Saipan

Swimming in the Grotto

/ edebock / 5 Comments

We definitely crossed one off our Saipan bucket list today. We went swimming in the Grotto! I’m almost at a loss for words when it comes to describing how fabulous it was.

The Grotto is an amazing natural formation on the northern end of the island. Thousands of years ago it was an underwater cave but at some point part of the roof caved in and it became accessible from above. More than 100 stone steps lead down to the water’s edge. There you wait for a break in the waves before stepping across a narrow opening and climbing up onto a huge flat-topped  boulder. Many swimmers like to jump or dive into the water from there but I chose the easy climb down the side of the rock.

The water is a brilliant blue, very deep and crystal clear. The Grotto is one of the island’s prime scuba diving spots and at times we could see divers deep below us! We could also see light entering the pool in three spots where tunnels extend out to the open ocean. One of these forms a deep narrow cave at the back of the pool. We swam to the very back of it.

The water temperature was perfect; cool enough to be refreshing but warm enough that we could stay in for as long as we wanted without becoming chilled. Being ocean water, of course, it’s salty and we floated easily. It truly was a fantastic experience and one we’ll definitely want to repeat while we’re here.

   

The last shall be first…

/ edebock / 2 Comments

“The last shall be first, and the first last.”  Matthew 20:16

That’s certainly how it was when we went through immigration and customs at the Saipan airport shortly after midnight last night.

Almost 30 hours into the very long day that took us from Edmonton to Seattle to Tokyo to Saipan, Richard and I both fell asleep on the airplane. While we were snoozing, the stewardess handed out the various forms that would be needed upon arrival. Assuming that we were American citizens, she left only one form for us to fill out when we actually needed three. We awoke as the airplane began it’s descent into Saipan and I suddenly realized that we had not done the necessary paperwork yet! Yikes! The steward on board responded to our call but he was hurried and unsure of which documents we needed. We ended up with the correct ones but they were in Japanese rather than English which wasn’t of much help to us! By this time, I was feeling a little panicked and sent a silent prayer upward asking the Lord to smooth our path. His answer was nothing short of miraculous.

As we deplaned, we exchanged the Japanese forms for English ones but that meant that we had to stop to fill them out after we entered the airport putting us at the very back of the long line of people waiting to go through immigration. In our very tired state, we were also unsure if we had filled them out correctly and were definitely feeling a bit intimidated by the whole situation. It was at that point that one of the immigration officials noticed the family with a small baby just ahead of us in line. He took them aside so that they could be processed more quickly and be on their way. As he did so, he asked where we were from and when we told him Canada, he turned the family over to another official and dealt with us himself. He was friendly and courteous and we were through in no time leaving everyone else still standing in line!

As soon as we knew that we were coming to Saipan, I began to research visa requirements. As far as I was able to determine, we would likely be issued a 30 day visa on entry and then, because we’re actually staying longer than that, we would have to have it renewed for another 30 days. We had been advised, however, that we should try asking for a 60 day visa at the airport. I thought it was worth a try. Imagine my surprise when the agent told us that, as Canadians, we are actually eligible for a 6 month visa! Though we don’t plan to do so, our passports now say that we can stay until December!

Passing through customs was just as quick and easy. Within minutes, we were out the door of the terminal where we were met by Helen Ann, her daughter and her son-in-law who welcomed us with beautiful floral leis that smell absolutely heavenly. Our Saipan adventure had begun!

Saipan FAQ

/ edebock / 2 Comments

Richard and I will be doing a presentation about our upcoming mission trip to Saipan in church on May 8th. Since I’ve been busy organizing information for that, I decided that I’d also use it to answer some of our most frequently asked questions here. As we haven’t actually been to Saipan yet, all of this is information that I’ve gathered from other websites.

Where is Saipan?

Saipan is the capital as well as the largest and most populated of the 15 tiny islands that make up the Commonwealth of Northern Mariana Islands which stretches 400 miles along the Mariana Trench in the western Pacific Ocean. It’s 15 degrees north of the equator and is located 120 miles north of Guam and due east of the northernmost island of the Philippines. It’s about a three and a half hour flight from Tokyo.

How big is it?

Saipan is about 12.5 miles long & 5.5 miles wide with a total land area of about 46.5 square miles. I was astonished to discover that it would fit into our county almost 34 times! It is surrounded by approximately 54 miles of coastline with about 14 miles of beach.

What’s the weather like?

Saipan is a tropical island with a warm humid climate. It holds the Guiness World Record for the most consistent temperature with the average difference between day and night being greater than the difference between summer and winter! The average temperature year-round is 27C and the year is basically divided into the wet season from July to November and the dry season from December to June.

What languages are spoken on Saipan?

There are three official languages; English, Chamorro and Carolinian but many other languages are also spoken. Because Saipan is an American territory, English is the language of business, schools and the church.

When Richard and I volunteered for short term missions, we anticipated that language would prevent us from being able to do the kind of ministry that we’ll be doing on Saipan. We expected to end up in a country where we didn’t speak the language and where we’d be asked to do the kinds of tasks that would free up the resident missionaries to minister to the local people. God clearly had a different plan and we’re very excited to be a part of it.

