Hawaiian church across from haiki community center

To commemorate the occasion, a stone arch was built at the entrance to the property and repairs were made to the church. In 1910, to celebrate the 90th anniversary of the arrival of the first American missionaries in Hawaii, the Evangelical Association of the territory of Hawaii gathered at Mokuaikaua Church in Kailua. Commercially, Koa is one of the most expensive woods in the world. The Koa tree is the largest native tree in the Hawaiian Islands reaching heights of about 115 feet. The interior wall paneling, pulpit, and pews are made of wood from the Koa tree. We saw many of these native Hawaiian trees as we explored Hawaii Volcanoes National Park. Some sources say the вЂЕЊhiвЂ™a Lehua wood used in the churchвЂ™s construction came from Mt. вЂЕЊhiвЂ™a Lehua trees are usually found between elevations of 1,000 and 9,000 feet. The posts and beams are made of wood from the Hawaiian вЂЕЊhiвЂ™a Lehua tree and are joined together with вЂЕЊhiвЂ™a pins. The interior features native Hawaiian woods. It is believed that the exterior of the church was built with lava rocks sourced from a 15th century ancient temple of the Hawaiian religion and mortar made from sand and crushed coral. It is 120 feet long and 48 feet wide, and itвЂ™s steeple, at 112 feet tall, is the tallest structure in Kailua. It was completed and dedicated in 1837, and represents the new western architecture of early 19-century Hawaii - a combination of local Hawaiian materials and New England architecture. Completed in 1837, MokuК»aikaua Church sits today much as it did almost 200 years ago.Д¬onstruction began on the Mokuaikaua Church you see today in 1835. The first church was destroyed by fire and in 1835 construction began on a new stone and mortar structure. They were given land near the harbor, across from Royal Governor KuakiniвЂ™s HuliheК»e Palace, to build the first Christian church in Hawaii, at Kailua at Kona on the Big Island. King Kamehameha II and the Queen Regent KaК»ahumanu gave the missionaries permission to stay in Hawaii. Many of the AliвЂ™i royalty of Hawaii interpreted their arrival and the fulfillment of HewahewaвЂ™s prophecy as a divine sign and converted to Christianity. The first Christian missionary that came ashore carried his Bible, protected in a black wooden box, as he stepped on the rock at Kailua pier. Hawaiian high priest Hewahewa foretold a prophecy that the new God would come to this same rock in a black box.ДЄfter 164 days at sea, the missionaries, including two ministers, two teachers, an apprentice printer, a farmer, and their spouses, finally arrived on the shores of Hawaii in 1820. While at sea, King Kamehameha I died and his son and successor, Kamehameha II, overthrew the Kapu system of spiritual rules and beliefs, which had been practiced for years by Native Hawaiian leaders. In 1819, sent by the American Board of Commissioners for Foreign Missions, the first American Christian Missionaries set out from New England aboard the Thaddeus bound for the Big Island of Hawaii. Located on the Kona coast of the Big Island of Hawaii, the congregation, which dates back to 1820, is still active today and welcomes thousands of visitors each year. Mokuaikaua Church is the first Christian church established in the Hawaiian Islands. The church building is almost 200 years old and in the rear of the church, is a museum area showcasing historical documents and artifacts on display, a replica of the brig Thaddeus that brought the first Christian missionaries to Hawaii, and an audio recording that plays over speakers. We love visiting historic buildings and historic sites! Visiting Mokuaikaua Church was a short, but really interesting stop.

Once Natalie and I finished touring the museum (Brian and Carter skipped it), we all walked across the street to visit the church - mainly because I briefly saw the words first and church on the sign. Mokuaikaua Church wasnвЂ™t on my list of things to do in Kona or places to visit in Hawaii, but the HuliheвЂ™e Palace Museum was and itвЂ™s right across the street. Sometimes we only have time for do one or two things, and sometimes we get to visit everything on the list. That way, when weвЂ™re deciding what to do, we can all look at the list and pick an area to visit or a group of activities to check out. I search for all sorts of fun things to do in advance, group the things I find by location, and note the times they are open/closed.

Now donвЂ™t get me wrong, that doesnвЂ™t mean I sit back and wait for something fun to show up. But the rest of the time, we go with the flow. Whenever we travel or go on vacation, there are always a few things we plan in advance or book for a specific time, like swimming with dolphins, visiting Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, or visiting coffee farms.

Hawaiian church across from haiki community center