An alumnus, community member and student say they connected with nature, celebrated the Hawaiian culture and found family during Iosepa’s 2025 voyage
Amid the open ocean, crew members said Iosepa becomes more than a double-hulled voyaging canoe—it becomes a sacred vessel that delivers good tidings to different shores. It also becomes a sanctuary and a bridge between different generations and communities, said members of the BYUH ‘ohana and local community.
Scott Muhlestein, an alumnus of BYU–Hawaii from O‘ahu, said one of the best things about Iosepa is it brings the community and students together. “I feel like there’s often a divide between the community and students because we’re not always interacting with each other, but Iosepa is a great opportunity to make friends and reconnect with both BYUH and the Polynesian Cultural Center (PCC),” he shared. He said through Iosepa workdays, he has learned more about Hawaiian culture, which made him feel connected to the land and community to better serve his neighbors.Learning from community members and alumni’s experiences
For Julian Dallin Obando, a senior from the Philippines studying intercultural peacebuilding and communication, media and culture, one of the things that stood out during this year’s sail was the presence of alumni and community members in every training and workday. By working alongside these people, he said he realized that Iosepa needs people from all professions. “There’s a misconception that you need to be a Hawaiian studies major to join Iosepa. But I learned from alumni in different professions that we need different experiences, talents and skills to bring Iosepa together,” he said.
Obando said he appreciated the opportunity to sail with them because it allowed him to ask questions not just about sailing but also about other things, such as problem-solving and even cooking. “It humbled me to see how our alumni interact, deal with challenges and find solutions,” he expressed. He said their guidance helped him prepare thoroughly for the voyage.
He recalled a particular interaction with an alumnus they called Uncle Lono, where they discussed how Iosepa had not sailed for the past eight years due to logistical issues.
[Uncle Lono] compared Iosepa’s pause with our lives. He said we’ll experience pauses—just as Iosepa did—where we will also go through times of refinement and preparation to become seaworthy again.
Obando connected that message to his own experience with personal health. “Just like Iosepa, I did not let the pause stop me. I also went through a lot of refining—getting myself together and surrounding myself with people who helped me become better,” he said.
Obando also said he had to coordinate with alumni and other people, because his participation in this year’s sail did not come so easily. He said he had to balance work and classes while preparing for the voyage. “It was in the middle of the semester when Iosepa sailed, and I was really worried about how I could manage everything. But I’m grateful that all of my professors were BYUH alumni who were supportive of my schedule,” he said.
Because of these experiences, Obando said he’s fully committed to coming back and participating in Iosepa’s next voyages. “Right now, we’re doing workdays every week to learn as much as we can, because we tend to forget, right? But we come together to learn from and teach each other,” he said.
Obando said this spirit of community was what alleviated his initial hesitation to join the voyaging crew. He said when he first interacted with them, he was greeted with the warmest aloha and a strong sense of family, rooted in the bond they shared through the canoe. “When you’re part of the Iosepa crew, your family expands, not only in Iosepa itself but in the whole wa’a or canoe world. You meet many people along the way as you share the mission of the sacred canoe and relate with each other’s experiences,” Obando shared.
Learning from students on equal grounds
For Scott Muhlestein and his brother, Chris Muhlestein, they believe there is much to learn from the younger generation. “Participating in Iosepa made me feel like I’m in the position of being mentored while also standing on equal grounds with the students,” Scott Muhlestein said. Mentoring, he shared, is not something he does out of obligation. Rather, he said he believes in the power of connection—where both teaching and learning happen through engaging with the students.
“One of the things I learned from being around students is that in the canoe, everyone should be on the same page by listening to the captain,” he said. Failing to do so, he stated, can lead to danger and confusion. “I also learned some skills from [the students] to sail: tying knots, opening a sail and ways of navigation,” he shared.
As a BYUH alumnus, Scott Muhlestein said alumni involvement contributes to Iosepa’s legacy and provides valuable learning experience. “One of the most valuable lessons we learn at BYU–Hawaii is to serve others. I believe Iosepa is a powerful opportunity to put that into practice,” he explained.
Similarly, Chris Muhlestein, a community member from O‘ahu, said the opportunity for practical and spiritual collaboration with other people inspired his involvement with Iosepa. “I find it refreshing to know my neighbors and make new friends through Iosepa. It’s such an open and inviting group where students, PCC employees and the community play an important role,” he said. Chris Muhlestein said it reminded him of the people described in Acts 4:32, who were of “one heart and one mind.”
