6-15-25 Hauʻoli lā Makuakāne

Because its fathers day back home I wanted to take this opportunity to talk about my dad. As I thought back to all the unforgettable memories, I realized how blessed I was, with the smartest, most loving, funniest, and most humble father in the world, and anyone who's met him will agree. Thank you dad! I remember a time in middle school, where I got to get out of school for a day. Dad took me to the beach, to teach me how to throw net! We made our way to the coast and began looking at the different spots, to see where the fish were. Dad taught me the importance of "KILOHANA", or observing first, the current, the waves, and looking for little tails sticking out of the water on the shallow reefs, to make sure that I threw in the right place. Dad taught me everything, from being a master fisherman, and the best father. In the way he carried himself, I feel one of the biggest reasons why I got into fishing, is because of how big of an example he was for me, and how proud I knew he'd be of me, if I began to do it. He would tell me the fishing stories of his parents, uncles, and aunties, which would inspire me to keep fishing, looking intently at the waves. I couldnt get it. I couldn't see the fish tails, I couldn't see what my dad pointed at, all I thought was wherever I threw, the net was big enough, that I knew I had to catch something! Dad continued to be encouraging, and loving. Impatiently, I went to the tidepool, in which we noticed a small kūpipi, doing circles around a shallow rock, so excited, I set up, and threw the net! Jumped in the water, picking up the net, realized it was stuck under the rock, and reached under to untangle it. Pain shot through my hand, as I pulled my hand out to see blood running down my arm, from the morey eel that bit my hand. Long story short, my shredded finger got me to the hospital, and got me 9 stitches, which came out to an almost 1000 dollar hospital bill 😇 sorry dad. Sorry mom. For a month I couldn't touch the water, which was torture for me, but I used that time to figure out what I'd do better next time. Dad stayed, telling me stories, and making fishing a lifetime practice for me. My dad is the best, and he can beat up yo fadda. His kindess, thoughtfulness, genuiness, and class, makes it so easy for us siblings to love him, and do our best to emulate him. I was blessed to have an example, of a father, that emulated our father in Heaven. HIS kindess, love, and example, became easy for me to understand, and do my best to emulate, because of my father here on earth. Our father in heaven shares stories of ancestors, through books like The Book of Mormon and the Bible. We gain a stronger relationship with him through reading and studying their words, which keeps us striving, intently looking at the coming waves. Sometimes we don't get it, sometimes we get bit, by sin, doubt, or life circumstances that we cannot control. Sometimes consequences can be very expensive (sorry dad again), but our Father in Heaven never gives up on us. Continues to inspire us, through living prophets and apostles, and the sacrament. He is the master fisherman. Elder Strong visited our mission this past week and told us that "the BEST form of worship is EMULATION". I am thankful for my dad, for teaching me this principle in a way that made sense to me. Both he, and my Father in Heaven taught me to JAHS TRAHS. In a way that I could never forget. Love you dad choken, no be stressin out and goin hospital no more, as nuff aureddeh dat. Aloha aku nō, ELDER ISHIBASHI