Guam Bound!
Week 7 Moments
● Sunday – Palm Sunday, last night of
community groups
● Monday – 3rd-to-last day of teaching
● Tuesday – 2nd-to-last day of teaching
● Wednesday – last day of teaching!
● Thursday – teacher in-service day, Jamaican
Grill, Young Pros Bible Study
● Friday – Good Friday (no school), go on an island tour with some
friends, Young Pros Easter Seder
● Saturday – movie night w/ Brittany & Charity
Week 7 Recap
This week held our last days of teaching. There were only
three days of school, which made things a little more crazy than
normal, but I made it through. I am officially finished with full-time
teaching, but will still be teaching (just) science next week–my
teacher takes back everything else. Full-time teaching has been
helpful and I’ve learned a lot. I now know what running an
elementary classroom is like. There needs to be a lot of flexibility
because nothing ever goes the way you think it will. Things need to
keep moving for your students otherwise you lose them fast, so
pacing yourself is very important. And, students will take on the
attitude and example the teacher sets for the classroom, which is
sometimes scary, but it’s true.
After the short week of teaching was a day of teacher
in-service. These are nice days for the teachers because they don’t
have to come in early and they only have to be there for half the day.
We started with a session from Pastor Gary Walton about Harvest’s
core values seen across its various ministries, focusing on the area of
discipleship. Then we listened to the school administrator, Neal Ring,
talk about the future goals of Harvest Christian Academy. After
these sessions, K-3rd (lower elementary) met up together and discussed end-of-the-year details
and announcements as well as learning some helpful practices in working with emotional and
behavior struggling students. Much of this in-service was not applicable to me, but I still enjoyed it.
After in-service, Noah and Nikki Kephart took Kyla and I out for lunch to Jamaican Grill. It was
delicious and we had a good time hanging out with Noah and Nikki and their little girl Eliza. That
evening, because it was a Thursday, was Young Pros bible study; still going through Colossians.
Friday there was no school for anyone. Kyla
and I went on an island tour with some friends for
most of the day. We started in the main city
(Hagatna) learning about the historical parts of
Guam. Then we moved out to see some WW2
memorials. Then we headed south (the pretty part
of Guam). We had a picnic lunch on a beautiful
hillside that overlooks the bay where Magellan first
arrived and discovered Guam. The area itself is
pretty small, but the hillside view was gorgeous.
Southern Guam is more scenic with its beautiful
hills/mountains and narrow winding roads. We got
to see a Christmas tree made out of coconuts, a rock
that looked like a bear, and swim in naturally-formed rock pools (we also got to feed fish there too).
The day was fun and we had a good time with our friends. That night, Kyla and I also participated in
a Seder meal with the Young Pros. A Seder is a traditional Jewish Passover meal. We participated
in it because each part of the meal is symbolic to what God has done in the Jews’ history, but
Christians can take it further to see how each symbol has been fulfilled in Jesus’ death on the
cross. It was an interesting experience; I’d never done one before.
The week ended very chill. Saturday, I got to enjoy the peace and quietness at the condo
and getting some things done. Kyla & I hung out most of the day and went shopping a little. In the
evening, we had a movie night with Brittany Whitcher and her friend Charity Jones.
Prayer Requests & Praises
1. Last Things – Last week in Guam! Pray I can be productive during school hours while I’m not
teaching and can help out Miss Brunson in any way she needs me. Pray Kyla and I can enjoy our
last experiences and make good memories. Pray for packing everything back up and for getting
airline papers and information taken care of without complications.
2. School Work – pray Kyla and I are both productive this week finishing paper work and projects
for Faith since we don’t have to teach anymore. Please pray we get lots of things wrapped up
before going back.
3. Saying ‘Goodbye’to Guam and everyone we’ve met and who’ve taken care of us.
4. Being a blessing to those around us.
5. Traveling – please pray for safe travels back. We fly out Sunday (4/27) at 5 pm to Seoul, South
Korea–where we have a really long layover before flying back to Minneapolis on Monday
(4/28), landing at 5pm.
6. **I am done full-time teaching!
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“A little while longer and the world willsee Me no more, but you willsee Me. Because I live, you will live
also. At that day you will know that I am in My Father, and you in Me, and I in you. ”
~John 14:19-20 Happy Easter from Guam,
Whitney