, Ana, and I are up at the cabin for the weekend. We are surrounded by white fluffy snow! Kimberly and I built a snow family on the deck. We used lemon juice containers for eyes and chocolate covered blueberries for a mouth. They were super cute! I sat by the fire place, had hot apple cider and watched the snow. It has been years since I have played in the snow. It has been sbsolutely amazing.
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