Revolution Hawaii

Revolution Micronesia

2009-08-07T00:57:00.000-07:00

So this summer, 5 of the 8 RevHI team members served in the Republic of the Marshall Islands in Micronesia. We left not really knowing what to expect and feeling very inadequate, but we knew that the Lord would equip and supply all that was needed to serve Him. It's so hard to find the words to express how amazing the experience really was. I learned so much about myself, and about the greatness of my God. I was humbled again and again, and learned the importance of absolute surrender; surrendering my will to His, giving Him complete control and relying fully on the power of the Holy Spirit to work in and through me. The culture, the customs, the people, the language, the lifestyles were so different from what I was used to, and, honestly,there were many times when I just wanted to go home. Living with and among the people, being unable to speak their language, and being so unfamiliar with their way of life was probably one of the most difficult aspects of my time there. I found myself relating to Moses alot, asking God to send someone else, having those feeling of inadequacy, and just not trusting Him with my weaknesses. I spent alot of time holding on to things that were keeping me from being used of God, and until I layed those at His feet, trusting that He would equip me, strengthen me, work through my weaknesses and inadequacies I was useless. Unlike Moses, I have no problem with speaking, I just can't speak Marshallese. The language barrier was extremely difficult for me, because I just wanted to communicate with them, I wanted to teach them God's Word, I wanted to share testimonies of how God has changed my life and how he has the power to do amazing things in their own lives, I wanted to confront them on certain issues and challenge them to live out their faith, I wanted to share with them the value and importance of love, and obedience, and surrender, but I couldn't, not through words. But God allowed me to see that the biggest impact I would have on the people there would not be through my words, but His and through my own life and example. The phrase "Actions speak louder than words" rang true all throughout the summer and challenged me to live out my faith in a way that I never had before. Where my words fail, His speak and have the power to transform and change lives. I have so many stories of how God worked this summer, and I am still amazed at how He chose to use me. My experience in the Marshall Islands was so much more than I ever expected it to be, and I am so thankful for the blessing of being able to be a part of His work. This following story is one that God used to show me how important it is to live what you believe and to love unconditionally....

