Look Out World Here I Come.

Mac is one of our students here at PIBC. Today Peter gave him his first driving lesson. So far so good I suppose, since there was no new damage to the truck or to the campus. Although it may be my paranoia but I believe the two of them tried to run me over several times. :o)

All Night Praise and Prayer

These are pictures from the all night prayer and worship night. The night was planned by Steve, Hollie, and Hiob. The student Chapel band played. There was teaching on many different types of prayer and of course praying. Not every - including myself stayed for the whole night. However, those I talked to afterwards who did stay all night spoke of how blessed (and of course tired) they were. Overall it was pretty well attended since it was not mandatory.

One for Dad

For as long as I can remember my Dad has been associated with the local Lions Club and Lions International. He is a Past District Governor, and my parents have travelled the world going to Lions Conventions.

The local super markets on Guam work with the Lions Club and collect money for their sight conservation project.

Comment on Comments

Just thought I would let you know that all comments must be approved by me before they are posted. I have noticed that some of you make the same comment twice thinking your first time did not work. I have chosen this method of posting comments to filter out any inappropriate comments by strangers.

Building Servant Leaders

....that is the motto/mission statement of the school. The premise is based on a principle from scripture where Jesus who was the leader led by serving and by example. Some times I am so taken back by students who seem much like typical teenagers but have not been spoiled by the American culture..... They are often so willing to sacrifice for "a brother" or "sister" in their God family. Sometimes I wonder - who is teaching whom to be Servant Leaders?

On Saturday a bunch of students were doing yard work on campus when I was pulling out to do an errand. They noticed my tire was flat and they flagged me down and stopped me. I pulled back into campus and before I could ask two students were there to help me put on my spare donut tire...... I was extremely grateful..... and felt very blessed. That day I experienced Jesus love through them...... and was also convicted about my attitude which is not always so giving.

Invincible!

Since it was raining today on my day off I headed down to the local theater to see the film, "Invincible". The movie is about the Eagles in 1976 when Dick Vermile took over as coach. Apparently the Eagles stank and to shake things up, Dick Vermile held open try outs. One 30 year old man from south Philly who had never even played college ball made the team. It is a good story where a man who was down on his luck took a chance and beat the odds.

It was nice to "be back in Philly" for a couple of hours even if I had to be transported back in time to 1976. It made me smile to see how they accurately played the Philadelphia sports fans as the actress who played Vermile's wife reminded him that "they even through ice balls at Santa" when he was making a risky decision.

There were also many good shots of south Philadelphia and I am assuming graphically created images of the old no longer standing Vetrans stadium.

Another fun thing was to see Yuengling Beer featured in the film. Being from Pottsville the home of America's oldest brewery - I felt a bit of home town pride seeing it up there on the big screen. However being from Pottsville and between having toured the brewery and my Dad being an acquaintance of Dick Yuengling - it occured to me as I was watching the movie that it may indeed be historically inaccurate. In fact after checking the website - it was clear that the Lager was only re-introduced after decades of not producing it - in 1985 when Dick Yuengling took over the brewery from his Dad. Also before that Yuengling was not marketed in the Philadelphia area.

Although the ending of the movie was triumphant - I have to say that I was a bit sad and homesick when it ended. :o(

Hail! Hail! The Gangs All Here!

Tonight we picked up the last of the new PIBC family from the airport..... Ned, Marisol, Joel (3), and Amelia (9 months). Ned will be the assistant dean of men and also the director of Children's ministries.

I actually met Ned and Marisol when I was on a mission's trip to Ecuador in 2002. Ned is actually from the Reading, PA area but met and married Marisol while serving as a missionary in Ecuador. They have two children.

They will be living right next door to me.

Yes the rest of us in the picture all went to the airport to greet them. When we got back to campus the other students and some staff sang a "welcome song" and came to say hello.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

On Friday night we had a girls movie night. Amy, our ESL (English as a Second Language) Intern, came to campus and brought a movie to watch with the girls. As a special treat I made Chocolate Chip Cookies. I was surprised that many of the girls had never had a chocolate chip cookie especially not one fresh from the oven. Except for the few that I gave to some of the on campus staff members - about 20 of the girls went through 2 batches. The poor guys were left with none. I did promise to make them some on another night..... and it works out ok since a number of the girls asked me to teach them to make them.

Basketball

Many of the boys belong to a "Christian" basketball league which has its games on Saturday afternoons. They play other teams mostly represented by churches. This week I drove the team to the game. They were teasing me that I needed to drive faster so they didn't miss their warm up time. As I started to drive a little faster to answer their pleas - One of the students yelled from the back of the van - "I am too fresh to die" Sheesh.....

Let's Chat

One way our students are typical college students is that they all love their email. Many of them also have MySpace pages like just about everyone else these days.

This is some of our students in our computer lab right before I closed it late on Friday night.

Where's the Beef?

Even Wendy's has a Carabao..... I also noticed a decorated Carabao in the one mall. I made some of the students pose with this one on our shopping trip this afternoon.

I haven't had any food from Wendy's since I have been here but this kind of makes me wonder where they come from. Anyone else?

S.O.S.

Please send good Chinese food. You would think moving closer to China would actually increase the probability of getting good Chinese food. So far I have not found a decent looking Chinese Restaraunt..... many of them on Island are just the fast food variety that are found in the malls in the states. Many of them have dishes I don't recognize nor do they seem like dishes that I would like to try. And I love Chinese food. Could someone please mail me some General Tso's Chicken from the Sampan Inn? Maybe some Chicken and Stringbeans with Garlic sauce? Maybe I will just learn how to cook it myself. Hmmmm.....

Everybody's Got One!

What you ask? A Water Buffalo....Mine is fast and your's is slow.... Some of you might already recognize this as a line from one of Larry's Silly Songs from Veggie Tales. (One of my favorite silly songs I might add)......

Anyway I have to report a slight error. There are not Caribou on Guam. Caribou are reindeer. Although there are some weird alien looking deer here that are found mostly on Andersen Airforce Base and are often shot by "Mr. Hottie" (See previous post)..... they are not Caribou.

