Tinian Times

Our visit with Ramon's family

2009-05-19T14:35:00.007+10:00

One of the purposes for our trip to Manila was to meet Ramon's family (Ramon one of the members of our little congregation on Tinian). Above are Terri, Lucille (Ramon's wife); Joshua (Ramon's son); and Micah (Ramon's youngest daughter). Ramon's oldest daughter, Golda, is living and working in Abu Dabi.

After they made the 2-hour drive to the Temple, we went next door to one of the small cafes to eat together.

Ramon's brother and sister-in-law also came, Shiela and Jay, and in the back is our daughter Liz.

Joshua, 20 years old, is going to college to learn the Hotel industry, and may move to Tinian with his father after he graduates. Micah, just 13, isn't sure what she wants to do when she grows up. amazingly, they all spoke English quite well! I guess they begin to learn English in school as early as 1st grade!

After lunch, we went back to Temple housing to sit and talk some more. We all seemed to get along quite well for being complete strangers just a short time ago!

Everyone was amazed at how tall our daughter Liz is!

All too soon they had to leave, but not before we were able to exchange gifts and lots of hugs. We look forward to visiting them and the Philippines again!

Our trip to the Philipines

2009-05-19T12:30:00.013+10:00

Here is a group shot of the members of the Saipan Branch that traveled together to the Manila Temple.

Terri and I traveled to the Philipines to attend the Mormon temple north of Manila. It was a long trip (we had to go through Japan, and had a 5-7 hour wait in the airport), but it turned out to be a great trip.

The purpose for going to the Temple are many:

For individuals, they attend the Temple to receive their own 'endowment', and then to provide ordinances for their dead ancestors.

For families, men and women attend the Temple to be married, or 'sealed', for eternity; and then have their children 'sealed' to them. Once this is done, they also can provide these same ordinances for their dead ancestors.

Mormons beleive that men on earth can make covenants with God. For example, Abraham made a covenant with God: he would live a righteous life (as defined by God), and in return, God blessed Abraham and all his decendents. The 'sign' of this covenant was circumcision.

Another common covenant is baptism. When someone accepts Jesus as their Savior and Lord, they are in fact making a covenant with God. They agree to beleive in and live the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and in return, God will bless them by permitting them to enter heaven after death. People are baptised as a 'sign' or an open accknowledgement of this covenant.

When Mormons go to the Temple, they take upon themselves additional covenants, and in return, are promised additional blessings. We promise to obey God's commanments. We promise to sacrifice our time and talents to promote the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We promise to be faithful to our spouse (if we intend to be bound eternally as husband and wife, this seems like a smart thing to do...). Like Abraham with his son Isaac, we promise to sacrifice anything and everything for God and Christ.

In return, and if we remain faithful, we are promised entrance into the Celestial Kingdom-- the ability to live with God the Father and Jesus Christ.

After a person accepts Jesus as their Savior, they can be baptized in His name. The ordinance of baptism symbolizes the washing away of our sins. Many who have been baptised have expressed how the ordinance made them feel clean, and more spiritual. It is a start of a new life for millions!

As a person grows and matures, they can go to the Temple to make additional covenants, and receive addtional blessings.

Here is a bunch of us waiting to go inside the Temple. Sister Nelson is attempting to take a picture of a couple with the Angel Moroni in the background (he sits atop the steeple).

Here is another group of people who also came to the Temple and gathered for a picture

This is a picture of Brother and Sister Wally (their son is in front). We had the honor of 'bunking' with the Wallys at the Temple Housing. This was their first trip to the Temple. They were going to be sealed together as husband and wife, and then have their children sealed to them.

As usual, our trip to Manila started with a trip to Saipan from Tinian. We took a calculated risk: we decided to fly to Saipan the morning of the trip. If it had been raining, we would have missed our flight to Manila since the small planes don't fly in bad weather. Most times we would have traveled to Saipan the day before, just to make sure. We had good luck...

Here are some of the group as we worked our way through all the airports (Saipan, Tokyo, Manila)

We finally got on a bus from the Manila airport to the Temple, about 30 min. away. We had gotten up about 5am to start this trip, and would arrive at our housing at about 1am the next day!

During the down-time, the children were playing two games I had never seen before. One game had two groups of children, standing about 10' apart. At their feet was a bottle-cap in a circle (you can see the bottle-cap above). Then they would take turns tossing a rock at the other's bottle-cap. If the cap was hit, the children would race to a line about 30' away. Then the team that lost (who had their bottle-cap hit) were required to carry the other team on their backs back to the start!

Anther game was sort of like tag: four children were stationed in a line, each about 10' apart. The other team had to try to race past them without getting tagged. The children who were trying to tag the other team could only move side-to-side, so once a child made it past the first line, they faced the next person, and so on. If even one person on the team was tagged, they had to switch sides.

The Temple sits on a hill above the city, and has some great views.

During our visit to the Temple there were many other groups that came to visit the Temple also... it was a very busy place!

In the Temple housing there are two kitchens, and two dining halls where people can cook and eat. Some people, including our group, had our meals catered-- they would bring our food, and cook it on site for us to eat. There were also three restaurants and cafes right next door that people could visit to eat.

Terri and our Branch President, Brother Nelson, talk while they eat.

This is the Temple Housing building where we stayed. They keep the price to stay here very low, so even the poorest member can afford to attend the Temple (and they can cook their own food, etc.).

This is our friend at the front desk, who helped us with all of our problems while staying at the housing!

After entering the building, and registering at the front desk, you head down the hall and find your assigned room.

Each room had four sets of bunk beds, so a total of 8 people a room. We bunked with the Wallys and their two children. They had a great overhead fan, and a small air conditioner.

The Temple also had a small van that could hold about 8-10 people in the back. It cost 7 pesos to take this little bus, and in ran in a loop from the Temple to an area a couple of miles away where many of the regular busses intersect.

Of course the purpose of the visit was to come to the Temple!

Across the street from the Temple, besides the Temple Housing, there were two other buildings: this is the Church Office building for the Philipines. All church activity in the Philipines is centered here. Downstairs is also a small store where church materials and Temple clothing is sold; and also a Family History Center, where people can reseach their genealogy.

the other building is the Missionary Training Center, where all of the full-time missionaries coming from the Philipines are trained before they are sent on their 2-year missions to anywhere in the world.

To ease the hot days, there was an ice-cream cart that sat outside our gate at all times!

One of the popular modes of travel in the area are the Jeepneys-- small private busses that travel around the city and carry 20+ people. Many are decorated in a unique style, similar to what is done in India.

There always seemed to be waiting periods: waiting to go to the temple, waiting to go eat, waiting to go sightseeing, etc.

And here is Terri and Liz waiting to leave!

Far too soon we had to leave, but we will return again, when we have more time for sightseeing!

Putting ads on Tinian Times?

2009-05-18T14:47:00.000+10:00

I have recieved an offer to put an ad from a travel agency on our site.
We would be paid for anyone who clicks on their ad and goes to their site.
We would also be paid a second time if they purchase anything from that site.

IF we decided to do this, any and all money would be given to a Tinian Charity
(we would let you know how much and which charity)

There are lots of pros and cons:

The pros:

1. we can make money to be given back to Tinian
2. we would provide a service to those who desire to visit Tinian
3. this might increase the number of people who visit the site, and therefore, the number who get to know Tinian.

The Cons:

1. ads tend to distract from the content of the blog
2. this might decrease the number of people who visit the site, and therefore, the number who get to know Tinian.

I would be interested to know people's thoughts and comments!
Should we put ads on the site or not?

First Anual Tinian Moonlight Fun Run

2009-05-10T09:33:00.003+10:00

The first annual Tinian Moonlight Fun Run was held last night, organized by Janet King and Joshua Manglona. Since they also invited 'walkers' to join, I decided I would support their efforts and try making the trek from Taga Beach up the steep hill to the Scenic Overlook (about the half-way point) and around to the backside of the island, and back to Taga Beach-- about a 6 mile route.

