SDA Youth Valentine's Day Party

I asked Judith and Mai to share a devotional for the youth at our Valentine's Day Party. Mai started off with a touching story about a father's love. He worked for a train station operating a bridge that would let the train pass through.

One day his son was with him at work. While working in the booth the father got a call that a train full of passengers was coming through. He had to put the bridge down. He looked frantically for his son and realized he was playing near the bridge. There wasn't enough time to go down and tell his son to move. He knew he had to make a decision. To make sure his son was safe by not putting down the bridge or to allow a train full of people go over the edge.

The father couldn't bare to let a train full of people go over the edge so he made the agonizing decision to put down the bridge and hope that his son would get out of the way. Sadly the story ends with the son dying but the train full of passengers safely made its way through the bridge.

Valentine's day is overshadowed by candy, flowers, and other gifts. Sometimes we forget what the meaning of true love is. God sacrificing his son's life so that we may have the chance to live eternally with Him.

We closed out the Sabbath with this devotional and to Riki jammin' on her guitar while we sang praises.
Amy helped me prepare Haystacks for dinner and for dessert we had chocolate fondue with bananas, apples, oranges, and broccoli! Yum!

Managaha Island Campout & Eagle Rays

I love camping on the beach! I really look forward to the SDA School's yearly retreat to Managaha Island with the kids. Managaha Island is just a quick 15 minute ferry ride away from Saipan.





Every time we come out here we ALWAYS say we need to come out more often. It's just really peaceful and beautiful out here.
The times that we did camp out here we were the only ones on the island besides the security guards. Where else in the world can you have a whole island to yourselves?!





The kids set up their tents on two sides of the Pavilion. The boys are on one side and the girls are on the other. I felt like I was in junior high again! Amy and I ended up sharing a tent. It rained sporadically throughout the night. We didn't have the right tarp to cover our tent so we ended up a little wet in the morning. We still slept better than we both expected.





Our tents were lined up right along the shoreline close enough to hear the waves crash at night. Like our tree decorations?!







I woke up early on Sabbath morning for a sunrise walk on the beach. Sometimes I think I must be crazy to leave all this beauty and my life here behind. I'm trying to savor the time I have left here. Life is simple and so meaningful out here.

Some of the best memories of my childhood were from my school days. My mom worked really hard as a nurse to put my brother, sister, and I through SDA private school for all twelve years at Loma Linda Academy. At every SDA school we have something called a Week of Prayer. The school schedule is modified to accomadate a special hour in the day that focuses on God. This past week was Saipan SDA's week of prayer.





Jammed together under the Pavilion we would listen to Rikki and Joy jam on their guitars as we sang praise songs to start our worship service.










All week long I heard about a pastor coming out from Florida to preach to the kids. When I arrived I introduced myself to him. We looked at each other and he said " I think we've met before!" I didn't recognize him at first because the last time I had seen him was in junior high. His brother, Greg, was my classmate and Glenn was my younger sister, Gin's, classmate. Small world!

Pastor Glenn talked about how he never thought God would call him to a Pastor. He said, "I wanted to be a dentist, but I never could pass Chemistry!" Funny how you plan your life out but God has something better and greater than you could ever imagine. I really feel that Glenn touched these kids lives. Towards the end of his sermon he invited those who wanted to give their lives to Christ. Many of these kids wanted to give their lives to Christ. Glen currently is a pastor at the SDA Church in Miami, Florida. We hope that he can come visit us again someday.







Amy planned a lot of the team building activities for the kids. She's currently the preschool director and has been a real blessing to us. She's so creative and you can really tell how passionate she is about teaching and being around kids. Here's a picture of Amy and Rikki setting up for a game called Shadow Charades! This was fun. Here's some pictures of some bible stories the kids were trying to act. I just love abstract art!





Creation! God creating the world.
















Jesus hanging on the cross.


The Israelites worshiping the Golden Calf before Moses came down and broke the Ten Commandments.



Some snapshots of the SDA teachers and the kids cooking our lunch.






































Pastor Glenn and me

















The funniest kid, Noah and his mom, Carol Paez.



During down time I walked over to the dock because I heard a rumor that you could spot Eagle Rays from the dock right before sunset and just after sunrise. Its true! I saw these three Eagle Rays around 7 am Saturday morning just hanging out around the dock! I wanted to jump in the water to get a better picture but I didn't have my underwater housing with me=( I'm really excited to see them because there's a good chance I'll see them again at the dive site Eagle Ray City on President's day weekend!






Here's a bird's eye view of the three Eagle Rays!






