Ho, ho, ho, Merry Christmas! Yes, I actually brought this Santa hat to Paris. Hehe…. This is my “Christmas Card” to you. (Here’s last year’s.) And here’s the customary “Year in Review” blurb….

2014 got off to a great start with a visit from these lovely friends from Australia. We were blessed to visit Glendal Primary School in Melbourne back in 2010. So we were thrilled that they could come. We had an absolute blast! (L to R: Roula, Antoinette, Alex, and Christina.)

We launched our Chinatown Outreach Ministry on Chinese New Year’s Day. We share food and fellowship at the Smith-Beretania Park every Sunday at 4pm. God has blessed our team as much as our friends who live in the park.

This year, I have been in search of the best bowl of ramen in Hawai’i. The Miso Cha-shu Ramen at Ramen Kai on Kona Street was my fave. The broth was porky-savory with hints of miso, garlic, and ginger. Unfortunately, the cook got homesick, closed shop, and went back to Japan. Now my go-to places are Agu Ramen in Mo’ili’ili and Hokkaido Santouka at Don Quijote.

In February, we hosted students from RDFZ Xishan School (Beijing) who visited Kamehameha on their Performing Arts Tour of the U.S. They visited our high, middle, and elementary campuses and stayed overnight in our dorms. Mahalo to the ETS Dream Team! It was an amazing experience for all.

During Spring Break, I took my YOLO, solo trip to Paris. It was a dream come true. I visited the Louvre, the Arc de Triomphe, the Eiffel Tower, and Notre-Dame. I hung out at sidewalk cafés and strolled along the River Seine. Vive La France!

Although jet-lagged, I was able to help my amazing KS EdTech Team hold our inaugural Mashup Event. We took the best practices of a conference and an unconference and combined the two.

I got to attend a Passion Tour concert at the Blaisdell. It featured Chris Tomlin, and it was amazing. I had front row seats for the very first time in the arena. It was an incredible night.

In April, we held our first ever TEDx Youth Event. It was a another dream come true. I continue to serve as an advisor for our TED-Ed Club at the high school. I have also joined the core planning team for TEDxHonolulu.

This summer, our entire KS EdTech team attended the ISTE Conference in Atlanta. It was hot, but we learned a lot and got inspired. Some of the highlights included a Braves game, sampling southern food, watching World Cup soccer at Taco Mac, and a day trip to Decatur.

In July, I was able to reconnect with C.Y. from RDFZ Xishan (Beijing) at Punahou. It was a surprise reunion and a special treat! We got to catch up a few times during her stay. #LifelongFriends

We were all blessed by a visit from Ryan from Osaka, Japan. He visited our Connect Group and Sunday outreach. Here’s our pic at Mocha Java. We also spent a nice beach day at Lanikai. Good times with Brother Ryan….

I’ve been blessed with the opportunity to service the Hawai’i Campus this school year. I travel to the Big Island every Thursday-Friday to help out at the middle school. I enjoy the teachers and students there. It has been a great experience.

Finally, after a 2-year hiatus, I’m playing guitar again. We play worship music at our Sunday outreach ministry in the Smith-Beretania Park. Come join us at 4pm. Thanks so much! May this blog post bring you good cheer for the holiday season.

Peace.

“Then the angel said to them, “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” Luke 2:10-11