The Little Things...

We are back in school - halfway through with our second week. It's already going fast and I can't believe how fast. Jake can't either. Let's start with him...his school year is going awesome already! He has two full classes for 6th and 7th grade. His 8th grade class is under 18 and I think he enjoys that! The 6th graders are more talkative and energetic than last years class as well and he spends his most time with them, so he's thrilled about that too!
He is more organized this year and determined and I am so excited to see his progress in his room. He works hard and is a good teacher and I'm proud of my husband. He is growing more every day both spiritually and mentally as a man of God.
My classroom is going well. I have 24 very energetic, demanding, talkative, questioning, loveable and little first graders. We have a small physical classroom but my classis huge with volume both laughter and talking. I get a little stressed and feel as if I am not a capable teacher when all I feel I can do is raise my voice a little louder each time to get them quiet. But they hug me constantly and tell me I'm funny and how much they like me and then all those bad moments go away and I realize I am so incredibly blessed.
Jake and I both are. We love working for Saipan Community School and believe it or not, can pictures ourselves here for a number of years! Besides school, we are both training for the triathalon in November (although Jake trains WAY more than I do), we are playing ultimate frisbee on Wednesdays and Fridays and then spending time with some amazing friends we've made. Life is good here and we hope if any of you are looking for a nice vacation spot you'll consider us...yes we are far away, but we can offer you luxury and beauty (just like Hawaii) only cheaper, less crowded and full of love! :)
We miss all our family and friends especially when events happen back home. For example, Jake's sister's are both now out of the house and going to Dordt College, so his parent's are for once and for all - empty-nesters! Wish we could be there for that!
And my cousin Vanessa was just recently married on Saturday and we wish we could have been to witness that love and celebrate God's joining of two people. Lots of prayers and love to you Vanessa & Anthony!
And then there is the every day life of your families and friends that we miss but manage to recreate here with new friends, some who have become like family! Thank you for all your prayers and love and thoughts! Keep 'em comin!

Love,
J & J

My silly class of 1st graders...

A more normal one - which took quite a while to get!

little Jose!

I wanted to say "welcome to the zoo" but didn't think that would help with behaviors!

My favorite little girl is now at our school - little miss Sedrie!!!!!

Year #2

We have just officially finished our first summer vacation as teachers. We go back to school on Monday already! We are excited that it's almost time to go back but we still wish for a longer break. This past week has been the first week of not working and Jake has really enjoyed it. He has been working on our bikes, sleeping, reading and swimming. He is getting ready for a triathalon in November and he is getting ready to start training. We are both actually going to do it but Jake will be doing the whole triathalon and I will just be doing the bike. Neither of us can wait though!
This past Saturday we were both involved in a dodgeball tournament. My team was full of couples and we had a blast. It was an amazing day. We were called Dick's Dodgy Dodgers and didn't expect to get far in the tournament but we made it all the way to the finals. We lost in the end to a Japanese tourist team - but had fun doing it!
Jake was with a bunch of males on a team called Just the Tip and they made it to the semi-finals. If they had won their last game we would have played them in the finals. It was a fun day. After the tournament several of us hung out at PIC in the pool, swimming and playing basketball. It was a great day - and one of many more to come while we live here!
We also picked up Terry and Amanda this past week, as well as the two new teachers: Isaac and Kristie. We are excited to have them all back because it's made the empty and lonely apartments full and busy again! It's great to have good friends back!
So pray as the school year begins again on Monday. Pray for a blessed 2nd year of teaching, good kids, touched lives and many blessings!!!
Love
J & J

Jake dominating during a game...

Jake and I in our different outfits at the tournament

Me, Russ, Glenn, Nikki and Dick dominating in our game...

Picking up Issac and Kristie - the two new teachers - at the airport!!! Welcome to Saipan!

Our amazing team: Dick's Dodgy Dodgers!!!

June & July

Henry & Anna after having tried to eat a dropey (very salty Dutch candy)

Korean dragonfruit

One of the only sunsets we have seen this summer because of all the rain!

Time is going so fast. We are already at July 12 and only have 3 weeks left until we start back at school with Teacher Work days. Our summer has been full of working at Marianas Trekking with their Eco Camp, seeing friends and making new friends in the evenings and helping out at church.