And to top off the camping trip I went snorkeling! I spotted an eel and tons of fish! Just love how the water is like 82 degrees=) Ahh, what a great weekend!

Secret

So every Sunday I log onto Postsecret and read a new set of chosen postcards. If you haven't heard of post secret it was started by a guy named Frank Warren who invited people of all backgrounds and nationalities to send him creatively decorated postcards bearing secrets they have never before revealed. It has become a global phenomenon.

These secrets expose our deepest fears, desires, regrets, and obsessions. Some of them are a bit crazy! Everyone has a secret whether good or bad. Some secrets we wouldn't tell another soul. Postsecret.com has been an outlet for many.

My outlet is God. He knows how much I have been struggling with my spiritual walk. To the point where sometimes I wonder what I am doing here. This postcard reminded me how far He has brought me in every aspect of my life. It also helped me remember to keep talking to Him during my darkest, loneliest moments. He knows my secrets, fears, and desires before I even tell him.


I really believe in my heart that He told me to come here. Thats how real I believe He is.

Real Beauty

Last Friday Real Christian Theater had its first road tour and performed at five local schools: Hopwood Middle School, San Antonio Elementary, Dan Dan Elementary, Kagman Elementary, and San Vicente Elementary School.





This year Real Christian Theater's theme was "Real Beauty". All of the skits focused on what we believe Real Beauty is: forgiveness, honesty, patience, kindness,tolerance, trust, etc. One of the challenges of performing at public schools is that you cannot use the word "God" in any of the material. So we had to use skits that indirectly talked about God. As a team we are striving to share our love and passion for God. Real Christian Theater is the only drama team on island that travels and performs from school to school.







I must say that I have a new found respect for road shows after doing this tour. So much work goes into the show. It is a huge production and you have to be ready for anything that may go wrong. Forgetting a line is easy because you can try and cover it up. But if your sound system and speakers are down its more stressful. Most of our shows were outdoors so we had a couple of problems with the audience not being able to hear us. But everything eventually worked out.






Our first show of the day was at Hopwood Middle School. The first show we were still working out the kinks especially with the sound system. We did our best. The crowd was really supportive and cheered us on. As the day progressed our shows kept getting better and better. I have to admit that its a great feeling when you say your lines and the kids respond with a hearty laugh! Thats the best feeling to be able to make someone laugh and be happy.





I think its really sad that some people equate real beauty with just physical appearance. Some may judge others and totally miss out on getting to know a really great person.I'm so tired of the body image battle. The media plays a role in defining what is beautiful and I have experienced the pressure to be a certain way. I say screw the makeup, straight hair, and dieting. I think that its sad that women have to change who they are in order to be perceived as beautiful. When it comes down to it, knowing your worth and being happy with who you are is the epitome of what beautiful is.



I'm so proud of the kids because they gave their heart and soul into this school road tour. They did such a great job and they continue to inspire me in so many ways. Mostly they encourage me to lighten up and laugh at myself every now and then. Mai did a wonderful job being the MC and directing the show. Kudos to Sean for organizing the school tour. One of the highlights of the tour was the Kagman kids asking for our autographs! We felt like rockstars.




At the end of the show we played the song by Christina Aguilera "Beautiful". It really tied the skits together and I'm hoping the kids took something learned home with them. Whats next for Real Christian Theater? We will be performing for some of the other local Churches and at Street Market. Stay tuned ...

Exposed

Imagine living in a bubble where the majority of people you knew were just like you. You went to the same church every Saturday morning. You attended the same private school and university for all of your life. The majority of your family and friends were of the same faith. You believed and hoped in the same things. You think the way you are and the way you live is the norm or the standard. Most of all, you think that the way you live your life is the only right way to live. This bubble is all I have ever known.

Leaving the Seventh-day Adventist bubble back home and coming out to Saipan has been a real eye opening experience for me. Exposure to the many different cultures and religions is making me realize how REALLY different I am. I had the chance to share my faith with other people of different beliefs throughout this past year. I'm embarassed to admit that I was judgemental. . . I thought the things they believed in were crazy and wrong. But then I realized that they probably think that I am crazy in the things I believe in as well. I can be so foolish sometimes. I'm starting to realize that Christianity has been getting a bad wrap. It's fascinating though to hear perspectives about life and God from a Buddhist, Atheist, Catholic, Latter-day Saint, Muslim and others.

My spiritual experience out here has been mind blowing and humbling. I feel my beliefs evolving and growing into something greater than I ever imagined. Living abroad is teaching me to embrace and love the differences I have with others.

