The February Chapter

With or without that extra "leap day", February seems to disappear before I'm ready to let it go. It was such an action-packed month for us that I didn't even get a chance to stop and blog about it! Well, speaking of action, we had our share of faith-testing events this month--as minor as asking God to start our car engine, and as major as praying over the decision "Uncle Sam" was to make about whether or not Mike would be sent to Afghanistan for over a year. God is always worthy of praise, and in these instances... well, we drove home safely that Valentine's night, and Mike shall continue to enjoy the ocean view from Guam with Max and me! Many thanks to those of you who joined in our prayers... for the car and for Mike!

To start it all off, Dr. Merrick Lopez along with wife Lynne and daughter Mia flew all the way from CA just to spend the month with us! Well, actually, Merrick is a third-year pediatric resident at Loma Linda University Medical Center, and he came to do a rotation at the SDA clinic as his mission elective. Joining him in the clinic was his fellow resident Krisha (Igo) Torgerson, who also happened to be a former classmate of ours! The Lopez's are like family to us and were the primary reason for all our "galavanting" this month. Merrick's dad and Lynn's mom went to high school with my dad, so our ties go as far back as the generation before us! Plus, Mike & Merrick spent a lot of time together during the pre-med school days, especially out on the basketball court... you guys know tight those bonds can be.

Here are some pictures to summarize the month:

Hafa Adai! The Lopez family's first trip to Guam.

Max welcomes Mia with a hearty high-five.

Sushi party at Grandpa and Grandma Jimeno's house
...complete w/ turon and halo-halo!

The start of a beautiful friendship. :D

Our little Mercado-Lopez-Lee barkada!

My, how we've grown!

Valentine's Day dinner at the Firefly Bistro -- a quaint restaurant with a romantic atmosphere... and a memorable place for a suprise triple-date! (with the Lee's and Lopez's, of course!)

Featured here are the vegetarian Portabello Mushroom Napoleon (foreground) and the non-vegetarian Rack of Lamb (Merrick's order)!









And the course that Mike had been waiting for all night... dessert! None other than a freshly-baked chocolate souffle. Mm-mm.













The end of February brought more than one farewell. Besides bidding good-bye to Merrick, Lynne, and Mia, Maxwell had his final days at daycare. This was another big household decision that came about after much prayer and divine providence (more on that later).

We were very pleased with the atmosphere and care that Max received at Amazing Kids daycare, and Max himself had a grrrreat time there. Unfortunately, his frequent colds and other illnesses were starting to take a toll on him (and us), and that is just the nature of daycare. His last week there, miraculously, was runny-nose-free, and the obvious joy he received and gave made for a sad good-bye.

Miss Lynette -- Pre-Toddler group leader and Maxwell's favorite!

Chowing down on oatmeal on his very own!

Sharing tickles and giggles with Miss Lynette and friends.

Max's last day at Amazing Kids.
Adults (left-right): Ms. Leona (co-director), Ms. Tania (Toddler group leader), Ms. Lynette
Joined by friends from the Pre-Toddler and Toddler groups.

I just wanted to include this clip of Mike & Ken -- a little reminder that there's a time for work ...and a time for play. ;)

Until Then

The agony of waiting. I am convinced and convicted that just as sure as this world had a beginning, there shall be an end. And for those who have a relationship with the God of the universe--the Creator and Savior of this world--the end is a cherished event that ushers in a long-awaited reunion between God and man. In the meantime, we've got more than just waiting to do.

A couple weeks ago, we had the opportunity to do special music at the Ordot-Ypao SDA church. Since Mike & I sometimes feel our repertoire is limited (partly due to the paucity of piano skills between the 2 of us), we decided to call on the talent of Ken & Gizelle to help us present something different... A little variation on the husband-wife duet, you might say.

This particular hymn is one of my favorites, reminding me that despite the trials that we must endure before Christ comes again, He has put a song in our hearts that allows us to experience and sing of joy until His blessed return.

