Sweet Remembrance

"Keep God in your heart. Keep your head up and look to the sky.” said Ku Jung Hwan to a friend in this article in the Saipan Tribune Newspaper today. What wonderful words to live by and remember. Ku Jung Hwan was one of four students that died at Forbidden Island during a Korean fellowship gathering last week. The island and community is so small on Saipan that when news like this surfaces its shocking. Four students were swept out to sea and had drowned at Forbidden Island.



I've been following this story and later learned that the students had climbed through the same cave pool opening that I did a couple of months back. Only I didn't go all the way out on the ledge. I had heard about how the waves can come up fast and sweep you away. I was tempted to go alittle farther just like I think they were tempted to go out farther on the ledge. Sometimes the water is so calm that it can be decieving. After this tragedy, I'm not so sure I'd want to go down to the cave pool again.

In the midst of this tragedy, I take comfort in knowing that Hwan had God in his heart. I pray that others did to. My condolances to the families. Just another reminder that life is too short and that you just never know.

Carpe Diem-a sweet remembrance.

News From Home!

I'm an auntie!=) My sister, Ginger, had her boy baby yesterday! He looks like my dad. Joshua was born at 12:12 pm. He came in at 6 lbs 15 oz and his length was 18.5 inches long! I am so excited to see him and my family when I go home in May. I can't wait to squeeze him and my niece, Katie who just turned two this past Sunday. I'm just so thankful to God that it was a safe delivery and that they are both doing well.




My sister, Ginger, and Joshua

From Left to right: Ginger, Joshua, my brother n law Sitha, and my mom

Wish I was there . . . grrr still on my sick bed.

Blah

I have caught a wicked cold and took the day off. I listened to my ipod in bed all day. So I had enough time to bring you a musical meme:

Pick a band and answer only using song titles: Black Eyed Peas
Are you male or female: Bebot
Describe yourself: Positivity
Your best piece of advice: Be Free
Describe your last relationship: Love Won't Wait
Describe your last crush: My Style
Say something to someone you have a crush on: The Way You Make Me Feel
Say something to an ex: Gone Going
Say something to someone who hurt you severely: Karma
How do you feel right now: Hands up

Being sick sucks!

Shark Feeding At The Grotto

Yesterday I heard that some Japanase divemaster is taking his customers diving at the grotto and feeding the sharks while the customers watch probably for extra money. Grrrr, that makes me mad. Thats going to change the whole eco system down there and maybe make the sharks more aggressive as well as the Barracudas. I know that the sharks aren't that big down there but I think I'd be freaked out if it was coming for me if it thought I had food. Shouldn't they come up with laws to discourage that? I'm just concerned about diver safety.

Go Blue!

I'm proud of our CNMI team! They only had two months to prepare for this match against Guam. The score was 3-2 Guam pulling away in the end. We still have a chance when the CNMI wins in Guam this weekend.

The Vagina Monologues

It was VDay in Saipan. V for Valentine, Victory, and Vagina!

On Saturday night the SM's, John, and I watched the play Vagina Monologues put on by Off the Beaten Path Cast at American Memorial Park. It definitely is a must see! The play really stirred up some senses about violence toward women like rape, incest, sexual slavery, and battery. VDay's mission calls to celebrate Women and to end the violence now.

The play not only addressed ending the violence but it also addressed wiping out the shame and embarrassment that many women still associate with their bodies or their sexuality. I thought the play was frank, moving ,and funny! My favorite part was a skit performed by Nahal Navidar. She performed all types of moans from a Jewish girl's moan to the machine gun moan to the black woman's moan. I didn't know there were so many different types of moans. She was hilarious! I also give them two thumbs up!

Rainbow Over Hell

Earlier this year I read a book called Rainbow Over Hell. This past Sabbath during church we were treated with a surprise visit by the author of that book! I couldn't believe it. His name is Saburo Arakaki and he just so happened to be visiting Saipan with with wife and two kids this weekend. This was his sixth and last visit to Saipan.

