“They have a college on Maui?!!!”

http://titaworks.biz/lifestyles-of-the-poor-and-insignificant/maunaolu-college

I just heard from a classmate I lost touch with 58 years ago.  News of Kilauea’s eruptions made Nini Fitzpatrick think of the year she and I spent at a junior college on Maui and she tracked me down.  Didn’t know they had a college on Maui? Well, they had one between 1950-’69.  “They have a college on Maui?”

I was 16 when I entered Maunaolu in Paia.  I hadn’t finished high school.  Still haven’t. I had completed two whole years of formal schooling (since fifth grade!), all but my senior year at McKinley High School in Honolulu, when we sailed back to Japan.  I was supposed to do my senior year by correspondence but I–well, I just didn’t.

When we reached Japan, I asked Skipper if I could fly back to Maui to go to school so I’d be near my boyfriend.  He said sure.  Mum was shocked and saddened, not only to find out I wanted to leave home for a year but that Dad had given his permission without consulting her.  During the time I was gone it didn’t help that the song from Sound of Music became popular, with the words:

[Liesl:]

I am sixteen going on seventeen
I know that I’m naive
Fellows I meet may tell me I’m sweet
And willingly I believe
I am sixteen going on seventeen
Innocent as a rose
Bachelor dandies, drinkers of brandies
What do I know of those
Totally unprepared am I
To face a world of men
Timid and shy and scared am I
Of things beyond my ken
I need someone older and wiser
Telling me what to do
You are seventeen going on eighteen
I’ll depend on you

[Rolf]:

Totally unprepared are you
To face a world of men
Timid and shy and scared are you
Of things beyond your ken
You need someone older and wiser
Telling you what to do
I am seventeen going on eighteen
I’ll — take care of you

Fortunately for Mum my boyfriend’s mother was a good friend of hers and agreed to take over as loco parentis.  I would live in the college dorm during the week and come stay with their family on weekends.  Both mothers urged me to enter my boyfriend’s high school instead and finish my senior year.  But there didn’t seem any point to that when I had already been accepted at college.

Maunaolu probably accepted my application because they were flattered that someone so far away had heard of their tiny, obscure, unaccredited college.  Maybe they thought it would look good to mention casually in brochures that they drew students from as far away as Japan.  As a matter of fact, they had also attracted a princess from Thailand as well as one of Pearl Buck’s adopted daughters.

The college administration didn’t know that I picked their school by default because they were the closest college to my boyfriend in Kahului.  They didn’t care that I was a year away from a high school diploma.

So I flew back to Maui and attended Maunaolu for one year.  During that year, providentially, it became accredited and I was able to transfer to International Christian University, a top bi-lingual college in Tokyo.

Maunaolu did not continue as a college for very long.  Years later when I wanted to apply for an external (now virtual) degree in journalism from the University of the State of New York Regents College (now Excelsior) and needed a transcript from Maunaolu, I was told that the college had become a home for runaways.  The college registrar had taken all the school records home with her in a cardboard box when the college closed down and my only hope of getting a transcript was to track her down.

I finally located her on the other side of the island.  She told me she couldn’t send me a copy of my transcript because the seal she had to stamp it with had broken in half.  She apologized, saying the document wouldn’t be official without it.  I made so many phone calls to Maui I’m a little dazed as to how I finally did get the transcript.  I think Cal State Long Beach, which I had attended, made a copy of theirs and sent it straight to Albany.

Anyway the point is if any of you ever attended Maunaolu and need a transcript, I’m sorry to say you’re out of luck.

 

P.S. On a hunch I Googled “Maunaolu Junior College pictures.”  In 1961 I remember someone taking a photo of several of us students sitting on the front lawn–for a postcard.  Sure enough, here it is.  I’m sitting on the far right.

.

