While I enjoyed preparing for the Sunday morning services, I am relieved to be finished. I must say Pastor Doug sure makes it look easy, up there every Sunday.
The video series this week reminded us that Jesus' life was not just at story. The way he lived his life was an example. While He does call us to tell the story of Jesus, He more specifically asks us to tell the story by living as an example. This Sunday our scripture reference came from Luke's gospel telling us the story of the blind man and the story of Zacchias. What inspired this reference for me was actually a video the kids requested to watch on Thursday afternoon for kids club. The movie was called "The Story of Jesus for Kids". It showed as Jesus was followed by thousands and thousands of people wanting to hear what He had to say. Then it showed a blind man screaming for Jesus as he walked past. People were everywhere, I don't know how He was able to hear the blind man. Jesus stopped the crowd and turned to find this man yelling His name. The crowd stopped and watched in amazement as Jesus simply placed His hands on him and the man could see again. As the movie continued, Jesus and the crowd continues into a town. He is teaching and sharing with the crowd as he walks. He then stops the crowd again to call Zac down from a tree saying "I want to stay at your house." This man was a cheating, tax collector and Jesus wanted to spend the day with him. Watching this reminded me that Jesus' calls us not only to the crowds, but to individual people. While Billy Graham preaching to arena filled crowds is great, it is not where God has placed me. He has me in a place where I can go to one person's house, or hear the voice of one man calling out for help.
Tuesday, July 22, 2008
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Toto, I don't think we are in Oklahoma anymore!
As our time on the island of Saipan is drawing to a close, we have begun to reflect on our experiences here. We have realized that although we haven't had to make a huge cultural adjustment in living here, there are a few differences between Saipan and Oklahoma. We'll begin with a comparison of things we have at home compared to similar things in Saipan.
Our last list can only be appreciated by seeing them. So we have taken a few pictures for your enjoyment. Read the signs carefully and use your imagination!
1. Once a year Oklahoma is infested by June bugs. They are nasty little bugs on which Randy practices his golf swing (they make a delightful little "ping" noise coming off the face of a driver). Saipan however becomes infested with termites. Thus the reason most houses are made out of concrete. Termites are not just a hidden problem inside the wood they also swarm lights like mosquitoes and look like a rainstorm when driving at night.
2. In Oklahoma when giving directions you would instruct someone to turn left or right. People on Saipan will ask you to go up or down.
3. Wild animals in Oklahoma include coyotes, deer, opossums, and armadillos. In Saipan we run in terror from "booney chickens" and stray dogs.
4. At home our roomate is Randy's brother Chad. On Saipan we share our home with lizards, ants, and frogs. We even had a visit from a shrew! The jury is still out on who we prefer for a roomate. Just kiddin, we love ya Chad!
Next on our list are things we have experienced on Saipan and have nothing to compare them to at home. We have gotten used to doing dishes by hand and hanging our laundry out to dry. Because of the heat and humidity, we have taken a cooler to the store so that our frozen and refridgerated items aren't cooked by the time we get home. We are accustomed to losing power for at least 2 hours a day. We are also accustomed to the suprise loss of power for an undetermined amount of time. Last but not least, Spam appears to be a delicacy here. It even made it on to the McDonalds menu.
Our last list can only be appreciated by seeing them. So we have taken a few pictures for your enjoyment. Read the signs carefully and use your imagination!
Cultural dancers at the street market.
I don't know that I want to eat anything at this restaurant.
Stairway to heaven?
When Kim gets bored. . . Randy needs a facial!
So where do I put my "brown" toliet paper? Help!
It goes together like peanut butter and jelly . . .right?
This is a site you see EVERYWHERE on the island!
1. Retail 2. Laundry 3. ?Pinocchio dolls?
It goes together like peanut butter and jelly . . .right?
This is a site you see EVERYWHERE on the island!
1. Retail 2. Laundry 3. ?Pinocchio dolls?
Saturday, July 12, 2008
More Deep Thoughts From Mind of Kim
I just learned something I had to share. In our Sunday morning services we have been using a video series called "So the World May Know". It is a series focusing on the impact the culture of the time had on the lessons of the Bible. We watch a short clip from that and then Randy gives some thoughts. This week's lesson was about the church being the bride of Christ. I have to admit as a 27 year old who has grown up in the Nazarene church, I never understood this analogy although I have heard it used very frequently. It was explained that Jesus was using a commonplace event to explain a more complex idea (like the parables). In bible times, when two young people were engaged, the groom's family would pay the bride price determined by the girl's family. The young man would then go to his father's house to "prepare a place" for the bride. This literally meant that he would go put an addition onto his father's house for he and his new wife. While he was working, the bride would keep herself faithful to him while awaiting his return. When the groom's father decided the house was ready, he gave permission for the young man to go get his bride.
