Missionary Girl Musings

Merry Christmas

2010-11-22T00:48:00.001+10:00

A Nativity Scene was erected in a church yard.
During the night the folks came across this scene.

An abandoned dog was looking for a comfortable, protected place to sleep.

He chose baby Jesus as his comfort. No one had the heart to send him away

so he was there all night.

We should all have the good sense of this dog

and curl up in Jesus' lap from time to time.

No one mentioned that the dog breed is a "shepherd!"
This is not original post to me but I thought it was too cute not to share.

End of the Road

2010-05-09T11:17:00.003+10:00

One Day in Guam on one of my many adventures, I saw this cross at the end of the road. Ok in reality is was the end of someone's drive way. But now matter where we are at the end or the driveway or the end of the road..... or at least a chapter in our lives.... Jesus is still there.

On Monday in Guam they will have their service for about 20 students at PIU. Often we think of Graduation as the end of something.... the school experience but the other widely used term for the ceremony is Commencement. This actually means the beginning.

Well it is the proverbial end of the road for me in Guam.... So I am having a commencement of sorts myself. I am looking forward to whatever new adventures Jesus has planned for me.

But this will be the last entry on this blog. Thank you for those who faithfully followed my work and my life here. I am thankful for each one of you.

There may be a new blog in my future but until then...... May you enjoy God's many blessings.

Packing Out for Furlough

2010-01-19T14:58:00.002+10:00

Fall of 2009 was an extremely busy semester for me. By the end of the semester it became apparent it was time to take a Furlough. So in two weeks I packed up my whole apartment and headed back to the states. On my last night many students stopped by for a visit to help clean and finish packing. I will miss all the students, faculty and staff while I am gone. I will be returning sometime before Fall 2010 semester begins.
In the mean time I will be living in Schooley's Mountain NJ while spending time resting and renewing and eventually visiting churches and supporters. I am very thankful for the opportunity to be here at Mission's headquarters and get a chance to know the staff that supports us while we are in the field.

Please pray for the staff as they re-arrange and try to make things work there without me this semester. Pray especially for the student life team.
Pray that God will strengthen me and prepare me to go back.
Pray for the RA's and the leaders in the dorms that they will have wisdom and the faithfulness to handle all their responsibilities.

Dunkin' Daniel

2009-11-27T22:20:00.002+10:00

On Sunday November 1st my co-worker Kalvin was baptized by Austin Evers who is the head of the University of Guam Student ministry.

He made this decision after studying the scriptures on Baptism for about one year. I believe it was Matthew 3:15 from Jesus's baptism which helped him decide to be baptized. Matthew 3:15 states "Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented."

After his baptism, Kalvin decided to change his name to "Daniel". He said he wanted to do that because Daniel (the prophet) was a man of prayer.... Also it was the name of his grandfather.

Here is Jen, Daniel, and I after his baptism.

Parking Violations are Taken Seriously at Chili's....

2009-11-27T22:17:00.001+10:00

Apparently they serve them over Nachos for a tastey appetizers.

Just Another Day in Guam

2009-11-27T17:44:00.005+10:00

Just decided to go on a trip around the island with some friends. This is me KeKe and Lucy.
Jen is always up for fun.
We are never too old for swings.
Lucy's new friend. Carved by a local artist.
Jen with the artist's wife. We stopped and chatted for awhile.
McKraut's for lunch.... Yum....

Gedao's cave.

Chillin' on McKraut's patio.

Who said going to church was boring?

Yoga anyone?

One Snake Down --- a Kajillian more to go....

2009-11-26T21:34:00.002+10:00

Here are some of the female students posing with a famous Guam brown tree snake. Of course famous Brown tree snake catcher, Joyce Owen caught it and froze it to death first. She was hoping to use the bones to be made into jewelry, however this snake was a bit too short. Maybe next time Joyce.

It's All a Mystery

2009-11-26T20:47:00.004+10:00

During October the Women of PIU were summoned for a "Mystery Dinner". The staff and faculty women prepared all types of dishes and the mystery was not just what you would eat but in what order. There were five places serving food. One place served drinks. Then another main courses. The others included snacks, rice, and salad. In the end we all met together for dessert and games. Here are Jayleen and Alicia playing a fun game.

Dorbo, KeKe, and Tyleen came in style and looking good.
Anne Marie, Meyou, and Jayleen enjoyed all the delicious food.
Giftlyn, Aileen, Lani, and Teisy enjoy their dessert.
Jonie, Maggie, Kita, and Sophie also seem to be enjoying themselves.
Drinks of Punch and Chocolate Milkshakes were served at my apartment and enjoyed by all.

Spiritual Emphasis Retreat

2009-10-27T21:40:00.007+10:00

Every Fall we have a Spiritual Emphasis Retreat at Pacific Islands University. Traditionally it was the weekend before Thanksgiving. However, this year we moved it to a Thursday and Friday in mid-October. It was the perfect time for a mid semester break and the students didn't mind not having to go to classes for 2 days.

We made many plans before the event occurred but had to quickly revise them due to rain and an impending tropical storm. So instead of going to Bayview Baptist Church we moved our games and lunch inside on campus. Finally after lunch things looked clear enough to move.
Subway and Spam and rice.... a little something for everybody.
Ceci and Jayleen are ready to have fun.
Melody Plaxton enjoyed getting to spend some quality time with Giftleen.
Gladness and Merlyn get ready for the games while Jonie and Sophie wait their turn.
It is a race to find the gummy candies in the flour.
Moving to our final destination.
Due to the weather most everything was moved into the sanctuary area.
Jake and Justin trying to see if their pictures fit together to form a story.
KeKe, Giftleen, her cousin, and Me. (That's her name.... It is not really me. )
Marisol and Amelia are having fun.
Ned catches up with Erik...
Everyone is hanging out as the students are doing other activities.
The speaker used a head of cabbage to illustrate all the layers that we have in our lives that cover up our heart....just like the cabbage. Too bad Bunny was not with us. She would have eaten that application up.
Everyone really listened well and learned a lot.
Because we believe every thing we do should be done for the glory of God and all things in life have a spiritual component. We all enjoyed our team's effort and win at the weekly basketball game.
Everyone was so excited and the cheering was deafening.
Charles on the foul line.... Nothin' but net.
A sun rise service to start the second day.
Bayviews beautiful ampitheather was the perfect place to have it except the sun rose from behind us.
Rob Watt led us in worship.
Merlyn along with others as they finished up their quiet time were helping to prepare breakfast.
The students also enjoyed Foose Ball and Ping Pong in the Bayview Center.
Erten has a huge smile. Wait no.... just a banana in his mouth.
Scrambled eggs! A Micronesian favorite.
Some people never like to get up..... Those are the students I relate most too. Unfortunately my job doesn't let me sleep too long.
Matt Augee gave the students many activities which demonstrated biblical principles. These activities really helped the students remember his different points. Many felt this was one of the best Spiritual Emphasis retreats that they experienced.
During free time Jayleen and Jaynee had fun with some spontaneous worship.
Of course it is important to thank your guests. Dan Fields shows his painting from a local artist.
In the end..... I think most people had a great time but were very tired.... Good thing we had the weekend to recover.

Two New Friends of PIU

2009-10-19T16:29:00.002+10:00

Matt Augee worked with Steve Stinnette in 1985 as part of Campus Crusade for Christ. Apparently when he was here then he was a young punk. Recently Steve and Matt regained communication and God has been doing great work in Matt's life. He has an amazing gift for speaking to young adults in a way that is fun and really brings the point across. He came here to speak at our Spiritual Emphasis Retreat, and also spoke in Chapel. He also introduced us to his friend Dan Fields.
Dan, runs a management consulting company, but serves God in his free time helping non-profits with different things. He also uses his passion for photography to do so. He will be using the pictures he took in the last week to help us develop a marketing plan. He also was able to share his testimony about how he came to know Jesus. We were blessed by their presences among us.