What we have on the island are Carabao which is a Chammaran (local islanders) word for basically a water buffalo. (Can anyone believe that Microsoft does not recognize the Chammaran language in spell check?)

You can read more here http://www.heptune.com/Guamcrit.html#Carabao

Sorry for the confusion.

Objects in the Mirror May Appear Larger than they actually Are

I remember when I was preparing to come to Guam and I was trying to figure out how big the Island can be..... I thought with so many golf courses how could there be room for anything else? Yet compared to my expectation - the island seems huge with tons of totally undeveloped land. I am told, however, the island seems to shrink the longer you have been here.

Some of my co-workers have shared how they have even become a bit "bored" with the Island and all it has to offer. They have been everywhere and done everything they would like to do here......

Yet every day I drive by an Ocean View gladly it still takes my breath away....then I tell myself.... "Wow I live here." Of course Pennsylvania has a beauty all it's own...... and I am already missing the cooling weahter, the autumn leaves, college football, the smells of wood fires burning in fireplaces (although I realize even in PA that is getting more rather with the popularity of gas fireplaces.)

I have to say it seems very weird to see the Halloween costumes in the stores here when it still feels like summer. Then again, they probably hit the stores there in the summer already since it seems to keep getting earlier and earlier every year.

Man can not live on bread alone....

Yet some days I am tempted to try. There are several bakeries on Island that I have tried which make the most amazing breads. The Guam Bakery sells their products not just at their bakery but also at many local supermarkets (and Kmart). The Crown Bakery is not far from school, although you still need to drive because the school is basically in the Boonies. They also sell their day old bread for a $1. This is helpful when buying enough bread for 63 people on a small budget. Also nice on a missionary's support. :o)

So many children I don't know what to do......

Just like the old woman in the Shoe. Yesterday when I was taking some of the girls to see the boys play basket ball (they play in a Christian League on Island)..... I was sharing with them about my family. I told them about my poor parents who had 4 children - yet only 3 grandchildren...... Both my brother and I never got married nor had children. I explained now I had 63 children..... and I am thinking of sending my parents a picture of their new "grandchildren" for Christmas. :o)

Later that day one of these girls was in the computer lab when I was there. One of the male students was joking with me and giving me a hard time. Stella scolded him and said .... "I can't believe you are talking to our mother like that." I thought it was very sweet.

A Day of Exercise

Spiritual Exercise anyway.....although I did buy some exercise videos this week I have not yet used them.... ;o)

Yesterday was an all day seminar for the students on what is commonly referred to as "Spiritual Disciplines". As staff I also got to participate. Some of these disciplines include Prayer, Journaling, Bible Reading and Scripture memorization.

The teacher was E. Neil Culbertson who is the pastor of Faith Presbyterian Church here on Guam. He gave helpful information on how and why a Christian should practice the Spiritual disciplines. He also has created a journal which is a tool to help create a plan for practicing these disciplines over 52 weeks. Usually I feel too limited by prefabricated journaling tools but as I look over this one --- I do like it and I plan to give it a go. If you would like to check it out - you can visit the website at http://christianstraininglog.com/homepage-pepco.html

Princess Maggie

This is Maggie. She is 4. She and her baby sister Elise are my adopted nieces.

Besides being adorable. She is very smart and creative. She always makes me laugh. I miss her.

Her mom sent me an email with this picture and a song Maggie made up about me.

"The night is here, the night is here. It's time for eveybody to go to bed. Go to sleep my sleepy head. The sun has gone to Aunt Melissa. This is the end, of my song, the sun will be back when its morning."

When her mom asked her how she knew the sun had gone to Aunt Melissa, she said "Because Aunt Melissa is far far away and she's awake."

Picture and song shared with the Permission of Maggie and her parents. :o)

House Mothah.....

Many of our students come have graduated with a "Certificate" from our Tol campus from the Islands of Chuuk. Apparently on Tol which is a small island with absolutely not much except the campus on it..... they have a "House Mothah" or AKA House Mother - she makes sure they get up on time and get to class on time. She does many things to help people students who are Micronesian get accustomed to a school schedule based on Western principals. Although I don't do nearly as much as this woman did - some of the students still refer to me as house mother.

Pslam 113:9 says "he gives the barren woman a home so that she becomes a happy mother." I went from 0 to 63 in a couple weeks. Although I am not as responsible for the guys they guys still come to me for some issues when they need help.

I have had to help sick children, listen to their problems, drive them places, and discipline them at times.

When I go to the grocery store to get the weekend and breakfast groceries everybody looks at how much food I am buying and very often make a comment. My answer is always I have 70 children which I was supposed to have but the enrollment was down from originally expected.

Paul Lynn

Some of you who are old enough may remember the old comedian, Paul Lynn. It just so happens we have a female student here whose first name is Paulynn. Not Pauline. Paulynn. It is very common among the Chuukese to end female names in Lynn or Leen. Paulynn being one of them. We also have a Jayleen, Joyleen, Crystaleen, Jafflyn, Giftleen, Trulyn, Smileen, Verlyn, Merlyn, Alynn, and I am sure that I am missing a few.

Kmart Mystery Solved

The Kmart on Guam is the Largest in the world.....not because of what you see in the store.... but because below the store there is a basement the same size as the store filled with inventory. Since everything has to be shipped in they keep plenty of stock on hand to keep things on the shelves.

I was there again today and I am still surprised to watch tourists taking their pictures in front of the store.

Island Guide

Joyce is the wife of the College President. She is a lot of fun. Today on my day off she took me on a tour of the Island or at least the middle and southern parts. This was part of an old Spanish Fortress outside of Inarjan....I think....maybe Yano. It was great fun.

I feel like I have a better idea of where I live. Maybe next week I can take some of the students on a tour. Many of them come from other islands and have not seen most of Guam yet.

Inarjan Pools

Inarjan is one of the southern villages which has a park with these pools of water which are fed by the ocean. Some of the pools are pretty deep and you can go swimming in them. Unfortunately today we did not bring our suits.

