Summer 2014 Newsletter

Hello Everyone,

And Aloha from Hawai'i. Hope all is well. Thank you for praying for our family & all in Hawai'i during the recent Hurricane Iselle. As Pastor Joey said to me in an email 'God is so good, faithful & powerful!' He truly is, He protected us from what could have been harmful & devastating. While there was minor damages and flooding in some areas, no one was harmed. So thank you again for praying.

Below is our recent newsletter. Hope you enjoy reading.


Aloha,
Ricardo, Kristin
Timothy, Annikah & Esther

Aloha, I realized that I did not upload this initially. I do apologize. Have fun reading and seeing what the Lord is doing.

His,
Ricardo & Kristin

2014 NewsletterFinal by ricardo4jesus

Mele CHRISTmas

Aloha & Mele Kalikimaka (Merry CHRISTmas),

We trust that you are all doing well and are enjoying the Christmas season thus far. Christmas is my favourite time of year. I enjoy seeing the lights, decorations, Christmas trees, the nativities and just the joy the season brings. Most of all, I love reflecting on the Christmas story of how a perfect and Holy God gave the very first Christmas gift, His one and only Son, Jesus Christ, the baby in a manger, who grew up to be a man, lived a perfect and sinless life and willingly gave His life on the Cross so that you and I could be forgiven of our sin and enter into a relationship with Him. What a wonderful gift!

2 Corinthians 9:15 
"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift." 

As you celebrate the joy of His birth, let us also not to forget to share this joy with others who so desperately need the hope, joy and love HE freely offers them.

May each and every one of you have a
Blessed
&
Merry CHRISTmas

Isaiah 9:6

"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government shall be upon his shoulder, and his name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace."

Christmas Newsletter

Summer in Hawai'i

Aloha,

Hard to believe summer is over and we moving closer to the end of another year! Our Newsletter is up, so you can find out a little of what happened here this summer. Enjoy reading and Mahalo for being our partners in ministry. Have a blessed week! Aloha

Missionaries to Hawaii

Summer Beginnings

Summer 2013 Newsletter

Refreshing Times

Aloha,

It has been busy the last few months and I have been meaning to post an update but just have not found the time too. My family and I are currently in VA for a visit and it has been great having some down time, spending time with family, doing a little sight-seeing and sharing on the ministry in Hawai'i with our church family in VA. I initially came for the 2013 CEF National Conference at Ridgecrest NC, so our family decided to make the trip at the same time. It was a great conference and a great time of spiritual refreshment as I was able to hear the Word from gifted speakers, take part in workshops, fellowship with some old friends and make some new friends in the ministry. It was definitely an encouraging time and it put a lot of things into perspective for me.

Our family has been able to visit several of our supporting churches and share on the ministry. We share at two churches this Sunday, one being our home church Midway Baptist, before we make our return trip to Hawai'i on Monday.

The ministry in Hawai'i continues to grow. The Lord has allowed me to start 1 new Good News Club® at a local elementary school.

45 children are currently enrolled and at least 12 have accepted Christ! Our CYIA program begins the first week of June and we look forward to what HE will do in the lives of the precious children of Hawai'i. We hope to send our newsletter out or post online before our summer ministry begins, so you can read in more detail all that has been happening.

Thank you for your prayers for the sale of our house....the Lord has answered and it is officially SOLD! Praise the Lord!

Baby Esther is doing well. She is a bundle of joy and continues to have good health as she grows. Timothy and Annikah are enjoying time with Poppop & Beppe (Grandma & Grandpa in Dutch) and they love spending time with Uncle Matt and playing in the very big yard (8 Acres to be exact...lol).

Kristin is doing well as she also enjoys time with her family and we both appreciate the extra help with our 3 little ones :o).

I will try to post again soon, but until then the Lord's blessings and favor be upon each of you, ALOHA!

Psalm 16:8

I have set the LORD always before me. Because he is at my right hand, I will not be shaken.