People began to gather and register. We were given a number to wear, and, since we would be walking/running at night, a glow stick to wear (my shirt got so wet from my sweat, the number I was wearing melted...).

Terri looks a little worried as I prepare to depart-- would she ever see me again?

As the sun set, the time neared when we would be off on the first leg of the run: up the steep hill on the south side of Dynasty Casino.

And here is Janet King giving the 'start' signal with silly string!

Here are a few of the winners:

'Many moons' after most of the entrants had made their way back to the finish line...

I finally made it safely back to a cheering crowd... not cheering my victory, but cheering that I was still alive!

I was given a certificate of completion that said:

"Certificate of Completion: Thank God You finished"

"This certifies that Kevan Clawson has successfully completed, without medical attention, and with a flourish, The first Annual Tinian Moonlight Fun Run"

So there!

Birthday dinner at Dynasty

2009-05-09T09:35:00.004+10:00

The work on the broken water pipe has been completed, and we have our water back on again!

work continues at the new amphitheater

We decided to celebrate Liz's birthday this week by going to dinner at the Japanese restaurant in the Dynasty Casino. Ramon was waiting for us when we arrived, and guided us down the hall to the fabulous restaurant.

The restaurant had an interesting entrance-- it kind of gave you a calming feeling as you walked in...

Our chef was great, and was quite entertaining, performing tricks with his tools of the trade!

The food was great, and there was a lot of it! We were all given large bibs before we began to eat: I'm sure we all needed them, as there was a lot of food to share. We decided to get a couple of combination plates, and share them: several kinds of fish, and meat, fried rice, vegetables, salad, miso soup, etc., etc.

Terri and I have to add another great restaurant to the things we love about living on Tinian! We will be sure to come again!

Tinian Moonlight Fun Run: Saturday May 9, 7pm

2009-05-07T14:10:00.004+10:00

The 1st ANNUAL TINIAN MOONLIGHT FUN RUN will be held Saturday evening

at 7 p.m., May 9, 2009.



The 6 mile run/walk will take place in the moonlight.

         

The start point is at the Taga Beach parking lot to the scenic

Lookout/Limestone Forest Trail and looping back to Taga Beach.



Race day registration will open up to 6:30 p.m.



The run/walk will start at 7 p.m.



Registration fee is $5.00 which will be used toward other upcoming

sports events. Each participant will receive glow sticks and/or

necklaces. The first 10 finishers will receive T-shirts.



Aid stations with refreshments available. Volunteers include the

Department of Public Safety, Tinian Health Center, Marianas

Visitors Authority, and Tinian High School's JROTC.



The event is part of a series of weekend sports events organized

by members of the community. This year's sponsors include the

Tinian Mayor's Office, Senator Jude Hofschneider, DFS Galleria,

Pacific Trading, and King Law Office.



Contact the event organizer, Janet King, at JanetHanKing@gmail.co or

call 433-0419 for more information



I am not a runner, just a walker... but I intend to join the

participants this Saturday!



Shouldn't there be a BIG prize for the fastest 'walker'?

Reflections of the Tinian Fiesta

2009-05-07T13:46:00.009+10:00

A reader sent me these pictures, and reflections of the wonderful Tinian Fiesta that ended last weekend:

Rina Palacios, daughter of Peter and Bernie Palacios, performed for

an enthusiastic crowd.

Tinian Elementary School dancers performed several numbers for an

enthusiastic crowd.

Tinian's "man amko" are seen here enjoying the 2009 San Jose Fiesta:

Hofschneider, Rita A. Manglona, and Lucy King.

A vendor during the 2009 San Jose Fiesta smiles for the camera.

Local band, Burning Bush, performed during the 2009 San Jose Fiesta.

The feast on Saturday, May 2, 2009 included hundreds of dishes from

each island family and the Tinian Mayor's Office.

Several cows (shown here) and pigs were roasted whole for the island

feast on Saturday, May 2, 2009.

San Jose Church parishioners are seen here at the start of the Mass

honoring Saint Joseph, the celebrant of the island's annual fiesta.

Seen here leading the procession is Tinian's Mayor, Jose P. San Nicolas.

Parishioners here are seen carrying a statue of Saint Joseph, the

patron saint of the island's annual fiesta held every first week of May.

Herman's Modern Bakery provided several cakes commemorating the

Tinian Fiesta.

The newly crowned 2009 San Jose Fiesta King, [Hofschneider], son of

Alice U. Hofschneider. stands before the crowd. Hosts Nathaniel

Hofschneider and Jennifer San Nicolas, background, look on.

Sere Ima Sanchez, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Juan A. Sanchez, is shown

here being crowned the 2009 San Jose Fiesta Queen.

The 2008 San Jose Fiesta Queen and King bid their farewell to the crowd.

Serafina King-Nabors, San Jose Parish president, thanked the crowd

after the coronation for their support.

Animals and flame trees

2009-05-07T11:08:00.006+10:00

This is one of the deer that are being raised on Tinian. Just like pigs, cattle, ducks, and goats, some people on the island love venison...

Here are a couple of baby goats that are being raised on Tinian

The flame trees are in full blossom, and are quite beautiful, from the smallest tree to the largest and oldest ones.

This is one of the most beautiful flame trees I have found on the island, and it is right in the park by the dock!

Liz and I decided to take another scooter ride, this time to Fleming Point, and to Dump Coke South.

Dump Coke South has a steep road down to the end, but has great views!

There is a long dirt road to get to the point

Next we took a road to go to Tinian Grotto, where there is a cross that you can see from Fleming Point. Terri and I have tried to take this road before, but the last time we came, it was so overgrown with pricker-bushes, we had to stop and turn back! This time Liz and I were able to get to the end of the road.

This is the entrance to Fleming Point

After this, we headed home, very tired from our adventure.

The joys of living on Tinian

2009-05-07T10:46:00.005+10:00

Terri, Liz and I decided to go for a swim, and joined a group of people already at the beach

Here is Terri and Liz making their way out into the deep blue, er, turquoise, sea... I think Liz was playing hide and seek, or something?

The Suicide Memorial on the east side of the island is a great drive, has beautiful views, and wonderful monuments to those who have died on Tinian.

I never get tired of the view from the Scenic Overlook

Along with adding a small addition to the store, they are also revising the roof so that both sides match... I think...

We took advantage of the last day of the Tinian Fiesta by getting our dinner there.

There were lots of places to eat, and I left for home with my arms full of good food!

Liz and I took a scooter ride one afternoon and discovered some old WWII ordinance

We also found some new roads I had never been down before

We even discovered some new roads right by the airport that I never knew were there!

This road almost looks like one of the old WWII runways, only this is by the current airport

Then we followed a fence-line road for what seemed to be forever (hoping that it wasn't a dead-end!

We finally ended up on one of the old WWII roads that the Seabees had built, that runs west to Fleming Point! It was a great adventure!

Kastiyu Wildlife Preserve

2009-05-07T10:33:00.003+10:00

My daughter Liz is on Tinian for a while, so we drove our scooters up to the Kastiyu ridge. At the time, the water on Tinian was shut off due to a break in the line. These men were busy trying to get the water turned back on... which they eventually did.

There are lots of great views of Tinian from up on the Carolinas.

One of the lookout points in the park looks down upon the Suicide cliff memorial

It also has a great view of Marpo Point on the east side of the island

Liz and I take a break ... the weather looked like it was clearing up-- the kiss of death as soon as I said it, because a short while later it started to rain!

I am always amazed at how large the top of this hill really is...

There was a back-way into the park, that is a beautiful drive, but the gate is always closed.

Tinian Fiesta

2009-05-02T09:23:00.004+10:00

There were a lot of people at the Fiesta last night.

The children had places to play

and games to try their hand at

There was a great band playing, called Burning Bush

And lots of places to eat!

