The Great Wall of Kahana

Aloha!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend! Mine was quite exciting as I got to swim in the ocean for the the first time since I've returned to Hawaii! But it wasn't just for fun, it was actually for a service project. I am taking a GE class this semester called 'Local Communities' where we learn about the culture of Hawaii. This weekend we had our first field trip. We took six buses and drove to a place called Kahana. When we arrived we greeted the people there with he chant Hiki Mai as a sign of respect. We then split into groups and started to work. 

The topic we've been studying in class is ahupua'a. This is the Hawaiian word for a subdivision of land. Early Hawaiians divided each island into pie shaped ahupua'a that went from the mountains to the sea. This allowed each section to be self sufficient. One of the things the Hawaiians would do is build a rock wall in the ocean to act as a fish pond. Our project on Saturday was to rebuild the rock wall in Kahana. There were different jobs to do such as weeding, collecting rocks, passing rocks in an assembly line, and forming the wall. We all worked together as a team and got a lot done in the time we had.

My friend Kahea and I vlogged the adventure so I will add that here at the end. We had so much fun! It was a great service opportunity and I am grateful that I could be a part of it! We have been blessed to live in this beautiful world and we must do our part to take care of it. Hawaiians believe if you care for the land it will in turn care for you. 

"The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s: but the earth hath he given to the children of men." (Psalms 115:16)

♥ TTFN, KARISSA

How you serve

Hello friends!

I am currently writing this post while traveling down the east coast. My family and I are going to Washington D.C. for the weekend to celebrate Memorial Day! I was thinking about it and it's funny how out here traveling through multiple states in one day is completely normal, but that could never happen out west. Unless you go to the Four Corners or something :)

I figured while I have some time I would give a little update on what happened this week. For the most part, I have been home filling out numerous job applications. So far I've only heard back from one company and it was a no. I wish I could just walk in, smile, and say "I would like a job please! I like talking to people, I will treat you customers well, and I will work hard." That would be all. Done deal. Who knew it was so hard to find a job? They don't teach you that in school. I feel like you get a job from having experience, but you get experience by having a job. So how do you get experience in the first place? It's the circle of job life. I guess I need to hakuna matata and trust that everything will work out ♥

In other news, not just today, but I went outside this week! Hurray! And for a good reason too. So you know those 'adopt a highway' signs you see on the side of the road? Well twice a year our church participates in that. We go to Haine School Road and we clean up the litter that has gathered there over the last 6 months. It's always quite interesting to see what we find. This was the first group service project I've done since I've been home and I loved it! You wouldn't think picking up trash wold be that exciting, but it reminded me of experiences from my mission. Doing service for other people was my favorite things to do while serving in California. My companions and I tried to have service every week and the Lord blessed us with lots of opportunities. There is a special feeling that comes when you forget yourself and serve others. It doesn't come from anything else. I definitely felt that on Wednesday as we served our community.

Picture Time 

We had fun seeing who could find the weirdest things. In the end we found four buckets, a lot of wrappers, a cooler top, several soda cans, a dead rabbit, and a countless number of cigarettes. A good haul I'd say.

I invited dear Kacey to come to the activity with me and she said yes! Even when all I said was that we were picking up trash. Now that is a true friend. I was so happy she came. It made the work a lot more enjoyable. Although we hadn't seen each other in many weeks it was like no time had passed :)

Another plus to having your best friend join you in a service activity is having her take you to her house afterwards and feeding you while watching a Japanese movie. If any of you need a movie to watch, I highly recommend Spirited Away. It is a beautiful story accompanied with a gorgeous soundtrack. I am actually listening to the score as I write this. Keep in mind that Hayao Miyazaki is known for his imagination so his movies can seem a little weird to some. I personally love them dearly. And I'm glad I have a friend like Kacey who appreciates them with me :) 

We didn't have pancake mix so brownies were the next best thing. Yes, half the pan is missing...

I am grateful to have such wonderful friends who are always there to make me smile. And I am so glad we could do service together this week. 

As I was thinking of a thought for this post I came across this quote by Elder Edward Dube, "In the service of the Lord, it is not where you serve, but how". I love that thought! It all depends on how you approach a task. Although it may not seem glamorous to spend our evening picking up trash wearing a bright yellow vest on the side of the road, we had a great time because we were happy. We had fun and we helped the community of Cranberry. Work and fun don't have to be exclusive. When we serve with a happy heart that's when we truly know what service is about. 

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! 

♥ Ttfn, Karissa