The end.

As sad as it is. Project is over. But the plans that God has for my teammates and me isn't.

So here's a new blog of what God continues to do in my life after project as I go into a new year of being able to serve back home:

SLO time :D

Thank you all for your prayers and for your support.

Love&&Thanks,

Camille

Unforgettable

That is one word that describes this summer. Sorry for the lack of updates, but it has been extremely busy because of debriefing and wrapping up campus time. I'm currently sitting back at home, first time really being alone in a while. Today was filled with so much emotion. The majority of our team pulled an all nighter after banquet to pack, have fun, and just enjoy each other's company before the first three people left at 5:45 am.

I've never thought that I would be so sad to see people that I've only known for 7 weeks go, but that just shows how amazing our ohana is. I've been so blessed to be surrounded by such a strong God-centered community. As I was on the plane with one of my teammates, Tiffany, our time was filled with tears, sleep, and reflecting on the summer. We both concluded that the community was something that stood out to us most on this summer project. Before this, "brothers and sisters in Christ" really had no meaning to me other than just fellow Christians. But after this summer, after this ohana, I've been able to just see what that really encompasses. I truly can say that I love every single person on our team and that they will always have such a special place in my heart. My ohana has shown me what it really means to be brothers and sisters in Christ. The actions and words, especially today, just showed what it really looks to be a body of Christ. You could just tell that God's love just overflowed in our community, the care, the love, and the laughter were so constant.

Thank you Epic Hawaii Summer Project Ohana for showing so much of God's love.

I think my teammate, Tiffany can sum up my experience so well:

As I said my goodbyes to the rest of the the team while departing for the airport, I was suddenly struck with how much of God’s love was showered upon us through the interactions we had within our team. In every member I saw the fingerprints of God in their hearts, which was carried out through how well they loved on one another. My heart completely broke as the HPU team was rounded together and our campus liaison Joel prayed over our team. I don’t think I realized how much our team had been through until that moment. In the beginning, our team was the least cooperative and miscommunication was only resolved through a series of meetings and conflict resolution. While we were praying yesterday, I realized just how close our team had become because of how much we dealt through together, so much so that I can genuinely say they are my close brothers and sisters. We pressed on through all the trials because God was our empowerment, and though we were all so mentally, physically, and spiritually exhausted, we knew that God was working through us in expanding His Kingdom as well as building our community in Christ.

Other than that, I need time to process everything. As much as I would like to write every detail of what happened the past few days, the past few weeks, I can't. There are just so many questions, so many thoughts racing through my head. So here goes processing time/more time with God :] I'm such a mix of emotions too...so incredibly sad that my ohana is now off to their separate ways, yet so extremely happy to have the privilege to see each of them grow and experience God's unconditional love through this community.

Please pray for me and my ohana, that we would take the things that God has taught us the past few weeks and not leave them on the island. That we would realize that God sent us there not only to reach people in Hawaii, but also to equip us and sent us back home to do the same thing.

Newsletter!

I would do another update, but I've been really exhausted/ extremely busy the last few days...

So here's a newsletter for EPIC Summer Project Hawaii :]

Click Here :]

How has love changed you?

HPU Campus team decided to do t-shirt evangelism on campus today. Basically we wrote "How has love changed you?" on the back of t-shirts and had students write their answers on the back. We were able to have conversations with a lot of people, but we didn't really find it that effective. Especially since it was really difficult to transition the conversation to something more spiritual.

So crazy, but we only have 6 more campus days left. It's been really sweet to really see the hearts of my team members these past few days. Everyone is so pumped to really go all out for these 6 days. Tomorrow, we're planning on having a bible study with some of the HPU Christian students we have found. Also, we hope to really cast the vision we have for this campus! Please keep this in your prayers!! We are heading into our last two weeks of ministry on this campus and just seeing what God has done in the past few weeks, we know that God wants to move even more on this campus!! I know the enemy is going to do everything possible to keep this from happening, and we want this movement to be founded in prayer. So please keep this in your prayers!

Something to praise!!

Read this: http://panghavaii.tumblr.com/post/848964510/faith

and this:

http://hawaiiproject10.tumblr.com/post/849528987/day-awesome?ref=nf

* and the roommie in Jessica's blog is me :]

Basically, God has definitely been blessing our project and showing us crazy, amazing things through healing some of the students on project!! Look at her blog at the link above :]

God has been doing some amazing things on this project! He has showed us in so many ways how He is working on this island and through this team. The other day, I ran into so many people that I have shared with the past few weeks. One student that I have seen everyday for the past 2 weeks on campus, I ran into her on the bus, so random. One thirty minute conversation later and I was able to really get to know her, know about her childhood, know about her background. It was pretty sweet! Thanks to God for divine appointments.

Please pray for:

- our team to more connected, that we would really be looking out for one another

- HPU Movement Launch, including the bible study that we are starting and the continued outreach on campus

- Women's time tomorrow, for people to be open and really center around God

Thanks&&Love,

Camille

Passion

At the beginning of project, we were told to choose three different committees that we wanted to be on. The staff was going to choose the people based on whatever they preference on their list. For some reason the only thing that strongly stuck out to me was Women's Time. So I put that as my first choice, followed by Community Service, and then Spiritual Guidance. I really wanted to be involved with Women's Time, but I thought that I would just be placed somewhere else because every other person I asked had put that one first too.

