Photos from Hawaii

Cont ... Week 2

Sunday 1st June

Sunday morning rolls around and the convoy are on the road nice and early, this time, heading down to Kailua-Kona area to attend service at the Cavery Community Church in Kona. It is about 1 hour 20 mins drive from Makapala. Roads are good and pretty much straight all the way. Along the we way we pass old lava trails were the lava had hardened are turned to rock. It hits home to some of us that we are on top of living, breathing volcanoes and they are continuously spitting out lava. These are gods creations and only he controls them.

We arrived at Calvery Church and service was just about to get going. It was a very lively service. The church is not a conventional church with 4 walls, in fact it has no walls, but in it's very design lay it's beauty. As you sit in this incredible church, gods wonders are layed out before you to gaze at while you worship with no walls to stop you. Because it does not get cold like in NZ, walls are not really needed. There is drop down covers for when the rainy season comes but even then, we are told it is still quite warm.

Service got underway with song followed by communion and then various people from the congregation taking parts of the service, all the while, music continuosly playing. The service flowed from begining to end.

After service we went to the University of nations in Kailua. We drove through the security checkpoint and the up the winding internal, tarsealed roads. Then all of a sudden the seal ended and we were on dirt roads. A little bit futher and the roads started to become potholes. Where were we being taken? After about 3 minutes, (or what seemed like minutes) we rounded a corner to find what could only be described as a large portacom like building. The convoy stopped and jumped out. We had packed lunch in the morning and this was to be the place that we were having lunch.

Turns out this was the birth place of Island Breeze and the hangout for all the young poly's in the "coff coff" '80's who were here on DTS and assignment with YWAM.

After lunch we went inside to the lovely air conditioned environment. (It was pushing about 29 deg outside by this time) Inside we introduced ourselves and kahu (pastor) Kealoha spoke about some of the history at Calvery and of the University of Nations. Diane who was from up north but worked at the uofn, also spoke about upcoming DTS opportunity's and how it was desired that more Kiwi's, especially maori, come to the Universtiy of Nations to do their DTS.(Their had been no Kiwi's on the last DTS intake)

We had a couple of hours freetime to have a look around before heading over to home of John & Jill Nu’uali’ita for dinner and man what a dinner it was. When we got there, dinner was just about ready. (We had an uncanny knack of turning up just intime for a feed :-) We spent a bit of time fellowshipping with some of the whanau living in Kona. The ranagatahi were playing pool and playstation with some of the ranagatahi from Kona as well as watching a movie. Some old friendships were also re-ignited. Dinner was ready and talk about multi-course. So much food. We learn't a new saying on the island. "Do'nt eat until your full, eat until your pito pop's". And this we surely did.

We had speeches and sharing time, then Jill came home with more food. By the end of the night it was very hard to drive back to Makapala as we were so full. A big Kia Ora to Nu Nu, Ben, John, Jill & Annie and all the whanau for an awesome dinner.

Monday-Tuesday 2-3rd June

Monday & Tuesday heralded in a time for work back at Makapala. The retreat had been hit hard by the earth quake a year before so we tried to help were we could. The whanau undertook Painting, floor laying, leaf and ground clearing and various other chores to help out around the place.

The men also went up to a local whanau farm were they have grown taro for over 150 years. They were welcomed onto the property in the hawaiian way and the tane responded with a haka. They got to work building a dam and re-routing a irrigation channel down to a taro patch. The whanau were very thankful and put on a lunch for the tane afterwards.

Wednesday 4th June

Wednesday started early as we made our way back to Kona where we were to be based for the rest of our stay.

Our time in Hawaii was starting to draw to a close with only 3 days left in this beautiful island paradise and some of the whanau were starting to feel it but god had a few more suprises in store for us yet, before we were to head back to aotearoa.

The morning started with a visit to "E kula o ehunuikaimalino" located in kealakekua. A Hawaiian style kura kaupapa. Students here are taught in both english and hawaiian and the difference between them and other schools stood out. These tamariki knew who they were, where and who they had come from and as such were confident in themselves and their future. We were welcomed by the tamariki and kaiako of the kura before heading into the lunch room were we were to perform. We were now use to perfoming and launched into our routine while interacting with the crowd that was there. At the end, tane closed with a haka which brought the house down. (Figuratively speaking) We were then allowed to ask them some questions. Nathaniel asked the question "You guys have a Ha'a, can we see it". The rangatahi didn't turn to the kaiako for permission but looked to each other, then without hesitation got up. Words can even begin to describe what took place next but it was awesome. The tane ranagatahi got up, came to the front, formed up and launched into an awsome ha'a. The power and the passion came through and up until now, we hadn't experienced anything as strong and pasionate. This was the followed by an equally inspiring hula by one of the Wahine Rangatahi to the hymn "O 'Oe Io". Ka mau te wehi. The level of knowledge within the ranagatahi and their willingness to take responsibility is direct reflection on the quaility of their pouako. I am sure we were already looking at some of the future leaders of Hawaii.