I am sure you can see where I am going with this. Jesus paid our bride price by giving His life. We as the church are then betrothed to Him. He told us in John 14:2, "In my father's house are many rooms. If it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you." Jesus has gone to heaven to prepare a place for us. We are to wait for His return keeping ourselves faithful to Him. He tells us in Matthew 24:36, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." So when God gives His permission, Jesus will return to claim those that have been faithful to him. Now that I understand the cultural references behind the analogy, I can see what a beautifully simple way of explaining our responsibility this is!
I highly recommend this video series. It is slightly outdated and parts of it can be difficult to understand but it is worth it. I never realized how understanding the culture of the time would affect my understanding of what Jesus was teaching. Our culture may be different but the principles are the same. No groom wants a bride that has been unfaithful!
I am sure you can see where I am going with this. Jesus paid our bride price by giving His life. We as the church are then betrothed to Him. He told us in John 14:2, "In my father's house are many rooms. If it were not so I would have told you. I am going there to prepare a place for you." Jesus has gone to heaven to prepare a place for us. We are to wait for His return keeping ourselves faithful to Him. He tells us in Matthew 24:36, "No one knows about that day or hour, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father." So when God gives His permission, Jesus will return to claim those that have been faithful to him. Now that I understand the cultural references behind the analogy, I can see what a beautifully simple way of explaining our responsibility this is!
I highly recommend this video series. It is slightly outdated and parts of it can be difficult to understand but it is worth it. I never realized how understanding the culture of the time would affect my understanding of what Jesus was teaching. Our culture may be different but the principles are the same. No groom wants a bride that has been unfaithful!
Monday, July 7, 2008
Our Super Fantastic Weekend!
Every weekend starts with Friday, so that is where we will begin. For the island, July 4th is celebrated as Liberation Day. This marks the anniversary that the Chamarros and Carolinians were released from the refugee camps following WWII. There was a parade and a carnival. We were lazy in our Liberation day attendance and did not make it to the parade. Instead we celebrated by going to Lau Lau Beach and did some snorkeling. This adventure was somewhat different than the last because we got to snorkel some deeper waters. As a reward for our bravery we saw several of the same fish that we had seen before only bigger: a blue starfish, a very large sea urchin, and one of the few poisonous creatures around here, a stone fish. Both mothers should be very proud because we resisted the urge to poke the stone fish. After dragging ourselves reluctantly from the ocean we nourished ourselves with indigenous island food, Taco Bell. With our belly's full and satisfied we made our way to the carnival. It was small but reminiscent of our home festivities at Eldon Lyon Park. We listened as the Liberation Day Queen thanked every conceivable family member and told them they were "The BEST". Thus concluded our Friday.
Saturday was spent preparing our lessons and videos for Sunday services. With our lessons firmly in hand, I(Randy) took my wife for a belated anniversary surprise. Our time in Hawaii was too short to attend a luau. One of the island resorts does a similar "cultural dinner and show". We ate some excellent food including a unfortunate member of the pork family. Kim found him to be a little creepy, but forced herself to partake; if only to make her brother the hunter, proud. Warning: the picture that follows may not be suitable those involved in the PETA organization.
before. . .
after. . .
After we stuffed ourselves, we were entertained by singers and dancers from this island as well as other exotic islands, such as Hawaii, Tahiti, and other islands in the Northern Marianas. There were songs and dances from several different exotic cultures including 2 dances involving fire. We watched in amazement as the men repeatedly slapped their chests and thighs, and laughed as one of the male dancers had trouble keeping his skirt on.
Sunday morning began with a wonderfully refreshing downpour of rain. Which has become almost a daily part of our island life. I guess that's why they call it the rainy season. Much to our surprise and delight we had several visitors for Sunday School and Sunday morning service. Randy talked about our effort as Christians to separate our "light" from the darkness of the world. Once again he did a fantastic job, so watch out Dr. Samples. After Sunday service and a quick phone call home, we set off to the Martinsen home. We had a wonderfully prepared lunch by those skilled chefs at a little place this island likes to call Subway. Sam and Georgie and their two little girls are fortunate to live on a cliff overlooking a quaint little cove. It was quite a site. After topping off our sandwiches with some delicious homemade cookies, we set out for Lobster Cove. Guided by our fearless leader Sam, we made our way through some tanga-tanga (brush) using a samurai-like sword. When we made it to our destination we discovered that Lobster Cove is where Mother Nature decided to deposit all trash thrown into the Pacific Ocean. It sounds strange but we were told that this is where you might stumble upon some war treasures. We did our best to search through the mess, then made our way back to the house. We refreshed ourselves and learned a new game called monkey balls. It is similar to horseshoes and we have a suspicion that it may be enjoyed by Jerry Brown, Bill Snelson, and the horseshoe enthusiasts of our church. After having my(Randy) butt kicked thoroughly by the little missus, we went home just in time to take a shower before our power went off.
