Church Puts Positive Spin On Tour Stop
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Del.icio.usA local church has moved into the old Noriko’s building across from Hygienic Store and is upbeat about healing the community as it rehabilitates the property.
Over the past three months, Windward Baptist Church has essentially moved itself across Kamehameha Highway and into the two-story windowless monolith, which had fallen into disrepair after years as a retail jewelry business and tourist stop. It’s now called the Kahaluu Christian Center.
“We’re hoping to transform the heart of Kahaluu,” explained Pastor Kevin Akana, a 1987 Castle High graduate and Ahuimanu resident.“Our main thrust is to help the community, and its main problem in ice.”
Transitional housing for recovering addicts is planned for the second floor. They’ve already opened an espresso and snack shop on the ground floor, plus a Christian book store and a chapel area for Sunday worship.
This Saturday, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., they will inaugurate a country market in the large parking lot with a variety of crafters. (Interested vendors may call Patricia at 258-2425.) The landlord, David Chu, will continue to operate his two food stands next to the highway. The property is zoned B-1 (business).
The church is currently subleasing the building from the Chus for $1,500 a month, and they intend to buy it, pending their ability to get financing.
“We are trying for grants for our addiction ministry, and we would welcome donations of money, time and carpeting,” Akana said.“We could also use new air conditioners, or people who can repair the old ones.” The deposit and repair work have already totalled more than $6,000, but the Akanas are convinced that God has led them to this mission at this site.
The church moved into buildings on the highway’s mauka side in 1999, next to Hygienic Store. “Ever since we moved there, we would look directly across the street at a large beautiful building,” Akana recalled. “But you would hardly ever see any local people go in - you almost felt like you were not welcomed. The strange thing about this building is that it looked like a church building, at least to us it did.”
Roof and flooring fixes continue, and the graffiti-tagged structure is scheduled for a thorough paint job. The lot also has been cleaned up considerably. The church has retained its rented quarters on the mauka side for offices and future use as a preschool.
The makai building will also minister to another need of highway travelers - it has clean restrooms with plenty of stalls for men and women.“Neither the 7-Eleven or Hygienic has public restrooms,” said Akana’s wife Roxanne, “so tourists are always directed to come use ours.”
The Rebuilders Addictions Ministry was founded to “fill the gap"between the addict’s low point and a rebuilt life.The 12-step,Bible-based approach has already seen some success, Akana said. “I believe if this ministry was up and running my father may have been spared. I cannot change the past, but I can do something now to help others.” His father, a retired fire-fighter, died of a crystal meth overdose in 2004.
“Ice is doing to Hawaiian people what alcohol has done to the Native Americans,” he added. “Kahaluu is saturated with drugs.” Rebuilders meets at 6:30 p.m. on Wednesdays. For details, call Akana at 239-6917 or 429-6917.
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