Em's Answers to the Missionary Q's

Q: Where did you go and what did you do?A: I went to a small island in the big Pacific Ocean to teach at a small Christian school.
Q: What did you learn about God?A: To keep my eyes on Him instead of my problems. I think I am learning that he is more willing and wanting to bring me to Him than I used to imagine. I thought he was quite judgmental and I was barely scraping my way into heaven by His grace. Q: What did you learn about the people you were serving?A: I learned that they won’t necessarily love me, but my commitment is to them b’c I love God. I learned they will not say thank you and value me and my things the way I want them to, so I’ve thought about how I don’t value God and His gifts the way I ought.Q: What did you learn about yourself?A: I am not brave. I needed my little sister every step of the way. J Also, that I am not gentle (but I think I already knew that). Maybe that I love art and photography more than I already thought!Q: What part of the project was easy for you?A: Um…was there an easy part? Sometimes it is easy to just “hang out” with my students and laugh-especially with the ones that know Jesus.
Q: What part of the project was difficult for you?A: How to motivate my students! How to teach creatively. Teaching ESL is tough!Q: Would you do it again?A: Mmmm…If God wants me to!Q: How did you look at life before?A: I was more self-sufficient. Q: How do you look at life now?
A: I am more grateful for things I took for granted before. Water. Electricity. It has helped me know I need to be more God-dependent for needs like water as well as for the fruits of the Spirit (esp. peace, patience, gentleness) for the school day and living with the roommate!

There are many people who have special need for tenderness. We cannot know what secret burdens many of those about us are carrying, what hidden griefs burn like fires in the hearts of those with whom we mingle in our common life. Not all grief wears the outward garb of mourning; sunny faces ofttimes veil heavy hearts. Many people make no audible appeal for sympathy yet crave tenderness – they certainly need it, though they ask it not – as they bow beneath their burden. There is no weakness in such a yearning. We remember how our Master himself longed for expressions of love when He was passing through His deepest experiences of suffering, and how bitterly He was disappointed when His friends failed Him. – J. R. Miller

Student Art

Yearbook

I have been working diligently to document this year with pictures.
Would you like to be a sponsor for Mizpah Christian High School's
Yearbook? Let the 24 seniors of the class of 2007 know you support
them and are proud of them! There is no photolab on island (that I
know of), so students LOVE the opportunity to have/see pictures.
Help us make this yearbook extra special!

You can e-mail me an attachment with your 1/4 ($10), 1/2 ($15) or
full page ($30) Black & White Advertisement or message ASAP. Please, send your donation to Mizpah Christian High School PO Box #571 Chuuk, FSM 96942. E-mail if you have an questions.

Thank you!
Emily

1. Pray for Peter. He has been absent this week (which is unusual). Other students say he is sick.

2. Pray for the Junior and Senior boys. They are going on a retreat this weekend with their Spiritual Life class.

Sumantha and some other updates

Water pump is not fixed. We have to plug it in when we want to use it, and then go unplug it, so that it doesn’t overheat.

The school hired two new men to replace Ben. A young guy and an older guy to be a driver.

We received an SAT practice book from Mom, and I’m putting it to use in my AP English class. I figured that even if the vocabulary is very hard, it is helping them with their reasoning skills. Making predictions. Eliminating impossible answer choices.

The girl that wrote the note on her test is Sumantha. I wrote her back:

Dear Sumantha,

Thank you for your note. I wondered what was taking you so long to finish the test. J I am glad that you know that only Jesus Christ can give you true happiness. It took me many, many years to really understand that. I thought to be happy I needed Jesus AND a perfect life! Now, I know I can be happy with Jesus even if my life is hard.

You’re right that with Christ we don’t need to worry, but this doesn’t mean that our life will always be easy. It means we can trust God to take care of us even when we feel lonely, sad or like our problems are too big.

I am so happy that you are trying to read the Bible. I have the same problem as you! Sometimes when I read the Bible it is very hard to understand, and I get bored. Even though I was a Christian for a long time, I never read the Bible all the way through until last year!!!! Last year my whole church in the U.S.A. read the entire Bible together. It took three months for us to read the whole thing. It was so exciting though! It took a lot of prayer for God to help me keep going. Sometimes it was very hard, but I felt so happy to read all of God’s word to me!

