First off let me say that indeed I have not received any word as to if I am going to Japan this summer or not.  Hence the no news, but is this good news?  It is news anyway as it is making me practice patience while flight prices back home are getting more expensive as my indecision lingers longer and closer to actual times I would be traveling. 

For the past couple of weeks I have been staying fairly active.  Getting around to school work every once in a great while.  (Ok just about everyday, maybe just not as much as I need to be doing.)  For the last two weekends I have gone on some really great hikes here on the island.  The first one we did was the Stairway to Heaven hike (Haiku Stairs).  This hike was relatively challenging, although not unbearable and the view from the top at sunrise was a testament to God’s creation.  The trail we took for this was essentially a giant staircase built originally during World War II by the United States Navy.  They led to a secret radar station on top of a 2800 foot cliff, our destination.  So we got our stairmaster workout in, passed a few no trespassing signs and were on our way, a good day. 

The second hike we (I keep referring to we as my friend Whil, his plumber; our guide, and a few others) took was to Ka’au Crater.  This was another worthwhile hike that included waterfalls, a big crater, and some delicious fruit.  As we hiked to the very back of the long Palolo valley we had to climb several waterfalls which were beautiful, and then got to enjoy eating some strawberry-guavas from wild trees.  Now the strawberry guava is a little red guava that tastes like strawberry.  If you buy juice that is “strawberry guava” chances are it is actually just this one fruit…the strawberry-guava.  Quite good eatin. 

I have also made it to the beach a few times in the past weeks, which has been nice.  There was an off-season swell here on the south shore this week, in fact yesterday so I headed down to the beach to body-board it up.  The waves were breaking in clean lines, making great long rides. 

On a more somber note, and a note that I ask you would please pray for if you happen to see this.  Today a girl in my dorm committed suicide, this is the second resident this year from my tower to take their own life.  This time it was not necessarily a good friend but it was definitely someone who I saw basically every day and talked to on numerous occasions.  She was good friends with several other people on my floor which makes the whole atmosphere up here on floor 11 kind of quiet.  I pray for her family that they can find comfort in God as refuge from their pain.  I pray for her friends here, especially those that were responsible for finding her, that they can maybe find answers for their confusion and hurt.  I pray for my tower right now that any spirit of darkness or depression would be lifted in Jesus’ name. 

One more note…if you come across this on Google…I have no idea why they have my site listed as potentially harmful, I have requested a re-evaluation from them but to no avail yet. God Bless!   Peace.