What’s the population?

The most recent census figure that I could find is over ten years old. It gives the population as approximately 62 000 people but that may have changed significantly by now. If so, I suspect that it’s lower as the downturn in the economy has seriously affected Saipan’s tourist trade. In addition to the indigenous population, many other cultures & nationalities are represented on Saipan including Americans, Filipinos, Koreans, Chinese, Thai & Japanese.

What is the main religion of Saipan?

The majority of the island’s population is Roman Catholic but many other faiths are also represented.

Do you have any other questions? If so, I’ll try to answer them now and if I can’t, perhaps they’ll give me ideas to blog about while we’re there!

Don’t light my own torch!

/ edebock / 2 Comments

I had hoped to book our tickets to Saipan this week. In fact, I woke up in the wee hours of Monday morning feeling very stressed because this hadn’t already been done. We’re not actually going until sometime in mid June but I like to take care of things like this well in advance. This time, however, our travel plans depend on other people. We thought we had pretty much nailed down the dates that we’d be needed with the missionaries that we’ll be covering for but then news came of a possible youth retreat that they’d like us to be involved in. Not a problem! In fact, that sounds pretty exciting to us but now we have to wait on someone else’s plans as this would involve another person coming from off island to do the retreat.

So what was I doing Monday morning? Fretting. Stressing. Worrying. Wondering if I should simply pick some dates and go ahead and book our tickets.

Then God spoke! No, I didn’t hear a booming voice from heaven but I definitely heard him loud and clear. He could have said, “Be patient you silly, foolish child and let me take care of things or you’ll mess them up for sure!” but he’s kinder than that and perhaps a little more subtle.

I sat down to review the previous week’s homework in preparation for that evening’s Beth Moore Bible study and Isaiah 50:10b-11 jumped out at me:

“Let him who walks in the dark, who has no light, trust in the name of the Lord and rely on his God. But now, all you who light fires and provide yourselves with flaming torches, go, walk in the light of your fires and of the torches you have set ablaze. This is what you shall receive from my hand: You will lie down in torment.”

It’s amazing how that happens; how God seems to know exactly what we need to hear and when we need to hear it! It’s so easy for me to want to take things into my own hands, to light my own torch and try to find the path on my own but God was reminding me to trust in him and to wait on his leading. So now there’s a highlighted note to self in the margin of my Bible study workbook:

Don’t light my own torch!

Instead, I’ll wait (patiently, I hope!) until we’re given a better idea when we need to be on Saipan and then I’ll book our tickets accordingly.


Where in the world is Saipan?

/ edebock / 3 Comments

73.86 miles

As many of you are already aware, Richard and I have been prayerfully seeking direction concerning short term missions work for some time. After much consideration, we decided that the best way to do this would be through our church. Our journey began back in the early spring when we began the application process by filling out a series of online forms and questionnaires as well as submitting five references each. In mid July, we attended a Cross-Cultural Orientation weekend in Olathe, Kansas and now we have an assignment! We will be providing summer ministry coverage for Living Hope Church of the Nazarene on the tropical island of Saipan!

When we share the news, the first thing most people ask is “Where in the world is Saipan?” I had to ask the same question! I soon discovered that it’s a tiny island in the Pacific Ocean. Located about 15 degrees north of the equator, it’s north of Guam & due east of the Philippines. At just 12.5 miles long and 5.5 miles wide, it’s the largest and most populated of the 14 islands that make up the US territory known as the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands or CNMI.

Americans Dave and Helen Ann Bucher went to Saipan 9 years ago to plant a church. They are “tent maker” missionaries, supporting themselves as teachers in the local school system. The church meets in their home and averages 25 to 30 people each Sunday. It’s a multi-cultural congregation with various native islander groups, Micronesians, Filipinos and other nationalities represented. Local people are involved in leading the weekly kids club & teaching some of the Sunday School classes (there are 2 kids classes, a teen class & an adult class) but they don’t yet have anyone who is ready to carry the ministry through the summer while they return to the mainland US to spend time with their family. That’s where we come in! We don’t have exact dates yet but we’ll probably be there for most of June & July.
This is a giant step for us but one we’re very excited about taking! In many ways, it seems to be a perfect fit. When I read the description of the position, I was thrilled to see that our first responsibility would be to love the people! More and more, I’ve come to believe that that’s what life is all about! Though many languages are spoken on Saipan, English is the common one and the language of the church giving us an opportunity to minister in ways that we wouldn’t be able to in most parts of the world. Even the timing is perfect fitting neatly between spring seeding and harvest time!
I truly believe that God has directed us to this opportunity. It may seem silly to some but I think that even the name of the church is a sign! During our year in Japan, we attended Hope Church and it had a tremendous impact on our lives. While we were there, our pastor’s brother and his wife were preparing to move to Osaka to plant a church there. Life Church is now into its second year. So… Living Hope Church… just a coincidence? I don’t think so!