Now I find it helpful to read a devotional book like “Daily Bread.” It shows me a Bible verse or a part of the Bible to read, and then tells me something to think about. It’s very good. Maybe you could try something like that? Miss Katie is always more excited about reading the Bible than I am. She told me that she just knows that it is the way to know God better. Also, whenever she reads the Bible she asks herself, “What will I do differently now that I’ve read this?” I just keep praying that God will make me more and more excited about reading His word. The Bible is like God’s own special letter to me.

Sumantha, I want you to know that I have been praying for you, especially the last few days. I have been praying that you will come to school every day. I think you are a very smart girl. If you came to school every day, I think you would have very good grades in my classes. Also, I want to encourage you about college. Where are you thinking about going? Will you apply to any colleges in the Unites States? I think you have a lot of potential. Trust God to use you and to provide everything you need. Just ask Him! I will be praying for you, and if you want to write any more notes that is fine and I will answer you. Also, if you want to come up to the house and hang out with me and Miss Katie that is good!t

She was absent for about a week after that, and just returned this Monday. She is a very, very quiet girl and I don’t see the other students talking to her much. Before this year, Sumantha had been in the running for valedictorian. She had also gone to Phonpei as a representative for the school, we don’t know what’s happening in her life now. We know that her father left the family. Also, she had a cousin at Mizpah last year who quit high school and got married, but her husband divorced her very quickly. This cousin had also been pregnant. There are lots of things going on in Sumantha’s home I’m sure, and, of course, her heart. Continue to pray for her.

Pray for me as I continue to consider whether I will come back next year or what else I will do (though honestly I don’t think about it much).

Mom, there are no swings in Chuuk! (Not that I know of…) Though I told Katie yesterday, “If I come back, I’m definitely bringing my hammock.”

Thank the Lord

that rain keeps fallin' on our tin roof. :)

Pray for Way-One. He is a Mormon. He needs you to intercede for him.

Mizpah Day

Ermy, Miss Katie, Paula, Ketty

Evangeline, Sina, Augustina, I-Lillian, Jazzlyn, Vanity

Becko on the Green Team
Junior and Myron

Arlene, Robin, Rick, Alvin

Peter and Maverick

Kieko



Peter

Spectator

Alvin, Peter, Serky, McKay

Updates

The copy machine is back and in working order! PTL!

Our water pump is still broken at the staff house. It's a nuisance, but we survive.

I have seen Job twice since he was expelled. Once I saw him on the road, and he came to the school and gave his word of apology in chapel one day. I haven't seen him since then, but I think he goes to the field to run with some of the students in the morning.

I haven't seen EasyBoy. Maverick told me that he told EasyBoy to come back next year. I don't know whether that's a possibility. I think it depends on why they were expelled??

Ketty is our cook's daughter. She is a freshmen and very naughty! She has not grown up in her parents' home, but with a cousin. The cousin wants to transfer her to Berea (another Christian school) because she thinks Ketty is learning her bad behaviors at Mizpah (like chewing betel nut). I told Senenta (her mom), "Well, maybe she could go to a more strict place where she couldn't do bad things, but what really matters is her heart." Anyway, she is still at Mizpah for now, but please pray for her...I even caught her chewing betel nut in our house once!

the Sophomores

Today in my second period sophomore New Testament class, we reviewed for a short quiz that they would take at the end of class on the books of 1st and 2nd Thessalonians. When the time came to take the quiz and after all the pencils were sharpened, people were sitting at their desks with a piece of blank paper, and everything else was put away, I began to read each question slowly out loud to the class. Three of my students refused to even take the quiz, which isn’t surprising because they refuse to do the class work too. One of those students, however, proceeded to say out loud the answer to each question. He wasn’t even taking the quiz for himself, but it was out of complete disrespect and spite towards me. I was sooooooooooooo angry. I could physically feel my blood boiling and in as calm a voice as I could muster I said, “The Bible tells us that when we are tempted to sin we need to flee from that sin. You need to leave my class right now. Leave. Now. So that I will not sin.” He did eventually leave. The Holy Spirit almost instantaneously took away my anger and gave me calm and I was allowed to continue. Unfortunately, he did come back to class but at least he was quiet and my anger removed.

Please, pray for both of us. Pray for wisdom for me. His name is Mori-M.

Cheating happens ALL THE TIME in my class and it is SO FRUSTRATING. How can they learn if they cheat? How can they pass the class if they cheat? If I give zeros to people every time they cheat probably one third of my class would not be able to pass. Even now, I’m failing six of my sophomores. They refuse to do their class work. They refuse to listen. They can’t get points for doing nothing. They can’t pass quizzes and tests they’ve never done any work or studied for. I just don’t know what to do.

