Final Countdown Prank?

I don't necessarily think you should watch this ENTIRE video...it gets boring, just like it does every time we play this song. I post it for the following reasons:

#1) I'm glad other bands over-blow and sound equally as grotesque as we sound

#2) What percent chance is there that Mr. Low would go nuts if we did this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdlB_-2pBTo

Flashes of Light

I had an interesting experience last night....Perry and I were about to go to sleep since we'd only had about 5 hours the two previous nights...when my friend Esther wanted to talk about my upcoming trip to visit her in the PI.....then I was about to go to sleep when I remembered I needed email my parents or they would worry. (Ask me if my mother emailed me today...noooooo....).  Then I remembered I hadn't spent my usual time in prayer because of all my running here and there...so....I had just pulled out my prayer journal when, the power went off.  It was at that moment, I realized I had candles, but no matches and no flash light.   I turned to Perry and asked him what kind of secret agent doesn't have a flash light?  Since my computer was charged, I figured I could use that for a light.  Then suddenly there were bright flashes of light outside--green, blue, orange, yellow...BRIGHT!!!  I ran outside and it was almost like watching fireworks.  Suddenly, it clicks in my mind that this isn't normal.  Had the North Koreans attacked Guam after all?  I decided there were probably be more sound.  Had a tsunami come and took out part of the island? Then I remembered I hadn't felt an earthquake.  (And my body is so sensitive to earthquakes, I even feel the ones that don't exist.)   Had the Lord returned?  But there were no sounds of trumpets.

The power came on and I figured the Guam Pacific Daily News (aka PDN) would have an online update.  Nothing.  And then the power went back off and the sirens began.  I was becoming slightly more concerned at this point when the power returned!  I jumped back on my computer and the PDN said that the power station in my village had a fire.  And then the power went off again--for a long time.  The pastor and his wife came out and we sat outside at midnight speculating for how many years it would remain off.  We came up with new sleeping arrangements (like outside) if it was to never return.  We got out the hand crank radio to hear updates.  I went on the roof about 4 times trying to see the fire.  We eventually came to the conclusion we should just go to bed.  And then the power came on! And then it went off. And then it came on! And then it went off. And now, it is on (hopefully--here to stay!)

Plenty Rain

Those living on the Mariana Islands do not use a preposition after the work plenty.  Where we might say "There's plenty of food," they would say, "There's plenty food."  The word plenty is also used considerably more than someone on the mainland.  So, adapting to island sentence structure, "We have plenty rain!"

Perry and I have not been to the beach in three whole days!  I know that you can swim in the rain.  I also am well aware that Perry is a semi-aquatic mammal which means he won't drown in the rain either.  However, it hasn't just been rainy. It has been rainy with WIND.  Hence the tapioca tree that blew down.

Riot!!!

I experienced a first when I was in prison today (visiting--Perry and I haven't committed a crime worthy of imprisonment--yet).  Perry and I went to bust out my buddy Samuel.  (When I say bust out, we were taking him to the doctor and for another appointment.)  As we were waiting for them to change Samuel into his non-prison attire, I heard someone scream LOCK DOWN and all the officers on their cookie break (this is not a lie--most of the officers left the building, each carrying a cookie or two in their hands, and taking pictures by the front gate) came running with their weapons.  Then there was lots of screaming and banging and noise and more screaming....for a moment I thought I was in the recent Hawaii 5-O episode when Chen was in falsely in prison and a riot broke out with the bad guys trying to kill him.  Perhaps an angry student or enemy of Perry had come to kill us.  Sadly, there was no Steve McGarrett to rescue me.  I guess I'm on the wrong island.

I'm one step closer to actually busting my buddy out of this facility into a lesser facility that can eventually get him released on good behavior.  This place will be so much better and they will allow him to attend church on Sunday's once he makes it to the third phase.  AND they'll allow him to keep his Bible from the very beginning! (The place he is in now confiscated his Bible because he could use the cover as weapon.)  I'll spend my day tomorrow trying to get him moved.  Hopefully, the Lord will pave a way and Samuel will be sleeping a new place tomorrow night!