Guam's German Restaraunt

The place does not look like much from the outside but actually the Bratwurst was delicious.

Caribou

Caribou seem to roam the island....Although this one was tied to a rope so someone must be responsible for it. In fact my friend Joyce used the rope to pull it out of the jungle a bit so I could take it's picture. She promised to sit on him for the picture but then made some lame excuse that he was too smelly.

I have also seen statues of Caribou throughout the Island. I am not sure if they have some special meaning or not.....

Golf Anyone?

I am told that Guam has 7 public golf courses along with 2 military golf course. This course is at a Japenese owned resort called Leopalace. This place is huge. Not only does it offer golf. It has soccer fields, an olympic sized swimming pool, and a baseball staduim which I am told the Japense team comes for Spring training. If you look closely you can see the ocean in the background.

Historic Beach

Agat Beach is where the American's landed to take back the Island at the end of World War II from the Japanese.

On the Road again.....

Turns out the shop Peter reccommended did a good job fixing my car and what I thought was going to be a major transmission job turned out to be a "tune up" of the engine and a fix of a leak in the air conditioner. I was quite relieved not to have a $1000 car bill....it turned out to be a little over $200 which of course is still a bit of money but a relief considering the possibilities. And fortunately my car insurance covered the towing.

3rd Time's the Charm

Finally today Peter and I went back to the DMV. I did not want to go the guy that I had twice on Friday. And I was relieved to see that he wasn't there...... Or at least not at first. Peter also had to register a vehicle so I had to let multiple people go in front of me while I was waiting for him to finish because they need his driver's license as well. I was so relieved when I got a woman....who was even familiar with the college and was very nice. But then she said "Who wants to do a "G" License?" Since they have to come out and inspect the van and ask you questions. And who should agree but the scary grumpy guy from Friday. I was sure he would find something else but after a little checking and me showing my safety triangle set up skills - he passed me. Of course this meant I had to fill out another application AND stand in line again.

Finally I had my license and Peter was all to eager to give me the keys.......

Today we shall shop.

English or something like it

Almost everyone on Guam speaks English.....of course being part of the US - it is one of the official languages. The trick is there are so many different nationalities all speaking English..... and each nationality struggling with certain english pronunciations and translations..... so even when people speak English there is often a need for a "translation" of what is being said.

This realization came just after trying to communicate with my Korean mechanic and his receptionist.

Micronesian Moment

One of the Chuukese girl's sister got married this past Saturday. She asked if the Chuukese students could come and sing at the reception. The students from the Island of Chuuk have a special way of singing. I don't know exactly what they do - but it sounds really different than when a westerner sings..... and it is beautiful. She said that she would come back and help transport students and she wanted us to be there around six or seven. I asked Peter if he would help. So I told him 6. But no Lovina. 7...... No Lovina.... finally at 8:30 we were ready to go. I am told this is quite frequently the way things work in Micronesia.

Originally I was told just the girls were going but it turned out to be both the men and the women..... Peter had a van full of girls and I had a pick up truck full of the guys. I am working on trying to learn the names of the male students when I have an opportunity. The problem is that they keep switching clothes.

After singing they invited us the have some food ....of which there was plenty ---- many of which I didn't recognize. I was adventurous and tried a few new things even sashimi. (Raw Fish).

Finding Nemo

Or at least some of his friends.....

This is Ritidian beach which is the north most point of the Island. It is a wild life preserve and it is gorgeous. My friend, Joyce, took me snorkling for the very first time. It was pretty amazing all kinds of beautiful and weird fish and coral just steps from the shore. It was so relaxing and it was nice to be away for a couple of hours.

No you aren't seeing things.....the starfish actually matches my bathing suit. :o)

Here we go...... or no longer go.... as the case may be

Today has been a bit of a crazy day. I ran some errands early in the morning. Ok maybe not too early - It IS Saturday. Came back and drove a student to the bank and returned a movie.

When I returned to campus the Internet was down all over the campus so I made some phone calls about that.

Then some girls wanted to go shopping and as I was driving off campus onto the main road my car lost power. Fortunately my new insurance offers towing coverage and I had my car towed to the shop reccommended by Peter, the maintenance supervisor. Unfortunately since it is Saturday I won't know the cost of the damage until Monday.

I am very thankful that I was only about a block from campus when I broke down. As I was waiting for the tow truck - 2 people stopped and asked if I needed help. I was right in front of what we called the Ownex.... our off campus housing. Laura, the assistant dean, went with me to the shop. As we were all waiting for the tow truck, Brad and Cheryl (A professor and our new business manger) just happened to be driving by and stopped. God is good.

Fortunately right now there are some other vehicles on campus I can drive kids in right now.

O - O - G (Pronouced Oh - Oh- Gee)

This is an expression used on the Island which is short and assumed to mean ....."Only On Guam".

There are many of these things about apparently getting your license to drive a 15 passenger Van is one of them.

Before you can drive a 15 passenger van, you need to get a Chauffer class added to your license. You have to study for and take a written test. Although it took a week and a half to get a scheduled test. Afterward it took them a week to post results from a test which used computerized forms.

On Friday we got to the DMV. A licensed driver must take you and before you get your license they ask you a bunch of questions. I stood in line for about 30 minutes. He processed my update to a Chauffer license. Then he informed me that I needed a letter from my company stating that I was to drive their van. So we jumped back in the van - got the letter - and back to the DMV.

Again I had to wait another 30 minutes. I got to the counter with my letter and a receipt that I paid to have my license updated. I did not actually sit for the picture because I they would have to change it anyway to an Mini-Bus Operator. The man told me that I needed to actually get my other licesnse and he would not give me the approval because both Peter (who is the only Van driver right now at the school) and I did not have the little cards for our wallets. Even though Peter's license was only a couple months old and he had to have a valid medical card to get it..... AND I had a completely seperate form they require with detail that the doctor signed.

Since it was late on Friday..... I now have to wait until Monday. Sheesh.

I stood in line another 30 minutes.

