Turtle Tales: Day 32 - Smile - You're On Candid Camera! & Hale'iwa History 101

First of all, does anyone out there remember the show "Smile, You're On Candid Camera"? I might be showing my age, but it was a really cute show where when people least expected it, they would take their picture! Of course the scenario was always set up by the camera crew but it was still worth a good laugh! Today we had a Candid Camera day - of sorts. When you view some of the pictures, you'll understand....

We started the day by attending the Lili'uokalani Protestant Church. The church family graciously greeted us and presented us with fresh flower leis. The church service was beautiful. Some of the service was spoken and sung in English, and the some of the service was spoken and sung in Hawaiian. It was so beautiful to hear the Lord's Prayer sung in Hawaiian by the congregation. We felt very welcomed here, and the church was quaint and simply adorned.

In 1832, John and Ursula Emerson, Protestant Missionaries from New England, sailed here from Honolulu to establish a church and the Christian religion on O'ahu's North Shore. They were given land by Gideon La'anui, high chief of Waiallu, and a converted Christian, to build the first church. It was a grass hut with no walls - just poles to allow the trade winds to cool the worshipers. And he guaranteed a full house by ordering his subjects to worship there each Sunday. The direct descendent of that grass hut is the Lili'uokalani Protestant Church. The present church was built in 1961. A copper iwa, or frigate bird, Hale'iwa's namesake, sits holding a fish in it mouth atop the New England style steeple.

The 400 pound bronze bell that John Emerson and his crew of Hawaiians lugged overland from Honolulu in 1940, still calls worshippers to church each Sunday! The bells $144 cost was paid for with a $40 donation from La'anui, and by contributions from the church members - the largest contribution being $3.00. The bell replaced the traditional conch shell call to worship.

The Emerson's served the Hawaiian people for over 50 years. What is left of their home ( basically just the foundation), still sits behind the church on the Anahulu River.

Queen Lili'uokalani, Hawaii's last monarch, walked from her summer home near Loko'ea Pond to worship in the wooden church, which the congregation took to calling the "Queen's Church". In 1975, the name was officially changed to Lili'uokalani Church in her honor.

On New Year's Day of 1892, the Queen gave the church a beautiful hand crafted wooden clock, presented by the Queen Victoria during Lili'uokalani's visit to London for Victoria's golden jubilee. The clocks wooden gears drove seven dials that told the time, days of the week and month, and phases of the moon, among other things. The priceless clock hangs on the rear wall of the church next to a portrait of the Queen.

The stained glass windows are by the renowned artist Erica Karawina. The koa wood pews are from different creaftsmen, early 20th century inmates of O'ahu prison. The beautiful entrance archway was built in 1910, without mortar.

For more information on the church, go to www.liliuokalaniprotestantchurch.com

(Some of the above history of the church was taken from the book: Haleiwa- A Pictorial History, by Tom Jacobs and Bill Romerhous)

After attending church, we once again drove around Hale'iwa to capture some of the historical sites and buildings that make up so much of the history of this area of the North Shore. We determined after we read the book on the history of the area that we purchased yesterday (referenced above) , we had missed some of the more prominent historical sites. It was very windy today and we did get some rain showers, but in spite of the weather all of us (Jim, Jeremy, Speedy and I) had a great day - together!

Aloha!

Archway leading to the church

Lili'uokalani Protestant Church

Veterans Memorial on the Beach

Sunset Real Estate Office building which use to be the

Bishop Bank building built in 1927, is one of the oldest Bank buildings on O'ahu

Courthouse

Waialua Community Association Bldg.built in 1934. Oldest community association on the island. Member dues remain as they were in 1934 - $1 per person annually!