Team members of the 08-09 session of Revolution Hawaii share their hearts about their mission experience. 

Brianna Murray

The poor, the homeless, the neglected, the addicts, the hurting, the broken, the searching, those typically shunned and ignored by society. Those lose and completely blind to the truth of God’s Word, are the people who Revolution Hawaii so desperately desire to befriend and love each day. It is one thing to say you do, or at least want to, love both God and others, but it is completely different to actually practice genuine Christ-like love every day. It will forever change and humble, not only the one giving, but also the one receiving this precious gift. I know this, because my life has changed due to this unconditional, amazingly powerful love!

Now I came to Revolution Hawaii knowing it wouldn’t be easy, but our task and responsibility of loving God and others. I honestly thought it would be a piece of cake. Little did I know how much my commitment to serving the Lord this year through the mere act of loving others would challenge and stretch my faith, as well as character. It requires patience, humility, selflessness, hope, trust, perseverance, just to name a few, but in order to do all this and love as Christ loves requires total dependence and reliance on Him.

Since being here in Hawaii, God has opened up numerous doors for me to share His love in China Town. Home to the homeless, the alcoholic, the drug addict, the mentally ill, and the social outcasts, but no more would ever know that hidden behind the dirt and grime of the streets are some of the most brilliant, caring, talented, intelligent and beautiful people you might ever meet. I have been so blessed to have gained many friendships with the unique people that I have truly grown to love and care for them deeply. It breaks my heart to see how they’re choosing to live and to see the discouragement and pain that fills their bloods hot eyes. What burdens me the most is that they are filling themselves with things that will always leave them empty, they are blinded to the complete and satisfying love of a perfect Savior, and bound to chains that seem almost unbreakable, but then l ask myself, How big is my God? How great and powerful s His Love and Grace, that free gift that can deliver any man from his bondage of sin?!
God is at work here in Hawaii, and though we may not see immediate change in the lives we reach, I have faith that the Lord will work in the hearts and minds of those individuals. Love never fails, His love never fails, and the transformation that results from this unfailing love, is worth the wait.

I still don’t understand why the Lord has chosen to use me, a beach bum from Florida, to impact lives in Hawaii, but I am so excited and so grateful to serve such an awesome God, and I will continue to strive to love Him and others with my whole heart!

Mark Svenson

Before Hawaii, my life was dull, my walk with God was meaningless and insignificant, and no matter how much I liked it, I need to be saved. I great up in the Army as an Officer’s brat and I lived up to the name in full knowing I was one of God’s children and believing He is real. I still had no comprehension of what He did for me and that was a real problem.

When I came to Hawaii, I wanted to help people. I wanted to nurse the poor and pray with them. It turned out that I was the one being nursed. Whether it is through memorizing scripture, reading books about prayer and devotion, or volunteering with the children at the Boys and Girls Club, somehow I was being fed, and I needed it. Being in Revolution Hawaii has broadened my walk with Christ and brought me closer to Him. Now that I have been here for a while serving the communities and working with the homeless, I have life skills that I can take with me wherever I go and knowledge of God and everything surrounding Him that I can share with others. Revolution Hawaii opened my eyes and saved my spiritual life. I pray that others can have the same experience.

Matt McQuade

I believe that everyone has some sort of need. Whether it is physical, emotional, or spiritual, there is some sort of empty void that needs to be filled. No matter where you are in life, no matter how involved, no matter how old you are, there is always something more that can be done. Children need to be protected, teens need to be social, college students need vision, the middle- aged needs vision, and seniors need family. The reason I bring all of this up is because I have learned so much that I need in my spiritual walk with God.

Before arriving in Hawaii, I felt that I had thing together. My relationship with my family and friends, my involvement at my home church, being a college student. In my mind, I was on the right track. I mean, those seemed like good things to be doing. This program has a huge focus on personal discipleship, through reading books, studying scripture, getting deeper and more devoted in prayer. There was a point that I realized these were areas that were really dry in my walk with God. I went to church every Sunday, taught music, led Bible study, hung out at the different fellowship nights, but I neglected my personal relationship with God. “But he answered and said, ‘It is written, man shall not live on bread alone, but every word that proceeds out of the mouth of God.’ ” Matthew 4:4. I was living on bread alone. But something very good has come out of my time here. I feel that I have learned a lot, feeling better prepared for this battle, and most importantly, I am closer to God. What is so cool is that this is not the end of growing, because I serve a God that is living and breathing.

Erlist Otis

Revolution Hawaii makes a huge difference in my life. I am kind of a shy person who isolates themselves from the crowd. Being a member of Revolution Hawaii, I found myself socializing with people I didn’t know. I have hard times loving other and build new relationships with them. I am not an outgoing person and it’s hard for me to reach out to them. But, I realized that I’ve known a lot of people of the streets, in my church and at my volunteer sites. Building the relationship with all of these people is not as hard as I thought. I came to a point in my life that I should love them since I’ve made a good relationship with them. Every time I go out on the street, my heart breaks just seeing them live a hard life on the street. I’ve never experienced this kind of stuff before. All I cared about was me. I found this was hard for me, just to love others. I need to work on this for Jesus said to love others as thy self. What I thought was amazing to me is my relationship with God. This is one of my failures. I’d rather spend my time doing nothing important than to spend time with God alone. I would say I have a great relationship with God now. Just to spend my time with Him listening and talking to Him. It has been a wonderful time here in Revolution Hawaii. Looking back to where I was, I would spend hours studying my school lessons and has no time to open my mind, heart and soul to listen to what God had to tell me. I kept myself busy with school lessons and no time for anything else. As I already mentioned, I don’t socialize with people, I life to work alone. I found a change on that and I’m happy with it. I was a school freak and I’m not anymore. I might but Revolution Hawaii gave me lessons to deal with it. I’m a Jesus freak not with I’m proud to be one. This program renewed my personality and teaches me how to live with it. It totally makes a huge difference. How cool it is to be a part of RevHi.

