This morning’s Deseret News contained a report focusing on Church members in the Hawaiian Islands after their large earthquake yesterday. The line that caught my attention was the hometeaching angle, which if you think about it, makes absolute common sense. Quoting President Eric B. Shumway, BYU Hawaii President, and an area Seventy:
“I was very pleased to hear that the home teachers in all of the wards were out checking on people,” he added. “Roads have been damaged and rocks have fallen, and some buildings were damaged — but no loss of life to our knowledge, at this point.”
What a great example of the Hawaii Saints in looking out for their community of fellow saints. If their wards are anything like ours, they have an emergency preparedness program in place, the backbone of which would be hometeachers and the youth of the Aaronic Priesthood.
While some Church buildings on the main Island were damaged, there were no reports of injury. The missionaries were all accounted for and safe.
The church’s famous Polynesian Cultural Center is also located in Laie. “I’ve heard of no damage whatsoever” to the center, he said. “We just felt the shake on Oahu and lost electricity.
But none of the stake presidents have reported any damage, except on the big island.” “Maui was not damaged,” he said. “They felt the shocks, but the stake president tells me there was no damage on Maui and no damage on Kauai.” Maui and Kauai are other islands in the Hawaiian chain.
Earlier in the day, church spokesman Dale Bills, in Salt Lake City, said church authorities in Hawaii reported all missionaries are safe and are accounted for. “While assessment continues,” he said, “initial reports show no injuries among church members and minor damage to church facilities.”
Living in earthquake country out here in California, I can recall going through several similar quakes in my youth–particularly in Southern CA. I’m grateful the damage was mostly limited to property and not people.
October 16, 2006 at 3:59 pm
Now something I can bring a non-controversial view to. Yesterday we arrived home mid-afternoon from church to receive a call from my dad about the Hawaii earthquake. We flipped on the TV and then began frantically calling our son at BYUH. Got his voicemail, then called two of his friends, the calls wouldn’t go through. I then called a former Ventura California Mission missionary who lives there in Laie and left a message. I did finally get through to BYUH Security who wonderfully answered all my concerns. Yes, they were completely without power, the students were in their dorms, no buildings were damaged and everyone appeared to be safe. An hour or so later, we did finally hear from our son. His first question upon being awakened that morning was “Do they have earthquakes in Hawaii?”. He said it shook quite violently for about 30 seconds, he is on the second floor of Hale. Then a bit later they issued a tsunami watch and told the kids on the first floor to go to the second floor. He had also talked to folks who headed to the higher ground of the Temple and found quite a few folks there. That just makes so much sense, the higher ground and safety of the Temple. There is a lesson there. As of last night they were still without power except in the Cafeteria which was using generators and feeding the students and community. He noted the smart students brought their cell phone battery chargers to dinner. The big down side of the whole event is it is Mid-Term week, so he was off to study under a street lamp. Ah the life of a student in Hawaii. The former missionary was setting up chairs at his ward house when it struck and said he could see the street rolling. He’s from Ohio, so it was quite an experience. All is well once again in Laie.
October 17, 2006 at 5:39 am
Brian, Glad to hear all is well for your son and other BYUH students.
October 17, 2006 at 7:45 am
My neighbor is from Hawaii, he married the girl across the street and for several years, they lived in Hawaii. She loved it, she loved the church there, she says it was much more loving and kind.
I have several friends who’ve lived for various periods of time in Hawaii and they truly loved the people there. I wish we could all be like that.
Hawaiin Mormons seem not to keep score like Utah Mormons. No offense to all you Utah Mormons out there.
October 17, 2006 at 2:15 pm
annegb, we have been blessed to attend church in Kaanapali and Laie and we loved both areas. In Laie we sat behind a very loving husband and wife, turns out they were the temple president and his wife, who after sacrament introduced themselves and spoke with us. The lesson was taught by an area resident, she and her military husband had been assigned throughout the world, the peace and conviction from which she taught touched us deeply. And when they sing the Hawaiian farewell song, one cannot help but be moved by the spirit. As for Ojai (our home) and Santa Maria (our daughter and son-in-law’s home) they both measure up just fine also.