Kona December 31 - January 6

Honeycomb Ginger

Kona December 31 – January 6, 2013

Aloha Auinala!  Good evening!

We are not sure about the weather where you are but it’s a very pleasant early evening here in Kona.  The weather this week has been somewhat chaotic here in Hawaii.  Our Kona weather has been very pleasant this week while the winds and rains have raised havoc on the islands of Oahu and Maui.  The weather service reported 6.48 inches of rain on the Ko’olau Mountains on Oahu in just 24 hours.  We have a drought here in Kona but that much rain in such a short time would overwhelm the island.

Our New Year’s Eve was spent at our Bishop’s family compound higher up the mountainside.  They invited all of our family to join in the food and festivities.  In true Hawaiian tradition, there was enough food for about three times the number of party-goers.  There were games for kids and adults alike which were particularly enjoyed by four of the young missionaries serving in our Stake.

Firecracker Strings being prepared for Midnight

Midnight was greeted by fireworks and a grand finale consisting of 6, 20-foot strings of firecrackers, strung up on a wire, sending out showers of sound and flashes for two full minutes.  I videoed the whole show with my smart phone but at 141MB, it’s too large to upload for your viewing.  You’ll just have to wait until we get home to enjoy this spectacle.  After the fireworks show we all enjoyed a Japanese tradition of a bowl of Saimin noodles, meat and vegetables as a toast for good health and prosperity in the New Year.

On New Year’s Day, the Temple President and his wife invited the rest of the Presidency, Missionaries and a couple of the Office Volunteers to their home for a Pot Luck dinner and an opportunity to enjoy the Aloha spirit.  Our son and his wife were included in the invitation and we all enjoyed a very special afternoon and early evening.  Because of my efforts in learning the Hawaiian language, Sister Mossman had prepared to teach us all a little Hawaiian chant or Oli, to further my training and give us all an insight into Hawaiian culture!

Chants have played a very important role in the Hawaiian culture.  Without a written language, the genealogy of Hawaiian na ‘Ohana (families) was kept in the form of a chant that was taught to a member of the family beginning at a very early age.  Considering that some Hawaiian genealogy preserved by these chants spans up to eighty generations, chanting was extremely important.

This Oli was a very short and simple chant that was often given for small ceremonies and even at the beginning of some event such as planting or building something.  I’ll give you the Hawaiian version and the English translation….

E HO MAI KA ‘IKE MAI LUNA MAE E

                       Grant us knowledge and insight from above

O NA MEA HUNA NO’EAU O KA OLELO E

The things of knowledge hidden in the language

 

E HO MAI, E HO MAI, E HO MAI A

Grant us these things

 

While we can say the words, the rhythm of the chant still escapes our English speaking tounges!

Our apartment is quiet again now that our son and his family left for Oahu adventures on Wednesday.  Reports from them indicate that in spite of the rain and strong winds, they had a great time.  Today, one part of the family leaves for the mainland in a few hours while our son and his youngest son leave for home tomorrow.

We had a wonderful time during their visit but made us miss all of our family.  During our P-Day, we all went to the City of Refuge to enjoy some Hawaiian cultural history and the scenery.  The one disappointment was that due to high surf along all west facing shores, a large part of the Park was closed for safety.  The waves cresting along the shoreline were in the 8-12 foot range in height.  They were dwarfed by waves in excess of 35 feet along the North Shore of Oahu.  It’s hard to underestimate the beauty and raw power of the ocean.  After being swept off our feet by a wave during a vacation in Kaua’i years ago, we take seriously the warning to “never turn you back on the sea.”

As with most of you, our Ward meeting times changed today from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM.  Along with the change in Sacrament meeting starting time, the time for choir practice changed to midafternoon.  We have enjoyed singing on the choir for the last eight months capped by the Christmas Program.  Since the Temple President has assigned us to join the Presidency in speaking in the Wards across the Big Island, we will be visiting and speaking at 10 different wards over the next three and a half months.  While we will miss the close friendships we have with our Ward members, we will enjoy meeting new people, many of which we have already met in the Temple.  This new speaking schedule will undoubtedly alter our Blog posting schedule on those Sundays we will be on the other side of the island.

This has been a very busy week in the Temple from the administrative perspective.  The end of the year brings not only the month-end reporting but also quarter-end and year-end reports.  On top of this, we are preparing for our annual Temple Review to be conducted by Elder Walker of the First Quorum of the Seventy and Executive Director of the Temple Department.  It is reassuring to know that we have been sent here to serve and this is all part of that service.  We are looking forward to meeting Elder Walker and enjoying his spirit and guidance.

We wish you all a very happy and healthy new year! We look forward to enjoying  the remaining few months of this wonderful Mission (well maybe all those ward talks????)!

Love and aloha from Paradise!