Saturday, March 28, 2015

MARCH 20-22 - SAIPAN CONVENTION

March 20-22 (NOTE: the group picture will be added when it's available)

Here is the speaking list again:

For Saipan convention, there were about 8 visitors plus workers and friends, totaling about 30 altogether.Wednesday evening was actually our first convention meeting during "pre-convention" week.
Wednesday, March 18
Kent Williston
      The Devil is a taker - he offered Jesus all the kingdom;s of the world. But whenever we take what he has to offer, we lose.
     Jesus is a giver - John 10 - anyone who won't go through the door is a robber
     Mt 25 - the man with one talent thought is master was a taker. He never took from the others, but gave them the original talents plus what they had earned.
     God spared not his own son - God so loved the world that he gave . . .
Larry Taylor
     The Hebrews were instructed to eat the Passover Lamb in haste, ready to flee. The Lamb was to be roasted with FIRE. Fire tests of what sort we are. Fire burns, but it also usually softens. Fire consumes. Our flesh needs to be consumed with the fire of God's Spirit. The flesh being cooked with fire is made smaller. We need to be made smaller in our flesh.The people were led in the wilderness with the Fire.

Friday, March 20
Dale Wipf
     Five very important days in our lives
     Birth - all of our life before us
     Visitation - every living person throughout history and every living person from now until the end of time will have a day of visitation. No one else may know that day, but we will. God is not willing that any should perish. He speaks in different ways to different people, but if we look back on our lives, we may recognize that day when we had a thought about eternity and what our purpose here is.
     Salvation - our day or days of visitation will lead us to a decision - accept or reject the visit. If we accept, we have begun our days of salvation. Rejection may not have immediate results, but on the last day, that moment will be remembered.
     Death -  everyone's experience unless translated at the Lord's return.
     Recompense - the word "recompense" was chosen rather than "judgment" as those who responded positively to their day of visitation allow judgment daily. It becomes a day of reward. The King will remind those on His right hand of the many kind, generous and unselfish acts they did. Their response? When did we see you hungry, naked, thirsty, etc.?" Perhaps the Lord will show the ripples in all the lives touched by those acts. Truly a reward in itself.

Cheri Fisk
     Jesus is the Great Physician.

Saturday morning - baptism
Baptism beach
Scene of the baptism
















Saturday afternoon, March 21
Brian Frandsen
     Jesus is wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, redemption

Kent Williston
     Thoughts. We have our own. God has His. We can let ours be His, or we can keep our own. Is 55:8 "For your thoughts are not my thoughts and your ways are not my ways."In the days of Noah, the thoughts of men were only evil continually."
Jer 29:11 "I know my thoughts toward you -thoughts of peace and not of evil."
Eph 6:12 "For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.
2 Cor 10:5 "Casting down imaginations and every high thing that exalts itself against the knowledge of God, and bringing into captivity every thought to the obedience of Christ.
     David fought the battles of discouragement - no one had faith to go against Goliath. David fought the battle of bitterness, having been falsely accused by his brothers of wrong motives.
     Phil 2:2 - be of one mind
            2:5 - let this mind be in you (Jesus)
            3:13 - forget things behind
            4:8 - whatsoever things are . . .  think on these things.

Saturday evening, March 21 gospel meeting

Marilyn Denio
     Taking on the lesser place can be a strong place. In Joshua 8, some of the Israelite soldiers made as if they were beaten and retreating. The whole city pursued them and the rest of Israel took the city. We don't like to appear as losers.
     Joshua 9 - The men of Gibeon made as if they were poor wayfarers, entreating Joshua to take them in and that they would servants. In this way, the Gibeonites prospered within the camp of Israel. We don't like to appear less than we are.
     Luke 15 - the wayward son found his way back and was willing to just a servant in hs father's house. In Psalm 84 David said he would rather be a doorkeeper in the house of his God, than to dwell in the tents of wickedness.
     If we treat those above us with humility, it is a duty
     Our peers - it is a kindness
     Those less fortunate - nobleness
     Everyone - it is safe

Larry Taylor
          Urgency -salvation of our souls is an URGENT matter. The passover was not a party or a feast. it was a matter of salvation and deliverance.
     We only have so much time and health - need to feel the urgency of our service - of our salvation. Noah felt the urgency of his task, continuing day after day. Lot failed to see the urgency of his situation. Two servants of the Lord came and impressed on him the urgency of the matter. When Jonah finally shared the message he was to give, the people felt the urgency. Rahab felt the urgency of salvation for herself and her family.

