Tag Archives: Churches

First visit to Hawaii

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Meaningful Memories.’ See more responses here.

This seemed like an opportune time to revisit my first visit to Hawaii, back in 2010. My wife and I stayed in a vacation rental near Captain Cook, overlooking Kealakekua Bay. The sky was hazy with vog from Kilauea Volcano, but the place was awash with colorful flowers. Just down the road was the Painted Church and at the foot of the hill, Puʻuhonua o Hōnaunau National Historical Park celebrates Hawaiian culture and history with its wooden ki’i and towering palms.

We traveled the whole island from the black sand beach at Pololu (even if we had to pass the carcass of a dead whale twice) to the black sand beach at Punalu’u, dotted with resting green turtles, and rocky surrounds. There were waterfalls big and small, and roads lined with tropical foliage leading to the active lava flow at that time.

There, signs warned that flowing lava is dangerous (who knew?), but we were still able to get within 10 feet of oozing tongues of red, and saw small fires still burning in nearby brush.

There was even a house for sale: ‘Buy now before it burns!’ We didn’t, though that house still stands while others, much farther from that scene, have since been consumed by subsequent flows.

It was this visit that prompted us to return permanently two years later. Hawaii isn’t paradise – it has its pros and cons like any place – but we haven’t regretted the move and are looking forward to the next 10 years.

Ruby wine

Pu'uanahulu Baptist Church on the Big Island, Hawaii
A Fire extinguisher holder on a colorful building in Hawaii

This week’s Sunday Stills challenge theme is ‘Color Challenge: Ruby wine.’ See more responses here. Terri described ruby wine as ‘burgundy-brownish’ and included a handy color match, which I’ve made use of here.

The top photo shows exterior of the Pu’uanahulu Baptist Church. The second photo features a fire extinguisher on a colorful wall. I liked the reflections in glass of the cabinet. The bottom photo features another church, this time the interior of the Painted Church south of Captain Cook.

The interior of the Painted Church on the Big Island, Hawaii

Pu’uanahulu Baptist Church

Pu'uanahulu Baptist Church seen against a backdrop of a blooming jacaranda tree

Pu’uanahulu is a small community not far from Pu’u Wa’awa’a, where I like to hike. This small Baptist church sits at one end of the community and is backed by trees including the jacaranda that was in bloom when I took this photo.

Posted in response to Becky’s July Squares challenge theme of ‘Trees.’ See more responses here.

Rainbow red

A rainbow off the Kohala coast, Hawaii
A bright red hibiscus flower
The door of St. Augustine's Episcopal Church in Kapaau, Hawaii

This month’s Becky’s Squares challenge theme is ‘Bright.’ (See more responses here.) Since I plan to post some bright colors in response, I thought I’d do that using a rainbow theme.

I’m starting with a rainbow off the north Kohala coast followed by a bright red hibiscus flower growing wild on that same coast. The third photo shows the front door of St. Augustine’s Episcopal Church in Kapaau, illuminated by a single bright light.

Kalāhikiola Congregational Church

Kalahikiola Congregational Church near Kapaau, Hawaii
Kalahikiola Congregational Church near Kapaau, Hawaii

Kalāhikiola Congregational Church dates back to 1855 though the congregation had met in various structures in the area since 1837. The 1855 church was the first to be built of stone and, despite a few mishaps, it survived largely without problems until October of 2006, when a 6.7 magnitude earthquake caused extensive damage. It was rebuilt in the winter of 2009/2010.

For more information about Kalāhikiola Congregational Church, go to https://www.kalahikiolacc.com/.

Begone foul demons

Termites are plentiful in Hawaii and, if left alone they can literally eat you out of house and home. But they don’t draw the line at residential dwellings. Anything made out of wood is fair game. So every few years, buildings get tented and the termites get gassed.

Tenting a house is a something of a production, but bigger buildings are a major undertaking. These photos show the local Catholic church being tented. The crane is needed to haul the heavy tarps into place and also to lift workers up and down.

The tarps generally stay on for around 24 hours, before the whole process is reversed and the tarps removed. Once the building has aired out, it’s good to go for another few years. This is the second time, since I moved here, that I’ve seen this church tented. I do wonder about certain theological aspects of this process. I mean, aren’t termites God’s creatures, too?

Statues at the Painted Church at Honaunau

Statues in the garden below the Painted Church at Honaunau.

Another post on the WordPress photo challenge theme of ‘serene.’

I’m not a religious person, but I’ve always enjoyed visiting churches. The interiors are usually calm and quiet, and the graveyards and grounds outside have their own serenity. These statues can be found in the garden below the Painted Church at Honaunau.

For more information about the Painted Church at Honaunau, go to thepaintedchurchhawaii.org/.