My whole life I’ve had kind of this knack or tendency, so to speak, of somehow befriending a certain type of person. You know, that type that your parents always warn you to stay away from because of their potentially bad influence. The trouble makers, the ones with bad reps, irresponsible, treated as an outcast, and are always making bad choices. Yeah, I’m not exactly sure how I attract these types of people, because honestly, I’m the exact opposite. But without fail, I always acquire at least a few of these wherever I go. Well, over the summer, I made a couple of these friends in the Marshall Islands, and I praise God for how He used them in my life, and for the influence I was able to have on theirs’.
Nora ( name changed*) is 22 yrs. old. She has 3 children ranging from 1 to 6 yrs. old, each with a different father. She has quite the reputation around the community of Laura for being a “man stealer”. Seducing men who are single, in a relationship, or even married is no problem for her, and she has caused a great amount of problems with many families in the neighborhood. She’s known to often be seen around the area drinking with the guys, and on numerous occasions has been raped by them. She’s guarded, irresponsible, bitter, selfish, unkind, has no interest in spiritual things, nor any desire to change her ways, and because of this she is hated by almost every woman in Laura. This is the girl that for some strange reason wanted to be friends with me. I don’t know what I did or said to make her like me, but she was in need of a friend , someone who would love her regardless of her mistakes and bad decisions, but I could also tell she was in search of something more than just a friend.
One night she invited me to go to the beach with her the following day. This was before I knew anything about her; I’m not sure if knowing would’ve changed my mind, but I believe I would’ve been a bit hesitant. Her family is very active in The Salvation Army corps in Laura, and I noticed that she would attend every once in a while, but wasn’t involved at all. I’m sure a big reason for that was because she was treated very poorly by much of the congregation. I agreed to go with her the next day, but had no clue this little beach outing would soon cause lots of problems. So, after our morning kids’ program, I came back to the house I was staying in to change for the beach. There was a sudden knock on my door from my host mother who was there to drill me with questions about where I was going, who I was going with, when and why. When she found out I was going with Nora she immediately told me that I would not be going. “She is a bad girl,” she says. “She drinks alcohol with boys, and her family hates my family. You can’t go.” I was very confused, and remembered feeling like I was 14 again, being told by my mother that I couldn’t go somewhere with a specific person because they were “bad”. It’s one thing to when you’re 14, but at 21 I never expected to have someone tell me who I could and couldn’t hang out with. I understood her concern, but this girl was obviously someone who could use a positive influence. Something had definitely happened between her and this family that made them dislike each other so much, but I wasn’t about to ask. I finally persuaded her to let me go by telling her that I wanted to talk to her about Jesus and to be a good influence. Corny, I know, but it was true.
After that day, I continued hanging out with her and our friendship grew, but I also learned many shady things about her, and why my family treated her the way that they did. I found out that she was caught having an affair with my host sister’s husband and ended up getting pregnant. She ended up giving this baby away to a friend, because she wasn’t responsible enough to take care of him. I was caught in the middle of a modern day soap opera. The women loved to gossip about her, especially with me; I think in hopes that I would stop spending time with her. But, honestly, that made me even more burdened for her, and opened up the door for me to be an example of unconditional love to her and those who disliked her so much. She was looking for satisfaction and contentment in all the wrong places, and I knew the Lord was the only one who could change her ways, and open her eyes to the life she could have in Him.
Throughout the summer, you could see changes starting to be made in her life. Every program that RevHI started she was there. She became extremely involved in YPL, and became one of our best helpers/leaders. Every Friday morning at 6am we had a prayer meeting, she was there every week rain or shine. She would invite others and wake up those close by to come and join. God was working in her life, and she began to ask lots of questions about my faith and relationship with the Lord. She began to seek forgiveness and reconciliation from the men, women, and families that she hurt and from God, her attitude and whole demeanor softened, her eyes were being opened to the unconditional love of Jesus Christ, and she began to live as one who truly wanted to know God more. I prayed for this girl every day after I found out how much she was in need of a Savior, who could supply her with true, lasting contentment, who would love her and heal her wounded heart, and take all those “bad” things she had done and use them for His good, as a testament of His power and grace. If the only reason for me going to the Marshall Islands was to be a friend to this girl, loving her unconditionally and being an example of Christ in her life, it was worth it. She was a completely different person when the summer came to an end, all due to the power of God’s Word, prayer, and the influence of someone who just wanted to please God.
This amazing miracle that I was able to witness reminded me of how important it is to love regardless of someone’s mistakes, bad behavior, or sin, it challenged me to set an example for others like her in speech, in life, in love, in faith, in love, and in purity, to not underestimate the power of prayer and a godly influence. If we were all to befriend people like Nora, being a living, breathing example of Christ, loving them even through their mistakes, and taking the time to pray daily for God to work in their hearts, how many more lives could be changed?
Before I left the Marshall Islands, a girl tried giving me more reasons as to why I should not be Nora’s friend, giving me more and more dirt on her past life. At the end of that conversation though, she said something that made my heart burst with joy and so in awe of God’s incredible power. She said,”….but Nora doesn’t do that stuff anymore, she loves God now.”

