Ka Wai Ola - Office of Hawaiian Affairs, Volume 30, Number 12, 1 December 2013 — Mahalo nui loa [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

Mahalo nui loa

Before I express my prepared thoughts, I would like to use two words that I feel are the most important words in the English language. I would like to take this time to say thank you to all of our beneficiaries who support us, work with us, eall on us and keep us on our toes at the Office of Hawai-

ian Affairs throughout the year. I would like to say thank you to eaeh and every employee on O'ahu, the Neighbor Islands, and in Washington, D.C., for their hard work, their diligence and their desire to work with me and the other trustees as we eontinue on our mission to serve our Hawaiian beneficiaries. As I reflect on the year past, I realize we have been through a year of change and transition as we welcomed our new CEO and are packing up to move to our new loeahon at the Gentry Pacific Design Center. While not all change is easy, in life change is inevitable but change could be a positive thing as it gives us the opportunity to look forward to different ideas, different direction and even different scenery. Change also affords us the opportunity to grow as individuals; it is how we handle change that will determine our individual destiny. I take this opportunity to share those things that help me to embrace change and to move forward with a glad heart and with renewed excitement. Faith. Although faith is not something tangible, I know faith to be true. Faith means tmst. I tmst in the promises of my Heavenly Father, and I trust the goodness of my fellow man. I trust in the wisdom shared with me by others and I am honored by the trust of others when they seek wisdom from me. Mutual tmst is one of the most invaluable components of

respect we ean give one another. Faith allows me to press forward despite challenges and disagreements. Faith allows me to love. Love. Love, I believe, is the greatest of human expressions for love is what draws us one to another. Our ability to love others as we love ourselves gives us the

tools we need to understand and get along with everyone. Kahiau - love given without expectation of return - ean be the greatest gift given or received. To love gives us a sense of peaee and encourages us to offer compassion. Compassion. As we show mercy, love, kindness and tenderness toward another in need, we comfort their souls and relieve them from sorrow. Thinking of those who are experiencing hard times and having compassion for them takes us away from being self-absorbed. As we exercise charity while serving our families, our friends, our co-workers and our communities, our own burdens will be lifted and our hearts will rejoice in the spirit of hope. Hope. Hope is the gift of the Spirit and hope will bring us happiness that leads to peaee, mercy, joy and gladness. In times of despair and darkness, hope is like the beam of sunlight rising up over the horizon. It encourages us and inspires us to trust in the love and care of others. The things we hope for are often future events while things we hope in sustain us daily. Eaeh time hope is fulfilled, we are made eonfident and experience more hope. Without hope, we have nothing. This holiday season, I wish you and your families faith, love, eompassion and charity. This year, let us look forward to the brightness of a New Year excitement and a resolve to find peaee in your little comer of the world. ■

Dz Stender VicE Chair, TrustEE, At-largE