People

Alvin.
Here’s a guy who’s passionate… well, about music and dancing. Even Jesus Christ. Unfortunately, he is also passionate, or maybe I should say obsessed, with day dreaming, i.e. not doing his school work. Intelligent, capable, interesting, creative… and he refuses to put it into his school work. I talked with him after class a couple days ago about doing everything for the Lord… including school, the place where God has put him and provided. Please pray for Alvin to understand the importance of glorifying God in all aspects of his life.

Onolyn.
Precious with a beautiful smile and a hilarious laugh, she just doesn’t have very good English. Last year she was a little lazy at the beginning but when she realized she wouldn’t pass my class if she didn’t get in gear she worked so hard. Every day in class she’s paying attention and she’s asking me questions so that she can better understand what I want from her. Pray for this precious girl to gain a better understanding of English. May the Lord bless her hard work and good attitude. And may we be better able to communicate with each so I can proclaim not just by deeds Christ’s overwhelming love for her.

Sympath. (update)
In school, in the junior class, in the AP junior class… whether or not he really should be in AP *shrug* but I am so proud of him. I don’t know how or why but he is doing his work. He’s not exactly getting an A but he is working. Pray for a feeling of accomplishment of hard work. And more than anything pray for him to find real Hope.

Easyboy. (update)
There’s a lot more to it. All I’ve heard is that a few of the guys at Mizpah are on some sort of special ride – he’s one of them. Although fairly quiet this year in class, whenever he’s in class it makes all my other guys want to act like tough guys too which for whatever reason means not doing their work, talking in Chuukese, and suspiciously eyeing their teacher. Hopelessness in people is haunting. God has proven Himself tremendously gracious to me. Pray that E. understands that grace is for him too.

Teison. (update)
In between a boy and a man. He’s on a tight leash from his family because of all the suspensions he had last year. Unfortunately I’ve had to remind him of that already. Pray for him to learn self discipline, purity, and that Jesus Christ is the answer to everything.

Cruz. (update)
One of my all time favorites. Expelled last semester. He saw me while I was out grocery shopping and talked with me awhile. He's not in school, he's doing nothing, he's hopeless. Every time I think of him I just want to cry. He's worth so much in God's eyes. Pray that somehow God will provide a way for him to get out of his circumstances and live a life full of hope in Jesus Christ.

Manvis. (update)
Graduated from Mizpah and didn’t want to do anything except be a musician. Now he’s in Hawaii going to college. Praise the Lord is all I have to say!

Teisy. (update)
Follower of Jesus Christ. I helped her fill out applications for a couple different schools in Hawaii but come to find out she’s now a student at Pacific Island Bible College on Tol, another island in Truk Lagoon. And she actually was on Weno this past week and so I was able to see her and hug her. Pray that the Lord will continue to teach her about His wisdom and ways.

Dixie. (update)
My friend. She was going to go to Pensacola but didn't get any farther than Honolulu. I miss her. Pray that she continually seeks the Lord for guidance in life. And pray that she contacts me.

Mande.
Principal Elvis’ wife. She’s in Hawaii quite sick. Sometimes my heart physically aches that she is not here, I know I am an incredibly selfish person. Please pray for her and for her family here and especially for Elvis.

…

Katie.
Yup, that’s me. Please pray for me to find joy in the exhaustion, hope in the hopelessness, and abundant grace in moments of my own struggles.

e-couragement from home. :)

God is faithful and kind every day. On days when everything seems to go wrong, when the students are especially rude and disinterested, when humidity causes you to drip with sweat and the heat drains your energy, when you are so tired you feel like you cannot keep your eyes open or go on, when you don't get any emails or notes of encouragement from anyone and you feel absolutely alone in the "utter most parts of the sea" even then God is with you. He is with you and caring. He is in control and moving you to become more like His son. Everyday I am praying and every day more people are praying than you may ever know. It makes me smile with tears in my eyes to glimpse some of God's kindness. Eph 3:14-21 " ... and I pray that you... may have the power ... TO GRASP how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ ..."

Loyalty

I had to explain loyalty to my students today. I used LA and SD, our dogs, as an example. Sorry, Director (aka Pat Chiles), but I love our dogs and I even think it's cute when they follow us to school! :)

Answered Prayers - Post by K.

1. Water.
It rained some. Then it rained some more. It rained a little more after that. It rained in the morning some. It rained in the evening some. God is the Supplier.