(Mostly written in 1999)

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Gary Bauer: Trump Makes History in Singapore

Tuesday, June 12, 2018 To: Friends & Supporters From: Gary Bauer Trump Makes History In Singapore America woke up this morning to incredibly encouraging news.  President Trump and North Korean dictator Kim Jong Un signed a statement of understanding that provides a basis for defusing one of the most dangerous trouble spots in the world.  In spite of the media’s narrative, this was accomplished without President Trump really giving up anything in the process. The agreement they signed today contains four main points: The United States and North Korea will establish new relations “in accordance with the desire of the peoples of the two countries for peace and prosperity.” Both nations will work toward “a lasting and stable peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.” North Korea “commits to work toward complete denuclearization of the Korean Peninsula.” Both nations “commit to recovering POW/MIA remains, including the immediate repatriation of those already identified.” In addition, Kim also pledged to shut down a facility that produces engines for his ballistic missiles. This is obviously just a first step.  There is still a long road to go, and there is also a long history of deception by North Korea.  But what has been accomplished so far is historic.  And I believe that Kim Jong Un understands that he is not dealing with a typical U.S. president. Other Observations When Donald Trump landed in Singapore and walked off Air Force One, after spending a tumultuous day and a half at the G7 Summit, he stayed up for the next 25 hours.  It wasn’t that long ago when some in the media insinuated that the president was mentally ill and hiding real health issues. We are sending this to you early this morning.  As of now, there is very little reaction from America’s political establishment.  But I would remind you that just a few months ago, many on the left insisted that Trump’s rhetoric was going to get us into a nuclear war with North Korea. Since that tough rhetoric, there has been no nuclear testing by North Korea. There have been no missiles flying over Japan. There have been no threats by Kim against Guam and Hawaii. North Korea shut down its main nuclear test site. Three U.S. hostages were released. After meeting with Kim for four hours, the president held his second-longest press conference with the international media.  He was totally in control. In the midst of this historic setting, President Trump remembered a grieving American family, Mr. and Mrs. Warmbier, whose son, Otto, was treated brutally in captivity and arrived home brain dead.  Here’s what the president said: “Otto Warmbier is a very special person and he will be for a long time in my life.  His parents are good friends of mine.  I think without Otto, this would not have happened.  Something happened from that day, [it] was a terrible thing.  It was brutal.  But a lot of people started to focus on what was going on, including North Korea.  I really think that Otto is someone who did not die in vain.  He had a lot to do with us today.” What he was saying is that America and the world saw the true evil of the North Korean regime and it strengthened our resolve.  We got tough, and that forced Kim Jong Un to the negotiating table. At the end of the press conference, the president experienced something he has not experienced in the U.S. and probably never will.  At least half of the international reporters in the room broke out into applause. In recent days leading up to this summit, many pundits have repeated Ronald Reagan’s famous statement, “Trust but verify.”  I think, in this case, there is higher standard of “Don’t trust but verify.” I don’t believe the word of the North Korean regime amounts to much.  But I believe our verification efforts will be the toughest deployed by any administration.  If the North Koreans are not keeping up their end of the deal, I have no doubt that this president won’t hesitate to take action.  And I believe Kim Jong Un understands that. Going forward, it would be helpful if the American left, which always claims to be for peace, would unite behind this president who has just accomplished something that none of his predecessors managed to achieve.