Once finished another lunch was put on for us. We were starting to recognise some of the Hawaiian kai by this time, but still ate to much. After we finished lunch we basically broke up and "floated" around the school mixing with the whanau of the kura. The exchange was benefical for both the tamariki and the kura. Our tamariki were playing with the tamariki of the kura, we were mixing with both the adults and the senior ranagatahi of the kura who were very talented and would spontanously burst into music every so ofter. This would turn out to be one of the highlights of the trip for some of us.

Then it was back to Calvery community church for a meeting and prayer after which we had a bit of freetime before meeting and being welcomed onto the Unitversity of Nations campus where we would be staying for the next 3 days. We were welcomed on in a formal ceromony called a "protocol". It was much like our own powiri but lead by the woman. On completion of the protocol, we were issued our keys and shown were we would be staying. God looks after his people and this was no exception. The quaters we were given were normally reseved for visiting lectures. Some had great views of the moana and all were very comfortable. We went for dinner then settled in for the night. Some went shopping, some went for a walk, some just kicked back and relaxed after a very long and satisfying day.

Thursday 6th June

Living on campus has it's plusses. We woke and headed up to the catering building to join the rest of campus for breakfast. Yep, no dishes, just eat, talk and take your dishes up when finished. After breakfast we came together for devotion time. Sonny opened with a reading from Deuteronomy and then asked the question "Has god kept his end of the bargin?". Lively debate followed, what bargin? what's man's part in it? The consensus was he has kept his end of the bargin, man is the one who needs to keep theirs. We need to allow the lord do work in and through us to allow him to keep his part of the bargin.

After devotion the ladies headed off for a bit of lady time (aka spend, eat, spend) while the tane took the kids down to the beach for a quick swim. We were suppose to meet back at lunch time as an umu was being put on for us by the local whanau to celebrate our visit. The men sensing that the umu was just about ready, (We looked at our watches and it said 12 'o clock) headed back to the Uni to meet up at the pre-aranged meeting spot were the umu was put down. Just like clock work, I mean you could set your watch to it, the men arrived. 1/2 an hour went by, no women, 3/4 of an hour later still no women. By this time, even the pig was telling us he was cooked so time to pull the umu out and again we feasted, cooked to perfection. Once we had completed our first course, the ladies decided to grace us with their presence. They had been all over town and enjoyed themselves feasting on huge mud cakes and ice cream. They to sat down and tucked into a fine meal. Some more speeches and we gave thanks to our hosts again. They had really looked after us while we were in kona and we couldn't thank them enough.

The afternoon was freetime and shopping.

In the evening we were invited to the graduation ceremony for 3 students who had gained their degree's in various pursuits. During this time, one of the biggest storms most of us had ever seen, hit kona. Flooding, thunder, lighting all hit at once. This did not deter the University which continued on with the ceremony. At one part, the gathering were singing "How great thou art" and as they sang "I see the stars, I hear the rolling thunder" as if on que, a huge thunder clap hit. This brought everyone to their feet in amazement and clapping. The lord could not have timed it better. That night we met people from all over the world including a lady from a place called Whangarei. Anita was just completeing her DTS and was about to ship out to Johannesburg with 15 others. She was so happy to hear another kiwi accent. All in all, a great night.

Friday 4th June

Well it was our last day in Hawaii and we were determined to enjoy it. We started the same as yesterday, by having breakfast with the campus, then we had morning devoition with Christine. She spoke about detours and diversions and how they can lead us on different paths. We disscussed this amongst ourselves and how in our daily lives we allow these to affect us. This was a nice way to round out our devoitions for this trip. After devotion we spent the morning cleaning up.

In the evening we headed down to The King Kamehameha hotel and a luau that was put on by Island Breeze. This was familiar ground for some of the leaders of the roopu. The show basically took the audience on a trip around the pacific visiting the various peoples of the pacific. Marina was asked to come up and sing during the Maori segment of the show as she had been part of the team that wrote it. During the show waves were crashing on the rocks which just added to the spectacle. Add to this, another excellent meal and the whanau had again had their full and been blessed by the lord.

For most this was our last night in Hawaii. We decided that it was fitting to have our poroaki down on the beach outside the King Kamehameha hotel. There was quite an emotional time with outpourings during this session and most of the whanau had felt we had achived what we were there for. "To be a blessing to the Hawaiian people". In a lot of ways, they had also laid blessings on us.

As most were flying our early in the morning we decided to get in one more quick shop. So 10:30pm at night we went out for a couple more hours of shopping. We were sad to be leaving the next day, but also looking forward to getting back to our home grounds. We had come together as a whanau and these ties would not be broken. For a lot of the roopu it was the first time to Hawaii but it was definitely not the last ....

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