Iosepa Article from BYUH May 30, 2008

Checkout the piece done by Mike Foley.

There are some great pictures here as well...

Aloha!

Awaiting Word....

First off all thanks to Kamoa'e and Uncle Kawika and the rest of the crew for allowing me to join them on Memorial day to do some repairs and refitting for Iosepa, it was a choice experience albeit a very tiring one for my out-of-good shape body. I hope I did more good than damage.

Thanks especially to my love Kieiki for allowing me to go on the wa'a as well...it was a treat. I haven't been on Iosepa since June 2005. And like some of our crew members, I have yet to sail on board. But as was mentioned on Sunday night and to paraphrase President J. Reuben Clark, "it's not where you serve, but how..."

It was nice to see Ana, Sir William, and Keali'i on Iosepa. Whenever I see members of the first crew, I always remember the special times we had.

As a compliment to the current crew (of about 10 students) I was told by one of our leaders that "great leaps" have been made in our program. This is a credit to the crew and to those who have sacrificed and prepared the way for us to participate and hold shares in the ways of Hawaiian culture and the way of the Wa'a.

I believe that further strides will be made and can already tell that the future is bright for Iosepa. There will be storms, but we will weather them.

As we await permission for Iosepa and his crew to sail to Kawaihae, the most important matter is that we are pono; Pono to receive whatever outcome is given to us, pono to be prepared and helpful for any circumstance. In this way we will always be right to He who calms the storms or he who calms the voyager.

Aloha

New Additions to these blogs

Aloha,

There are also more pictures on the Iosepa Photo Blog and the Wa'a Kaulua blogs. You can visit them by clicking on the links.

New Pictures on Iosepa Photo Blog

Check out some pictures of Iosepa at Hukilau.(click here) More are being uploaded and will be shared soon. Please send your pictures or other media to share and document.

Announcement: all who wish to dance for Iosepa at the Halau Dedication at PCC are invited to practice on Wednesdays at 8:30pm in the dance studio at BYUH. More kane are needed, so please come out!!! Uncle Cy said at practice last night that we need more of our community to support and dance.

Iosepa is in the Water!!!!

Its so wonderful to see Iosepa in the water. It even gives me chicken skin writing about it. Its a beautiful day and I plan to go and jump in the water. I will post more pictures later, but if you have the chance come down. Apparently the plan is to have a couple sails the next few days and then prepare to holo to the Big Island.

Yesterday I learned some pretty interesting things from Sister Hartmann. She talked about how Iosepa is the only indigenous canoe in Hawai'i which is launched from indigenous waters. She also talked about one of her great grandfathers, Benjamin Franklin Johnson aka BF Johnson was an advisor to Kamehameha III and also a member of the Mission Presidency when Joseph F. Smith came on his mission to Hawai'i. She also said that he assisted in setting then Elder Smith apart as a missionary. She related that experience of her Great Grandfather to what she is doing now to help Iosepa move forward.


Aloha

Feki

From Lehua

I first got involved with Iosepa because Namea and Miki wanted me to do the Saturday morning swim with them. Later (like February 2002), Kamoa‘e asked if I wanted to be a crewmember and go to the training on the Big Island. Actually, I wasn’t sure if I wanted to get too involved. I was going to graduate in a couple of months, I didn’t know what I was going to do after that and I knew that I get motion sick easier than you’d think was possible.
I think I stayed because I felt such a strong connection with the other people on the crew. There was usually a really good rapport with one another and we had a lot of fun working, playing or making trouble with each other. Also, I felt like I would never get another chance to help and be involved with something like this. I mean, I’m from Nevada, the middle of the desert, no wa‘a kaulua over here.
Kihe ka ihu i ka ‘ale. I always visualized something surging forward, into the fray, you know. It makes me think of putting up the jib and sitting out on the alelo with your feet dangling over the ocean, the spray that hits your feet and the rush of water going under your feet through the hulls. For me, it meant charging into something unknown, but with a trust in something solid and reliable. For us, it was the ocean with the canoe as our “something solid”. In other cases, I think that the unknown is life and the solid, reliable support is the gospel.
To me, pono means to be centered, and right with yourself, others or your situation. I always felt that one should be pono when he or she came to the canoe. That meant that they should get over their issues before coming and working. I personally didn’t want to bring any negativity to the wa’a and in turn bring others down. I really think it helped me during that time, because I wanted to be at the canoe and if I had an issue, I hurried and got over it, so that I could go work.
The experience with Iosepa was physically, mentally, culturally and emotionally challenging. I enjoyed working on the canoe when it was on land, but as soon as it got onto the water, my enjoyment ended. Since I spent most of my time sleeping or throwing up, the sailing aspect was physically tough on me. Culturally, I learned a lot about being Hawaiian and understanding what that means. I had some interesting conversations with Kamoa’e about it. Emotionally, it was a struggle to balance home and canoe and work.
I think that being a crew member came with a lot of responsibility. You have each other’s back, whether it’s adjusting a stay line or helping at their wedding. Being part of the crew is a life changing experience. It is like having a whole other family. The memories that I made during that time will be with me forever. You can’t put it into words that would really do it justice, but I think that everyone that was involved probably feels the same way.
You know, I remember a lot of the little sayings everyone used to say, but the one that really pops out in my head is, “Shut-up, Lehua”. One day in Malama Kai, Kamoa‘e was reviewing his syllabus and in one section he had a mistake or something (“the many faucets of Malama Kai”), and I probably pointed it out or laughed, being the TESOL major that I was. Paliku really enjoyed repeating that one.
There are so many stories and memories, it’s like a flood thinking about them all. One memory that sticks out to me was when all of the wahine went for a training to the Big Island and visited with Aunty Marie. We were all piled in her house and it was hot and since we had been out in the sun, I was sleepy. I totally kept drifting off. All of a sudden, I heard my name whispered in my ear. The voice wasn’t from someone in that room. I think one of my ancestors (great-grandma or someone) was telling me that I better pay attention. It made me realize that my people were proud of what I was doing and that they were with me. I knew that I was doing something that was bigger than just us.
I miss it every day and I miss everyone more than you know! No matter where I am I will always feel connected to the canoe. I’m grateful for the time I got to spend there and all of the memories that I’ll always have.
Love,
Lehua

Some Notes from Elder Ballard's Blessing upon Iosepa

Aloha Kakou,
I have some notes that I have taken after reading Elder Ballard's Blessing of Iosepa. Here are some few highlights of his blessing. My intent for sharing this is to inspire all those who have been or will be associated, in Elder Ballard's prose, with the Wa'a. Im sure some of you will also remember how Elder Ballard was very happy about the name Iosepa. Truly the name of the canoe is not Hawaiian only, but is representative of the Pacific 'Ohana. I hope these few notes help you on your voyages.

---------------------------------------------------------
-A blessing upon all who have directed this work or participated in anyway with the canoe’s construction.

-Bless Thy work here in the islands and around the world.

-Pronounce a blessing upon it that it may be seaworthy at all times.

-Those who will have experience upon it may be watched over, protected, and kept safe.

-That the lessons that need to be learned by those who seek to know more about the sea and its tremendous power and capacity, may be inspired and enlightened and may learn lessons that will help them in life and throughout all eternity.

-Bless the Teachers and Anyone who gives instruction that they will be inspired by the power of the Holy Spirit, that even in the midst of serious moments when decisions must be made quickly, that by the power of the Holy Ghost they will know exactly what to do and what not to do in order to sail the seas in this canoe safely.

-Much thanks to Heavenly Father for the privilege of being present together.

-This canoe is dedicated by a priesthood blessing and upon all those associated with it.
---------------------------------------------------------

Feki