Time has been flying by! Whoo eee! What the past two weeks have entailed:

-housesitting with Risa- peaceful, big comfy bed and washer and dryer in the house! (revolutionary really!)

-french press coffee with Sarah and Risa every morning. I don't think I can ever go back to coffee form a coffee maker

-Reading the bible chronologically in 24 days- UH MAZING!

-studying Ephesians and leading my small group- your identity in Christ

-planning our Valentine's Night with the High Schoolers (it's tonight! Pizza making contest, love song competition, talk on purity with Jeremiah...it's going to be great!)

-Lahaina whale watching

-Leadership Summit with the pastors/leaders at church

-new job with Robin

-running on the beach

-babysitting the Smith kiddos- LOVE them with all my heart

-Auction and Mission trip planning-here we go!

-Superbowl party with the interns

-Learning how to live out Romans 12

-praying with faith, thankfulness and hope

-Renee and her family are coming to visit in a couple of weeks!!!!!

Here's some photos:

(I'm really trying to practice my photography skills. It's my secret dream to be a photographer:)

With God all things are Possible

Just thought I'd share that I'm going to be working alongside Robin Jones Gunn!!!!!!! Oh my goodness I think it's just now hitting me! I'm going to be working part time, but helping her with organizing, replying to letters, the website, etc.

She came up to me a week and a half ago at Big Beach and asked if I knew anyone that can be her assistant and help her with all the things she needs to do- she really just wants to focus on writing, and needs help with all the other things. With puppy dog eyes I asked her if I could be that person, and she said "Oh my! I didn't even think you could because of your internship, but can you!?"

So after praying and talking to some people, it's a go! I can't believe it!

Last year when I was thinking of my absolute dream job, it was working for Beth Moore or Robin Jones Gunn, helping write bible studies. I emailed Beth Moore, but they only have volunteers. I thought it would be impossible with Robin.

"for nothing will be impossible with God" Luke 1:37

check the vid out from Winter Camp

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65-JOy4yJ-s

BIBLE STUDY

sorry it's been so long! i have so much to catch you all up on!

The first being that I have officially started writing a girl's bible study!

Yes, it's true. It's been a dream of mine for years and now it's finally coming to fruition. I lead a small group of girls (9-10th grade) on Monday nights, and have noticed that there really aren't that many bible studies for high school girls out there. I love the bible, I love studying it and sharing what God is showing me. I looked back on my journals Monday and saw that God's been laying this dream on my heart for years now. I wrote an outline for a bible study over a year ago, and have played with the idea since. Last Wednesday at our intern lunch one of the men from our church asked us what our passion was and how we can pursue it. It became so very clear at that moment. I expressed how I LOVE the word of God and I LOVE high school girls and have a dream to write a bible study. And looking at the situation, I see that God has given me everything I need for me to write this study- in crazy ways!

1. It's been a desire and dream for years

2. I have been working with high school girls for a while now and have a better idea of what they like, what they struggle with and how I would teach it.

3. I have a small group of girls that are totally open to being my guinea pigs!

4. The LORD brought Robin Jones Gunn into my life, my hero and the author who led me to really have a relationship with Christ through her books. She's encouraging me to write and is here to help me with it.

5. This is my job! I get to spend some of my hours in the office preparing for bible study, studying God's word...

6. When I asked Jade, one of my girls, what she would want to study in bible study, she said, "You know that girl's event you did last July about how God is our Father? That was really good- so something like that"

and that did it for me! The outline I had scribbled out included God being our Father.

Joe (the man at our lunch) asked me, "Well then why haven't you started it!? What are going to do this week to get started?"

OKAY LORD!

So I've started and it's ROCKN' MY SOCKS OFF! I decided to do it about our Identity in Christ- Who Christ is, what He's done, who we are in Him, what He calls us to and how that differs from the world. And the Lord showed me to teach it through the book of Ephesians- one of my favorites :)

On monday we had small group and I made little booklets for my girls to fill out and decorate. They filled out pages that had

-about me

-my personality

-my gifts and talents

-my passions

-my struggles

-What the world tells me i should be

-what I think God tells me i am and should be

I read them the other day and they were so precious! I almost cried- the girls were so honest and sincere. After the study, I'm going to have them go through it again and fill it now knowing who they are in Christ and what He calls them to-

I'M SO EXCITED!

