Living with Pele PS

May 6, 2018

Aloha Friends

Below is the message we sent yesterday to a group of friends, but now there is a PS: This morning at 5am there was a big outbreak explosion on property next to us. The folks that live behind us just email that their house is gone, so we must assume that ours may soon burn. We do have a friend with a drone who has remained in the most remote section of our division and we have asked him to confirm this loss. Until we see that it is gone there is no way to get our heads or hearts around this new reality; then again, how to do so knowing the reality will not be easy either.  Anyway, thanks for checking in and understanding that responding to everyone's inquiries may be just be impossible right now. For obvious reasons we are not including photos -- you can google that if you want to see.

Here's what we sent yesterday:

Please forgive the “group reply” but we just can’t respond to all the supportive and encouraging messages we have received from so many people in this complicated situation.

Lunel just got out of the hospital because she had a seizure on Wednesday (went into a unconscious state) and had to be rushed to the hospital in an ambulance. She was in a coma in ICU is now on a variety of medications and is still not up to par but improving. The MRI machine was broken at the hospital, where, other than that, we were extremely impressed with the staff and her treatment. She sees her doctor on Monday and will get an MRI as soon as we can.

While she was there, if you follow island news, we had a volcanic incident began near our subdivison. and our whole subdivision was evacuated. Because of connections with our ohana here, we are now staying with a family who has graciously opened their large home to several of us – us with DOGS that is. So, now there is a total of 7 people and 7 dogs! While Lunel was in the hospital Phil did a good job of shuffling a few critical things into the car, but of course a few really important things got forgotten with all that was going on at the same time.

Amazingly enough, we have managed to replace most of the most extremely important things one way or another. Because Lunel was wearing only a shift (that is really ONLY) she was rushed to the hospital wearing only that!  She was due for cataract surgery, but the bifocals didn’t go with her, but a friend staying with this family had an extra pair that will work temporarily. From the hospital we went directly to Target for underwear and “slippas” and no glasses to see, but the staff there was so kind and helpful we left with most all we needed because we could not go back to our house because of the danger of fumes mostly.

There is an outbreak of fire just a couple blocks from us – who knows what direction/s it may go. Tomorrow, some Leilani residents may be able to go back briefly to collect critical things, but again, conditions are very volatile and all the agencies are more concerned about the people being safe.

After Lunel "woke up" she had an amazing dream: In it lava was flowing down the pali and one of our neighbors who is a mason, was helping build a wall to direct the flow (which of course is impossible.) There was a whole crew there including D9’s but they were all working with the lava not just trying to control it. At the front of the flow large diamonds were being spewed out, and in Lunel’s dream she was going up and picking up diamonds the size of her hand. So, as us, as friends and neighbors, sat around the dinner table tonight, we tried to focus on what diamonds we had already discovered – like the helpful woman at Target, or the neighbors who were opening their homes to refugees, or the people who were rescuing animals.

We don’t know what is next, but if you want to follow the event – just google Pahoa Lava or Leilani Lava to get photos and updates. We’ll try to send another email in a few days once we know more. Mahalo for all your love, prayers and support. We have a bed to sleep in, a pot to pee in, each other, our four dogs, and the amazing friendships and aloha we are experiencing during this traumatic experience.

Aloha and Mahalo

Phil and Lunel