THE LONG GOODBYE

This stuff has to go!

Our last week on Saipan was kind of a blur of activity. Monday started out with a determined effort to pack up the apartment. Todd and Sarah really made life easy for us by furnishing the apartment with all kinds of amenities. These will come in handy for the workers in the future, so we packed it all up and took it up to Maturana, where the workers will be staying and where we have convention and special meeting. Arnold will make sure it is all safe!

The "Stuff" at Maturana

Part of the packing was to see if our friends needed any of the food items we would not be taking with us along with a few odds and ends that didn't need to go home with us and didn't need to be up at Maturana. We had Bible study on Thursday that week due to Alfie and Max needing to be at a work orientation from 5-7P, so right after the meeting, we had a "going through" of all the stuff piled on tables and counters. It was a joyful time of discovery for our friends and a time of relief for us not having to deal with all that stuff before we leave!

Spices anyone?

Max bags some snorkel equipment

Alfie goes shopping

Junior, Clyde and Susan are excited about their "finds"

During the last few weeks of our stay on Saipan, I was helping out at the local NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) Office, advising on the implementation of a pedestrian safety enforcement operation. As a way of saying "Thanks", the office staff took me out to lunch on my last day (Friday April 17) at the Magellan Room of the Pacific Island Club. They gave me a nice bag of goodies and a certificate of sincere appreciation - which I very much APPRECIATED!!

The Pacific Island Club Magellan Room

Appreciation

Fiji himself

While we were eating, the group spotted Fiji, a noted island singer who had come out from Hawaii to Saipan for a show. Everyone was really excited, so we hopped over for a group picture! His music is reggae style, but the lyrics are somewhat gospel oriented. Take a listen:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k8nuch3cTDs  (copy/paste)

After my island buffet lunch, it was home to "walk out the door". Here's our drive-away video:

So that we could pack everything up to Maturana on Friday and not have to worry about dirty bed linens before our early morning flight, we booked a room at the Aquarius Towers, ocean view for $99. We found out when we got there that they did not have that room available and would have to give us the 3-bedroom suite on the 8th floor, ocean view, instead. And everybody said, "Awwwww".

Living room

Kitchen

One guest room

Master suite with balcony and ocean view!

Sunset on the veranda

We couldn't waste this all on ourselves, so we invited Daryl Greenway, one of our friends in the fellowship, who just happens to have a project going on the island, over to enjoy dinner and the evening with us. He bought the dinner - we furnished the place!

And so ended our last day on Saipan. To the airport at 0-dark thirty!

But we were not alone in our departure. As is the custom, all who can, show up to send us off.

Daryl-Deb-Larry-Celso-Susan-Clyde

Beau coup luggage - and Celso helped

The last goodbye