Happenings...

Friday and Saturday Logan Memorial Church (the church Mizpah's connected with) hosted a Chuuk Church Leaders' Conference. I attended.
Here was the schedule:
9:00AM - supposed to start but didn't really start until 9:30 (this delay is known as island time)
1st Session - worship, offering, prayers, announcements, raffle, and preaching
(Preaching was either Michael Plant [minister from Eng.] or Barry Jones [my CCC minister emeritus])
1st Break - Tuna sandwiches (yum-O) and fruit is served
2nd Session - worship, prayers, announcements, raffle, and preaching
2nd Break - Lunch - Friday was pizza for the out-of-towners, Saturday was "island food"
3rd Session - worship, prayers, announcements, raffle, and preaching
3:00PM - supposed to end, Friday it ended around 3:30, Saturday it ended around 4PM

I'm hesitating to give specific things about the conference so I'll wait until Pat sends his e-mail. As far as I was concerned it was a great turn out and the worship was wonderful. I even know the words to "Sanctuary" in Chuukese now and have it almost memorized. Cool, huh? The preaching was also very good. Even though it was specifically directed at Pastors and Leaders of the Church I came away with lots of good notes.

Pastor Jones preached a little on the specific calling of God to His work. It was amazing the high responsibility that God gives. It was also encouraging, though, and gave me even more assurance that my coming here was His command, His direction, His call to me.

Here are the words to "Sanctuary" in Chuukese:
...to help pronounce the vowels: a (ah), e (eh), i (ee), o (oh), u (oo), ei (ay), ai (eye), ou (oh), au (ow)...
Samol alisi ei (Lord, make me)
Upwe emon chon angang (to be a working person [servant])
Nimoch o pin (pure and holy)
Tipe pos me enlet (trustworthy and true)
Fiti ai kinisou (with thanks [kee-nee-soh means "thank you"])
Upwe emon chon angang (to be a working person [servant])
Angang mi manou (a living servant)
Fanitom (for you)

Saturday the American team (+ Rev. Plant) took Junotte and me out to dinner to The Blue Lagoon Resort. It was beautiful and yummy. I had sashimi and fish&chips and they even let me have ice cream for dessert. I also was taught how to crack open a coconut. I have to say... I really like this fresh coconut.

Sunday after church we were all invited by Senior Pastor to lunch and so that was a feast and I was stuffed afterwards. Four hours later was the farewell barbecue for the American team (+ Rev. Plant). We arrived at 6PM, ate at 7PM (including a pig that was cooked in the pit [our friend Jonathan was making it talk to me, it was hilarious]), and had lots of singing and dancing through 9:30PM. Praise the Lord it wasn't any later. I was completely exhausted by the time I came home.

And for those of you at CCC who might here something about me getting up and dancing from the Trosaks, Mr. Brandon, or Pastor Jones... don't believe a word of it! A group of ladies (who I absolutely love so much!) went up (took me with them) to sing "Lean On Me" for the home-goers. Two of my students, Vanity and Doralyn went with me. We stood in the back and pretended to sway and sing along. Now when Diana (Stei's wife) and Junotte are leading singing and "swaying" their "swaying" turns into much more. Pretty soon the two of them were having a grand ol' time and the next thing I know Vanity and Doralyn have pushed me onto the dance floor. So what do I do? Shrug my shoulders... and begin to dance. Oh dear is right. At the end of the night, instead of just "good byes" I received "great dance," "that was wonderful," "can you teach me?" HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! No joke.

Enough with the fun stuff...

Please, keep praying... especially especially especially for my sophomore class. I had an incident today which made me give the whole class zeros on their 30 point quiz. Ouch to their grades, yes, but I was utterly heart broken. I talked to Linda and Junotte about it but just please please please pray for my students.

Not all things are bad, though, I did receive word from another teacher, Mesewin, that the non-AP seniors wanted to take speech from me too. So that was special to hear.

I'm learning how to pray specifically. I'm learning patience. And I'm learning how I need Him every second... yes, second!

I miss you all.
Love, Katie