Weekend in Paradise?
OK, by now I'm sure I've heard just about every expression of a lack of sympathy for being "stuck" on Oahu for six weeks. Let me assure you that once you've gone around the island once, there isn't much more to do or see. The beach is rather unappealing without my kids to play with. My feelings towards the swimming pool are about the same. I came here to make money, not spend it, so I'm not going golfing.
When I woke up on Saturday I decided to check out the Swap Meet at Aloha Stadium. You might recognize Aloha Stadium as the home of the NFL Pro Bowl. Well, three days a week different vendors set up their wares - T-shirts, sunglasses, cell phone accessories, farm-fresh produce and food, etc. - and people come by for the fun of it. It was fun walking around, sampling the different home-made condiments and looking at all the fun T-shirts to be purchased. More about the Swap Meet
On my way back from the Swap Meet, I hopped off the bus in Chinatown and made my way back to that market that was selling the Chinese donuts that we found last time out. I bought one and, much to my dismay, found out that it was just fried bread - no trace of sweet in it. I ate about half of it before realizing I didn't want to ingest all that grease. As I walked around, I came across this bail bonds office right next to a church:
Some of you might recognize the name, Da Kine Bail Bonds. This is the office of Duane "Dog" Chapman and his bounty-hunting family who are featured on a cable TV show. One of the things I like about Dog is that before going "hunting", he leads the family in a prayer. Another thing I like about Dog is that after they catch their person, they seem to show a genuine compassion for that person.
That's why I like this picture so much. Dog's office is in the shadow of the church. And, warts and all, Dog is aware that God is and that someday, Dog will answer to God. Here's Dog's official web site.
Speaking of church, the next day I attended the morning service at Waikiki Baptist Church. The pastor of the church has a heart for reaching the people of Waikiki (estimated 30,000 within a 1/2 mile radius of the church!). They have renovated their building with an eye towards becoming a youth community center, and reaching them for Jesus Christ. "If not us, then who?" was his plea.
Now the membership of the church is about 45, and their average age is 72. Most of the people I saw were much younger than that. But, as the pastor explained, we were all tourists. As we greeted one another, I met a couple from just south of Ft. Wayne, Indiana and another fellow from Cincinnati, Ohio! I'm more than 4400 miles away from Detroit and I bump into two families less than 250 miles from my house! If you'd like to find out more about the church, or would like to partner with it, you can visit their web site here.
After church I walked back to my hotel room and spent the rest of the day reading. Like I said, I may be in paradise but there's not much going on. I really do miss my wife and kids. This island was so much more fun when they were here.
When I woke up on Saturday I decided to check out the Swap Meet at Aloha Stadium. You might recognize Aloha Stadium as the home of the NFL Pro Bowl. Well, three days a week different vendors set up their wares - T-shirts, sunglasses, cell phone accessories, farm-fresh produce and food, etc. - and people come by for the fun of it. It was fun walking around, sampling the different home-made condiments and looking at all the fun T-shirts to be purchased. More about the Swap Meet
On my way back from the Swap Meet, I hopped off the bus in Chinatown and made my way back to that market that was selling the Chinese donuts that we found last time out. I bought one and, much to my dismay, found out that it was just fried bread - no trace of sweet in it. I ate about half of it before realizing I didn't want to ingest all that grease. As I walked around, I came across this bail bonds office right next to a church:
Some of you might recognize the name, Da Kine Bail Bonds. This is the office of Duane "Dog" Chapman and his bounty-hunting family who are featured on a cable TV show. One of the things I like about Dog is that before going "hunting", he leads the family in a prayer. Another thing I like about Dog is that after they catch their person, they seem to show a genuine compassion for that person.
That's why I like this picture so much. Dog's office is in the shadow of the church. And, warts and all, Dog is aware that God is and that someday, Dog will answer to God. Here's Dog's official web site.
Speaking of church, the next day I attended the morning service at Waikiki Baptist Church. The pastor of the church has a heart for reaching the people of Waikiki (estimated 30,000 within a 1/2 mile radius of the church!). They have renovated their building with an eye towards becoming a youth community center, and reaching them for Jesus Christ. "If not us, then who?" was his plea.
Now the membership of the church is about 45, and their average age is 72. Most of the people I saw were much younger than that. But, as the pastor explained, we were all tourists. As we greeted one another, I met a couple from just south of Ft. Wayne, Indiana and another fellow from Cincinnati, Ohio! I'm more than 4400 miles away from Detroit and I bump into two families less than 250 miles from my house! If you'd like to find out more about the church, or would like to partner with it, you can visit their web site here.
After church I walked back to my hotel room and spent the rest of the day reading. Like I said, I may be in paradise but there's not much going on. I really do miss my wife and kids. This island was so much more fun when they were here.
