Meet Daisy

This is one of our new students named, Daisy. She comes to us all the way from Texas. Although she from no particular mission agency, she considers herself a missionary. She lives in a section of Texas which has a high number of Palauans. She and her parents and members of her parents church came to Palau this summer to Gospel Days as part of a mission team. While there she met our mission team. Because she hopes to work in Micronesia someday as a teacher, she decided to come join us for classes. She fits in really well and it has been a joy to have her here. One day she decided to bless the female students she made them pancakes.
Looks like they enjoyed them.

Community Groups

One of the new things that happened this year is the start of community groups. All the students, including our commuting students, and our faculty and staff were broken down into groups with a mixture of each. The community groups each decide what they will do and when they will do it. It is for the purpose of building relationship, encouragement, support, and discipleship.
This past Sunday, the group I was in headed to the beach for a picnic and a time of devotion. Here Myu and Alicia are chilling as they enjoy their bar-b-que.
Meluat, who is from Palau, plays the guitar for us as we sing songs of praise to God as we watched the splendor of the sunset over the ocean. Another student not pictured, Keiny also led us in song.
Micah is also part of our group. He enjoyed the opportunity to swim in the ocean.
Doug and Hiob are both relaxing and chatting during our time together.

Happy Birthday August and September

I am trying to continue on the tradition of providing cake and ice cream once a month in honor of the birthdays that were that month. This time I have started enlisting student help. Here Maybellene and Chelsea help by making a sign honoring all the birthdays.
Mayumi takes a break as she is waiting for the cakes that she mixed to bake.
Alicia hangs out with my boyfriend after helping complete the poster.

The Lord Provides Showers of Blessings

I am not talking about the constant daily rain that we have had since I have been back. I am talking about a sweet little girl named Jireh-lyn. Over the summer she was adopted by Hiob, Dean of Men, and his wife, Leah. Jireh is actually a hebrew word for "provide". They had been praying that the Lord would provide them a daughter and this summer he did. During the week I returned, the staff and faculty had a baby shower for their new arrival.
Jireh-lyn checks out her gifts.
Here Mommy and daughter pose with their cake.
Here you can almost see her wings and halo, if you look hard enough.

Fall Ball

As I returned in mid September, the Basketball season was in full swing. As we don't have other colleges to with whom to compete, we play in a local Christian league which is mostly different church leagues but the main thing is just having fun. I was glad to resume my responsibility as team driver and cheer leader.
Here Raynard, one of our new students, takes a foul shot.
Here are some of our students who showed up to cheer.
Ethel, my assistant dean, Micah, Percia, and Lucy also have come to support the team.

Changes

One of the changes that occured this semester was in our chapel times. In the past, we had chapel for 30 minutes 4 days of the week. Now we have made changes and have chapel twice a week for an hour. Also we have a new worship team led by Hedrick. He is a PIBC graduate but has returned to begin his Master's Degree here.
Also during Chapel there was an action song, pictured here, a testimony, a special number, and a talk by Bill Wood on Spiritual gifts.

I'm Back

I arrived in Guam at 2AM Wednesday Sept 17th. Yet all these people still got up to welcome me and sing the welcome song for me. I was very excited to see everyone and to be back at school. They seemed excited to have me back as well.
They even decorated my apartment with balloons.
And found me "Mr. Right!" while I was away.

WaWa

Some people ask what I miss when I am living in Guam. There are lots of things - especially the people.... but some where on my list is Wawa. It is a mini-market chain on the east coast.
There are always good selections of food to grab on the go. Pre-made sandwiches, salads, cut fruits and veggies. In other word ... many healthy fast foods.
Of course they have the not so good for you foods as well.
And some of the best coffee available.
Finally they have authentic Philly soft pretzels.

What more could you want? Yes I miss Wawa.

Women of Faith

Before I left Pennsylvania to return to Guam, I had the priviledge to join some friends from my home church at a Women of Faith conference. This year the theme of the conference was "Infinite Grace". I have been to several of these conferences in the past. They have marvelous speakers, workship music, and drama.
These ladies are the worship team which leads us in music as we worship God before each teaching session.
These conferences are held in areanas all over the country. This areana I believe holds some where around 18,000 and it was full. When I get the opportunity to worship in a group this size - I feel that I get a little taste of heaven when we are all standing around the throne of Jesus.
Here are some of the lovely ladies at the church that I was able to sit with during the conference which lasted 2 days.

Unfortunately Guam is not big enough to host an event of this magnitude. I really wish I could have had some of my female students join me in this type of experience.

Girlfriends

I had the privilege of getting together with four of the women that I used to work with. Debbie (in the middle) made us a wonderful fajita dinner. Sue (closest to me) is the only one that still works at the place that we met. There are many other friends here in Pennsylvania. I have not gotten to see as many as I would have liked, I was thankful for so many of them who supported me during difficult times this summer through cards and emails and phone calls.

Liebenzell

In March 2008, after over a year and a half of looking, Liebenzell USA finally found and appointed a director of global missions. In other words, he is my new boss. Earlier this summer, I got a chance to go to the headquarters in Schooley's Mountain to meet him and visit with Jane, Mike, and Anne Stinnette (not pictured) and others on staff. When I was in Schooley's Mountain earlier this summer, he was actually in Palau and Guam. I am looking forward to working with him in the future.

