Kahu Parker, your native Hawaiian island minister, is warm, loving and true to his humble heart. From his strong ties to Hawaii's Royalty and famous paniolo heritage, his teachings comes first from his Grandparents. You can say "ahhh... raised old fashion", but isn't being romantic... old fashioned?
His beliefs comes a long way from his elders who were strong figures in the church, his family, and life.
By: Loke
Isidro Queddeng my Ninong, a father like figure has seen me grow through all my years. He was one to always joke. There was one morning leaving on my way to work in my car I'm calling to my Ninong, "I'll see you when you get home". Smiling back he yelled, "Eh, your tire turning!", nearly getting a whip lash I said, "That's my Ninong, always reminding me to smile". Many of his joke may have seemed dry, but it got straight to the point, would you understand it.
Rev.Parker will go to where he is called to. Months before the passing of my Ninong Sid(Godfather), Rev.Parker and myself was always by his side.
July 2004, we had an opportunity to take my Ninong Isidro's ashes to the Philippines to lay with the rest of his family.
The two most powerful gifts from God, we cannot live with one or the other, we need both. Too much sun everything dries up and withers, too much rain everything drowns and dies. Enough sun and rain to nurture life and to make it grow.
In Christianity the rainbow is the pardon, the reconciliation between God and humanity. It is the throne of the last judgment. In ancient Christian symbolism the rainbows principal colors are red, blue and green for fire, flood and earth. It is sometimes viewed as the Virgin Mary bringing heaven and earth in harmony.
The Old Testament tells of God showing Noah a rainbow after the flood had stopped. It was sign that God was putting his "Bow" down and would never destroy the Earth by flooding again.
In Kauai the Goddess of the rainbow is Anuenue. There is a story about a child named Ua, which means rain, who fell off a cliff. Anuenue used her rainbow to break the child's fall and save her life. The child grew up to marry Kulu-'i-ua, the son of the chief of a rival tribe. Their marriage created peace on the island of Kauai. A Japanese myth tells of the first man Isanagi and the first woman Isanami who stood on the floating bridge of heaven while creating the island of Onogoro. They then walked down to earth on this rainbow bridge, called Niji. They watched the animals and learned how to make love. They watched the birds and learned to eat with chopsticks.
Some Buddhists believe the seven colors of the rainbow relate to the seven planets and the seven regions of the earth. They also say the rainbow is the highest state of samsara before the clear light of Nirvana or heaven. In Arabia the rainbow is a tapestry draped by the hands of the south wind. It is also called the cloud's bow or Allah's bow. In Islam the rainbow is made up of four colors red, yellow, green and blue related to the four elements.
The rainbow is a bridge between the real and imaginary. It is looked at as a magic bridge on one hand, but on the other hand, people say a project doomed to fail is one built on a rainbow. A person who chases rainbows is someone who never accomplishes anything. I wonder what people think about us, rainbow makers.
People all over the world have different beliefs and different ways of looking at and understanding the same thing. We can be sure when a rainbow appears everyone is struck by its magic and its beauty. There is no doubt of that. What is the real meaning of the rainbow? Go look at one and you will know. Without words, without pictures, with a feeling inside you. Yes, there are things we just know and those are the important things in our life. The things that do not need words.
"I'm sorry for your lost", are the words we say to a surviving spouse who has lost a loved one, for we know a piece of their heart is gone and will never be replaced.
We take life for granted, life is too precious that it could be cut short at anytime. We're here... right now...and need to live life with compassion... so live each day to it's fullest as if it's your last. Rev. Parker quotes, "Let's not be sorry for our lost but be thankful for the love we have found in knowing and sharing with our loved one".
I remember coming to Ko'Olina chapel and Rev.Parker introducing me to Jacquelyn, "This is Jacque she sings in the chapel, a voice like an angel."
Moving back to Las Vegas to re-join the "Mamma Mia" broadway production, Jacque kept in touch with Rev.Parker.
Everyone has a best friend, and Gus was that. God placed Gus in Jacque's life because Gus gave her what she needed when no one else could. A friend whom Jacque could talk to and Gus understood... a friend whom Jacque could cry to and Gus would be that pillow to cry on. "He is everything to me", as Jacque said in an email to Rev. Parker. Gus stayed loyal to Jacque until the very end, and chose to walk with God only after Jason passed "The Gus Test". Gus knew that Jacque had found her Jason, a love in her life and could pass the torch unto him and Gus knew that she would be cared for the "Wright" way.
