As the old song says, “People…who need people…are the luckiest people in the world.”

We Made It!

After rescheduling a trip to Hawaii three times this year due to health issues, Don and I flew to the lush garden island of Kauai recently. Once we entered the plane, we delighted in getting away from the pressures and responsibilities at home. We made it!

I chatted with Stephanie, one of our air hostesses. This dear woman lost her husband, then eight years later, her son of about twenty-four years. She is still grieving. I was honored to listen to her and tell her I’d pray for her.

Travel is a great privilege, not only for the various kinds of beauty we see, but for the people God puts in our path along the way, as we learn values, priorities, experience kindness and mutual interests. Going to new places is a gift I don’t take lightly, knowing not everyone has the time, inclination, or ability to do so!

Here’s a short PDF article on The Benefits of Travel, from BeWell Champions.

Julio and Margie

While driving to our resort, we stopped for a bite to eat. However, when we learned the delay to get seated would be about an hour, we declined. As Don waited for me outside the restroom, he and Julio struck up a conversation.

Julio is of South American descent and has quite a history. Two months after being forcibly put into the Guatemalan military, who killed his father, Julio escaped. He lived on the run in various parts of the US mainland and then moved to Hawaii, where he met Margie, his wife.

Margie, Don, Carol, and Julio.

When Julio learned Don is 100 and served in the Pacific at the end of WWII, he said, “I run a tour company. I’m going to give you a free tour for your birthday.”

Two days later, he and Margie picked us up and showed us the local area, including Wailea Falls and Spouting Horn. We shared with them about our lives and faith in Christ, and how that has carried both Don and me through difficult times.

At Spouting Horn, or the Blowhole, we met five or six other veterans, some of whom are pictured below. Different wars, different locales. One woman asked if she could hug Don, and of course, I said yes. With tears in her eyes, she put her head on Don’s shoulder and said, “I wish he were my dad.” Very precious.

Veterans at Spouting Horn, Kauai.

We also met two friends hanging out, both of whom work at one of the local helicopter companies—he as a pilot, she in the front office. They offered us a discount on a heli tour, but we simply ran out of time. Julio tried to matchmake for them. It was a fun time.

The Roosters Know

The day before our tour, we explored on our own. We stumbled on an old sugar mill, driving in right behind a pickup. Roosters and chickens immediately flocked to him. We thought he’d run over at least one, but not so. He feeds them every day, and they know his truck. Very cute!

Meetings by the Pool

Don wore his US Veteran cap for sun protection most days. I was amazed at how many people noticed and thanked him for his service. Several, when they learned he is 100 years old, brought others over to meet him. All said they thought he was in his 70s, 80s at the most.

And by the pool, we had a family on one side and a couple on the other. We asked about the young family and shared a bit of our faith with them, then learned the woman on the other side of me is a believer. Her daughter has some sort of spinal disability. Her strength and capability change from day to day, but she has persisted, does social work with disabled and poverty-stricken people, and married last year. This lovely couple was waiting for their daughter and son-in-law to join them on the island for time together.

Beauty of Nature and People

I was amazed at this “paint tree”—look at the gorgeous colors in the trunk. I’ve never seen this!

Another day, we watched as younger boys dashed into the surf on boogie boards, then flipped over in the air, and as older guys rode hydrofoil surfboards, keeping them 12-18 inches above the water.

And the monkey trees, imported from Africa, are leafy, layered, and quite beautiful.

The Joy of Learning to Know and Appreciate Other Cultures

I relish meeting people from our own country, as well as from other parts of the world. And if we take time to listen, everyone has a story.

• A story of loss, like Stephanie’s
• A story of a vagabond life, like Julio’s, until he settled down with Margie
• A story of two young co-workers who enjoy each other’s company and have a whole future ahead
• A story of a young, disabled woman who has persevered through difficult physical challenges and is making a difference in her world
• And sharing our own story, to the glory of God.

Related post: Everyone Has a Story

“If one gives an answer before he hears, it is his folly and shame.”

—Proverbs 18:13, ESV

If you’re like me, you need people. I need to listen, share, and connect, whether home or in other locales. And I think that is one of God’s good gifts to me.

“Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow due to change.”

—James 1:17, ESV