Derek Mejia

  1. How long did you serve at Makanalani?
    • I served with Makanalani for their first full summer intern session. I would have stayed longer if I didn’t have to go back to school in the fall. Rip.
  2. How do you feel your time here at Makanalani impacted you and your walk with Christ?
    • It’s really amazing how little habits can make a huge difference. Makanalani showed me how important it is to engrain quality time with God into every day life. This impacted my relationship with Jesus because it showed me how to truly love and serve others like Jesus did. I won’t ever forget my summer there and the mornings we would drink coffee and read our bibles on the Lanai.
  3. Why would you recommend Makanalani to other young adults?
    • It’s such a fun experience! I remember telling myself when deciding to go to Kauai, would I have this same opportunity later in life? I’d recommend Makanalani to other young adults because the internship is so unique, and I was stoked to be able to go, live on island in community with other amazing believers and serve alongside.
  4. What was your favorite memory from your internship?
    • I’d have to say my favorite memory of the internship was our first Ohana Day, because I felt like all the interns really bonded that day and I knew the summer was going to be so much fun!

Andrea Connolly

  1. How long did you serve at Makanalani?
    • I served at Makanalani for one session in summer of 2018.
  2. How do you feel your time here at Makanalani impacted you and your walk with Christ?
    • Makanalani seriously changed my life. It helped me grow closer to God by having a close community of believers around me and doing devotional, having our own worship nights, and night were we got to share out testimonies and share a mini sermon. God worked a miracle over there in me and it will always be my second home.
  3. Why would you recommend Makanalani to other young adults?
    • I would recommend Makanalani to any adult that truly wants to experience an adventure, make amazing memories, and have a forever family of friends. Makanalani is too good to pass up.
  4. What was your favorite memory from your internship?
    • My favorite memory is having Ohana days with all the interns and when we all went to Ho’opi falls to jump the waterfalls. The people I served my summer with are people I will never forget and I love very dearly. They changed my life.

Emily Halbert

  1. How long did you serve at Makanalani?
    • I served at Makanalani for 6 months. I knew going into the first session I wanted to stay for two sessions, but I was pretty hesitant leaving for so long. My first day of getting to the island I immediately fell in love and I knew it was a place I was going to stay for awhile. The island is just so beautiful and a constant reminder of how amazing God is, the people that serve Makanalani are all so welcoming and make the island and the intern house feel like home right away, and the work we do is just so much fun. It’s such a great mix of hard work and chill island time. It was just what I needed after college. 
  2. How do you feel your time here at Makanalani impacted you and your walk with Christ?
    • I think just going all in and doing the internship right out of college (literally my plane left 4 days after I graduated) impacted my walk with Christ. Just learning to give all my anxiety and fear to Him knowing that I was going for a reason and trusting Him through that. The second I landed in Kauai I just had this overwhelming sense of peace that that’s where I was supposed to be. Now going through day to day life it’s been easier to listen and trust Him like I did heading into the internship.
  3. Why would you recommend Makanalani to other young adults?
    • I would recommend Makanalani to other young adults for the experience, the growth, and the community you gain. The experience is like no other. Getting to live on an island for three months exploring new places, learning the culture, and just slowing down from the typical mainland mindset is amazing. It’s truly a one of a kind experience that you really only get to take advantage of at this time in life as a young adult. The growth is so obvious you will feel like such a better version of yourself and you will be able to see growth in the other interns you serve with. Just serving the Lord for three months will do that but on top of the quiet times, the small groups, the devotions… Its just so good if you’re in a time of life where you feel stuck in your faith. Lastly, the community is amazing. I now have lifelong friends around the country that I have made such great connections with its like we’ve known each other our whole life. You’re surrounded by people who care about you, who want to see you grow, and who want to just have fun and serve the Lord.
  4. What was your favorite memory from your internship?
    • Oh my gosh this is hard, I have so many! The first time I got to herd sheep was wild. That was my childhood dream and not something I would have ever thought I would do in Kauai. Then raising a baby sheep, Randy, who was the most adorable little baby lamb in the world. Working at JoJo’s was so much fun, probably the best job I’ll ever have. I remember a couple getting so mad that our shave ice combo “Banana Split” wasn’t actually a banana split (which I don’t know why that’s my favorite memory, it was just so funny to me). Also getting to work shifts with my girl Lo was always a blast, or dance parties whenever Noah was working a shift. Island wise, towards the end of the second session a small group of us found a beach that was totally secluded. You walked across coral for like a quarter mile before you got to this small strip of sand surrounded by tropical forest. It was surreal. There was another beach we swan through a cave to get to a place where we could swim with sea turtles. That was awesome. BUT I think my all time favorite memory was when we did a white elephant gift around Christmas time and I ended up getting a pair of tiny hands and I wore them around everywhere for like a week.