Sunday morning, March 22
Cheri Fisk
     Jesus is a full and complete source:
Grace, truth, light, love, power, comfort, joy, peace, tenderness, zeal, knowledge, glory, submission, living bread, kindness, mercy, long suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, temperance, wisdom, understanding, humility, counsel, righteousness, obedience, purity, life, living water, virtue. Jesus wants to fill us to completeness.

Kent Williston
     Another way to look at Mt 13:44-46 - God saw a treasure in the filed of this earth and saw a pearl of great price in you and me, so he "sold all", i.e., gave the best that He had to purchase the field and the pearl. God gave the most valuable gift He could.
     1 Pet 1:18, 19 - we are not redeemed with gold or silver, that is corruptible things, but with precious blood of a life perfectly submitted.
     1 Cor 6:19, 20 - we are not our own - we are bought with a price.
God's love = the ultimate price paid.

Sunday afternoon, March 22
Sara Stickland
     We are called to journey. Abram was called to journey to a better country. Joueying means leavin the place you are. We need provisions for our spiritual journey.
     Food - Jesus is the Bread of Life
     Water - the Word
     Clothing - humility
     Light - Jesus is the Light of the world
     Map - Jesus is the Way
The humility of Jesus is appropriate at every stop along the way on our journey.

Dale Wipf
     Lean not on thine own understanding. Rev 19 - the Lord omnipotent reigneth. We live within the bounds of limitations of time, strength, knowledge and health. Can we have complete confidence in our heavenly Father? Trust is a great honor we can give to the Creator. How can we continue to trust our own thinking? Jer 17:5, 6 - the man who trusts in his own strength is cursed - is like a tumbleweed in the desert, not recognizing when good comes, just existing in a land that cannot produce anything. Jer 17: 7, 8 - the man who trust in his God is like a tree planted where the heat of the day as no effect and always lives a fruitful life. And then verse 9 lays out the truth: "The heart is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, who can know it?"

Departures
     Sunday evening, our Guam friends headed out, followed on Monday morning by our visiting workers, Brian Frandsen, Kent Williston, Cheri Fisk, Larry T. and Dale Wipf. Many were headed to the Philippines for conventions there and elsewhere in the Orient. Marilyn Denio and the Sticklands, Dean, Marion and Sara, left on Thursday.
Guam friends heading through security at Saipan airport

Marilyn D. and Jodi H.

Justin and Jodi H., Dean, Marion and Sara S.

Kent W., Brian F., Debbie, Justin, Jodi

Marilyn D., Brian F., Dale W., Larry T.

Justin, Jodi, Cheri F., Dean, Sara, Marion, Marilyn

Brian F., Dale W., Larry T., Kent W.

Thursday, March 26, 2015

March 20 - EVERYONE TO MANAGAHA

Conventions on Guam and Saipan are multi-day affairs, designed for the limited number of visitors and workers to get familiar with the territory and enjoy some of the local flavor prior to the convention.

Workers and visitors arrived from Guam on the 17th and 19th. A trip to the little island of Managaha - just three miles off the shore of Saipan - was planned for all on Friday, the 20th.

Joining all the visitors and workers were the two nuns from "Maturana - House of Prayer" who are the ones coordinating with us for convention arrangements at their facility.

Jumbalaya to Managaha
Brian F., Dale W., Cheri F.
The Island of Managaha
Larry T. and Brian F.
Arnold Rabauliman
Arnold, Dean, Marion, Sara
Stella and Brenda -Maturana liaisons
Chuukese kids on the Jumbalaya









Dean S. and Arnold R.

Brian F., Kent W., Brenda

Alfie D., Larry T., Max V.
Debbie on Managaha
Stella, Arnold, Debbie, Brenda


Managaha has very good snorkeling and a few remains of Japanese artillery and transports from  WW II. We don't know the names of most of the fish, but we do know they are spectacular!