We had our VBS program two weeks ago and it went so well. It ran from 5:30pm until 8:30 and we had up to 122 kids. God really worked in our church during VBS and in my class we had 30 kids give their lives to Jesus. It was a true blessing.

During this time the Winkfield family (prinicpal and teachers at our school) lost their eldest daughter in a car accident. It was a sad time for them but they also have been able to rejoice and draw people closer to God through it all. Jake and I didn't know Audra at all, but after spending time with the Winkfields, hearing stories and looking at pictures, she was a beautiful woman of God. It has made both of us want to live our lives purely for God's glory and to live like He has called us to live: full of love and life and joy (just as they say Audra lived). We have grown so much closer with the Winkfields during this time and it makes living in Saipan just a little easier. They are an extention of family now and we are so thankful to them. They have been a blessing to our lives to watch their witness of faith and love for God during this time.

We spent our evening last night with another couple very dear to us. We had an amazing dinner and are both so comfortable to be with the Quinns. They are a beautiful couple and full of love and life for each other and others around them and they too are a huge blessing in our lives.

Even though our summer is a little lonely and quiet here at the apartments (we are the only teachers living here at the moment) we have been enjoying the summer immensely and have been blessed by our time here in Saipan this summer.

Prayers as we begin another school year soon and finish out the summer and enjoy every last minute of our time.

We love you all!

Love,

J & J

Australia!

We went on a two week vacation to Cairns Australia and had the best time of our lives (so far anyways). We arrived lat eon Sunday night and spent the next two days walking around, biking around and visiting all the neat little tourist shops. It's quite a happening touristy town. We spent one day at Green Island. It was about an hour and a half boat ride and reminded us both of Managaha only a little bit bigger. (Managaha being the small island off our island here). We spent the day lazying around in the sun, relaxing, reading, snorkeling for a few minutes because the water was sooooo cold and more lounging around by the pool. It was beautiful!
The next day we took the Kurade Steamrail up to the small town of Kuranada. It was a beautiful trian ride up a mountain with two waterfalls to look at. In the small town we shopped again at all the tourist stores but spend most of our time at the Didgerdoo store. We met Jimmy who taught us about didgerdoos and how to play them and let us play for awhile and then we bought one of him. A beautiful yellow boxwood eucalyptus didgerdoo. We went back a few days later for a 2 hour lesson and learned a few other techniques to playing...hopefully the more we practice the better it'll sound. :)
We rented a car for the first weekend and learned how to drive on the other side of the road and saw alot of beautiful beaches and coast line. We loved having our own wheels and exploring. During that time we stayed at a Bed and Breakfast in a small beach town called Yorkey's Knob. It was a beautiful house run by a beautiful old lady named Gail. She had a 5 story house over-looking the ocean and made us an incredible breakfast every morning. It was a blessing and a highlight of our trip!
We took another 1.5 hour boat ride out to the Great Barrier Reefone day. The boat docked up to a pontoon where we could snorkel at our leisure, ride a glass bottom boat, sit in a submarine and see the reef that way. We also paid a few extra dollars to have the reef biologist tour us around outside the guided snorkelling area. Now we live on a reef here in Saipan but unlike the Great Barrier Reef, most of our coral is dead. The coral and fish and everything here was spectacular and we couldn't get enough of it. Too bad the water was sooooooo awfully cold. That was one of the best days of the trip.
On Wednesday, June 10 we woke up nice and early, ate some good old fashioned Aussie brekkie (toast and jam) and then rode in a van over to AJ Hackertt's Bungee Jump. We signed in, watched several others jump and then I finally got up the nerve to walk up to the top. 150 meters up above a tiny little pond. Up at the top Jake got all saddled up and ready to jump while I got to watch him go first. CRAZY!!!! He flew off the ledge like it was nothing at all.
A few people later it was my turn. I kept telling the guy that I didn't think I could do it and that he should just push me but he told me that defeats the challenge of it and that I should do it myself. So I stood on the edge and as he counted down from 5 I freaked and instead of jumping...kinda flopped off the edge - and yet it was one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I cannot even describe what I felt like afterwards - we just couldn't stop laughing and shaking. What a great day! :)
We went to a crocodile farm one day and watched a croc feeding show and then a wrestling show. It was crazy to watch these massive vicious creatures leaping for food and clamping their jaws shut - scary! We spent some time at the tropical zoo feeding kangaroos, holding koalas, watching snakes crawl around and see some awesome birds flying. We loved the zoos and farms we went too - there are some awesome animals in Australia!
We spent other days driving around in tours. We went to Atherton Tablelands one day and toured all the different waterfalls and little towns. So beautiful up there and you feel like you are in a totally different country than when you are in Cairns. We also went to Cape Tribulation for a night. It is purely in the middle of the rainforest with no power lines or very many people. We stayed at a beautiful resort called the Fern Tree and spent most of the time there walking on rainforest boardwalks and lying on the beach. We also went on a Night Walk for two hours and only saw one possum and two little rat-like rodents. No snakes or iguanas or lizards or anything. It was kinda worthless but at least we walked through the rainforest late at night - that was pretty cool. It was amazing being there - there was silence and more silence and it was just eerie almost at times.
The weather was beautiful, pants and a coat every night and just perfect weather during the day. The whole trip was just beautiful. You saw so many different sights and creatures that you felt like you were in different countries at times. God's creation is majestic and so beautiful and we sure saw alot of it. We kept busy the whole time and had a wonderful vacation.
We are now back in Saipan and working at Marianas Trekking in their Eco Summer Camp as camp counsellors. I am in charge of the 7-8 year olds and Jake has the 12-13 year olds. We swim, play games, swim, play soccer and several other field games and then we usually swim some more. It's so hot here that swimming is one of the only activities that feels good! :) It'll keep us busy for the next 5 weeks while we are the only teachers here.
Follow this link to see our pictures!!!
http://picasaweb.google.com/jcqlnvndm/OurAustraliaTrip#


