So tomorrow I get on a plane and leave for Sacramento.
I am going to 'Head Start' and 'Jump Start', programs both with different purposes but both at the Maranatha Volunteers International Office in Roseville, CA, a suburb city just outside of Sacramento.
First to explain just what all of that previous sentence just meant, I will say that Maranatha Volunteers Int., receives requests from all over the world to construct various buildings. While their primary construction involves churches and schools, they have also built orphanages, clinics, homes, and hospitals. Once they accept a request, they go on the coordinating process of construction plans and managing volunteers for each project.
When a project is confirmed and scheduled, Maranatha announces the opportunity to volunteers through Maranatha print publications, membership email newsletters, and the website. Everyone is invited to volunteer, and there are specialized projects available for various types of groups, such as families, teenagers, or young adults. Each year, an average of 3000 people sign up on a Maranatha project. The result of a single trip is an unforgettable experience of cultural and a christian spiritual growth.
With that all said, Maranatha has an annual mission project called the Ultimate Workout held every summer for teenagers who are within the age range of 14-18 years old. (Freshmen to Seniors in High School). It is a two week mission trip where these young people come together from all over the world and find new friends as they work together on construction projects, medical clinics and with many other local ministries.
Originally created as a way to give our youth spirituality a workout – to keep us healthy – The Ultimate Workout continues to strengthen young people each year. Adult staff members facilitate the project and encourage teens to grow socially, spiritually and as leaders among their peers. Projects typically take place in Latin America where the young people construct churches or schools, teach Vacation Bible School, provide medical clinics, and participate in community service activities. Participants stay with their new family groups in campgrounds close to their respective building projects. Daily worship times, construction work, interaction with local people and bonding with new friends make The Ultimate Workout a life changing experience for many.
Tomorrow as I leave for Sacramento, 'Head Start' is a leadership training for this Ultimate Workout program as I am looking forward to being a leader [possibly a site pastor] for this coming summer's Ultimate Workout. Head Start will take place Friday morning and starting Friday evening, 'Jump Start', a program to give teenaged participants a preview of what Ultimate Workouts are like. I will not only be attending both, but I will be speaking and leading out in a breakout session with another leader-in-training such as myself. I will also be lugging my guitar up north to help contribute to our praise sessions! :)
I'm looking forward to this weekend trip! I'm excited and I hope to meet a lot of new people! Follow me on twitter [aaronnakamura] for throughout the weekend updates as to what I will be doing! Until next time! Happy New Year!!!
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Tuesday, December 29, 2009
Christmas Las Vegas Trip!
So for Christmas I went to Las Vegas with the parents to visit my grandpa who lives over there. We left Christmas eve around 1pm-ish and it was my longest drive behind-the-wheel as I drove the whole way there. It was an awesome drive! There is nothing but you, the road ahead of you, and lots of time to reflect back on many things that have happened in the past and things that have yet to pass.
Being a church leader and being active with the youth at my church, I often times don't have time to take off on vacations or decide to visit another church whenever I want. And for the very few times that I do get to take off for some time away it is during the winter holidays or a couple weeks out of the summer. This long 5 day get away was a good breather to step back and just relax for a while and be in a stress-free without worry status. Not to say that being a church leader is stressful or worrisome at all! It isn't! It's just nice to meet new people and get away from the 'normal crowd' and 'normal situations' every now and then; the exact meaning of vacation.
We also visit my grandpa in Vegas quite often (we try at least 2 times a year) as a way of witnessing and outreach to him. Y'see, he's a heavy smoker, a heavy drinker, and a heavy gambler: The Big Bad Three. And so every time we go there we try to be the best christian examples as me and my parents could possibly be. With that said, we stayed with him and being the heavy smoker that he is, his condo smells like smoke all the time and although he cleans a lot and tries to air out the place every time before we come, it of course still smells like smoke. Aside from dry throats and constant thirst, this usually doesn't bother me that much every time we stay there, however this time it really got to me. Before we left for Vegas, my allergies had been slightly bothering me and although I thought it would get better by the time we got to Vegas, it got worse...
A full on allergy attack is what I had the whole time being in Las Vegas!!
Aside from the typical dry throat and constant thirst. I developed a runny nose and every time I drove, which I did every time we went somewhere cause I played taxi driver for my family, my eyes began to water often. The constant blowing of my nose mixed with the cold weather started to dry the skin under my nose and I sounded like I was sick! I felt perfectly fine though. It was just allergies so I don't actually FEEL sick, I just SOUND sick.