Day off

Yesterday I had a day off. Although before I could even get off campus I had a few situations to which had to be tended. Laura Peters - the assistant dean covered for me the rest of the day.

I went to find a beach called Asan beach but missed the entrance and decided to keep on driving to see what I could see....... I didn't get too far before I had to turn around and head in the other direction to get a physical so I can get licensed to drive a 15 passenger van. No wonder so many people on Guam drive without licenses and/or Insurance.

In the afternoon I went to a movie with Crytaleen.... The girls had told her that Material Girls was a good movie. Unfortunately we were not impressed.

After the movie we headed to the Fish Co-Op where one of our students works. These fish are as fresh as they come. Most of them come with the heads although they will clean out the guts "for free" even.

Later that night I went with Crytaleen, Hollie, and Aaron to Chammoro Village..... It has a festive atmosphere. There is native dancing, al kinds of ethnic food, and crafts.

Meet Hollie and Mr. Hottie.

Hollie is my co-worker. She is the assistant discpipleship person and is in charge of student ministries (i.e. our students working with other students)..... With her is her husband Aaron. He is a Navy Pilot and they live on Andersen Airforce Base.

They have only been here about 5 months and Hollie has only been at PIBC about 3 weeks longer than I was.

The other week when we were in church, some of the people did not know the name of Hollie's husband. So someone asked to be introduced to "Mr. Hollie" - however since English is not the first language of many people here ---- some thought they said "Mr. Hottie"

One Thing I Don't Miss!

Overturned Dump Truck Spills Dirt All Over Blue Route
Drivers on the Blue Route (Route 476) are dealing with a filthy mess Tuesday morning. An overturned dump truck has been uprighted at the St. David's-Villanova exit, but the bad news is that the dirt the truck was hauling is still all over the road.
Traffic Pulse reports traffic is getting by in the right lane and shoulder, but the going is slow.

_________________________________

One benefit to living at "the office"....

Happy Birthday Crystaleen!

This is my new friend Crystaleen. She had her 25th birthday today. Crystaleen is on staff here at PIBC. She is an assistant dean of women and lives in the dorm with 18 of our students. She also is an assistant in the library. She is also a graduate of PIBC.

So as her birthday treat I took her to Cold Stone Creamery. She had not been to Cold Stone yet. It is less than a year old in Guam. I think she has joined the fan club.

Happy Labor Day

Yesterday was Labor day here. The phone woke me up. It was my family. My whole family on speaker phone. They were celebrating my parents 55th wedding anniversary. My nephew Chad's 32nd birthday and my nephew Andrew's 12th birthday. It was good to hear from them. The day before I was so sad because I wasn't going to be there with them.

Believe it or not it was relatively quiet on campus. There are no classes on Monday until 2:30pm. They had all their classes even though most of the staff had off. It was the first day in awhile that I didn't feel pulled in 1000 directions at once. I believe this was answer to prayer.

At the staff prayer meeting on Sunday night - I was feeling overwhelmed and homesick and I could not stop the steady stream of tears from rolling down my cheeks. They prayed for especially for the deans - me and Hiob - because although most of the staff all leave campus at the end of the day - we are still here and are not often "off duty". I also spent quite a bit of time in prayer on Sunday as well..... I thank God for listening and blessing me with a great day.

Once was lost but now is found

One of the students here at PIBC almost did not come back to school. Shortly before the semester began her brother and some friends who were on vacation on Chuuk (other islands in Micronesia) and was lost at sea while sailing. She did come however and last night she burst into my room and gave me a huge hug. Her brother who was lost was found - ALIVE..... They ended up on another island in Micronesia far away from where they started. I don't know about any body else but after over 2 weeks I really didn't expect good news....... We are all rejoicing.

Two Lover's Point

There is a legend from the time when Spain ruled the Island that a Chamorro chief who had a beautiful daughter who was beloved by all pledged her to be married to a Spanish commander. She met a Chamorro man with whom she fell in love. Etc. Etc.... The two lovers knitted their hair together symbolizing their bond and jumped to their death off of this cliff.

It is a very amazing view...... and if you are looking for a romantic place to get married there is a small wedding chapel on top of the hill. There was one wedding in progress which unfortunately you can't see..... and another Limo waiting.

Check out their website for the full legend.
http://www.twoloverspoint.com/

A Taste of Home

I have to admitt that i was a skeptic.....but when I got here - right across from Kmart there was a sign that advertised "Philly Cheesesteaks". Right.....there are so many places which advertise such things but do not get close. So today I decided to put them to the test. Besides the fact that they serve them with Ketchup (which I ask them to hold) - it really was pretty good. A bit pricy but definately worth it. It was a nice treat on a day like today - especially when I was feeling a bit homesick.

When I was on the beach sitting right next to this tree - I read this passage of scripture.

Psalm 92
12 The righteous will flourish like a palm tree,
they will grow like a cedar of Lebanon;
13 planted in the house of the LORD,
they will flourish in the courts of our God.
14 They will still bear fruit in old age,
they will stay fresh and green,
15 proclaiming, "The LORD is upright;
he is my Rock, and there is no wickedness in him."

Never thought much about how a palm tree flourishes...... and there they were flourishing right next to me as I read about it in God's word.

Sunday Exploring

On Sunday I told the Campus director if I didn't get some time to myself off campus I was going to lose my mind. I could feel myself getting irritated very easily and knew that was not a good sign.

So I hopped in my car and here are some of the sights that I saw. I ended up sitting in a beach chair on the beach pictured - reading my bible and praying. Since I was alone I didn't go swinning per say but I did take a dip or two to cool down.

It definately was a big help to get some alone time with God....... During this time I slowed down enough to recognize a sense of sadness missing home even though I like it here as well.

Service with a Smile.

One thing that is hard to get used to in the stores is how helpful everyone is. I was in Kmart and I was looking at large Trashcans for the campus. I decided on which ones I wanted and I was just going to stick them in my cart and be on my merry way.....when the department clerk asked if he could take them upfront for me. I assured him that I was ok but he insisted.

