Hawaii Conference

Venturing Out Once Again

“I just really liked it. My favorite part was the whitetip reef shark. He actually looked at me.”

Laith, Kindergarten

“I liked it because I saw the shark. The whole thing was fascinating, and I saw a fish hotel and a shipwreck and a floating wana (sea urchin). It was fun on the boat ride.”

Lani, Kindergarten

“It was fun to do! My water bottle changed to yellow!”

Darius, 6th grade

“It was fun because I learned about all the different creatures in the ocean. The most surprising thing I learned was that colors change underneath the water.”

Owen, 8th grade

To say this past year has been remarkable would be an understatement. It has provided a prime opportunity to lean on God as never before, and He has proved faithful. If you had told me at the start of the year that field trips might be possible for our school, I would have laughed at the ludicrous idea. I am so happy to have been proved wrong.

We were blessed to be able to take the Kohala Adventist School (KOA) students on an incredible underwater submarine adventure, in which they were able to appreciate the rich sea life of Hawaii up close. Parent drivers safely transported our KOA cohort, and the entire submarine was dedicated to use by our school.

Several students had never been on a boat before, and they went from being very wary to expressing pure delight in record time. The charismatic staff were passionate and knowledgeable about the beautiful creatures God created to live in the sea.

Of course, all the students hoped to see a shark more than anything else. I had told them not to get their hopes up, as it wasn’t likely. I learned that one child wanted to spot a shark so much that they prayed about it. The simple faith of that kindergartner was rewarded! At 100 feet below the surface, we had a premium view of a decent-sized whitetip reef shark, lurking in a shipwreck. We were all elated— even the submarine crew, who hadn’t seen a shark in several months.

Students were amazed by the bonus mini lesson we got on color absorption underwater, as we saw our clothes and belongings change colors before our eyes! We learned that the colors disappear underwater in the same order that they appear in the color

spectrum, with red disappearing first.

A field trip that we would have taken for granted in the past gave us the opportunity to see the wonders of the ocean and truly appreciate the chance to do so. Praise God for the ability to safely venture off campus and revel in the beauty of Hawaii’s underwater treasures.

____________________ By Jackie Millar

Notice of Constituency Meeting of the Hawaii Conference of Seventh-day Adventists

Notice is hereby given that the Regular Quinquennial Constituency Meeting of the Hawaii Conference of Seventh-day Adventists is called to convene at 10:00 a.m. Sunday, September 26, 2021, at Honolulu Central Seventh-day Adventist Church, 2313 Nuuanu Avenue, Honolulu, Oahu, Hawaii.

The purpose of this meeting is to receive reports, to elect conference officers and the Executive Committee, and to transact other business as may properly come before the constituency meeting.

Each organized church shall be represented by one (1) delegate and one (1) additional delegate for each forty (40) members, or major fraction thereof.

Ralph S. Watts, III President Jay Warren, Secretary

Hawaii Gets ‘Mad About Marriage’

The weekend of April 23-24 brought a tremendous blessing to couples around the Hawaii Conference. Mike Tucker, former speaker/ director for Faith for Today, was on Oahu to conduct a Mad About Marriage seminar at the Honolulu Central church. In addition to the inperson presentation, most of the seminar was livestreamed.

Pastor Tucker addressed topics ranging from good communication to the avoidance of communication killers. The presentations were straightforward and covered a number of situations that can affect marriages. In addition to the topics that are usually discussed in marriage seminars, Tucker talked about abuse, assault, and the dynamics around them.

Attendees were deeply touched by the presentations shared by Pastor Tucker. “I wish every married couple and those considering marriage would have been here this weekend,” said one attendee. Another commented, “I wish I had known this information 35 years ago! I learned more about communication this weekend than in my entire marriage.”

Extra activities included Friday evening dinner and a wedding reception after the final session. The seminar, childcare, and all the extra activities were provided free of charge to all participants. The 37 households represented at the seminar were tremendously blessed, and efforts are already underway to bring the program back to Hawaii.

____________________ By Travis Sager