Catching up . . . AGAIN!

This blog entry will get me all caught up on apprising all those who are interested in what we have been up to lately! To start with, we got to enjoy a Christmas tree (fake) this year.
Here is the final shot of our tree before we took it down! We all decided that our favorite "decorations" were the photos that many of our family and friends sent of themselves! If you did this, you graced our tree this year! :-) Our cat, Iggy (see previous blog entry) loved the tree! She didn't bother the decorations . . . well, at least not too often . . . and she loved curling up in the corner behind it.

Before heading back to our jobs in earnest, Tim and Erin and I took one last day to visit some historical sites on the island. Erin struck a pose by a sculpture of a mermaid in a now abandoned waterfall and pool area, below a historic bridge in Agana, the island's capital. (You may have to look closely to see the mermaid.)



In Agana, we also walked over a bridge that dates back over 400 years - in the photo at the right, we are standing in an area below the bridge.

Here (left), Tim and Erin are walking a path at Asan Beach, site of the American invasion that liberated Guam from Japanese occupation in 1944. (Tim is chatting on the cell phone with his friend, Bill, describing the sight; as a fellow vet, he thought Bill would enjoy this . . . and he was right!)




The event that signaled the "end" of break was taking Erin back to the airport and sending her off to Bethania in Palau to teach one more semester. We are so thankful to God for allowing us to have her here for the Christmas and New Year's holidays at a total cost of $10 for her plane ticket! Please pray for Erin to have a good semester of teaching and mentoring high school girls. Pray that God would continue to lead and guide her in the path He has chosen for her.




Sunday night (1/24) was our monthly potluck and prayer meeting on campus. We meet twice a month to pray for the students, for each other, and for the needs of the college. One of those meetings we have a shared meal before our prayer time; the other meeting we have prayer without the meal. These times of prayer are the "heart" of PIBC. They remind us of who is in control and the importance of letting our "requests be made known to God" so that "the peace that passes all understanding will rule [our] hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" (Phil. 4:6-7).


Registration day (Monday, January 19) went very well. It was a very busy but fruitful day. The students had to exercise the most patience as they waited to get their registration forms completed, purchase their books, and get financial aid confirmed, but they seemed to really enjoy just being back and spending time with each other as they waited.










Last night, (Sunday, January 25)we had our PIBC "Welcome Back" barbecue with staff and students. It was so nice to have time to visit with fellow staff members and our students. So often the week gets away from us and we have had no time to just "be" with the students and get to talk about non-school related things! It was a great evening. We are heading into our second week of the semester now. Please continue to pray that God would bless our students as they seek His will for their lives. Pray for our staff to have wisdom in teaching and fellowshipping with the students and each other, that we might encourage one another in all ways.

Thanks for checking in with us! May God bless you well in this New Year as you trust in Him!
Melody and Tim