Also when you go to Kmart. Some one is often there to tell you which line is available.

Today I shopped at another store and the man working there just pushed my cart out to the car and loaded the stuff in for me. I wasn't sure if he expected a tip but after he loaded my car - he didn't even pause.

Hospitality is just a valued part of the culture here. Although it feels a bit weird especially when I don't think I need any help, I am sure that I could get used to it.

Inconceivable!

I have found out the Micronesian Girls love shopping just as much as American girls. Last night a couple of the girls asked to go to the flea market. I said ok and told them that we would leave at 7am. I got up at 6 and made my coffee, read my email, and then got my shower. I had just gotten dressed and it was 6:45 and there was a knock at the door. One of the girls has come to inform me that they were waiting for me. Apparently it is very exciting to go to the flea market..... and they were anxious to get started.

P.S. The title of this blog is based on one of my favorite lines from the Princess Bride. One character in the movie keeps saying this....and finally another character says.... you keep saying that and I don't think you know what it means..... or something like that..... I guess you had to be there. If you haven't seen it and you like good old fashioned sillyness - It IS a classic.

Waiting....a Micronesian hobby.

I know it looks like they are possibly in jail but actually we were at the airport waiting for hopefully the last 2 female students to arrive from Chuuk. These are 2 of my sophomores who like the rest of the girls laugh and giggle constantly and whenever I can understand them - I like to laugh along with them. Unfortunately many times they are laughing at my inability to understand their accents and pronunciations.

First Ever PIBC Ministry Fair

As part of the requirements for PIBC students, they must choose to serve 3 hours a week in some type of ministry work. This year, Hollie with the help of others, organized the first ever ministry fair. Representative from churches and other local organizations came and talked to students about opportunities in their organizations..... These organizations included Bayview Baptist Church, Big Brothers/ Big Sisters, Island Girl Power, Faith Presbyterian Church, and Pacific Mission Fellowship among others. And of course there was food to intice everyone to come. For the most part, I had no role in the event which was nice for a change..... that is until someone saw me sitting there with a camera and then I became the "Historian". Speaking of history. The young man at the microphone pastors a Chuukese church on Guam. He is also a graduate of PIBC.

Here's your sign....

Although I don't pay too much attention my niece and my nephew-in-law love the blue collar comedy. Some of you know one of the guys does a routine where he says "Here's your sign"..... This comment follows a story when some one says or does something ridiculous.

Here in Guam - you often find state siders complaining about the inefficiancy of everything especailly those more recently from the 48 states. When I hear people who complain about things - including myself --- which Guam is notoriously famous for - I usually think " Welcome to Guam" - But I imagine I could also just say..... "Here's your sign."

Zoom - Zoom

Even though I don't have my Mazda and my Mitsibishi has a hard time going up hills when it is full and the air conditioner is running..... I still have the ability to instill panic in my passengers. I was out with a student and she was telling me how to get back to school when I saw the Route number that the school was on. People here on the Island rarely know things by the Route number and almost always go by landmarks when they drive. The student seemed quite nervous when I tried to go off on my own and not the way she was familiar. Then as it turned out the road was particulary, hilly, and twisty, and bumpying...... and although I was only going 25 mph --- it was fast enough to make the girl blurt out....."How fast are you driving this thing?" I immediately started laughing heartily and then so did she.

Today (Friday) I took the written exam for my chauffer's license. Without them and a 15 passenger mini-bus test we can not take students anywhere. This is really limiting our abililty to get done what needs to be done.....and means I have to take many more driving trips then otherwise necessary. We also found that it will take a week for them to post the results. Welcome to Guam.

Yummy......

Today I took a little time for myself and went to the famous Micronesian Mall. My first destination Cold Stone Creamery. It was a real treat. The employees there seem to have a lot of fun and they sing all the time especially when people leave a tip. The only problem was this Cold Stone was too new and didn't have the ability to use my gift card. However he told me the other Cold Stone on the Island can take them and they are working on getting set up. The only thing is on Guam that doesn't necessarily mean this year. The mall seems to be a hodge podge of stores with many aimed at pleasing the tourist and the american solider. Just about every type of Asian and American food group is represented..... Although Taco Bell is the only "Mexican" restaurant that I have seen so far.

TUBAS for SALE

As we were driving down the road today. I saw a sign "Tuba for Sale". I thought it quite odd since the sign seemed somewhat permanant. When I made a comment about the sign, I was told that Tuba is a local brand of moonshine made from fermented coconuts. I seem to learn something every day.

Registration

Monday 8/28 was registration. As the Dean of Women I had no official role in the process. Then at staff meeting I ended up volunteering to take pictures for photo ids. I enjoyed meeting many of the students in the process. I had to coax quite a few of them "into my studio"..... and there are still some that have eluded me. However when they want books from the Library.... they will need to find me. No ID - No Books. :o)

A Taste of Home

I was quite popular with the staff today as I received two packages from my family. One was a package from my older sister, Chris. It contained a bucket of carmel corn from Fisher's in Ocean City Maryland.

I also received a box of my favorite pretzels from my parents - Unique Splits from Reading, PA. Although my one German co-worker believes "German" pretzels are the best...... I told him most PA pretzels are German..... He did enjoy the pretzels I shared with him although he is not ready to believe Pennsylvania Germans are real Germans. :o)

www.uniquesplits.com

www.fisherspopcorn.com

Not Just a Bath and Body Works Fragrance

This is the picture of Plumeria. They also come in White. These particular flowers are not in full bloom yet.

These are some of the few flowers that actually grow on the Island. Apparently fresh flowers are rare and expensive.

Chamorro! Chamorro! I love you Chamorro!

You're always a day a way..... or at least 14 hours to you east coasters.

As some of you may know the Chamorro people are the people that are native to the Island of Guam. Since the bible college is located in Guam I expected many of our students to be from the island and of Chamorro descent.

Well one of the things that I was surprised about when I got here was not one..... Yes that is what I said - not even one student on campus is a Chamorran. The only Guamanians attending the university are "statesiders" and Chuukese transplants. A majority of the students seem to come from the Islands of Chuuk with Palau and Yap being the other 2 main contributors.

