October 22nd, 2009

Friends are such a blessing especially if God chooses them for you!

I remember when I first came to Guam in August of 2000. I first had to focus on getting our car from the ocean container that had already arrived at the port before we got here. We had Samuel, our new born baby, who was only 5 weeks old to care for. So many responsibilities in our life and a new home 9,800 miles away from where I grew up and 845 miles from Palau, Andy's home country. The good news was I had a Palauan family that kind of added me to their family years before we made this move. They lived on Guam and were here wait for our arrival. Of course I very much missed my family and S.C. Andy had some friends here on Guam from his college days at Univeristy of Guam. He was even in the youth/college age group here at the very same church that he was now called to be a Pastor in. I remember how hard it was for me being so out going and having such a love for people. At first the people in our church were friendly but reluctant to become close friends. Friendships do not grow over night most of the time...it takes years of committment I kept telling myself. Well in my first three years I really had a very hard time. I was in the house most of the time taking care of our llittle boy Sammy and by 2002 we had another son, Nathanael. So I was taking care of our home and our children. I did get to teach a class or two after about my 3rd year here. That year was by far the hardest year of our now 9 years in ministry here for me. I got so depressed that year. I cried often because the pain in my heart knowing I had another 2 years before I could be with my family and friend in my homeland. That had just became so overwhelming to me. God was so faithful to me during those hard times in my life here. By the time May 2005 got here and we were packing to go to S.C. for our first furlough since we had left , I had just began to make solid friendships here. I spend my 3 months in S.C. with family and friends. It was great, being with all the people I knew and loved so dearly. But I also missed my new friends in Guam! I had always loved all the Palauan people here that we minister to and I had made strong friendship too. It took me going on this trip for me to see how strong my friendships were in Guam and it helped my friends to see that we had built a bond. Time away does sometimes make the heart sronger. When I arrived back to Guam I was so happy to see my friends here but very sad to be again without my family. After about two weeks, God showed me clearly that he had called me here for a purpose and that these were the people He had chosen for me to live among and serve. I have been so blessed with a large family here in Guam ... a family of great friends and relatives that love me. I cherish all my friends and thank God that He choose