This book is easily one of the most dramatic conversion stories you’ll ever read. Rainbow Over Hell lets you see the horrors of World War II through the eyes of a Japanese youth who joined the resistance against the Americans and became an assassin. It was because of Saburo’s arrest and death sentence that formed the backdrop for a life-altering encounter with another condemned Man who died long ago to secure his freedom.



Saipan is full of hidden treasures and relics from WWII. When I'm visiting the American Memorial Park I can't help but wonder what it was really like on the island during the war. There's alot of history and untold stories of lives changed in Saipan. If your looking for a great read pick up this book Rainbow Over Hell.

The story is full of details of what Saipan was like long before the war. It was just really cool to read because whenever I am hiking Mt. Topochou, overlooking Bonzai Cliff, or exploring Japanese caves i have a better sense of what took part in those places. It truly is fascinating. You can order the book from Amazon here.

TGIF

i guess my week wasn't as bad as this poor guy's day! Thank goodness Sabbath is here!

Look After You

Truly the worst thing to experience is seeing a loved one struggle with a disease or a condition that has overtaken their life. You see and feel their fighting spirit behind their eyes but than as time passes it slowly starts to fade into helplessness and discouragement. I often think about what it would be like if I were in their place. To feel what it would be like to have Lupus or to be affected by a stroke and be bedridden. Would I handle it just as good or better? Its so hard to imagine.

It saddens me and makes me feel so helpless when you can't take the pain away. All I can do is offer my support and comfort. But even supporting them through it all feels like it isn't enough when you see what they go through. I just keep holding on to the promise that if you give all your burdens to Christ, He will carry you through it all. This promise is what gives me hope and gets me through the day.

Palau Dive Trip 2007

Crystal inspired me to finish my slide show. You can check out more amazing underwater pictures of Palau on her blog here
. My trip to Palau was everything I expected and more! We spent four nights and five days on Palau. Most of the time we were diving and exploring under water so we didn't get a chance to explore the island as much. When I come back I want to spend a couple of days just checking out the waterfalls and sights in Palau.

The "show" underwater is indescribable. There is so much going on that I didn't know what to focus on. There were countless sharks, turtles on every corner, and plenty of fish everywhere! Not to mention the colorful soft coral and giant clams. It was amazing! This trip was the first time I took my own underwater pictures. Snapping pictures underwater is alot harder than I thought. I had a hard time because the current was so strong and the fish were really fast. Now I have a new found respect for underwater photographers. I guess I just need more practice.

I think the best thing about traveling and scuba diving is the people that you meet along the way. We dived with people who came from South Africa, England, and Germany. All of them had some great diving experiences to share with us. I love to hear about their life stories and where they have come from. It really is fascinating how everyone has their own story. I also have to say that if you ever dive in Palau . . . ask for our divemaster, Dexter. Dexter did such a great job planning our daily dives. We dove three days with three dives each day. He really made sure we got the best out of each dive and I felt really safe with him around.

My new found love is traveling and scuba diving so expect to see more pictures of my adventures underwater. God is bringing me to new places everyday and I'm just so thankful for the life He has blessed me with.

I Heart Guam

I had such a great weekend with Brit in Guam! Two words: retail therapy ;) I think I got it out of my system this weekend. Hey! I haven't really shopped in over 7 months so I think I deserved to go crazy this weekend! I love Guam and the feeling of being in a "city" setting . . . but I love Saipan MORE!! I like the simpler and slower pace of life here on Saipan. Plus there is definitely less distraction here. I'm so happy to be back home.

Brit and i arrived Thursday night and our friends Shoshana and Chad picked us up at the airport. Chad and Sho work at the SDA Dental Clinic in Guam. We stayed at the clinic housing and had access to the clinic car. The clinic car we drove was an old 90 ford sedan. I posted a previous pic of me holding car jumper cables because our battery had died the first day we drove it=( Grrrr, I always have bad luck with cars. We had to ask some strangers to jump our car for us. So embarrassing . . . but after that situation we had no shame! It was so ghetto but we loved crusin' in it! Needless to say we got hooked up this weekend (thanks Chad and Sho).



