Ho`ike – August, 2026

Department Reports from the Hawaii Conference Office

Aloha from the Hawaii Conference office. When our church family gathered for our 12th Constituency Session on Oct. 5, 2025, each of our departments had a story to tell, and we wanted to pass a few of them along to you. From disaster relief to summer camp, from our classrooms to the young people knocking on doors with an armful of books, here is a look at how God has been at work among us over the past few years, all in service of one calling: “Reaching Hawai‘i With the Everlasting Gospel.”

Adventist Community Services & Disaster Relief

Our Adventist Community Services ministry has evolved from a behind-the-scenes support ministry into an active presence in communities across Hawai‘i. We are committed to providing practical assistance, hope, and compassion when people need help most. When the Lahaina wildfire struck on Aug. 8, 2023, one of the deadliest wildfires in our nation’s history, our team responded immediately. That same day, our Kahului church opened its doors to approximately 40 displaced community members, providing shelter, warm meals, comfort, and support. As recovery efforts continued, we coordinated food, clothing, donations, and financial assistance to help meet urgent needs while walking alongside families as they transitioned into temporary housing.

We partnered with World Vision to host a Back-to-School Bash, providing school supplies, shoes, bicycles, hygiene products, and household goods to families impacted by the disaster. Another significant recovery initiative was the Shed Project, which later evolved into a shipping container storage program. Today, 120 shipping containers have been delivered to families’ properties, providing secure storage for belongings, tools, and building materials as they rebuild their homes and lives.

One note we received captures the heart of this ministry: “I can’t thank you enough,” one community member wrote. “I thank God every day that there are organizations and churches like yours that are willing to help the community and be the hands and feet of Jesus!” Rebuilding efforts at the Lahaina church property continue, and the congregation’s ongoing presence serves as a reminder that ministry is not only about relief and recovery but also about restoring hope and strengthening relationships.

Looking ahead, we plan to complete the Lahaina church multipurpose building, equip more churches to serve as shelters and community resource centers, strengthen partnerships, and continue reaching Hawai‘i with the everlasting gospel, one family, one act of kindness, and one island at a time.

By Melanie Ramirez

Facilities Management

It’s not the flashiest ministry, but caring for the homes and buildings entrusted to us is its own quiet act of faithfulness. When our facilities manager stepped into the role, he found “many of our properties had deferred maintenance and needed immediate attention,” so the first step was simply getting honest, professional inspections on every property to know what we were working with.

What followed was a busy stretch of catching up. Across three islands, we serviced more than 44 properties, completed 16 full gut renovations, and responded to over 250 service calls covering everything from electrical and flooring to painting and roofing. We trimmed trees, repainted exteriors, repaired structural spalling, and rebuilt a damaged wall at our Kailua property, restoring both safety and curb appeal. None of it would have happened without a generous crew of contractors, skilled tradespeople, and volunteers who gave their time and talent.

We’re honest about the challenges, too. So much of our energy went toward urgent, critical repairs that some non-urgent items had to wait, and limited staffing meant leaning heavily on outside help. So our goals for the next five years are practical: finish the remaining renovations, circle back to those deferred items, build a dedicated in-house facilities team (hiring skilled workers from our own churches along the way), and put a preventative maintenance schedule in place so we’re staying ahead of problems instead of chasing them. As we like to remind ourselves, “Commit to the Lord whatever you do, and he will establish your plans” (Proverbs 16:3, NIV).

By Greg Jeffreys

Camp Waianae

If you haven’t been up to Camp Waianae lately, you might not recognize the place. “The Lord has blessed the work here,” our administrative director shared, and the past three years bear that out. The transformation has been remarkable, and nearly all of it came through donated dollars and volunteer hands.

The dining hall got a full remodel, new roof, siding, windows, kitchen, even air conditioning— powered by more than 17,000 volunteer hours and funded entirely by donations. The amphitheater was reborn with a terraced retaining wall, 15 curved benches, and a new stage— soaking up another 7,000-plus volunteer hours. Two new tiny homes, built with 98 percent volunteer labor, can now sleep up to 24 campers between them.
A striking new entrance went up with an automated steel gate and 120 feet of rock wall, and over 2,000 feet of trench was dug to replace every waterline on campus with pipe rated to last a century. In 2025 we also refreshed the camp’s look with a new logo and a tagline that says it all: “Inspired by Nature. Changed by Faith.”

And we’re just getting started. Revisions to the master development plan are with an architect, and once approved, the next phase begins, with the bathrooms first in line. Beyond that, we’re dreaming of finished camping space and a high-ropes challenge course built around character development. As our director put it, the real gratitude goes “to all who have answered the call God put on their hearts to make a difference at Camp Waianae.”