Really check out his amazing pictures on his photo blog..... link

Famous Bunny

2009-10-12T12:08:00.003+10:00

This week we have two guests on campus. One is Matt Augee, who will be our speaker at our Spiritual Emphasis Retreat later this week. The other is Dan Fields, who is a professional photographer. Last night they arrived and attended our prayer meeting. After prayer meeting I went and got Bougie to show to some of the people.

Check out Dan's Blog to see some of his pictures at PIU including one of Bougie. I am guessing there will be other pictures to come.

Dan will be helping us to create brochures for school publicity.

Pictures of our two new friends will be posted later in the week.

The above image used by permission from Dan Fields.

Bouganvilla Elizabeth Bunny

2009-10-11T20:52:00.002+10:00

The other day I went to the store for a printer cartridge. As I was checking out I noticed the bunnies sitting in front of the pet store next door. I have never had one....nor can I say I ever really wanted one. All my life I have wanted a dog. So far my life has not been one where dogs really fit.
So anyway back to the bunny..... I saw this bunny and I immediately fell in love. Before I knew it I thought I want this bunny. There were two but the one kind of reminded me of the wild bunnies that used to come into our yard back in Pennsylvania.
I quickly went through the pros and cons (which of course means some may have been left out).... and I decided that I would indeed get the bunny. Since I was in the middle of a grocery shopping trip with the students, they were really excited. In fact many of them have never seen a bunny in person before. They are not local to Micronesia.

Joel and Amelia came to see my bunny. Joel is giving Bougie (Short for Bouganvilla) one of her favorite snacks, lettuce.
Bougie likes to explore when given the chance. Here she is posing in one of my favorite boxes.
Although the students seem to like the bunny, Doralyn is not sure she wants it on her head.
K.K. and Tyleen are enjoying playing with Bougie.

Girls Just Wanna Have Fun

2009-10-09T22:12:00.002+10:00

This week two of our ladies had their birthdays on October 8th. Some of the ladies baked cakes and one of the families provided a bakery cake. Doralyn on the left was one of the birthday girls, pictured here with her roommate Maymay.
Sophie, back center, is the other birthday girl.
Icing..... Not just for cakes any more.

Resident Assistant Training

2009-10-03T16:13:00.002+10:00

On Saturday mornings after the basketball game, the Resident assistants, Daisy, Kalvin, and I head up the road to Rob's house (VP of Student Life, Dean of Men) for training.

Rob is trying to get to know the students and help the understand their strengths and how that will make them good at what they do.
Daisy, although not an official RA often helps students with their problems so we are hoping she learns how to be a better help to them.

I on the other hand like to go for the coffee. ;o)

Rain, Rain, Go Away, Come Again Some Other Day!

2009-10-03T15:39:00.003+10:00

This week Guam was blessed. Twice. On Wednesday a predicted Tropical Storm was supposed to hit our island but it changed directions and we barely got any rain. It seemed silly then that most of the island closed down in preparation for the storm.

Today we were waiting for Typhoon "Melor".... even though we were not supposed to be hit by the eye of the storm we were supposed to be smacked by at least tropical storm strength winds in the fingers. So far nothing more than a couple showers and wind. We could still get some additional rain and wind. However it we did not need to board up our windows or anything either time.

My friend Joyce Owen who has been here for quite a few years and has been through many typhoons says that if they are coming this close, this frequently at the beginning of the season we are likely to get hit this year. It has been almost 7 years since Typhoon Pung Son Wah (I don't know how to spell?).

If you want to know what a super typhoon is like this is a video re-enactment of Joyce and Dave Owen and their family when the roof blew off their house in Typhoon Paka....

PIU Keeps Trophey

2009-09-27T21:42:00.005+10:00

The Lutheran Church of Guam challenged PIU to sports challenge of Basketball, Volleyball, and Tug-of-War. Maymay, Jen, and Jayleen pose together before the volleyball challenge.
Eric, Katie, and Noelle enjoy watching the basketball game.
Mason, the great dane, was one of the highlights of the day. Meluat made a new friend.
Lucy and Sophie hang out and wait for the food to be done.
Rommel worked hard to grill as much meet as possible.
The Trophy waits for the results.
Kalvin keeps score for the game as Dave watches on. It was a close game with LCG won by a few points in the end.
Styling a pose.
Jake shows off his new hair cut.
Lisa Collins, our new librarian and also a member of LCG was the only girl brave enough to play Basketball with the men.
Dave and Doug contemplate who will get the trophy..
Jen loves on baby Ethan.

Welcome Jen

2009-09-27T21:31:00.002+10:00

Jen is one of the newest members of the PIBC family. She arrived this fall to help teach study skills and remedial English. She also has the desire to really work with the students so she has joined the student life team with me as we plan events and services for the students. We also have had fun walking and "sight seeing" together.

Basketball Begins

2009-09-19T17:24:00.004+10:00

This year the boy's basketball team has a new coach and it's a girl!!!! Yep Daisy be schoolin' those boys in basketball.
Charles (aka JarJar) takes a free shot after being fouled from a player from my church team (Bayview).
Of course basketball needs some cheerleaders but sometimes it is hard for them to get up by 7:45 AM every Saturday to get to the game.
TJ is new to the team this year.
So far we have only won one game. However there is great potential in this group of guys.

Some Real Class

2009-09-19T17:12:00.002+10:00

I have always appreciated Eric Sorenson as a friend and collegue but this year I get to appreciate him as a teacher. Because I have heard the students from his class always rave over his classes, I thought I would check one out for myself. So right now I am auditing his Prophetic Literature class. In the first three weeks we completed the book of Isaiah.... so to speak. Unfortunately it is only a "survey" class of all the old testament prophetics so we don't get in deep with any of them.
I really enjoy mixing it up with the students in the class. They think it is funny that I am taking one of their classes but I never went to Bible school like a lot of my co-workers.
Unlike Gloria and Inca, as an auditor of the class, I don't have to actually do the homework, although I do try to keep up with the reading.

I really feel blessed to be here with such quality faculty and staff.

University of Guam Ministry

2009-09-07T10:26:00.002+10:00

Now I know some of you can't believe that there is one college on an island but we actually have three accredited colleges. Besides Pacific Islands University, there is Guam Community College and University of Guam. At the beginning of last year, Austin Evers (pictured here) was brought in by a Baptist group to do ministry to the students of the University of Guam. We also had a group of students who were doing the same so we have joined forces. Austin and the UOG ministry held a Bar-B-Que on our campus this past Saturday night to welcome back the students.
Of course there was plenty of food.
Volleyball in the light of the full moon.... and a little bit of electrical help.
Everybody seemed to have fun.
Even the faculty and staff joined in.

Safe in the Father's Arms of Love

2009-09-07T10:17:00.002+10:00

Yesterday I was standing behind this man and his daughter in church. He was singing praises and swaying and holding his daughter, who was resting her head on his shoulder. It occurred to me that this is much like our Heavenly Father wants us to rest in Him and he will sing over us (Zephaniah 3:17).... I was really blessed by the picture and thought I would share it with you...please feel free to add your own music and imagination.

"The Smeared Beards of Joyous People"

2009-08-30T17:58:00.003+10:00

Another tradition is to start the school year with community worship. Although through out the school year we all belong to different churches on island, we like to begin the year coming together and worshiping and fellowshipping together.
As part of this special occasion, we participate in the fellowship of communion. Dave Owen, president of PIU, led us in communion as we reflected in our hearts on the significance of the event.
Rob Watt, our new Dean of Men and VP of student life preached the message on Psalm 133. This Psalm talks about how good and pleasant it is when we live together in unity. The Psalm also talks about that it is like when priest are anointed with old. Rob decided that to have an illustration of what it is like to be anointed with oil and I got to do the honors.

Psalm 133

A song of ascents. Of David.

¹ How good and pleasant it is
when brothers live together in unity!

² It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron's beard,
down upon the collar of his robes.

³ It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the LORD bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.

Welcom Back Bar-B-Que!