Missionary Questionnaire

A friend of mine sent me an AWANA assignment he had to interview a missionary. I thought I would share my answers with all of you as well.

Q: Where did you go and what did you do?
A: I followed God’s leading to Mizpah Christian High School in Mwan Village on Weno Island in the state of Chuuk in the country of Federated States of Micronesia. I teach English Communications and New Testament to high school students. As a teacher, I look for ways to build relationships with my students and share the Gospel of Jesus Christ with them and encourage them in their walks with God.

Q: What did you learn about God?
A: God always knows best. Even if God asks us to do something that is scary or hard, He always knows best. God is faithful and we can depend on Him for everything. He gives us everything we need – and so much more! God is always with me – even when I am away from my family and friends and church family, He is here right beside me, taking care of me, and guiding me. The thing I’m learning most about God right now is that He uses me in His way in His perfect timing even though I am still a sinner! Yes, I am a Christian and desire to please God, but I am still a sinner and sometimes choose to do things that do not please God. But God is so gracious with me and even though He knew I would sin and mess up sometimes, He still wanted me to come and serve here. God chose me to be here and God will work through me to accomplish His good purposes and will.

Q: What did you learn about the people you were serving?
A: Deep inside the human heart, we are all the same. People are sinners no matter where you go, no matter what country you’re in, no matter who your parents are, or who your friends are. And the biggest sin that people struggle with is pride – admitting that they freely choose to do wrong. …But I’ve also learned that no matter what your background is, if you both love Jesus Christ as your Savior and King, then you can have a relationship with each other that is wonderful! Knowing Jesus ties us together with a bond that cannot be broken. It is one of the most wonderful blessings in the world!

Q: What did you learn about yourself?
A: I guess I sort of answered this question in the answer to what I was learning about God. The biggest thing that I am learning is that no matter where I go or what I do (even if I’m a missionary!), I’m still a really big sinner. I am learning that I cannot depend on any of my efforts but only on the grace of God and Him graciously choosing me to serve through Him and for Him.

Q: What part of the project was easy for you?
A: Wow… this is a hard question. I think the only thing I can say is loving the students who love me in return. Of course that’s easy though.

Q: What part of the project was difficult for you?
A: Everything else. Almost every day I feel spiritually, emotionally, mentally, and physically exhausted. Being a teacher is the hardest thing I’ve ever done. Continually trusting the Lord and being in His Word and praying and loving unconditionally and always knowing what to say to the students and always representing Christ and having wisdom in discipline and not knowing the language and having people stare at me just because of the color of my skin and hair and driving on a road with billions of huge potholes… it’s difficult. BUT I have to say that I’m still very thankful for the things that God has provided and I still have so much more than I need or could even ask or think. Our Heavenly Father certainly loves to give good gifts – His precious Word, morning devotions with Christian staff, a few students who really do work hard, students who make me laugh so hard I start to cry, packages from Mom or friends, a toothbrush and toothpaste, a running vehicle, money to buy gas and groceries, 24-hour electricity, rain, and so much more!

Q: Would you do it again?
A: ABSOLUTELY!

Q: How did you look at life before?
A: Well, God taught me a lot before I even arrived on the mission field; He had to or else I wouldn’t have come. So maybe this isn’t the answer you were expecting but I looked at this life here on earth as only temporary and that it’s really all about heaven with my Savior. The reason I said yes to God’s calling me here was because I knew that I wanted to live my life here on earth in service to God, sharing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and giving glory to the Creator of the Universe.

Q: How do you look at life now?
A: That it’s worth it. No matter how hard things may be or no matter what God asks you to give up or no matter what you have to leave behind, it’s worth it to follow God where ever He takes you. Serving Jesus Christ with every fiber of your being is the most wonderful, satisfying, valuable thing in the whole world!

College Applications

Please be in prayer for…

Dayson – He’s finishing up his third year at Pacific Island Bible College and is the head of student leadership. He has an amazing love for the Lord and His Word and wants to be a missionary. His application has been sent in to The Master’s College and during spring break he will be taking the SATs. Pray for the Lord’s guidance for Dayson’s future, clarity of mind as he takes the SATs, and lots of financial aid. Pray for patience as he waits.

Franky – He’s fickle. And he’s tired of high school right now and so he doesn’t like the sound of challenging college courses. He has always wanted to go to a Christian college in the States but has been back-and-forth about which one and how and who and what and when. I told him that he needs to pray about it and wait for peace and guidance from the Lord. Please be in prayer for him too.

