The Ah Hees are deeply involved in parish life at Annunciation Church. (Courtesy Catholic Stewardship Consultants)
By Catholic Stewardship Consultants
www.CatholicSteward.com
Most families with young children are busy these days — with schoolwork, sports and family activities. They are so busy that one wonders how they can practice stewardship as well as grow in their love of God with all the activities surrounding them.
For the Ah Hee family of Annunciation Church in Waimea, stewardship and faith are integral to their lives. There is no separation or setting daily activities into different categories — stewardship and faith are blended right into the daily mix of life.
Kelly and Amanda Ah Hee and their four children — Addison, Ainsley, Cecily and Anderson — are active members of Annunciation. Kelly has served on the Pastoral Council and takes part in Saturday workdays, Amanda teaches religious education to first graders, and Addison and Ainsley are altar servers.
What is their impetus for service?
“Faith without works is dead,” Amanda said. “It is nothing without works. It is so important to serve.”
Amanda and Kelly have modeled service for the children all their lives.
“They’re with me all the time,” Amanda said. “They see me serve not only as a religious education instructor, but we had an elderly neighbor and we visited with her. We brought her meals, so we’ve been modeling service with them for a long time now.”
Kelly began his work on the parish Pastoral Council 10 years ago. During his time on the council, Father Tony Pangan arrived at Annunciation to serve as administrator and later as pastor.
“We had been paying someone to do the yardwork at the church, but Father Tony wanted the parishioners to do it, as a fellowship type of thing,” Kelly said. “I grumbled a lot about it in the beginning, but to his credit, Father Tony was right. I got to know the parishioners, and we have become friends.”
There are segments of the Ah Hees’ service that bring sparks of joy. For Amanda, it’s teaching the religious education classes.
“First graders have such energy and excitement,” she said. “When I read the Bible to them — each time I teach, I come home with a natural high. It’s so fun to me!”
For Kelly, the Saturday workdays are an extension of what he enjoys doing at home — taking care of the yard. He said he enjoys getting outside for the yardwork, as well as knowing that the work of maintaining the church campus doesn’t have to fall on older parishioners.
“The younger people have joined in,” he said.
Kelly has found that just being around others living in faith has, in turn, helped his own faith grow.
“It’s the proximity,” he said. “Just being around people who practice it — you have conversations, that helps a lot.”
The couple’s faith journey has extended to their children as well, through examples built into their daily routines.
“It starts at home,” Amanda said. “I homeschool all four kids and we’re involved in the church. We live 30 minutes from a store, so we’re on the road a lot. We say the rosary on long drives to Kona. When the kids were babies, I’d sing the Our Father before bed. As they got older, we still say our prayers each night. It’s so important to start at home early, and start conversations when they’re little.”
The Ah Hees say that one way families can strengthen their faith is to integrate it into their daily routine.
“I’d tell them, add it to your existing habits,” Amanda said. “When you brush your teeth, say the Our Father, or while you’re brewing coffee, say prayers while you wait. Add it to your existing habit, and it kind of snowballs from there.”