2009-08-30T17:52:00.002+10:00

Micronesia is all about the Bar-B-Que.... So how else do you start a school year but with a welcome back bar-b-que. We had all the standard foods such as chicken, ribs, hotdogs, rice, potato salad, tossed green salad. Then after a time of talking and fellowship - we had ice cream sundaes. Finally the students couldn't wait to get started playing basketball and volleyball again. It is exciting to have the campus full of life again.

Another Year.... Another Registration

2009-08-30T17:41:00.002+10:00

Saturday, August 29th was registration day at PIBC. Although it was scheduled from 9AM - Noon, the process took until after 6pm. There were lines for advisors and lines for financial aid and lines for books and balances. Over all everyone seemed to have a good attitude and were patient waiting. Here Morin, Grace, and Merlyn wait to see their advisors.
Julie is one of our freshmen. She is excited to start college. She has been on campus for a week starting with a study skills class.
Melody is our new academic dean, yet she is still advising students.
Christel Wood is a "retired" missionary but she is still teaching a class or two. Here she helps Ransom, who is a student who transferred from our Tol Campus which is closed this semester.
Laura volunteered to help for the registration day. She helped Anne in the office distributing books.

Mattresses and Mohammed....Beginning a New Year

2009-08-30T17:35:00.002+10:00

Every year before school starts we have a lot of maintenance work to be done. However since our maintenance supervisor was away most of the summer and got the flu when he returned Mohammed and a few students did most of the work getting the school ready this year. That is a lot of work.

After a few comments on some surveys last year we also recognized that some of donated "used" mattresses had become a bit overused. So we ended up replacing about one third of our mattresses before the students got here. Of course, Mohammed was there to get the job done. Thanks for all your hard work this summer.

God is Faithful

2009-08-26T12:16:00.003+10:00

After the floods in the story of Noah... God sent a rainbow. The rainbow from that time on was supposed to be a reminder to God's people that he was faithful to keep his promises. Here in Guam we have many such reminders. This is one of God's reminders that I saw the other day on my way to test drive a car that was an answer to my prayers.

Back to the Future

2009-08-17T11:33:00.003+10:00

In the 80's, when the movie Back to the Future was filmed, I was busy graduating from high school with the class of 1984. This September our class will host it's 25th Reunion. Unfortunately due to the expense of flight and the timing of the reunion in September I will not be able to make it.

However I have been enjoying some of my ol' freinds from high school and new friends on Facebook have been going down memory lane posting old pictures from Yearbook and what not.

This picture is from 1989 at our 5 year reunion. I just have two questions ..... What was I thinking when I picked this outfit and did my hair????? Where the "heck" did time go? I can't possibly be this old.

Anyway if you are part of the class of 1984.... enjoy the reunion. Otherwise maybe I will see you at the 30th.

Amazing Thailand

2009-08-04T16:52:00.002+10:00

One of my fun experiences in Thailand was to get to pet a tiger. Since my camera battery was dead I had a "professional" photographer take the pictures. All my work with college students prepared me for this experience.... Ha Ha Ha... Notice the trainer's hand in the corner of the picture. Shortly after this picture the tiger looked at me like I was lunch. I cut my photo session short at that point.

On our way home.....

2009-07-29T17:25:00.002+10:00

We have been traveling since noon on July 28th.... We left ChiangMai by bus.. (10 hrs). We rented a van to take us to the airport. We stayed up most of the night and checked into our flight at 2:30AM.... (If you are ever traveling with Micronesians - it seems that people in many countries do not know that Micronesians do not need US Visas..... it slowed us down but they eventually figured it out.) We flew from Bangkok to Tokyo. I was actually able to sleep most of the trip.... This is VERY unusual for me. We will board our flight in Tokyo around 5:30pm local time and arrive in Guam at 2AM on July 3oth.

Looking forward to getting home and getting ready for the next semester but I will really miss all my new friends in Thailand. Waiiiooooo!!!!

Meeting "James Bond"

2009-07-18T14:24:00.002+10:00

Ok ... So I didn't meet the real James Bond movie star. However I have enjoyed meeting a Thai student whose name is "Bond"...He is to my right in the picture. He and his friends (to my left, "B" and Pump, white shirt) are English majors at Maejo. We have met so many fun people, we will miss them when we return to Guam.

A Dream Come True

2009-07-12T18:55:00.002+10:00

For many years I collected all kinds of giraffes. Figurines, shirts, stuffed animals, etc. Although I stopped probably close to 10 years ago because I got tired of dusting them - it was still a cool experience to feed and pet a real one at the Chiang Mai Zoo in Thailand.

Something Light!

2009-06-28T19:55:00.002+10:00

I can't read it but I still love to drink it. Coke Zero and Diet Coke don't really taste all that different from each other here. I can get about a 590ml bottle for about 50 cents.

Prayer Requests for Thailand Team

2009-06-25T22:01:00.001+10:00

Pray for PIBC students to continue to meet new students and build relationships with other students.

Pray for us on Friday night as we will be having a chapel service for students from all Campuses.

Pray for our relationship with the Campus Crusade staff, that we will be able to be a blessing to each other.

Pray that each member of the team that they would grow closer to God during this time. Pray that they would not get discouraged. Pray that God would give us a spirit of Boldness to share with our new friends.

Pray for the health of the team. Right now a few people have cold sores. (from CC Staff) Erten will get his cast off next week.

Pray that we would stay focused on our purpose here.

Pray that we would be patient and loving towards all we work with here.

Pray that God would help us go out of our comfort zone more.

In two weeks we are having "Eternal Friends Camp". Pray we would have the courage to invite our friends and that many would say yes.

See Thailand Blog for some pictures and updates..... (link)

Sending from the Land of Smiles....

2009-06-20T16:22:00.002+10:00

Thailand is known as the land of smiles. We certainly have seen and shown our share of smiles since we have been here. We have completed our second week of ministry by walking around and talking to students at one of the universities here. Next week we will set up a booth to show and sample all things Guam/Micronesia. We hope this will be another way to meet more students.

We have pictures and we are making different foods popular in our cultures. Some of us will also be wearing Micronesian dress.

Pray for the Thai staff of CCC, whom we work. We have today off to rest and recover but they are working this weekend training their student leaders. They work really hard to serve us and make sure we have what we need.

Tomorrow they are going to take us on a drive around Chiang Mai to see sights and go to the famous "Walking Street", which is a market of Thai crafts and stuff.

Erten seems to be healing well and for that we are thankful.

Thai Team Prayer Requests

2009-06-15T12:07:00.000+10:00

Pray for….

Health and safety of the team.

Pray for Erten as he recovers from his surgery. Wisdom for his best care. Praise God for that the cost was less than $1000 for his hospital stay and surgery.

Pray that God will meet the financial needs of the team after paying the medical expenses. (Although we feel ok so far… when we are on campus lunch costs us less than 1.00 each for a hot meal…. Which helps.)

Pray that many students will come and be blessed by our “Micronesia Booth” which will be set up on both Tuesday (6/16) and Wednesday (6/17) afternoons on Maejo University campus.

Pray that we would have wisdom in the preparations for our booth.

Pray that many students would consider coming to our “Eternal Friends” overnight camp in a couple of weeks. Pray that the details would be worked out and that it would be blessing for all who attend the weekend.

Pray for the Thai staff of Campus Crusade for Christ. We have really been blessed by their ministry to us so far. Some need to raise more support so that they can continue in the ministry. Pray that God would pour out His blessings on them. Pray especially for those working directly with the team…. Pai, Ngon, Lar, and K.

Pray that we would continue to develop relationships with the friends we met during the first week and that we would continue to meet others.

Pray that we would allow God to direct and lead us as we minister to the people of Thailand.

Arrived Safely in Thailand

2009-06-10T12:12:00.001+10:00

For this summer many of my updates will be found on the Thailand Mission Team Blog. So please check our first two updates from our travels.

