We ascended a short hill to get to the small graveyard near Maui’s western shore. The map on the BillionGraves app led us to the Maileipai Cemetery entrance along the main highway in Kahana, but the gate was locked. Using the GPS navigator, we went around the neighborhood and found a narrow alley headed in the right direction. We parked the car and continued along a dirt road then up the short hill. For an old small cemetery, it seemed unusual that there were new small trees planted carefully along the access road.

Half way up we were noticed by dogs who began to bark. A few more feet and we saw that a half dozen dogs were in two rows of enclosures, one row stacked on top of the other, and one unleashed dog was growling and moving toward us. We stopped and surveyed the scene. The graveyard was to our right surrounded by a white picket fence. Straight ahead was a lone tree under which was a rather nice tent. Surrounding the tent were wooden benches with pots and other items expected in a kitchen. “We’ll” I said, “This homeless person has it pretty nice.” Between the dog cages and the tent was a shack with a window and door. Behind the shack we could see both ends of an old pickup truck.

The dogs had calmed a little so Joan walked forward. “Let’s keep going.” I was proud of her bravery. As part of our mission service we had decided that we would take pictures of graves for BillionGraves to support their genealogical purpose. We went to work taking pictures of each aging grave marker, half of which had no visible writing, or the writing had eroded away. Joan held back the brush, and I took the pictures. We then descended the hill, returned to our car and continue on our way.

Later at our apartment we transcribed the information (typing the text we read in the pictures) and became curious about one in particular. Wording inscribed with a hand tool in the once wet concrete read, “Our Beloved Son and Brother, Nelson B. Sablas, Born July 8, 1948, Died Feb [day unreadable], 1999.” “That’s odd,” I thought. “I guess it’s possible for parents to bury their 51 year old son (referring to the phrase Our Beloved Son).” I’ve been toying with family history all my life and this one caught my attention. I opened FamilySearch.org to see if by chance this person was there and what other information I could find. Indeed, I found him, and his parents and some helpful resources including the fathers obituary. Nelsons death year was 1949; so actually, he only lived seven months. The father was from the Philippians, the mother from Maui, and they had many children, not just Nelson. Why was young Nelson buried in that old small graveyard and other family members elsewhere? Why did he die so young? Why did the father come to Maui? How did the parents meet? The parents are buried just down the road from us in Wailuku. Although not related to this family, I felt, and still feel inclined to learn more, update their records, and see if there is temple work that can be done. Such stirrings came from braving service in an isolated, dog protected, lone tree, organized homeless persons yard.

Late in the week we became concerned about Joan’s cracked tooth. It was a month from our planned trip to Utah for doctor and dentist visits but that future visit was for a dental exam and checkup only, not to fix a tooth. Tooth infection’s for Joan had caused problems in the past so we decided to act. We called our dentist, sent a picture of her cracked tooth, and the dentist confirmed pain relief or action was necessary. Comparing expected out-of-network insurance costs with travel costs, we booked a quick round-trip to Utah to get Joan to her dentist.

Just before leaving, our new stake president called and said our service missionary application process had progressed enough to get us set apart so we met him at the stake center before our departure. President Hanks performed a follow-up interview, asked if we had any concerns, and gave wonderful counsel. He reached for the scriptures, opened to Isaiah and taught us some important messages. “Thus saith the Lord, which maketh a way in the sea, and a path in the mighty waters…Remember ye not the former things, neither consider the things of old. Behold, I will do a new thing: now it shall spring forth; shall ye not know it? I will even make a way in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert.” (Isaiah 43:16, 18-19) His message in part was that the Lord will make a way to accomplish his work whether that work be like crossing an ocean or a mighty river, he may not use the same old ways to do his work but we can trust he will find new ways to accomplish new things. He will make a way to cross our wildernesses and find nourishing water in our deserts. We felt the spirit of his message.

He then set apart Sister Hardman then myself as Service Missionaries in the Kahului Maui West Stake bestowing the authority to perform our specific assignments including overseeing the Addiction Recovery Program in the stake. Very encouraging and powerful blessings were bestowed with hopeful, heavenly promises. (Like most blessings of this kind, we wished later that the special occasion could have been recorded.) We were blessed that we would find special meaning in all that we do, that our posterity would be blessed through our service, that we should do our best and let God take care of the things he can do best, and that we would have heavenly power and confidence. On the way out of his office, he stopped us in front of a painting of the Savior and had us pose for a picture as new missionaries.

With the help of our senior missionary friends, the Marriott’s, we were taken to the airport and made our journey back to Utah.

Pictures: Elder and Sister Hardman, Maileipai Cemetery, Rock Formation