Aaaand...back to Cali Again :)

It's been an interesting week in Hawaii. Here are a few of the highlights:

4/16- Arrived in Honolulu and immediately flew to the "Big Island", where we were scheduled for a concert the next day.

4/17- Performed a concert at a church in Kona. It was interesting, because I felt a sense of opposition to our message that went beyond the response of the crowd, which was mostly favorable. I couldn't quite put my finger on it. I was later reminded that Hawaii has a long history of paganism and false religion and that the true gospel has not penetrated deeply here. There are many churches there and even fewer that preach the gospel. Through different experiences, it became clear that the kingdom of darkness was aware of our presence there. It was a bit unnerving, but it caused each of us to depend more on the Lord and to remember that we aren't on vacation. This place is deceptive because the beauty of creation is so in your face that you can be easily tempted to think that this is paradise. The irony is that, without question, this is one of the most spiritually dark places I've visited. Praise God that nothing can stop the advancement of His kingdom through the preaching of the gospel!

4/19- Worshiped at a church in Kona. It was a blessing to sing familiar songs with the people of God such a long way from home. It was very diverse ethnically and we also got to witness a baptism in the ocean.

4/21- We left Kona and flew to Maui.

4/22- We went to a Bible study at a local church, where we shared some music and took turns teaching on the gospel and its implications.

4/23- We shared more music in a youth service at one of the bigger churches in Maui.

4/24- We had an opportunity to do music at the biggest public school in Maui (1,700 students). It was on their lunch break in the main courtyard area of the school. It was pretty tense as we proclaimed the supremacy of Christ over beats. They told us we couldn't "preach", but I don't think they realized that our music does nothing but "preach"! At one point, I thought they were going to shut us down. When I did "Jesus is Alive", you could hear a pin drop! The Lord provided an open door through the gospel and gave us the grace to walk through it. The highlight of the trip for me so far.

4/24- this evening- We'll be performing our main concert tonight before heading to Honolulu in the morning. We have two more shows this weekend, and then it's back to Southern California on Monday.

Here's our schedule of events for next week:

When: Thursday- April 30 7:30pm - 9:30pm
Where: The Master’s College
Swixon Lawn (The Master’s College)
21726 Placerita Cyn. Rd Santa Clarita, CA
Cost: Free

When: Friday- May 1 7:00pm
Where: Inland Church
1101 Glen Avenue
Pomona, California
Cost: Free

We're working on doing something on Skid Row on Saturday, but it's not firm yet. I'll give more details when I find out more.

All in all, it's been an amazing trip. Difficult, but good. I'm missing my home church. When I get back, I will have been gone for about a month. I've definitely felt my need for the Lord here in the face of some blatant opposition and spiritual warfare. He has shown Himself to be faithful. It's been very encouraging to fellowship with His people. It seems that the Lord may be planting the seeds for revival in these islands. What a privilege we have to proclaim the excellencies of Christ!

grace and peace,
shai

Off to Hawaii

In the morning, I'll be flying out to Hawaii with deejay essence and Json for a stretch of concerts and speaking engagements. We'll be there from April 16-26 (and returning to Southern California for the week of April 27th)We have concerts/ events on the Big Island on April 17, Maui from April 22-24 and Honolulu on April 25-26. I look forward to connecting with the Lampmates in Hawaii again. Shoots!

grace and peace,

shai

Southern California Concert

To all those in the L.A. area: I have a few events coming up. I'll be performing in concert at the end of April and also this upcoming weekend. I'll let you know more about the event at the end of April in another post. Here are the details about this weekend:

Date: Friday, April 10th

Place: The Way Out Student Center

Address: 22427 Norwalk Blvd. Hawaiian Gardens, CA 90716

Time: Doors open at 7:30pm

Cost: Free

Feel free to bring unsaved friends/ family members. I hope to see you there!

grace and peace,

shai

Family Life Today Interview

It's been a while since my last post. Thanks to all who have encouraged me to continue with the blog. My computer issues have been resolved, so I hope to get back to blogging regularly. I want to let you know about an interview I did with Family Life Today that aired recently for a new podcast that they have. The podcast is called Ear Reverent and is hosted by Bob Lepine, the co-host of Family Life Today. Having listened to their show on Christian radio since I got saved, I never would have imagined that I would be on it! I had an opportunity to share concerning the history of Hip-hop culture, my personal testimony and lyrical theology. I think this may be good to play for people who are either skeptical about Christ-centered hip-hop or unfamiliar with the genre. You can find a link to download the interview here. Feel free to leave comments about the interview.

grace and peace,

shai