Pavilion Project

2009-06-01T22:38:00.003+10:00

Over the summer another campus project is adding a pavilion next to the court. Shade is really important here for the students, especially since we are only 13 degrees above the equator.

Campus Projects with New Mexico Mission Team

2009-06-01T22:08:00.004+10:00

As part of the allowing the Thai team to stay on campus until we leave for Thailand until June 8th is that they must work on campus for part of the time. This week we are working with a Methodist mission team which came from New Mexico. We are spending the week painting the women's dorm and replacing the front fencing. Here Meyou and Jayleen work on peeling paint off the door so we can repaint it.
Jaylyn is a member of the New Mexico team. During the year she is a full time language arts teacher. She is also the youth leader in her church.
Ceci has been a painting machine. She is painting the trim on the doors green.
Jackie and Emily are two members who are part of the NM mission team. They are also part of the youth group which will be traveling to do another mission project in New Orleans later this summer.
Here they are Erin, Pastor Tim and Kalvin putting up the new fencing along the front of the property.

Here are the team tries to put the poles together at the end of the fence. We are getting a lot of work done.... however, there is still a lot left to do. Please consider playing for Mohammed as he will be doing most of the maintenance this summer himself after the Thai team leaves.

Thailand Fundraiser

2009-06-01T20:54:00.004+10:00

One of the local car dealers allows charities to wash their cars on the lot for a certain amount of money. The one catch is that you must wash them starting at 6AM and be finished at 10AM before they open for business. Stella was good enough to help us on her day off.
Mesikt gets ready bringing over the buckets to fill.
Ned Farnsworth our assistant dean of men, and Mesikt's twin sister were also willing to help us. We split into two teams and worked from both sides of the lot.
Erten is hosing down the cars.
Keiny is taking a picture break.

Everyone was excited to help was excited to help wash this fancy yellow car.
There were even more cars on the roof.
Although the view from the roof was good.
Here are just some of the cars we washed before going to the roof.
This picture of Jayleen reflects all of us as we washed about 100 cars..... by the time I got home my legs are so tired I could not even stand up.

Thailand Team Updates

2009-05-21T23:22:00.002+10:00

Our Thailand team and a few other students are working hard on campus so they can stay in the dorms and practice and prepare for the trip. I will be in Thailand with the team from June 8th - July 30th. We bought our tickets and have some additional money but we still need around $5000 to cover our needs (Housing, Food, and Transportation within Thailand.) Please pray for us. Pray that God would prepare us mentally, physically, and spiritually for all the plans He has for us while we are in Thailand. Pray also that God would give us the grace we need each day to love each other. Of course pray for our financial need as well. If you would like to help with the financial need ---- email me at mheck@pibc.edu. Check out more detailed updates on the Thai team by following the link on the left.

TRACCS Visit

2009-05-21T23:00:00.002+10:00

For 4 Days, A committee from our accrediting agency came and reviewed all our documentation, interviewed staff, faculty, and students, and just generally looked around. Although not all of us got interviewed - we were all "on call". Today they finished. Here is all the staff, faculty and the committee.
This committee flew in from all different places in the country to be part of our accreditation review. After they complete reviewing every thing, the committee prepares a report with commendation, recommendations, and suggestions. The committee then reads the report to the faculty and staff. Over all things seemed to go well and many of the recommendations were minor. Now we will have to respond to the recommendations and a final decision on whether we are re-accredited will be made in November at a TRACCS meeting. From the response of the committee, it seems favorable but there is work to do before then.

A Sunday Afternoon Hike

2009-05-21T22:52:00.002+10:00

A group of us hiked and swam on Sunday afternoon. Our librarian who works from the states was in for the accreditation visit. This time he brought his grandson with him. So we took them hiking to a cave you can swim in. Unfortunately after this picture my battery died.
Keiny and Maymay use the rope to go down the steep hill.
Jayleen and I pose. Jayleen took almost all the photos I got on this hike.
Here I am chatting with Ray as we head down the trail.
Maymay, Ceci and I take a break for a picture. I have been so busy lately I haven't had time to enjoy many of the beautiful spots on the island lately. It was fun to get out and enjoy God's creation for a change.

Wedding - Island Style

2009-05-21T22:39:00.002+10:00

After 3 years I got invited to my first student wedding. Sonny from Yap married Elilai from Guam/Palau. Here is Sonny as he watches his bride come down the aisle. His best man is PIBC student, Joel.
Here is what Sonny is looking at....Elilai and her dad.
The happy couple. By the way is Elilai is the Palauan word for the Plummeria flower. These flowers are plentiful on the islands. They are also what her bouquet and Sonny's lei are made of.
I have to say this has to be one of my favorite wedding cakes ever. It was chocolate with a chocolate mousse inside. YUM!!!! Beautiful and Delicious.
Here I am with the couple. Sonny didn't know if his Mom and Dad were going to be able to be here for the wedding originally. I had volunteered to be him Mom for the day if she could not. Fortunately for Sonny, his REAL parents made it. Of course, Sonny is a great guy and a was a great student (our valedictorian), I would have been happy to be him Mom for the day. ;)

God Bless you Sonny and Elilai. If you have facebook I have even more pictures there.

Getting Ready for TRACCS

2009-05-21T22:30:00.002+10:00

On Friday May 15th, Staff and Faculty and some students who were still on campus all worked hard together to get campus looking it's best before a committee from our accrediting agency showed up on Sunday night. Kalvin gets his country on while he is bush cutting.
Meluat goes for the bush cutting bandit look.
Jayleen trys to keep herself cool....
Evelyn works on weeding one of our many flower beds. Seems like weeds grow extremely fast in the tropics. She has a big job to do.
Harald and Joyce work on weeding a pile of rocks which acts as a drainage system so the campus does not flood as frequently during the rainy season.

Looks like they made it......

2009-05-13T18:03:00.002+10:00

Graduation for Pacific Islands Bible College took place at Faith Reformed Church at 4PM on May 12th. We had 16 graduates from all our sites although only 9 participated in the ceremony. Some had finished in December and chose not to return for the event. Mesikt Oderiong from Palau poses in her cap and gown before graduation.
Joe Eram from Chuuk waits for the processional with the rest of his class mates.
Lydia and Sonny (our valedictorian) are both from the island of Yap.

One of the tradtions here is to try to smoother the graduate after the ceremony with all kinds of leis and marmars (on the head). It is really a fun thing to see. Here Percia and Lydia showed off their Leis. Unfortunately my battery died and I don't have as many fun pictures as I would like.

Graduation Preperation!

2009-05-13T17:49:00.002+10:00

Seems like there is always a lot of work to do before graduation. However, this year we had even more to do. The caps and gowns that we ordered did NOT arrive. God Bless Joyce who called a bunch of PIBC alumni that lived on island to scrounge up enough caps and gowns for each of the 9 graduates participating in the ceremony. However it left us with no tassels. Joyce found some royal blue tassel key chains. They were much smaller than regular tassels and we also had to find a way to attach them to the hat. While some of us were doing that Joyce and Urte ironed the graduation robes that Joyce found.
Anne Stinnette found ribbon at home in her craft closet and they created fun tassels from the key chains that Joyce bought.
Needless to say everyone was scrambling and working really hard up until one hour before the ceremony to make it a success.
In the end no one knew the difference.

Seniors Celebrated!

2009-05-13T17:41:00.002+10:00

Sunday night after the Baccalaureate service, the students and faculty and staff returned to campus to have dinner and games in which the seniors were honored and featured. Here Mohammed participates in a eating relay. Each team had to eat the same items in the quickest amount of time.
Lynette is doing her best to help her team win.
During this game blindfolded pairs had to feed each other pudding. It was quite a messy game but fun to watch. Here Ned and Joe Eram get ready to start.
Ned and his family (along with Micah) pose for a picture after the games.

Baccalaurette Speaker

2009-05-13T17:33:00.002+10:00

On Sunday May 10th, our senior class held their Baccalaureate service.
Our praise and worship team led music during the beginning of the service.
Christel Wood, who is a "retired" missionary who still teaches for us, was our main speaker.
The seniors looking snazzy in their matching outfits shared a song and a poem for mother's day.
The rest of the body also presented a special number during the evening.