KI – He is very intelligent and creative. He would like to go to a small Christian college in the States, preferably where there are not a lot of Chuukese, but right now he just seems so lost. He’s really concerned about finances and doesn’t want to get his hopes up if his family can’t afford it. He definitely has the drive to make it at the collegiate level. Pray for guidance and peace.

Peterson – He’s been accepted at Pensacola Christian College but doesn’t know if he will be able to afford it (and it’s relatively inexpensive compared to other private schools). He also told me yesterday that he doesn’t want to regret going there if there’s someplace better for him to go. He graduated from Mizpah last year as salutatorian and is extremely hard working.

The Senior Girls – Pray that they would know their God-given abilities and potential and that they would seek the Lord for guidance for their futures.

…

FYI: This summer (early July) a group from Logan Memorial Church will be coming to California and doing different ministries as well as being a part of the 4C’s conference. I don’t know all the details yet but I say this mainly for the youth. While they are around Carlsbad they will need homes to stay in. Would you like to open your home to some of the most wonderful people in the whole world that I love so much? Even after the LMC team leaves, some of these youth (i.e. the one’s mentioned above) may need somewhere to spend the end of July and beginning of August before they can move onto their college campuses. Would you be willing to take them in and love them? Emily and I have also talked about the possibilities of maybe even taking one of these students in for an entire year so that they would be able to attend community college and have a job for awhile. Comments? Questions?

For Mom

Spring Banquet

If you're happy and you know it...

Praise the Lord! Midterms and 3rd Quarter are over! Thank you for your prayers. I had some surprisingly good grades and some surprisingly not-so-good grades. Overall, it was a fairly good semester. Praise the Lord!

The End of the 3rd Quarter

Here are some different things that have been going on. We could always use your prayers.

RE: Copy Machine
Are copy machine is broken and hopefully parts will be coming soon so that it can be fixed. I honestly have no idea how teachers did it in the olden days. Midterms are ready so Emily and I will take them down to the copy center. It’s not Kinko’s. We’ll probably write a check in the fifty dollar range.

RE: Midterms & Test Taking
Test days used to be my favorite school days when I was a student. I went in prepared (most of the time) and could put my answers down and leave. I hate test days as a teacher – kids complaining that they didn’t study (even though we worked on study guides in class the two days prior), kids complaining that they didn’t know (even though I’ve told them and wrote it at the top of the board every class day for the past two weeks), what to do with the students who were absent (whether it’s a legitimate absence or they were on suspension), and cheating, cheating, cheating. Some of the students think that I’m mean and ungracious when I do not let them take tests whenever they want, never getting penalized for being late, using notes, asking friends, and even if they still get a D that my grade book should have an A because I prayed that they would all get As – WHAT DO I DO?

RE: Make-Up Work
I get very frustrated with this too. Why should the student who has chosen to be absent for absolutely no good reason be allowed to do or re-do work that they missed not being there? I mean, okay, it’s one thing doing it a few days after your return but not the last two days of the quarter! Also, why should I give them make-up work when the work that they have done has not been up to par because of their choice not to do the work or not to study. The even worse part about this quarter is that I’m focusing on speech and not writing so how am I supposed to have one student make-up oral exercises that were done in groups and then in front of the class?

DON’T GET ME WRONG – These students are intelligent and they have GREAT potential. But I don’t even begin to comprehend their lack of TRYING – some simply refuse to do anything but think that I should pass them if they’ve done 20% of the work.

(Okay, well I just read Emily’s new post that I hadn’t seen but I think I will go ahead and post mine as well.)

RE: The Master’s College
Yes, I am SUPER excited about the possibility of a few students attending TMC next year! Dayson graduated 3 years ago and has been attending Pacific Island Bible College Chuuk campus on the island of Tol. He has prayed and prayed about this and sees the Lord guiding him there. Pray that God will provide financially! Also Franky, a senior this year, is excited about TMC. At first he had his hopes set on a different college and had been thinking that there’s no way he could afford TMC but I told him to apply anyway and see what God does. His dad, who just recently has come back into his life after leaving the family when Franky was very young, told Franky that he looked at the TMC website and liked what he saw and said that Franky should apply. So that was very encouraging! …Pray for both of them too as they take the SATs in a few weeks.

RE: Columbia International University
Well, I guess Emily broke the news that I’m looking into Grad. School – particularly a Master’s in Teaching English as a Foreign Language/Intercultural Studies. I think it applies. :o) Pray for peace and patience. Pray that God guides me for what He wants me to do next year with so much assurance, just like when I first came to Chuuk.

