We arrived in Hawaii on Wednesday afternoon to start our tour of duty at Puu Kahea Conference Center in Waianae, Oahu. It is part of the Hawaii Baptist Convention and offers a place to have adult retreats, seminars, meetings, training events, worship experiences, children’s camps, youth camps, and prayer retreats. We will be here for two months doing cleaning, maintenance, yard work, dining room duty and other projects. We plan to have some fun too.
John & Lorrie, friends from home who moved here 13 years ago (middle & top right) met us at the airport to welcome us to Hawaii with beautiful flower leis. Andy & Ramona (top left), the camp directors, were in route to pick us up but were in heavy traffic due to a wreck on H-1. They gave us beautiful sea shell leis. After we got our baggage we all went to eat supper while traffic cleared up some. It took us approximately an hour to travel 5 blocks to eat. We were scheduled off on Thursday (our 1st day) so we could rest from the flight and look around. So we walked to the beach (6 blocks) for a beautiful view. Yes I wore my jeans and shoes but I took my shoes off so I could stroll in the water with my bride. We are way out in the Pacific and on this side of the island (west) the waves are very calm.
On Friday & Saturday we had to report for work. But before we could leave our cottage Billy had to show Ann how a golf cart works (now she’s a pro). Billy started the day off weed eating while Ann went through some of the rooms and made sure they were ready for arriving guest. She also cleaned the porches off from the grass cutting. After lunch and a little break we helped in the kitchen serving supper. Ann is working the serving area getting it stocked and then keeping check on it. Billy is in charge of beverages and dish washing. After a day off Sunday we were back at work on Monday morning. We cleaned the rooms that were used on Friday night as well as the main house. It didn’t take Billy long to remember why a mop is not his friend. But he is sure they will be on first name basis by January.
After church on Sunday, our day off, we road to the North Shore beach area. We made several stops. At the first stop (center and center left) the beach was so beautiful and folks were also surfing the big waves. Then as we wandered a few feet over this little girl keeps talking about seeing the turtles. On the beach were 12 LARGE turtles resting or sun bathing. Several more were still in the water. What a sight.
Then we went to the north end where we stopped and got shrimp & rice off a food truck. While eating Billy noticed an issue with the van. It had a pin hole in one of the radiator lines so we began heading back just in case.
We headed back south (top pictures and bottom left) and stopped at an area that had a coral wall around it. The water was calm inside and rough outside and suddenly the rough waves would break over the coral with amazing sights. Then it would run off the coral and into an area people were swimming and snorkeling. We saw several sites where waves were big and lots of surf boards but only a few in the water. It is amazing how calm the waves are here on the west side and how big and rough they are on the north. But hey “That’s the way GOD made it.”
As we are here in Hawaii serving GOD as we feel called, many of our friends and many more people we don’t even know are serving GOD in the north east following the destruction of Hurricane Sandy. We know they are doing it because they feel it is where GOD is calling them. We lift each of you up in prayer each day and say THANK YOU for serving.
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