A Daisy by any other name.

2009-05-13T17:29:00.002+10:00

No Daisy is not headed off to Jail --- she is flying back to Texas. She will be doing speaking and sharing at different churches this summer in Texas and California. Later this summer she will return via a mission trip to both Chuuk and Palau before she returns to school in the Fall. She has been gone less than a week and you can really feel her absence. What a blessing to have her among us this year.

Men's Night

2009-05-13T17:13:00.002+10:00

At the end of the year ---- it's all about the party. On Friday night May 1st, the men had their traditional semester end party. They prepare the food and we have a great meal. The night also includes entertainment and fellowship. This semester it also included saying goodbye to the seniors --- Joel Okada, Mohammed, and Sonny and some of the faculty and staff which were also leaving.... Hiob, Leah, Micah and Jireh-Lynn and Brad and Cheryl Boydston.

Alvin, PJ, Keiny, and Marcus performed a special number
Hiob said a few words.
Everyone had a good time enjoying the entertainment.

Sad News Hits PIBC Family

2009-05-06T17:40:00.002+10:00

As we are in the middle of finals week, we were shocked and saddened to hear of the death of one of our teachers who died suddenly this morning while she was scuba diving with some friends.

Kathy Newell was a volunteer professor who taught a number of our education classes, was here for the last two years. This picture was taken last year during our hike to Mt. Lam Lam. Kathy was scheduled to return to her home in Arizona at the end of the month.

We will certainly miss Kathy. We were all blessed to have known her.

Another Car Wash for Thailand

2009-04-25T16:14:00.002+10:00

On Saturday April 18th we had our second car wash for Thailand. Because of the rain, it was not one of our highest paying fund raisers but everyone worked hard and had a good attitude. For the complete story - Check out our Thai Team Blog. (Link on side).... These are some fun pictures from Meluat's camera. Since a couple people including myself took pictures on Meluat's camera that day I am not exactly sure who took which pictures.

The Beginning of the End

2009-04-25T16:09:00.002+10:00

The other day after chapel, those who are graduating got their pictures taken in a cap and gown for their invitations to graduation. Joel poses here while Hartmut takes his picture.
Here is a close up of Lynette taken by Meluat (whose pictures I have used on this and the last couple of posts). Lynnette came back this semester after taking a year and a half off. She will be finishing her AA. Lynette is one of our Palauan students.

We Got the Beat!

2009-04-25T16:02:00.002+10:00

One of the things that Steve brought back with him from the states is an electronic drum set. Here he is playing the drums in chapel. I believe they use the electronic drum set here because it does better in the humidity. Steve is going to be teaching students how to play the drums so that they can also lead in worship.

Semester winding down - Students working hard

2009-04-25T15:53:00.002+10:00

Please pray for the students as the semester winds down. It is easy to lose your momentum then and the work naturally gets bigger with finals, papers, and projects. Alicia, from Chuuk, is really focusing on her work.
Everly is thankful for his laptop which helps him with his studies. With the library only having eight computers, the students relied heavily on sharing laptops. Due to renovations on the new computer lab which took much longer than anticipated - the students have not had access to as many machines.
Stella, who works in the library and is a PIBC graduate, help Elilai with something on her computer.
Mollyanne is never too busy to pose for a picture.
Ned helps Judson with his homework.

Happy Easter Everyone!

2009-04-12T22:30:00.002+10:00

After the Easter service, my friends helped me deliver Easter treats to the dorms.

Easter Treats

2009-04-12T22:22:00.002+10:00

On Saturday night Jayleen, Meyou, and Alicia helped me make Easter treats for the other students. We made cupcakes and dyed some eggs. The students never dyed eggs before. We used Hinkle's Dye sent to me by my sister along with sprinkles and easter cup cake papers. Thanks Chris for helping bring a treat to the students for this holiday.

Fun in the Sun

2009-04-12T21:54:00.005+10:00

Although I had a lot of work to do over break, I made good progress so I made time to schedule a fun trip with some of the students. Basically we just took a drive, stopped for some pictures, fed a Carabao, and took a short walk, and swam in some salt water pools. They enjoy the chance to get off campus and remember they are still on a island.
This picture is at the Vietnam War memorial for the soldiers from Guam who died and served. Also it is one of the nicest views on island.
Jayleen and Maymay got to ride Betsy, the Carabao at Fort Soledad.
Others hang out as we enjoy the nice day.
Betsy likes bananas in the skins.
Alvin put the banana between his teeth for Betsy to take. Unfortunately I wasn't quick enough to get it on camera.
Joe and TK came out to see the cannons and pose for pictures. (The other students never got past the Carabao).
Joe poses in the guard house which is one of the things left of the old historic fort.
I took the students on a short walk to see some fresh water pools. These two students walked up and ran down another mountain near by.
The other students check out the pools as we wait for the others to return from the additional hike.
These students chill near the ocean as the rest of us swim in Inarahan pools.
Maymay, Jaynee, and Jayleen are ready to go.
Alicia always has the best expressions.
Earlier in the week another group of students went with me to "Chammoro Village" a fun place full of local culture, food, and crafts. Then we went to see the Statue of Liberty near by. Unfortunately right after this picture the skys opened up and we got soaked trying to get back to the van.

New Thai Team Blog

2009-04-12T21:51:00.002+10:00

For those of you interested keeping up with the news and preparations of the Thailand Team.... I created a new Blog just for those posts. Please check out the link on the side list to check it out.

We Got Game!

2009-04-12T12:27:00.006+10:00

The first weekend of April was our first weekend of Spring Break. It is also traditionally what we call "PIBC Days" which is a weekend full of competition, fun, games, and worship. The students really enjoy and look forward to planning these days and over all ---- they went well again and most people had a lot of fun. This year our theme was based on 1 Timothy 4:12. "¹²Don't let anyone look down on you because you are young, but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity." Then the students and faculty and staff were divided into three teams. The teams were Agape (Love), Pistus (Faith), and Hagenia (Purity).
This is the Pistis Team posing for a team shot.
The students love to do skits. In this skit - the guys and the girls switched rolls.

Sometimes you get what you ask for. Lydia was "telling a story" about how she was walking down the road and since the sun was so hot she wished she had a man with an umbrella to shade her. So sooner said than done. Doug was willing to oblidge. Since Doug was from the other team and it was not planned... the laughter was deafening.
Some teams performed "action songs".
There were many good speakers throughout the events including Harald Gorges, Eric Sorenson, and Hartmut Scherer.
Tanya Gorges came all the way from Germany for her spring break and ours. It was good to see her.
Volley ball is always a favorite, while the men play basketball.

Here is Meyou.... bright and beautiful posing for the camera.
Some members of the Hagneia team wait for their game to start as they sell sodas for the Thai Team fund raiser.
You think that the Islanders would like the sun or at least be used to it.... but in fact they hate getting darker and will do almost anything to avoid it.
Even Micah and Jireh were in on the team spirit.
This woman is not a real terrorist but Joel is not taking any chances.
L.O.V.E - The love team getting creative posing for a picture.
The hole Agape (LOVE) Team after a job well done.
Waiioo.... Some wonderful singers.
Leeman tries to comfort Doug after he loses one of the games..... (Actually it was all part of a clever skit).
The Women also had a special number.
T-nel was the "MC' for the LOVE night.
Saturday includes all kinds of races and games including tug of war and an egg toss.
Everybody tries to grab what little shade they can while they wait for their turn. I saw several ladies waiting beside a one foot tree.
These students consider themselves an inside out oreo.
My team of course was the best. ;o).... Just kidding of course....
Alvin on the front right wrote a song about the theme for our team to sing.
He also helped sing this special number with three other students.
Kita (center) organized this group of students to do an action song.
Ned (here in the Orange hair) wrote a skit about "Holy Spirit Power Wash"... He interviewed people in the Mall trying to get people to try this new product. Even I got into the skit as "Dirty Donna." Over all a very fun weekend had by all.