Miracle in the making? Trump-Kim Summit Joint Statement

New post on Joel C. Rosenberg’s Blog

BREAKING: The Trump-Kim Summit in Singapore was definitely “historic.” Will it also prove successful? Here are 7 things you need to know. by joelcrosenberg There’s no question the Singapore Summit between President Trump and Chairman Kim Jong Un has been “historic,” as Mr. Trump noted in his press conference. [Click here for full transcript.] Never before have the most senior leaders of the United States and North Korea ever met face to face, and they have certainly never before shaken hands or embraced each other so warmly. The question concerns the actual motives and intentions of the regime in Pyongyang. Is North Korea putting on a big show to buy time to build even more advanced and dangerous nuclear weapons and ballistic missiles? Or is the Chairman truly serious about completely dismantling and abandoning his nuclear weapons program and long-rang ballistic missiles and determined to make a comprehensive and lasting peace with the U.S., South Korea and his Asian neighbors? Simply put, the Summit has not answered these questions. As I wrote in a March 9th Tweet: “Count me skeptical. The chances of North Korea truly giving up its nuclear weapons and ICBM development program are low. More likely, Pyongyang is playing for time to complete missiles that can reach the U.S. But President Trump is right to be willing to explore NK intentions.” For now, I stand by this view. I’m not a cynic. If the miracle we have long prayed for is coming to pass and Chairman Kim really proves to be serious, we should all rejoice and thank God and all who worked to make this day possible. But we need to be honest: we simply don’t have enough evidence yet to say the danger has passed and peace has come. The pictures and headlines out of Singapore are remarkable. The details contained in the agreement — so far — are less so. The Japan Times said the agreement “vaguely worded” and “offered no specifics about how the two sides would reach these goals, while also leaving [the term] ‘complete denuclearization’ undefined.” The Wall Street Journal echoed this assessment. “[T]he document, which Mr. Trump described as ‘very comprehensive,’ provided almost no particulars on how to make the denuclearization process quick, verifiable or irreversible—often stated U.S. goals.” The Journal added, “In many ways, the language echoed an agreement signed between North and South Korea in April. It didn’t codify Pyongyang’s unilateral moratorium on nuclear and missile tests, or contain any reference to sanctions relief. It made a general pledge to a security guarantee for North Korea but didn’t offer any specifics or make any mention of the status of U.S. military forces in South Korea.” That said, here are seven things you need to know: President Trump has vowed that he and his team have studied and absorbed the lessons of previous failed diplomatic efforts with North Korea and are determined not to repeat past mistakes. Presidents Clinton, Bush and Obama were not able to persuade Pyongyang to truly make peace. Let’s give Mr. Trump sufficient time to prove his deal-making instincts and experience before writing the Summit off as a mere photo-op. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo and National Security Advisor John Bolton — the two advisors working most closely with the President during the Summit and months of negotiations — are smart, experienced and honorable men. They are vilified by the media and the Left. But I know these men and I believe it’s possible that they could actually succeed. At present, they are telling reporters that the Summit will set into motion an accelerated process of denuclearization on the Korean peninsula. Let’s be patient and see if this does, in fact, come to pass at all, much less quickly. The peace process is like a marathon. The race has finally begun. But the runners have only completed the fifth of 26.2 miles. It’s been a remarkable five miles, but there is a long way to go. Any final and comprehensive nuclear agreement that the Trump administration makes with North Korea should be submitted to the U.S. Senate for approval as a formal treaty. Many analysts (myself included) made this argument regarding the Iran nuclear deal (in that case, I argued that it should be submitted yet defeated in the Senate). The principle remains the same here. Any agreement that binds U.S. behavior and affects the national security of the American people must meet with approval by two-thirds of the Senators accountable to those people. If there is one thing that has defined North Korea’s diplomatic process in the past it is the consistent use of deception. In my recent political thriller, The Kremlin Conspiracy, the leaders of Russia and North Korea announce a big “denuclearization” agreement. However, it is a ruse — a deceptive ploy designed to fool the world to lower their collective guard while laying the groundwork for a Russian-North Korean-Iranian nuclear alliance that is planning to attack the United States, Israel and the Western alliance. Could we be seeing this fictional premise play out in real life? (Indeed, I take the premise even further in my next novel, coming out next March.) Perhaps — but let’s hope not. Some 25 million souls are enslaved by the North Korean regime — with no freedom of speech, no freedom to assemble, no freedom of religion or freedom of the press or any other basic human rights. They don’t have enough food. They don’t have enough fuel. They don’t have enough electricity. Whatever happens, let’s pray faithfully and consistently for their freedom from tyranny and oppression. Another 51 million souls live in South Korea. They live in a vibrant democracy, a thriving free market economy, and tens of millions have converted from Buddhism and other religions to faith in Jesus Christ over the past half century. Yet they are under the constant threat of attack from the North. The stakes, therefore, are very high. Let us, therefore, be faithful to pray for all the people of Korea — that they would be reunified and that the people of the North will finally enter an era of peace, freedom, spiritual revival and economic growth and opportunity enjoyed by their brothers and sisters in the South.