2. Electricity.
Comparatively speaking, we really do live in a mansion now. It’s just a minuscule example of God’s grace – Him giving us what we don’t deserve.

3. Ear, Nose, & Throat.
I am still sick. Does this mean God is not good, gracious, or loving? May it never be! So why is this posted under answered prayers? Because we have faith that He heard and that He will answer accordingly in His perfect timing and ways.

4. Chapel & the AP Seniors.
Most took notes as told. We talked about it in class. They wrote two paragraphs about the preaching. They know that nothing can separate them from God’s love no matter what the circumstances. They know that Jesus Christ is the greatest gift that God could give us, so we know that He will never not give us any good thing. And they know that Jesus Christ is the only way to go to Heaven. I was encouraged and blessed by their paragraphs. Thank you, Lord. (Although I didn’t ask my faithful prayer warriors of my blog to pray for this, during staff devotions we prayed about it and it was answered therefore it belongs under this post.)

Prayers of righteous people availeth much.

Let's pray...

for me to sell my car and find my ss card.

The Agony and the Ecstacy

Ecstacy: Played tennis this morning, what great fun! Played w/ the Filipino Pastor, some of his Chukese and Filipino friends (I guess they play every Sat and Sun morn), his son (and my student), and Matt Chiles. I even got a little lesson from the "court manager", Nacho aka Nuts??? I don't know. Anyway, it was quite fun, went about 6am and got home a little before 9.

Agony: Geckos. Someone prayed them away from my bedroom, but they are still coming in Katie's and all over the house. I am not as bothered by them (aka hysterical) as Katie as long as they are not making loud noises by my head while I am trying to sleep. Usually, I will "rescue" Katie by shewing the little things away. Today, however, I accidently chopped his tail off and he was bleeding in our bath and it was SOOOOO SAD. I was about to cry. I feel so mean, but I'm too chicken to do anything else. Then, Katie sprayed the poor little tailess creature w/ Raid and I felt even meaner - we are torturing them! I wished she would just go get Nic and he would put it out of its misery, but he wasn't home. :(

...as I post, one Gecko is dying in the tub and two others are crawling about the house. Katie is giving me updates as to their whereabouts.

Ecstacy: Rain!

Ecstacy: Nic and Pat hooked up batteries to our house, so we can have all power except for washer/dryer and AC even when island power is off! Hallelujah - the lap of luxury or as Katie says, "We live in a mansion now."

Agony: Bug bites, swollen ankles (I guess it's the humidity...and tennis?) and the endless pile of yet to be graded papers that surround me.

Ecstacy: Living with Katie. (er...she told me to write that.)

Agony: Katie turned on the stove and fried the suction cups off the little feet of a gecko!

Hilarity: Katie thinks if we pretend we can't see the gecko, he will go away because he some how knows whether we are watching him, talking about him etc. ...he probably even knows I am posting this!

Welp, I'm sure there's more, but that's all for now.

And I am going for my first swim tomorrow! Yay! Pray for Katie to feel better, so she can/will come, too.

How HARD it is to be loved by you.

I pray that the student's will see Christ's love through me, but today as I scolded and threatened and sent to the office I thought, "Am I showing love or only frustration?"

One student, the one formerly suspended for chewing Betel nut in my class and presently being sent to the office, asked "Why do you have to be so strict?" Let's take a poll, is it really "so strict" to ask my students to sit quietly at their desks and do their class work? It did seem rather silly to be sending students to the office, but I had to keep my word and I had said, "The next student that gets out of his seat without asking, will be sent to the office." He did it to mock me.

I have to confess I did something else rather mean to this student. Yesterday, he and another student were sharing some kind of icee dessert in class (no food allowed.) I looked over and with glee and excitement in my voice asked, "Woa! What are you eating over there that you aren't sharing with Miss Emily?" When he handed me the icee, I proceeded to throw it out the window. I maintained my composure and went back to teaching the class, but I thought in my head, "That was SOOOO mean."

It seemed to me (Russel is his name, by the way), despite his tough-guy exterior that he was going to be one of my brighter, harder-working students, but after the suspension he has come back rather ... hard. The other students informed me today after he left class that they were no longer friends with him??? Not that the other students can particularly be trusted. Anyway, pray for these hard-hearts and hopeless lives and lazy bodies. They need Jesus!

