Farnsworth Forum

We thank the Lord for our friend and sister in Christ, Ethel (Auntie Ethel to Joel and Amelia)! She led the first Thailand TESL mission trip and helped wash cars to raise money. She helped to entertain our kids by giving them rides in the water cart. Even with her busy schedule, she helped us move into our new house in November 2007. Right now our hearts are heavy because our friend and coworker Ethel had to leave PIBC due to her mother's funeral in the Philippines. Her renewal visa to the U.S. was in process, and that may mean that she will be unable to return afterwards. Although we are sad, we know that Ethel's life is in God's hands and that He will use her for His glory wherever she may be. Still, we will miss her quiet, faithful servant's heart. Please help us pray for the Lord's direction in her life. God bless you, Ethel.

Please allow me to gloat a little bit (although not as much as Dave O. if the 49ers win the Super Bowl)! On Wednesday the Philadelphia Phillies captured the World Series with a 4-3 victory over the Tampa Bay Rays, winning the best-of-seven competition 4-1. The last time they won in 1980 I was a sophomore in high school, and the team roster included such baseball greats as Pete Rose (before his gambling fall from grace), Mike Schmidt, and Tug McGraw (for you younger reader, he was Tim McGraw's biological father. Whoever thought that the parents would be remembered for their progeny?). Yay, Philadelphia! Glad to see you in the winner's circle again! Now we need to pray for those 76ers!

The following post is from www.opinionstream.com/blog and is entitled "The Conservative Christian Case for Supporting Obama." Whether or not you want to agree with everything the writer says (you probably don't), I believe that it is a well-reasoned treatise on how the Republican Party and the Religious Right are failing to deliver on many pro-life values other than offering much more than lipservice to its anti-abortion platform. Over the years I have come to a place where I can not simply vote for a candidate based on the abortion issue because their are many issues that I feel passionate about. This year in Guam I am voting for senators who are opposed both to partial birth abortion and Prop A (casino gambling). "I am an evangelical Christian with a record of voting in line with the Republican Party. This year, however, I am casting my vote for Barack Obama. My support for Obama stands on its own, and has been well documented throughout this blog. But why would ...

Many people are commenting about the current movie Fireproof as very effective in showing the importance of commitment in marriage and working hard to stay together. I cannot comment on that movie because I have not seen it. Last night Marisol and I watched the 1999 film A Vow to Cherish that was produced by Billy Graham's World Wide Pictures. A Vow to Cherish chronicles a marriage affected by the wife's Alzheimer's Disease. Although tempted to stray because of his loneliness, the husband (played by Ken Howard from the old TV series The White Shadow ) stays true to his vow cherish his wife "in sickness and in health." We highly recommend it as an inspirational and challenging story. For more information about it, go to www.billygraham.org . We would like to go see Fireproof , which we have heard good things about. However, it has not yet reached Guam.

Our garden is doing well, and Joel took some pictures for you to see! We have some pretty red plumeria blossoms that smell really good. We finally have fruit on our passion fruit vine. Now I can finally be a "man of passion." Goody, goody, goody! Here are some "boonie" peppers that are quite potent. We make a nice spicy salsa with them.

I normally don't get political in this blog, but I am troubled by the hatemongering that is going on at this time, with much of it directed towards Senator Obama. I believe that political candidates have a responsibility to respond to hate speech that is demonstrated towards opponents in a public setting. I am currently reading Frank (a/k/a Frankie) Shaeffer's memoir which is mentioned at the end of this editorial. Son of the late evangelical theologian Francis Shaeffer who founded L'Abri in Switzerland, he is eloquent and thought-provoking and I believe fair in his challenge to Mr. McCain. McCain's attacks fuel dangerous hatred by Frank Schaeffer in the Baltimore Sun John McCain: If your campaign does not stop equating Sen. Barack Obama with terrorism, questioning his patriotism and portraying Mr. Obama as "not one of us," I accuse you of deliberately feeding the most unhinged elements of our society the red meat of hate, and therefore of potentially instiga...

One of the ways our students raise money for different projects is by holding carwashes. This is very common here on Guam, and it is not unusual to pass three or four carwashes within a mile or so on weekends. The PIBC Student Council (STUDCO) held a carwash two Saturdays ago. Here is a picture recap! Jessy from Pohnpei is one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. He is nice to everyone. Not only that, but he is also good at washing cars. All of the students are. Kinamwe, which means "peace" in Chuukese, takes a moment to pose while he is sudsing up the car. Looks like Myumi and Jennifer from Chuuk love doing windows. We need to get these ladies over to our house as soon as possible! Shelby from Palau puts a shine with a smile. The students raised over $500 in several hours. They will use this money for a few projects, including the Spiritual Emphasis Retreat.

Last Sunday we headed to Ypao Beach for a late afternoon swim. We didn't remember that it was also the site for the annual Micronesian Island Fair, so we had double duty: swimming and checking out the booths, one for each of the islands or island groups. Our two shivering kids waited patiently while their parents set up the picnic supper we had prepared at home. There were two sailing vessels on display at the beach. We ended the night by touring a replica of a Chamorro hut. The Chamorro are the native Guamanians. (Sorry for the blurry picture.) We enjoyed our time at the beach and fair.

Last Wednesday was Crazy Hat Night at Awana. Joel and Marisol spent time making hats for Joel and me to wear. We think they turned out well, and so did the judges. Joel won the prize for silliest hat. Congratulations, Joel (and Marisol, too)! Here we are at home, modeling our hats one more time before hopping into bed.