We visited alot of parks like the War in the Pacific Memorial and South Pacific Memorial Park that had old WWII relics, caves, and pill boxes. I found that the south part of the island of Guam was more beautiful than the north. Brit and I went to alot of mountain top and oceanview lookouts like Sella Bay Overlook/trailhead and Cetti Bay overlook to watch the sunsets.

We had a great time exploring Guam and learning more about the culture. We also visited a couple of museums and Catholic churches as well. Well also ate at Coldstone every day and got our pedicures. There is so much more to see and do in Guam which makes for another excuse to go back and visit.

Brit and I did the tourist thing and went sightseeing all over the island. We even tried to get on the naval and airforce bases but no luck since we didn't have military id's or friends in the military. We hear that they have really nice private beaches on the the bases. On my previous post i put pictures up from Lover's Point that overlooks Guam and the ocean. Ontop were tons of "love" locks on the fences that many tourists had left. On the locks were lovers names , dates, and pledges of their eternal love for each other. It was actually quite sweet.



On Saturday, Chad and Sho took us to Ritidian Point for Sabbath. Its one of their most beautiful beaches on Guam. It actually reminds me of our Wing Beach in Saipan. We had a morning devotional and just shared with each other our weekly blessings and things to pray about. We spent practically the whole day at the beach and got burnt. Chad looked like a lobster at night time! heh!

Overall it was a great weekend and I'm so happy that I have such great friends like Brit to travel with. i'm going to miss her next year. And now . . . back to work.

Hafa Adai From Guam!

What can I say . . . I get restless staying in one place. I'm a wanderer! I'm in Guam with Brit for the weekend. We went shopping, visited Lover's Point, South Pacific Memorial Park, and the Guam Museum. Tomorrow we're going to do more sightseeing. Have a great weekend=)

Public Service Announcement

I'm trying to catch up on posting. I have joined a campaign called Beautify CNMI. Its a group of good-hearted people keeping Saipan clean and beautiful. I try to volunteer every Sunday morning. I have met some really wonderful people through this group. I even made it into their little commercial that is on the local station. My a$$et made it into the commercial. I'm picking up trash, can you recognize my behind??!



I have also agreed to be the PRO (public relations officer) for a Beautify CNMI's group called Friends of the Mariana Islands. You can read more about the group here. Hope you can understand Tagalog!

At It Again.

I taught two fifth grade classes at San Vicente Elementary School. My favorite thing: hearing the kids laugh at my silly story about the importance of their teeth. Classroom management can be tough especially if the kids are hyper. I have a new found respect for teachers and what they put up with. Patience is really key. Some cute questions they asked me: what do you do if your girl friend doesn’t brush her teeth and are you single? Twas a great day.



Btw, still uploading pics from my Palau diving trip. I'm working on a slide show. Stay tuned!=)

I miss Palau already! Kayaking around the Rock Islands.

Alii!

Alii is a Palauan word for greeting someone, like "hello", or "welcome". We flew in this morning and in a couple of hours I will have to go to work=( I'll snooze a bit and then post pics of my underwater adventure in Palau. It was amazing!!=)

Off Island

I've been gadget lusting over some scuba diving gear lately. Actually I've been meaning to get a dive computer of my own. I went with Mayuki after work to the Aqua Connection diving store in Garapan to buy some stuff for my Palau diving trip. I made a "list" and was suppose to stick with it. Turns out "lists" don't work that well for me. Lets just say I walked out with more than I thought I would=( Well, I know it will be worth it!

My bags are packed. I'm leaving on a jet plane tomorrow for Guam. I'll spend the day in Guam and meet up with my other dive buddies to fly out to Palau tomorrow night. So I'll be be off island for about a week diving everyday in paradise! I'll take lots of pics! Say a little pray for safe travels for me, will you?! ;)

Thought for Today

"Happiness, not in another place but this place…not for another hour, but this hour…"

— Walt Whitman

Why Not Tri ?

I woke up to gray skies and rain this morning. Instead of sleeping in and curling up in bed I opted to participate in a mini triathlon this morning. I think it’s the last race before Xterra comes to Saipan. I headed out to meet up with Ken & Crystal at 6:45 am. We met all the other race competitors at Pau Pau Beach for registration and briefing. Brad was also there.