My Art "Quiz" was oral:
1. What is art? Why did I give this definition?
2. Give 3 examples of "The Arts"?
3. Title, Artist, Museum, City of this painting (I showed the Mona Lisa)
4. What is value?
5. Draw 2 2-D shapes.
6. Name 1 3-D shape.
7. What is proportion? What is one way it can be measured?
8. What is the name for an artist's drawing of himself or herself?
9. Describe the example of Representational Art I showed in this class.
10. What is compostion?
11. What are the outlined areas of this drawing called? (Negative shape)
12. Art is about learning to ... (see)
13. What is the name for a drawing of the outline of an object made without looking at the paper?
14. Draw an eye and label the iris, pupil, highlight and shadow.
15. Make a contour drawing of the chair.
For the following, I explained that there was no right answer, but I would give credit for thoughtful, honest answers.
16. If you could have taken a different course (music, p.e. etc.), would you have taken art? If not, what would you prefer?
17. Since you didn't get a choice, what would you like to learn/do in this class?

I have not graded the srs. yet, but the sophs and jrs. seem to have failed or aced it-about 1/2 and 1/2.

I also gave my Freshmen an exam in Old World History today. It's very interesting the things they come up with when they don't understand English - they just fill in "History words" or copy something from another area of the exam that makes no sense. I'm not sure whether they think it actually is the answer or they are just writing something down to make it look like they tried???

The power came on this afternoon and went out at 7 (as usual), but miraculously it just came on again! The gov'n'r must be tryin' to make up for the last couple days? Yay!

PRAYER ASAP!

I know this probably seems so trivial but I'm begging you for your prayers...

WATER - pray for torrential downpours while we have electricity on so we can keep filling up our water jugs and still be left with an overflowing tank in the end!

ELECTRICITY!!!

I'm sick. - K.

Please pray for me as I have an extremely horrible cold. My head is pounding, my neck aches, it hurts to swallow, my nose won't stop running, and worst of all my ear feels like it's going to explode.

Thanks.

Saturday's Walk

"Where are you going?" Post by K.

It’s Saturday – praise our living and oh so gracious GOD!!! He knows when we need rest. Em and I took a walk into town. Of course, many people said hello, even called me by name, whether or not I had any idea who they were. Many asked, “Where are you going?” including Director. We just pointed and said, “That way!” When we arrived at Truk Stop for lunch, I looked like I had just run a marathon and Em looked like she had just been paid a compliment. That’s just one of our millions of differences. As I look around our God-blessed little apartment, I see Em’s class work, books, shoes, camera bag, and other accessories littering the floor, table, and desk. Both of us have agreed that these months will be very good preparation for marriage. No more politeness from me (remembering from when I roomed with Junotte) – it’s time for good old honesty. “Emily, pick up your stuff!” “Katie, you need to take a shower.” “Emily, when you finish drinking all the Crystal Light I made can you please make another pitcher so it will be cold?” “Katie, I don’t think Nicko likes it when you play your harmonica.” But BELIEVE ME, I am PRAISING THE LORD for sending her. And not just because she kills the largest, most disgusting spiders I’ve ever seen. She’s my sister and she loves me and I love her. And we’re both extremely loved by God. It’s just great.

Classes: My New Testament material is going to be great this year since I have two semesters instead of just one. Unfortunately, it’s my largest class and has the most energy. Please, pray for patience and continued knowledge on how to teach them discipline. By the grace of God, I can already tell that just from last semester’s experience I am already a better teacher than before. That isn’t to say that I don’t desperately need your prayers. I still have a long way to go. My 4 English writing and speech classes are going fairly well. I feel like even my AP seniors still need so much basic grammar help though. Teaching them critical thinking for writing good essays and giving compelling speeches is hard enough. Grading based on their grammar will be tough stuff for them. I’m trying to do some grammar but it’s just so difficult because I feel like we really should start from scratch in some cases. I was having them conjugate the verb “to be” and that was making them think. *sigh* Anyway, you can be praying specifically about that too. Thanks.

Of course, in all of our interaction with whomever we come in contact with on this island, we want to be walking in Christ’s love. Pray for changes that will last for eternity in these people, our students, and us.