Love and Blessings,
Jackie and Jake

SCHOOL'S OUT FOR SUMMER!

We did it! We finished our first year of teaching on a beautiful tropical island with the most diverse class possible. We have had our fair share of ups and downs and it's been hard and so rewarding at the same time. Saipan has been a blessing and we are soooo excited to stay here for another year and hopefully more following. We love it here and are blessed by amazing students, staff and teachers who have become a family and creation here. We hope that you all can come visit someday!
Enjoy the pictures from the last several weeks! :)
Life is good! (we leave for australia in a week so it couldn't be better! :)
Love
J & J

Terry & Sandy at Lau Lau Kafe

Terry, Amanda and I after the Teacher Staff Party!

Pastor telling Sandy how beautiful she is!

The Motown came back in full swing!

the living and dining room and view of the house we are house-sitting!

the Teachers of SCS

Jake and I with Frankie - an 8th grader!

Justin and Jake

Terry and I!

Amanda and I with the 4 8th grade girls! :)

The 8th grade class singing: "All you Need is love!"

Tamiko and I!

Jake and his baritone - it's been 5 years since he's played!

Pastor Greg Dickerman and his beautiful wife Sandy ( they are our island parents!)

yes it is true what you see..... only in Saipan!

Jake and Terry!

Baby Hilah and I! :)

Jake and I at our station for the Tagaman triathalon! We had to direct the bikers in three different directions!

Henry with his art work!

Italian Ukulele's

With a nice house to live in and some great friends, we thought we'd have all of those great friends over and have a dinner. We went with Italian and boy was it a good choice. The food that was prepared by all was delicious and the wine was also just as tasty. We ate, laughed, talked, drank, laughed and just continued to hang out. It was such a great night and a good thing to have in the middle of the week, especially with the school year ending next week.
Two days later there was a Ukulele Jam/Concert at the school. Middle school students are required to take ukulele/music class. Some hate it while the majority either enjoys or loves it and it shows. There are some really talented ukulele players in our school. The had an awesome majority of music, some special guests playing along with them and doing solos. It was different than any other school event I've been too and I loved it. Helped us remember what a fun, loving, creative school we work at.
Today is Saturday and we are both helpin run the All-Schools Track and Field meet. It started yesterday at 4-9 and today will be from 8-2 (which island time of 2 will most likely be 4) So it'll be a long day. But another great way to spend getting to know the students better. We have some amazing kids at the school and the more we get to know them personally andoutside of school the more friendships we create and the more God continues to use us both. We are happy.
Love,
J & J