This morning was the first time I felt really cold in Saipan. It was windy and rainy. Standing in the rain and getting soaked almost made me regret waking up so early. But that all changed when I met the other race competitors! I really dig their energy at 7 am. It just feels good to be around active people who are really passionate about competition and sports. I also think they’re pretty hardcore especially since the weather was crappy. Rain or shine the race is still on.



I think the highlight before the race was that I met a guy named Louie (Hi Louie!) who read my “it’s gross, neh!” blog entry about flossing. As I passed him he said, “I’ve been flossing ever since I read your blog entry!” =) You don’t know how happy that makes me feel! That I could actually have some impact on someone! I was laughing and was kind of surprised he knew me from my blog. I just never thought meeting people online could be so amazing!



Ken is quite the athlete and did the whole race on his own. Crystal and I formed a three- man team with Dr. “B”. Crystal swam a couple of laps around the dock at Pau Pau Beach. It looked like a tough swim because they were swimming against the current. She did really well and kept up with the guys. During the first lap a couple of guys were horse playing around the dock. They stood up and did a dolphin dive in the middle of the race. I believe Brad in Paradise was one of them.

After the swim, they had a chicken dance content to see which biker would get a thirty second lead from all the rest! Russ from the Mariana’s eye institute won and as he was jetting away in his bike he had this mad funny laugh like he was saying see ya suckers! I was laughing at him! They biked from Pau Pau Beach towards the grotto to Bird Island. After he came up the hill he tagged me and off I went into the jungle.



I did the Laderan Tangke Trail run. Keep in mind this is the first time I have ever ran a trail. It was pretty challenging for me! It was rainy and all the stones were slippery. I was scrambling in the jungle climbing over rocks, branches, and hills trying to follow the flour marks on the ground. I was trying my best not to wipe out or twist an ankle. What a workout! Though I might have strained my knee I was just happy I finished the trail run. Its set! I want to train for the Xterra tri next year. This year would be too soon=)

Thanks Crystal for the pics!

More Of Him In My Life

"For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them." Matthew 18:20 KJV

The campout at Managaha Island with the Seventh-day Adventist church and school couldn't have come at a better time than this weekend. I guess you could say it has been a long week for me. I get so busy with my schedule and extracurricular activities that my spiritual walk suffers. Sometimes I put off my daily devotionals and than by the time I know it . . . the end of the day has come.




Giving up a couple of years of my life to work for God and the church out here in Saipan has been a real blessing for me. I feel my heart and my life changing as God continues to show and teach me new things. I can't explain enough how far I have come from a year ago. I just look back and see how much my faith and walk has grown in Him. God is really blessing me out here in Saipan.

The SDA elementary school has a yearly campout at Managaha Island and has invited the SDA Church to be a part of the festivities. Ken, Crystal, and I took a ferry ride to Managaha island after work on Friday. We set up camp and helped the kids make our potluck dinner. We made corn on the cob, veggie skewers, chicken bbq, salad . . . the kids were really great about helping out.




After dinner Grant led out in vespers on the beach. All the kids were lined up and he told the kids they had 45 seconds to run and find a stone. The kids took off in a heart beat and came back in 45 seconds to fall in line. Grant than said to the kids to pretend that the stone is a problem, a grudge, a fear, a habit that they are holding onto and to throw that stone into the ocean. So one by one the kids threw their stone into the ocean. Throwing their stones into the ocean represents us giving our burdens and handing them to Jesus. Letting go and letting Jesus take care of my burdens has really made a difference in my life. When there is no way out or when things seem impossible . . . God always provides a way out, another path.

On Sabbath, we had church outdoors! What better way to feel closer to God to be out in His creation. For church we had split up into four different groups and we performed skits about why we think God is powerful. The first group did a skit about the story of little David and the giant Goliath. How God can give man strength to overcome obstacles and problems bigger than himself. The second skit was about How Jesus had the power to heal the sick. How He is a life giver. Our skit was how about how Moses parted the Red Sea for the Israelites to escape the egyptians. How God can provide a way out when things seem impossible.

I just really had a great time this weekend. This weekend reminded me how much more of Him I need in my life.