5 important lessons learned from the trip

1. Grasping the beauty of God's creation
There was so much beauty that I saw throughout the trip which displayed the greatness and the beauty of our Creator. It was amazing to walk on the massive, endless beaches with monstrous waves crashing on the sandy shores. The long, tiring hikes that led to colossal waterfalls which took our breaths away and made the hikes all the worthwhile. Or the jungle hikes with many streams on the way which led to rivers that in a time of heavy rainfall could experience flash floods. All the beauty of the island was so grand, too magnificent for words and not even worth capturing with a camera, because it simply had to be experienced.

2. Realizing the daily conveniences
After living three weeks having very little convenience that one posses at home, I was very glad to be back home. Having an indoor hot shower, a soft bed to sleep on, a personal car. At home, even making myself lunch, is ten times faster and requires very little effort. After being back, I was able to notice the blessing of having all of these things in every single day of my life and be thankful for them.

3. Realizing my daily abundance
After coming back, right away, I noticed the abundance of everything our family owns. The amount of food that we have on the table, the amount of clothes I have in my closet. It was eye opening! I was amazed at how I can get used to living an abundant life, where all my needs are not only met, but are greatly surpassed.

4. Witnessing a diversity of people
Throughout the trip, I met a variety of people with different backgrounds and interests. There were three types of people I met on the island. Tourists like myself, who came to visit the island. Local natives, who were born and raised on the island. And finally, the local residents who moved to the island after it became a US state. It was very interesting to meet a variety of these people and hear their stories. Many were living the slow life, living one day at a time, while a few were pursuing a higher standard of living. Even though there was great diversity in the type of people I met, I noticed how we are all the same. We are all longing to love and be loved by others. I think the aloha of Hawaii is the result of this need for love that every individual has.

5. Recognizing my need in community
During my time on the trip, I noticed that I was missing the church. There was a need, deep inside of me of being among a congregation of people, worshiping together. It was so good to come back home to church and experience the blessing of the church like never before.