Amelia's Blog
Hometown: Kaneohe, HI
Major: Social Work
April 3, 2008
I can't believe I'm here for about a month more til I head back to Hawaii for the summer. The semester has gone by so quickly. Let's see. the last time I wrote, we talked about my practicum next semester-which I'm still super excited for.
Over Easter Break, the girls on my floor went to Table Rock Lake in Branson to enjoy the sites and company. We walked along the dam and a trail by the lake, which was nice. It was great to get away from campus for a while on a beautiful day at the lake.
Spring is here and it's a wonderful time to enjoy blowing bubbles outside. A bunch of girls and I went to Wal-Mart (there's a super being built close by.. whoo-hoo!) and bought bottles of bubbles and spent the evening creating a wonderland of bubbles and tossing around a Frisbee.
I admit that I'm really going to miss my friends here, but for now, I'll finish off the semester strong and enjoy the time I still have left here.
Til then, happy studying!
March 17, 2008
So I spent Spring Break on campus, which wasn’t half bad. I got a lot of work done that I would’ve been scrambling around to do this week if I hadn’t last week. I was able to job-shadow at the practicum site I was looking into. I also got to interview there and I am hopeful that I will be at that site during my senior year.
Spring Break… it SNOWED SEVEN INCHES!! Yes… I got to attempt to build a snowman… err, snow WO man… Also included was a little surprise I left outside the window of one of the girls on my floor (pictured)
This week is so busy. We’ve already had a concert with the band, which was really awesome. Pictured below are my suitemates (the two beautifuls on the right pictured with their lovely friends) and my suitemate and one of the funniest guys I know demonstrating the latest Concert Orchestra pose… funny kids!
We’re having our huge blow-out-college-day event, eu24! If you didn’t get a chance to come, you’re REALLY MISSING OUT!—seriously!
Senior year… we register for classes on Saturday. Senior year… I can’t believe it’s already in sight. When I was a freshman, I never saw myself at EU… and here I am today! It’s amazing what God’s done to unravel the plan I had for myself to reveal HIS plan and the steps HE wanted me to take. So here I am today wondering, “what next?”
There’s the Blood Drive today, another concert, and a CoffeeHouse event on Saturday that should be really awesome.
Daylight savings time started Sunday. We’re really enjoying that extra hour of sunlight.
Hey HIGH SCHOOL Seniors (and my fellow Evangel-ites): Get your FAFSA in ASAP! Free money is waiting for you! Also you work-studies… get your FAFSA in! If you need help, see or call the lovely people in FinAid to help you out!
Til then, a hui hou!
February 18, 2008
Yay for SNOW DAYS!
So this past weekend, there were so many events going on around the Evangel U Community. There was the Jammin' Coffeehouse on Friday, the Water Well Coffeehouse on Saturday (can you tell we love coffee??), and a church retreat from Friday-Sunday. I worked a catering gig at a church for a bunch of older people (old people are so cute!) who had their Valentine's Day event. They all wore red and drank so much decaf coffee-it was funny, to say the least! When I got back from the catering thing, I got back in time to see a couple friends perform at the Jammin' Coffeehouse, which was an event promoting Black History Month. I had another catering gig (an awesome way to earn extra cash) the next day for a group of students in an international/multicultural class. There were students in cahoots with the teacher that spoke only French to confuse the heck out of their English-speaking counterparts. It was hilarious watching the confusing abound as the students delved into a rabbit (yes) stew. Afterwards, I spent the rest of the afternoon/evening with my floor hanging out and getting off campus. I was bummed to miss the Water Well Coffeehouse, but heard it was really good. Quite a few friends went on the church retreat with Evangel Temple and came back with several stories of caving adventures and playing "murder in the dark" (I think that's allowed at Evangel.) Studying hard for a test, a couple of friends and I decided to take a break and head out to dinner at Cracker Barrel, where we got to share love with this waitress who was struggling with Carpal Tunnel Syndrome. I was so amazed at my friend's forwardness in offering to pray with her that she wouldn't need surgery and that she would be able to hold her grandchild when s/he was born-something I admit that I lose sight of being at a Christian college. Studying til some pretty late hours of the night, we called it quits and felt confident for the test the next day.