1000 Steps

This Sabbath afternoon, we ventured outdoors and finally went on our first "hike" on Guam! OK, so this particular picture reveals that the trail has several sets of steps with handrails... but for good reason!! The trail is a downward path that descends along the side of a ~150-foot cliff thriving with tropical foliage.

Mike & Ken took on the fatherly responsibility of bearing the weight of the little ones. What would we do without "Baby Bjorn"?? I must say that Mike had the most challenging workout having to carry an extra 20 lbs. and almost guessing where to place his feet! Thanks to Ken, we found out where NOT to step. :)

After the first 10 min of walking over broken steps and through overgrown bushes, we started to doubt whether the hike was such a good idea... especially since there were rain clouds following us all along the car drive to the path! When we caught a glimpse of the ocean over the trees, though, we were encouraged to press on and find out what awaited us at the end of the hike.

Ah, finally! Back on "level" ground. The ground that led to the water was actually a bed of coral rock with beautiful plant life and, believe it or not, pine trees! Greeted by the ocean spray and cool winds, I almost felt like I was back in Dana Pt., CA... it felt good to have a little taste of home.

The Baby Bjorn club

We made it!

The Pacific coast... thousands of miles from home.

Shaded by papaya trees

Despite the multiple mosquito bites and painfully sore legs, we were thankful that we didn't pass up the opportunity to see such majestic beauty. It was another reminder of how the path to Heaven, though arduous and daunting, allows us to enter into something more glorious than we ever imagined.

Live With Dr. Mike

I often laugh just thinking about it. I can't believe that I have my own health segment on an FM radio station on Guam! Just this past week I had the privilege of being a part of "Total Health" which is a weekly hour-long radio broadcast on KSDA 91.9 FM (or "Joy 92" as it is affectionately called). The goal of the broadcast is to educate people on a variety of health topics and to provide advice on how to maintain our bodies -- the "temples" that the Lord has blessed us with. Topics range from nutrition to women's health to diabetes to preventive care to just about any other health topic. It's surreal to think that hundreds (maybe thousands) of people are listening to me talk so I try and sound intelligent, and pretend that it's just me and the microphone. It really does blow me away to see how the Lord can use me well beyond the confines of the clinic.

Here's a clip that Gemma recorded while at home listening to my initial appearance as a guest on the show:

A GU Christmas

For unto us a Child is born,

Unto us a Son is given;

And the government will be upon His shoulder.

And His name will be called

Wonderful, Counselor, Mighty God,

Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.

Isaiah prophesied the Messiah's birth, the Savior of the world. And He did everything to earn those rightful titles; He fulfilled the word. It's expected that His birthday celebration should be nothing short of worldwide participation, complete with lights, cameras, and action! But as fun and inviting as trees and nativities and presents are, Christmas would still be Christmas without it. So what do you need to celebrate the birth of Christ? All you need is Him. All He needs is your heart--as open and bare as a vacant stable.

With the foundation of Christmas in place, there are 2 "essential extras" that tend to set this season apart from any other time of year: family & tradition.

First, a word about family... we sure missed the presence of the Mercado's, Miranda's, and Guinto's who have always been at the heart of our Christmas celebrations until this year. (A big Maligayang Pasko to all of you!) In God's grace, though, He has supplied a family on Guam for us to belong to--thanks to the Coloma branch of the Miranda family tree! Lola Oning (Coloma) Jimeno and her husband Pastor Eli have been kind enough to adopt and treat us as their own grandchildren. And Lola Oning's grand-niece Gizelle (also a member of the Coloma clan) and her husband Ken Lee have been our barkada since the day we met! Guam is all the more home because of them.