*sigh* I think there are other things to say but I can’t remember them at the moment.

God’s love endures forever!

Note from a Student

God’s help can make us succeed or graduate and we a happy life. I hope people know that there is noone that can help us except Jesus Christ or God. The thing that interrupts my mind is how is it going to be on the day God comes back. I really need someone to help me to know and understand God better. I know that if someone helps me I think I’ll feel good because I know and understand God I don’t have any more worries to think about, but now I’m still worried about my life because till now I don’t know yet about God. Everyday when I begin to read the Bible I get a little bored so I stop so till now I’m still on Genesis 1. That’s the one thing I wish for, for someone to help me with my life. I hope the one that sees this is the one that’s going to help me understand our God. Sorry Miss emily for writing on the back of this paper but I just want to know what my feelings are I’m really really sorry. I hope you forgive me.

More PRs

1. Pray for Director and Vice as they find a replacement for Mizpah Maintenance staff, Benjamim. Of course, pray for Benjamin as he adjusts to his new life in Spokane, WA - and snow! He is studying for his Driver's License test.

2. Pray that the copier parts, which are in the mail, get here quickly and the copy machine can be repaired. Much time, money and energy is being spent running around getting copies at the two local copy shops.

3. Pray for Mesowin (Mizpah teacher, and Mande's brother) as he and his wife reach out to their neighbors. They are having fellowship nights at their home on Thursdays.

4. This Friday is Mizpah's Spring Banquet at Truk Stop (local hotel). Pray for good student behavior.

5. Praise God for Vice's grandma's recent salvation and pray for healing for her body as she is in bed with pain.

6. Pray for junior high student, Alexis, as he has had many absences for being sick, and upon returning to school hurt his knee in P.E.!

7. Pray for Katie as she makes decisions about going to grad school at Columbia International University to study to be an ESL teacher.

8. Pray for The Master's College Admissions and Financial Aid staff as they evaluate Mizpah students' applications! Pray for the Mizpah students that are applying to schools in the States for wisdom, guidance, and God's financial provision.

9. Pray for Matt Chiles' ongoing tonsil infections to be healed.

10. Pray for Mizpah freshmen w/ excessive absences, Teddy.

11. Pray for Mizpah junior, Ivory Ann. She is moving to Oregon.

12. Pray for Mizpah senior, Job, who was expelled for in appropriate behavior. Pray for him to be truly repentant and changed by God's grace. I think he is a Christian, but he is struggling with some very big habitual sins. He is only 15 years old. There is no father in his house. Pray for him, his mother, and other family members to help him deal with his sin appropriately.

13. Pray for students and staff to persevere this week as the 3rd quarter closes.

Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah! My heart is heavy. Help me to lay it all at His feet. Because what could I possibly change or do about any of these problems anyway! Thank you.emily

Water, water in our tank, but not a drop to use.

Our water pump is broken. Boo! So inconvenient. How will I take a shower or even get water to take a shower? I tried to boil some water from our smaller "rain barrel", but it still looked kinda grimy. Well, I read something that said nickname your inconveniences, so you can approach them with familiarity instead of fear and dread. What should we call this one?

Note from Katie

Also pray for me and Em as we seek the Lord for our futures - that we would be confident in His leading. Pray also that He gives us strength and energy and patience for the last 8 weeks of the school year. Pray that He gives our students strength, energy, and patience too.

Kinisou chapur! Thank you very much!

Thanks, Mom, for another thoughtful, helpful package.

Pray for:

Teachers Nic and Ana as they make plans for this summer and decide what they will do next year.

Logan Memorial Church as the have an emphasis on Prayer and Fasting leading to Easter.

Mizpah students that have recently received the Lord.

Mizpah students that have been expelled: Joshua (Jr. High), EasyBoy, Juan (Jr. High)

Mizpah students and alumni that are applying to colleges (Pensacola, Master's & more...).

Continued wisdom and strength for us inside and outside of the classroom as we increasingly have visitors to the house.

My freshmen history class because most of them (at this rate) are going to fail the quarter which ends next week.

Many Mizpah students that have had many, many absences this quarter.

Kinisou! Thank You!

Praise God for:

Rain, staff devotion time, restored health, little victories inside and outside of the classroom, the use of Director's car, almost always 24-hour power, grace and power through His Holy Spirit!

Spencer, Spencer, Spencer! (That's what I sound like in class) Franky, A little girl

Peterson, Spencer, Charleen, Spencer, Onolyn, Justin