Church Planting In Kagman

Since I was a kid I would hear about the amazing stories of missionaries church planting off in far away lands like Africa, Cambodia, or Thailand. As a kid I remember thinking how far those places seemed and how perfect those missionaries must be. Now that I have grown up I have realized that those places don’t seem so far away after all nor are those missionaries any different than you and me. Definitely not perfect. Experiencing God in Saipan has made me realize that He can use just about anyone who has a willing heart.

The Saipan Seventh-day Adventist Church is getting ready for our two-week evangelistic series in the village Kagman starting this Saturday. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I’d get a chance to take part in church planting. Pastor Ravia and the other missionaries have been going door-to-door giving Bible studies on Sabbath afternoons for the past couple of months. Pastor Duenas will be flying over from Guam to lead out in the series. The drama group that I have joined, Real Christian Theater, will be making its debut performing short skits before the sermon. I’m a little nervous about that . . . but I’m sure we’ll do just fine.

What I didn’t fully realize at first about church planting is what a major production it is. So much planning and hard work goes into these meetings. The load can seem unbearable at times. It made me realize how much work the Pastor does and much church support he needs. We believe with the hard times that have hit the CNMI that people are searching for something more than what this life has to offer. It’s been a challenging road but I am hopeful that God will work through us to bring even at least one person closer to Him. Please keep us in your prayers.

Hungry

This is what my heart has been looking for. This is what my soul has been needing. I think of prayer sessions at church in the middle of the week as "soul food". I think about wholeness and health as three aspects: body, mind, and soul. Its been a constant struggle for me because when one aspect is deficient, I feel a loss of balance. Whenever I feel a loss of balance my focus starts to shift else where and anxiety creeps in.

I feed my body with food, my mind with His word, but what do you feed your soul with? How do you heal a broken and wounded soul? Prayer and fellowship with those who are going through the same thing I am going through has been a real blessing to me and is helping me grow spiritually.

Tonight we paired up into twos and prayed with each other about our pain, worries, and hopes. I feel God restoring my heart and my life.

Thirsty

Caught a glimpse of His splendor this past weekend. It was like a flash of lighting reflecting off the sky while over looking the sunset at Wing Beach. It was the most beautiful thing I’ve seen.

Though I have a busy schedule and lots of friends here in Saipan there are still many times I feel alone. It isn't the type of loneliness that just anything or anyone can fill. Its deeper than that. They say feeling loneliness is a part of the mission life. The strangest thing is that the times that I feel alone are the times I feel closest to God. Perhaps its because I am clinging onto Him for dear life. He is in complete control.

It will be my one-year anniversary of living in Saipan this September. I’m already looking back and re-evaluating if I accomplished all that I set out for here in Saipan. I feel that I have grown up a lot over the past year. Still my spiritual walk isn’t quite at the level I’d like it to be at. I’m still longing to deepen my relationship with Him.

We started a small bible study group Friday nights and prayer sessions on Wednesday nights. It was exactly what I needed. It’s taking us back to the basics about what Seventh-day Adventists believe and understanding who God really is. Spending time with the new student teachers is helping me refocus on what is important. No matter what I try to keep filling up my life with to be happy . . . nothing can quite quench or satisfy my thirst for something more than what this world has to offer like God can.

A Change Of Heart

Do you know whats amazing to me? How knowing and loving God can change someone's heart. We welcomed our new church member into our family after his baptism today.





Photo Credit: Rosana

Happy Sabbath!

Blessings In Disguise

It is easy to praise and love God when things are going right, but when things go wrong will you still praise and love Him the same? Sometimes life challenges and tragedies are blessings in disguise.

I just spent the night in a hospital waiting room with my best friend, Rae, whom I have known since the second grade. Rae's dad had a stroke last night. The scene is all too familiar to me since my family and I went through the same ordeal nine years ago when my dad had his stroke. Her cousins and I sat in a circle in the waiting room and listened to Pastor Gary's words of comfort and assurance.

Pastor Gary asked a bold question to Rae and Kevin "If God allowed your dad to pass away, will you still love God and will your relationship with Him change?" That is a tough question to answer especially at a time of crisis and uncertainty. Rae and Kevin both answered firmly that they would still love and praise God the same if their dad passed away. Pastor Gary pointed out that it is good when we can still love God when things go wrong because our love for Him is not conditional. We would love Him no matter what the outcome was. That sin would not win because our relationship with God would not change.

Sometimes life challenges and tragedies are blessings in disguise because it reminds me to always lean on God through the highs and especially the lows of my life. Perhaps it is His way of reminding me that I need Him. Please keep my uncle Art and his family in your prayers.

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.