Angel fish



Sea cucumber






Sunken landing craft-2
Sunken landing craft-1
Shearwater baby









The trip to Managaha was a big hit with everyone. Now back to Saipan to prepare for Friday evening gospel meeting.




































Thursday, March 19, 2015

MARCH 19 - THURSDAY MARKET/13 FISHERMEN MEMORIAL
Uncle Max prepares for Thursday Market picnic

Sara Stickland and her parents, Dean and Marion; Dale Wipf, Cheri Fisk and Brian Frandsen arrived on an afternoon flight from Guam. Larry Taylor and Kent Williston arrived on Tuesday.
Alfie Dans and Brian Frandsen


Clyde, Susan, Celso, Larry, Marion, Dean
Chowing down at the 13 Fishermen Memorial

Clyde Concubierto and Larry T.
Dale W., Cheri F. Uncle Max
Little Korean visitor

Korean visitors and Uncle Max



Marion, Sara, Larry, Marilyn, Kent, Larry

Marion with Korean visitors


Uncle Max with his "adopted" grandson

The plan was to have visitors "experience" Thursday Market and then all of us meet for a potluck of sorts at the 13 Fishermen Memorial. Good food and conversation were had by all. A vacationing family from Busan, S. Korea (formerly Pusan) joined us. They are familiar with the name "Don Garland", but had not made their choice prior to his death. Names (from husband down through three kids. Last name - Nahm): Inhyun, Hannah-Joo, Yoon-ho, Yoon-young, Yoon-jae.
BAVI UPDATE

Just taking a moment to share some links to videos. Click on the link and then follow the instructions

http://youtu.be/TzZL6ysn7TY  - Marine Beach and big waves

http://youtu.be/lYjno5E4Mx4  - Torrential rain and howling winds outsie our apartment


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKdZ4pvfT3w - Incredible wind, rain and waves coming from 100 feet below the cliff.

Enjoy!

Sunday, March 15, 2015

MARCH 15 - TROPICAL STORM (ALMOST TYPHOON) BAVI

It was fun watching the progress of the storm on satellite. The track was initially headed squarely for Guam, but little by little the track inched north so the center was looking like it would be about halfway between Guam and Saipan. Caution: tech jargon ahead . . .

Typhoons, hurricanes, tropical storms - any low pressure area - in the northern hemisphere spins in a counterclockwise direction. They also have a forward motion. In the case of Bavi, that forward motion was about 20 mph. And it was moving in a W-NW direction (about 290 degrees on the compass). Sustained winds near the center were estimated at 60 mph. The winds in the northern half of the circulation would be traveling in the same direction as forward motion, adding about 20 mph to the wind speed. Saipan was in that northern half. Winds started to really ramp up about 1 pm - gusting in the 45-50 mph range without any rain. Deb and I took a drive up the west side of the island (the side away from the prevailing winds) to look at a beach where we usually do a little snorkeling. There is a little rock not far from shore where a lot of fish hang around that we like to look at.
Pre-Bavi
During Bavi
We decided to go over to the "action" side of the island for a look.The reef is very close to shore on that side, so the waves break closer in. There was a high surf warning in effect - waves 15-19 feet! The cliff below in the pictures is about 20-30 feet high.



I will try to post the videos on You Tube, but need to go to McDonalds. Here at the apartment, each file would take 20 minutes to upload!

At one point the surf broke very big and very close to shore, chasing me up the path that I was taking pictures from. A little adrenaline! When we got home about 3 pm, the wind was really howling and the torrential rains began. NOW we're getting it all - thunder and lightning, howling winds and torrential, sideways rain. the peak wind gust at about 4 pm was 72 mph. The power went out, but our apartment has a backup generator, so no worries.

The next morning, I went out to survey the damage and there was more than i thought. Hardly a banana tree was standing. Many larger trees were down in the road and one road was closed near us. Debris everywhere. Partly cloudy today with no rain and light breezes. We almost miss the storm!!


Folks start arriving tomorrow, March 17, for Saipan convention week. Stay tuned!