Only to find out that class was CANCELLED! PRAISE THE LORD FOR SNOW DAYS! I did a little happy jump (we don't do happy dances here. haha) in honor of not having to take my test. We didn't just have one day off, but TWO! Yes, we were without class for two days. Two days to stop and relax and just enjoy the stillness of life. I had the chance to help one of the girls on my floor touch up the painting on our floor. (I have concluded that painting is very therapeutic-yay for art majors) and in all the stillness, I had the opportunity to enjoy another "spontaneous tea party" (thanks mandy. I think we'll make it a habit) Yesterday, a couple girls and I had the chance to enjoy a lunch at the Thai House (my new favorite restaurant). They had this soup there that was just like the one my mom mustered up for me at home. ah, the comforts of home! It has been a while since I've had authentic Asian food. plus the service there was amazing. I would probably recommend people to come to Evangel just to have a Thai House experience, but I don't think my supervisor would buy that. (but hey, next time you're in Springfield, MO, go down there and try it-you won't regret it. oh yeah, and stop on by Evangel ;-) )
So with classes finally back in session, it's been a struggle to get in the swing of things and play catch up after missing two days of classes. I feel more productive with classes in session. I finally got my practicum applications in. Now, it's to working on those projects.
Now back to calling prospects. Til next time, a hui hou!
February 6, 2008
I can’t believe this Missouri-weather! It’s CRAZY! (but secretly, I love it!) So it snowed last week Thursday. Our supervisor let us go out and enjoy a few minutes of it—and enjoy it we did! As I write this, it’s thunderin’ in the background. We’ll be having a few days of rain, followed by some snow (I really hope for this). Just the other day, it was in the 70s and now we’re back down in the 40s! Crazy, I know!
This past Friday, we had a spontaneous tea party in Walther Lobby.
Other than that, I’m just enjoying the semester so far and still working on applying for practicum. I’ve decided to go into medical social work, which is an area I’ve always had a passion for.
Well, I must be getting back to calling all you prospects. Til then, enjoy the pictures!
January 25, 2008
The men’s basketball game against William Jewell was so thrilling! Students were chanting and cheering as the players rushed to and fro on the court. In the last few minutes of the game, the crusaders of EU struggled to stay just ahead of the Cardinals, crushing them in a final blow of 85-78. IT WAS INTENSE (to say the least!)
To kick off Spiritual Emphasis Week (which is this week), we had 24 hours of prayer in the chapel. Students and faculty could come and go as they pleased at all hours of the day and night to pray, sing, and just sit before the Lord. It was so encouraging seeing some of the lovely people I worked with (go TCs!) sing and share what was on their hearts for their lives, their friends, and EU.
Thank the Lord for Martin Luther King and his holiday! I got the chance to watch some of the girls on my floor play intramural basketball. They didn’t win, but it was fun nonetheless. I also got to watch some of my guy friends play in their intramural games as well, which was intense!
It’s good to be back in the swing of things. I have a practicum meeting later today and I just… marvel at the fact that despite the changes of plans I’ve had the last couple years, I can still press on toward something I’m passionate about: physical rehabilitation with social work. I’m excited and can’t wait for what God has in store for me to practice all the things professors have taught me here.
There’s an increasing emphasis on Faces of Forgiveness this week. The chapel speaker today spoke about the importance of forgiveness in our lives and the lives around us. God’s gonna do great things for us!
January 2008
Here I am—back for another semester at EU… Junior year in the social work program has been tough so far. Finals last semester were an experience that I can proudly say that I have put behind me. One of my instructors, Donna Washburn, noted that finishing off a semester is like finishing off a caseload and that starting a new semester is like getting another caseload (way to integrate the professional world with courses here at EU!)
I spent my break at home in Hawaii. I had to adjust to the temperature and time differences, which took some time. It was good to be home and feel the sand between my toes near an actual body of water… unlike the volleyball court outside Walther Hall after the rain ;-) Coming back to a series of tornadoes was an experience as well.
