We are on vacation in Lai?\u00a2\u201a\u00c7\u00a8\u201a\u00d1\u00a2e, Hawai?\u00a2\u201a\u00c7\u00a8\u201a\u00d1\u00a2i, this week, and attended church in the Laie 7th Ward. I thought I would share a few things that I thought were interesting.<\/p>\n
The meeting with not only prelude music, but a prelude hymn, in which the congregation joined in. We sang ?\u00a2\u201a\u00c7\u00a8?\u00ecSpirit of God?\u00a2\u201a\u00c7\u00a8\u00ac\u00f9. I have to admit that I thought it was odd, and at first thought it was the opening. After we were done, however, and sang the opening hymn shortly thereafter, I thought how cool it was to sing a prelude hymn. It set the tone for the rest of the meeting.<\/p>\n
The bishop started out the meeting with ?\u00a2\u201a\u00c7\u00a8?\u00ecBrother and Sisters, Aloha?\u00a2\u201a\u00c7\u00a8\u00ac\u00f9. It was Fast and Testimony Meeting today, and before each testimony there was a ?\u00a2\u201a\u00c7\u00a8?\u00ecBrother and Sisters, Aloha?\u00a2\u201a\u00c7\u00a8\u00ac\u00f9. In fact, they did it at the start of priesthood opening exercises and elders quorum.<\/p>\n
A young father blessed his first child, a daughter, today. Part of the blessing paralleled structurally with initiatory ordinance. I thought that was pretty cool.<\/p>\n
Another interesting part of the testimony meeting was that there was a constant stream of people bearing the testimony.<\/p>\n
There was as simple faith among those I heard speaking. I found myself drawn to that.<\/p>\n
There are quite a few mixed families here. It?\u00a2\u201a\u00c7\u00a8\u201a\u00d1\u00a2s kind of weird to hear someone say an anglicized name when introducing another person only to find the second person looks polynesian.<\/p>\n
All in all, it was a neat experience, and I wish we could stay for more.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"