Shonnie Calina (Miss Shonnie)

(Photo: Mama Kahu and some of the ministry members from last year present at our annual Ho’olaule’a)

Wow!  We had a great turn out at yesterday’s get-to-know-you meeting.  We had over 30 students express an interest in learning more about what ministry is and does, and are tentatively signed-up to join! 

Ministry is completely voluntary, and at the heart, it is an opportunity to serve and minister to others as well as our Heavenly Father.  Our meetings will be held twice during a rotation and only during lunch recess.  There are two areas in which to serve.  Students may join the Praise and Worship Team where they will learn new Christian songs and the accopanying signing to present at our monthly ‘Ekalesia devotions.  The other area is the Deputation Team.  This team learns more about God and scripture and also helps to lead our montlhy services by emceeing, reading scripture or offereing a pule. We also plan to do two outreach visits this year. If you’re in the 3rd, 4th, or 5th grade, you are more than welcome to come check it out!

It’s so exciting to be starting a brand new school year!  I hope everyone had a wonderful summer filled with fun in the sun, laughter and even rest! This school year my prayer is that God help us all to do our very best in our school work and in our pilina with Him and others.  That we show aloha and hō`ihi to one another as we see and greet each other every day.  May God bless our school year and may it be filled with successes and lessons to make us stronger and better in every way.  Mahalo ke Akua mana loa for all your love, guidance and faithfulness!

 Lamentations 3:22-24 The faithful love of the Lord never ends!  His mercies never cease.  Great is his faithfulness;  his mercies begin afresh each morning.   I say to myself , “The Lord is my inheritance;  therefore, I will hope in him!”

Ho’omau means to persevere, to never give-up or quit.  You’re probably wondering what that has to do with a cat or what the cat has to do with Queen Ka`ahumanu. Well,  the 4th grade classes had a recent lesson on Queen Ka`ahumanu and her ability to ho’omau through very tough times because of her pilina with Jesus.  Huaka Cortez and Jesse James Crivello from Kumu Silva’s class volunteered to copy a picture of a cat by drawing it on their own  paper that was taped to the white board.  After they volunteered they were given a surprise challenge.  The challenge was to do it without using their hands!  At the end of the activity, they were asked to share their mana`o about how they felt or what they thought/experienced.  Jesse said that it was hard to do, but a little easy because we had an example to follow.  Huaka said it was hard too because keeping the pen in her mouth was difficult.  Yet, both never gave up because it was too hard.  They persevered till the end. 

Like life, it can be hard and there will be challenges.  In fact sometimes we have to do things we are not comfortable with or we are not used to, like when Huaka and Jesse had to draw with their mouths.  But,  with Jesus as our “example” to “follow” and our faith in Him, we are able to ho`omau through life’s tough times as Queen Ka`ahumanu did.

Our Praise and Worship Team recently learned a new song entitled, “Show Me Your Ways”.  They learned the motions to it as well.  They practiced during their lunch recess, a few minutes at a time to prepare for our `Ekalesia service which was held on Monday, March 7.  Praising God and worshipping Him is an important Christian value that our Ke Ali`i Pauahi practiced throughout her life.  In this mele, we ask the Lord to show us His ways, that we may walk with Him and become stronger each day!