Facebook connection: "Elias words cannot express our experience. Thank you for honoring Gus in your most awesome way. He was there, I felt him and God works through you in the most powerful, beautiful way. You have the most generous, loving spirit and man oh man...super powerful. Awesome. I and my family are so incredibly blessed by you and the gift of God you are."
I recently attended a memorial service that Rev. Parker had the opportunity to conduct. His openning sermon for this service was "Let us REJOICE!!!... Let us rejoice this day in honour of a man who brought so much love, life and laughter to so many people....can I get an Amen". I was probably about 7 years old when my "Uncle Benny" first came to Honolulu. My parents Vestre and Charing who lived in Waipahu heard the news that Benny wanted to start a life, and my parents helped him by giving an opportunity to start that life. Soon with hard work and delegence he was able to bring his wife Mary from the Philippines to be by his side, and within a short time their daughter May was born.
A carpenter with over 30 years experience under his belt, Benny created and molded his family and his life with his hands. He has made many friends outside of the industry and even more throughout the industry along the way. Rev. Parker couldn't make it any simpler for us to understand. "REJOICE!!! To know that we had the chance to know Benny, to love him just the way he is, and to remember his laughter and his smiling face, for he was a simple man. REJOICE!!! That he is in a better place, and he's there with the greatest carpenter we could ever know."
In the past couple weeks we have been in around the Waianae coast visiting family for evening prayers. I had ever so longed a hike with the family then Rev. Parker decided that today would be a good day for a new challenge.
As salty Ka'ena waters are bounty full of hawaiian sea salt, Rev.Parker gently scrapes the shorline rocks where the salty waves sit and rest under the heat of Ka'ena and crystalize to hawaiian sea salt.
Ka‘ena Point, the westernmost point on Oahu, is the site of one of the last intact dune ecosystems in the main Hawaiian Islands. Here beyond the end of the busy roads of Oahu, is an area known since the ancient times as leina a ka‘uhane, the “leaping place of souls,” where the spirits of the recently dead could be reunited with their ancestors. Today, you can walk there among the living; Hawaiian plants and animals that have made the rugged ancient shoreline their home for thousands of years.
Kahu getting water to cool our bodies with Kaena's salty water.
Just around the bend lays Kaena Point, and we've come to a corroided road. Looking along the path way Kahu is concerened with the women and children along the hike. Nothing is impossible in a possitive attitude. We continue with the hike.
Reaching to the tip of the point we have come to a long wait to see the view.
Finally at the point of Ka'ena where waters meet. A journey home for Rev. Parker, and he has seen the old railroad tracks from his great grandfather a conductor from the old OR&L "Oahu Railroad & Land", rounding from Waipahu to Ewa Beach around Kaena point to Haleiwa. Known as "The In-between", Kaena Point, made it's name for spirits to leap off to eternal life. Scholars would see it as Oahu and Kauai channel waters, for others who understand the Hawaiian legends call it Leina Kauhane means "Leaping souls", Leina o'kaena, is the name of the place where the spirits leap, thus the in-between.
Happy to see such panoramic views of the pacific ocean, waves crashing against the a'a, and the dry grass surrounding the mountains, Ka'ena means "The heat", is why we call the hottest place on oahu. Along the way we've encountered how we endure our obstacles and challenges, how strong our will to stay along the path and back.
Thursday, July 23, 2009
Later in the day, we continued driving through central Oahu up to North Shore and stopped at Sunset Beach to meet with Steve from Dream Weddings Hawaii, and the couple who's about to get married by Rev. Elias. Before starting the ceremony I took a picture of the beach, the lifegaurd house, and a private wedding with Rev. Elias at the far back. Noticed two keiki kanes in the picture and what they were reading, the Bible.
Today, is a beautiful day with the Lord and his wonders everywhere. Children who just come in from an afternoon swim reading the Bible, or just a simple private wedding presented to the heavens above. How great is the Lord that he is always present no matter where we are, when you least expect it he is always there and how the Lord uses us as a tool in everyday life. Keep the Lord close to your heart, and give him thanks and praise.
Thank you for your visit. I welcome any questions and comments. The true meaning of Aloha is Love. Whether you're here in Hawaii or anywhere in the world,remember that It's all about the LOVE!
Isidro Queddeng my Ninong, a father like figure has seen me grow through all my years. He was one to always joke. There was one morning leaving on my way to work in my car I'm calling to my Ninong, "I'll see you when you get home". Smiling back he yelled, "Eh, your tire turning!", nearly getting a whip lash I said, "That's my Ninong, always reminding me to smile". Many of his joke may have seemed dry, but it got straight to the point, would you understand it. 