Mission in China Town

2009-03-31T00:17:00.000-07:00

Every Saturday night Revolution Hawaii goes on a mission to China Town armed with home made peanut butter & jelly or tuna fish sandwiches, water, a heart of compassion, and the love of Jesus Christ to share with anyone willing to accept. For some on the street, this is the highlight of their day or even week, because not only do we come to fill their empty stomachs, but to fill an emptiness that food and water could never satisfy. It is the emptiness that longs, craves, and starves for love, for friendship, for someone to talk to, for someone who desires to help them, for someone to look beyond the filth of the street and into the eyes of a fellow human being created by God that is lonely and hurting. It was on one of these Saturday night outreaches in the middle of winter when I met many of these empty individuals, who broke me and ignited a passion within my heart to serve and minister to a group of people way different from what I was used to, but who were in desperate need of love.
The RevHI girls had just started exploring a different area of China Town, only a few blocks away, but far from our usual routes. It was cold and dark, and the rain that just began to fall sent a nervous chill down my spine. Empty alcohol bottles and drug paraphernalia littered the streets, giving an added confirmation that there would be people more than happy to get a sandwich or two. As we walked a little further it became so clear that this was exactly where God wanted us to be, but I was not ready for the brokenness and hurt I was soon about to experience that night.
Just a block away from the Salvation Army corps is one of Oahu’s hot spots for female and male prostitution. Every night they stand outside for hours, and on this particular night in the freezing cold rain, half-naked just to make a few bucks. Many have been trafficked from across the country and out of the country as sex slaves, even more choose to be out there because they say they have no other choice, while the rest simply do it out of pure enjoyment. The street corners were lined with women and transvestites flaunting everything they could to catch the eye of any man passing by.
So here we were, armed with grocery bags full of sandwiches, ready to go love on some of the most lost and desperate people of Hawaii. My heart was already broken for these girls just seeing them “working” in the freezing, cold rain, but when we actually started talking with them, hearing the stories of how and why they ended up on a street corner controlled by a pimp who had no respect for her body or life, I thought I was going to lose it. I wanted to do something, I wanted to seek justice for the girls who were out there because their family sold them, I wanted to know why it seemed like the authorities could care a less about what was going on, I wanted to introduce them all to a God and a Savior who loves and cares about them more than anyone ever could.
As I approached an abnormally tall girl shivering in the rain, I quickly realized that this girl was definitely not a girl. I handed “her” a few sandwiches and asked if she would like prayer for anything. She laughed and said,” You don’t even know how old I am do you?” I didn’t answer, but soon found out that his name was Lecka, and he was only 16 yrs. old! He also went to one of the local high schools and still lived with his parents, who had no idea that he came out here every night. My mind was spinning after learning this. What would possess a teenage boy to dress up as a woman, and sell himself for money!? I was so shocked, but knew that there were probably many others with a similar story. He requested prayer for safety and for his family and after eating his sandwiches, hopped into a car that beckoned for his services.
I haven’t seen Lecka since that night, but I continue to pray for his safety and for his family, and hope that maybe one day I will see him again, so that I might be able to share more of Christ’s unconditional and perfect love.
The girls of RevHI continue to reach out to these men and women every Saturday night, developing relationships, and sharing God’s love in hopes that one day they will choose to surrender their lives to Him, becoming new creations and filled with the satisfying love of a perfect Savior.

CHANGE

2008-12-13T02:43:00.000-08:00

Imagine if you were given the power to cure a life-threatening illness, grant world peace, or even end world hunger.............WOULD YOU?
Most of us wouldn't hesitate at the thought of finding solutions for our world's problems, but why is it we go out of way to walk on the other side of the street to avoid a homeless person, or gawk at the girl at school struggling for your attention, but you ignore her because her clothes aren't in style, or because she just doesn't fit in with your social class.

Throwing ten dollars in an offering plate for charity for a relief across the world is an amazing gift, but I ask you have our eyes been fixed too long on the bigger picture that we have over looked neighbors...individuals in need right beside us!?

Why aren't we reaching out to a lost and dying generation with the unconditional love of a risen Savior? Why aren't we denying ourselves, and unselfishly loving those around us? Why don't we share with them the incredible sacrifice that brings the worst of sinners from death to life... Becoming prisoners of Christ in shackles of liberty, freed from sin, and unashamedly walking in His marvelous light only never to waiver in the midst of persecutors...

...Accepting all who are willing to come with open arms of love, grace, hope, refuge, and His unending forgiveness. To offer guidance and hope to those bound by addictions and life struggles through the Love of Christ, God's Holy Word, and the prayers of His disciples. When they are hungry, He will provide food, when they seek refuge, He will provide shelter, and when they are in search of love, they will find Him; because HE is love!

THIS IS WHAT MAKES US FREED CAPTIVES!