Lights! Camera! Action!

2009-04-12T12:21:00.002+10:00

A few weeks ago Ken Rife and his daughter Janae came to Guam. They spend the week shooting videos and pictures, interviewing the staff and the students. Ken will use the footage to help produce some promotional videos for the school to help recruit students, faculty and staff, and also to help raise support.

This picture shows Ken (on the computer) with Ed Kalau who started (Pacific Missionary Aviation AKA PMA) who is showing him some footage of the islands that he shot. Steve Stinnette our VP of almost everything including Development is looking on.

A Rose By Any Other Name Would Smell As Sweet

2009-03-28T13:49:00.003+10:00

PIBC will be changing it's name as of this summer to Pacific Islands University. This is being done to better reflect our new direction and the addition of the Master's program. For more details read the following post taken from our school's website.

PIBC to PIU

[3-March-09] A letter arrived in the mail this morning from Dr Russell Fitzgerald, the executive director of TRACS (our accrediting agency) informing PIBC that an institutional name change has been approved. Pacific Islands Bible College will become Pacific Islands University effective July 1st.

PIBC president, Dr Dave Owen, (pictured with the letter), quoting from the school's mission statement, explains that the new name is a part of an "expanded vision to be a leader throughout Micronesia and the Pacific Region in providing accessible, transformational, and quality Christian higher education. Our mission is to prepare men and women with a biblical worldview for leadership and service in life, work, and ministry in the global community, the churches of the Pacific region and 'to the ends of the earth.'"

"We've come to realize, that it is not enough to simply train people in how to read the Bible, as important as that is."adds Dr Brad Boydston, the vice president of academic affairs. "We need to help our students understand the increasingly complex world in which they are applying the Bible."

There will be three schools within the new university structure.

Pacific Islands Bible College will continue to be the home of the current programs, including the certificate, diploma, AA, and BA degrees in biblical studies.

Pacific Islands Christian College will be home for a new Certificate in Basic English (CBE) and eventually a BA in liberal studies.

Pacific Islands Evangelical Seminary will be the home for the MAR program which was launched last fall. There are plans to add an MDiv degree in the future.

PIBC is accredited by the Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools (TRACS), which is recognized by the United States Department of Education (USDE), the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA), and the International Network for Quality Assurance Agencies in Higher Education (INQAAHE).

The school was founded in 1976 as Micronesian Institute of Biblical Studies and was located on Tol, in Chuuk. In 1991 the main campus moved to Guam in an effort to extend the ministry of the school to all Islanders. MIBS became PIBC -- Pacific Islands Bible College -- at that time.

This semester there are 222 students studying on the Guam campus or through classes at the PIBC sites in Chuuk and Palau.

Thailand Trip

2009-03-28T13:41:00.004+10:00

For the third summer in a row, we are sending another mission team to Thailand to partner with Campus Crusade for Christ. Today they held a car was on campus to help raise some of the funds for the trip. If you want to keep up on the information about the trip, check out our blog which will have updates and prayer requests posted regularly. THAI MISSION TEAM BLOG

Guam - Land of the 5K

2009-03-28T13:31:00.002+10:00

Apparently the Guam 5k circuit is a very social and common aspect of Guam. On any weekend there are probably 2 or 3 different 5K's in which you can compete. The other day I walked a 5K with my friends Terri Atkinson and Judy Albin. Although Terri could have looped us several times running, she walked instead with us enjoying the conversation and the fellowship. This 5K was called the "Fight the Fat 5K" sponsored by Payless Markets.
Carrying your HUGE handbag actually burns more calories.
Everyone is ready to go at 6AM..... All 2500 of us.
Judy and I wait for the race to start.
None of us won any rewards or raffles but we got a bunch of freebies. We finished in under 56 minutes. I hope to be ready to run one before this summer.

Airport Re-decoration and a bunch of "Ham"

2009-03-28T13:23:00.002+10:00

After saying goodbye to Hollie, we found that they had re-decorated a section of the airport. So of course we had to stop and pose for some pictures. The shelf around the top included many decorated sea turtle sculptures. Sea Turtles are a favorite food of many Micronesians. Unfortunately they are endangered and are illegal to eat in most places these days.
Jayleen and Meyou pose with a carabao statue.
A local boat.
Jaynee, Jayleen, Maymay, Chelsea and Meyou.
Here you can see a wide shot of more of the turtles. This area used to have pictures of all of the Micronesian members of the U.S. Military who died in Iraq.

Good Bye Hollie

2009-03-28T13:12:00.002+10:00

As is the tradition at the school is to try and go to the airport to say goodbye to our co-workers when they are leaving for a long time. Unfortunately most of these flights are in the middle of the night, and Hollie's flight was no exception. At least this time she had a commerical flight and did not have to fly standby on a military flight. Saying goodbye is not easy and usually includes many hugs and tears.
Here is group posing for one last picture.
And what send off would be complete without a song or two. That is of course our Micronesian way.
We will not be the same without her. We already miss you bunches Hollie!

Silly Island Girls

2009-03-28T13:11:00.001+10:00

You can always count on Jayleen and Meyou for a good laugh. Not only are they beautiful, they have a tremendous sense of humor.

The Student Life Class of 2006

2009-03-28T13:04:00.002+10:00

Ned, Hiob, Hollie and I all started at PIBC during the Fall of 2006. We have now worked together for close to 3 years. However, as all other good things, they must come to an end. Hollie left Guam several weeks ago. She decided that she would join her husband as he was re-assigned to Corpus Christi, Texas. We also just found out that Hiob and his family will be leaving at the end of this semester. Hiob was on loan to us from the Palau Evangelical Church. However, due to some changes in the church, they need Hiob to return to Palau to work there. So following this semester, only Ned and I will remain. We are very sad to lose our co-workers and our good friends.

Thailand Trip

2009-03-11T14:40:00.002+10:00

This summer will be the third summer in a row we plan to send a mission team to Thailand to work with the campus crusade staff there. Thailand has only a small population of Christians and our students have great potential to share God's love with the people of Thailand because their cultures are more similar to the Thai culture than the American culture. Since many people have never seen a Micronesian in Thailand, they are sometimes mistaken for Thai people. Either way we have seen amazing transformation in the students who have went and come back. This time I am praying about going with them. Please join me in praying for the team and finalizing the details of dates and activities. If you would like to support the work God is doing in Thailand through PIBC, Please email and I will give you further information of how you can do so.

International Prayer Night

2009-03-11T14:27:00.003+10:00

Once a month on campus we have a prayer night. Originally it started out as an international prayer night where we just prayed for other countries and for persecuted believers all over the world using reports from Voice of the Martyrs. However we have also started praying for the church in Micronesia. Last week a group of about 10 staff and students gathered to pray for Lebanon, the UK, and Micronesia.

Creativity

2009-03-11T14:19:00.002+10:00

If there is one thing that our students are, it is creative. The other day I saw Meyou with her new purse made by Lucy. (Both pictured here.) If you can read it because it is upside down, it is an empty bag from their favorite "Diamond G" Calrose rice. The handles are bandannas. Apparently they made it for a skit for their youth ministry class.

The Store of Choice

2009-03-11T14:07:00.002+10:00

This is one of the many "Mom and Pop" grocery stores that can be found on island. They are on every corner even though we do have some of the bigger more modern grocery stores as well. This store is around the corner from our school. Many of our students wander over here for snacks and drinks. Occasionally I wander over here for a missing ingredient for a particular recipe.

Spring Break

2009-03-07T09:31:00.002+10:00

It is now time when many colleges are in the middle of their Spring break.... if in fact they haven't already completed it. Here at Pacific Islands Bible College, our Spring break has traditionally lined up with Easter week. Unfortunately with Easter being as late as it can possibly be, we will not get our Spring Break until 12 weeks into the semester. After Spring break, there will only be 3 weeks left to go. As of now there are 4 weeks until Spring Break. God Bless us every one. ;)

Midterms.....

