What would you like to know about St. Joan of Arc? Do you have a story about our parish or of general interest that you think others would like to hear? For story ideas, contact Jeff Rholl, jeff@stjoan.com.

-written by a terabyte

The wide world of the internet rings true to many computer savvy people. For me it brings a special memory, of a beautiful person I met, learning more about my island of Maui, Mel White and Soul Force. This turned into an exciting, fun filled, enlightening experience.

The story starts back in December 2002 and January 2003, while we were in Maui on our family’s annual holiday trek; this time we were mourning the loss of our precious Jacob. During most of the first month’s time, friends visited so that we could scatter Jacob’s ashes in his favorite haunts, concluding with a Hawaiian Scattering Ceremony. Saturated in our grief, we were trying to figure out how to adjust to our new life, minus the one who had filled us with joy. When the friends returned to the mainland, we needed to start the healing process. For me, I knew I needed to get involved doing something meaningful. This was pre-war, and people were demonstrating their desires for the USA not to go to war. I decided to check out what exactly Maui was doing in this area, as I knew there was a grass roots organization starting up. In the end, I used my time to research, write, and photograph an article called, Aloha and Peace in Maui for this website.

Returning home brought more attention grabbing issues including Mel White’s ban to speak at SJA. I went to one of his speeches and found him to be a caring person that truly believes in inclusion of all, my own personal beliefs.

In April, I returned alone to Maui to try and make peace with the loss of my son. The second day, I received an email from a woman living in Maui, who is a friend of Mel White. She had heard about the ban at SJA and someone suggested she check out our website, as it gave good information. After reading the story, she glanced down at the list of past features. The word Maui jumped out at her. Finishing my story, she immediately contacted me. Amazingly, I was in Maui at that moment. She wanted to meet, while attending her church, which has a service in Hawaiian. The church already had special meaning to our family and me, as it was near a small hidden beach that our family loved. I had gone to this church many times to photograph sunsets, the ocean, flowers, and the old Hawaiian cemetery on the church grounds. I love old cemeteries and the stories they tell.

Over the years we had discussed attending the Hawaiian service, but small churches and our very large, multi-cultured multi-handicapped family don’t always mix. Therefore, we had never attended this church, as it is tiny. As much as I wanted to attend, I was torn, as church services were still difficult for me. Jacob loved SJA and the music; it was the highlight of his week. I felt comfortable at SJA to cry or leave if the songs upset me but a strange small church… I was not so sure. I ended up begging off until my next visit.

October brought me to Maui again, this time with a girl friend. I had not yet contacted Sandy, when on an early Sunday morning; we were in a small village shooting photos. Returning home, we passed the church, and noticed the Hawaiian service was in progress. With a quick decision and a U-turn, we decided to stop and join. Dressed in hiking clothes, dirty, laden with photographic equipment, my friend and her wheel chair, we approached the church. Greeted warmly in the Maui tradition, it did not matter that we were fifteen minutes late, looked like bums, unable to take off our boots when entering the church, they were just happy to see us. “We welcome you wherever you are on your journey” took on a new meaning for us that morning.

The service was OK, not SJA style, the small choirs’ singing was beautiful to God, awful to us, but the people were amazing. After the service, we went outdoors, no coffee or cookies, just a fantastic mini luau of Hawaiian fruits, vegetables, cheeses and crackers, and an assortment of sweets, with lots of socializing. We had a great time, and met many interesting people. We discovered my internet friend, Sandy, was off island, in Lynchburg, Virginia with Mel White and Soul Force. The church family was so proud of what she was doing, and continually bragged on all her works. This tiny church was not a GLBT parish. It was 99% heterosexual.

They told us that Sandy, Mel, and Soul Force were having a vigil and blessing of families in front of Jerry Falwell’s church. Participants were carrying large photographs of same-gender couples and their families. It was to end with a blessing of couples and families outside the Baptist Church on Sunday during services.

Our Maui December/ January family trip arrived and again I was hoping to meet my internet pal, after such a long time. Contacting her, I discovered she had a family emergency and was leaving the island on Christmas Day, so we arranged to meet while attending Christmas Eve service at her church. She said to come early to get a good seat as they fill up fast. Luckily, she gave me a time that would be good to arrive, an hour early! Sounds like SJA, doesn’t it? This church, stuffed, holds maybe 100 people.

So imagine our shock as we turned onto the country road where the church is located about half a mile more, and there are flagmen, directing heavy traffic! We were told to proceed to the handicapped parking. Arriving we were blown away to see that the service was to be outdoors on the lawn, as they were expecting 1000 people, chairs were in every part of the lawn, including in and around the tombstones. A stage had been set up, another small area for the choir. The arrangement had everyone facing the ocean, with Japanese lanterns scattered through out.

Nancy and Sandy finally meet

The service was to begin before sunset, and the setting sun to be included in the service. We were greeted with aloha hugs by a deacon. I asked him to direct me to Sandy. He replied, “Which Sandy?” I had no idea her last name, so I shrugged, and he said, “Short black lady?” I shrugged again. Remembering she was going to New York to help her Auntie who was ill, I voiced this comment, and he beamed with pride as he said, “Yes, we all are praying for Auntie.” Suddenly Sandy’s partner appeared and directed us to Sandy. For me it was like meeting a long lost friend. Talking non stop we covered topics such as the little Hawaiian church, its growth through the years, Sandy’s 25 year life in Maui with her partner, the years before Maui living on the mainland as a discriminated lesbian, her friendship with Mel White, which came about because of the years of work she has done in Hawaii to help with discrimination.

The service was beautiful from the stand point of the magnificent sunset, beautiful, graceful hula dancing, sounds of old drums and other Hawaiian instruments, sweet smells of the flowering trees and leis, with the sounds of the ocean crashing against the shoreline, and beautiful new friends. The awful choir almost sounded good with this back drop. Even still, my heart was at SJA.

This is my fourth experience in the wide world of the internet since joining the SJA website and each has been just as exciting and entertaining. Realization comes that our world is very small, and all of us brothers and sisters of the Earth.

and

Nancy Lynch says, "Joy is being a wife, Mom of fourteen, eight with varying disabilities and living at home, Grandma of thirteen, and Great Grandma of three. Serenity is listening and watching the ocean, alone, at our home on Maui. Passion is friends, photography, reading, swimming and children." Nancy can be reached at nalynch@aol.com.