The Kona Khronicles: SATURDAY SOUTH TOUR WITH OUR MISSION BUILDING TEAM...31 ON THE TOUR

Every Saturday YWAM shows their gratitude to all the hard work the Mission Builders do by offering them special, cheap, fun, tours around the Island. Larry and Joellen Wright are the staffs (Missionary status, full time) personal who are the leaders of the Mission Builders team, they live among us at Hale Ole (House of Light) and take care of all placing, problems and programs for us, they do an excellent job for YWAM and us, when they took over the program just a month or so ago, there were 17 Mission Builders, there are now 62, soon to be 80.

One thing Larry does is offer us his Saturday “Larry Discount Tours,” which cost each of us $5.00. This cost the base a lot more money than our five bucks could possibly cover.

Yesterday, we took 31 Mission Builders on the South Island tour, we only have two vans, so shuttling back in forth to base takes two to three trips every morning and afternoon, but any tour is first sign up, first come.

We start off the day by going to the base for breakfast at 8 AM, to pack lunches, the base has set up two hectic lines for breakfast and lunch packing, I’ve got a Masters degree so I suggest that Carol get us breakfast, while I make us lunch in the other line, this is a marvel of an idea, which soon catches on.

Mary, my staff friend who comes in for afternoon/evening and weekend management duties in the kitchen sees me in line and says “I don’t know what to do, we are missing three helpers, the people in the line are not heading the signs for one bag of chips each and one fruit each. I can see that we are out of chips already, and fruit, so I do what I can, I run into the cold storage for a box of oranges for the demanding and impatient lunchers (this is like putting a band aid on a shark bite), and I grab the biggest box of assorted chips (this is like putting a band aid on a bomb victim), people thank me, and then devour them like locust.

I’m concerned for my chip life; will I get any after I get in back of the line, again?

I feel for Mary, but I grab my stuff, as I consider the problem as jetsam, I’ve got mine, and I’m leaving.

We head back to Hale Ola and depart at Nine AM.

First Stop: A coffee making plantation. Very cool.

Second Stop: YWAM’s super “King’s Mansion.” Hey, Scott Cerovac, we talked to the project manger and they are desperate for some skilled help, they said you can come for free room and board for even a week or two. Mom and I will watch the kids so you and Julie can come. They are redoing the whole place; it’s the official place for YWAM to have meetings with other heads of YWAM, as well as other missionary people.

Third Stop: THE UGLIEST PLACE ON ALL OF THE HAWAIIAN ISLANDS, South Point, the cliff diving place. But it’s one of the most fun places.

Fourth Stop: Volcano watching. This was a total bust, it was a long drive for nothing, and we couldn’t get close to the Lava flow going into the ocean.

Fifth Stop: The biggest natural hot springs I’ve ever seen. It was a beautiful setting, looks like a man made, gigantic swimming pool, and is set on the ocean, which lifts the springs and ushers in fresh water. Little parasite fish bite at your toes, one bit my eye lash (don’t put your face under water next time some local person tells me, he also tells me that there is a monster ell in the springs over by those rocks, he points to where I just came from.

I’m tired of swimming, so I get out.

Sixth Stop: We stop in Hilo for some Loco Moco (bowl of rice, a hamburger, brown gravy, and egg over easy on top, tobacco sauce, soy sauce and a little pepper); this is a must for Larry’s tour.

We head home, it’s late and the drive is excruciatingly long, we circle the entire Island, it’s the biggest of all the Hawaiian Islands (All of the other islands can fit inside of this one). It seems like a long flight on a plane with nothing to read or do, it’s cramped for all except the two high and mighty front seaters. I’m resenting their status.

Its’ almost 10:00 P.M., it’s long, fun day.