Regardless of whether it's a "trip" or "vacation" (see definition from 8/13 post) it can be a little tricky when traveling to observe the Sabbath. But getting to a worship service feels important to me even if we can't do everything quite as we probably should (due to minor details like you need to eat. Okay, that's a major detail). Anyway, we had a nice Sunday on the island. Church in Waimea right next to the famous Parker Cattle Ranch. The 2 speaker's remarks were so brief the bishopric counselor had to give an impromptu talk. And of the 3 talks, his was the best. Go figure.
I always enjoy attending Sacrament Meeting while traveling. I love to see that the church is so much the same whether you are in a remote place, an urban area, or a foreign land. I love to see the members whose lives have been blessed by living the gospel. The whole experience just makes me feel good. Plus, I think going to church is a good way to get off the tourist track and get a little more immersed in the local scene.
After church we went over to our old stomping grounds from Brent's triathlon years and wandered around the town of Kailua-Kona which is pretty run down since the days when we came over for the Ironman races (circa 1987-1992is).
Kailua-Kona gives perspective to how hard Hawaii has been hit by the the economic downturn. So many of the fun shops we used to love are boarded up. It feels like a ghost town compared to it's glory days.
One of the prettiest sites in Kailua-Kona is the Kona Hawaii Temple. This photo makes it look larger than it really is. It's a particularly beautiful temple but it is one of the smaller ones. The temple grounds (which includes a chapel and home) is on a 7 acre site but the temple building itself is under 11,000 square feet (that's just over twice the size of our home - not that large).
The Laie Hawaii temple in Oahu was built in 1919 so it was over 80 years later when President Hinckley dedicated this 2nd temple in Hawaii in January of 2000. I guess the Kona Temple is celebrating 10 years this year and in 9 years the Laie Temple will be 100 years old! And to end with some blog trivia, Steve Young (the SF '49er's former QB) was married in the Kona Temple.