Anti-nuclear summit with Chairman Kim TONIGHT–specific and hopeful details

My bad. Just realized the Summit is scheduled for June 12 in North Korea, which is June 11 here in the States. It begins at 9 PM Eastern time, about 20 minutes from now…

PRAY WITH US FOR TRUMP-KIM SUMMIT TUESDAY

The landmark Summit between President Trump and President Kim Jong-Un of North Korea is scheduled for June 12 in Singapore. In addition to nuclear disarmament (of course), pray for President Kim to release his brutal and inhumane treatment of his own people:

PRAYER POINTS

As people of prayer, we want to lean on God’s Word and claim His promises. Open Doors

Founder Brother Andrew reminds us that our prayers “can go where we cannot … there are no borders, no prison walls, no doors that are closed to us when we pray.”

We invite you to join us in daily prayer for our brothers and sisters in Christ in North Korea. Here are suggested prayer points that highlight critical needs.

Pray that Kim will be convinced to release the more than 50,000-plus Christians unjustly

held in detention centers and prison camps throughout the country.

Pray that Kim will loosen age-old requirements that residents attend indoctrination

classes and display and bow to Kim family portraits.

Pray that Kim will lift information embargoes and allow his people greater access to radio shows, TV programs, and websites.

Pray that Kim will allow for the creation of new churches where North Koreans can freely worship outside of the one “show church” that currently exists.

Pray that the underground church In North Korea would grow in boldness and be ready

for widespread evangelism efforts when the opportunity arises.

Pray that extended families who have been separated across North and South Korea may

be reunited.

Pray that organizations like Open Doors will be allowed access to provide Christian

training and resources to believers in North Korea.

Pray that other relief and aid organizations would gain entrance to provide relief aid,

trauma care, and other needed services.

Pray that North Korea’s economic and social infrastructure will find reform—that

children will no longer be forced into labor, that preschoolers will no longer be indoctrinated, that roadways will be made safe.

Pray that North Korea’s food supply would be enriched through education and

increased trade, so that the 2 in 5 who are currently undernourished will be provided with adequate nutrition.

Pray that parents will ultimately be able to freely share their faith with their children

and raise them to know Jesus.

Pray that U.S. and other world leaders would put in place the right sanctions, pressures,

encouragements and opportunities to restore peace and well-being for North Koreans and their neighbors.

Praying for the Landmark Summit

From “North Korea Info and Action Guide:” https://www.opendoorsusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/North-Korea-White-Paper.pdf?utm_source=General+Subscription&utm_campaign=0f0fae9853-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2018_04_20_COPY_01&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_df4a07f94a-0f0fae9853-175628645

5 Gut-Wrenching Facts About North Korean Prison Camps

December 13, 2017 by Brian in Stories of Persecution

In a new report on North Korean prison camps, one of the judges, a former child survivor from Auschwitz, said the conditions were as bad—or even worse—than what he witnessed in the Nazi concentration camps.

The report shared by the IBA (International Bar Association) War Committee offers chilling details from personal testimonies, video, transcripts and scholarly works about the state of North Korea’s prison camps.

We share these facts to help you understand the severe mistreatment, injustice and abuse many of our brothers and sisters in Christ are subjected to, daily, within North Korea’s infamous prison camp system.

