You say "good-bye" and I say "hello"

Guam is a place of "goodbyes" and "hellos." The past week or so, we've had our share . . . as usual!


Our beloved, long time secretary and assistant dean of women, Ethel, returned to the Philippines to join her siblings following the death of their mother. Many of our students were on hand to help load her suitcases into the van and see her off at the airport.

Once at the airport, Ethel checked in and then a large crowd of us gathered to sing and pray together and get in one last hug. It was an amazing group that gathered there, and it reminded me distinctly of what heaven will be like. There we were, Chuukese, Pohnepeian, Americans, Koreans, Yapese, Fillipinos, and Palauans, all gathered together, singing and praying as one for our sister.




After this time, one of our ladies put a lei around Ethel's neck and crowned her head gently with two maramar. Then we all accompanied Ethel up to the security gate to say good-bye. Sadly, she is at the point where her visa requires renewing, so she is unsure of when, if ever, she will be able to return. Pray that God would bless her and show her the work He has for her in her homeland, and if it is His will, that she would be able to return to Guam in His time. Ethel, if you are reading this, we love you, we miss you and we pray for you faithfully! God bless and keep you in His care!




Well, we said "good-bye" to Ethel on Wednesday night, October the 22nd. Then, on Thursday night, October 23rd, we were saying "hello" to Mary Lou. She has come to PIBC, Guam from our home-church in California to be our I.T. specialist! Mary Lou is fitting in so well here already! After arriving at 5:45 p.m., she and Tim and I piled into our car, heavily weighed down with her traveling gear, and headed for worship team practice at church! She sang with us Sunday, and is staying busy through the week here at PIBC helping to mend some sick computers one of our teaching facilities (Chuuk) sent up, and getting ready to move our computer lab. It's great to have her here! (L to R: Me, Joyce, Mary Lou, Sharon, Tim)

Incidentally, we have a new "gadget" at our house - it's our Christmas gift to each other! We got a little counter-top ice cream maker that doesn't require ice or salt and it makes just about 1 1/2 pints of ice cream in 20 minutes of freezing time. To celebrate Mary Lou's arrival, we made a fresh batch of chocolate chip ice cream her first weekend here. (Ice cream here is very expensive and often has thawed and frozen several times before you buy it and take it home. I can make a batch for less than half the cost of store bought and it's much tastier and healthier!)



One other unusual "hello" we had recently was a "hello" from Liebenzell USA headquarters in Schooley's Mountain, New Jersey, where fellow Liebenzell missionary Steve Stinnette, and his wife, Anne, have been staying while Steve has gotten some help for a vision problem. Steve visited us via "skype" in a Friday chapel, opening our time in prayer, joining us with singing songs, and listened while one of our seniors presented the chapel message. Steve and Anne will say "hello" in person some time this coming January and we can hardly wait to have them back!


Well, I suppose I had better say "good-bye" myself at this time. I hope you have enjoyed viewing some small bits of a week in the life of PIBC staff members! Next time I'll have a bit of an update on the arrival of Mary Lou's crates (they're here, but my photos are still on my camera) and a little bit of the "body life" here among staff and students.

(Farewell from us, aboard a visiting Venezuelan ship - photo taken in late August when some of us went to the Navy Base to tour the ship!)

"Our citizenship, however, is in heaven, and it is from there that we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus, the Messiah." Phil. 3:20