As part of its effort to familiarize world leaders with the international mission of the Church and this Pacific island university, BYU-Hawaii hosted the ambassador of the Philippines, Ernesto Maceda, Sept. 13.

The ambassador arrived in Honolulu earlier in the week with the cabinet of Philippines President Joseph Estrada, but spent an extra day at Laie visiting BYU-Hawaii, the Laie Hawaii Temple Visitor's Center and the Polynesian Cultural Center.

In his remarks during a luncheon, the ambassador spoke candidly about his feelings toward the Church-owned university. "Prior to my visit, I knew very little about BYU-Hawaii, but I am overwhelmed by the atmosphere. This place is heaven on earth.

"The hardest thing to find is happiness," he added, "but I feel that the BYU-Hawaii campus is oozing with happiness."

His experiences also prompted him to speak of his feelings toward God in his remarks at the luncheon. "Life is not always a bunch of roses, and hard times are sometimes God's way of making sure we remember Him," Ambassador Maceda explained. "I have not always been a good Christian, but after my coronary bypass surgery, I promised God I would be better at remembering Him."

Since then, he has helped to open a medical center in Mindanao in the Philippines.

Ambassador Maceda congratulated the students studying here from the Philippines by saying: "In the Philippines, only 40 out of every 100 students who enroll in grade school will go on to high school. Out of those 40, only 15 will go on to college, and out of those 15, only three will graduate with a degree."

He added that he admired students who shared a desire to return to their homeland in order to fulfill President David O. McKay's prophecy of having leaders from BYU-Hawaii whose influence would be felt for good internationally.

The ambassador also spoke at a forum, informing students of the current state of affairs in the Philippines. He shared some cultural and political background of the Philippines as well as projections of the future of the economy. During the forum's question and answer session, he stated the goals of Philippines President Estrada's administration and their strategies for the economic crisis.

In his remarks after the luncheon, BYU-Hawaii President Eric Shumway said: "We were very honored to host Ambassador Maceda. We hold him in very high regard, and we are grateful for the opportunity to share the mission of our university with world leaders. I was impressed with his love and sensitivity toward the students."