Back home on Tinian

Our home in Utah

The view from the front door into the living room

The dining room

The kitchen

The new amphitheater being built

Joselito C. Lenteja and Hazel F. Lenteja and the new and improved Adriel Roy F. Lenteja!

I finally made it back home to Tinian. It is good to be back! So much has happened while I was in Utah working on 'the house Terri built' (I have provided pictures of the 'house Terri built' for those who wonder what it looks like...keep in mind that Terri built the entire house, with the exception of the concrete foundation and the brick/stucco work. Every piece of wood, every wire in the electrical system, every copper pipe for the water and heating system, etc., was put there by Terri, with some help from her family, of course!). Even though I saw her do it, it is hard to believe when you look at it...

The trip was mostly a success. We fixed and upgraded the home, and got new renters, as well as a new management company (that will hopefully do a better job 'maintaining' the house than the last company did). And I got to spend time with my father (now in his 80's), and my daughter Elizabeth (the one who visited Tinian and took pictures--more on that later); and time with my son Seth, his wife Meg, and my new grandson Joshua. Seth help me fix up the house--thank heaven he was there to help, as I would never have made it!

My apologies to many in Utah that I was not able to visit while I was there! I had planned to see a number of people while in Utah, but the work on the house took way longer than I had expected, and so I was not able to see very many people.


While I was gone, Terri and I became Godparents! Adriel Roy F. Lenteja was christened May 7th, and Terri and I were chosen to be among the 'secondary Godparents'. Quite an honor for the both of us!


Terri also received the honor of becoming an 'Adjunct Clinical Instructor' in Family/Emergency Medicine for Touro University of Nevada. They are thinking of sending some of their PA students to Tinian as part of their clinical rotations. Just another feather in Terri's hat--to add to all the other feathers she has obtained over the years!


I brought back to Tinian many of the pictures Liz took while visiting the island. We plan to make up some postcards and also put together a 'picture tour' book of Tinian. Many of the pictures will soon be on display at the medical clinic for people to see while there. I promise that you will be amazed by what you see--you will see your island Paradise as you have never seen it before! Liz has a way of looking at people and places, and can somehow capture the essence of them in her pictures. It is truly a gift!


Terri has been off call and off work the past few days (good timing for my return!), and we spent time swimming and took a long ride to the north side of the island. There are many changes that are happening here--the second casino has begun, a new amphitheater is being built, new businesses are opening, etc. It is a busy time for many here.


Now perhaps I can get back to writing...however, my computer seems to be destined for the trash heap, as Saipan could not fix it (they claim they could not even get it to malfunction, but of course, as soon as we turned it on, it crashed...). So I will be getting a new computer as soon as I can get one, and if this one ever gets fixed, we will donate it to someone here on Tinian.


I am patiently waiting for the final 'proof' of my new book to reach me here on Tinian (it was sent 2-day mail two weeks ago...), which, if I ever get, I can sign-off on and finally get books in hand! Another 'baby' is about to be born, after three years of work. Writing is a labor of love, but publishing is a trial of faith and patience!


That's it for now. More updates to come as I reconnect with Tinian...