On Saturday, I visited the Mountain View Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Las Vegas surprisingly just down the street from where my grandpa lives and it was interesting to see their more..... laid-back way of just running things? People there find wearing jeans and a nice top okay to wear and just the whole attitude is more laxed. There the discussions are more life testimonial and more... i don't know. It's hard to explain. At my church in Temple City, CA, it's a very conservative church where you get all dressed up shirt and tie or atleast dressy slacks and a dressy shirt. The discussion is a lot of bible lesson and more conservative. At Mountain View, there are some people with ear piercings (more than Temple City), more casual wear, and the discussion is more life realistic like "What if this happened in my life" or "I get mad very often and tend to be very impatient everyday at my work, to what extent is it a sin?" At Temple City, you'll get a sermon on Matthew 5:20. But you get the point I hope.
Sunday we visited a outlet center and I can get into all the details but what I really want to get at is the calling that I received during this trip...
Ever since I was an up and coming, fast learning and willing youth leader my freshman year in high school, I had always liked Steve Case and his writings in the Insight Magazine, a Christian Magazine for youth ranging within the High school age range. Steve Case, works with Maranatha's Ultimate Workout Youth World Mission program and has his own youth ministry called Involve Youth formerly known as Piece of Pie Ministries. I read a couple of his books and even saw him speak at a couple youth leadership conferences in Texas. I loves his ministry! His writings and teachings were a basis I would use as a resource for my leadershipping at my church.
Just this past summer I went on a mission trip as part of the Ultimate Workout program and sure enough Steve Case was there. Here I was, a guy who loved Steve Case's books and column in a youth magazine and here he was passing Steve almost every day in a small city in Ecuador.
After the offer of being a possible staff pick for next summer's Ultimate Workout, all I could do was wait... Wait until this month where I am supposed to find out more info about this up coming mission trip and whether or not I would be called to be a staff member/leader for this exciting new adventure.
The time came and Jump Start is right on my heels. Steve and I have been e-mailing each other these past two weeks just about bringing my guitar as I fly up to Sacramento. Of course willing, he then brings another issue to another up and coming leader and myself. He mentions that someone who was supposed to lead out in a break-out session at the Jump Start/Head Start program will not be able to make it and was wanting to know if this other participant and I could fill in with the topic being "First Timers".
WOW! Can you imagine? Here I am, a young youth leader, an admirer and Steve Case's works and now I'm being asked to help out in speaking and leading out a discussion at a Maranatha event? I was just sitting on grandpa's couch in las Veags with no internet. On my little phone checking my e-mail and I get the e-mail asking if we could fill in!
I'm not quite sure the specifics but I do know that it is a calling and it is definitely something I will be preparing for. I'm excited and I know I will grow spiritually from this. It will also help me grow as a young youth leader and I am looking forward to it.
I'll let you know when I know more on the topic. But until then, Head Start/Jump Start, up north in Roseville, CA at the Maranatha International Volunteers' office January 1-2, here I come! Happy New Year Everyone!
Being a church leader and being active with the youth at my church, I often times don't have time to take off on vacations or decide to visit another church whenever I want. And for the very few times that I do get to take off for some time away it is during the winter holidays or a couple weeks out of the summer. This long 5 day get away was a good breather to step back and just relax for a while and be in a stress-free without worry status. Not to say that being a church leader is stressful or worrisome at all! It isn't! It's just nice to meet new people and get away from the 'normal crowd' and 'normal situations' every now and then; the exact meaning of vacation.
We also visit my grandpa in Vegas quite often (we try at least 2 times a year) as a way of witnessing and outreach to him. Y'see, he's a heavy smoker, a heavy drinker, and a heavy gambler: The Big Bad Three. And so every time we go there we try to be the best christian examples as me and my parents could possibly be. With that said, we stayed with him and being the heavy smoker that he is, his condo smells like smoke all the time and although he cleans a lot and tries to air out the place every time before we come, it of course still smells like smoke. Aside from dry throats and constant thirst, this usually doesn't bother me that much every time we stay there, however this time it really got to me. Before we left for Vegas, my allergies had been slightly bothering me and although I thought it would get better by the time we got to Vegas, it got worse...
A full on allergy attack is what I had the whole time being in Las Vegas!!