We had a great weekend. We started house-sitting on Friday night for our "Step" Parents: Russ & Kanae Quinn. They have a beautiful house up on the hill. We "moved" in Friday night after a great Bible Study! It's so nice to be in a house and not an apartment - it makes the urge to move on in life a little more prevelant! :)
Saturday we slept in and then Jake got ready for his 8th grade boy's afternoon. The three male teachers of our school took all 9 8th grade boys out to some caves and boonie stompin'/clearing for the afternoon. Jake had a blast and was glad to spend time with the boys outside of school and in a new setting for some of them. The male teachers also had a chance to talk about being a man of God and I know that blessed Jake and the boys as well. While he was out with the boys, I went to the Spa for the afternoon. There were several other ladies there and we enjoyed lounging in the pools, sun and saunas! Very relaxing!
Later that night we attended Taste of the Marianas. It is a huge event located in the American Memorial Park. All the hotels have food booths, along with several restaurants and everyone (and I mean EVERYONE) gets together, eats, drinks and enjoys local entertainment. It was a great night and we can't wait to go again this coming Saturday night.
Sunday was relaxing as well - church in the morning, lunch and Tony Roma's with Pastor Dickerman, Sandy and Dean. It was a beautiful lunch and great fellowship. Then we headed back up to the house and relaxed even more by napping and hanging out on nice, soft couches!!! It was a great weekend and much needed because we are back at it with a full week.
Jake has track practice every day this week and we both will be at the Track meet that is this Friday afternoon/night and all day Saturday. Plus we have a Uke Jam on Thursday night, which is apparently the highlight event of the year! Very much looking forward to it! We'll also get to spend some quality time with good friends as well.
Life is going great here. We are looking forward to only 9 days left of school and then 19 more days until we leave for Australia.
We miss you all and love you all!
Love
J&J

Lately...

After Spring Break we entered school with Spirit Week! It was so much fun!
Tuesday - Crazy Hair Day!
Wednesday - Twin Day!
Thursday - Crazy Hat Day!
Friday - Culture Day!
The kids dressed up each day and we all had a lot of fun. It was a great week to get energy and motivation for the last 5 weeks of school! This past week we had a full regular week. It was really fast, although at the same time took a LONG time. The kids are really trying our patience and it became a tiring week because of the discipline side of teaching. We did have an art show and writer's workshop on Thursday night. The art from 1st grade to 8th grade was displayed as well as writing from each class. The school has an art teacher so I don't have to teach it to my kids and it was amazing to see how well they do. It was a joy to see the kids there and all the hard work they have been doing.
There has also been the Flame Tree Festival this past weekend and so we spent Thursday and Saturday nights there, walking around and enjoying the arts and crafts, food and live music and dance. What an awesome way to see and experience the culture of Saipan. We love it here - absolutely love it! :) Today - 4 of my 1st grade boys came over and Jake and I took them to the beach. We had sooo much fun and just having time outside of school with them, really shows you who they are and how to love them better. Life is going good. We are about 20 school days away from break and then 30 days away from Australia. We are excited to be finished with our 1st year of teaching and can't believe how fast time has flown by. We think of you all often. Two of our good friends are both pregnant and having babies and we are overjoyed for them! Our parents and families are doing well and we miss you all. Love always, J & J



Jake, Desrei and Tony

All my girl's dressed up in their culture costumes!

The Canadian representatives!!!

Me with Tony and Kelly (Koreans)

My class on Crazy Hat Day!

Esther and Ashley on Twin Day!

Amanda and I on Twin Day!

Price and I on Crazy Hair Day!

Jake and I with our crazy hair!

Spring Break '09

Spring Break has come and gone and it was perfect.

Jake and I took time to not wake up to an alarm clock, have no schedule and truly relax. We spent a total of 1 day in our classrooms getting ready for this week. We spent the time at Managaha or PIC enjoying the sun and water, helped run the track meet (which will continue for the next month), swam at the Grotto and then celebrated Thai New Year, went to my 1st sunrise service on a tropical island, has Easter dinner with some good friends, painted Easter eggs for the 1st time I can remember, went Easter Egg hunting with three of my students, ate out for lunch with some new amazing friends, got manicured and pedicured with two of the most amazing and Godly women I know (Terry and Sandy - you are amazing friends), and I really enjoyed spending time with Jake - what an awesome man! :)

We are back at school this week for Spirit Week, with Crazy Hair to start off today! Tomorrow brings Twin Day (see future photos), Crazy Hat Day and then Culture Day. It should be an awesome week. It was great to start back at school. I know that we both enjoyed being back into routine and the good ol' swing of things! :)

Life is great!