A Little Bit of Ministry

There are a couple of blog followers who believe that I'm out here for a greater mission than entertaining the coolest Platypus on the planet (okay....when I say a couple of followers, I mean my mom...and my cousin, Kent! Now that I think about it, they might be the only two people in the world that actually read my blog).  I probably should post that I'm really doing some for the Kingdom and not going to the beach all the time. :)

Since I didn't go to the FSM, I decided that perhaps God had a purpose for me for a longer stay in Guam.  I have had the opportunity to participate in ministry that I wouldn't other wise have been a part of.  I took up teens and children's church just like I never left.  I been working this week to reconnect to teens and other people who use to attend the church, but have left over the year, but haven't gone to another church.  Therefore, friendship evangelism is one of my primary focuses at the moment.  I also plan to have the best VBS set that the Guam First Church of the Nazarene has ever seen! (However, part of the decoration planning was trying to figure out how to steal an airplane today--perhaps I need to scale back a bit my decorating scheme.)

Last night the teens had a meeting. We had a great group of 17 total people!  If you followed my former blog back in the day, I started in Guam with four people at teen meeting--on the good days.  I marvel at how the group has grown--not just numerically but spiritually as well.  From the teen group we have the worship leader, two guitar players, a drummer, a children's Sunday school teacher, and a kinder-church leader. But though the group has grown, many have slipped away as well.  I am hoping to connect with them over the next few weeks.  Last night at our meeting, we ate (what teen function doesn't have food???), had a scavenger hunt--in the dark--and watched the film The Butterfly Circus followed by a time of devotion.

If you have never seen The Butterfly Circus it stars Nick Vujicic.  It is the winner of several awards and has a powerful message.  You can watch the 20 minute film on You Tube and several other sites as well.  I highly recommend that if you find yourself with a few extra moments that you watch this film!

Today I got to do Children's Church.  So many little brothers and sisters of the kids I use to teach in children's church.  We had 24 kids today (and another 11 in kinder church).

This week I'll be decorating for VBS, meeting with some of my friends, attending lots of HS graduations (*moan*--they will be hot and LONG), and working on my dissertation.  Yuck.

Ever Rode a Carabao?

Perry kept begging and begging to go riding on a carabao.  (This is pronouced care-a-bow--rhymes with cow. It should not be confused with the caribou or reindeer. The carabao is like a water buffalo found throughout Guam but originally came from the Philippines.)

Here's how the story went.  We were driving around Guam checking out the sights and Perry yells "There's a  cow!"  I have to explain to Perry that it wasn't actually a cow, but a carabao.   I told Perry that carabaos are used for farming and for Santa Claus when he comes to Guam.  I guess Guam is too hot for the reindeer, so Santa keeps the reindeer in the air conditioner while he continues his route throughout the Marianas.

When I lived in Guam, I would go to an area outside of the hotel where the Guam symphony would play Christmas music and then Santa comes riding in (see above pic).  Nothing says Christmas like mid 80s temperature, shorts, the ocean in the background, and Santa riding a carabao.

Once Perry learned that Santa rode this animal, then he insisted we should try it too. And really...can you blame him? So, I turn the van around, and we try to ride this animal.  

This and that and whole lot of fun...

Even though Perry and I couldn't make it to Chuuk, we didn't miss any time hopping a plane to another island (my favorite...but...shhhhhh...I don't want to make the others jealous).  Perry and I hopped a flight to Saipan on Thursday afternoon.  I had just enough time to see the pastor and his family who I will be covering for later this summer, go to the spa, drive on my favorite road (Beach Road), and eat at my favorite restaurant (Thai House) where they know me by name.

Here's Perry at the Spa

Perry and I made it back from Saipan for a birthday party today (Saturday) in Guam. The party was at Onward Water Park which had water slides and my favorite, a lazy river.  (However, the lazy river is not nearly as fun unless the entire band is making a chain and getting in trouble by lifeguards!  On a side note, I never saw a life guard once in the lazy river so we could have made a chain!  Next year's band trip--Guam.)

Here is Perry trying to get a tan by the lazy river

 Perry is out there riding a way in the wave pool!

 I house sit on this beach for a couple of months when I lived on island. It was pretty amazing.

 Perry and I prepare to leave after a long day of swimming. 

The last week ended up being basically vacation...but ministry begins this evening!  Now it's time to get to work.  But fear not, we shall have plenty of fun to report back with.