Some had come as families, while there were lots of children and teens that came to enjoy the atmosphere.

There was also a small stage for performers, and I suppose, anyone wanting to dance (although the only ones I saw dancing were the children!

Here is a short video of the band playing... the video isn't very good, but the sound was great!

The Shinto Shrine

2009-05-01T11:29:00.011+10:00

These children were just waiting for the booths to open at the Tinian Fiesta... so they could eat dinner!

Just a friend I passed on my way to the Shinto shrine this morning...

The view from the bottom of the shrine is always terrific

I decided to rest my legs after the long walk up to the top of the Carolinas... but the climb is always worth the effort!

Tinian is full of interesting extremes, as one often finds beautiful homes next to other homes that are just being worked on...

There seems to be a small canyon just below the water tower that supplies the subdivision

And then there are mansions...

Next to one-room tin shacks...

But even the most modest home has curtains on the windows!

And no matter where you go you will find some kind of garden. Usually it will be filled with flowers, but this one is filled with hot peppers!

And there is always a great view of the other side of the valley-- Marpo Heights (you can see the blackened areas where the fire raged a week or so ago...

I finally found that flower again that people had been looking for. It is in front of a home on the dirt road just south of the subdivision.

This same home has other unique flowers and plants...

and a very eclectic garden area and glass collection!

Many of the trees and bushes found on Tinian have wonderful flowers

and then there is the flame trees!

Tinian begins to blossom

2009-04-30T09:55:00.006+10:00

It is getting more difficult to find flowers on Tinian, due, I suppose, to the lack of water

Many of the large 'post' gardens have few flowers blooming right now. Most of the flowers I can find are ones planted in pots.

Just a few months ago, this garden had lots of flowers blooming...

I discovered this group of flowers growing near the Grace Christian Academy... they must have been hand-watered?

Painting has begun on this large building along Broadway

they have their work cut out for them!

They are still working on the parking area around the amphitheater

The water is rather rough, as the wind has been blowing for a few days.

Flame trees

2009-04-29T11:44:00.004+10:00

No, this is not a flame tree...

Nor this...
This is the new underwater cover I got for my camera. I can't wait to try it snorkeling and/or scuba diving! Now, as long as it doesn't leak and ruin my camera...

We have a great new window in our apartment, next to our bed. With the breeze that comes through this window, we seldom have to use our air conditioner!

Now this is a flame tree! When the sun hits it just right, it makes it look like it is on fire!

Some of the flame trees still struggle, perhaps with the lack of rain (although we did finally have quite a storm the other night).

With all the wind we have had recently, I always worry about the homes that are built using metal siding.

Preparing for Tinian Fiesta

2009-04-28T10:01:00.009+10:00

This weekend is the Tinian Fiesta

I discovered a crew surveying the island. They have been staying at the LoryLynne where we live, but this is the first time I have seen them in the bush!

The paper has said that Tinian will be having a lottery to give out land to the locals. It is my understanding that all Chamorro can receive a plot of land to build a home on; they are simply required to do a certain amount of work on the land in order to keep it. Every few years the island holds a lottery to give out land to qualified locals... Good Luck!

Here is the rest of the crew...taking a break while they watch the other two site their next location.

This is the local park where the Tinian Fiesta will be held. They have been working on building booths for food and artists.

The little man at the Japanese shrine has a new hat and bib!

Most of the flame trees are now coming out in blooms

Here is one of Tinian's new flowers-- our daughter Liz....

I was trying out my new camera lens that will be used for underwater photos. The red is supposed to counteract the blue in the water, to give better colors underwater.

They are carving out a large parking area at the new amphitheater

This is the large drainage field at the bottom of north main, where all the water running down the street will end up after a rain.

The curbing crew finally reached the end of the road, by the dock

And roadwork continues from one end to the other

This crew was pouring concrete for the sidewalks, by the Elementary School

This is one of the few 'cross-overs' that will exist between north and south main street.

Looking for Pen and Ink artist

2009-04-27T15:18:00.002+10:00

I have just finished the manuscript for my next book:

The Enhanced New Testament

It consolidates interesting quotes from hundreds of ancient manuscripts that related to the people, places, and events described in the New Testament.

When our Bible was created, the scholars that put it together had hundreds of books, letters, and other writings to choose from. Out of this large group of writings, they chose a few to be the most credible, and authentic, to include in the Bible.

All of those other books and letters and Christian and Jewish literature is still available for those who are interested. I have researched much of the literature that was not included in the Bible, and gleaned excerpts from them that I found interesting, and that I felt 'enhanced' my understanding of our New Testament.

The reader will be able to read the actual quote from the ancient writer or historian, and decide for themselves if it adds to, or detracts from their understanding of the people, places, and events in the New Testament.

As part of this new book, I am including pictures and information concerning Solomon's Temple, that Herod re-built at the time of Christ.

I am looking for a pen and ink artist that would be able to: 1) draw a depiction of Solomon's Temple, and 2) draw a layout of the site (an overhead 'blueprint' showing all the courts and rooms, etc.).

All of the information can be gathered from the Internet.

I would prefer to use a local artist from the CNMI, as this will give them not only money for their work, but exposure by being published.

If anyone knows an artist that might be interested, have them email me:

kclawson@walkingthelinebooks.com

First Xterra, and now the Tagaman race

2009-04-27T09:09:00.007+10:00

Competing in the tortuous XTERRA triathlon was not enough for Janet King and Joshua Manglona... they decided to compete in the Tagaman triathlon this weekend during the Flame Tree festival!

Belive it or not, Tagaman consisted of a much longer route than the

XTERRA: a 2-km swim, a 60-km bike, and a 15-km run. Joshua Manglona

had a chance to meet all the pro athletes who came to Saipan to

participate in the race, which was a highlight for him.



The Tagaman Triathlon draws its name and inspiration from the Taga,

the legendary leader of the aboriginal Chamorro people and the

immense hand-carved stones that bare his name and are still the

symbol of his proud descendents.



Joshua is pictured above with Renata Bucher and Jim McConnel.

Renata Bucher of Switzerland is the top woman triathlete in this

year's XTERRA and TAGAMAN individually and as combined events

(called he PIC Double Award, given to the athlete with the fastest

combined XTERRA Saipan Championship and Tagman triathlon times).

Renata is a six-time women's XTERRA Saipan winner, and she also

placed top in TAGAMAN.

Jim McConnel of the U.K. was sixth overall in XTERRA last weekend.

In the 2007 XTERRA Jim finished fifth. This year in TAGAMAN he came

in fifth in his division.

For Janet King, the highlight was bringing home a medal from

TAGAMAN for her mom!



Janet was on a relay team: there was a swimmer (Andrew Kimball) who

swam the 2-km, then Janet biked the 60-km, then there was a runner

(John Douglas) who ran the 15-km. There were 18 relay teams, and the

team Janet was part of came in Third!

Janet says her mom sees these sports competitions as motivation to

exercise her own body. The left side of Janet's mom's body -- her

arm and legs -- were affected by a stroke and brain hemorrhage about

2 1/2 years ago. But she's doing better and better.

Congratulations to Janet for her third-place finish!

The Saipan Flame Tree festival

2009-04-26T10:53:00.007+10:00

This weekend we picked up our daughter Elizabeth on Saipan. She will be staying with us for two months! It was also the Flame Tree festival on Saipan. We decided to check out the booths and entertainment while we were there.

They had all kinds of dancers and singers

It was hard to tell if this one was enjoying the music or not!

These little girls began 'dancing' as soon as they stepped foot onstage... the dance floor was so hot on their bare feet, they were jumping all over! They did finally get used to the heat, and performed well.

These beautiful asian dancers were just one of the many groups that performed

Here are a couple of videos of the entertainment we saw on Saipan

What's new in Marpo Heights

2009-04-26T10:30:00.004+10:00

They are back working on the intersection of Broadway and north main

The flame trees are out just in time for the Flame Tree festivals!

