more info to come...
June 30, 2010
June 21, 2010
6/22/10
I (Mike) have just begun my second week of class. It’s been a ton of work, but it has been even more rewarding. We just finished the book of Hebrews on Monday (after a total of 10 hours of lecture and discussion), so we’ve covered a lot of great material, as well as some of the most difficult passages in the New Testament. Somehow we got through it, and hopefully made some sense out of it! My students continue to impress me with their insight, thoughtful questions, and an overriding passion for learning Scripture. It’s an amazing experience to see the “lights come on” when the students grasp a new truth or idea. Seeing them take a lesson learned from class, and apply it to their future ministries is incredible. I have 8 students in my class, who represent 5 different cultures! So for those of you who have supported us through giving and/or prayer, be assured God is using you to help these students learn and apply God’s Word, thus increasing their effectiveness in future ministries to the people of Guam, Chuuk, Palau, the Martial Islands, and China. And that's just my class.
It’s been an honor to serve here at
Please keep me and my students in prayer. Tomorrow we begin the book of James, so we face many practical issues, and some very challenging. Please pray that I would be effective in teaching Scripture in a way that meets the needs of my students, especially in light of the challenges of doing all this in a cross-cultural environment.
God is good.
Hebrews 13:20-21
June 17, 2010
Gun Beach
A Morning Full of Snorkeling and Hiking - never have we seen such amazing sites in our lives - the beautiful colors of coral and fish. I wish all my family and friends could have been there to see it. Huge hermit-crabs walking along the path in the jungle - coconut, banana, and mango trees everywhere.
June 16, 2010
Libby's First Three Days of Teaching
I have just finished my 3rd day of teaching and I love it!
I have five students; three of which are college-age and desire to start at the Bible College in the fall but do not have high enough English scores for acceptance. The other two are in their mid-40's and are new on Guam and speak very little English - they desire to improve their English so they can get a job on the island. Two of my students are from China, two are from Chuuk (a neighboring Micronesian island), and the other is from Taiwan. Hence, three speak Mandarin and two speak Chuukese (I never knew the island had their own language) as their native language.
The program I am teaching in has four sections and many outside activities. The students are busy from 8:30a - 9p, with some breaks. On Fridays, the teachers take the students on field trips around the island to practice their English and sight see. The four class sections include: grammar and writing, academic and workplace expectations, basic Bible knowledge and western culture, and my class which is "reading." My class focus is on improving reading comprehension and listening skills, developing reading strategies, improving pronunciation (reading aloud skills), and building vocabulary.
Going into my first day of teaching I was intimidated, but once I started teaching I was put at ease by my students' great questions and eagerness to learn. I found it a bit of a challenge working with the two vastly different groups; one group needing very basic skills and the other needing college prep skills. After the first day, however, I am learning to adjust. The students are so much fun. XuaYung, who speaks very little English, has such a funny personality. So far I have taught lessons on pronunciation, including sentence stress and the basic rhythm of English. You should hear them now - they sound beautiful :)
Thank you so much for your prayers! It is a great blessing to be involved with such a wonderful ministry this summer. Please continue to pray for my teaching as well as my students.
Love and miss you. Libby
*Photo: Lynn Lin, student from Taiwan
I have five students; three of which are college-age and desire to start at the Bible College in the fall but do not have high enough English scores for acceptance. The other two are in their mid-40's and are new on Guam and speak very little English - they desire to improve their English so they can get a job on the island. Two of my students are from China, two are from Chuuk (a neighboring Micronesian island), and the other is from Taiwan. Hence, three speak Mandarin and two speak Chuukese (I never knew the island had their own language) as their native language.The program I am teaching in has four sections and many outside activities. The students are busy from 8:30a - 9p, with some breaks. On Fridays, the teachers take the students on field trips around the island to practice their English and sight see. The four class sections include: grammar and writing, academic and workplace expectations, basic Bible knowledge and western culture, and my class which is "reading." My class focus is on improving reading comprehension and listening skills, developing reading strategies, improving pronunciation (reading aloud skills), and building vocabulary.
Going into my first day of teaching I was intimidated, but once I started teaching I was put at ease by my students' great questions and eagerness to learn. I found it a bit of a challenge working with the two vastly different groups; one group needing very basic skills and the other needing college prep skills. After the first day, however, I am learning to adjust. The students are so much fun. XuaYung, who speaks very little English, has such a funny personality. So far I have taught lessons on pronunciation, including sentence stress and the basic rhythm of English. You should hear them now - they sound beautiful :)
Thank you so much for your prayers! It is a great blessing to be involved with such a wonderful ministry this summer. Please continue to pray for my teaching as well as my students.
Love and miss you. Libby
*Photo: Lynn Lin, student from Taiwan
June 15, 2010
Mangilao Trail
300 Steps Through the Jungle
Less than a five minute drive from campus is a trail-head that leads through the jungle down to a beautiful oasis. A group of us from PIU hiked this on our 2nd day on Guam. It was breathtaking to say the least. Even though the humidity was at about 100% and banana spiders were everywhere, it was well worth it :) To see more photos, CLICK HERE.
Less than a five minute drive from campus is a trail-head that leads through the jungle down to a beautiful oasis. A group of us from PIU hiked this on our 2nd day on Guam. It was breathtaking to say the least. Even though the humidity was at about 100% and banana spiders were everywhere, it was well worth it :) To see more photos, CLICK HERE.
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