I pray that as you read this blog and others to come that God will bless you with discomfort at easy answers, half truths, and superficial relationships, so that you may live deep within your heart. That He may bless you with anger at injustice, oppression, and exploitation of people, so that you may work for justice, freedom, and peace. That God will bless you with tears to shed for those who suffer from pain, rejection, starvation, and war, so that you may reach out your hand to comfort them and to turn their pain to joy. And that God will ultimately bless you with enough foolishness to believe that you can make a difference in this world and in your own community, so that you can do what others claim cannot be done.......
...break the chains, and revolutionize change

....to be continued

2008-10-13T13:55:00.000-07:00

So... I just recently graduated from my last year at Word of Life Bible Institute. The Lord has drastically changed my life and my heart’s desires over these past couple of years, and I can’t even describe to you how much I have grown in my relationship with Him. Through reading and studying His Word, through ministry experiences, through godly people He has placed in my path, and even through the trials and challenges of life, He has taught me so much, and is continuing to mold me into that godly woman He created me to be. As I came closer to graduation, I was still unsure of what I really wanted to pursue. I wanted to invest my life into something that would impact lives for Christ, but had no idea where or how I was going to do that. Because I have so many passions and interests, or mainly because of the fact that I am extremely indecisive, it was hard for me to narrow down any options; yet I knew that I loved the Lord more than anything, and truly just wanted to share that passion with others. After much prayer and seeking the Lord for guidance and direction, He provided me with a unique opportunity to serve Him in Hawaii! I didn’t know how I was going to get there or even all the details of what I’d be doing, but I left it in His hands trusting He would provide the finances and the peace if it was His will for me to go. Almost instantly He provided me with a way there. Someone I barely knew bought me a plane ticket after hearing of my need and desire to serve God! This incredible answer to prayer then brought an amazing peace that confirmed that this was indeed where God wanted me.
This year I have the privilege to be a part of Revolution Hawaii, a one year urban mission team run by the Salvation Army. I will be serving in Hawaii and Micronesia with seven other young adults from all over the country. It’s not as glamorous as you may think. The majority of our time will be spent among the poor, the homeless, addicts, and others in great need, serving them, developing relationships with them, and ultimately, showing them the love of Christ. We will be going into communities throughout the island of Oahu serving in various ways through volunteer work, outreach, and so much more. We have been here just over a month, and already God has blessed me with so many open doors to share His love. We are stretched everyday by stepping out of our comfort zones to minister in such a way, and by relying solely on the Lord to give us the strength and the boldness to do so, our faith is growing. I am amazed by God’s goodness in allowing me to be a part of this, and I am praying for radical change not only in my life, but also in the lives of those we minister to.
A few weeks ago, the RevHI team was given a challenge to spend a night on the streets of China Town, and a few days later to live among the homeless for a week in Waianae! There is something about witnessing and experiencing a life of total depravity and desperation that changes your whole outlook and perspective on life. Just seeing the daily struggles of the many men, women, and children we encountered broke me. Drugs, alcohol, and domestic violence are the norm, which makes for one rough lifestyle. We were able to develop quite a few relationships by just simply offering them a sandwich or by striking up a conversation and taking a genuine interest in their life. Some see these broken, desperate people as a lost cause, but as I look at each one of them I try to see them through God’s eyes, not as what they are, but for what they could be, who God created them to be. They may not change overnight, but our team could play an important role in getting them one step closer to overcoming addictions, to getting off the street, or to even making a decision for Christ! We continue to minister to these people, many of which know us each by name, on a weekly basis, and God is constantly blessing us with opportunities to share His love. I came here to grow in my walk with the Lord, but also to live out my faith. I have a desire to see people’s lives change because of Christ, and I want to be a part of something that is so much bigger than my self. The Lord has forever changed my life, and I want Him to be the focus of all that I do. This will definitely be a year of sacrifices, of challenges, of service, of learning, of change, and most of all, a year of loving God and others. My passion to reach those in need here is growing each day, and I am more than willing to devote my time and energy into reaching them. I have faith that that the Lord will do great things in and through the Revolution Hawaii team, and I am so excited to see how He will use us!