Ten months on Saipan. My mission year is almost over. I started counting down the days till departure about a week ago. I was encouraged not to do that until there was only a week or so left. Only five days now. How do you spend your last week on a tropical paradise? It's going to be so hard to say good bye to everyone. This place has become home and these people have become like family to me.
The Head and the Heart said it well, I am lost in my mind. I keep reminding myself to document all that I can and to let the people here know how much they mean to me. I sit in my chair in the office and watch the time speed by in fast forward.
I've packed my suitcase! 49.9 lbs. Cutting it close but I don't mind selling my second suitcase because if there is one thing I have learned from being here it is that I don't need so much stuff.. I've learned a whole lot more than that though.
Tonight is the Child Development Center End of the Year program. Tomorrow is my last day of work and the last time I get to see the faces of all these kids! 150 kids I've learned the names of and watched grow this year. They are precious children and I have been blessed getting to work with them this year.
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
This Means War
Every year for a couple years now, the Saipan SDA School hosts a "penny war." This fundraiser beings in January and ends in May. Classes compete against each other to raise the most pennies, and the winning class wins a class trip to Pacific Island Club for the day.
Nothing gets a school excited about fundraising more than penny wars! One dollar bills = 100 pennies. Last year our penny wars caused a shortage of pennies at all the banks on Saipan, so our students are using more dollar bills now. Silver change (quarters, dimes, nickels), can be put in other classes jars to "minus" them, or deduct from their points.
It was my first time organizing something like this, and together with Jean Goris and Virle Gayatin (fellow office staff) we managed to set up a pretty nice looking penny war. Our banks for the pennies were large 5 gallon water jugs. I labeled each one to each class and we set them up on a large wooden shelf in the office. Every morning before 8am and every afternoon around 3pm students poured into the office to contribute their savings to this momentous event. One class (5th and 6th) took the lead by selling cookies and other baked goods to the other classes after school. Students from the other classes tried to resist, but Chase and Bekah Shireman's snickerdoodles are pretty good.
At the end of this exciting fundraiser our school had raised close to $2,700 in pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters and dollar bills. The money is going towards a gate for the entrance and exit of the school.
Nothing gets a school excited about fundraising more than penny wars! One dollar bills = 100 pennies. Last year our penny wars caused a shortage of pennies at all the banks on Saipan, so our students are using more dollar bills now. Silver change (quarters, dimes, nickels), can be put in other classes jars to "minus" them, or deduct from their points.
It was my first time organizing something like this, and together with Jean Goris and Virle Gayatin (fellow office staff) we managed to set up a pretty nice looking penny war. Our banks for the pennies were large 5 gallon water jugs. I labeled each one to each class and we set them up on a large wooden shelf in the office. Every morning before 8am and every afternoon around 3pm students poured into the office to contribute their savings to this momentous event. One class (5th and 6th) took the lead by selling cookies and other baked goods to the other classes after school. Students from the other classes tried to resist, but Chase and Bekah Shireman's snickerdoodles are pretty good.
At the end of this exciting fundraiser our school had raised close to $2,700 in pennies, nickles, dimes, quarters and dollar bills. The money is going towards a gate for the entrance and exit of the school.
Monday, May 18, 2015
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
Remember the Sabbath
I have to share a neat experience I had last week with one of the students I tutor at Dream Academy. Kevin is one of the kids I tutor, he is in the 6th grade and attends Mt. Caramel, a Catholic school here on Saipan. I have never talked about anything religious with Kevin, although we have discussed having good character, working hard, being honest etc. We had been working on spelling vocabulary and studying for a test he had coming up, but after a half hour he didn't want to focus so he began asking me questions. He brought up Mayweather and Pacquiao and their recent fight, telling me that he should have bet and won a lot of money. I like to tease Kevin and tell him its not too late to become a Gecko (the SDA school's mascot), but that day rather than telling me how much better the Knights are than the Geckos, Kevin simply said "I don't like SDA. You keep the wrong Sabbath."
I told Kevin that the bible actually says that Saturday was the day God established as the Sabbath and that the Catholic Church changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday.
"No, that's not right because how can they change the day, God chose that day!" was his response.
I didn't have a bible with me but thankfully Kevin had his phone so we could look things up. "Exodus 20:8. Look it up."
We had a short debate about whether or not it was the third or fourth commandment.
"I am going to win and prove to you that Sunday is the Sabbath and then you will owe me $5! Do you have $5? Ok lets bet."
(I didn't. Wouldn't be fair.)
Kevin found the verse and read it.
"Ok Kevin, now look at your calendar on your phone. What is the first day on there? What is the seventh?"
I could see wheels turning fast. It didn't add up. Where was the proof? He had been so certain it was there in the bible. He was a bit distant after that and jokingly said that it wasn't fair that I was debating with a 6th grader. To be honest, it was a little painful to watch Kevin, who believed something so firmly, begin to realize that there may be no truth to it. Its not easy realizing that you have believed the wrong thing.
My hope for Kevin is that he will begin to look for the answers. I can't be sure of where he will go from here or if he will even explore the Sabbath further, but I am excited to have had the opportunity to have this conversation with him.
I told Kevin that the bible actually says that Saturday was the day God established as the Sabbath and that the Catholic Church changed the day of worship from Saturday to Sunday.
"No, that's not right because how can they change the day, God chose that day!" was his response.
I didn't have a bible with me but thankfully Kevin had his phone so we could look things up. "Exodus 20:8. Look it up."
We had a short debate about whether or not it was the third or fourth commandment.
"I am going to win and prove to you that Sunday is the Sabbath and then you will owe me $5! Do you have $5? Ok lets bet."
(I didn't. Wouldn't be fair.)
Kevin found the verse and read it.
"Ok Kevin, now look at your calendar on your phone. What is the first day on there? What is the seventh?"
I could see wheels turning fast. It didn't add up. Where was the proof? He had been so certain it was there in the bible. He was a bit distant after that and jokingly said that it wasn't fair that I was debating with a 6th grader. To be honest, it was a little painful to watch Kevin, who believed something so firmly, begin to realize that there may be no truth to it. Its not easy realizing that you have believed the wrong thing.
My hope for Kevin is that he will begin to look for the answers. I can't be sure of where he will go from here or if he will even explore the Sabbath further, but I am excited to have had the opportunity to have this conversation with him.
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