I received word from Moki Hino that his mother, Leilani Hino, died Thursday morning, July 7, on the Big Island, after being under hospice care. She was 78 years old. Services will be at 5:00 PM on August 3, at the Honoka'a Honpa Hongwanji Mission. We pray for the soul of Leilani Hino and for all those who mourn her, that they find peace and understanding during this time of loss and bereavement.

Bishop Bob will be out of the office from Friday, July 1, and returning on Tuesday, August 30, 2022. You can find contact information for some of the Diocesan Support Center staff below. Please feel free to contact them (808-536-7776) if you have any questions or need help with anything. Mahalo.

After 56 years of living in the islands, Delia "Dee" Chang, the widow of Bishop Richard Chang, bid a fond aloha to the place and people she has known for most of her life. On June 24, with her worldly possessions long packed, she boarded a flight to Georgia. Moving was an extremely difficult decision for Dee who was torn between the life and relationships she built through the decades, and the call of family and loved ones so far away.

"Dick and I had always wanted to 'Age in Place' in our 'nest' on the 11th floor overlooking Honolulu," shared Dee, "but especially through Covid, as many had done, I took a closer look at my future. Living alone through Covid is difficult, but with isolation continuing into the future, and with a lot of strong-arming by our daughters, I came to the conclusion that I should be living the rest of my life closer to one of them, but in a community." READ FULL STORY

The Diocese will be having a retreat for O'ahu clergy at The Cathedral of St. Andrew, on Wednesday, August 17, 2022. The guest speaker will be the Rev. Mark Jefferson, Phd., who was also the guest speaker at the last clergy retreat in January of this year. That retreat was originally planned as a two-day in-person event, but was switched to a single online gathering via Zoom, due to a surge in COVID numbers. Although the retreat went virtual, Dr. Jefferson was still able to visit several churches around the Diocese. We are delighted to have Dr. Jefferson here with us again.

Neighbor island clergy will also have the opportunity for their own "mini-retreats" with Dr. Jefferson, and that information will be coming out shortly. Clergy should be receiving an email invitation from Canon Sandy Graham soon. If you do not receive one, please email him HERE.

On Saturday, July 16, 2022, the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline will go into effect nationwide. Similar to the 911 emergency phone number, dialing 988 will connect a caller directly to the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, and to a trained counselor. To help spread the word, SAMHSA (Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration) has set up a website with a variety of "shareables" that are formatted for social media and other outlets. For more information and to view these resources, visit the SAMHSA website HERE.

INTRODUCING TIPS FROM LOT'S LIST - We will be featuring ways to reduce our carbon footprint and greenhouse gases from our very own Lot Lau. He has been deeply involved in environmental issues including activities with the Diocese's Environmental Justice and Creation Care ministry. In this issue we start off with Lot's General Principle: "Reconcile yourself to living smaller with less and having to pay more. Especially consume less or differently. I think you realize that dropping scale has little to do with contentedness or happiness."

REMINDER: Grant Applications Open for Episcopal Creation Care Projects - The Episcopal Church Office of Creation Care announced the opening of the 2022 Creation Care grant funding cycle, with applications—available in English and Spanish—being accepted for local and regional eco-ministry projects until 5:00 PM (ET) August 15. View the informational webinar that took place in June HERE. For more informatiom and to read the full annoucement, click HERE

On Saturday, July 23, 2022, at 9:30 AM, the two knitting circles of Hālau Wa'a Episcopal-Hono'uli'uli and St. Peter's will be holding their first in-person gathering for a dishcloth (washcloth) Knit-a-long! Washcloths that Halau Wa'a will be making are being donated with hygiene products to shelters in the Hono'uli'uli area and Residential Youth Services and Empowerment (RYSE).

All knitters (and crochet-ers) are invited to take part. There is room for 15 knitters in-person, and unlimited participants via Zoom. For more information and/or Zoom link, please contact Jill Haworth by email HERE.

St. John's Episcopal Church in Kula is pleased to announce the appointment of the Rev. George C. Wong as their new Priest-in-Charge, effective September 16, 2022. Father Wong has been Rector of The Church of the Saviour (Denville, NJ), and was previously Rector of Holy Trinity (Ocean City, NJ). A native of Los Angeles, CA, Father Wong was ordained in 2013, following a 25-year career in corporate finance and international business development. St. John's looks forward to Father Wong's arrival and the beginning of his ministry with them.

Church of the Holy Apostles in Hilo will be hosting a Mokulē'ia Day Camp Program, July 25-29, 2022. This Day Camp is for children finishing grades 1-6, and is led by highly trained Camp Mokulē'ia staff. The camp will feature games, arts and crafts, spiritual formation, and much more! Cost is $200. Scholarships are available. To register, go to the Camp Mokulē'ia website HERE.

The 80th General Convention of The Episcopal Church is one for the history books, and not just for the decisions made but also for how the COVID-19 pandemic changed the way the church conducted its business.

The July 8-11 gathering – postponed a year because of COVID-19 and shortened from eight days – conducted what Presiding Bishop Michael Curry had referred to during the planning process as “matters essential for the governance and good order of the church.” Still, 412 resolutions were filed for consideration. READ MORE