Blogging From the Big Island of Hawaii, near Hilo

Hello there,

I am writing to you from a retreat house on the Big Island of Hawaii, near Hilo. Being here is quite different then being in Honolulu. There are many differences here, but I am not sure I would like to get into them all. I don't know why, but I really just have a strong desire just to write. I love writing, and I have been writing since I was like a Sophomore in High School. That must have been 1995. I still have my first journal too. Oh, how times have changed! Certainly my skill level in writing has changed, but what has remained the same is my enjoyment of writing.

In a couple days Julia and Adam will have their wedding ceremony and I will officiate it. Of course I am not ordained or anything, but since all the legal part is already taken care of, I suppose that everything is in order for me to be able to officiate. All I know is that I have permission from my pastor (Pastor Samuel Giresi at the House of Mercy Mission in Newark, NJ) to do it, so I am. This is all really an interesting place that I find myself. The house itself is littered with a mass of false gods. I was really quite shocked when I got here, however, I knew when Sarah and I ordered the tickets last month, there was no turning back no matter what. I have always wanted to visit Hawaii, and oh I have learned about this state so much, but yet perhaps I have barely scratched the surface. I am actually alone here at the house, except for John (Adam's father) but he is sleeping right now. Three groups have already left the house. The main group left to go pick up my parents and to explore the other side of the island in Kona. Two other groups went out; I don't think that they went very far. One thing though here is that it really is quite pretty. From the front of the house you can see the Hilo bay area and the airport. In the back there is a beautiful rushing water fall and large flowing creek. It looks like it has a perfect area/ pool to swim in but I was told the water is polluted from cattle manure upstream, so I don't think that I will be getting wet in that water anytime soon. It is really all quite beautiful though, as I said before. It is all very lush green here too. I was told it rains a lot on this island, so that might be one drawback for this area, but one thing that this house uses is water that it collects from the rain. It also all solar power, except the frig uses propane. Anyway, it is relaxing. However, as christian, I don't think that I could recommend this retreat house because of all the false gods in it. If this was like a christian retreat house, I would be all for it. I think that if the owners of the house got saved and turned it into a christian retreat house - that would be a mighty miracle which should be broadcast all around the world. Anyway, I got to go.

God Bless!