This is just one of the many 'pot gardens' that can be found on Tinian

Some of the pots are truly beautiful, although I don't know what they say...

while others have no need for explanation!

Many of the houses on Tinian have both a home

and a smaller guest house! Of course, Terri and I would probably choose to live in the small guest house!

This is the newest home in Marpo, and the landscaping is finally coming in-- it looks great!

Next door they are starting to finish the second floor of their home. They had the lower level finished when I arrived on Tinian, but only recently began the top floor.

There is always a great view from up on Marpo. I think they call this outcropping Lion's head

This home is being remodeled. It was once all blue, like the wall, now it has been repainted and looks like a brand-new home.

I discovered yet another goat... I have been told that many of the locals get goats for the Flame Tree festival. In fact, some even make the arduous journey to Goat Island to catch goats and bring them to Tinian, for the Flame Tree festival (there really is a reason they call it Goat Island...).

Work, work, work

2009-04-23T09:35:00.005+10:00

I seem to notice more and more cattle on Tinian. Perhaps they have been here all along, but there seems to be a much larger number now... perhaps they grow cattle like rabbits on Tinian?

Someone decided to eat their chicken on the run...

This is the property of Celena. I helped her shoo her cattle away so that she could feed her pigs... I have always admired this piece of property, as it has a beautiful view of Turtle Cove.

This is what the view is like from Celena's property

The sign Gnomes have hit again... our time and temperature sign has disappeared again!

There has been work being done at the local Gym. I'm still not quite sure what exactly they are doing...

The roadwork continues from one end of north main to the other

Terri and I got a new air conditioner today! This is a picture of our old one. It often sounded like a train moving through our little apartment...

And this is our new one. It is so quiet you can hardly tell it is even on, and it has all the bells and whistles--it has a temperature gauge, timer, fan settings, and even has a 'sleep' button, so that it automatically turns off after you have had time to go to sleep! This is a great feature since Terri and I, as a general rule, don't like air conditioning, and only use it when it gets too hot--and never at night.

Anyway, it is a great change. They are also going to pull out the old window air conditioner and put a regular window and screen back in. This will give us much better air circulation through the apartment.

As we moved things around to that the man could install the new air conditioner, we decided that there was just too much clutter in our little apartment, and we just had to get rid of stuff we no longer use... This is actually quite amusing when put in perspective.

When we lived in Utah, we had a beautiful 6 bedroom, 3 1/2 bath home, with a pool and hot tub in the back. We had a library that filled one entire wall of our Great Room, and had furniture to fill all of those rooms! Now, we live in a little studio apartment that is about the size of what our bedroom used to be... and we think we still have too much stuff! How times change...

XTERRA update: Janet King and Joshua Manglona

2009-04-22T08:48:00.005+10:00

As most of you know, two people from Tinian entered the exhausting Xterra triathlon race held on Saipan last Saturday. They were: Janet King and Joshua Manglona!

They are shown above, showing off their 'racing muscles'. Notice the entry numbers on their arms--proving they were official entrants in this race.

XTERRA was completed on Saipan on April 18, 2009. The triathlon is an endurance race that combines swimming, biking, and running.

Joshua Manglona competed in the Saipan XTERRA Championship and came in second in his age division (20-24)!

Janet King also joined XTERRA's short course, the Sport course. Janet did not finish, however, because she chose to aid another competitor who had some problems with his bike:

At the beginning of the bike course, Janet saw a young man in distress: his bike chain had broken and left him stranded. She noticed he was in the Championship course (not in the short course, or running for fun), so she actually swapped bikes with him!

Janet gave him her bike to use, and he gave her his bike. Of course, since his bike was broken, she ended up carrying it, and walking it through the jungle and coral roads, pretty much alone! Everyone else, concentrating on the race, simply biked past her...

After three hours trekking alone (it shows you how good of shape Janet is in!), she emerged from the jungle. At that point she was taken out of the course because of a slight leg injury that would have prevented her from completing the third portion of the triathlon, the run.

Ironically, the person she gave her bike to--Quincy Johnson--won a spot to Maui to compete in the XTERRA Championship there!

However (all things having unintended consequences), Joshua Manglona ended up coming in second to Quincy... the very person Janet gave her bike to! What a strange turn of events!?

Of course, Janet felt really bad about Joshua coming in second, since, had she not aided Quincy, Joshua probably would have won... but she knew she did the right thing and said she'd do it all over again.

Janet has a caring nature, and it is obvious that she genuinely wanted to help someone in need, and who obviously joined the event to win, while she was there only there to have fun. There is no way she could have known what would happen in the end...

In spite of the odd twist of fate, I'm sure both Janet and Joshua had fun in the event; and we all give our hearty congratulations to Joshua Manglona for coming in second! (I'm impressed that anyone can even finish that kind of race, while Joshua was good enough to finish second!)

I hope all of Tinian will congratulate both Janet and Joshua for their efforts in the race!

The garden of Mina Conner

2009-04-21T08:50:00.004+10:00

Roofing work continues in the Broadway Estates, as the crews work through the various homes, and repair the concrete roofs

This is Mina (short for Formina) Conner. I have often admired her garden on my daily walks, and today she happened to be outside working hard to improve her already beautiful yard.

I assume that this was once a grinding stone used by the women of Tinian to grind meal for flour?

You can tell by the grass that we are in desperate need of rain!

Mina also has some beautiful hanging flowers on her porch in the backyard

These are pomegranates! I have read about them in Greek mythology... but have never seen them 'in the wild'!

She told me what this beautiful fruit was... but my Chamorro is a bit lacking...

The lack of rain is really having an effect on the island. No wonder we had a fire...

No matter where you go, you can almost always get a peek at the ocean.

Here is one home that needs a little work on their metal roof! I'm not sure the concrete block on the roof is going to help a lot in a storm...

Just another day at the beach...

2009-04-20T11:15:00.005+10:00

On Saturday, and with Terri off call at the hospital, we decided to go swimming. Taga beach was crowded today.... with children! (don't worry, it was just a fluke; just down the road at Tachogna beach, there were just a few people)

We discovered an unusual Sand Crab at Taga... after a few moments it crawed back into the sea!

The children were playing on the rock and diving from the cliffs

Here is a couple of videos of them:

Fire on Tinian!

2009-04-20T10:35:00.007+10:00

The concrete sidewalk is looking great

Although we have had little rain lately, some of the bushes are still flowering

And some of the flame trees have started to flower

This goat/lawnmower has been doing quite a good job keeping this lawn trimmed!

I found these two children playing in their yard

This is one of the more unique homes up on Marpo Heights

There was a terrible fire on Tinian over the weekend... and I think I have found the culprit!

I mean, he just looks guilty, doesn't he?

And this is the damage that was done! From Broadway (the road leading to the Airport) there is a road going east at the bottom of the big hill, and a road at the top of the hill, also going east. As these two roads run east, they almost come together at the other end--making a sort of triangle area. Most of the area in this triangle, east of Broadway, has been burned to some degree.

Fortunately, the Tinian Fire Dept. did a great job keeping the fire contained, and protecting homes and animals. To my knowledge, no homes were damaged, and no animals hurt.

Some areas are still smoldering this morning, and the fire often took a winding path around the area, leaving some areas untouched...

While other areas were completely destroyed

As you can see, the fire came very close to some homes, and to some of the cattle and other livestock in the area. But the fire crews were careful to focus their attention on homes and property.

I was surprised that even the power poles had been saved!

But in-between the homes and roads, the land was scorched bare

And anything caught by the fire didn't have a chance to survive!

Here is another empty home that was surrounded by the fire at some point

I am not sure why the cross is there... but it seemed an appropriate symbol...

Maybe it was the fire... but it has been hot and dry lately! It is already 89 degrees, and I am just finishing my walk! The trade winds didn't bring the rain like they did last year. Everything is rather dry.