2009-03-07T09:22:00.002+10:00

This Monday 3/9 is the midterm exam for my class on Personality development. I realize that there is a lot of material for the students to cover for the exam so I am praying that they will do well. The first part of the class is mostly theories. The second half of the semester I include a few of the more fun applications including the Love Languages by Gary Chapman.

If you were taking my test on Monday.... you would most likely be asked to answer the following question:

According to Psychoanalytic theory, what is the definition of a defense mechanism? Give the name of one specific defense mechanism. Define the term. Give an example of a situation of someone using that particular defense mechanism. (2pt).

Personality Development Homework - Due 3/2

2009-02-25T15:51:00.002+10:00

1. According to Wired that Way, what are the emotional needs of your personality type ( For which you have the highest combined total)?

Chapter 9

2. Define Temperament.

3. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the biological theories?

Chapter 11.

4. List and Describe the 4 key elements of the Humanistic approach.

5. Draw and Describe Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs. This includes listing each descriptive word and an explanation of each.

6. What are the strengths and weaknesses of the humanistic theories?

Random Pics with the New Camera

2009-02-25T11:21:00.005+10:00

Jireh-lyn putting a flower on Aunt Stella
Loving the Ball
Weekend Volleyball
Jireh wants to keep score with Joel and Percia
Accent color green
Leeman Chillin'
T'nel one of our new students keeping score.
Jayleen loves cheeseballs.
Just hanging out in my apartment.

Helper Meeting

2009-02-25T11:11:00.002+10:00

On Monday afternoons I meet with my RA's and Daisy who is my helper. Kind of like an assistant Dean but without the authority that goes along with the position. We discuss issues in the dorm, both with students and the facilities. Then we spend time praying for the students and the school.

Here is a picture of Maybellene, Daisy, and Alicia during our last meeting. I actually look forward to these meetings because not only are they great women - they are all very funny. I think Dave (whose office is next to my apartment) is not as fond of these meetings and all the laughing that we do in the process.

New Yap Teaching Facility

2009-02-25T10:56:00.002+10:00

Although PIBC has had a presence in Yap for awhile but in 2004 Typhoon Sudal damaged the teaching facility. We have had a hard time getting things back to speed down in Yap since then. Dave Owen has gone down and taught a class or two intensively with a major internet piece in addition to the class room piece. However we are hoping that it will all change in the next year. (A different building showing in the first two pictures) was given for the purpose of a new teaching facility.

Recently a team of three people from California went to Yap to do renovations on the building. Instead of taking a huge team, they took a small team and then they hired and trained local workers to do the re-construction.
Here is some of their finished work on the outside of the building. For more detailed information - check out the stories on Dave Owen's Blog (Link on side).... He visited earlier this month to check out the progress.

PIBC Board Meeting

2009-02-25T10:47:00.003+10:00

Last year the annual PIBC board meeting was held later than usual in Palau to coincide with Palau's Gospel Day celebration. This year the annual board meeting was again held on the PIBC campus. It was great again to get to participate in welcoming the Board members to our campus - especially those that flew in from the east coast from Liebenzell USA (many of our sending agency). Although they met most of the 3 days they were here, we were able to have a big bar-b-que (A Micronesian must!) and a special chapel with them.

Spanish Steps.....

2009-02-11T15:18:00.002+10:00

My friends Hollie and Aaron who are getting ready to be re-deployed invited me with some others to take a hike on the Big Navy base on Guam. Due to National Security issues this area is often closed. So we took a rare opportunity.... good weather, we had time and the stairs were open to go for a hike. The climb is down a steep hill in a mosquito filled jungle where some steps still remain.
The cove is very beautiful and it is the most amazing snorkeling that I experienced. We saw big clams, clown fish in an anemone, soft coral, and some crazy looking sea cucumbers.

Here is the gang that went. What a great time.

Personality Development Homework - Due 2/16

2009-02-11T14:30:00.002+10:00

Follow the following links: Take the Personality Tests. Print your results. Bring to Class.

Big 5

Cattell

Holland Codes

Answer the Following Questions Based On the Reading:

What is a trait? Give 3 examples with their definitions.

On what two important assumptions are the Trait theories to personality development built?

What is the Nomothetic approach to Personality?

What is "The Big Five"?

What are the strengths of the Trait approach? What are the weaknesses or criticisms?

A Christian Welcome Here!

2009-01-28T23:59:00.002+10:00

Many staff and some students wait in anticipation as Steve and Anne Stinnette return to Micronesia after over 1.5 years of being away.
Even Amelia, Micah, and Joel were excited.
Finally they came through the doors.
There was much rejoice as the students led us in singing "There's a Welcome Here!" And "We are One Big Happy Family".
There were many hugs and smiles. They were greatly missed.

Happy Birthday Joyce

2009-01-28T23:47:00.002+10:00

On Joyce's Birthday, we were all talking in the office and the next thing ya know we had a spontaneous party on our hands as we went out for dinner together.
Here are Dave and Joyce enjoying their dinner.

I've Got Class Again!

2009-01-28T23:15:00.002+10:00

On January 19th, on the first day of the semester, I began teaching again. This is the second time that I have taught a class called Personality Development. I spent a lot of the break revising my curriculum because I ordered different books and two boxes of books got lost in the mail. As of now I have taught my second class. Over all besides some unbelievable technical issues, things are going well. I am excited about my bunch of students. There are one add and one drop (actually she withdrew from school due to family issues.) All the prep work definitely keeps me hopping.

They're Baaaack!

2009-01-19T12:06:00.002+10:00

Here are just some random shots of students as they hang out on registration day. Here is Machinta, Inca, and Gloria - all dressed up with no place to go.
Lydia is excited that this is her last registration day as she plans to graduate this Spring.
Students love to hang out under the trees. Unlike Americans who like to get a tan and have darker skin, Micronesians prefer to be lighter if possible. Here is Jayne, Molly, Mesikt, and CeCi.
Marcus flew in this morning to join his class mate Lucy.

Getting Ready to Start....

2009-01-19T11:56:00.003+10:00

Monday January 19th begins with registration for the Spring semester. First students were required to meet with their advisors. Maybellene is meeting with her advisor Harmut.
Mary Lou and Kent with helping in the office by giving out books and directing traffic as the students wait to talk about their financial statements.
Students met with Delight to talk about their student aid.
Karin and Cheryl were busy meeting with students to help them determine their balance.
Some students wait for their turn to meet with staff in the office.

Welcome Back Harald!

2009-01-19T11:48:00.002+10:00

Harald Gorges (on the right, shown with Ned) has return from Germany to teach an 8 week class on Micronesian Church History. Harald and his family, Hanalore and Tanja, returned to Germany during the past summer so Tanja could begin school. We are glad to have Harald back although we will miss Hanalore and Tanja.

PIBC Prayer Potluck

2009-01-19T11:37:00.002+10:00

Every other week on Sunday evenings, the faculty and staff get together to pray together. Every other meeting includes potluck. This past Sunday was our first prayer potluck of the year. The children hang out and play together as the adults take time to pray together.
Marisol, Leah and Stella enjoy catching up during the dinner.
Kathy Newell, Wanda and Betty are ready for the prayer meeting to start.
Kent Boydston (Peace) was with us all last semester. He taught an ESL class. He will be leaving us on Wednesday.
Larry Bock, Jens, and Bill relax as they enjoy catching up about break.

You Got to Be Kidding Me!

2009-01-19T11:35:00.001+10:00

Hemp flavored Brownies in the Grocery Store.

