Yap Mission Team

This week the Yap mission team shared about their experience on the mission trip during chapel. Stella shared how God provided for her financially to go on the trip. Mac shared how his little brother and several cousins came to know the Lord while the team was doing ministry there. The team also sung one of the songs we sang while the trip. Micronesian students sing like angels. They even let me sing with them. What gracious students we have.

Fun Pictures

The Students like to go to one of the local malls and have their pictures taken together. This week I got in on the act and saw how it was done. Pretty cool actually. You stand in front of a green wall. They take several digital shots. Then remove the background on the computer and insert the background of choice. This is me and my friends Crsytaleen, Sharon, and Verleen.

First Class

So last night was my first class teaching Personality Development. As far as I can tell over all things went well. One complaint from the students was that I talked too fast. So I will have to work on slowing down. I have already been told I need to slow down in general..... it some times makes the students anxious because I am zooming around them...... The other problem with my first class is that I ran out of material before class was over. Imagine none of the students complained about finishing early. :o)

Also Thank you all for praying.... I definately felt the peace of your prayers.

The Old Gray Mare Just Ain't What She Used to Be!

Well it is official I am 40 and my mind is now going. This morning on the 24th, Peter came back from the Philippines. He was able to get his passport situation resolved with only a little bit of flack from the airline but they let him travel anyway. Anyway some how my old brain convinced me that the 24th was ALSO Peter's birthday. When I heard that Peter gave his key to the Dean of Men, the plan was set in motion. Crystaline, myself and some of the students decorated Peter's whole house (Really only the size of most of your living rooms) with Balloons, Streamers with a sign that said "Happy Birthday and Welcome Home".....

Of course Peter was VERY surprised when he arrived back at 5am (I am assuming since I was not awake) ESPECIALLY since his birthday is apparently NOT until January 30th.

Oh well.... we had fun doing it..... and Peter thought it was funny even though he had to tell people over and over again that it was not his birthday today.

They're Back!

The last couple days have been quite busy. The students have been arriving back slowing over the last couple of days. Monday morning at 4am is the last known airport student pick up, although there are still missing here on the island of Guam.

Yesterday we had registration here on campus where the students who didn't pre-register got to pick their classes and a few who did changed a class or two. Books were purchased and at 4:30pm the first class of the semester began.

My class is not until Thursday night and I am still trying to finalize my syllabus. Having not taught before it is difficult to determine how much material is needed to fill in a 2.5 hour class and what assignments might truly assess the students learning without overburdening them since this IS an undergraduate class unlike the graduate level classes I took in the same subject.

Although I will obviously be much busier - I am very excited to have the students back.

Getting dusting

It's been almost a month since the students have been in session. It would look like from this picture I have been sitting around the whole time just getting dusty. :o)

Fortunately (Or not) depending how you are looking at it - the students will start coming back at the end of this week and classes will start next week.

Passport Problems

Today Peter, our maintenance supervisor from the Netherlands, leaves for the Philippines. His passport will expire in April and apparently this is the closest place that he can go to renew it. The very fact that his passport expires in April has made it difficult for him even to purchase a ticket to the Philippines. He will have to stay there over a week until the embassy there forwards the passport information to the Netherlands and it is returned at the beginning of the next week.

Please pray that Peter will make it through customs and immigration in the Philippines with no problems. Also pray that the passport situation will be solved in the promised time frame so he will be back to start the semester on time since he is also a student.

Back from Yap

Although I really enjoyed experiencing the Yap culture and spending time with the students, I am glad to be "home" in Guam. I spent the first couple of days catching up on laundry and sleep and a few errands. Today I focused on class material although I have a lot more to go.

I have a little over a week until my class starts but students start coming back next week. And of course there are meetings next week for the beginning of the semester as well.

So here we go again..... Looking foward to another exciting semester.

Yap Pictures

Here are some pictures from my trip to Yap. Unfortunately I lost some pictures when I seem to have accidently ruined my memory card. Also forgot to take my charger for my battery.

Picture 1 - Some of the Yap Mission Team Women. Charity, Jafflyn, Marda, Jayleen, Joyleen.

Picture 2 - Stone money used only in Yap. Apparently still used today for some things.

Picture 3 - Beach shot... taken on our island tour

Picture 4 - Men's House - not sure exactly what it is used for.... There is also a similar looking building called a meeting house which looks similar but is more open.

Picture 5 - Hollie and me on the day we arrived in our "mar mars" The Yapese people are very big into making mar mars which I love..... I was amazed to see home many different ways and styles of mar mars are made. Hollie is still in Yap but I received several Mar mars when I was leaving as well.

Inauguration Day

Today is the inauguration day for the new governor of Yap State. There is a big ceremony in town and we are all attending. There will be some people later performing the traditional dances of the islands. It is very fun to be part of a special day for the island.

There are 2 more days and ministry is winding up. There is not much scheduled but that is often the case in Micronesia but things can come up last minute. Last night we had a dinner with the Chuuk People from Yap which was a last minute thing. They prepared a meal for us and we had a time of fellowship. The students ended the evening by doing some of their songs.