Paradise Lost

2009-04-18T09:28:00.003+10:00

Tinian can be a difficult place to get to... there are no direct flights that come to Tinian (yet); everyone must first go to Saipan, and then travel by ferry or small plane to get here.

But once here, you will have the beach to yourself, a Casino to play in, stores to shop in, and great restaurants to eat in... perhaps it just might be worth the extra effort?

The Royal Court of Mariana 2009!

2009-04-18T08:54:00.005+10:00

Each year the Grace Christian Academy on Tinian holds a fundraising program that selects a Royal Court-- a King and Queen, and Prince and Princess are selected.

The four children who were up for King and Queen this year are seen above. The King from last year is seen on the right, and last years Queen is seen on the left.

The four candidates performed a dance for the audience

The previous King says his goodbyes to the audience

And the previous Queen gets to say her goodbyes also!

The four candidates wait excitedly to find out who will win the contest and become King and Queen!

The runner-up and chosen Prince was Henry J. H. San Nicholas Jr. He proudly holds his trophy and wears his winners banner!

The runner-up and Princess was Arielle K. G. Fernandez, seen wearing her blue winner's banner and holding flowers.

And the winner and King of the Royal Court is: Tasi Thomas G. Long!!! He is seen here as his parents, Phillip and Arley Long help Tasi with his crown and cape, while their twin girls watch.

Tasi waves to the cheering crowd as he takes the stand.

Tasi gets to parade around with in his Royal attire, and his winner's trophy.

The past King and Queen take their final bow as they head off the stage

And the new Queen is: Sialeinna Sanchez King!!! She is seen here taking her celebratory walk as the crowd cheers!

The new King and Queen take a bow together

And take a walk together as the crowd continues to cheer!

Here all the candidates take a final bow before an adoring crowd.

The Jungle eventually eats everything!

2009-04-17T14:14:00.004+10:00

There is a homestead back there somewhere...

The crew repairing the concrete roofs at the Broadway Estates is back at it again. This time they built some fall protection for the workers.

As a roofer, I find this humorous. With roofs this flat, and only one story, I would have found working on this roof a walk in the park. There were several years when I worked on a subdivision in Bountiful where the roofs were all 8/12 to 12/12 pitches (the roof above is about a 2/12 pitch--that is a rise of 2" every 12"). Normally, anything over a 4/12 pitch is considered dangerous to walk on without safety measures. As a roofer, we were used to walking on anything up to a 6/12 pitch--after that, it was tough for even us to keep from sliding off. However, while working at this one subdivision, I was soon walking around those steep roofs without thinking about it.

The real danger was always stepping on something. With good shoes, I could climb around on almost any roof, but if I stepped on a loose shingle, or asphalt paper, etc. the grip would be lost, and off I would go down the roof...

Yes... I have fallen off my share of roofs! It is just the nature of the business, like hitting my fingers with a hammer--it comes with the territory. I have fallen off two-story houses twice (both times I was saved by 'aiming' at sand piles that happened to be on site for the brickworkers); have come very close to going off a 3 story apartment building (it was late fall, and the frost on the roof had not melted from the shady areas of the roof--when I walked from the sunny area into the shade of a chimney, off I went... I was saved by grabbing the ladder at the last minute). The only time I was ever hurt was climbing a ladder onto a 10' house. Just as I stepped onto the roof, the feet of the ladder slipped, and down I went, landing on my back. Had the roof been higher, and I had more time to react, I might have landed better...

I broke my wrist once working on the Devereaux Mansion in Salt Lake (it was one of the few buildings in Utah to have a slate roof on it; when I lived in Connecticut, we worked with slate all the time, but in Utah, it was very unique, and expensive). We were loading slate onto the roof when the conveyor went crazy. As I used a rope to try to keep the conveyor from hitting the building, the rope broke and I landed on my hand, breaking my wrist.

I have also stapled my hand to the roof--putting a 2" staple right through the bone of my thumb! That didn't even hurt... the worst part was when I convinced my helped to pull the staple out. I had some vice grip pliers with me, that I clamped on the head of the staple, then told my helper to pull... it didn't hurt, but the squeaking sound the staple made when coming out was so eerie, we both almost lost our lunches!

That's about it for injuries on the job, unless you count my back surgery--the result of years of hauling roofing material up a ladder on my shoulders, or off-loading truck-loads of roofing material into my father's warehouse. In fact, the worst year was when they built a train track extension onto the property! Now I had to unload, by hand, train-car loads of roofing materials (they didn't believe in fork-lifts in my day?). A train car carries about twice what a semi-truck will carry. And to add insult to injury, I was making about $1.50 an hour!

Oh well, kind of got carried away! I am getting old, I guess.

I am always amazed at how quickly the jungle can overwhelm civilization here

You can see how this wall that once surrounded a nice home on Tinian, is being eaten-up

Believe it or not, there are remains of a home under all of that!

Even the family dog didn't escape!

The Grace Christian Academy is preparing for the climax to their big fundraiser here on Tinian, that happens tonight. We are all praying for good weather for them!

Work on the new amphitheater continues

Looking for farms

2009-04-16T08:49:00.006+10:00

This is Sam Palacio's cattle farm

I often have people peer at me as I walk by... What is that strange white man doing walking in this heat?

I wave as I walk by, and they run into the house... You've got to see this!

There are a number of good sized farms up on Carolina Heights. This looks like a nice dirt farm...

And here is the standard rooster farm

I'm not sure what they are growing here... perhaps just grass

This is one of the largest farms I have seen on Tinian. They have a lot of different vegetables they are growing here

As usual, it is a beautiful day on Tinian. You can easily see the dock and two Tinian ferrys from the hillside. The paper recently mentioned a possible plan to create a High-speed ferry to run between the islands as part of the military built-up in the CNMI.

And here is a tree farm someone is planting

The concrete sidewalks are now being poured along both sides of the new road

There is a new addition being built on the Long Feng grocery store. Last year they added the JC Cafe barbecue shack on the other side

Last year this nightclub was built in back of the shopping center next store

And a new oriental restaurant also opened around the same time

Another death on Tinian

2009-04-16T08:45:00.003+10:00

Tinian continues to surprise me with its beauty, even though there is occasional sorrow

Vicente 'Ben' Muna died yesterday at his home. Terri had the privilege to know Ben, and to be at his bedside, with his family, when he quietly passed from this life.

The extended family is sitting vigil at the hospital until he is buried. It is my understanding that he will be buried on Saipan.

Terri and I send our thoughts and prayers to the family.

Easter is the season we remember the sacrifice of Jesus, and look forward with faith to the resurrection of our dead. Terri and I believe that Ben is now in a better place-- a place where he can rest, and be free from all sorrow and cares. He will be greeted in the Spirit World by family members that have gone on before, and they will help him adjust to his new life in that unique world. We also believe that sometime in the future, when Jesus comes again, we will all be reunited with our physical bodies, and with our families, be able to enjoy the blessings of eternity. It is our faith in Jesus, and the atonement he accomplished for us all, that brings us peace in this life when tragedy occurs. Without that faith in a life after death, the death of a loved one would be inconsolable. But understanding the full scope of the Plan of Salvation gives us a measure of peace, because we know that the day will come when we are reunited with the ones we love!

New buildings, goats, signs, and flowers

2009-04-14T10:39:00.007+10:00

The new sign, that seems to keep disappearing, is working fine. As I begin my walk in the morning, it is usually this temperature.

There is a beautiful new building on Tinian! It is part of the large construction company on Tinian, and will be used to work on vehicles and for storage.

Having worked on my share of metal buildings (while working as CEO of a roofing company in Cleveland, Ohio, about half of our work was installing metal roofing and siding, etc., on metal buildings such as this one.

The nice part about this building is that they 'recycled' much of the material used to build it! As you can see, no one would be able to tell it wasn't brand-new material. Congratulations!

The workers continue the interior construction, and they will be installing a gutter system that will be hooked to a water-retention system, to collect rainwater for later usage.