I bought Kay Arthur's book "Discover the Bible for Yourself"- what an awesome tool! I feel refreshed and pumped up studying God's word- what a privilege. I learned about Ephesus today

-it was the 4th largest city in the roman empire

-when the harbor became unnavigable, the city relied on the worship of Artemis for economic survival.

-Artemis was the goddess of hunt, wild animals, fertility and childbirth.

-Ephesus dealt with magic, sorcery, idol worship and were filled with the wealthy.

-Ephesians deals with warfare and our position in Christ more than any other epistle

So I think i'll just use this blog to walk you through all the ups and downs of writing this bible study! I know i can only do it through Christ. May He be known.

In other news-

1. Our office manager cleaned out the cockroach eggs in my office phone the other day. What a gem she is! Also, cockroaches are definately a CON to living in Maui!

2. Always look over new clothes carefully. The other day I was running, and at the end of my run I was stretching a noticed a thread hanging down. I went to rip it off and realized I had the BIGGEST hole in my shorts- right in the croch! Ah yes, what an Alyssa moment...

3. I think Jena and I are going to run in the whale race next Saturday- a 5k....first step to running in a 10k :)

Winter Camp

sorry i haven't been keeping up! things have been crazy! We just got back from our Winter Camp- here's a few photos, more to come shortly! (As well as an update on all that's happening over here)

The exciting news for today though is that MAUI HAS SNOW! That's right folks! CRAZY! Haleakala (our volcano) is snow covered!

Photos from our Christmas party for the young adults at church~

I got to housesit for one of the lady's at our church this weekend- what a blessing! She had two little pups- this one is Douglas Fir, also called DUG or duggy fresh! I absolutely fell in love- he came to work with me all day saturday and did great! He greeted all the customers while sitting in my chair. They loved him! It was so neat to see him brighten people's faces- esp. Jon, an older gentleman who is a veteran and comes in everyday to get coffee and read Grudem's Systematic Theology & Judy, one of the high schooler's mom's who has battled cancer for years.

Risa and I loved staying at the house- just a night to get away, have fresh brewed coffee from Seattle! (she owns a coffee kiosk in town and use to live in seattle- she ships her coffee over- that's right, we seattlites know our coffee!), and a cozy bed!

Other highlights:

-Staff Christmas Party on Saturday- pupus, white elephant exchange, thanksgiving, and prayer- i'm so thankful for the staff here- how they love Jesus and have been so faithful.

-Double date with Adam and Ellie- they got married in March and jeff and i just lOVE them! They are such blessings in our lives. They had us over for dinner, decorating their cute ohana and then Adam made the BEST hot cocoa ever (we're both lactose intolerant;) and we drove around to look at the Christmas lights (or lack thereof ;)

-Robin Jones Gunn and her husband just arrived today! She called me- we're friends!!!! I'm so excited that they're here!

-ONE WEEK TIL I'M HOME!!!!!!!!!!!!

The Lord is so gracious and worthy of praise. I have loved seeing Him heal hearts this year- including my own. He truly will never leave us or forsake us. He is with us always. He is the Great Redeemer, Provider, and Father. He is HOPE. Love came down- God is love. This is the One we celebrate!

Can you imagine the joy the people felt when the words were spoken, "you shall call him Immanuel, God with us" so many years ago- this is the Messiah they had waited for since the fall of man! Finally- he is with us. always. forever. never leaves. in our hearts. on the throne.

Please continue to pray for katy- they know where she is and who she is with now, but wants nothing to do with her mom or coming home. Thank you for your prayers-

Recipe for Homemade Hot Cocoa (esp. for you cait!)

-milk (or rice milk)

-cocoa powder

-nutmeg

-sugar

-vanilla

-cinnamon

-peppermint

please pray...

one of our high school students, katy, went missing yesterday morning at 10am. We don't know where she is, although she may be with her boyfriend somewhere in Paia. I guess he lives in communal living....her mom, Melissa, is taking it extremely hard. Please pray that they will find her, peace for her mom, and safety for katy. Thank you so much.