I can't believe it. After 6 years of living in Hawaii. 6 years!! I am finally moving home. I arrived with 3 suitcases and a lot of determination, a young 17 year old who really didn't know what she was doing except fulfilling a dream to go to Brigham Young University Hawaii. Now 6 years later at 23 years of age with a husband who I have been married to for 3 years, a beautiful daughter and a handsome son I am winding my way home (trying to fit our lives back into 3 suitcases).
I have loved every single moment of my BYU-Hawaii experience.I am not exaggerating when I say that. I mean it! I have loved every single second of being at this school. It has the most amazing spirit in the whole world. It is a place that I hope my children and children's children will come to. I wonder if I will ever be able to stop saying "Mahalo" or get up and church and be satisfied with "Good Morning Brothers and Sisters." It is a place I strongly want to visit as often as I can because of its amazing spirit. I worked for 3 years at the PCC and I love everyday I went to work, sharing my New Zealand culture and sharing the gospel directly or indirectly to each person I have come in contact with. I have had strong spiritual experience at this school and some hard trials as well. I have felt the spirit at work in my life and also felt the miserable powers of Satan trying so hard to tempt me to give up happiness.
I have made friends for life from all different places, some I am excited to see very shortly and some I will not see again till the eternities. I know if I wanted to go to Japan, Russia, California, Utah and other places that someone would have a place for me to sleep. I know that I have had character building experiences with people I knew for one night and fun beyond belief performing in Culture nights and Songfest. I have been in school plays, wished I could have had the schedule to sing in the Concert Choir, applauded in awe at the schools orchestra. I have screamed and celebrated at sports events and even danced my feet off till 1am in the morning.
I have had weeks of sleepless nights because of exams, friends who needed a listening ear, rehearsals for shows or now little children. I have sat and listened to counsel at the feet of Apostles and learned much more than things taught in a textbook. I have had teachers for Bishops and Stake Presidents for friends. I have had an abundance of callings and am grateful for what each calling has brought to my life. I have served people in the community whose names I still don't know and eaten food from countries I probably will never get to visit.
I meet my eternal companion at this school. I made the decision to be married and then was sealed in the Temple 6 minutes from where I lived. I have seen my family grow and followed the counsel of the Lord regarding not waiting to have children and have seen the hand of the Lord over and over and over again in my life when we needed his help because we listened to his counsel. I have played in the rain at this school, climbed on the roof of this school, used rubbish bins to clear flood water at this school and nurtured my testimony each day at this school.
Not a single day has gone by since I have been here that I have not stopped and marveled at my situation and seen the Lords hand in everything. I feel that I am way more sad than I realize that we are moving away and going onto the next stage of our lives and yet I am reminded each time I drive down the entrance of this school of its importance "Enter to Learn - Go Forth to Serve." AND serve we will, how could I not give everything back to the Lord after he has given me so much.
I love Laie, I love BYU-Hawaii and in less than two weeks I will be leaving this place and its wonderful spirit. I know that the school has problems, trust me I have spent my fair share of time waiting for answers or finding offices closed or having to add a class I needed even though my academic advisor said I didn't need it. I wish that everyone who came here could feel the spirit and realize what a blessing the school is, I wish people could look past things like the Honor Code or dysfunctional campus offices and see what wonderful opportunities they are able to have - most of the time for FREE. Those things are trivial when you look at everything that this school gives you spiritually. This institution truly is a prophecy fulfilled. I thank Heavenly Father each day for the experiences he has allowed me to have at this school and for what it has helped mold me into.
In Maori we have a proverb which states "
Ahakoa he iti he pounamu" translated it states although small the treasure is of great worth. I will truly treasure each and every experience this school has given me.