I discovered these stone mounds in a field by the NMC... have no idea of their significance.

They are clearing a large area next to the existing cemetery... hmmm

Say hi to my little friend... but don't get to friendly, as I'm sure he will soon be someones dinner!

The concrete curbing has been installed all the way down to the dock. Now they are working on the sidewalks, and in filling-in the gaps at roads and driveways

This new home by the High School has sat for quite a while without any progress being made

However, right next to it, another new building is going up!

There are some beautiful flowering trees on Tinian!

We have a local from Tinian who is training for the XTerra marathon on Saipan! Joshua Manglona, shown training above, is from Tinian. His parents are James and Emily Manglona. Hegraduated from Tinian High School.

XTerra refers to "off-road." It's a triathlon (swim, bike, and run) that uses rugged trails for the bike and run. The Saipan event is a qualifier for the XTerra Championship in Maui in October. Here's a Saipan Tribune article about XTerra and Tagaman, the triathlon the weekend after XTerra!

Saipan Sports Fest 2009 set to sizzle

XTERRA Saipan Championship and Tagaman Triathlon Set

Saipan Sports Fest 2009 is set to sizzle from April 15 to 26 here in the CNMI. The annual event, set in this tropical paradise in the western Pacific, is expected to attract competitors from around the world for the 8th XTERRA Saipan Championship and the 20th Annual Tagaman Triathlon.

The crown jewel of the XTERRA Global Tour, the XTERRA Saipan Championship will offer competitors of all levels a challenging course on April 18 highlighting Saipan's lush jungles, Japanese caves, and war relics from World War II.

The Tagaman Triathlon on April 25 will give competitors an opportunity to see the most of Saipan. The 2-kilometer swim starts at Pacific Islands Club Saipan in the south, with the 60-km bike taking competitors all the way north to Bird Island. The 15-km run starts and finishes at Micro Beach.

“The Northern Marianas Islands are a tropical island paradise, and this annual sports fest gives us an excellent opportunity to share that beauty with a broad international audience,” said Marianas Visitors Authority managing director Perry Tenorio.

“We're looking forward to another round of strong competition and memorable moments this year.”

This year's events include:

April 17: Tank to Tank Swim, XTERRA Sunset Scramble 5k/10k and awards ceremony, XTERRA Saipan Welcome Reception;

April 18: XTERRA Saipan Championship, XTERRA Sport, XTERRA Kids Bike Race, XTERRA Saipan Championship Awards Ceremony and Awards Dinner;

April 19: XTERRA Saipan Championship Beach Barbeque;

April 20: Bike Tour of Marpi;

April 21: Pro Bike Clinic;

April 22: Tank to Tank Swim, Hash Run; and

April 25: 20th Annual Tagaman Triathlon.

XTERRA Saipan Championship and Tagaman defending champions Andrew Noble and Renata Bucher have confirmed that they will return to defend their PIC Double titles. Julie Dibens, XTERRA 2008 World Champion who also won the women's 2007 XTERRA Saipan Championship, is returning. Ditto for Mike Vine, winner of the first XTERRA Saipan Championship. Current USA Champion and seven-time NORBA winner Shonny Vanlandingham will join the event for the first time.

For further details or to register, visit www.xterraplanet.com or www.saipansports.com.

Mandatory athlete briefing will held at the Pacific Islands Club Saipan beach volleyball ball court area for the XTERRA Saipan Championship on April 17 and for Tagaman on April 24. (PR)

Here is more about the XTerra events:

XTERRA America Tour Opens Sunday
Thursday, March 26, 2009

2009 marks the 14th year of XTERRA off-road triathlon racing and the ninth year of the U.S. amateur series now known as the XTERRA America Tour. This year there are 63 races in 33 states from coast-to-coast, and a pair of the longest standing points series races kick off the dirt-strewn season Sunday with XTERRA Miami in the far southeast and XTERRA REAL nearly 3,000 miles away on Cali's west coast.

Casey Fannin has won the XTERRA Miami off-road tri two years running (as has Rachel Wood in the women's division) and will be back in Florida to see if he can make it a three-peat. Out in Granite Bay, California the legendary Mike Pigg - 1997 XTERRA World Champ and one of the most successful triathletes of all-time - jumps back into the off-road tri scene for the first time in years. A number of familiar names will join him to start their seasons at XTERRA REAL with the likes of multiple-time age group XTERRA World Champions from Reno - Tom Lyons and Kent Robison - along with NorCal ambassadors Janet Soule and Cliff Milliman, Bend, Oregons Dave Cloninger, and last year's men's winner Trevor Glavin from Salinas.

Tinian: the gateway to heaven?

2009-04-12T18:48:00.001+10:00

Occasionally local readers will send me info and pics for my blog. This is a picture of Tinian at sunset taken by Janet King.

Happy Easter!

2009-04-12T07:46:00.004+10:00

On Saturday the Mayor held an annual Easter egg hunt for the children of Tinian

Each child was given a hand-made Easter basket, and then sent to find hundreds of eggs that had been scattered around the park.

Here is just one of the children that came to show Terri the eggs he had found. Most children fear their doctor, but the children of Tinian seem to love Terri! Rather than running away and hiding (thinking perhaps that they will be getting another shot), they tend to run to her for a hug!

After all the eggs were gathered, those who attended came to collect their prizes. There were a number of 'special' eggs hidden around the park. Those who found special eggs received cash prizes!

It reminds me of my own family's Easter hunts, that was continued with our children. My father would always hide some eggs that had cash prizes. The largest prize was always the $5 egg. This egg was always very difficult to find. It was always hidden very well and took us hours to find! But it was always worth the search!

Here are some of the children who found the special eggs and won prizes!

As Terri and I were wandering around the park, watching the children hunting eggs, I discovered something new (I am always amazed that on an island this small, I continue to find new and interesting things!)

This is the Taga Well, an ancient well that the Chamorro people used to get their water.

There were steps cut into the limestone rock, and traveled down about 15' to the well

From the other side you can see the steps cut into the stone

You can see that this is still a functioning well! If modern technology fails on the island, we can always walk down to the park and get water from the well!

It was a nice day, so Terri and I rode our scooters up to the scenic overlook

You can see one lone fishing boat along the coast

As mentioned before, the new casino site is closed down for now. They decided to stop work until they found out what the new Federal take-over of the emigration system here did to all the workers. Now that the decision has been delayed until November... I guess it will be sitting idle for even longer!?

What is the resurrection?

2009-04-10T09:26:00.002+10:00

Mormons believe in the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ. We believe that on Friday, sometime just prior to sundown (the start of the Jewish Sabbath), Christ died on the cross at Calvary. We believe that after his death, the spirit of Jesus continued to live in a place the scriptures refer to as the world of the spirits. We believe that sometime Sunday morning, the spirit of Jesus Christ re-entered his mortal body, and his spirit and physical body became one; united for eternity.

The Mormon Scripture called the Doctrine and Covenants give a good definition of the resurrection:

“Now, verily I say unto you, that through the redemption which is made for you is brought to pass the resurrection from the dead. And the spirit and the body are the soul of man. And the resurrection from the dead is the redemption of the soul.” (D&C 88:14-16)

Most of you know that I was a full-time missionary in Pennsylvania for two years. During that time I talked to thousands of people—of all different races, religious beliefs, and cultural backgrounds—concerning the doctrine of the resurrection of Jesus Christ. I discovered that even though all Christians believe that Christ was resurrected, it is one of the most misunderstood religious doctrines! To my surprise, many Christians do not believe in the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ: they believe that it was a ‘spiritual’ event, not an actual event with eternal consequences.

Most Christians I have spoken to believe that after a person dies he goes directly to heaven or hell. They believe that after death, the spirit is finally released from the bondage of this mortal body, and goes directly to heaven to enjoy eternal bliss, or down to hell, to be punished. This is where their problem with the resurrection begins: if we go directly to heaven after death, what need is there for the resurrection?

