Grypers Abroad 2

Hello fellas... a word from our friend where the surf is always UP!

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Aloha GRYP and the ohana of hosanna,

On the islands of Hawaii, ohana is the word for family and I thought it appropriate for the true identification of HPA’s youth. Asked to write something about my experiences here, I chose instead to write about what I’ve learned. No matter where you are, no matter when I’ve felt alone, which may be familiar to a lot of college kids today, the truth is that not once have I ever been alone. Just ask Jesus.

I’m currently attending New Hope Fellowship church here on beautiful Oahu. We are a dynamic and outgoing church, and in fact, the fastest growing church in America currently. New Hope holds services of up to 12,000 people on a single weekend. Although we don’t have our own church building, our services are held in one of the biggest high school gyms on the island. Nearly half of our congregation are homeless. Our church will house as many as they can during the night, but even so, a few hundred have to deal with finding places to sleep on the streets. One of the reasons for why we don’t own a building is because the majority of funds head to shelter the homeless. We figure better for them to have one than us. This has been a burning issue in my heart ever since I’ve moved here, and would just like to share this with you.

The church recently held many food buffets for them, and just seeing the joy of the church helping out is incredible. Even the homeless have feelings and just want to be secured and loved. A lot of them were successful and had families before, but some lost all of that in days. They live currently lost, many just stroll the streets the whole day. Drunk off alcohol, high on drugs, and abusing themselves. However this was why we were created, to be soldiers for Christ, to be disciples of the gospels, to bring justice to the entire world, to reach out to save the lost. Therefore as an encouragement, Malaysia too has its share of poverty. Give as much as you can afford, give as much as your heart can warrant, give to make an impact on someone. And as all of you know, God has a soft spot for people who give. Your returns will be literally out of this world.

Following the iheartrevolution, just in case some of you don’t know what it’s about, it was basically created as an outreach program by the infamous Hillsong Church. The leader of this, Joel Houston, and his crew have had such a deep passion for using their resources to reach the poorest and the least of nations.

“We live in a broken world. A world where over two thirds of the population live in poverty. A world that's crying out for answers - a world that's crying out for hope. The time to act is now. We can't rely on governments for change; we must be the ones to carry that responsibility. THIS is our mandate: to change the world. The 'I Heart Revolution' is a DVD documentary made by Hillsong United highlighting what's happening in our world today. We believe it's through worship that we touch the heart of God and through the eyes and experiences of Hillsong United we'll be challenged to see the need and moved to do something about it as they bring worship to nations around the globe.

Let's act.

Let's start a revolution.

"The revolutionary kingdom of God is here - advancing by reconciliation and peace; expanding by faith, hope, and love, beginning with the poorest and the least. It's time to change your thinking - be part of the REVOLUTION."

In addition to all of that, it doesn’t mean that you have to attend Hillsong or live in Sydney to be part of this. There is a time for all of us to start thinking about not just your church or our church, but the people that don’t know the church the way we know it. Of course, church is never boring, its fun, its radical, its hysterical, its awesome, its touching, its moving, and it’s Jesus. But your classmate next to you in school, your bus driver, your cousin, your best friend might not know that, and the time is now for you to act. It doesn’t have to be a homeless guy for it to be awesome, for what was that verse again? Oh yeah, for whoever receives salvation, all of heaven and its angels praise!

Come on guys! We are in a generation and a time where there are massive amounts of opportunities to do something, anything to extend the Kingdom of God. We have to be this generation that is able to do more than any generation has ever done. We have to be that generation that doesn’t feel weird or awkward to express our worship towards God. To express our heart for the lost.

“It’s not about highlighting the darkness.

It’s about becoming the light that diminishes the darkness.

It’s the gospel, and it is now.”

My challenge to whoever feels the same, take the time now to follow this, to learn this concept of the “iheartrevolution”. Love definitely has lost a lot of its impact in this world today. It may be from boy band pop songs, romantic comedy movies, and of course all of that isn’t wrong. But what I’m trying to say is that there’s so much more to love than that. All of us have had someone that has died for us. Paid a price for our lives. Continuously bled on the soils of this earth, for you and I. Just so that we will not perish here, but have everlasting life. Now if you ask me, that’s the true meaning of love. And now it’s yours and my choice to take this word onto the rest of the world.

If you choose to accept, how will you know when this mission is finished? Well the answer is simple, if you’re alive, then its not. But I find no greater calling than to love God, love people, and to love life.

“Now let the weak say I have strength, by the spirit of power that raised Christ from the dead. Let now our hearts burn with a flame, a fire consuming all for your Son’s Holy Name and with the heavens we declare, you are our King.

We love you Lord, we worship you. You are our God, You alone are good. You asked your son to carry this, the heavy cross, our weight of sin. I love you Lord, I worship You; hope which was lost, now stands renewed. I give my life to honor this, the love of Christ, the Savior King.”

God bless
Minjun