Some people have asked why we lose power on the island, so I want to shed some light on our "load shedding" issue. Every week we receive a schedule via the newspaper that tells us how the power load will be shed for the island during that week. For instance this week in the Kagman area of the island we are scheduled to lose power from 8pm-10pm. This schedule is more of a suggestion than a schedule as we may lose power at any time. For example, Saturday night we lost power from 8pm-11pm and again Sunday morning from 7am-11am and then according to our regularly "scheduled" time Sunday evening 8pm-10pm. Monday afternoon we lost power from 11am-? (we don't know because we were disappointed by our lack of ability to make pizza for lunch, so we went out to eat). As we are typing this, we are trying to hurry because our time is limited. . .only 20 minutes of power left. . .maybe?
Power continues to be an growing issue on the island due to outdated equipment, poor management, and from what we can tell, a general misunderstanding of how to properly care for the equipment. Just one example: They are using sea water to cool the engines. If you know about engines, you know that this is a very bad idea. If you are like me (Kim) and don't even know how to check the oil in your car engine, let me explain. Sea water releases vapors containing such high concentrations of salt into the air that cars and buildings are corroding faster than they can be maintained. Because of all of this, the power plant cannot make enough energy for the entire island without burning up several of the engines and the load must be "shed". We were visiting with one of the ladies in the church and she shared that her electricity bill for one month was $250! Keep in mind, that is for power that isn't even on 24 hours a day!
Gas update: We are up to $5.05. Can anyone beat that?
Saturday was spent preparing our lessons and videos for Sunday services. With our lessons firmly in hand, I(Randy) took my wife for a belated anniversary surprise. Our time in Hawaii was too short to attend a luau. One of the island resorts does a similar "cultural dinner and show". We ate some excellent food including a unfortunate member of the pork family. Kim found him to be a little creepy, but forced herself to partake; if only to make her brother the hunter, proud. Warning: the picture that follows may not be suitable those involved in the PETA organization.
before. . .
after. . .
After we stuffed ourselves, we were entertained by singers and dancers from this island as well as other exotic islands, such as Hawaii, Tahiti, and other islands in the Northern Marianas. There were songs and dances from several different exotic cultures including 2 dances involving fire. We watched in amazement as the men repeatedly slapped their chests and thighs, and laughed as one of the male dancers had trouble keeping his skirt on.
Sunday morning began with a wonderfully refreshing downpour of rain. Which has become almost a daily part of our island life. I guess that's why they call it the rainy season. Much to our surprise and delight we had several visitors for Sunday School and Sunday morning service. Randy talked about our effort as Christians to separate our "light" from the darkness of the world. Once again he did a fantastic job, so watch out Dr. Samples. After Sunday service and a quick phone call home, we set off to the Martinsen home. We had a wonderfully prepared lunch by those skilled chefs at a little place this island likes to call Subway. Sam and Georgie and their two little girls are fortunate to live on a cliff overlooking a quaint little cove. It was quite a site. After topping off our sandwiches with some delicious homemade cookies, we set out for Lobster Cove. Guided by our fearless leader Sam, we made our way through some tanga-tanga (brush) using a samurai-like sword. When we made it to our destination we discovered that Lobster Cove is where Mother Nature decided to deposit all trash thrown into the Pacific Ocean. It sounds strange but we were told that this is where you might stumble upon some war treasures. We did our best to search through the mess, then made our way back to the house. We refreshed ourselves and learned a new game called monkey balls. It is similar to horseshoes and we have a suspicion that it may be enjoyed by Jerry Brown, Bill Snelson, and the horseshoe enthusiasts of our church. After having my(Randy) butt kicked thoroughly by the little missus, we went home just in time to take a shower before our power went off.
Some people have asked why we lose power on the island, so I want to shed some light on our "load shedding" issue. Every week we receive a schedule via the newspaper that tells us how the power load will be shed for the island during that week. For instance this week in the Kagman area of the island we are scheduled to lose power from 8pm-10pm. This schedule is more of a suggestion than a schedule as we may lose power at any time. For example, Saturday night we lost power from 8pm-11pm and again Sunday morning from 7am-11am and then according to our regularly "scheduled" time Sunday evening 8pm-10pm. Monday afternoon we lost power from 11am-? (we don't know because we were disappointed by our lack of ability to make pizza for lunch, so we went out to eat). As we are typing this, we are trying to hurry because our time is limited. . .only 20 minutes of power left. . .maybe?