Herding Cats

Awhile back on TV there was this commercial which was supposed to be funny....and it was about these guys who herded cats. The point was this was a near impossible feat...... Cats do what they want when they want to do it.

Today it struck me sometimes being responsible for 40 college age girls must be a similar experience.

24 x 7

By Saturday afternoon between working all week, jet lag, and getting used to the heat, I was exhausted. Literally it was almost painful staying awake. I thought I would go lay down in my apartment for an hour or so. I found that this is almost an impossible feat. When you have 40 girls for which you are responsible, there is always something going on which needs your attention, especially at this part of the semester. After all the newness dies down and things are a little more settled, I will have to figure out how to build space in my schedule to get away so I don't burn out.

They're Back!

Saturday morning was orientation. Many of the students are now back. The morning was spent eating, explaining the changes that are happening at PIBC, worshipping, and playing games.

In the afternoon, a number of the students had to take English placement exams. Depending on the results of the test some additional students may be admitted. Where we are going to put more students, I don't know....but God is good.

The scores of those freshman already admitted will determine which classes they are able to take the first semester.

A little this and a little of that.....

Today is Friday here and many of the students will come today....Orientation is tomorrow.

This morning as I was getting up at 7:30am. There was a knock at the door. A student had arrived. As students arrive I try to give them a tour of campus and introduce myself if they are new to the campus. Seems like that is how things work here. No one has much warning when things are going to happen and when they happen you drop what you are doing and take care of them. It is partly due to the laid back nature of the Island life....but also to the hectic pace of a college at this time a year and the unpredicability of life. I think working 24 x 7 will take a bit of time getting used to.

Today I had to get my car inspected and an oil change. When my boss told me how much inspection would be my jaw dropped. $7. Yes that is it. It is so weird everything on island especially food and cell phone plans are much more expensive but then you get the anomolies like car inspection fees and some times it just catches you off guard. I passed inspection and needed one tire and some brake fluid. I also guessed that the car was due for an oil change since the inspection had lapsed. Total with my membership discount was about $85 for everything. Not bad since that same price also will include free wipers and tire rotation and a 10% discount. Oh yeah and I got a free hat too.

Transportation Updates

Today I got my car. I am very excited to have wheels and a bit more freedom and flexibility. One small glitch is that it is over due for inspection - please pray that it will pass inspection. One additional blessing is that it came with a variety of kitchen supplies and spices. Since the couple is moving off Island they decided to bless me with a number of things they could not use. I was very excited to get quite a few things that I really needed or wanted. I also was able to get a year's worth of insurance for less than $500. I thought the price was for 6 months and she assured me it was for a year. So I suppose there is one thing on Island cheaper than Philadelphia.


PIBC also got their new van today. Well - new to us. I don't know what the wear and tear is on the inside of the van but the outside is pristine. In fact even though it is a 2003, it looks brand new. What an amazing blessing it is.

Finally Saw the Beach

This is Tumon Bay. It is gorgeous and today was a beautiful day. We did have a down pour. It sounded like someone opened a huge faucet. It lasted for about 5 minutes and then stopped. However the heat and humidity were both high today. It has definately been the hottest day since I have been here. Unfortunately we only had about 5 minutes to take a peak. Just too much to do before school starts.

Pacific Island Bible College

This is the college. It is a long flat building. The right end of the building (with the car) houses the administration offices. This building also holds the faculty lounge, the girls dorm, the computer lab, and both class rooms.

Jehovah Jirah (God is our provider)

Since I have been here God seems to be providing mightily. It is exciting and it never ceases to amaze me.

Here are some examples... On Saturday I decided that I wanted a bulletin board. I told the presidents wife, Joyce. And she said good luck finding them on Island. She stated that they are hard to find and if you can find them, they are often expensive. (Of course almost everything here is expensive). I was a bit discouraged but on Sunday I decided just to pray and ask God for them and I also told God that I didn't want to pay for them. A couple hours later I was off to a PIBC staff potluck. On the way over in the van, a couple who is retiring and leaving island said to me if you need anything let us know we might have it. I asked about a bulletin board and they did indeed have one. I don't always pray like that but I have been challenged by the scripture - you have not because you ask not. I figure if God says no - then I am no worse off than when I started.

PIBC was also in need of beds for all the additional student which were added to our numbers this school year. The Hilton happened to be redecorating and clearing out all kinds of beds and furniture. We got 20 beds for $400 total (i.e. $20 per bed).

I wanted a bedside table and an end table for my apartment. When we went to pick up the mattresses, they also had able to get two little end tables which were perfect and they were $5 each. Originally he said we had to come back the next day for the tables. Again I decided to pray and ask God to change his heart because it seemed silly to come back tomorrow for just two small tables. I was going to go ask him when one of the women who went with us who knew I wanted the tables came up to me and said he said the we can take the tables today. I was so excited.

Finally it does look promising that the school will purchase the used van that we found on the internet. The dealer also dropped the price by $1000 when Steve went to talk to him about it. Wahoo.

God is good.

Thank you all for praying as well.

Their Like a Brother to Me

Except they won't watch the kids, they haven't tried to sell me insurance, nor do they talk - especially not with a British accent. However, this island is crawling with Geccos. Cute little guys really. At first I was a little weirded out by them being every where - but they really do grow on you. The other day I spotted a baby one in my apartment. He was only a couple inches long and almost transparent looking. He was too fast for me though, and I lost him.

And then there was Scooter.....

This morning as I was outside my apartment I was in deep concentration as I was trying to determine if my new bulletin board and white board would fit outside my door to leave messages for the students and vice versa. Unexpectedly a male student which I hadn't seen before rounded the corner by my apartment....he startled me and I screamed. He said something which I thought he said, "I'm Scooter" So I asked him "You're Scooter?" He shook his head and said "I'm a student. I'm working in the Banex (The building behind my apartment)." So I said. "Great! Nice to meet you Scooter. I'm Melissa the new Dean of Women." And we both went on our merry way....