K.

everyone loves friday

Katie is watching Pride & Prejudice before the power goes off. :)

Due to operator error my alarm did not go off this morning, so I missed my run. One fellow was up to go w/ me, too - oops! Hopefully, I'll have 30 minutes or so to pop in a work out video after Katie's movie is over. So instead of running, I killed our 2nd gargantuan spider this morning. Dang! Those things take several blows!

Katie did staff devos. We talked about grace.

My art students don't seem to be catching on. Today, I took the Soph/Juniors outside for a little "demo." I held some flowers up in the sun, and had them look at the shadow. I tried to explain that I want their drawings to look like the shadow - in other words, just the shape of the object without any detail. *sigh* I don't know that it worked. But for the sake of those who do get it, I'll have to move on next week.

English reading wasn't very successful. Frankly, the curriculum is WAY too difficult. Heck, it's tough for me! I only scored a 90% on the first exercise and English is my FIRST language. But I did thoroughly enjoy one of the excerpts they had to read. It is from Ecclesiastical History of the English People by the Venerable Bede. Their curriculum compared it with James 4:14.

"The present life of men upon earth, O King, appears to me, in comparison with that time which is unknown to us, like to the swift flight of a sparrow through your hall, where you, with your old men and thanes sit by the fire, at supper, in winter. The hall is warmed; without are storms of wind and rain and winter's snow. The sparrow passes swiftly in at one door and out at another, gaining awhile a short safety from the wintry blast; but soon, after a little clam, he flies once more into the unknown, passing from winter to winter again. So this life of ours appears for a moment, but whence or wither we are going we know not. If, therefore, this new faith can teach us aught more sure, it seems truly to deserve to be followed."

*sigh* I tried to pry out of them the meaning...

World History appeared to go well though! I created a timeline on the board to review the events we have talked about so far and asked them to take notes/create their own timeline as I reviewed the information.

So that's that! Pray for me to get creative ideas and lesson plans this weekend for next week! Thank You!

emily

a better day for emmalay - ptl!

this morning was my 2nd day of "running club." which more or less amounts to me and matt chiles and he needs a day off tomorrow. haha. of the few (i can count them on one hand) who have braved my 5:30am jogging session, matt's the only one who can jog the whole way with me. one of the recent grads who works in the office came out for the run this morning - but i never saw him make it back to campus . . . or to work today! guess he was really wiped out! just as i was making it back, a torential down pour started. i rapped on the door rather soaked and had katie hand me the shampoo. my best shower yet! washed my hair in the water pouring off the rain gutter. it was great!

i was pretty beat as the day started and a little apprehensive, but 1st period art went smoothly, then chapel, then english reading, lunch...(the pre-lunch classes tend to be easier)...but by the grace of God the students were all relatively productive for my 3 afternoon classes, too! in the senior art class i had them making "negative shape" drawings. it's so difficult to explain to esl students. i ask, "do you understand." they nod. but when they begin their work, it's not at all what i asked for. alas, they will catch on. keep praying! some are excellent artists, btw. after art i have reading again with 1/2 of the seniors - they wanted to keep drawing! that's good...and bad. after reading, *play the scarey dramatic music now* i have world history/geo w/ the freshmen. "Director" was peeking in, but fortunately they were being precious little angels quietly doing there continent quiz. aaaah! the silence was music to my ears!

so...now we're going to the store b'c we desperately need drinking water and we have permission to borrow nic and ana's car. alright! buh-bye! keep praying.

btw, i figured if YA group prayed on Tuesday night, my Wednesdays would go better b'c I'd be in my late morning classes just about the time you'd be meeting. Keep that in mind! Remember me in your prayers!

Love,
e

Post by K.

Here we are at the airport for those of you who haven't seen this picture yet. Yes, Sammy, most of those people were waiting for us. :o)



I'm exhausted but not surprised by it.

Please, keep praying specifically for strength - physically, emotionally, and spiritually.

I'll post more soon.

~K.

Oh and, yes, I am SOOOO thankful that Em is here with me.

insanE eMILY

if every school day is like today, i just might go insane. *deep breath* *count to ten backwards*

Well, a week and a day in, these are Emily's thoughts.

The first few days were rocky. When leaving the airport, and a few other times, I equated my thoughts to boarding a rollercoaster as a kid-at first you think you’re brave, then when you’re strapped in and there’s no turning back you think, “What have I gotten myself into? I can’t handle this.” But then you have the ride of your life, right?