The reason most Christians believe they go directly to heaven after death is because they believe that God is a spirit, and lives in a spiritual realm. Think about it…if a person went to live with a God (who is a spirit), in a heaven (which exists in a spiritual realm), still having their physical body of flesh and bones…he would be completely out of place! It would be like a ghost who is forced to live in this mortal world—only reversed!

But the problem remains: if God is a spirit, living in a spiritual realm, and we go directly to heaven after we die, what is the purpose of the resurrection? Did God have Jesus resurrect his physical body, just to leave it again to enter heaven?

This same problem comes up when reading about the resurrection of Jesus. Most Christians believe that God is a spirit. Since God and Christ are one, this must also mean that Christ is a spirit. After all, if God is a spirit and Jesus has a physical body, how do they live in the same world? It just couldn’t work!

This belief that both God and Jesus are spirits causes many problems: if God and Christ are spirits, then what did Christ do with his physical body after his resurrection? And if God and Christ have no need of a physical body after this life, why would men need their bodies? And if none of us need a physical body, what was the purpose of coming to earth, and why was there a need for the resurrection? As you can see, this scenario creates many more questions than answers!

To help people get a clear understanding of exactly what the resurrection is, I would then share with them this scripture that describes Christ’s first appearance to his Apostles after his resurrection:

“And as they thus spake, Jesus himself stood in the midst of them, and saith unto them, Peace [be] unto you. But they were terrified and affrighted, and supposed that they had seen a spirit.

“And he said unto them, Why are ye troubled? and why do thoughts arise in your hearts? Behold my hands and my feet, that it is I myself: handle me, and see; for a spirit hath not flesh and bones, as ye see me have. And when he had thus spoken, he shewed them [his] hands and [his] feet.

“And while they yet believed not for joy, and wondered, he said unto them, Have ye here any meat?

“And they gave him a piece of a broiled fish, and of an honeycomb. And he took [it], and did eat before them. (Luke 24:36-43)

It is clear from this scripture that the Apostles themselves believed that the resurrected Christ was a spirit! But Jesus wanted to make sure these witnesses of his resurrection knew the truth: that he was not a spirit, but a real person of flesh and bones. He even made them each, one by one, come and touch him; and then he ate with them, just to prove that he was real, and not just a ghost or an apparition.

Jesus had the exact same body after his resurrection as he had before he died; the only difference was that he could not longer die—his spirit and body had united, never to be separated again—and his body would soon be perfected and glorified. From that moment on, his spirit and body remained united. If you and I were to see Christ today, he would look the same as he did when the Apostles saw him 2,000 years ago; because he still has that same physical body of flesh and bones that he resurrected from the tomb!

In spite of my efforts, most people still clung to their belief that God was a spirit, and so Christ also must also be a spirit. They rationalized away the scriptural account by saying that Jesus simply appeared to them with a physical body to show them he was real, but then immediately left his physical body behind when he went to live with God. There was simply no way to reconcile a God who was a spirit, living with the Son of God in the same realm, having a body of flesh and bones!

Mormons do not have any problems understanding or believing in the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ. That is because we believe that God the Father also has a body of flesh and bones, and that heaven is a real place.

All Mormon doctrine concerning God and the resurrection springs from what we call the First Vision:

When Joseph Smith was just 14 years old (when teenagers tend to question everything…), he began to question not only the religion of his parents, but religion in general. His mother was of one faith, and his father of another, and there were a number of different sects of religion in their town. As it happened, there was even a religious revival of sorts going on around him at that time. It was the perfect setting for him to search for the truth concerning the existence of God and the meaning of life.

Not long after he began his search for the truth, he discovered there was a problem: there was so much disagreement and contention between the various religious sects, there was no way he could decide for himself who was right.

He decided he had only one choice left open to him: he had to attempt to ask God directly for an answer to his questions! So one spring morning Joseph Smith went into the woods behind his home and prayed for an answer. To his surprise, like the martyr Stephen, and like Paul the Apostle, he received a vision of God:

Joseph saw God the Father and his son Jesus Christ. They spoke to him and answered his questions. In that moment, Joseph Smith learned more about the nature of God and Christ than was known by the most learned theologian of the time:

He learned that God really existed; that He was a real person, not just an ‘essence’ floating out in the universe. God the Father had a body of flesh and bones, just as tangible as man’s, only perfected and glorified.

He learned that Jesus Christ still lived, and that he also was a real person, separate and distinct from his Father. Jesus had actually resurrected his earthly body, and still had that body of flesh and bones; though, like his Father, it was glorified and perfected.

He understood that since Jesus was literally resurrected, the resurrection of all mankind must be literal as well. All men and women who come to this earth will die; but all will be reunited with their physical bodies in the resurrection. Then they will be judged and sent to live on a world worthy of their actions in this life.

Joseph recognized that if God and Christ were real, tangible persons, they must live on a real, tangible world. Heaven was no longer a mysterious place in a spiritual realm, but a real world in a real universe filled with real people!

One of the reasons the Book of Mormon is so popular is because it clarifies so many doctrines, such as the one we are discussing. This section of the Book of Mormon was written by a Prophet living in South America (yes, that South America) prior to the birth of Jesus in Jerusalem:

“Behold, my beloved brethren, I speak unto you these things that ye may rejoice, and lift up your heads forever, because of the blessings which the Lord God shall bestow upon your children.

“For I know that ye have searched much, many of you, to know of things to come; wherefore I know that ye know that our flesh must waste away and die; nevertheless, in our bodies we shall see God.

“Yea, I know that ye know that in the body he shall show himself unto those at Jerusalem, from whence we came; for it is expedient that it should be among them; for it behooveth the great Creator that he suffereth himself to become subject unto man in the flesh, and die for all men, that all men might become subject unto him.

“For as death hath passed upon all men, to fulfil the merciful plan of the great Creator, there must needs be a power of resurrection, and the resurrection must needs come unto man by reason of the fall; and the fall came by reason of transgression; and because man became fallen they were cut off from the presence of the Lord.

“Wherefore, it must needs be an infinite atonement--save it should be an infinite atonement this corruption could not put on incorruption. Wherefore, the first judgment which came upon man must needs have remained to an endless duration. And if so, this flesh must have laid down to rot and to crumble to its mother earth, to rise no more.

“O the wisdom of God, his mercy and grace! For behold, if the flesh should rise no more our spirits must become subject to that angel who fell from before the presence of the Eternal God, and became the devil, to rise no more.

“And our spirits must have become like unto him, and we become devils, angels to a devil, to be shut out from the presence of our God, and to remain with the father of lies, in misery, like unto himself; yea, to that being who beguiled our first parents, who transformeth himself nigh unto an angel of light, and stirreth up the children of men unto secret combinations of murder and all manner of secret works of darkness.

“O how great the goodness of our God, who prepareth a way for our escape from the grasp of this awful monster; yea, that monster, death and hell, which I call the death of the body, and also the death of the spirit.

“And because of the way of deliverance of our God, the Holy One of Israel, this death, of which I have spoken, which is the temporal, shall deliver up its dead; which death is the grave.

“And this death of which I have spoken, which is the spiritual death, shall deliver up its dead; which spiritual death is hell; wherefore, death and hell must deliver up their dead, and hell must deliver up its captive spirits, and the grave must deliver up its captive bodies, and the bodies and the spirits of men will be restored one to the other; and it is by the power of the resurrection of the Holy One of Israel.

“O how great the plan of our God! For on the other hand, the paradise of God must deliver up the spirits of the righteous, and the grave deliver up the body of the righteous; and the spirit and the body is restored to itself again, and all men become incorruptible, and immortal, and they are living souls, having a perfect knowledge like unto us in the flesh, save it be that our knowledge shall be perfect.

“Wherefore, we shall have a perfect knowledge of all our guilt, and our uncleanness, and our nakedness; and the righteous shall have a perfect knowledge of their enjoyment, and their righteousness, being clothed with purity, yea, even with the robe of righteousness.