Then I asked several people if they knew Scooter. (They're are only 70 students and everyone seems to know them all by name). No one knew Scooter. So finally I asked Peter, the maintenance supervisor. He didn't know a Scooter either. He said neither of the guys who work with him is named Scooter. He laughed and said one of them was probably joking. When he went to find out....it turns out that he did NOT say that he was Scooter he was saying "I'm a student".... And when he shakes his head what I thought was yes was actually a no because in Bangladesh where he is from the whole head shaking is different. Of course the maintenance supervisor could not wait to come back to the meeting and tell me my misunderstanding where we laughed about it hardily for quite a long time. However as far as I'm concerned he will always be Scooter.

Random Reflections

Time is really flying. This morning I got my Guam Driver's License. Tomorrow I have to go back and apply for a Chauffeur License and sign up to take a written test. Then I will have to take another test to be able to operate the school 15 passenger van. Look out Guam. Here I come. Part of my duties will be to drive students to places they need to go through out the week.... post office, bank, etc.

Was to the supermarket again today and Cost-U-Less (Guam's version of BJ's, Costco, Sam's, etc). The selection here is very different and a lot smaller. I have been quite spoiled with the selection available to me in a large suburban area. The one thing that actually has a larger selection than the mainland is SPAM. Personally I never new there WAS more than one flavor but alas there are many.

Missionary Magnet Madness Mission

Here is your assignment if you chose to accept it.

You can do this as individuals, as small groups, maybe even a project for a Sunday School class.

My refrigerator has absolutely no magnets. And this will not do..... so here is the idea.

If you would like, send me a magnet. I would really like for the magnet to be something that would remind me of you. You could be as creative or silly as you like. You could send a picture frame magnet with a picture of you. You could send me a magnet right off your refrigerator if you want.

I will use the magnets as a reminder to pray for you. I also hope the magnets will be a witness to my students. That they might see how much people at home love and care for me - and thus them too. If I get more magnets than I need I will think of creative ways to give them to the students.

If you want you could buy yourself the same magnet as a reminder to pray for me.

Send them to me

C/O PIBC
P.O. Box 22619
Barrigada, GU 96921

Answered Prayer!

Today I got a car. Actually I don't get it until next Wednesday. It is a 2001 Mitshibishi Mirage. One thing I am learning is that everything in the Micronesian culture is about relationship. This guy was a statesider who is a Chrisitan but who has lived in Micronesia several times in his life and where he met his wife. He was over here working on a project for one of the Baptist Churches and is now leaving the island and so he has to sell the car in 14 days. As we went for the test drive, Steve - Campus Director - went along as well as the owner and we are chatting away the whole time. I got a chance to share with him my testimony of how I believe God called me here. He also had felt called to come to the Island so he related to my story. The Car had a sign which said $4500 in the window. After the drive he showed us a print out of the value of the car based on Blue Book value and he said he would give it to me for $3500. We told him we would call him in the afternoon and let him know for sure since this is greater than the amount budgeted for a car and about the $1200 car that fell through. When Steve called him back and told him we would take the car, and then the guy lowered the price to $3000. Wahoo. God is good. It isn't an exciting car but it should be good to get me from here to there and the air works. :o) And it has a CD player so I can still worship God when I am driving. :o)


Oh yeah.....and this one is an Automatic. I suppose maybe the Lord thought I would have my hands full with everything else I am learning new. :o)

(Picture is not the actual car but one like it.)

Good Morning America!

It is 4:30 AM here in Guam. I have been up since 2am. I have tried several times to go back to sleep but my body says - No! This whole jet lag thing has got me a bit confused. Hopefully I will catch up soon.

It is funny to me as a "city" girl or at least a suburb girl to hear the rooster crowing somewhere outside my door. I knew the college was a bit remote but I never expected a rooster. For those of you city folk like me know that roosters crow all day long. It is not like on TV where they only crow to wake the farmer off and then the rooster goes about doing other things. Apparently he starts about 4:30 and crows throughout the day until he exhausts himself and goes to bed.

Today I have a meeting with my supervisor and the Dean of Men at 8am. There is a lot of work to be done and orientation to be had before the semester starts next week. Apparently the staff has grown quite a bit in the last year and so there will be a lot of adjustments to be made.

Well I am going to go see how well my new coffee pot did it's job...... and spend some time in prayer as I get ready for my new everything.

I'm here!

After 22 hours of flying, I arrived in Guam at 5:30pm local time. Although I cat napped on the plane - I didn't sleep very well so I was somewhat of a zombie. It was a surpise to see that about 8 or so people from the college were on hand to great me. They presented me with a beautiful shell lei, and then took me out to dinner at a local restaraunt. They reported to me that their goal was to keep me up to 9pm so that I might minimize jet lag and better adjust to the time there.

So even though I was not terribly hungry and could barely function I enjoyed a traditional dinner and the fellowship with my new PIBC family.

Today will involve a bit of orientation and potentially a bit of shopping to pick up some stuff I need. The morning was left to be a little laid back and I spent some time unpacking a bit.

The Heavens Declare the Glory of God

For those of that know me really well know that one of my favorite verses is in Psalm 19 verses 1- 4.

"The heavens tell of the Glory of God.
The skies display his marvelous craftsmanship.
Day after Day they continue to speak;
Night after Night they continue to make him known.
They speak without a sound or a word;
their voice is silent in the skies.
Yet their message has gone out to all the earth,
and their words to all the world.

The sun lives in the heaves where God has placed it. "

What I find amazing is although every culture is different, the sky for the most part remains the same. It speech it pours forth over comes any language barrier and tells us of the glory of God.

Here is a picture that I took yesterday on the plane where the sun never set for a day and a half :o)

Behold the glory of God!

5 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 Blast off!

Well it is 9pm. On my last night in the 48. In 3 hours a driver will come and take my baby niece and me to the BWI airport. My baby niece decided that she wanted to ride along and will ride back after they drop me off.

