This was first and foremost a service trip, so I wanted to write about our service projects before I write about the other aspects of our trip. I'll get to the fun stuff later!
Our projects:
Beach Clean Up
We teamed up with an organization on the North Shore that relies on volunteers to pick up trash on the beaches and on the highway. This project was cool because not only did we get to wear bright orange vests and walk on the beach, but we also learned a lot. Marlu told us how important it was to record the amount of trash we picked up so that Hawaii can get more funding for clean up after the 2006 tsunami. Trash is still showing up from Asia! She also taught us about the sea turtles and how trash like this affects them. Love your ocean..it loves you!
Also...Marlu had a bunch of animals at her place. Like a goose and a tortoise. She can be seen cradling her goose like a baby below.
La'ie Elementary School
The next day we helped in classrooms at the elementary school. This was of course one of my favorite projects. We were split up into different classrooms, and I loved working with the second graders. One of the girls asked me, "Did you make this bracelet?" and when I told her, "No one of my students made it for me while I was in Samoa," all of the students were surrounding me saying things like, "My dad was born in Samoa" and "I went to Samoa at the PCC." I loved them! One of the best parts was having recess with the kids. I was surprised how much they liked us and wanted to play with us considering there are BYU students there helping every day, but some of the people in our group left with thank-you cards even though we were only there for four hours.
Planting Taro
This was probably my very favorite project, which surprised me. I didn't even like taro that much when we ate it in Samoa...I mean, there is nothing to like, it tastes like a potato but more bland. But after the girls at the taro fields taught us a few things, I realized how important this project was. They told us legends that illustrated the significance of taro in Hawaiian culture and explained why the taro fields are so important to the island's ecosystem. The taro fields create a healthier island all the way from the mountains to the ocean, and that's why they are working so hard to restore the fields, which is a huge undertaking. So we climbed into the mud up to our waists and got to work! It was definitely one of the messiest things I have ever done, but we were in such a gorgeous place that it didn't matter. And there was something strangely peaceful about it.
Ho`oulu `Aina: the Kalihi Valley Nature Preserve
At the Nature Preserve, we cleared small areas around native plants to give them a fighting chance - we learned that the mountains of Hawaii are now about 85% invasive species, which take resources from native plants which grow much more slowly. I got very attached to my little plants, but the best part of this project was learning from the people there. When we got to the Nature Preserve, we were asked to stand in a circle and hold hands. We each had to say the name of our homeland and the name of an ancestor we wanted to be with us that day. We were told that our ancestors were forming another circle around our circle. To experience something so intimate in such a beautiful place...I will never forget it! While we worked, I talked with one of the regular workers there and asked as many questions as I could. He taught me so much about the Hawaiian language and history. Meanwhile, my dear Lauren was getting a lesson about which plants could heal the scratches on her legs. There is so much knowledge in those mountains that is in danger of being lost. The workers took us on a nature walk and showed us irrigation systems and walls that are hundreds of years old and we talked about how projects that like would've taken a whole village - kind of like our little "village" protecting the plants that day. At the end of the project, we held hands in a circle again and each said something we felt gratitude for, then ended with a prayer in the form of a song. What a beautiful morning!
The Hawaii Nature Center
This Nature Center is used mostly as an educational tool - which I love, of course! We cleared a path that preschoolers will walk down to learn about native Hawaiian plants. There was something satisfying about hurling huge pieces of bamboo into a pile because no matter how big the bamboo is it never gets heavy. The woman in charge of the Nature Center was one of the sweetest people ever!
Boys and Girls Club
After working with elementary school kids earlier in the week, it was fun to get to know some middle school students since that's more up my alley! We played games outside and got to know the students. One of these girls told me that she is the best reader in her grade, and her friend said, "I'm good at math and science!" while she did a cartwheel. You go, girls! A few of the students ended up teaching us some hula moves. I would much rather learn hula in an authentic experience like that than at a hotel!
BYUH Service Center
We teamed up with BYUH students for our final project of the week. We were split into two groups; some of us went back to the elementary school, and the rest of us were lucky enough to head to the La'ie Temple! I decided last summer that this is my favorite temple in the world (so far!) so I was pretty excited when they told us to take off our shoes and get in the fountain. We used soft stones to clean the blue tiles. Attention to detail like that is what makes the temple so beautiful, which I think is a life metaphor probably.
These kinds of experiences have set the tone for the kind of travel I hope to keep doing in my life. I wouldn't trade any of these projects for more beach time - and that means a lot coming from me! I have posted this quote before, but it was very important to me:
Stay tuned to hear more about the yurt life in Hawaii!
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