A drunk street person created a stir on the bus when he kept taunting another passenger. Everybody kept their cool until he got off. The man sitting in front of us then said, "I felt like popping him one!"
Nervous as a freshman, I got off the bus and found the classroom where the Motorcycle Safety course is taught. Then I met Bob, 60, a Hawaiian man of Japanese descent. He told me that he used to be in the army. I said that I was a pastor on sabbatical.
Our studio apartment is only 360 square feet. It has not been upgraded since the Inn On The Park was built in 1977. It has a tiny bathroom with tub and shower, and a narrow kitchenette with a two burner stove, small sink and microwave.
We spent an afternoon reading our books on Magic Island, a man-made peninsula and peaceful beach in Honolulu that is favoured by the locals. The masts in the Ala Wai Harbour, the skyline of Waikiki, and the steep slopes of Diamond Head made it difficult to focus on the words.
The streets of Waikiki always thrum with life as the wealthy, the homeless, the tourists and the locals vie for space on the crowded sidewalks. Especially at night, street performers play, sing, dance or pose motionless, busking for tips.
The day before the 70th anniversary of D-Day, we visited Pearl Harbour, Oahu's top tourist attraction. It was there, on December 7, 1941, that Japan launched a surprise air and submarine attack on the ships and planes that had been gathered at this naval base in the Pacific Ocean.
His real name is George, but everyone calls him Koi. Like the last fish still swimming in his backyard pond where he used to keep a whole school of koi. And like that lonely fish, Koi is facing the inevitable.
On Memorial Day, we joined a large gathering of war veterans in the National Memorial Cemetery of the Pacific for the annual remembrance ceremony. The cemetery is set in an extinct volcano known as the "Punchbowl."
We got a big dose of New Hope Church last weekend. It began with a two and a half hour "Spirit of Aloha" concert on Friday night featuring Big Daddy Weave, the Dove Award winning band that has been topping the Christian music charts with number one singles.
Out the door at 5 a.m. to walk the fifty minutes to Diamond Head Crater. Arrived at 5:50 a.m., just beating the busloads of tourists. As the buses disgorged their passengers, we hurried up the path. The trail from the entrance to the summit is 1.3 kilometres of concrete sidewalk, rugged switchbacks and three steep staircases.
Sunday morning, the head greeter at the Fort De Russy Army Chapel welcomed us with a smile and a lei made of sea shells. I straightened up and headed for the sanctuary. "Oh no, you don't," Lynne Shanahan said. "When you receive a lei you also get a hug."
I have thoroughly enjoyed researching and preaching the Money Matters, Safe Sex and Famous Last Words series. I hope that God has used these messages to challenge and encourage you. On this Stand Up Sunday we will hear some powerful messages from people who are professing their faith for the first time and being baptized, or re-affirming their faith as members of Hope Fellowship Church. Encourage them with your prayers as they speak