November 11. Veteran’s Day.
We did use the fan in the bedroom last night, and that helped a little bit, but it was still hot. Sleep got a little restless toward morning because of my back hurting.
Daddy was able to get e-mails in this morning by connecting to the phone jack here, but we still have not been able to get internet.
Pastor Ching came around 9:30 this morning and took us out for a few hours. We had thought about going up Diamond Head, but ruled that out after realizing that it would be a lot of walking. So he took us to the Dole Plantation and then for a drive around part of the island.
On the way back, we stopped at Ruby Tuesdays for lunch. Daddy had a cheeseburger on whole wheat bun and fries. I had crab cakes with zucchini and onion rings.
Next stop was WalMart. I stayed in the car and had a little nap. Pastor Ching needed some things, and Daddy bought a phone while he was in WalMart.
Got back to the house about 2:30 and had a nap. Daddy went online (on Jeannine’s computer) and upgraded our seating to economy plus for the next flight. We had looked at the empty seating in that section, but decided not to bother changing since it will mean crawling over people to get in and out. But Pastor Ching wanted us to do that, and the church would pay for it.
Neither Daddy nor I were very hungry for supper. All I could eat was salad and a little bit of rice and veggies.
In the evening, we rode with Jeannine and Nappy to IBC. Daddy spoke there this evening. There were probably about 15 people there. A lot of their members live a long way from the church, which makes it too hard for them to come on Wednesday evening.
Daddy also took the computer along, and one of their members, Hugh, looked at it to see why internet wouldn’t work. He said it was because we were set up with a proxy server and therefore we couldn’t connect to the wireless. He took care of that and said we should no longer have a problem.
November 12. It was a little bit late when we got back to the apartment last night - after 9:00. Late for Jeannine & Nappy because they get up so early in the morning. They usually go to bed around 8:00 or 8:30.
Had a little bit of time after breakfast and quiet time this morning to get caught up on yesterday’s journal notes. Then Pastor Ching came to get us again. The first place we went was the Aloha Tower downtown. When it was built in 1926, it was the highest structure in the city -- ten stories. Now there are many high rise buildings, especially apartment buildings and condos. At the top of the tower, there is a balcony each direction so we could look out over the whole city and countryside and see the ocean and ships too.
From there we just went for a drive along the east side of the island. (Yesterday we had gone on the west.) Stopped to see the blow hole. On the way back, we stopped at a restaurant called Big City for lunch. Daddy and Pastor Ching had burgers, served with French fries. I ordered a veggie club sandwich on whole wheat toast, not knowing I would get French fries with that too. There was enough food on each of our plates for two people. Daddy and I each only ate half of ours and brought the rest home.
My veggie sandwich was triple decker, heaped with organic greens, avocadoes, tomatoes, corn, red onions, shredded carrots, cheese. Can’t remember if there were something else, but it was delicious.
Got back to the house around 2:00 and had a nap.
“There is therefore now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh, but after the Spirit.” Romans 8:1
November 13. Was awake for over an hour from 4:00 something to almost 5:30. Must have gone back to sleep after that because next time I looked at the clock, it was already 6:30.
Jeannine & Nappy both left somewhat early this morning for work. After breakfast, I did a little work on the computer and wrote an e-mail.
Pastor Ching and Miranda came around 10:15 to take us out for a few hours. We went uptown and stopped to visit the first Protestant church in Honolulu (I forget what it was called). It had paintings along the walls of a lot of the Hawaiian kings, queens, princesses. It was interesting to see that they were all dressed in western clothing. Miranda said that the British had colonized the islands, and the Hawaiian royalty like their clothing so copied them for their own.
From there we went a short distance to see the Hawaii Mission Homes. A lady took us on a tour, telling about the early missionaries to Hawaii and how they lived and worked and served the Hawaiian people. It was very interesting. The tour (which usually takes 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours) took an hour and 45 minutes. The lady talked with us for a while afterward as we were going to the car. She said the tour took quite a bit longer than usual because she had a big group today and also because some of us asked quite a few questions. There was another older couple from NC there too, and the wife asked a number of questions. They talked a bit with the guide lady on their way to the car too and gave her a tract. There was also a young man with Samaritan’s Purse who wanted to talk with us about our missionary work, but his group was waiting for him so he had to go.
By the time we left there, it was time for lunch. We went to a place called Zippy’s and had another meal too big for us to eat. We didn’t take any home with us this time, knowing that we’d be leaving on the plane a little later.
After lunch, we went back to the house and had a nap, washed up, and finished packing. We weren’t very hungry for supper so Jeannine just made us a salad.
Pastor Ching came around 5:45 to pick us up and take us to the airport. Our flight was scheduled for 7:55, but we boarded around 7:15. The plane was packed full.
“16The Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit, that we are the children of God: 17And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with him, that we may be also glorified together. 18For I reckon that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in us.” Romans 8:16-28