Although break went by very quickly, it’s good to be back for a new caseload… new faces… new friends… new courses to conquer! This semester has been interesting so far—and it’s only the first few weeks back! My courses are getting increasingly concentrated in social work, yet truly showing an integration of Christian values and faith—which is a quality not available at every educational institution.
It’s gonna be a great semester… I can just feel it!
November 2007
Although Homecoming was a pretty long time ago as I write this now, I still think it was a good time (even though we lost… don’t worry, we’ll beat Baker next year!). A lot of the floors dress up with their signature floor shirts and cheer their hearts out.
My floor, W1S won the homecoming floor competition with the events that we had all week (woot woot). We used that money to paint our floor. Check out a picture of our old wall… let me tell you, it’s a RELIEF to paint over the butterflies, bees, and geckos! Come check out our newly painted floor here when you get a chance. You will find that it is much improved!
Thanksgiving was pretty awesome! Being from Hawaii, I didn’t have the chance to go home, but I did have the opportunity to go and spend Thanksgiving with my friend, Alesha, and her wonderful family. So a word to the wise: if you’re from Hawaii, you could have the chance to go home with a friend or two over the breaks. I can’t tell you what a blessing it was to have a home cooked meal—several at that. It also SNOWED (I am amused by snow… what can I say? We don’t have that in Hawaii!) While we were in Michigan, we walked along this pier and it was FREEZING and the water was spilling over on to the sidewalk! I thought it was funny watching my friends scream when water washed up on the sidewalk. As you can see in the picture, it required lots of STARBUCKS! ß by the way, we now have a Starbucks on Glenstone, which is a hop, skip, and a leap away from EU (for all you coffee lovers). The drive there and back was really long, but totally worth it.
So now that I’m back from break, it’s come down to CRUNCH TIME with all the projects and final papers. It’s been a bit stressful, to say the least, but there’s only a couple more weeks of this craziness. Wish me luck on that and I’ll let you know how it goes!
Until then, a hui hou!
October 2007
Wow, it’s been a while since I’ve done one of these things. So much has happened since my summer adventures. I worked a majority of the rest of the summer waiting on tables. Before I left, I took one last drive around the island, taking in all the sights before I came back. One stop that I’ll never forget was at this beach called Lani’akea. There were Green Sea Turtles swimming up to the shore and basking in the sand… sometimes I miss it.
I came back early to help prepare for the New Student Orientation. It was a full week of training and preparation for the incoming students, and also a time to get to know some pretty awesome people I met last year. It was a BLAST doing NSO… meeting people was my favorite part!
Classes got into full swing and that’s where I am today. I have decided to crunch my sophomore and junior year social work classes together so I can graduate within the next couple of years. I’m also doing some volunteer work around the community, which provides new experiences for me every day. I can’t say the workload has been easy, but I can say that I’m learning so much about how God wants me to incorporate my faith into what He’s called me to do.
Spiritual Emphasis Week was last week and the speaker, Herbert Cooper, was AMAZING! It was nice to hear what an EU alum had to say into our lives.
It’s great to be back. I’ve missed everyone over the summer.
July 2, 2007
Aloha from Hawaii!
So it's already the end of June and we've been out of school for almost two months now. I can't believe it's less than two months til I head back to Springfield for another wonderful year at EU. Time has flown so fast since being back in the islands...
Since I've been home, I went on quite a few hikes, getting to know the island I've grown up on. Here's a view from Aiea Loop Trail, which is a 4 1/2 mile hike that winds around a freeway that I frequently drive through when traveling to town. Another one I hiked up couple times was Diamond Head, pictured below with a view of West O'ahu.
Being away in Springfield has given me a growing appreciation for having a home in Hawaii. I've also been to the beach a couple times to just... go to the beach, I guess. Here's a view from one of the beaches I frequently visit called Lanikai Beach.