Chelcee Bradley

I was so excited; there I was Youth Councils 2006 Northwest Division. I couldn’t wait to go to the praise and worship. The guy leading could play the guitar with his feet! “Maybe he will teach us!”  I said jokingly to my friend as we walked to the worship service. My heart broke as a lady at the door said, “I’m sorry this workshop is full!” I was bummed and soon found myself in Revolution Hawaii workshop taught by a short man with no hair! As the bald man spoke I could feel a tear run down my cheek, my heart broke for the homeless in Hawaii and I knew that this was what I was going to do after I graduated. At the time I was only 16 years old and when I got home I found myself slowing slipping into the party scene. Sure I was going to church but weed and alcohol were my gods. I soon found myself in a very destructive and unhealthy relationship that consumed my life. I knew that if I went to college I would only slip deeper into the party life style. And there it was in my hand, the Revolution Hawaii application. The next thing I knew I was in Hawaii paradise. This year is going to be wonderful! Since being here I have been emotionally beaten, broken, had eggs thrown at me, knifes pulled on me, and people shouting the worst profanity I had ever heard. I hit rock bottom and through that I have seen the face of Christ and heard Jesus’ voice. My life has been filled with peace and joy that I had never before experienced in my life. Everything in my life has changed and more of the time change hurts, but all that pain was worth it because now I can love and because of Revolution Hawaii I can show that love to everyone around me.  

Melissa Henderson

My experience here in Hawaii, wow! Truthfully these past six months have been a roller coaster of ups and downs in my spiritual walk. Through learning what it means to truly live for God; I’ve been minister to and confronted by those I’ve come to do same for. I came to show the love of Christ Jesus to those who just need someone to listen to their stories. Along the way I have meet so many beautiful people, both on the streets and in the corps. Like this woman named Amber; she’s a drunk and has so many psychological problems to count, but she has so much to say. And through just sitting with her and listening to her we have made a very strong connection. I’m someone she can trust and love. Through relationships life these I’ve learned to love each of the people I meet.

I thank God for the opportunity to have the chance to be a part of this amazing program. We really dedicate this year to Him. By memorizing scriptures, started everyday with devotionals and prayer time, plus the numerous inspirational books, we’re saturating ourselves in the Word and what it means to be in a living relationship with our living God. I believe my experiences will carry over into this next year and I could use them to make a difference in my own corps and community. God has just showed me so many things. One that I think of at the moment is how easy it is to grown apathetic in our daily walk, and in the end distant from God. This year has proved that although it takes discipline and hard work, living in a close walk with God and living for Him is more attainable than I ever thought it could be.  And God is greater than any circumstance, its well worth it.

Kanysha Mace

Being a participant of Revolution Hawaii is a life changing experience. Not only have I gotten a better knowledge of what The Salvation Army does and has to offer, I have also found a deeper meaning of God and love. Before I came into this program, I was a Christian for 3 years and not living what I believed. My sin was something that I got so good at hiding that my church family and my parents didn’t even know about it. When I came here, I was a graduate out of High School giving up everything that I was doing and putting my life to just serving God for one full year. This part of Hawaii that I am sitting is not the same as the one that tourist sit on vacation. I am here building relationships with those whose life has fallen apart because of the many disasters in life. Many don’t have homes and live on the streets, constantly having to watch what they have and keeping themselves alive.

I have learned so much about myself and God that now I can live completely different. Showing people the love that Christ shows me is exciting and it is stepping out of boundaries that I have through that I could. Knowing a deeper meaning of love is one of the many things I have learned while being here. I have shown love to complete strangers in ways that I could not even imagine before I come here. Whether it be as little as a smile or a “hi” to giving them food and be a friend to talk to. God has taught me so much and I am getting filled with his love every second!

Brock Esqueda

Revolution Hawaii has been an experience that God has used to “revolutionize” my own life. Before coming out here I was living for my own selfish desires. From the first week of arriving God stated working in me, revealing the skeletons in my closet and the love he has for me.

Though this year long missions/ discipleship program has been enjoyable it has also been hard. Through our daily devotion, prayer time, and books we have read, God has been breaking down many of the walls I’ve put up in my life. My lies have been slowly exposed, my pride is breaking, and my selfishness is dissolving. It has been humbling how God has been filling the gaps in my life.

Putting my faith into action through Saturday night outreach, in our volunteer sites, and through team interaction has been the arena where we apply what we have learned. I have lived so long “acting” like a Christian and now I am trying to see how I can better love God and people. Revolution Hawaii has been a huge blessing in my life and I am so grateful for this experience.