This year for Christmas, our team of students who do outreach at the University of Guam (AKA UOG) is giving out Christmas cookies. Kalvin volunteered that our students would make so many of those cookies so Daisy and Ginny made them last night at my apartment. 
Ginny also helped by taking pictures for us.
Over two hundred cookies were made to pass out.
While Daisy and Ginny were baking cookies I continued my fly hunt. 
This is where my window used to be. This week all of a sudden I had hundreds of flys in my apartment. When I found a bunch behind my curtain where they could not see me as well, I started smacking them. I didn't think I was hitting the window too hard but the next thing I knew I stuck my hand through the window. Now I have a typhoon shutter. 
I got a bunch of fly traps and spent a couple hours last night smacking the flies down with the help of Daisy. Now there are a lot less flies, but I still need to work on thinning the population. I didn't have enough to do. 
Although we don't necessarily always recognize Advent here at PIBC, this year it seems to be the thing to do. I have been celebrating Advent in Devotion, Bill Wood taught about Advent in devotion last week by teaching us how to sing "O Come O Come Emmanuel" like a choir, and this week Brad also focused on Advent in his Chapel time. He also decided to join the praise team with his Tenor Ukelele.
He shared with us along with his friends and his wife a song Cheryl (far right -Brad's wife) wrote for Advent called Come Messiah Come. Cheryl writes a lot of praise and worship music. Check her out at http://caminomercedmusic.blogspot.com/ 
My co-worker and friend Ned's parents arrived safely on Tuesday night for a month long visit to Guam. The ladies and I went over to greet them after they arrived at Ned's house.
We serenaded them with "There's a Welcome Here." and "We are one big happy family." I really enjoy Ned's parents and am looking forward to getting to visit with them again soon.
On Monday night during our devotions we had a special guest. On Sunday at church, we had a special guest. A woman from San Diego flew in to Guam to be Baptised at our church. About 10 years ago she lived on Guam. Her husband left her and she and her daughter became homeless. She shared the story about how God really helped her through that difficult time and now she lives in San Diego and is an Inspirational speaker. She felt the need to return to Guam where her spiritual journey began to be baptized. While she was staying here, she came to share her story with our girls. 
Here are two pictures of Tracy posing with the ladies. They really enjoyed meeting her.
On Sunday the Chuukese Fellowship Organization hosted their year end Christmas party. They invited me as their special guest along with a few others. Early in the day they had a worship service then they hosted a meal, singing and games.
Here the men patiently wait for the meal to start.
Here Jayleen and I played pass the soda can tab on the coconut palm frond sticks. I had a difficult time but eventually got the hang of it.
In this relay, the teams were passing a ball of paper in their necks. I was honored to be included in their fun celebration.
Before the semester ended we decided to plan a fun outing for our community group. Due to a special connection to someone who works at a local water park, we were able to get a reasonable rate. Most of the group had never been to a water park and really enjoyed the experience. I really enjoyed hanging out with the students and going down and up the water slides and swirling around the lazy river.
Here is the gang posing with the Tarza mascots.
The 3 main water slides exit here. The one of the far left is called the "Black Hole". It is an enclosed water slide which is pitch dark inside. It is a bit freaky but very fun.
Alicia and Keiny take a turn on the double tube.
Here Shelby and Hadson hang out in the lazy river. 
Gabby and her cousin pose with Marcus by the lazy river.
Every year since I have been here we have been here at PIBC, the tradition has been to have a big Thanksgiving Dinner with staff and students. I have organized it for the last two years. Most of the staff and facilty bring food. Then I fill in the gaps with some of the regular food money. The students often help me cook. Here Percia and Myumi help with the Turkeys. We cooked and baked all Wednesday night until Thursday at noon.
Here is part of the spread before many people added their offerings.
Some of the staff with part of the decorating crew.
Leeman and Melaut help lead us in some songs.
Amelia and Marisol.
Enjoying yummy food and fellowship.
It is important when opening a business and choosing a name that you might have others give you feedback. 
Last night Daisy's mom lead devotions. The one problem with that was that she is in California and we are in Guam. The other problem was an 18 hour time difference. However Daisy's mom got up at 3:30 am to share with us at 9:30PM. We used Skype video phone to connect and voila. We had a great devotion in which Patsy shared with us the importance of forgiveness in a Christian life.
The ladies also started the devotion by singing several songs for the devotion.
One weekend during the Fall semester we host a "Spiritual Emphasis" Weekend. We try to get off campus and go camping for a couple days. There are not many places on island to go camping so this is a tricky thing. However this year, with Hollie and Aaron still here, we were able to go camping on Andersen Airforce Base. Each year has a theme and the theme this year was "Prayer". Sometimes we have one speaker but this year we had 3. Hedrick Kual, a graduate and a member of our master's program, spoke on why we pray and what keeps us from praying when we should. Ned Farnsworth spoke about how to pray and what to pray for. Hollie Schaub ended our teaching on the topic of spiritual warfare. Overall, except for the lack of rice (Most Micronesians don't go a single meal without rice - even breakfast), I believe everyone had a great time.
Leah and Joyce hanging out during breakfast.
The beautiful view from our campsite.
Lydia and Stella heading back from the very nice and clean restrooms. (A huge improvement over the last year.)
We also had some visitors during our weekend. These are baby wild boars. They were feeding them. Then two of our students actually caught one with their bare hands. Pretty impressive. However, they were asked to let him go since apparently hunting is only allowed on Monday thru Thursday. 
The woman in the pink shirt is my friend Joyce. She is also the wife of Dave Owen, the president of PIBC. Dave has been gone for almost a month now to do work in the states. He has been visiting supporters of theirs, recruiting teachers and workers, and attending a conference of the school's accrediting agency, TRACS. Mean while Joyce is back at the ranch (figuratively) helping all of us with whatever she can. In this picture she is helping the students with their clean up day. She has hung shelves in my apartment. She has helped with transportation. She has worked in the Library. She has helped numerous students with their school work. And much, much, more. Boy if Dave were gone one more month, she might have the whole school and the island of Guam organized and more beautiful.
Cristel is a missionary who came to Guam in the beginning of Fall 2007. She taught math and church finances at PIBC for the 2007-2008 School year. While she was here, attending the Lutheran Church, she met and fell in love with Ben. They were married mid-October in the states with Cristel and Ben's friends and family members. However last night, they had a reenactment for us here on Guam. 
Hollie, Evelyn and myself enjoyed our time together.
As did many from PIBC.
They had their second first dance. 
They also reenacted their vows that they wrote for each other.
During a majority of the time that I have been here on Guam, I have been attending Bayview Baptist Church. Being a Presbyterian most of my life, I guess it was time for a change. From this shot you can see how my church gets it's name. This is one of the views from the church property. 
Here are the Farnsworths and Joyce Owen as we wait for a special lunch on Sunday to celebrate the monumentus occasion. They are friends from church and PIBC.
Here is a view of the front of the building. This building is actually only a little over two years old. The opening was held only a couple weeks after I arrived on Guam. The project manager for the building project, sold me his wife's car, before they left island. I was also glad to see him during the celebration. The previous building was completely destroyed by a Typhoon about five years ago.
On Saturday, they held a carnival. It was a fun time. They had all kinds of activities and games, a concert, a puppet show, and food. 
Ned and Marisol took a ride on the train. 
The kids loved the carnival games.
Pastor Mike and Pastor Greg both took turns in the dunk tank. Unfortunately I was not a good enough throw to sink either one. 
And what is a carnival without a moon bounce?
