BECAUSE I LIVED 10 YEARS IN HAWAII, I WANTED TO HAVE FOR MY BIG 80 .... A HAWAIIAN LUAU .... (WHEREVER I WAS LIVING AT THAT TIME) .... SO I BEGAN PLANNING .... AFTER I RECENTLY MOVED, I WANTED IT TO BE THERE .... WE COULD ACCOMODATE 70 FOLK .... WELL, AFTER THE RSVP'S WERE COMING IN SO QUICKLY, I REALIZED I WOULD HAVE TO MOVE TO A DIFFERENT LOCATION .... BUT THANK GOD, I ONLY HAD TO MOVE IT 3 BLOCKS DOWN THE STREET .... PRAISE GOD, A CHURCH WAS ABLE TO LET ME COME TO THEIR FELLOWSHIP HALL .... I AM GRATEFUL TO GOD THAT IS WAS EVEN AVAILABLE .... SO, ALTHOUGH IT WAS A LOT OF WORK AND PLANNING, WHAT A WONDERFUL LUAU!
JUST A FEW OF THE PLANNING AND SET-UP PHOTOS.
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Ms. Lillie with Elsie Schulze, Event Planner
Above/Below ~ Party Hostesses
Beautiful Table Settings
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Beautiful Photo Collages
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So Many Displays of Memorabilia
Below ~ Beautiful Photo Booth to Capture Photos of Attendees
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I WANTED THE FOLK WHO HAVE NEVER BEEN TO HAWAII TO SEE WHAT GOES ON ALMOST EACH WEEKEND AT A HOME SOMEWHERE IN THE ISLANDS .... AND TELL THEM .... IF THEY WALKED UP TO ONE OF THOSE TRUCK LUNCH WAGONS ALL OVER THE ISLANDS .... THE FOOD THEY COULD ORDER WOULD BE WHAT I WOULD SERVE .... TERIYAKI CHICKEN .... KINGS' HAWAIIAN BREAD .... WHITE RICE (BUT, I SERVED BROWN RICE)  AND MACARONI SALAD .... (I REMEMBER WHEN I LIVED THERE, I COULD NOT FIGURE OUT WHY THEY SERVED 2 STARCHES TOGETHER .... WITH NO GREEN VEGGIES) .... WELL, ANYHOW, I HAD A HUGE VEGGIE DISPLAY FOR THOSE WHO WANTED SOME. FOR MY B'DAY CAKE, WE HAD PINEAPPLE UPSIDE DOWN CAKE .... AND OF COURSE HAWAIIAN PUNCH. THE FOOD WAS ENJOYED BY ALL ....
JUST A FEW OF THE FOOD PHOTOS.
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Ms. Lillie's Birthday Cake: "8-0" Pineapple Upside Down Cakes
Beautiful Fruit and Veggie displays
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AND WHAT IS A LUAU WITHOUT THE POLYNESIAN DANCERS? I BROT THEM IN FOR A FUN TIME, AND WHAT A FUN TIME IT WAS.
GREAT ENTERTAINMENT: POLYNESIAN DANCERS
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.... AND MY GUESTS WERE INVITED ON STAGE TO TRY TO LEARN THE HULA AND THE OTHER DANCES .... FUN! FUN!
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WHAT A DAY TO CELEBRATE THESE 80 YEARS GOD HAS GIVEN ME ON THIS EARTH AND THE OPPORTUNITY TO TRAVEL IN FULL-TIME MINISTRY FOR THESE 40 YEARS .... I AM TRULY GRATEFUL THAT HE IS FAITHFUL!
ECCLESIASTES 5:20 ~ (LILLIE) DOES NOT DWELL ON THE DAYS OF HER LIFE, BECAUSE GOD KEEPS HER BUSY WITH HIS JOY IN HER HEART.
SOME OF THE KIND SPEAKERS AND WONDERFUL SINGERS ....
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SO MANY WONDERFUL, LONG TIME FRIENDS AND FAMILY CAME FROM FAR AND NEAR TO HELP ME CELEBRATE THIS 80TH B'DAY .... AS WELL AS MY 40TH YEAR IN FULL-TIME MINISTRY! THERE WAS MUCH EXCITEMENT IN MY LIFE FOLLOWING MY BIG 80TH B'DAY LUAU .... WHAT A DAY! HAVING 125 FRIENDS COME TO HELP ME CELEBRATE MY "ENTRANCE INTO THIS NEXT DECADE" AS WELL AS 40 YEARS OF FULL-TIME MINISTRY. IT WAS VERY SPECIAL TO HAVE SO MANY OF MY IMMEDIATE FAMILY PRESENT FOR THE LUAU .... ESPECIALLY, MY ONLY BROTHER PAUL .... AND SISTER GLADINE.
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Family from Seattle: Above ~ My only Brother Paul
and Below ~ Sister Gladine and Pastor Gray
Nephew Gary, Niece Frankie, Ms. Lillie, Goddaughter Carol, Gary's wife Debbie
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Great attendance of family and friends who came to celebrate!
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Below: More wonderful, many long-time friends and family
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WHAT A WHIRLWIND I HAVE EXPERIENCED SINCE THEN .... THE LUAU WAS SUNDAY, APRIL 29, 2018 ... I HAD 2 DAYS TO "WRAP UP" THINGS .... AND PACK FOR MY TIME OF MINISTRY AT THE WESTCOAST FAN FESTIVAL. IT IS HELD EACH YEAR IN VISALIA, CA .... (4 HOURS FROM MY HOUSE) .... I HAVE A LONGTIME FRIEND WHO SAID I COULD RIDE UP WITH HER .... I WAS SOOO HAPPY TO DO THAT, AS IT WOULD GIVE ME TIME TO OPEN THE 130 B'DAY CARDS I RECEIVED .... NORMALLY, I NEVER, EVER OPEN A B'DAY CARD I RECEIVE .... TIL MY ACTUAL B'DAY .... I LOVE DOING THAT! .... AS I AM ABLE TO RELAX, READ CAREFULLY EACH CARD .... CRY A LOT ABOUT THE MESSAGES INSIDE .... IT IS A VERY SPECIAL TIME .... BUT BECAUSE I ONLY HAD 2 DAYS TO GET READY FOR VISALIA .... I CAME UP WITH A BRILLIANT IDEA .... WITH MY FRIEND, CAROLYN DRIVING, I COULD SPEND THE FOUR HOURS OPENING THOSE CARDS .... IT WAS WONDERFUL TO READ AND ENJOY THE CARD MESSAGES .... AS WELL AS THE PERSONAL WRITTEN ONES .... IT WORKED! .... AS I WAS READING THE LAST CARD, SHE DROPPED ME OFF AT MY HOTEL .... SO I WENT INTO THE HOTEL WITH SOOOO MUCH JOY IN MY HEART FOR GOD'S FAITHFULNESS TO ME .... AND FOR THE 40 YEARS OF MINISTRY HE HAS GIVEN ME.
Ms. Lillie wearing her Luau outfit in Visalia
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