Thanks to all of you who have been praying for our dental needs. The pediatric dentist fixed Joel's cavities, and Amelia did not have any (praise the Lord). Now we are brushing after every meal and flossing at night. Marisol had her root canal in September, and at her last visit (she had two cavities filled) the dentist said that he may not be able to save the tooth that he did the root canal on. We are disappointed about that. We will know at her next visit on November 8. We have received $1250 from individuals and $1000 from our church here in Guam (thank you, Thank You, THANK YOU). We paid as much as we could from our Health Reimbursement Account with Liebenzell. It will be at least $2000 more until everything in Marisol's treatment plan is finished. Would you please pray with us for God to supply the rest of this need? Thank you very much.

This morning one of our PIBC students, Elilai, came to visit us. As you might remember, she was a member of the Palau Mission Trip. This semester she is working and we don't get to see her as much as we would like. While she was here, Joel whispered in her ear, "I wish you could stay all day." Thanks for the visit, Elilai!

Joel wanted to show all of you the picture he made of a queen. He says it is a queen "because she has a crown." I guess I should have been able to figure that out on my own!!! Joel knows almost all of the capital letters. This was the first time that he wrote his full name. We are really enjoying doing school together as a family.

Joel really loves Awana. He is working on passing his "Red Jewels" at present, learning Bible verses as well as the books of the Bible. Last Wednesday was Measles Night, and the kids were able to put red dots on their leaders when they said their verses. Here Joel demonstrates how it was done.

No, Joel isn't joining the Rockettes! In his swim class he is learning how to kick his legs. Here his instructor is helping him. Joel is doing very well in his class, and we are proud of him. Today he has a bad cold and cannot go; he is disappointed, of course!

Enjoy these pictures of two Sleepy Beauties! Our newest niece, Zoe, was born in August. We can't wait to meet her. Not sure when, though! This is our very own princess, Miss Amelia Marie. We love being with her, but we also enjoy moments of tranquility when she is asleep!

This semester PIBC's Student Life department divided the students and staff into community groups for the purpose of fellowship, encouragement and accountability. It has been a rewarding and fulfilling adventure this far. Marisol from Ecuador, Safelyn from Chuuk and staff member Stella from Yap play with Joel and Amelia. Staff members Urte and Hartmut and students Joel from Palau and Percia from Yap smile for the camera. Joe and Tjay from Chuuk pose for the roving photographer. Leeman from Palau and Jeff from Chuuk relax during snack time. As you can see, we form a diverse group and enjoy being in each other's company as we grow and learn together. We meet every Saturday evening at 6:30.

I am having a great time working with the Cubbies at our church's Awana Club on Wednesday nights. Joel graduated to the Sparks group, and Marisol and Amelia work in the nursery. So it is a Farnsworth Family Affair. In this picture Miss Jan and Miss Kathy award Estella her Cubbies vest.

Our friend and PIBC alumna Jayleen recently returned to Guam from Chuuk. She used to babysit Joel and Amelia when Marisol and I were in English class. Look how the children have changed in the past year and a half since Jayleen graduated. Please pray for wisdom as she makes plans for her future.

Many of you know that I spent ten years being a religious volunteer at Berks County Prison in PA. During the last couple of those years I served with Yokefellowship, an interdenominational ministry that allows the men and women volunteers to go into the cell blocks and lead the prisoners in Bible studies. I really enjoyed that because it gave us the opportunity to get to know the men well as we spent one night each week with them. One man that I became aquainted with was Luis. He and I met in 2000, and when I left PA for Ecuador in 2001 we began corresponding regularly. When I returned to PA with my family for my study furlough from 2004-06 we continued to write, and I went to visit him one time at Dallas (PA) Correctional Institution. We really enjoyed our afternoon together. Even here in Guam we wrote back and forth. He received his GED and became a plumber. Luis wrote me a letter in March of this year when we were getting the team ready for the mission trip to Palau in June...

We are avid watchers of Mister Rogers' Neighborhood complete with King Friday and Queen Sarah Saturday. Today in home school Joel was learning how to write the "G" and the "Q" and made crowns to practice writing the "G" in king and the "Q" in queen.

Today Joel and Amelia helped Marisol make pizza with homemade crust. It was delicious! I am sure that I will request it again soon.

Joel continues to enjoy his swimming class on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Today he was swimming by himself with the help of his kickboard, and he is learning to put his head in and out of the water to breathe. His teacher, Kaoru, is very patient and caring. I usually sit by the side of the pool and do Greek homework and walk over from time to time to watch Joel in his class. This semester I decided to take a Greek class at the college to review my Greek from seminary. It is much easier the second time, and I thank God for this opportunity. I also enjoy getting to know the other swimming parents.

Can you believe we have been here two years as of September 26, 2008? It has been a fun, and at times challenging, ride. Here is a look at us now and a look back. Amelia and Joel are happy to show off their new purse, backback and Ecuadorian flag that they received from Marisol's family in Ecuador. We are happy to welcome our dear friend Melissa back to Guam just in time to help us celebrate Marisol's birthday and eat pineapple upside down cake with us. Please continue to pray for Melissa and her family as they adjust to life without her dad. This is the first-ever picture in Guam when we arrived at the airport. Notice Marisol's pretty lei. Micronesians give wonderful welcomes to people, so come visit us. Look how our kids looked when we arrived two years ago. You can compare with the first picture above. My, how our cutie petuties have grown!