Christmas Time in Maui

I will be heading home for Christmas on Tuesday night, around 9pm...And I'm excited, sure. However, Christmas in Maui is so amazing. It's not cold, or cozy. But it is warm and exciting. They do it up big here. Parties galore! It's only been like 2 weeks into the Christmas season, and everyone is already full swing into it!

We had Rio's Christmas party the other night at Marla's house. No chips and salsa this time, only celery and humus. I love this girl Rio. I'll be talking a lot about her on Wednesday night at Sagemont Youth.

Again, Christmas lights, palm trees, and a Hawaiian sunset. Do I really live here? It's funny, because now that I know I'll be going home for a little bit, I'm trying to soak up every second and every sight here. I was driving to work today, and the mountains caught my breath for the first time in about 3 weeks. I'm going to miss just running to the beach whenever I want, or looking into the ocean to see other islands, or even looking to the middle of the island and seeing a green mountain. I was already taking things for granted, and I've only been here 3 months.

Vini, Kimmie, and I went to the Ritz Carlton the other night to watch the lighting of the Christmas tree. Santa and the elves parachuted from helicopter. It was amazing. The Ritz is pretty dang classy.

I'm going to miss my Maui family over Christmas. True true.

Oh Marla...

When I first arrived here in Maui, at the airport in Kahului, Lacey and Shaun picked me up. It was great to see them, and I was EXHAUSTED from my long flight and OVERWHELMED, because, hey, I just moved to a new state across the Pacific Ocean. We get to baggage claim, and I see this group of 3 high school girls, one really tall guy, and a short, tan woman. The short tan woman called out my name. "Whitney? Whitney?" And I looked at this woman, my mind racing and kind of freaked out, and I said, "Yes?" to which she embraced me with a short scream. The rest is a blur...that enthusiastic woman ended up being my "boss", Marla McManus, Jr. High Director.

However, the word "boss" is sooooooooooooo inappropriate to describe this woman. Marla is my rock. She is my encouragement. She is my inspiration. She is my sunlight and my best friend. She is my laughter. She is my wisdom. If it wasn't for Marla being here, I would not make it. She's been with Hope Chapel as the Youth Director for 20 years. 20 years!!! Like when it actually started. She's the joy behind Hope. EVERYONE loves and adores Marla. Especially me. I've never learned so much about ministry like I do from Marla.

She is the most generous person I know. She is the best listener. She is an amazing mentor. She LOVES young people and makes them leaders. She finds the best gifts in people and then coaxes the gift out of them so they can realize their full potential. LORD, i love her so much! Thank you for her! Marla is BIG on family. She cut her hours at the church to spend time with her family, especially her grandchildren. This is Cade, the oldest grandbaby. They spend every Wednesday and Friday together (lucky kid). Marla also just got a new grandbaby (Josiah) and another on the way (Cade's brother/sister!). She has two beautiful girls, too! Her joy is her family. And the best part: she considers ME family. It's too much!

Marla is also Portegee. She's Portuguese. So is Vini. They get along so well :) Here they are dancing. Marla ALWAYS dances. ALWAYS. It's so fun to be crazy with her. She's so hot.

We could totally be mother/daughter. We are SOUL SISTERS. When my heart is with hers, I feel complete. It's like looking at myself in a mirror: heart and all. Her passion is mine. She's ME 20 years down the line. I can only hope and pray!

Marla and her husband Dickie. They have SUCH an amazing testimony. He owns a pool cleaning business here, and is probably the most knowledgable person about Hawaii. Seriously. This is my family. Really, Lord, how did I get so lucky?

I write this today because I just spent 2 hours at this AMAZING spa with Marla, getting pedi-s and massages. She treats me like a princess. She is another angel for me here in Maui. I'm so grateful to the Lord for her!

Quick

I have 7th grade girls bible study in 10 minutes... I'm still a Texas girl. I love that chips and salsa.

Lately, I've been in a place where I'm trying to just sit and reflect on what the heck God is doing in my life. I've realized that I have not had time to meditate on how I got to this place in my life. I go running a majority of the mornings (I was going to say EVERY morning, but let's be honest, I don't) and I've tried to take different aspects of my life and talk to God about them. For instance, the other day, I was listening to the song, "Beautiful, Scandelous Night" by Robbie Seay and I revisited when I accepted the Lord. Another time, I talked to God about my view on myself and if I was glorifying Him by the way I thought about myself. It's been really awesome.

I think I'm at this stage where I'm so anxious to move forward and to continue what I'm doing here full-force. But I also know that I can get weary really fast. Everything is going amazing. I'm praising the Lord for the little things: my 8th grade girls, people coming to know the Lord, for ministry, for waves, for a vehicle, for food...
It's good that I'm thinking about all these things because I'm going home for Christmas soon, and I'm going to have an opportunity to talk to the youth at Sagemont about what God is doing here in Maui. Actually, more specifically, what God is doing in ME, through Maui. I love this picture (from Lindsay's camera) of some of us walking in the bamboo forest. I love that I'm walking completely NOT in line with everyone else. It's funny, because I feel like my life is ALWAYS like this...never really falling in line. I always thought it was a bad thing, but being here, God has shown me the little "quirks" about myself are actually the things he has designed in me specifically to do specific works. I mean, who really likes middle schoolers? Who just randomly googles youth internships opportunities in Maui and actually goes? God, you are one Great and Complex God.

Anyways, I'm really wrestling with what to tell these Sagemont students when I come home. I wanted to talk to them because I know that God wants to use me as a direct mouthpiece...I know that because of the overwhelming burden on my heart to tell them the great things going on here. The funny thing is: the great things going on here in Maui are happening IN me. So during this time, wrestling with what to speak, the Lord has spoken in the quiet of my heart to just talk about what He is doing inside of me. How have I changed as a result of where he has sent me?

That is a big question. I've changed so much as a result of the people, the place, the stories, and the environment. It's like God played favorites with me. He took me out of everything I knew, away from family, jobs, and my education, made me abandon it all, just so He could show me His love. And it is so rich. It is so deep. It is so great.

This waterfall picture shows me how small I am in comparison to Him...

"Lord, these are just words

and are not enough

to contain you.

Jesus just words

would never suffice

to acclaim you.

Father just words

and I have so few

I run out too fast

to speak them to you.

Because you are indescrible,

You are beyond expression

I run out of words for you

I can't think that high.

So hear my spirit groan in me

A painful sense of urgency

To tell you that you are to me

So high."