Here are five facts from the report:

• There are an estimated 80,000 – 130,000 political prisoners held in North Korea’s prison camps.
• Inside the camps, prisoners are often “tortured and killed on account of their religious affiliation, with officials instructed ‘to wipe out the seed of [Christian] reactionaries.’ “
• In one account, guards killed a prisoner’s newborn baby by feeding it to the guard dogs.
• The report also explains the fact that routine public executions are carried out in front of both children and adults, “designed to subdue the prison population.”
• In another case, the prison guards executed starving prisoners “found digging for edible plants on a mountainside.”

There were many more cases reported of inhumane treatment, deliberate starvation, cruelty, abuse, rape, forced abortions and murder. Some of the details in the report are too graphic to share.

As hard as it is to read—or even imagine—this is a reality. We can’t afford to look away from this—or to let our Christian family in North Korea feel isolated and alone.

Take Action

Give today and “strengthen what remains” (Revelation 3:2). This verse is especially applicable to the situation of the North Korean church. Our support for Christians in North Korea is critical to the life of the underground church. Our scope of work focused on in North Korea includes the following:

• Supplying persecuted believers with emergency relief aid (food, medicines, clothes, etc.)
• Distribution of Bibles and other Christian materials
• Training through radio broadcasting
• Providing, shelter, aid and discipleship to North Korean believers in China

Join us in prayer for justice in North Korea. Ask God to give North Korean believers who are inside these camps the courage and power they need to stay strong and faithful to Him in the midst of unimaginable conditions. Ask God to strike the hearts of North Korean leaders—and for vast change in the nation’s treatment of its people. And pray for God’s Kingdom to expand on the Korean peninsula like never before in history.

Thank you for standing with your persecuted family in North Korea.

North Korean Prison Camp Survivor Sings ‘Amazing Grace’

June 1, 2018 by Open Doors in Stories of Persecution

Hea Woo’s life has been full of trauma. In 1997, in the midst of a great famine in North Korea, Hea Woo’s daughter in her mid-twenties starved to death in her own home. Hae Woo’s husband escaped to China. He found God…but sadly he was caught by the secret police and six months later died in a North Korean prison camp. Hea Woo said, “I was shocked to hear that my husband had become a Christian but instinctively I knew he had found the truth.”

It wasn’t too long after this that Hea Woo herself escaped to China and became a Christian through a series of events similar to those that had influenced her husband’s journey to faith. She was then caught by the secret police, repatriated to North Korea and placed in a prison camp. She shares about the horrors of life in these prisons: death so rampant that bodies would lay on the ground for three or four days without being cleaned up; mental and physical abuse that would make you sick in the pit of your stomach. Every day was torture.

A secret church in prison

In one of the darkest places on earth, Hea Woo chose to do something so radical, and so dangerous, but so Christ-like. In this prison, God gave her a heart to tell her fellow prisoners about Jesus. And so, right there in the middle of a North Korean labor camp, a secret fellowship church began.

One of our partners in the field recently met with Hae Woo and caught this special moment on video.

https://player.vimeo.com/video/273015775?html5=1&title=1&byline=0&portrait=0&autoplay=0

In her words: “The Bible verses that I’d recall from memory gave the others hope. They also saw the Spirit at work in me. I stood out among the other prisoners because I helped them. Sometimes I shared my rice with the sick. Occasionally I washed their clothes, too.

Worship in the Outhouse

“God used me to lead five people to faith. I tried to teach them the little I knew about Jesus. I didn’t have access to a Bible in the camp. But on Sundays and at Christmas, we met together out of the view of the guards. Usually, that was in the toilet. There we held a short service. I taught them the Bible verses and songs that I knew. We sang almost inaudibly so that no one would hear us.”

It’s believers like Hea Woo who suffer persecution for their faith that brings much-needed perspective on real discipleship. On what it means to obediently, selflessly and courageously follow Jesus.

Hea Woo planted a church in a place so putrid that no one dared go near them…in a prison, where if caught, she would be tortured and killed without exception.

We serve Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, who calls us to a radical lifestyle.

And our response should be to uncompromisingly, unashamedly and passionately follow Him whatever the cost.

 

Stand with secret believers in North Korea today >> 

at OpenDoors.org