Christmas Eve dinner was hosted by the queen of the kitchen, Lola Oning herself! She and Lolo Eli, once again, opened up their home to us ... and our tastebuds! On the menu were tantalizing casseroles, savory lumpia (eggrolls), a perfect pancit, and homemade calamansi juice. Deeeelicious! Then to top it all off (as if there was room for any more goodness!), Lola's famous Mango Pie--a la mode! I think I ate enough to last me till New Year's Day.

Nobody does it better!

Christmas morning was the dawn of a new tradition. This being our first one celebrated overseas and on Guam, we took advantage of our natural resources and made this Christmas like none other before. We went snorkeling! What better way to experience serenity and joy? After recounting the Christmas story over breakfast and having Max open his 1st present of the day, we gathered our beach gear and headed to Gab Gab Beach (on the Navy base) with the Lee family. Max and I, along with Gizelle and baby Jasmine, chose to admire the fish from above the surface while Mike ventured into the deep blue with snorkel-compadre Ken.

Props to Ken for braving the waters despite his quiet disdain for water deeper than his height. Before taking their exploration further away from the land, he courteously warned Mike, "If anything happens to you out there, you're on your own." Good thing guardian angels can swim!

We were also blessed to celebrate Christmas with Mike's side of the family! After parting with the Lee's, we paid a visit to the Meyer family. Mike's newfound 2nd cousin Lerna and her husband Jeff were our very first "island tour guides" of Guam, pointing out many of the sites we took Mom & Dad to during their visit. Their household of 3 energetic boys reminds me of a good old American family who are faithful church-goers and football fans: loyal to their God and to their Green Bay Packers! Their generosity and hospitality has widened the circle of our Guam family.

Manong Jeff & Manang Lerna with Jeffrey, Joseph, and John Paul

The Mercado Christmas finally came to a close when we opened the last present under our tree (2 days after Christmas!). But the real story of Christmas lives on with every moment Christ lives in you. Our prayer is that it's a story that never ends.

Welcome to Our World

Have you ever had to take responsibility for something that wasn't yours? Well, when it comes to something so valuable that you can't put a price-tag on it, the responsibility is a privilege and a sort of calling. Today, Mike & I had the privilege to stand by our dear friends Ken & Gizelle Lee as they dedicated their newborn daughter Jasmine Ha Eun Lee into God's keeping and guidance during this Sabbath's church service. The seriousness of the role that we had been asked to play in this little one's life didn't really hit me until we were asked to sign the Certificate of Dedication. Beneath the signature line was printed the title "Spiritual Guardian."... whoa. So much weight in such a little phrase. To guard and protect, nurture, defend... the eternal salvation of this precious soul. Not just in the event that Jasmine's parents were no longer available to do so, but in partnership with them now and throughout her life.

As a parent, I have a subconscious wish and hope that the rest of the world would desire the safety and well-being of my child just as much as I do. And when I witness someone doing something truly good for him, what a relief it is to know that there are others who are watching out for him. How much more important is his faith and relationship with God? As members of the Family of God, each one of us has been given the responsibility to help protect the other from the attacks of Satan. Don't let the opportunity pass to guard the heart of a little one within your reach.

Thank You

It's our first Thanksgiving on Guam, and although we may be separated from our loved ones back in the States, God has given us more than enough reasons to celebrate this holiday with grateful hearts. At the top of the list, He has been gracious in actually leading us to build new relationships with dear friends and relatives here on the island... which means we have some awesome food and fellowship to look forward to later today!

Our most recent blessings include a smooth transition into me going back to work and Max starting daycare, surviving another birthday, and acquiring an additional form of transportation. I'll have to expand more on the work/daycare experience later (maybe after we get some heavy-duty cooking done!).

"O taste and see that the LORD is good:

blessed is the man that trusteth in Him."

-- Psalm 34:8 (KJV)

Maxwell's just as excited as Mom is about her birthday silicone baking pans!

Mike's new macho car... in classic "Military Green"

We pray your hearts would be filled with joy and laughter as we praise God for His gifts of love.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!