Church in Hawaii- Lifelong Lessons

Today was our first Sunday here on the island. I enjoyed it so much it's crazy. The 1st counselor of the bishopric has hair almost to his shoulders. There are all KINDS of different people. There were people in shorts, jeans, tennis shoes. There were people with gauges in their ears, tattoos covering their entire body, and incredibly shaggy hair. In fact, the lady that gave me my  hymn book in Relief Society had a nose ring.

I don't point these things out to tell you that we should be this way, but rather to illustrate something that I think we all need to learn.

I swear people back home on the mainland get too caught up in the wrong kinds of things. Do my shoes match? My highlights are grown out! My dress shoes are worn out and need polished. There's a grease stain on my tie. And in a whole different light, we often do that to other people. HER shoes don't match. HER highlights are grown out. HIS dress shoes need polished. HE needs a new tie.

This was not even close to the atmosphere I felt or saw at church today, but it's often something I have seen in wards I've visited or even been in back home. Here in Waimea, it was LITERALLY "who cares if he wore his jeans to church today? You know what? HE SHOWED UP!" I was so touched after our meetings today, I wanted to stay for another three hours. There's so much we can learn from the people here.

The counselor that conducted sacrament meeting was bearing his testimony, and it really punched me in the face. He was saying how if the Savior were here, He WOULD be going out and hastening the work. He WOULD be finding the lost souls or those that are inactive. But guess what? HE IS NOT HERE! And the even more shocking reality? IT IS NOT HIS JOB! It is OUR job, OUR time, OUR challenge to bring those that we come in contact with to or back to the gospel. The time is now. Not tomorrow. Not next week. I was so grateful for his testimony.

I "got the privilege" of introducing myself (I secretly hate that) in Relief Society, and after I was done, a member of the presidency came, hugged me, kissed me on the cheek, and placed a lei around my neck. I can't even remember the last time I felt so needed or wanted by someone I didn't know. And this is only temporary! I wish we would all strive a little harder and better, myself included, to be so welcoming of a complete stranger. Gosh it feels good.

Another thing we were talking about in sacrament meeting was a member that served his mission in the Philippines. Families would plant bamboo in their yard for grudges that they had. As a missionary, they knew the people they needed to work on because of the bamboo in their yard. After years and years and years, the family didn't even know or remember why the bamboo was there. They just knew they had a grudge against "this one person that did SOMETHING and they want nothing to do with them again."Aren't we often the same way? We know that ONE PERSON did SOMETHING and we honestly don't remember, yet we refuse to swallow our pride and GET OVER IT? Mend a bridge or two? May we all eliminate the bamboo in our life.

These people here are truly amazing. We all have our preconceptions about places or people. Our adventure here in Hawaii has turned out nothing like I thought it would, and I love it all the same. I am learning so much about things here and even myself.