He is Greater!

1 John 4:4 You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world.

This week was on spiritual warfare which was really interesting to me because I don't know if I was just unaware of it or just never really heard a message on it before, or paid much attention to it. I never really fully understood how much is happening in the spiritual realm and how much it truly can affect us if we are not aware of what is going on. It is not to scare us when hearing about lectures on the spirits like angels and demons, but rather prepare us and educate ourselves on what the devil will try and do in our lives, but then remember that God has already won through Jesus's sacrifice on the cross and that we do not have to allow the devil to affect us or bring us any harm, as it says in 1 John 4:4 from above, God is bigger than the devil and He is in us! I still don't understand a lot of it, but what I did learn this week is how real and active the holy spirit can be in our lives if we just ask him to come. The speaker made it clear that it is not that the holy spirit is not always with us, cause he is once we ask Jesus into our lives and become baptized in the holy spirit, but each and everyday we can ask the holy spirit to come into our lives and lead us into a deeper relationship with God and can be used to carry out His work. The speaker spoke on speaking in tongues and prophesying as well which I knew about but never really experienced first hand. I am still learning a lot on this topic and find it very interesting!

This weekend was really good :D It started out early being that it was Thanksgiving. Thursday my class had a big turkey dinner that was delicious! Friday was good because I was able to just relax and do a bit of reading and catch up on rest.

Our classroom set up for Thanksgiving

Well decorated tables

Turkey Dinner!

Me and Melissa being our usual model selves :D 

Me and my small group leader Melissa! (a different Melissa :D)

Then being that it was a long weekend and we had so much free time me and my roommates decided to rent a car and go exploring the island a bit! Saturday we went to Waipi'o Valley where we had to hike down to a huge waterfall (called Hihilava - definitely spelt wrong :s). It was sooo nice! It was my favorite kind of hiking to.. where it wasn't really a path but more of hiking through the jungle and over big boulders and through rivers! I would do it again in a second! Oh ya, and when we got to the waterfall we got to swim in the pool at the bottom! It was just like in the movies :D. Then we went over to the other side of the island called Hilo and had some dinner. On our way back to campus we stopped at Manua Kea, which is where there is an observatory where people can go and look at the stars. We got there at 10:07 and it closed at 10 so we weren't able to look through the telescopes, but the let us stay and just look at the stars. It was so amazing. There were so many stars (really close too!) and it was such a clear night. It would have been sweet to see them through the telescopes because the ranger guy said that you can see some of the different galaxies and such, which would have been amazing, but it was still totally worth it to go up there! I would definitely recommend it :D It also just opens your eyes to even just get a glimpse of God's hugeness and ability. Like if He can create something as amazing and huge as the stars (in which we only see a tiny fraction of), just imagine what else He can do. If we would think about Him in this way in all situations, we would never worry about silly things, like whether or not He will provide our finances/food/opportunities (whatever it may be) when we need them. Of course we have to do our part, but He ultimately provides all our needs! (Philippians 4:19 - And my God will supply your every need according to his glorious riches in Christ Jesus) When I often hear things like this being said, like He will always provide, I often find myself asking, why? And although it seems simple, it's because He just LOVES us that much! We are His children and He ultimately wants the best for us, no matter what we might think is best! Also I definitely always ask the question how? But for that one I still haven't figured out... I don't think I will ever figure it out. God has unending ways of doing things and often we don't understand, therefore He won't necessarily tell us how He may do something, we just have to trust Him!

And so the trip begins!

cool road side picture lol

our ride

amazingness - Waipi'o Lookout... this is at the beginning of the hike

Yes, these are my roommates :D

This picture is trying to say - haha look at them having to walk sideways down hill because it is steep! :D

again - wow

beautiful! 

The waterfall from a distance 

We literally were hiking through the jungle

More of the jungle :D 

We had to walk through water that came up to our chest! I held my backpack on my head! Outreach preparation!

Another part of water we had to cross - 3 total (Both ways)

End reward!!

looking up at the waterfall

swimming in the waterfall - closer to the waterfall we couldn't touch the bottom, and we could actually go behind the waterfall and jump of the rockface.. but i didn't jump, cause i could climb up :( but i did go under the waterfall!

The waterfall was within this big rock face that looked like a huge wall. This picture is looking up at the top - it is soo cool :D

umm, I'm just looking up at how amazing it is haha

Dinner at Ken's house of pancakes... I got a grilled cheese :)

Inside!

Long day, oh and I was the driver! don't worry I am just fake sleeping here 

Sunday me and two of my roommates went to a beach. I do love going to the beach but I can never stay too long lol. I don't know if it's that I don't really like just laying out in the sun and just relaxing, but would rather like to get up and do something.. I'm not that good at staying still and relaxing haha. But when we went to the beach it was sooo windy and the waves were huge. I only ventured out to the water once cause when I went in I got tossed through a wave and got sand in every crevasse :s. I tried to lay down and read a book for a bit, but then sand was blowing on me and getting in my eyes haha. Oh man.. but it was still fun.. I can't really complain at all.. I am in Hawaii!

Mile 88 Beach 

I don't know these people, I am just trying to capture the big waves.. it didn't really work

So I would say that this weekend was quite a success and one that will definitely be a highlight of my time here!
Time is going so fast! I leave for Colombia in 2 weeks!!!
Please just pray for me and my outreach team for preparing to go to Colombia and Chile in that all goes well and everyone is just excited and not nervous, worried, or anxious.
Thanks
Love you all!
Rachael