January 2013 Newsletter

Aloha Everyone,

I trust that you are all doing well. Happy Belated new year to each of you and your families and I pray the Lord's richest blessings on each of you this year and always. It has been a busy month here in Hawaii. God has been continually opening doors for the ministry.We are seeing more children come to Christ and we are seeing schools open the doors for Good News Clubs to take place. We are seeing more churches contact us for training in reaching the children. Just last week the Lord opened a door for me to go to Maui for 6 days to do training ad pioneer the ministry of CEF on that Island.I spent 3 Days doing a training workshop with 27 church staff. 17 YWAM Discipleship Training Students from Norway, Switzerland, Ireland, Scotland and the United States also attend for one day and it was a tremendous blessing. Just today I received and email from the Pastor in Maui saying that a couple of the individuals took the training they received and went into one of the local communities. They used the Wordless Book to share the Gospel with the Children and 3 accepted Christ! What a blessing to see lives being transformed by the power of the Gospel. Thank you for supporting our ministry and making an impact for His Kingdom. Blessings to you guys. I have attached out news letter  for you guys to read. Hope you are encouraged by what the Lord is doing.

Mahalo nui loa

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou!

Hau'oli Makahiki Hou...in Hawaiian it means Happy New Year. It’s 10 days late, but I pray and that you will have a very Happy New Year as you continue to see all the great things HE will do, and all that you will learn. The Lord has been so faithful to our family in the past year and I know that He WILL always continue to be faithful to us. He has blessed us and provided for us in ways we cannot even begin to comprehend.

I remember growing up my teenage years, all my friends would as we say in Trinidad, 'bust a lime' ...which means go out or hangout and they would buy food and other things and sometimes I would not go because I knew I could not afford to buy anything and the times I did go, I just watched as everyone else enjoy a meal or something else. I even remember working an entire year just to save enough to pay for my first semester at University!  I grew up with very little and I remember one time just crying and asking God why can't I have a little extra to buy something? Why do I have to sacrifice and worry about finances in my teenage years?

But as I have learnt, God is Sovereign...HE is in control and all those years of sacrifices have helped me to continually trust the Lord in providing for my needs and that of my family. If I did not learn what it meant to sacrifice, I do not think I would have trusted the Lord to provide in the way that I do now or make the sacrifices we do as full-time missionaries.

I pray that this year you will not lose hope but you will continue to trust Him in everything you do, Continue to take those little or giant leaps of faith He may be asking you to, because as our family has seen… you not only grow closer to Him, but there is great blessings and great joy in doing so!

Happy New Year and God’s blessings to you!

Good News Fun

The Gospel can be fun! Can you tell?

Good News Club® Ministry

This is one of the new clubs started just a few weeks ago. This makes only 2 clubs in the entire state, of over 200 plus schools.

Your support makes clubs like this possible.

The Starfish -Ka Hôkû Kai

Once upon a time, there was a wise kupuna (elder), who went to the sea to contemplate. One day while walking along the shore, the kupuna looked down the beach, and saw a gracefully dancing human figure. The kupuna wondered out loud, "who would so joyfully greet this day with hula?" and began to walk faster to catch up.  Getting closer ...

the kupuna saw that the dancer was a keiki (child), who was not dancing at all. The keiki was reaching down to the sand to pick up something, and was gently throwing it into the sea. The kupuna called out to the keiki, "Aloha! What are you doing?"

The keiki paused, looked up and replied, "Throwing starfish into the sea." Surprised, the kupuna sputtered, "I guess I should have asked, "Why are you throwing starfish into the sea?"

The keiki smiled brightly, pointed upward and, with exquisite simplicity, replied "The sun is up, the tide is going out, if I don't throw them in they will die." "But don't you realize," asked the kupuna, "that there are miles and miles of beach and starfish all along it? You can't possibly make a difference!"

The keiki listened politely. Then bent down, picked up another starfish, and threw it gently into the sea, just beyond the breaking waves, and exuberantly declared, "It made a difference for that one."

To our friends and supporters, you have and continue to help us make a difference in the lives of the keiki and the people of Hawai'i. Every one person who hears the Gospel and responds makes a difference! Mahalo nui loa for praying and giving.

Matthew 18:14
"In the same way your Father in heaven is not willing that any of these little ones should perish."