Aside from the typical dry throat and constant thirst. I developed a runny nose and every time I drove, which I did every time we went somewhere cause I played taxi driver for my family, my eyes began to water often. The constant blowing of my nose mixed with the cold weather started to dry the skin under my nose and I sounded like I was sick! I felt perfectly fine though. It was just allergies so I don't actually FEEL sick, I just SOUND sick.
On Saturday, I visited the Mountain View Seventh-Day Adventist Church in Las Vegas surprisingly just down the street from where my grandpa lives and it was interesting to see their more..... laid-back way of just running things? People there find wearing jeans and a nice top okay to wear and just the whole attitude is more laxed. There the discussions are more life testimonial and more... i don't know. It's hard to explain. At my church in Temple City, CA, it's a very conservative church where you get all dressed up shirt and tie or atleast dressy slacks and a dressy shirt. The discussion is a lot of bible lesson and more conservative. At Mountain View, there are some people with ear piercings (more than Temple City), more casual wear, and the discussion is more life realistic like "What if this happened in my life" or "I get mad very often and tend to be very impatient everyday at my work, to what extent is it a sin?" At Temple City, you'll get a sermon on Matthew 5:20. But you get the point I hope.
Sunday we visited a outlet center and I can get into all the details but what I really want to get at is the calling that I received during this trip...
Ever since I was an up and coming, fast learning and willing youth leader my freshman year in high school, I had always liked Steve Case and his writings in the Insight Magazine, a Christian Magazine for youth ranging within the High school age range. Steve Case, works with Maranatha's Ultimate Workout Youth World Mission program and has his own youth ministry called Involve Youth formerly known as Piece of Pie Ministries. I read a couple of his books and even saw him speak at a couple youth leadership conferences in Texas. I loves his ministry! His writings and teachings were a basis I would use as a resource for my leadershipping at my church.
Just this past summer I went on a mission trip as part of the Ultimate Workout program and sure enough Steve Case was there. Here I was, a guy who loved Steve Case's books and column in a youth magazine and here he was passing Steve almost every day in a small city in Ecuador.
After the offer of being a possible staff pick for next summer's Ultimate Workout, all I could do was wait... Wait until this month where I am supposed to find out more info about this up coming mission trip and whether or not I would be called to be a staff member/leader for this exciting new adventure.
The time came and Jump Start is right on my heels. Steve and I have been e-mailing each other these past two weeks just about bringing my guitar as I fly up to Sacramento. Of course willing, he then brings another issue to another up and coming leader and myself. He mentions that someone who was supposed to lead out in a break-out session at the Jump Start/Head Start program will not be able to make it and was wanting to know if this other participant and I could fill in with the topic being "First Timers".
WOW! Can you imagine? Here I am, a young youth leader, an admirer and Steve Case's works and now I'm being asked to help out in speaking and leading out a discussion at a Maranatha event? I was just sitting on grandpa's couch in las Veags with no internet. On my little phone checking my e-mail and I get the e-mail asking if we could fill in!
I'm not quite sure the specifics but I do know that it is a calling and it is definitely something I will be preparing for. I'm excited and I know I will grow spiritually from this. It will also help me grow as a young youth leader and I am looking forward to it.
I'll let you know when I know more on the topic. But until then, Head Start/Jump Start, up north in Roseville, CA at the Maranatha International Volunteers' office January 1-2, here I come! Happy New Year Everyone!
Thursday, December 17, 2009
My Christmas List
Hello again!
So it has been a LONG while since my last post being that I was still in high school in an Economics class! But I thought to start writing here on my blogsite again...
This year is the first year in all of my life that everything on my Christmas list is EXPENSIVE! And when I say expensive I'm talking in the hundreds to thousands of dollars making this Christmas the year where I'll probably not get any of my Christmas wish list items... haha If not, only one.. Here is my wish list and their estimated prices!
- Electronic Grand Piano ($699 - $1899)
- New Small Sound Mixer/Sound Board with USB output capabilities ($149.99)
- J. Ferrar Mixed Wool Jacket ($200 on sale at JCPenney for $99.99)
- Fully-loaded 2010 Audi S5 ($55k)
- Extension of about 6 feet of my enclosed Patio ($40k)
- New Full Sized Pool Table ($2k-$3k)
- My own House -Particular areas in mind- ($600k-$1.8mil)
Happy.... Holidays?
-aaron nakamura
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