Our Research Office Ohana

Debbie Chris and our wonderful students:
Tsai-Yi from Taiwan, Tiffanie from Missouri, AJ from the Philippines, Debbie from Hong Kong 

I discovered about a month ago that NONE of the girls in our office (there are four) had ever seen Wizard of Oz!!!!!  What!!??  So Wednesday I came home early and cooked and cooked ha ha.  I cooked the food and I kind of cooked myself as I sweat in the hot kitchen.  We had a wonderful evening with dinner and a movie (W of Oz) and bonded with our office Ohana.  I will really miss AJ who is leaving for a semester.  (Internship in the Philippines.)

These beautiful BYU-H students are our SDR Ohana. (Strategic Research & Development) 

We adore them and wish AJ a most wonder internship in her homeland of the Philippians. 

See you in January dear AJ!

So about these guest intercepts (surveys) we do:

(Not only are they out of my comfort zone but they're into my misery zone!)

I’m not an old dog yet but I’m learning new tricks

They say you can’t teach an old dog new tricks. 

The older we get the more of a path/rut/comfort zone we carve out for ourselves.

We like it. This zone becomes normal life because it is comfortable.

To disrupt the comfort is uncomfortable.

I'm learning once again that

that which we do becomes comfortable and normal to us.

That which we don't do for a long time becomes uncomfortable. 

We all relate to that.

Every new task or assignment feels like a rush to our heart 

and a test to our brain.

Sometimes this is exciting when it is interesting to us or our passion.

So often it isn’t though and we don't want this at all.

As we study the brain we realize that this “new trick” is 
actually building brain connectivity and is very good for us! 

As I look at life I sometimes have to ignore my huge need for comfort

and instead say this to me "is this a good thing?"

If it is a good thing, then I just do it and soon it will become comfortable.

New tricks are very good for old dogs.  And me.

Path of Totality

It seems all across the mainland this weekend, people are excited and clamoring to see the total eclipse of the sun!  You've probably all seen the map that shows "the path of totality" ...the path all across the US where you can best view the eclipse.

Over here in Hawaii, nobody seems interested in the eclipse or the racial trouble back east or the attacks in Spain.  They get mostly excited for the Kahuku Red Raiders football game or a fish fry at Cackle Fresh or of course the beach which is there faithfully everyday for the fisherman, surfers and castle builders.

Laie eclipse image

I guess the eclipse is hardly mentioned here because it is not very spectacular as you see in the diagram.  No totality here.  

I'll be interested to hear if there are any cool stories about the eclipse!  I imagine millions of people gathered all across the mainland, enjoying a warm summer day together all with their eyes fixed on the heavens. 

Okay, some of you who might happen to read this will perhaps roll your eyes as I indulge in some symbolism.  I've kind-of loved that phrase:

"The Path of Totality" 

I thought about Adam & Eve.  Eve gives Adam the fruit and after they realize their mistake she asks him if he plans to obey all of Father's commandments and he replies that yes he does intend to do so, in fact he wants to obey all of them.  Adam and Eve were on the path of totality.  Even though they made a big mistake and would continue making mistakes they were "totally in" as far as desiring to walk the path of totality.  Walking the path, eyes fixed on the Heavens & following our loving Father in Heaven's directions with intent as we correct the mistakes along the way that is what we're here for.  That is what this life is all about. 

Mu Ryang Sa Buddhist Temple

Today we had a day off and went to the Buddhist Temple in Honolulu.
Except for the caretaker and a lady who came to pray on a mat at the shrine, we were the only ones there.  It was off the beaten track and a very quiet peaceful place.

We were treated to a double rainbow 

on our way back to Laie! :)

Kuleana

My new Hawaiian word for the week:

Kuleana

Seeing responsibility as a privilege
that drives self motivation. 

It's having a vision and seeing the
value of something. 

In our families we may feel kuleana to pass on our traditions and heritage to our children.   Religiously, we also have kuleana in our hearts as we seek to unselfishly share the joy of the gospel with others.

There's an expression:  O Ke Aloha Ke Kuleana O Kahi Malihini

The translation is beautiful!  "Love is the host in strange lands"

This word goes nicely with  

Malama & Kokua

Malama is to care for, preserve & protect.  Add "Honua" which means land, people, things, all and it means you care for the land...all etc. 

Kokua is to help.  It is "Aloha in action".  At the PCC we have Kokua meetings individually with each of our students and Malama meetings as a group, like a pow wow to see how we can help each other.  This is where we see if we can help each other in any way to keep the mission of the PCC & the experiences of our guests at the top of our focus.  

The mission of the PCC is to preserve and portray the cultures, arts and crafts of Polynesia.

Cook Island Performers

The Cook Island dancers have been here visiting for the past month, performing each day at the PCC. They treated the community to a free 90 minute show tonight in the PCC's Pacific Theater.  Here is just a little clip:

Off hours in Laie

PCC Hula Halau

 I'm really excited to join with the night show students each Saturday morning at 7am for two hours of intense learning and workout in hula!  Nina is in the class with me and she took the above photo. My green pa'u is from Sequim's Na Hula O' Wahini Ilikea group.  It was fun to dance in it again & I thought of my lovely Sequim friends as I did.

During our water break I took this picture of someone
preparing the imu for tonight's luau!  (Imu is the pig cooked
in the ground for Kalua Pork)

We had a fun game night at our flat.  Ron & Nina brought a really fun Ukulele game invented and produced by a couple senior missionaries.  We had a great time.

Wednesday we printed off some family names & spent a lovely evening at the
beautiful & peaceful Laie Temple.

Here is a view from the temple all the way down to Temple Beach!

Aloha is such a beautiful word!  Everyday as we walk to our office, everyone smiles and says "Aloha" to each other.  It is a greeting that means more than hello.  It is a greeting that speaks well wishes to each other.
Alo = sharing
Oha = joyous affection
Ha = breath of life

Lokahi

Here's my new Hawaiian word for the week:

                  

Lokahi means oneness and cooperation

The spirit of Aloha brings lokahi - oneness 

to all no matter the color or culture.  

The spirit of Aloha inspires lokahi - cooperation 

because of the feel that we are all Ohana.  

The spirit of Aloha is also, of course, the spirit of Christ 

which teaches & inspires lokahi because we are, indeed, 

Ohana...all one family.

A bit of history:  Ohana comes from the highly reverenced word 'oha' which means "joyous affection."  It is also a word for the taro root. Ancient Hawaiians used taro as a main source of food and medicine.  The word "ohana" signifies that we all come from God...all from the same root.