“The Unity Games brings us all together,” Michael Hatcher, coach from the Local Congregation of Kapolei, remarked. “It’s fun to see a lot of people cheering and showing camaraderie.”

The Hawaii-Pacific Ecclesiastical District held the INC Unity Games: Volleyball Edition on September 1 and 2, 2024 at the gymnasium of Pearl City High School, 20 minutes away from the Ewa Beach Congregation’s house of worship, in Hawaii, U.S.A. Participating teams from congregations in the neighboring islands of Big Island, Maui, and Kauai flew in for the activity.

The parade of colors marked the beginning of the activity. Brother Israel Pacheco, district Christian Family Organizations (CFO) overseer, led the opening prayer. Brother Gem Baitan, district supervising minister, said the opening remarks afterwards.

“The players were competitive, they all wanted to win, but the love of brotherhood and unity prevailed,” Brother Pacheco observed.

The INC Unity Games culminated with an awarding ceremony. Winners received medals. While the competitive spirit was evident, the true victory lay in the strengthened connections and shared experiences among the attendees.

The teams from the Local Congregation of Kunia won the first place for both men’s and women’s volleyball. For the second place, the team from the Local Congregation of Waikiki secured the men’s volleyball while the team composed of local congregations in Big Island, Maui, and Kauai for the women’s volleyball.

“I like to play in the court together with the team, strengthen bond,” said Jarick Bagaoisan, most valuable player (MVP) from the Local Congregation of Kunia. “Playing with everyone is fun.” — With reports from Bruce Tan of INC News Section