Words and photographs of the
Our Lady of Perpetual Hope family fill
the pages of "God's Photo Album."
HARPER COLLINS
"I see God in the fish.
Because fish are God's gift
to us children."
SHERI-ANN CARGANILLA, AGE 8
THIS is a story about kids and cameras and God, and how if you point your faith in the right direction, sometimes you can make a miracle. Miracle in Ewa
Star-Bulletin
It is the story of a tiny Ewa Beach school, Our Lady of Perpetual Hope, and a fourth-grade teacher who is a walking advertisement for the concept of hope.
Three years ago, Our Lady was in financial trouble and ready to shut down. But that was also the year Shelly Mecum came up with the idea of sending the entire school out across the island, every student carrying a disposable camera and searching for an image of God.
Teachers went, too, and so did parents and aunties, uncles and grandparents.
Our Lady of Perpetual Hope students will sign copies of "God's Photo Album" tomorrow at: THE SIGNINGS
8 to 10 a.m. -- Logos, Ward Warehouse; Mililani Town Center
8 to 9 a.m. -- Reception at Waldenbooks Ala Moana with book signings at Center Stage from 9 to 11:30 a.m.
9 to 11:30 a.m. -- Waldenbooks, and Barnes & Noble, Kahala Mall
10 a.m. to noon -- Waldenbooks Windward Mall
Noon to 4 p.m. -- Borders Waikele
2 to 4 p.m. -- Borders Ward Centre, Waldenbooks Pearlridge, Bookends in Kailua
7:30 to 9 p.m. -- Airport Bestsellers
Just pulling off the massive field trip was a huge undertaking, but to compound the miracle, Mecum sold the results to a the second largest publisher in the country, HarperCollins San Francisco, which has just printed 75,000 copies of "God's Photo Album."
End result: The school was saved. But the story goes on.
About 150 youngsters from the school will travel to bookstores throughout the state Saturday to sign copies of the book. Mecum has already begun a national book tour, and plans visits with representatives of "Good Morning America," Oprah Winfrey and Rosie O'Donnell -- all in hopes of further spreading the word.
The 92-page book is available in island bookstores for $23.
"I think God made waves
to help clean the beaches."
DAVIN DIONISIO, AGE 13
The entire student body of the Catholic school participated in the April 23, 1998 project, setting off by bus, trolley and glass-bottomed boat to seek God at work places, parks, beaches and shopping centers.With the help of Fuji Film of Japan, which provided disposable cameras, and Robert's Hawaii, which provided 14 buses, the youngsters came back with the raw material for the book.
Mecum has worked in the intervening years, writing anecdotal text and promoting the book. Most recently, she spoke this week at the National Catholic Education Association convention in Milwaukee, Wis.
The book's subtitle is "How we looked for God and saved our school." Our Lady principal Dennis Sasaki said the project has stimulated an increase in enrollment in the K-8 school.
The school will receive 70 percent of the profits which, Sasaki said, will be used for tuition scholarships and possibly to start a pre-school.
Mecum attributes the success of this journey to faith and prayer. "When God asks you to leap off that cliff -- in faith -- you must leap," she writes at the close of the book. "Don't look for the net. There is no net. I promise you, this is the fastest way to learn to fly!"
"God said, 'Sit under the
coconut tree and rest.' "
ROSE OASAY, GRANDMOTHER, AGE 69
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