A large part of my summer thus far has been dedicated to working like a maniac to help offset costs during the upcoming school year. As mentioned earlier, I've been waiting on tables at a local restaurant here, which has been a blessing in disguise :)
A couple weeks ago, a couple cool kids from EU flew in for a wedding on one of the neighbor islands and stopped on Oahu on the way. Lemme just tell you that friends coming in from out-of-state is the best excuse to play tourist! (*hint, hint!) Here's a picture of Cody, Jordan, and my friend Trenton at the Polynesian Cultural Center.
Although I really LOVE being home, I can't help but miss a lot of the amazing people I've met in my first year at EU...
oh well... I guess I'll see most of them in less than TWO MONTHS!
West O'ahu
Cody and Jordan at Kualoa Beach Park
Lanikai Beach
Cody, Jordan, and Trenton at the Polynesian Cultural Center
April 25, 2007
These past weeks have been CRAZY! This past weekend, a group of friends and I went to Jordan Valley Park and just goofed around—it was a great de-stressor from the craziness I’ve encountered with school, school and more school. I was able to finish that paper on VitalStim and had the presentation on it during this past week, which went really well! Most of my final projects are done, and I still have one last paper to write about fixing the Education System. I have only two finals next week (Praise the Lord for that!), and I leave sometime after EU’s graduation ceremony. The one thing that I’m NOT looking forward to is the flight home with tons of layovers…I hope there isn’t much turbulence!
A funny thought came to me in a conversation with a friend the other night. I was reminiscing on how I came to Evangel and how I had never thought I would come to a Christian college and have my life changed in such a great way by finding out more of who God is and meeting lifelong friends. It’s amazing what God has in store for us! If someone would’ve told me a couple years ago that I would be packing up my bags and heading to the Midwest, I would’ve thought they were crazy! But here I am today… writing to all of you J
In less than two weeks, I’m heading home back to HAWAII! This summer, I’m going back to my regular job of waiting tables at a little local restaurant to earn money for school and a car (so wish me luck with that). I’m also going to try and go back to teaching Children’s Church while I’m at my home church. Although I was just there during Spring Break, I’m practically counting the days until I will be back home with family again. I will miss all of my friends here a lot, but time will go by quickly. This will be my last blog for the spring, but I’ll be back in the fall with stories of adventures from home.
Until then, A HUI HOU! (See ya later!)
April 2, 2007
Spring Fling was this past weekend and it was HILARIOUS! There were lots of bands playing different types of music along with short video clips highlighting some of the events that had happened at Evangel this past semester like the ice storm and minor power outages that we’ve had. One of my favorite videos was done by Dan Moffatt—he “educated” students on survival methods in the event of a storm or outage—it was ABSOLUTELY THE FUNNIEST THING YET!
Earlier that day, I had to do a little community service for my behavioral sciences class at Maggie’s Thrift Store, which is a part of the Missouri Hotel—which is an outreach for the homeless population in Greene County. With hands from MSU and Drury, we were able to transport dozens AND dozens of heavy boxes of charity items, and also paint a part of a building that would be an extension of Maggie’s.
Later that day, before Spring Fling, a couple of friends and I went to eat at Q’doba, which is a pretty decent Mexican restaurant in town. I’d have to say that it was pretty good… not as good as Chipotle though. But that’ll be the day when Chipotle comes to Springfield…
Earlier today, I went to St. John’s Hospital to interview a case manager about what she does in the physical rehabilitation department. Walking down the hall and seeing all the patients in the therapy room really stirred my heart because I would ultimately like to work with these people and help them get the resources that they need to get the best care possible. I was so encouraged to see a patient walking across the parallel-bars with all they had. I have an unexplainable peace, which can only be attributed to God, about working with people in physical rehabilitation. I’m glad that EU is providing me with this opportunity to go out and explore different fields and find the one that suits me most.
This week is going to be a pretty mellow week because the busy-ness of midterms and Spring Fling are over, and now it’s time to work on those final projects. One paper that I’m kind of excited about (me? Excited about papers?!) is about a speech therapy treatment called VitalStim. It’s a treatment for people who have difficulty swallowing. What VitalStim does is that it uses little e-currents to stimulate the muscles to help a person to swallow and can even help them to talk. It’s exciting for those who have forgotten how to talk due to stroke, brain injuries, or throat/neck cancers.
