Farnsworth Forum

Hace unos días preparamos pinchos en la parilla. Salieron muy ricos. Lo que se perdieron. . .

Ben and his helpers (Jessy and Judson) finished the gate in good timing, one day before Ben had to leave for California. We feel safer. The only thing we miss is having easy access to our neighbors. We don't want them to feel that we are shutting them out. It will be very good, though, when the landlords' grandchildren come. The cars rush by on route 15, commonly called "the Back Road (to Andersen Air Force Base)."

Here is a grave with the original marker along with a newer one. This navy man served in the Spanish American War. The U.S. acquired Guam as a result of that war. Remembered by his children! Unknown but to God! This member of the US Navy served in both World War 1 and World War 2. Guam is known for her patriotism. A large percentage (for her population of 170,000) of Guam's men and women serve in the U.S. Armed Forces, and many have given their lives for the freedoms that we United States citizens enjoy. Even in 2010 there is a large military presence in Guam with an air force base and a navy base. This morning we ventured to the Agana U.S. Naval Cemetery here in Guam that was established in the early 1900s. We explained to Joel and Amelia the significance of Memorial Day and that we must not take for granted the sacrifices that have been made for us. Here are a few pictures from our excursion. God bless you all as you reflect on the contributions made by the military. Tell a ser...

The past couple days Ben and Joses have been clearing the trees and brush from our house to get ready to install a fence for the new tenants. I helped them on Saturday afternoon. We are excited that the children coming to live in the house after we leave will be safe from the rushing traffic on route 15. You can tell how dry it is by our brown lawn. The only positive thing is not having to mow! Please pray for rain.

On Saturday we had a bit of a scare. Amelia was with Marisol and Joel at our friend Margarita's house for Spanish ladies Bible study when they heard a thump. Amelia had fallen on the tile floor and had a half-inch cut on her chin. Small pieces chipped off two of her teeth as well. Marisol called me, and we decided to take her to the Doctor's Clinic where they work half day on Saturdays. Well, I rushed over to PIU to borrow one of the school cars because Mari and kids had the car with them. She had taken our friend Lisa, MK from Spain, with her, so Lisa drove while Marisol was holding the gauze on Amelia's chin. Joel was also a great help. Amelia didn't cry at all, which had us a bit unnerved. The screening nurse for walk-ins said that it was impossible for Dr. Perez to see her, so Marisol (they arrived at the clinic before I did) asked to advise Dr. Perez that we were there. We have become friends, he and his wife (also a doctor) support the college, and he agr...

We want to wish all the special mothers in our life a Happy Mother's Day. Pictured here you can see Marisol's mamá Zulema, my mother Marilyn, and Marisol. We thank God for their presence in our lives, and we dedicate the following special poem to them: A Mother’s Love by Karen F. Williams What poet can write enough verses to express the depth of a mother’s love? What artist can draw all the beauty of a Mother’s love? And what orchestra has more harmony than that of a Mother’s love? Mothers are God’s special gift to the world. Their love is an example of God’s love for us. It is unconditional. Gentle. Kind. And patient. Today, mothers, we pay tribute to you. Thank you for your steadfast love. Thank you for teaching us right from wrong. Thank you for all your sacrifices, which are too many for us to count. We also remember mothers who are no longer with us. We remember your words of wisdom. We remember all you taught us about God. As we close this tribute We want you to know that...

Last week PIU hosted the Staff Appreciation Dinner at the Onward Hotel. Following a wonderful buffet was a time of honoring those whose service at PIU is coming to an end. As you can see in the photo, our friend Anne, representing the university, presented us with a watercolor print of a carabao cart by local artist Judy Flores. Joel was delighted with the gift. Amelia was sitting with some of her friends. It's hard to believe that 4 years have passed, and we thank PIU for welcoming us into their family. We have learned and grown much during this time, and we will miss our PIU family. We'll still be in Guam until at least the end of June, so it's not really time to say our good-byes yet. We'll reserve that for a later date. Thanks, PIU!

The Von Trapp Farnsworths sang last December in our Third Annual Farnsworth Family Christmas Chapel. Oh, what fun it is to ride in a one-horse open sleigh!!! And we did a skit complete with a rap. Don't Melissa, Rob, Jen and I look snazzy?!? We had so much fun. It didn't matter that we couldn't rap very well! Then in March I presented a chapel about servanthood based on John 13 and the vintage Glad song "Servant of Servants." I washed the feet of four of our students: Doug, Everly, Joses, and Terrick. I have really enjoyed being able to speak and present during the PIU chapel times. Leeman was a big help for our Farewell Chapel on April 27. He played the guitar and helped set up. I will miss him. He went with us on the missions trip to Palau two summers ago. This summer he will tour with the Voices of Micronesia group from PIU. They will be in CA, TX, and AZ for nine weeks. Please pray for them. I sang a few of my own songs and some favorite songs. We also had a ...

May 1 marked Marisol's second anniversary as a US citizen. We are happy and thankful that this step is behind us. We can't believe it's already 2 years.