Tonight we have a time of fellowship and follow up with a number of the students who came to the Youth Rally.

We also plan to do some work around the Liebenzell guest house and the Yap Evangelical Church where we are staying.

It has been great being with the students. I am always proud of them.

I am also looking forward to being back in Guam and NOT having rice at every meal and have some fresh vegetables again. My kingdom for a Potato...... :o)

When I get back hopefully I will be able to post some pictures for you all to see.

Greetings from Yap

Hope you are doing well. Arrived in Yap, 2 days ago. It is beautiful. However, it is very different than Guam. The island is much smaller and a lot less developed. There is no McDonald's on Yap. No not one. Nor is there a Mall. Mostly little shops and local restaurants.

On my first day here it was very good to see every one and hear of all their adventures in the first 2 weeks of their trip. We spent the day on an Island tour. The next day we were preparing for a Youth Rally which will take place tonight. Today was all about preparation as well.

Tomorrow is a beach party. On Sunday we will host a Children's day. On Monday we will go to the inauguration of the Governor of Yap. It should be fun and interesting experiencing many of the traditional ceremonies of the culture.

Well gotta go to the shopping center here to invite youth to the Youth Rally tonight.

Just wanted you all to know that I arrived safely and all is going well.

I will return to Guam on the 11th.

Thank You

Just want to thank all of you for your Christmas cards, photos, packages and etc. I love getting mail. (This is why I volunteered to pick it up several days a week.)

I noticed some of you put extra postage or paid for an air mail stamp, in doing this your mail will get here just fine. In fact the post office thanks you for your generousity. However, only a regular 39 cent stamp is required to mail letters and cards to Guam. Each additional ounce is an additional 24 cents.

Happy New Year

New Years Eve was kind of quiet here as I played games with one of the families on campus. Afterward a small group of us drove to a place to watch the fireworks set off at midnight.

On New Year's day I hung out in my apartment cleaning and preparing for a dinner of Pork and Saurkraut..... which has been my tradition for many years. I invited some of my friends from campus to experience a new tradition. It was different for them but they enjoyed it.

Today (the day after) I ran some last minute errands and have been reading and preparing for class. I am leaving in the early morning 3 or 4am for a week on the island of Yap. I will be staying and working with the PIBC mission team while I am there. Apparently also the new governor of Yap will be inagurated this week so there will be many celebrations.

Although Yap is beautiful (I'm told) expect for a few who chose to dive with the Manta Rays there are not a lot of regular tourists in Yap. Apparently you can not take pictures without permission and you can not make a lot of noise.... both things which concern me a bit but I suppose with God's help I will be able to do it.

Hope your New Year is full of God's great blessings upon you and your family.

P.S.
I love and miss you all. Come visit!!!!

Majesty

I have been wanted to see the beach on the north east side of the Island since I got here. However there are very few spots with open access to the beach on that part of the island. If you want to see the reefless shore you must hike through the jungle. So the other day when I learned of a path not too far from campus I was anxious to go. Yesterday I talked the Boydstons into going with me. Very gorgeous as you can see. Scriptures say that creation declares the glory of God.... well this particular patch of island was an especially amazing display of his glory and his majesty.

Bar-B-Ques

It is not a holiday in Guam without a Bar-B-Que. So the day after Christmas a number of the staff and their families headed to Ypao (pronouced E-Pow) Beach for a picnic and a swim.

It is one of the marine reserves on Guam. I had been there before but had not gotten to swim there. It was the best snorkling I have done so far but no blue starfish.

Christmas on Campus

Christmas Day started with a breakfast with those of us who remained on campus during the break. The Farnsworths and I hosted. The food was in their house and the tables and coffee were set up in mine. I really enjoy having our apartments connected by our "secret" door.

After breakfast some went on an island tour while I went to have a traditional Boydstons Christmas dinner with Brad, Cheryl and their 3 great children who flew in just for the week.

Skype Me!!!!

I am now able to use Skype. The FREE software that allows you to talk from Skype user computer to Skype user computer for free. My id on Skype is MeliGirl66. So if you have a microphone and you want to chat for free - download the skype software and watch for me online.

www.skype.com

Merry Christmas

Just wanted to wish you and your family a very Merry Christmas.

Not a creature was stirring....

Not even a "boonie" dog..... Last night was the first night I really missed the students..... In the evening the campus was eerily quiet. There are only a handful of staff left living on campus with a couple of students who are doing maintenance work over break. Everyone was in their own little apartments and the campus was dark and dead silent. Even though the Farnsworths were home next door I have not felt that alone since I got here and I actually ended up feeling quite a bit homesick. Maybe that is a good thing since often I am too busy to even think about it.

In Memory of Aunt Esther

This is a picture of my Aunt Esther and Uncle Albert on their wedding day. Esther is my Dad's oldest sibling. My Dad is the baby of the family. Yesterday I found out that at 92 (I think???) she has died and the funeral will be Thursday in Pennsylvania. For obvious reasons I will not be able to be home. Please say prayers of comfort for my Dad and my extended family as they mourn the loss.