It was really sweet though, because I was able to be on the committee along with my friend Pang. I'm pretty sure we were the last people that others would have suspected to be on women's committee just because our reserved nature. The first time we meet up with the staff in charge of that time, Pang and I both realized how much God had given us a heart for women, and it was incredibly sweet to be able to share that.

The first two women's times were amazing. We helped out a little, planned a little, but God's hand was definitely moving throughout those times. The women staff involved in each group set the tone of openness and vulnerability which created such a safe, encouraging, and comforting atmosphere. I praise God for each and every single women staff because they were able to speak so much truth into our lives. My small group for women's time has probably been some of my favorite girls. I feel like they're the ones that that I immediately connected with just because of their openness.

The third and forth women's times were led by Pang and me. The first one that we led was a praise and worship night at the beach! Unexpectedly our plans were changed when the rain suddenly started pouring down. Even though the plans were changed, after talking to Pang, it was probably the best thing ever. I think one of my favorite parts that have happened here on project are the times that were changed last minute. I believe that many of the plans we made were put to the side, allowing God to really take control of those times. These were the best times I've had, where we had a plan, God changed it, and we just went along for the ride. So sweet to see God working through those times.

The past women's time was a women's staff appreciation. Pang and I were preparing a "slumber party" with the women's time staff, but without telling each other, we already knew that that was just a cover up for the appreciation. This was probably one of my favorite nights of just being able to encourage and thank the women that had made a huge impact in our lives in less than a month.

Now, the staff is gone, Pang is a project director :] and I'm leading women's time with my roommie Jessica!! I'm so excited to be able to step up in this area. It's crazy to see what God is doing in my heart. I feel like within a few weeks, my heart for women has grown SO much. This is one thing that I hope to see as I go back to EPIC SLO in the fall. I pray that the environment of being open and vulnerable will be created in EPIC SLO, that the community of women that I have experienced here, will translate to SLO. My heart for the rest of summer project, and for EPIC SLO, is that the community of women would just be so loving, open, caring, and encouraging. That the women's community will truly display God's love to others that look at it, despite the contrasting personalities of the group.

Anyway, off to sleep I go!

Thanks&&Love,

Camille




Last Women's Time with Staff!!



The Girls!!!

Goodbye Staff

Staff is gone. Such a strange feeling. As much as I'm going to miss them, I know that my team is ready to own this mission trip. Each and every single one of us has grown so much in the past 4 weeks. Already, I feel like my campus group and my women's time group has stepped up in leading from day one. I'm so excited to see what will happen the next 3 weeks. I'm so blessed to have been able to get to know some of the staff, especially the women staff. They have poured into me like no other, and the openness and vulnerability they have exemplified set the tone of this project. Without them I would have not have grown as much as I have.

Anyway, yesterday I went out for a run with some of my team members...yeah, I actually went running!! haha. Anyway, our goal was to run to a place called Jewel or Juice to get Acai bowls. This place is 1.7 miles away from us, yes, I ran that! For those of you who know me, I hate running, with a passion. But I still went. Throughout the run I was so encouraged by just the people I went with. One person ran side by side, making sure that I didn't fall behind the rest of the group, while the rest that were ahead kept encouraging me to press on. And then we hit a hill. Oh do I despise running uphill, but my roommie told me that the place was just after it. I kept on running, almost gave up. But then I saw the place, I saw the finish line. I couldn't help but keep running. I couldn't give up at that point, even though I was exhausted, out of breath, and ready to just stop. I think that I'm at that point here on summer project. Although I may feel tired and weak, I can see the finish line. I'm so blessed to be surrounded by people that will encourage me daily to keep pushing on, even if they see me struggling. The fact that summer project seems to be ending so soon is just one more thing that keeps me going strong. I praise God for just giving me the desire to see HPU downtown be transformed by God's love!

Anyway, I'm off to our weekly meeting!!

Please keep our team in your prayers as we transition into student leadership!

Thanks&&Love,

Camille




part of my HPU campus group. LOVE THEM!

One more day!

Started the day off with going to church at Kaimuki Christian Church. The community there is so welcoming, and yet again we were give some delicious malsadas for breakfast plus some fruit bars from the children's ministry leaders :] Although most of the time I don't feel like this church pours into me much, I'm so blessed to be able to serve them through the Children's Ministry! I've had the pleasure of teaching the Kindergarden and First grade classes and have enjoyed every moment of it. Helping out with the children's ministry has been really draining, but yet so refreshing at the same time!!

Later today, we had a coffee/lunch date with one of our project directors, Mary!! It was sweet to just catch up with her and the other girls that went with us! I love days like this to catch up with people!!

At night we had a conflict resolution session where we divided up into our campus groups to work through our problems. Although this is not one of my favorite things, actually I avoid it at all costs, it was a sweet night to witness. We discussed the elephant in the room, that some people didn't even see and a lot of issues were taken care of. I feel like God is just working in our group to just grow our relationships with each other so that we can be an example of community to the people we outreach to.

I'm so excited to see what God has in store for us the next few weeks. So crazy to see how fast time is going.

Praises:
- People stepping up to lead :]
- Finding Christians on campus to support a movement on their campus
- Connection in team is better!

Prayers:
- Protection over our team
- Leaders to rise for those Christians we have met
- Finding quality time with God