My friends have asked me how I spent my
summer. When I told them I went to Hawaii, they
responded with awe. They wanted to know where I
stayed, who I went with. All the expected
questions. When I told them I went with 14
teenagers and 4 other adults, they were surprised.
Then, you can imagine their surprise when I added the
other details. We camped in tents on platforms,
used composting toilets, showered outside, shopped for
our food, and cooked our own meals... and worked!
Not the typical Hawaiian experience.
It was truly something special.
We spent a week learning about the practice of peace in
all we did. We also experienced the Hawaiian
culture and landscape. It was an experience I will
always value.
We didn't start out thinking it was
awesome, though. Several of us have talked about
how we felt when we tried to get all our gear in those
three mini-vans. We've talked about how we felt
when we first stepped out of those mini-vans and heard
Pat Brown, the camp manager, say "Aloha, put bug spray
on right away!" It was muddy and humid. The
mosquitoes were hungrier and more prolific than any of
us had ever experienced.
And next door were roosters! We
had many a conversation about the "peaceful" way to deal
with them. Even at night, they at least cooed.
The noise was constant.
And yet... We began, slowly at
first, to experience peace. We decided after a
while that those toilets weren't so bad. The
showers were simply luxurious, even in the rain, even
though nothing ever got really dry. Pat had told
me that peace practice would be in all we did, even the
dish-washing and the work done on the site. Most
importantly, though, was the practice of peace between
all of us.
We left here a group of individuals
and, as Blythe Peterson put it, came back a family.
We learned to live together in peace, and that was
incredibly valuable. You may have seen the
difference in the interactions of the youth and the
adults. We are closer, more accepting, more
understanding of each other and of those around us.
We have begun the practice of peace in our lives.
The work of peace has just
begun, though. Like the fund-raising to pay for
the trip, there is more to do. We will continue to
grow in our personal practice of peace, and we will
continue to learn how to be at peace with others and the
world around us. The process began in that little
rustic camp amongst the mosquitoes and the roosters and
the mud and the humidity and... Auntie Pat Brown, the
site manager. We will all be connected to her
forever.
Thank you, Mahalo, to all of you for
your support and prayers that made the incredible
experience of the Peace Village possible.
Aloha and peace,
Debe Nelson
Christian Education Coordinator