Palauan Church

2009-01-19T11:23:00.002+10:00

The Palauan Evangelical Church is one of the many churches on Island. It is also one which a number of our students are involved. Although I had been at the church to drop students off, I had never attended services there so over break I took an opportunity to do so. Another reason I went was to hear the guest preacher, Steve Bradley. He is a professor for PIBC on our Chuuk campuses. He also helped with my orientation for Liebenzell Mission.
This is Pastor Andrew who is the regular Pastor at the church. He is introducing Steve in this picture.
The choir performed a special number. Most of the music and often the preaching are in the Palauan language. Thankfully one of our students, Elilai helped me by giving me interpretation.
John Aitaro is also one of our students who is involved in the church. He helps in the leadership and facilitation of the worship.
Some of our Chuukese students and Daisy sang a special number during the offering.

Beach Break

2009-01-19T11:16:00.002+10:00

This is Ypao (pronounced E - pow) beach in Guam. This is one of the most popular beaches and one of my favorite. Over our break, even though I was very busy trying to get ready for my upcoming class and working on cleaning and organizing, I tried to take time to go to the beach a couple of times.
Daisy and Myu were house sitting for Dave and Joyce Owen and often tagged along with me when I went to the beach. Due to some rough surf pushing many fish over the reef, the snorkling was excellent.

Christmas 2008

2008-12-30T22:53:00.003+10:00

This year started at the Boydstons on Christmas eve. Their daughter Betsy is missing from this photo since her plane got delayed to weather. We went to the airport after dinner to greet her. Her plane came in slightly late, then the airline lost her luggage which delayed her entry into the pick up area. We were all going to go to church but due to the delay, we all decided to just call it a night.

Christmas morning I opened the packages from my Mother and siblings. I got a handful of movies that I wanted. The students love to watch movie and are always looking for DVD's to borrow so it is a fun present for me and the students will enjoy it as well. There are also delicious candies and a very cool folding Navity set in a box. Afterward I went to the Farnsworths for a Christmas lunch with Ned and his family and the Scherers. It was delicious and good company.

The day after Christmas all the staff that lives (or did live recently) on campus and the students living on campus to help with maintenance over break had a Christmas Bar-B-Que organized by Hiob and his wife. Hiob and the guys did all the Bar-B-Que and we added a bunch of side dishes. It was a yummy and fun time of fellowship.

Before we ate we spent some time giving Thanks to God and sang some praise choruses led by Sonny.

Baby Jireh with her mommy is checking everyone out patiently waiting for the food. After dinner we played a couple games of volleyball. Finally we ended the night with some group games. Really ---- what party would be complete without musical chairs?

Meluat plays while Daisy and Hiob look on. I am taking pictures because I was the first eliminated.

Although I missed my family especially as I miss my Dad, I was again blessed this holiday season which such an amazing group of friends. I pray that you found joy in your holiday season.

Office Party

2008-12-30T22:09:00.004+10:00

When you are in Guam nothing is business as usual - or very little. This year our office party was no exception. This year instead of a lunch, we rented a "dolphin watching" boat and brought our own snacks or "snakes" as some are in the habit of saying.

This is the captain. He was sharing with some of us that he feels sorry for the dolphins since there hearing is so sensitive and there are often 4 or 5 boats in the water chasing them around. We did see dolphins on our voyage. I even believe I saw some with babies. However my camera zoom was not strong enough to produce any identfiable images.

Myumi who is staying at Dave and Joyce's house got to join us due to some last minute drop outs.

Cheryl and Suzanne must be enjoying a good story.

This is the western most point of the US. We drove by it on our trip. It is actually part of the Navy Base on Island.

Joyce and Dave are chillin as we are looking for the dolphins.

Karyn, Hollie, and Eric chatting together after a refreshing swim off the back of the boat.

On the way back to port we got to take turns riding the banana boat. Even Ned's mom took a turn. She is in the back of the boat. See Mom - you can do it!

The whole gang including some family members in for the holidays.....Not my family.... maybe next year. Hint. Hint.

Christmas Cheer

2008-12-30T21:49:00.004+10:00

On the Sunday before Christmas, Agana Heights Baptist Church hosted a Christmas Cantata. Choir music is not my favorite but with six of my friends from PIBC in the choir, I decided to join in the celebration. Here Laura, her friend Hessie, Jayleen, and Meyou pose after enjoying the concert.

Myumi went with me to the concert where we met Noelle Sorenson and her friend. Noelle's Dad preachs as an interim pastor at the church and he also teaches and runs the seminary classes at PIBC.

The choir sang about the Christmas story for about one hour. One of the numbers also included the children of the church.

Karyn Sorenson even had a solo part during one of the numbers. You can see Cheryl Boydston and Marylou Curruthers in the background.

Don't you just love a man in a bow tie????

Semester's over - Time to Hang Out

2008-12-24T15:14:00.002+10:00

Although most of the students either go home over break or stay with relatives on island, occassionally there are some which need a place to stay. This year Joyce and Dave and Laura Peters both decided to house two girls each. After all the students left we all gathered at the Owens house for food and games. Erin Plaxton who is here on break from teaching in Palau also joined us.

Laura and Myu are happy to be done.

Meeyou, Daisy and Jayleen just chillin.

She's Not A Baby Anymore - She's a Princess.

2008-12-24T15:03:00.002+10:00

Here is Miss Amelia sporting her new jewelry that she got for her birthday. Since she was a baby I often called Amelia "Babycakes". Well she now informs me that she is no longer a baby.

Here she waits patiently for the photographers as she anticipates blowing out her candles.

Abby Caddaby is the new character on Sesame Street.

Grandma, Grandpa, Daddy and Ned and Marisol's friend from Panama were happy to help her celebrate.

Just hanging Out with the Ladies

2008-12-22T18:19:00.002+10:00

The other night I was in the Women's dorm hanging out with a group of the ladies most of which will not be back next semester. Since they are some of the first students that I had when I got here it is hard to imagine life without them at PIBC. Here I am with Sharon who was an RA for me this semester.

Myumi was worried about having 5 classes but it seems as if she had passed all of them. Daisy will miss her.

Verlyn is sad about leaving. She will stay on the island of Guam for now. Alicia will remain for at least one more semester. Maybe two.

Johanna, Joe Eram, and Mohammed will have completed their requirements for our BA program at the end of this semester. Please pray for wisdom for all these students as they make their future plans. I believe Mohammed will continue in the Master's program.

Who cares about Finals..... Here at PIBC it is all about the party.... Or so it sometimes seems

2008-12-22T12:19:00.004+10:00

On Sunday night December 14th, the student council hosted their annual Christmas party with the Angel/Mortal gift exchange. Elilai and Stella were in the Christmas spirit.

The Woods and Aaron Schaub were some of the staff who came to enjoy the festivities.

Meyou was so excited to receive her gift from her angel, she really celebrated.

Joe not only gave his mortal a gift. He helped her put it on. This was especially funny since this student is usually very quiet.

Some of the students performed a skit. It was supposed to represent those seniors who were finishing this semester but unfortunately for the most part we could not tell who was whom. Even though that is true - it was very funny.

Jeremiah bought his mortal a cute teddy bear.

Doug and Sonny led us in some music.

Here are some ladies just waiting to find out who their angels are.

Men's Night

2008-12-22T12:04:00.003+10:00

Men's night was another lesson in "Nothing ever goes as planned." Unfortunately there were a lot of different scheduling conflicts with community groups and individual plans. This meant at least half of the male students did not attend and all the remaining women on campus were also invited. At least it was planned by all Men so hence the name is still valid I guess. Anyway - that said.... It was a nice night with good bar-b-que, singing, and games. Here Meluat and Leman lead us in some singing before our meal.

Jireh-Lyn, who loves to clap and dance along to music, is pictured here with her Mommy and Stella.

Jessy, Kalvin and Judson entertain us after our meal.

Ned and Urte sing a song of scripture. This is a popular game. Certain scriptures are picked from the bible. Contestants are called upon to make the scripture into a song. This is usually very funny but sometimes the songs are actually quite good.

And what party is complete without a game of musical hats. In the end, it was a fun night for those who attended even though it did not go quite as planned.

Christmas at the University of Guam

2008-12-11T20:36:00.002+10:00

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.