Riki Turns 21 and Spring Break!

Great things come in small packages and Riki is one of them. We celebrated her 21st birthday over dinner at Spicy Thai.

















We crammed together in the corner at one of the low tables. You're either sitting cross-legged on a pillow or on the bamboo mat . The thick lacy curtain blocks our view of the outside and there are colorful Christmas lights still hanging from the ceiling. I really like it here and they have the best Thai food

In the meantime various plates are being served to us. Lets see, there was Phad Thai, Fried vegetable rice, Tofu Yellow Curry, Spicy Papaya Salad, Mixed Vegetables, and Veggie Egg rolls. All my favorites! Great company and good eats. Life is good.


My how the school year has flown by. Spring break has started and some of the teachers will go to either Australia or the Philippines for a week. I'm going to Guam for the weekend to meet up with my girl friend, Nikki, from California.






In about two months the teachers will be leaving and I will have to say goodbye again=( Riki will be attending Loma Linda University in June for the Masters in Occupational Therapy degree in California. The other girls have all made plans already. Me? My contract ends in September. I feel like I'm floating inbetween dreams right now. Not quite sure where I belong yet but I kind of have an idea.

Well, where ever we end up . . . I'm so thankful that God brought us together here in Saipan. I know I'll always cherish the moments we spent together.

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!

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 ...

Just what I needed. More Drama!

Real Christian Theater with the kids has been so fun! We have met three times already and finally got most of our scripts last night. The directors have casted me in seven short plays! Oye! I have alot of studying and memorizing to do on the plane to California. Alot of these plays make me laugh and I have no idea how I will be able to get into character. I think its all about letting go and being "in the moment". Something that I am learning to do in my life right now.

One of my favorite actors is Mr. Bean. His timing is impeccable. I just love how natural acting comes to him and he cracks me up so much! Here's a youtube clip of him at the dentist! lol I can't wait to be a dentist.

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Anyway, last night we went over our lines and I was really impressed with the kids. They're brilliant and very funny. We are going to have alot of fun performing for the kids at the public and private schools.

Another reason why I am happy is because I am leaving for San Francisco early Wednesday morning for the American Dental Association conference for a week! Did I mention that Lance Armstrong will be our guest speaker?! I am going to do my best to get him to sign my book. Looking forward to learning about the new cutting edge tools and information on Dental Hygiene. Also looking forward to the cool weather, my run across the Golden Gate Bridge, Shopping, Starbucks, and Wine tasting in Napa Valley! Peace out.

Welcome Saipan SDA School Teachers!

One of the things I love about being a Seventh-day Adventist is knowing that we have church "families" all over the world. So no matter what country you travel and work at there is always someone there to welcome you and to take you in as their own.



Perhaps one of the hardest things I have had to endure living here in Saipan is being away from my family. The members of the church and school have stepped in my life and have been my family away from home. Its a great feeling being loved and supported by so many.



Its that time of the year again to welcome the new batch of Saipan SDA school teachers. There are a total of five school teachers: Ricci, Eva, Veronica, Jessica, and Amy. We are still needing someone to teach our fifth graders and are hoping to find one soon since school starts in a week!



We welcomed them at the airport. Some of the places they have come from are California, Washington, Texas, and even Spain. Their a sweet and energetic bunch and I'm looking forward to another great year with them.



I have to say that it was weird sitting across from them earlier tonight. It felt weird that Grant, Layla, Brit, and Missy were missing. I miss them!

Welcome Back Mai!

I love Canadians! We missed you and are happy that you are home. Ready for round two? I can't wait to go scuba diving with you =)






"For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. " Jeremiah 29: 11 & 12

Clinic With A Heart

Psssssst! Spread the word to low income familes and people with NO dental insurance.

The Saipan Seventh-day Adventist Dental Clinic on Quarter Master Road will hold a Clinic With A Heart this Sunday, June 17. The clinic will be open from 8:00-4:00pm and the volunteer dental staff will be offering free BASIC dental care. What I mean by free basic dental care is people with a toothache and who are in immediate real pain. Most of the dental work provided will be extractions.

Sorry, there won't be any free root canals, crowns, or bleaching trays offered=( We don't have enough man power and time to do all of that. Our goal is to get the patient out of pain. During our Health Newstart series we screened alot of residents in Kagman that were in need of dental work but couldn't afford it. This is our way of reaching out to the community of Saipan.

The Clinic With A Heart will be on a first come first serve basis. I would come early to start lining up and to fill out paperwork. The participating sponsors of this event are the Saipan Central SDA Church and the Saipan SDA School.

If you have any questions, you could leave me a comment. Can a contributor from Saipan This Week put this on the schedule?

Britni

I hate “goodbyes”. I was never really good at them. It is the end of the school year and the student missionaries are leaving Saipan one by one this week to continue on with their education and to pursue other dreams.



Last night we had a farewell party for them at church. We had a potluck dinner, played a couple of games, and watched a slideshow dedicated to the “Dream team”. They put their heart and soul into the school year and towards their kids. Mai and I are the only ones coming back for another year. A new set of missionaries will come out in the fall. This is usually what happens every year at the SDA elementary and junior high school.


I’m sad that they are leaving but I am thankful for the time we had together. They changed me. Our love for Jesus keeps us connected forever and the memories . . . well they’ll last a lifetime.

Britni is the first one that has left Saipan:

Crusin' in the back of Grant's truck, Rusty.

Britni is the youngest and the heart of our group. She’s what I would call a free spirit. She’s fun and energetic. I loved hearing her lead out in praise songs during church service while Grant played the guitar. She was my first dive buddy. We traveled and explored Guam together. We had heart to heart talks about our dreams and where God was leading us. I’ll never forget her laugh that you could hear a mile away. Britni will be moving to California to pursue her Masters degree in Occupational Therapy at Loma Linda University. I love you Brit and will miss you.

Guam Trip March 2007