I love that we have salvation and hope for our futures - thank God for sending His son and the reminder of forgiveness and grace. I made a commitment to God this Break to just let some things go and surrender them to God. You can only try so much and when there is no return you just move on and pray God will continue to shine through your love and actions. I have an Godly husband who promises to pray and keep me accountable and I really could not ask for more. Thank you God for your grace, amazing people in my life and most of all your Love!

Love,
Jackie

Emma, Yoo Jin and Henry getting ready to find Easter eggs!
Easter Sunrise Service
The Sunrise
Painting Easter Eggs at Amanda's!
Jake and Rovin

Our crazy hair for today!

Dedication...

An amazing professor and good friend of ours from college passed away early this week and it's been really hard for me and us. She was an inspiration to both Jake and I. She was wise, loving, caring, witty, beautiful, true, and I could go on forever. She had been battling cancer for two years and I know being with Jesus and in no more pain or sickness is so much better for her, but I am truly missing her. I cannot wait to see her again someday and thank her for how much she helped me love teaching. For how when I am teaching and I see something right or hear something right, I think of Cella and all her stories and encouragements. For how I sat through all her classes, and other Ed. ones and kept telling myself "teach like Cella".
Her love for students and people and life was so incredible. I've never met or known anyone like I have known her. You will be in my heart forever Cella and I know that as long as I teach I will remember you. Thank you for all you have given and blessed me with God, through Cella Bosma!

Spring Break!

YAH!!!! Today was the last day of school before our Spring Break...and thank goodness!

I know that I have been looking foward to this break for quite some time, and I think Jake has been too! We have been busy with SAT testing in our classrooms, Jake now coaching the Track adn Field team and Marriage Encounter.

Last weekend we helped out with the Marriage Encounter weekend, serving meals to the couples. It was quite an experience. I remember going through it and being amazing at all the people who were involved in the mission. Now being involved and working with M.E I really can be love to other couples and it was so great to do that. What's also great about it is that it's a marraige mission and so you do everything with your spouse, which means that Jake and I get to spend alot of time together - which is also awesome! :) We love Marriage Encounters. It is such a ministry. I would truly recommend it to anyone - whether you have a great marriage (or so you think) or you just married. It will change your marriage, give you new tools and just touch you...and if it anything else, you will just be able to see how many people in your area really want marraiges and God's sacrament to work!

We also had our LAST mathcourt competition last weekend - which was so great. It was fun to watch our students do math so well. Something neither Jake or I was used to back in the States - so it's a great competition to see here! Very glad it's over though! There was also a Red-Cross Walkathon last weekend, which my good friend Tami and I did together. We walked hard and got a t-shirt outta the deal. It was a great time. She is an amazing woman of God and I love spending time with her! She's the 5th grade teacher at SCS.

That's Tami with the hat. The other woman is Amanda who also in amazing friend and woman. Love them both! :)

At school we are having a Penny Drive for new lockers...and my class came in 1st place last week. They were so happy and excited! I was so proud of them, because they had been working hard to bring in money. We had a trophy to decorate for the week and then providing we were the lead again this week we would keep the trophy. They found out in Chapel this morning that 5th grade took the lead. They were very upset when they had to hand over the trophy.

Here's Henry and Jon Paul with the trophy!

Have I mentioned just how much I love teaching 1st grade. The joys I get out of it are tremendous. Like how much the kids who didn't want to or couldn't read at the beginning are now my top readers. And how much love they ALWAYS have for you - even when you are outside punishing them. They are adorable and fun and energitic (sometimes too much) and all-around amazing! I am so glad that we are here for next year doing the same grade! I know Jake is happy to stay. He really enjoys teaching middle school. Teaching both math and science definietly keep him busy but he loves it. Saipan is truly amazing and we are continually being blessed with new friends to get to know and be with, our ME family who know more about us than most people, and our church family. Thank you God for our blessings!

Love

Jackie and Jake