Good News Club® Take 2

Aloha,

For the past few months we the staff of CEF Hawaii have been working to advance the ministry to the Keiki of  Hawaii. We have been training a team of committed Christians to effectively share the Gospel with Keiki and how to conduct a Good News Club® ministry. 

Today we launched the 2nd Good News Club here on Oahu. There are now 2 Good News Clubs in the entire state of Hawaii. This by far is not a large number, however, each club started allows a greater opportunity for the Keiki of Hawaii to here the Gospel and puts CEF Hawaii one step closer to  reaching Every Keiki on Every Island with the Gospel. 

Today we only had two keiki show up for this club, again this is not a large number, however, through an exciting club the Gospel was presented. When the club was over, those two keiki who attended club had made a first time decision for Christ. What a blessing! 

Going Back to School With God

Aloha,

The past few months have been busy.The Lord has provided multiple opportunities to not only share the Gospel but share on the ministry of CEF here in Hawaii. On October 10th my fellow missionary and I have had the opportunity to do a Good News Club® in a local school right here on Oahu. Each week we have the opportunity to share the Good News with about 7-10 kids. It has been a great time of fun and learning with these Keiki in Hawaii.

Our first Tsunami

Well we are preparing for our first tsunami here in Hawaii. The sirens went off twice already and as I write this is going off again.The first wave is expected to hit at 10:28pm HST (4:30am EST), so just about an hour again. According to the evacuation map, we are a few miles from the evacuation line. Please pray for all those here and who are in low lying areas.


A tsunami is a series of long ocean waves. Each individual wave Crest can last 5 to 15 minutes or more and extensively flood coastal areas. The danger can continue for many hours after the initial wave as subsequent waves arrive. Tsunami wave heights cannot be predicted and the first wave may not be the largest. Tsunami waves efficiently wrap around islands. All shores are at risk no matter which direction they face. The trough of a tsunami wave may temporarily expose the seafloor but the area will quickly flood again. Extremely strong and unusual nearshore currents can accompany a tsunami. Debris picked up and carried by a tsunami Amplifies Its destructive power. Simultaneous high tides or high surf can significantly increase the tsunami hazard. The estimated arrival time in Hawaii Of The First tsunami wave is 10:28 pm Hst Sat 27 Oct 2012 messages will be issued hourly or sooner as conditions warrant.


The Hawaii alert was issued at 7:09 p.m. after further buoy readings indicated that Hawaii could be impacted.

Initial reports indicate that a wave of around three feet is anticipated with Kahului likely to be impacted by a larger wave, possibly up to six feet.


The preliminary 7.7 magnitude quake was followed by another 5.8 magnitude quake in the same area roughly 10 minutes later. Another 4.8 magnitude quake struck just before 6 p.m. HST.



Read more: http://www.kitv.com/news/hawaii/Tsunami-warning-issued-for-Hawaii-10-28-p-m-expected-arrival/-/8905354/17164020/-/9r4uix/-/index.html#ixzz2AZoFDvd4

Fall 2012 Newsletter

Aloha,

Attached is our newsletter. Feel free to read and share with others. Also, please note my new phone number and if you would like to have our new address please email, call or text.

Ke Akua(God) Ho'omaika'i(Bless) Oe(You)!
Ricardo, Kristin,Timothy & Annikah


Fall Newsletter2012

CYIA 2012 Summer Video

Also check out our website at  www.cefhawaii.com  and find  us on facebook CEF Hawaii.

Mahalo

Aloha

Aloha friends and family,

It has been a while since our last update. I just wanted to let you know we are doing well. A lot has happened since our last update but I hope to post in more detail soon. Until then, continue to be blessed and be a blessing.

In His service,
Ricardo

Forever? Long?....No Just His Timing!

Aloha,

I hope you all got our newsletter, if not, you can read it here or let me know and I will email one to you. We still have not found a place of our own to stay. The pastor here at First Baptist in Hawaii has graciously allowed us to stay in a missionary room at a low cost until early fall. This gives us some more time to locate an affordable, family friendly apartment until we can get our house sold.

