Maleko’s Hale

I was away to Long Beach last week for an EPRI PQ (Electrical Power Research Institute Power Quality) conference.  I’ll spare you the boring details of the conference subject matter but I must say that Long Beach is a nice seaside Southern California town. 

I was at the Renaissance Hotel near the Pike which is an entertainment/restaurant area.  Across the street from the Renaissance is the Rock Bottom Brewery and Restaurant - a great micro-brew pub.  I liked Rock Bottm so much that I went there 2 nights in a row, haha.

We had a great time one evening aboard the Queen Mary which has been docked in Long Beach since 1967.  After a nice heavy pupu party we toured the ship to learn about it’s facinating history.  I highly recommend this if you’re ever in Southern California.

My stay was not without a bit if excitement.  On Wednesday evening, I was outside the hotel and I hear a screech and then a loud boom.  I saw the tail end of the accident where an SUV was rear-ended and then spun around by a small C-class Mercedes which flew up over the curb of the median.  The two guys in the Mercedes get out and start walking away from the scene.  I yell at them to stop but they take off running.  The driver of the SUV is shaken up but he is a ble to get out after the paramedics arrive.  His passenger, unfortunately, has to be wheeled into an ambulance on a gurney.  Hopefully she’s OK.  It was amazing that no one was seriously injured.  What bothered me (other than the two knuckleheads who ran off) was that none of the air bags deployed in either car.

Early next morning (around 1:30 AM)  the fire alarm in the hotel is activated!  I search around for my clothes and wallet and go stumbling down the stairs.  Not too many others have evacuated the hotel.  Turns out to be a false alarm and only the 5th and 6th floor speaker/strobes activated.  This happens twice that afternoon.  I also caught a bad virus which made my flight home miserable.  Bleh!  I seem to be on the road to recovery so I’m just kicking back today.  Oh, and sorry but I didn’t pack a camera for the trip - I should’ve though.

Metamorphosis: n, 1. a change in form, structure, or function; specif., the physical change undergone by some animals, as of the tadpole to the frog  2. any marked change, as in character, appearance, or condition
 

Last night - Friday 12/29/06 - our Central Leeward Oahu Baptist Association combined youth ministries held its first annual Metamorphosis Youth Rally at Gospel Lighthouse Church in Ewa Beach.  Being a rather “old fart” at 48, I must say that I was impressed with the rally and just a little envious because I never got to enjoy such great fun at a church sponsored event when I was at that age!  Fellowship, food, games, and MUSIC were the highlights of the evening’s festivities.  I got to play an active role because the Good Lord blessed our church’s Worship Team in providing some of the music performed at the rally.  I enjoyed much of the other fun vicariously through my daughter, lol!
 

Our Worship Team played a set of contemporary Praise and Worship music consisting of the following tunes:
 

You, You Are God
Forever
I Am Free
King
Hear Our Praises
I Exalt Thee
Gifted Response
 

It was such an honor to witness and be apart of this where hearts were touched by Jesus!  The other Worship Team made up of young people from the various Central Leeward Oahu churches was AWESOME!  Led by Brian on keyboards and vocals, these young musicians played and sang their hearts out for Jesus and had the kids in the pews shouting, jumping, singing, praising, and at times, worshiping with eyes closed in heart-felt emotion - the Holy Spirit was indeed in our midst!  Amen!
 

Oh yeah, the food served up (chili dogs, veggies, and chips) was ono!!!  And the prizes!  CDs and gift cards (Jamba Juice and Starbucks) were given away as well as an iPod Shuffle, and (drum roll please) a Sony SPS with a $30 gift card for games.  Not too bad for going to church on a Friday night yeah?  Big Mahalos to Gospel Lighthouse, Pastor Travis, Uncle Steve, Uncle Duke, Sean and all the kids who actually put this together and made this happen!  Whoa, Uncle Maleko getting misty eyed now. ;)  I can’t wait for the next one even though I can’t enter the raffles for the prizes, lol!