Well, it’s time to hit the books!
March 20, 2007
Aloha All!
Spring Break was AMAZING! I got to go home with a friend and spend a week under the Hawaiian Sun! It was definitely a blessed trip, despite the constant turbulence on the planes (at one point, I thought the plane was going to crash!). I got to eat a lot of local foods that I just can’t get in Springfield and catch up with old friends. Don’t get jealous, but my favorite moments were just laying out at Lanikai Beach and Waimanalo Beach Park, where I got mildly burned and a very dark tan. I still miss the shave ice, (they call them snow cones here, I think) and I’m thinking about it a lot as I type this. I was also able to find a summer job so that I can go home and make money to get a car next semester.
Although the trip was great, I’m pretty stoked to be back here. This last week was a bit crazy with CRUSADER DAYS, but it was a BIG SUCCESS! There was a minor set back of a power outage that we had the day before that cancelled many classes, but Crusader Days was still a success. I encourage everyone to come and check out Evangel University during that time or come through Bed and Breakfast Days. I came through the Bed and Breakfast Days and I ABSOLUTELY LOVED IT, because it gave me a chance to experience college life and meet friends that I still talk to while I’m here.
This week has honestly been a bit stressful with a lot of papers due and a lot of tests, but I know that if I work through everything the best I can, it’ll all work out. I’m reminded of Phil 4:13 where it says that “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” He has definitely given me a lot of strength for this week.
February 25, 2007
This past week was really busy for me! I had finished a lot of my mid-term papers, which was a HUGE burden off my shoulders. Plus, with the gorgeous weather outside, I couldn’t resist sitting outside my dorm after classes. Walther Hall (my residence hall), is right next to the sand volleyball court; this was the closest “island experience” that I’ve had here!
On Thursday night, we had Mr. EU, which is a funny version of a beauty pageant for guys. It was HILARIOUS! One of our student telecounselors, Brandon Montoya, blew everyone away with his stellar performance.
The weekend was pretty sweet as well. On Friday, I got to prepare some snacks from Hawaii and share it with friends and watch a couple movies in a friend’s room. Saturday, I made myself a fleece blanket (thanks to some friends) and worked on some homework. In the evening, the girls on my floor and I went to the men’s basketball game. Our Crusaders were playing against the Benedictine Ravens (our FB homecoming rivals). The game was so intense! The Crusaders were ahead for the most part of the game, but Benedictine wasn’t far behind them. The game was so close and the crowd was so excited! In the last minute, the score was so close, but our Crusaders did prevail with a score of 84-81.
This week, there are a bunch of midterms and I’m off for a week at home! I just need to get through this week and it’ll be smooth flying—literally!
February 2007
Aloha, my name is Amelia, and I’m a transfer junior from the University of Hawaii. I’m from a little town called Kaneohe on the island of Oahu. I am a Social Work major with a minor in Biopsychology. People ask me all the time why I chose Evangel University over the sandy beaches and tropical climate; I honestly wouldn’t have it any other way (winter weather and everything). I survived my first real winter here, which was AMAZING! My experience here as a student has made me grow to be the woman of God He has intended me to be. I originally heard about this school from a friend I grew up with; Evangel had changed his life, and I had hoped it would change my life as well—indeed, it did! Although this is my first year at Evangel, there have been many wonderful memories made in the dorms, classrooms, and off-campus as well. I love student life here and am greatly encouraged by friends, faculty, and staff. I am currently involved in a campus organization called PRIDE, which stands for Promoting Racial Integration and Diversity at Evangel. I am the Asian-American representative for that, and I’m excited to enlighten others about the Asian culture. My favorite memory this school year was when our Crusaders won an INTENSE Homecoming game against the Benedictine Ravens this past fall. One of the things I love (and sometimes hate) about Springfield is that the weather changes every couple of days—so if you get tired of one type of weather, it’s bound to change sooner or later!