Power continues to be an growing issue on the island due to outdated equipment, poor management, and from what we can tell, a general misunderstanding of how to properly care for the equipment. Just one example: They are using sea water to cool the engines. If you know about engines, you know that this is a very bad idea. If you are like me (Kim) and don't even know how to check the oil in your car engine, let me explain. Sea water releases vapors containing such high concentrations of salt into the air that cars and buildings are corroding faster than they can be maintained. Because of all of this, the power plant cannot make enough energy for the entire island without burning up several of the engines and the load must be "shed". We were visiting with one of the ladies in the church and she shared that her electricity bill for one month was $250! Keep in mind, that is for power that isn't even on 24 hours a day!
Gas update: We are up to $5.05. Can anyone beat that?
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Deeper Thoughts by Randy...it's always a competition!
Well we have successfully made it through our first sunday as substitute teachers at Living Hope Nazarene Church. My mom asked "How did it go?" The only response that came to mind was "Well, no one walked out, ." It got me thinking, how does a pastor judge if he did well from Sunday to Sunday. Being a teacher, my understanding of how well something went is usually found from a test. As a pastor, there are no tests. Maybe I should give a test next week? Or when Sunday rolls around and Kim and I are the only ones here, I guess I will have my answer.
It has been pretty interesting preparing lessons and giving thoughts on the Bible. I don't know that I ever say the right things but it always gives me some good thoughts. This weeks lesson was about King Herod. He was a powerful man but sadly he ended up in the wrong bloodline. He was part of Esau's bloodline which got the short end of the stick. Esau was the firstborn child, which usually means you get the all the glory. For example. . . what a glorious life I live having been given my birthright. Just kidding. However it was prophecied the older would serve the younger. So first we compared Jacob and Esau. Then we move ahead in time to compare Herod and Jesus. That's a tough comparison. How do you compare to Jesus? So we looked at Herod: powerful man, mighty kingdom, large estate, etc. What more could you ask for? Then we look at Jesus: born in a manager (nice word for a feeding trough in a barn), father was a carpenter- poor family, etc. Now we look at these 2 guys today. Herod has remains of his kingdom still to be found today and he had a tremendous following of people. He changed his world in his time, but you won't find too many followers of Herod today. Jesus's birthplace isn't even known, he left no kingdom to be excavated, but yet he is still changing the world. God could've chosen any vessel through which to send his son into the world. He didn't choose the firstborn son Esau, he didn't choose Herod the mighty king and ruler of his time; he choose a simple family. So you are now saying to yourself. . .thanks a lot for the sermon Mr Stowe. Sorry about that I just found it interesting that this was the first lesson I got to talk about. I don't know why God chose Kim and I to come here this summer, but it is comforting to know that God has a plan. He doesn't need a mighty ruler, which is good because I have trouble ruling my classroom of 6th graders.
I am sorry about the misleading title. I have every intention not to slip into this deep pool again, I could drown!
It has been pretty interesting preparing lessons and giving thoughts on the Bible. I don't know that I ever say the right things but it always gives me some good thoughts. This weeks lesson was about King Herod. He was a powerful man but sadly he ended up in the wrong bloodline. He was part of Esau's bloodline which got the short end of the stick. Esau was the firstborn child, which usually means you get the all the glory. For example. . . what a glorious life I live having been given my birthright. Just kidding. However it was prophecied the older would serve the younger. So first we compared Jacob and Esau. Then we move ahead in time to compare Herod and Jesus. That's a tough comparison. How do you compare to Jesus? So we looked at Herod: powerful man, mighty kingdom, large estate, etc. What more could you ask for? Then we look at Jesus: born in a manager (nice word for a feeding trough in a barn), father was a carpenter- poor family, etc. Now we look at these 2 guys today. Herod has remains of his kingdom still to be found today and he had a tremendous following of people. He changed his world in his time, but you won't find too many followers of Herod today. Jesus's birthplace isn't even known, he left no kingdom to be excavated, but yet he is still changing the world. God could've chosen any vessel through which to send his son into the world. He didn't choose the firstborn son Esau, he didn't choose Herod the mighty king and ruler of his time; he choose a simple family. So you are now saying to yourself. . .thanks a lot for the sermon Mr Stowe. Sorry about that I just found it interesting that this was the first lesson I got to talk about. I don't know why God chose Kim and I to come here this summer, but it is comforting to know that God has a plan. He doesn't need a mighty ruler, which is good because I have trouble ruling my classroom of 6th graders.
I am sorry about the misleading title. I have every intention not to slip into this deep pool again, I could drown!
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