“I am not a guide. I still have so much to learn about the wa‘a. Older people tend to get stuck in their ways while younger people usually have flexible minds, and I admire people like that,” he expressed. Having sailed from O‘ahu to Moloka‘i this year, he said working with the students before and during the voyage was deeply rewarding. “We are united by the same purpose. There’s a lot of joy in spending time together, especially in Moloka‘i,” he shared.
Chris Muhlestein said he often found himself learning from the students, many of whom were accomplished voyagers. “I was also secretly absorbing any Hawaiian language I could during the trip as a lot of the crew, especially students, were fluent speakers,” he explained.
He also expressed his gratitude for the open-minded leadership that allowed everyone to participate. “It takes a village to care for such a large wa‘a like Iosepa. I don’t think it would be possible without everyone helping out,” he said.
Participating in Iosepa made me feel like I’m in the position of being mentored while also standing on equal grounds with the students.
Learning about Hawaiian culture
Scott Muhlestein said joining the Iosepa voyage during FestPAC 2024 and participating in Iosepa’s workdays this year helped him realize the importance of understanding the culture and language of the place he calls home. “Being with Iosepa challenged me to deepen my connection with Hawaiian culture and give back to the community that has given me so much,” he shared. “I never really connected with the culture as deeply as I wanted to, until now.”
Similarly, Chris Muhlestein said helping with Iosepa’s voyages made him reflect on his responsibility to the culture and community. As a Caucasian living in Hawaii, he said he sometimes felt like his presence might unintentionally take something away from the culture. “But the truth is, I care deeply and want to dedicate my time, energy, and resources to perpetuating Hawaiian culture,” he said. He described his time with Iosepa as a way to give back to a culture he feels indebted to.
Their adoptive sister, the brothers added, is from the Marshall Islands, so they consider the experience even more meaningful. During FestPAC 2024, Scott Muhlestein said he had the chance to show the Marshall Islands’ ambassador the canoe. “Marshallese people have a rich history of voyaging,” he said, “which closely relates to Hawaiian culture.”
Despite the distance between the Micronesian and Polynesian islands, Chris Muhlestein said, they are more connected than they seem. “Sometimes it feels like the world wants to fragment us into different cultures and beliefs—but it can’t. In the end, we’re all brothers and sisters. I want to show that to everyone,” he said.
Connecting with God, nature and with others through Iosepa
Scott Muhlestein said being involved with Iosepa is a spiritual experience that strengthens his connection with God. “Iosepa is a dedicated canoe with a missionary purpose, and everyone in the crew, especially those who sailed, can feel the spirit while working there,” he shared. “Being in the ocean, whether through surfing or sailing, makes me feel closer to the natural world created by the Lord.”
As a former English major, he said his interest in Romantic poetry stems from his attachment to nature and experiences with Iosepa. “This type of poetry inspired me because it is focused on connecting with nature, which means connecting with God, too. I think Iosepa is a good example of that because it allows us to focus on spiritual things while getting closer to the natural world,” he explained.
While embracing nature helped Scott Muhlestein grow closer to God, he said it also inspired him to join the Iosepa crew. “I always wanted to give back to my community and learn more about Hawaiian culture. That’s when I reached out to Professor Ulysses Funaki, and he said I can help take care of Iosepa as it is preparing to sail again,” he shared. Muhlestein said he was able to help out during the workdays at the Iosepa Learning Center, which is open to both community members and students.
Muhlestein said if he were to share one lesson with the younger generation about voyaging with Iosepa, it would be “to mālama the ‘āina.” He emphasized the importance of teaching youth the Hawaiian concept of mālama—a sense of responsibility and care—and its deep connection to the ‘āina, or land. “God has created this land to serve us—to provide food and shelter for us. And as we take care of it and respect it as its good stewards, it will give back more than what we gave. Iosepa will help us, especially the younger generation, do that,” he explained.
Words for future voyagers
For younger generations interested in joining Iosepa, Obando said everyone’s talents are valuable in every sail. “Come be part of [Iosepa]. Each of us has something unique to offer, whether it’s singing or dancing,” he said. Through Iosepa, he added, individuals can grow and find success in life as they learn from each other’s experiences.
Similarly, Chris Muhlestein said even individuals who do not have any sailing experience should join. “Join us because [Iosepa], or any other wa’a, is a great place to learn.” In addition, Scott Muhlestein said the younger generation should get involved in the community. He said in today’s world, especially among the younger generation, people are often distracted by technology and social media. “Because of that, we tend to focus more on ourselves, making it harder to look outward in the community. But connecting with the people around us and forming new relationships is just as important as connecting through technology,” he explained.