I am really tired now and I don't really feel all that well. But I am still looking forward to getting going. I can't wait to get past airport security and on the plane so I can just relax.

Pray that I might be able to get some good rest on the plane and that my sinuses and my stomach might feel better.

I will update my blog again as soon as I get a chance when I get to Guam.

God Bless you.

From Sea to Shining Sea

Yesterday I arrived in Ocean View, Delaware (right outside of Bethany Beach) with part of my family. The rest of the family arrives today. Right now I am enjoying relaxing and enjoying the beautiful house that my family has rented. It really looks somewhat like a house right from a magazine with many amenities.

I am not sure if we will get to the beach today or if we will not get there until tomorrow because there is so much to do in the community here. Pools, Golf, Gym, etc.

However in one week's time I will go from the Atlantic Ocean to the farthest point in the Pacific Ocean. (Guam has Pacific Ocean on one side - Phillipine Sea on the to the other side.) Quite literally from Sea to Shining Sea as sung about in the National Anthem. Pretty Cool.

By the way.....my Mom is not computer savvy and has never seen my blog or website until today..... She wants it known that she no longer saves oatmeal boxes, although she strongly advocates their usefulness. Now if she needs one she will just empty the oatmeal into plastic bags from the container she currently has.

Orange is not my favorite color

I guess on one hand I am relieved that the terror plot was discovered and "foiled" before it was executed. As security is heightened - it could be potentially much safer to fly this coming week.

On the other hand to a person with dry skin - not being able to take lotion on a 22 hour flight has the potential to be even physically painful. The air in a plane is so dry that it has potential to dry out skin even on a short flight. Just a whole other level of thought which has to go into what to take and what not to take. What to pack and what to ship......

Fortunately God is good. Pray for wisdom and safety in travel.

Time is getting short..... less than a week before I go.

Such a time as this.....

Sunday was my last day at Manoa Presbyterian Church in Havertown, Pennsylvania. Brown (the pastor) allowed us earlier in the summer to vote on old testament stories that we wanted him to preach on. One of my favorite stories in the entire bible is the story/book of Esther. When I found out that it looked good that Esther would be in the top 4, I asked Brown if he might preach it on the Esther on August 6th, my last day. He was quite accommodating.

If you have a chance, I really suggest that you read it. It is a wonderful story of God's sovereignty and how he chooses to work through people and that he has a plan for our lives. Although sometimes the risk seems big, following God is always better than going the other way.

After church I said my goodbyes, packed up my car and headed up to Reading, PA where I will spend my week with my family leaving for Bethany Beach on 8/12.

Goodbye PMA!

Yesterday was my last day to work at PMA Insurance Company. After 15 years, it was difficult to say good bye. After going to work at the same place for so many years - it is almost surreal to think that I will not be going back there - at least no time soon.

You spend more time with the people you work with closely than any other people in your life. It is a big loss in life to say goodbye, even when you are excited about a new adventure that is just around the corner.

They had a nice party for me on Thursday afternoon with Ice Cream sundaes. They also gave me a generous financial donation towards my mission. One woman even made Latiya which is a dessert with pound cake, cinnamon, and vanilla pudding. She found the recipe on the internet as a traditional recipe of the Chammoro people (native Guamanians.)

I am so blessed to have so many wonderful and thoughtful people in my life.

Time Travel

Two weeks from today I arrive in Guam. I arrive in Guam 22 hours after I take off from Baltimore Airport however it is actually a day and a half later when you add the time difference. As I land it will be evening in Guam on the 17th but you all will still be sleeping.... of course with the exception of my Mom possibly - who will probably not rest until I call here after my safe arrival.

Quite frequently if you are awake and I am awake I will be in the next day. Isn't that what time travelers all seek to do go ahead or go back in time? Pretty amazing if you ask me how time works. Blows my mind when I think about it. Yet I tend to believe that God himself is not bound by time so no matter what time it is here or there - God is there just the same.

So if you are curious and you want to know what tomorrow brings.... just call or write and I will let you know.

Never so glad to be at work

As of this morning the last of my stuff is moved from my apartment. Yesterday was a long day in the heat, and thanks to my sister, Chris, my friend Jill and her sons Brandon and Jake, and my friend Sue - things were pretty much finished by 5:30......just one more load for my friend Tony and I to pick up and store this morning. I am so thankful for all of the people that have helped me get ready to move in the last couple of weeks and for the Greenwoods for an amazing storage space in their attic.

I am amazed by how much stuff that I had in that little efficency apartment. It was kind of like eatting fried rice. Because of how they stuff it in the box, it appears to multiply as you are eating it because it slowly expands as it has more room.

Today I am appreciating the central air of the office and I am refusing to take the stairs. (For those of you have not been to my apartment - it is on the 3rd floor with very steep stairs) My legs are a bit weary from all the ups and downs.

An interesting fact though - the heat index has surpassed the heat index in Guam by about 15 degrees. So if I can move in weather like this - I suppose I can handle the conditions there.

Time is certainly flying and soon I will be too......

I'm Melting! I'm Melting!

It's 6:30 AM and the sun is just rising and already it is about 80 degrees in my attic apartment even with my fan and my little air conditioner going. I have been packing and moving for weeks now and I was supposed to be out yesterday but alas here I am one more day. It is amazing how much stuff one has when you have to make a decision - store, toss, donate, ship, take - on each piece of stuff.

Then I seem to have internalized both of my parents. My Mom doesn't want to get rid of anything. Maybe someday she will need an empty oatmeal box. They really are useful to store all kinds of stuff. I hate to get rid of things that can be useful to someone. I don't like to waste things. Although I draw the line way before empty oatmeal boxes.

Then there is my Dad who would toss just about anything if my Mom would let him. Although there is the story of regret in which my Dad talked my Mom into letting go of her old Shirley Temple doll which would now be worth a lot of money.

So inside my head my two parents argue about every decision. In the end sometimes one wins and sometimes the other but all this arguing within myself really slows me down a bit.

Anyway after today - Lord willing - if I don't melt in the process -- I will be moved from my apartment and be one step closer to Guam.