Other thoughts of the first days included, “This will not be a convenient life.” Driving is slow because the roads are bad. The electricity and water are available only intermittently. My room seemed at first to be quite susceptible to geckos, even my bed. During the electricity-less hours the second night I got up to go to the bathroom and met a tarantula-sized spider. Our shower doesn’t work, so we bathe from buckets. At first, the toilet wasn’t flushing effectively. Almost all the lettuce and much of the other produce at the grocery looked rotten. The eggs we purchased expired in July. Katie’s comfort was, “It doesn’t get easier, it just becomes normal.”

While “inconvenience” was my impression of the place, “friendliness” was my impression of the people. Every church member on Sunday and a crowd at the airport greeted me with a big smile, a hug or a handshake, and said, “Welcome to Chuuk.” At the airport we were given flower maramars and leis. At church we were introduced and given shell leis.

Nic and Ana, the neighbors, and little Nico are a delight. Ana’s giggle makes me smile. The Chiles, are great as well-especially Linda is an inspiration, and we enjoyed a nice visit from Josh on Friday afternoon. Pearl, one of the teacher’s and a missionary from the Philippines, will be an intelligent and helpful friend as well-she already set to work mending a skirt of mine during the lunch hour.

Classes… “Wow!” Perhaps I am in way over my head. But God’s grace is sufficient for me and he has not called me to a task I cannot do through his strength, right? I want to SMILE more during class! J But I’m always frantically thinking how to simplify my instructions or keep one student from calling out while encouraging another student to speak up. The first day when I asked questions they mostly stared at me with blank faces. I gave them four very basic rules: Be seated. Be quiet. Be prepared. Be happy. Tips from Freedom Fire – hehe. So…how will I balance expressing my joy with managing the class by keeping respect? I want them to be excited. Alas, every teacher, especially of High School students has probably had the same dilemma.

Please, keep praying. For me. For them. For Katie. I think perhaps at first she thought I might be more of a burden than good company, since all my questions and ponderings were directed to her, and she would say, “Ask Director!” (i.e. Pat).

Wow.

My new teaching methods have brought on several interesting comments:
“Are you serious?”
“I want to chop off my head.”
“We’re not going to have any fun this year.”
“Where is the Miss Katie that I know?”

My responses:
“Yes”
“Well, don’t do that.”
“We’ll have more fun if you learn to be disciplined.”
“I left her back in California.”

Pray for the Lord to give me wisdom in teaching my students how to be disciplined and responsible. Pray for me to challenge my students but also to be patient and go slow enough for them to really understand. And, of course, pray for them to know Jesus Christ intimately and have the abundant life that only He can give!

I really appreciate it.

Thanks for all the comments too. They are soooo encouraging.

Love,
K.

e is for emily. note "posted by e"

These are pics from the Island Hopper.

1st Day - by Katie

God is so wonderful to me!

I love these people! Seeing all these kind and loving friends greet Em and me at the airport was awesome. And it has also been sooooo great to see my students! Again, I am surprised at the overwhelming love that God has given me for them. I feel so undeserving of such a high calling.

Thank you so much for your prayers. I believe with all my heart that God hears and that He answers. I could have a huge long list of requests for you but I think I'm going to leave you with two that have been on my heart...

#1 Please, pray for me to not sin. That seems totally bogus weird, I know, and of course I will never be perfect until that glorious day when I see my Savior face to face... but I just ask that you would pray for the Holy Spirit to be powerfully at work in me to have complete control. I do not want to be a hindrance at any time in anyway to God's work here.

#2 Please, pray that I take every opportunity to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Pray for those opportunities. Pray for God to have mercy and for these precious students to understand. Pray for changes in hearts and minds that will last all through eternity.

There is joy in the Lord! Perhaps I was a little too excited before and after this first day of school. Director reminded me that the days will not always be like this and I understand too well that they won't be, but I just know that God has wonderful things in store! It is so good to know what He has done and to have faith that He's going to continue working!

Alive only by the mercy of my God and King,
Katie

Classes Start Today! Aaaah! I'm nervous, but God will provide wisdom, His love & joy.

1st Period: Sophomore AP & Junior Art
2nd Period: Free
Chapel
3rd Period: Senior English Reading
4th Period: Free
5th Period: Senior & Senior AP Art
6th Period: Senior AP English Reading
7th Period: Freshmen Old World History