35 Years - what a place to celebrate!

Tim and I recently enjoyed celebrating our 35th anniversary by taking a day off and enjoying relaxation and reminiscing about the years behind us. But our thoughts about our 35 years of marriage started with the Friday before our special day when Tim came back from running errands and brought me a "flower" - or more accurately, flour!! ;-) Seriously, I fee that this is the kind of thoughtfulness that marks a strong marriage - he was out at a local store and found flour on sale for an EXCELLENT price and grabbed some for me! He knows how I love to bake! What a thoughtful guy!


On our anniversary, after a leisurely morning at home, we went to lunch at a local hotel (we had "free buffet lunch" coupons!). Afterward, feeling quite full and satisfied, we ditched plans to go swimming (it was cloudy, rainy, and too "cold" to us for swimming).



Instead, we went to one of our favorite beaches at Tumon Bay for a walk. In the park at Ipao Beach, there are some models of what "local" housing was like long ago. Tim posed for a shot in front. There is a ladder that goes up into the house, and the various bamboo supports at the edges are used for hanging strings of coconuts. These "model homes" were small, but well made and gave us a good idea of what housing the island was probably dotted with about a century ago.







I think the best part of our day was our lengthy walk along the edge of Tumon Bay. We spent over two hours just walking at a slow pace, taking in the beauty of the view, picking up shells, and chatting with local fishermen. Tim learned a few pointers (mentioned in our previous blog) about local fishing this time of year. I am hoping he'll put his new found information into practice soon!



Our day of "R&R" was well spent! We were rested and ready to face the rest of the week. We both feel so blessed to be serving God here at PIBC, living in an area that has so many beautiful places where we can spend our "off time."

Speaking of "off time," I am taking off later today for Palau, a set of islands about 1,000 miles south and slightly west of here. I will visit PIBC's teaching facility there, administer our English proficiency test (TOEFL) to several potential students, and visit Bethania girls' high school where Erin has been teaching the past 2 years. While at Bethania, I will be sharing my testimony in the 11th grade Bible class, teaching 9th grade English and science for one day, and talking to seniors about the possibility of them coming to PIBC (soon to be called PIU - as of July 1) next year. Please pray for me to share what God wants me to, and continue to pray for Erin as she finishes her 2 year commitment to teaching there. I'll have photos of the trip up on our blog before Easter.

Blessings! Melody and Tim
Serving as Liebenzell Missionaries at Pacific Islands Bible College, Guam