If you are from PMA (My old company - not the church in Guam), this is not Dan Hanner. As far as I know, he is still at large.

Leaping Lizards!

Ok Not really Lizards.... but Grasshoppers! Or were they Sandhoppers? When we went down to Delaware this year we only attempted to go to the beach twice. The first day, almost as soon as we got there, the lifeguards demanded that everyone get out of the water due to a pending Thunderstorm.

The second time we went the beach and the ocean were covered with grasshoppers. Not one or two but thousands. As you were sitting on the beach, they were jumping all over you. This one was perched on Lexi's beach ball. He was joined later by some friends. When we were swimming we were catching them and watching them hop away. Fortunately for them - they float. Grasshoppers are not very good swimmers.

I searched the internet and this is not a normal phenomenon. Some suggests a strong wind brought them in from some where else but no one seems to know for sure. Although creepy at first, it was kind of neat to be part of something so rare and unusual.

God's Grace

Every year for the last nine years (approx.) my family would go together for one week "down da shore" (to the beach for you non-east coasters). We started going to NJ when my Dad "won" a week at a beach house in a silent auction for charity. We were there for about five years (one week each year) and then switched to Delaware. This year we were supposed to leave on July 27th. When my Dad got sick, we debated what to do. Some were going to go and some were going to stay home with Dad. When my Dad died on July 23rd, most of us (except my brother who had just bought a new house) decided to go a day late so we could spend the week together as we were grieving my father's death. This is my niece and my nephew.
My Niece and her husband and my Mom
My Nephew brought his friend Connor.
Lexi is always one of our favorite parts of vacation. She is almost 4 and she is my niece's niece. Her joy is always medicine for the soul.

We missed my Dad often during this trip but it was good to have the time to relax and be together after the chaos of the previous 3 weeks.

Coffee House

This year my friend Jodean offered up her services to help host a coffee house to try and raise funds for my mission work. The coffee house was held in July at Crossroads Coffee House in Drexel Hill, PA. It was a relaxing night with good coffee, chatting, and great music. Here is Jodean and the Sojourners performing their first set.
The audience seems to be enjoying the tunes.
Friends from Manoa (my home church) enjoying some drinks.
Here I am waiting to greet people as they arrive.
It was a nice night and was a lot of fun.

United Presbyterian Church of Moorestown

One of the tasks that I had planned to do this summer is to visit the churches who had supported me over the last two years in Guam. I was blessed to be able to spend time with the mission's committee at the United Presbyterian Church at Moorestown, NJ. The following Sunday, I was also able to share with both services about my work in Micronesia.

I see my supporters, both churches and individuals, as being part of my team. Without their prayer, and financial committments, and the help of God, I would not be able to do anything.

Paul Daniel Heck

Born 2/27/1928 - Died 7/23/2008

Nothing ever goes as planned. This summer I came home to raise support for my mission work in Micronesia. I was not even home a week when we had to take my Dad to the hospital to have a endoscopic procedure to try to clear blockage from his liver. Turned out that the blockage was a malignant tumor in his bile duct..... Although what we read on the internet was not good, None of us imagined that within three weeks my Dad would no longer be with us in this world.

I firmly believe he is now in heaven with Jesus.

Before he left though I had time to share scriptures about heaven and sing some songs with him. We song Amazing Grace and Jesus loves me. It amazed me that with such little energy that he chose to sing in his last days.

He also made sure that we each new that he loved us and was proud of us. Even during the last few days when the bilirubin was coating his brain and he was hallucinating, he still was able to recognize each of us to the last day.

It was a very exhausting time but I feel extremely blessed to have that time with him.

The Long Road Ahead

One thing I have reminded since I have been back in PA, staying with my parents as I try to raise funds for my ministry. Shortly after I returned, my Dad was diagnosed with Bile Duct Cancer. Since then we have been in a whirlwind of Doctors and Hospitals.

Bile Duct Cancer is relatively rare and can be pretty aggressive. If the tumor is operable, there is some hope. However, at this point, they don't believe that they can remove the tumor. There is a major artery in the center of the tumor.

We are going to at least one of the major hospitals in Philadelphia called Fox Chase Cancer Center for a second opinion.

Please pray for my family as we go through these appointments for wisdom and encouragement.

Amish Country

This past weekend I spent time with my friend Jill and her family. Here we they are after enjoying some good "local food". :o)
Here I am in my Chuukese Skirt in front of the Amish Buggy. I wore the skirt to speak in Jill's church about my mission work in Guam. Wayside Presbyterian Church gave me some support last year. I was glad to meet them. Hopefully the relationship will continue.
This is a statue of an Amish man outside the restaurant.
A local rooster running wild near the restaurant making me feel that I might just be in Guam.
A scenic view of the countryside. I have really been enjoying the beauty of the Pennsylvania countryside....

Mission Headquarters

One of my first stops on my trip home was to Mission Headquarters in Schooley's Mountain, NJ. It was great to spend time with Steve and Anne Stinnette as we caught up and talked about support raising. I also had time to talk with some issues with Jane and Mike Galley. We all enjoyed lunch together as the waitress snapped a picture.