Hawaii is a very costly state to live in and we recognize this more each day with a limited income. It is a challenge, but God has been providing in small but sufficient ways for our needs. This is not to be complacent, but while our bathroom is across the church hallway and the kitchen is downstairs and which we can only use at specifed times,We are thankful that we do have a place to stay. It seems like forever to find a place of our own and we really miss the comfort of our own home in Virginia, but we know His timing is always perfect.

I have taken a temporary job at a bank here in Hawaii, so our family can have some extra income. It was not my desire to do so, but it is a way to meet our needs while still working to advance the ministry of CEF. Please continue to pray that we can raise the much needed support that is required so that we can focus fully on the ministry.

Just yesterday we went to a youth event at San Souci beach near Waikiki and as I was speaking with the pastor, and he asked to do a Good News Club® training at his church, WOW!! I did not even have to ask. He already knows 6 people who would be willing to do the training to reach the Keiki of Hawaii. So please pray that we can successfully complete this training as we plan to get it all organized in the next couple months.

Things are moving along slowly, but they are moving along and we look forward to seeing the Great things the Lord will do here. Mahalo for partnering for the Keiki.

Blessings to you all.


In His service,
Ricardo

♪1,2,3 Jesus Loves me♪

Aloha,

   It is hard to think that it has already been a month since we have been on the island, how time flies. It has been an exciting month though and Kristin and I continue to learn how to better trust the Lord each day. 

    Kristin has officially started her position as the Office Manager for CEF of Hawaii. She has been blessed with the opportunity to work from home which makes it a lot easier with Timothy and Annikah. I have also been busy with Day Camps and 5 Day Clubs, but I am enjoying my time with the children and the summer staff. It has been a good opportunity to see how things work here in Hawaii with respect to the ministry of CEF and also brainstorm ways in which it can grow and be improved to reach more keiki (Children).
 

      Below are just a couple of pictures of some kids who came to a 1 week day camp. They are showing the bracelets that my home Church, Midway Baptist made for them. We had 94 kids who heard the Gospel and 20 kids saved. The kids who attended are living in a transition home, because they have no other place to go.

      I was able to share the Gospel with three parents 2 of which hold to Mormon teachings and one who grew up in a southern Baptist church but stopped attending. Two of these parents have been greatly encouraged by their children who attended and are now looking for a church home. 

     The parent below with her daughter is searching for the Lord and I was used of the Lord  to share with her and pray with her. She has been studying the book of Mormon and doing a Mormon bible study...but has been searching for the Truth, Jesus Christ.  Her daughter in the picture came to club all week and she has been greatly encouraged by her daughter and wants to be able to help here understand God's Word, but she said she does not know how. I was able to give her the contact information for the Pastor of the church that sponsored our week of ministry.  I did some follow up with her and she said this about her daughter,

"Kaiulani (daughter) has been signing the songs your group taught her...we were going for a ride in the car and she burst out in song 1,2,3 Jesus loves me ♪ ♪...I looked at her and started singing along. It was simple but full of joy!! Thank You!"

Praise the Lord and please pray for Trisha & Chris and their daughter Kaiulani. I was able to direct them to the supporting church that sponsored our day-camp, so we will see where the Lord leads. 

Children listening to the Bible Lesson

Trisha & Kaiulani

Children showing their
bracelets made by
 Midway Baptist Church

   

Children showing  wordless book bracelet

Isn't it such a blessing to see what God is doing? Mahalo for your partnership to reach the keiki and people of  Hawai'i.

Aloha,

Ricardo

 

Newsletter

Aloha,

Attached, please find our newsletter for the start of the Summer. Also, in our newsletters we usually ask for prayer, however, we would like to pray for you specifically. So, please send request to us and we will make a commitment to pray for you. You can send them to mrandmrs_hosein@hotmail.com or you can text them to 434-258-6354 or call. We are excited to be here in Hawaii and begin the ministry. Thus, far we with the clubs that I have been working with, we have had 32 kids accept Christ as their Lord and Savior. Praise the Lord! Your support makes this possible. Mahalo nui loa (Thank you very much) and Ke Akua(God) Ho'omaika'i(Bless) Oe(You)!

In His Service,
Ricardo,Kristin, Timothy & Annikah


June Newsletter 2012