Farnsworth Forum

From all of us Farnsworths in Guam to all of you, a very Happy Valentine's Day and a wonderful Chinese New Year. It's the Year of the Tiger this time. God bless you all.

Miep Gies passed away at 100 on January 11, 2010. Anne Frank's protector during the Nazi occupation of Holland, Gies helped to shelter the Frank family until an unknown informer (to this day) told the Nazis. Gies and her husband were spared when the Franks were carted off to the concentration camps. In her diary, which Gies did not burn, Anne Frank wrote that "we are never far from Miep's thoughts." In the late 80s Miep cowrote the book Remembering Anne Frank which was made into a documentary. "Not a day goes by that I do not grieve for them," said Miep at that time. May we all grieve man's inhumanity to man, past, present and future. Art Clokey, the creator of Gumby, Pokey et al, succumbed on January 8, 2010, at the age of 88. He was adopted by the noted hymnwrite Joseph Waddell Clokey. Clokey also created the claymation Davey and Goliath for the Lutheran Church of America. I remember watching that show early on Sunday mornings during my childhood in P...

One of the things that we have enjoyed in Guam is planting tropical plants and trees. When we first moved to our current residence, in November 2007, we started to work on the garden. We planted these coconut trees in January 2008. Here is Joel in the same spot two years later (January 2010). It's great to see how trees, and children, grow. Part of the miracle of life that God works in us and nature.

This weekend we enjoyed a visit with Elilai and Sonny. Sonny, a 2009 graduate from PIU, and his wife Elilai were some of the first students that we became close to when we arrived in Guam. They got married this past summer. The first picture is from their visit when we lived on-campus in January 2007. The second picture is from our recent visit with them. We had a great time catching up with them.

On Saturday we finally hiked to the Piti Guns. The Japanese were installing these guns during their occupation in anticipation of the arrival of the U.S. Marines during World War 2. When the marines did arrive on July 21, 1944, the guns were not yet operable. They still exist in their original locations as a testimony to war and what might have been in they had been used to fight off the U.S. They were discovered covered and hidden with palm fronds. The Farnsworth family is on their way to gun # 1. Notice Amelia's walking stick. Marisol armed Joel with more repellent to ward off the pesky mosquitos when we arrived at the first gun. We also hiked beyond the first gun a bit to see the remains of another unknown structure (possible a plane?). Joel was the first to spot gun # 2. S0 he asked me to take his picture with it. I gladly obliged. Then we were on to gun # 3, the gun most often photographed in books and postcards, etc. This was overlooked Asan Beach, one of the two actu...

We enjoyed our second trip to Shark's Hole with some PIU staff members and students on the day after Thanksgiving. Sorry for the late report. We saw some sea urchins up close and personal. Taking a trip in Guam is ALWAYS educational. Here's Eseuk before. . . . . .and after! Merlyn and Davy chill out. TJ found a blue starfish. The blue starfish helped to cover my increasing bald spots while Amelia, Joel and Niño watched. A mini family portrait! Joel enjoyed his time with Niño, who unfortunately has returned to Palau because his U.S. visa request to work at PIU Guam was denied. Please pray for him to be able to come back to Guam and continue his work with us.

Amelia is the newest member of the Tsunami Swim Club at the Onward Hotel. She started in January. We are glad that our children have this opportunity to learn. Here Joshua is teaching her how to kick. Joel is kicking in the background with his teacher Juju. After class the kids enjoyed seeing their friend Alfonsito. Before leaving the hotel Amelia and Joel posed with the Christmas lights one final time.