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”Aloha!” This word means alot of different things. It can be a greeting, or it can be a waving goodbye, and truth be told I don't remember all the different ways the word can be used. The one, most profound meaning that was told to me was Agape, or …

”Aloha!” This word means alot of different things. It can be a greeting, or it can be a waving goodbye, and truth be told I don't remember all the different ways the word can be used. The one, most profound meaning that was told to me was Agape, or love. In Hawaii, I learned the true meaning of Agape: loving God, and loving His children. 

The Hawaiian Mission is way more than just a service trip. It's a retreat, it's fellowship, it's vacation, it's hanging out with Father Anastasi, and finally, it's service.

It was a retreat and fellowship because we were always with other bright young Coptic youth who wanted to make a positive impact in Hawaiii, and back home in their local churches. We all got to hang out, play games, praise, and pray together just like we would at any other retreat back home. 

It was vacation because... we were in Hawaii! And Father Anastasi always made a lot of time for us everyday to go and have fun. We went to all the major beaches and tourist sites while in Honolulu. It was a really good time.

My favorite part was hanging out with Father Anastasi! I've never met someone who was so much a reflection of Christ. I had the oppurtunity to chat with him anytime I wanted, to serve with him, to watch him, and to learn from him. I benefited so much from just being around Father Anastasi.

Ultimately, the Mission Trip is a service trip. We went out into the community and served the people of Honolulu. What I liked the most about the service aspect of the trip is that all the services we participated in could also be done in our local communities. We served the homeless and the poor by visiting them, and providing for their needs. We served children by visiting them in hospitals and entertaining them. We served the local church by helping set up their library. We served juvenile youth by simply eating a meal with them and playing a game of football. There is not one thing we did that we couldn't do back home. Everything was transferable. 

Again, all the different aspects of this trip taught me one thing above all: to love. I can't describe in enough words how it feels to know you put a smile on the faces of so many of God's children. It was such a memorable and impactful experience that my future wife and I are planning to take a few days out of our honeymoon to return. I love this Mission and can't wait to come back!

"Went for a walk and found God. Father Anastasi and 3 beautiful young ladies visiting Hawaii as part of a Coptic Christian mission trip to Hawaii. I had never heard of Coptic before so this was enlightening for me. So interesting with the background…

"Went for a walk and found God. Father Anastasi and 3 beautiful young ladies visiting Hawaii as part of a Coptic Christian mission trip to Hawaii. I had never heard of Coptic before so this was enlightening for me. So interesting with the background being Egyptian! They were with a larger group reading prayer on the beach and we were curious about them so we just went up and struck up conversation. They were so welcoming and it was a very unplanned and enjoyable time getting to know them and hear their story and more about their faith. What was so cool was how comfortable I felt spending time with them. Thank you for a wonderful morning! Love and Aloha! 🌺" -Nicole Parsons

August 12, 2018Hi everyone, a group from St.Marina Coptic Orthodox Church are writing to you and are going to be telling you about the Hawaiian Mission. The Hawaiian Mission was created by the Coptic Orthodox Church Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern …

August 12, 2018

Hi everyone, a group from St.Marina Coptic Orthodox Church are writing to you and are going to be telling you about the Hawaiian Mission. The Hawaiian Mission was created by the Coptic Orthodox Church Diocese of Los Angeles, Southern California, and Hawaii, their goal is to improve the lives of the people who live in Hawaii by showing them love that is powered by Jesus Christ. A group of us were blessed with the opportunity to serve with the Hawaiian Mission in July. We saw so many things and it has been very life changing for all of us. When you think of Hawaii, you think of beautiful beaches and big resorts but you don’t think about all the homeless, sick, or poor adults and children that live there and how they need so much help. The Hawaiian Mission was able to give medical help to fisherman from all over the pacific islands, feed the homeless, laugh and play with children from a very low income community, visit sick children and give them a little bit of joy, paint a house for a blind woman with Habitat for Humanity, spend time with adults with disabilities and so many other things. God wants you to help out his people because that’s what he called us all to do. The Hawaiian mission needs your help in order to keep doing all of these amazing and life changing things. Please help us by donating and remember that every little bit helps. By donating you are helping the Hawaiian mission make a difference. We appreciate you taking the time to read this and if you decide to make a donation, thank you so much. God bless you all!!!

"What a life-changing opportunity!! I've been on multiple mission trips before this one but The Hawaiian Mission is in its own category. Fr. Anastasi really makes sure there's a balance between prayer, service, and recreation. The services are so im…

"What a life-changing opportunity!! I've been on multiple mission trips before this one but The Hawaiian Mission is in its own category. Fr. Anastasi really makes sure there's a balance between prayer, service, and recreation. The services are so impactful and we really felt the work of God at hand. I highly recommend this trip to anyone who wants to be in an environment that's very uplifting and inspiring, while at the same time still being able to enjoy the beauty of Hawaii. I was impacted so much that we are starting a mission group here in my hometown. God bless The Hawaiian Mission and all that continue to make it what it is today." -George Bastawros

Participating in the Hawaiian Mission was a uniquely challenging, and vastly enriching experience. Each day was spent performing one or two service activities: distributing toiletries & household necessities to local communities, providing basic…

Participating in the Hawaiian Mission was a uniquely challenging, and vastly enriching experience. Each day was spent performing one or two service activities: distributing toiletries & household necessities to local communities, providing basic medical assistance to international seafarers, and sharing our time with the blessed & wonderful youth of Hawaii. In addition to the service component of the trip, active prayer, spiritual meditation, and group reflections were the central tenets of our daily schedule which we frequently performed together, and less often by ourselves. Furthermore, there was plenty of time integrated into our schedules to have a splendid and relaxing time on the island - enraptured in God’s magnificent creation, and continually empowered by the presence of Christ-centered fellowship with one and another.

Ultimately, this trip has been utilized as a vehicle to testify the gospel of the grace of God, so that we [the mission volunteers] can foster a conducive and nurturing environment where the natives can thrive, draw closer to God, and carry-out His will on a recurring basis.

God Bless,

Mark Fahmy

My experience of The Hawaiian Mission is a rather different one. Having come on this trip as a servant for a young high school group with my church in Sydney, I loved the mission so much I was blessed to extend my trip twice over and live through th…

My experience of The Hawaiian Mission is a rather different one. Having come on this trip as a servant for a young high school group with my church in Sydney, I loved the mission so much I was blessed to extend my trip twice over and live through the whole experience again as a facilitator the second time around. Both groups had their own flavor and allowed me to experience God through different perspectives while still serving the same people of the mission.
The Hawaiian Mission caters to the needs of different age groups. It’s a great kick start mission for young youth as it provides a balance of spiritual, recreational and ministerial services which they’re able to take home lessons and apply them to their daily lives. It also provides opportunities for older youth to be able to serve while still maintaining a balanced lifestyle of relaxation, independence and spiritual nourishment through the programs provided by Father Anastasi. I believe a big portion of the mission is designed so that one is able to carry out these same services back home and integrate them into their everyday lives. It is not designed to only remain as a memory in our minds and hearts, but rather an experience to be shared with everyone we come in contact with - an opportunity to share Christ to all and mostly to experience Him in all!
Being on this trip has allowed to build lifelong relationships with the different members of the mission and now I have family from all over the world! What a great experience, God willing I’ll be back soon to continue the great work of The Hawaiian Mission!

Sherry Raghib

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