By Randy Maddox

Youth Department

Everything our Youth Department does flows from a single mission: helping children, youth, and young adults grow in their relationship with Jesus and find their place in His work. That covers a lot of ground: Children’s Ministries, Adventurers, Pathfinders, Camp Waianae, young adult ministry, and a pastoral internship program that mentors those exploring a call to ministry.

The past three years have been full. We’ve hosted family retreats that strengthen homes, launched a conference-wide Vacation Bible School training program, and watched our young adults flourish through hikes, retreats, and island-wide vespers. A particular highlight: sending more than 250 Pathfinders to the NAD Camporee in Gillette, Wyoming, a milestone that strengthened faith and inspired service. At Camp Waianae, the Pacific Union’s Keiki Connect initiative brought dozens of first-time campers, many from non-Adventist homes, to experience the joy of camp and encounter Jesus. And our pastoral interns have preached, led worship, and run prayer weeks at schools across the islands.

Looking ahead, our goal stays simple, reaching Hawaii with the everlasting gospel and preparing the next generation to carry it on. We’ll focus on raising up Christ-centered leaders, connecting young people across the islands, growing our internship program, and creating more spaces for Bible study, service, and time outdoors. We hold tightly to the words of 1 Timothy 4:12, “Let no one despise you for your youth, but set the believers an example” (ESV). We truly believe our young people are called to lead today, not just tomorrow.

Thank you for letting us share these glimpses of our ministry with you. Whether it’s a family rebuilding after the fire, a camper meeting Jesus for the first time, or a child praying back the rain, we see the same God at work. If you’d like to know more, or come see any of it for yourself, we would love to welcome you.

By Ivan Ostrovsky

Adventist Education Hawaii

Adventist Education Hawaii continues to fulfill its mission of “Reaching Hawaii with the Everlasting Gospel” by providing Christ-centered education that nurtures students academically, spiritually, socially, and physically.  Across its schools, worship, learning, and service remain central to the educational experience, helping students develop a strong relationship with God while preparing them for lives of purpose and leadership.  A significant milestone was the adoption of a renewed mission and the ALOHA framework—Achievement, Leadership, ‘Ohana, Healthy Living, and an Authentic Relationship with God—which now provides a unified vision for every campus.

Throughout the past few years, Adventist Education Hawaii has strengthened its commitment to excellence through innovative teaching, professional development, and meaningful community engagement.  Educators participated in STEM, artificial intelligence, and child safety training, while schools expanded student-led worship, evangelism, and service opportunities.  Investments in financial assistance, teacher development, and the opening of a new preschool have further strengthened the ministry, ensuring that more students have access to a high-quality Adventist education grounded in faith and academic excellence.

Looking ahead, Adventist Education Hawaii remains focused on building strong partnerships among home, church, and school while addressing future enrollment and sustainability challenges with faith and strategic planning.  Despite changing demographics and financial pressures, we celebrate God’s continued blessings through transformed lives, student baptisms, dedicated educators, and thriving school communities.  With a clear vision and unwavering commitment to its mission, Adventist Education Hawaii is well positioned to continue preparing young people to serve both in this world and in God’s eternal kingdom.

By Miki Akeo-Nelson

Literature Ministries

Our Literature Ministries program, part of the Youth Department, hands young people a sacred and surprisingly adventurous assignment: share the gospel door to door while earning funds for their Adventist education. Each summer our youth fan out canvassing; in the cooler months, we send Bible workers and teams to the outer islands. It’s more than a program, really. It’s a place where young people meet God and grow.

The numbers from 2023 to 2025 still amaze us: three summer programs, $560,000 in book sales, $282,000 in scholarships, 56 students participating, and 33,000 books placed in homes across the islands. But the stories are what stay with us. One student met a woman who had resisted reading The Great Controversy for 20 years. Seeing it at her door, she said, “Today I know why this book came to me,” and came back with $30 to buy three books. Another student arrived unsure of himself, left transformed, transferred to an Adventist academy, and is now pursuing pastoral ministry.

There were baptisms, too, including a hesitant neighbor who, after months of Bible study, was baptized during Pentecost 2025, which in turn inspired our own members to start giving Bible studies themselves. And then there were the children of Adventist Malama Elementary, who went canvassing two to four at a time, reciting their scripts “with radiant smiles.” On a cloudy day, they prayed for the rain to hold off so they could go out, and when it did, their voices rang with awe: “Wow, God answered our prayers—it didn’t rain today!” Moments like that remind us, in the words of Isaiah, that God’s word “shall not return to Me void” (Isaiah 55:11, NKJV).

By Mario Bravo