“And it shall come to pass that when all men shall have passed from this first death unto life, insomuch as they have become immortal, they must appear before the judgment-seat of the Holy One of Israel; and then cometh the judgment, and then must they be judged according to the holy judgment of God.

“And assuredly, as the Lord liveth, for the Lord God hath spoken it, and it is his eternal word, which cannot pass away, that they who are righteous shall be righteous still, and they who are filthy shall be filthy still; wherefore, they who are filthy are the devil and his angels; and they shall go away into everlasting fire, prepared for them; and their torment is as a lake of fire and brimstone, whose flame ascendeth up forever and ever and has no end.

“O the greatness and the justice of our God! For he executeth all his words, and they have gone forth out of his mouth, and his law must be fulfilled.

“But, behold, the righteous, the saints of the Holy One of Israel, they who have believed in the Holy One of Israel, they who have endured the crosses of the world, and despised the shame of it, they shall inherit the kingdom of God, which was prepared for them from the foundation of the world, and their joy shall be full forever.

“O the greatness of the mercy of our God, the Holy One of Israel! For he delivereth his saints from that awful monster the devil, and death, and hell, and that lake of fire and brimstone, which is endless torment.

“O how great the holiness of our God! For he knoweth all things, and there is not anything save he knows it.

“And he cometh into the world that he may save all men if they will hearken unto his voice; for behold, he suffereth the pains of all men, yea, the pains of every living creature, both men, women, and children, who belong to the family of Adam.

“And he suffereth this that the resurrection might pass upon all men, that all might stand before him at the great and judgment day.” (2 Nephi 9: 3-22)

Most Christians have problems understanding the resurrection of our physical bodies because they believe God is a spirit, and lives in a spiritual realm. But Mormons have no issues with the resurrection of Jesus Christ, or our own resurrection in the future. We believe that Christ was resurrected and that he continues to live with a glorified and perfected physical body of flesh and bones. We believe that in the future we will all be resurrected and have our physical bodies returned to us. Then we will be judged and sent to live on a real, tangible world. Whether or not we have the opportunity to live within the same realm as God is determined by how we live in this life.

One of the reasons that Mormons have such a strong belief in the literal resurrection of Jesus Christ is because we have modern-day witnesses that have actually seen Him! Their witness of the reality of God make the scriptures come alive for each of us; because as we read about the death and resurrection of Jesus, we have an additional assurance of the truth of what we read.

Well, that is my sermon for the day! Have a happy Easter!

Steel roofs and tigers

2009-04-09T14:37:00.011+10:00

Tinian is an ideal place to live and to vacation: secluded beaches, aqua-blue water, and warm days in which to enjoy them in.

This being an important political year, I found the following email rather timely and poignant:

Thought you might enjoy this interesting prayer given in Kansas at the opening session of their Senate.

It seems prayer still upsets some people.. When Minister Joe Wright was asked to open the new session of the Kansas Senate, everyone was expecting the usual generalities, but this is what they heard:

Heavenly Father, we come before you today to ask your forgiveness and to seek your direction and guidance.

We know Your Word says, 'Woe to those who call evil good,' but that is exactly what we have done.

We have lost our spiritual equilibrium and reversed our values.

We have exploited the poor and called it the lottery.

We have rewarded laziness and called it welfare.

We have killed our unborn and called it choice.

We have shot abortionists and called it justifiable.

We have neglected to discipline our children and called it building self esteem..

We have abused power and called it politics.

We have coveted our neighbor's possessions and called it ambition.

We have polluted the air with profanity and pornography and called it freedom of expression.

We have ridiculed the time-honored values of our forefathers and called it enlightenment.

Search us, Oh, God, and know our hearts today; cleanse us from every sin and set us free..

Amen!

The response was immediate. A number of legislators walked out during the prayer in protest. In 6 short weeks, Central Christian Church, where Rev. Wright is pastor, logged more than 5,000 phone calls with only 47 of those calls responding negatively. The church is now receiving international requests for copies of this prayer from India , Africa and Korea .

Commentator Paul Harvey aired this prayer on his radio program, 'The Rest of the Story,'and received a larger response to this program than any other he has ever aired.

Mormons believe that governments are instituted by God, and that men have both the right and the obligation to seek out and elect the most honorable people to lead them. We are instructed to pray for our civic leaders--that they might be guided by God in their decisions. This is an excerpt from the Doctrine and Covenants about government:

" WE believe that governments were instituted of God for the benefit of man; and that he holds men accountable for their acts in relation to them, both in making laws and administering them, for the good and safety of society.

"We believe that no government can exist in peace, except such laws are framed and held inviolate as will secure to each individual the free exercise of conscience, the right and control of property, and the protection of life.

"We believe that all governments necessarily require civil officers and magistrates to enforce the laws of the same; and that such as will administer the law in equity and justice should be sought for and upheld by the voice of the people if a republic, or the will of the sovereign.

" We believe that religion is instituted of God; and that men are amenable to him, and to him only, for the exercise of it, unless their religious opinions prompt them to infringe upon the rights and liberties of others; but we do not believe that human law has a right to interfere in prescribing rules of worship to bind the consciences of men, nor dictate forms for public or private devotion; that the civil magistrate should restrain crime, but never control conscience; should punish guilt, but never suppress the freedom of the soul.

" We believe that all men are bound to sustain and uphold the respective governments in which they reside, while protected in their inherent and inalienable rights by the laws of such governments; and that sedition and rebellion are unbecoming every citizen thus protected, and should be punished accordingly; and that all governments have a right to enact such laws as in their own judgments are best calculated to secure the public interest; at the same time, however, holding sacred the freedom of conscience.

" We believe that every man should be honored in his station, rulers and magistrates as such, being placed for the protection of the innocent and the punishment of the guilty; and that to the laws all men show respect and deference, as without them peace and harmony would be supplanted by anarchy and terror; human laws being instituted for the express purpose of regulating our interests as individuals and nations, between man and man; and divine laws given of heaven, prescribing rules on spiritual concerns, for faith and worship, both to be answered by man to his Maker. (Doctrine and Covenants 134:1-6)

We pray that those seeking office in this paradise of the Pacific will do so, not for power or gain, but to truly serve the people of the CNMI!

Meanwhile, construction continues down north main! While one crew continues to pour the curbing running down either side of the road, another crew has started to frame the sidewalk that will be poured alongside the curbing.

Even the trees are beginning to bloom! Sometimes the ground is completely covered in yellow petals falling from the trees.

I stopped at one home up on Marpo Heights and asked if I could take pictures of his garden. It was beautiful, and he had a lot of plants... then I found out that he had a small business selling plants! I think he will do well, if what I saw was any indication!

The second story to this home is looking much better, though the work goes slowly

And there is another new home being built, tucked away in a corner. It is one of the few new homes being built on Tinian that is not made completely out of concrete. They have chosen to install a metal roof.

When I lived in Cleveland, I ran a large roofing company that received about half of its sales from installing metal roofing... So I know a thing or two about metal roofs...

There are two basic kinds of metal roofs: exposed, or surface fastened (the screws are installed from the top, with a gasket, to hold down the roof, like the one shown above); and hidden or standing seam roofs (the fasteners are hidden under a standing seam, between roof panels).

The standard for most roofs is to install a fastener every 12" along the seam, and in rows anywhere from 12" to 24" apart (in a standing seam roof, the metal panels are made 12" to 24" wide, and the fasteners are placed between the two panels).

In areas such as Florida where they have hurricanes, they change the fastening pattern to 6" on center-- in other words, they double the number of screws installed to hold a roof down.

Once the roof is fastened to the framing, the work is not over. A strong wind can, and often does, simply pick the whole roof off of a building! So, no matter how many screws you install in a metal roof to hold it in place, it means nothing if the frame it is attached to is weak.

So, if the wind gets under the eaves, and the metal roof holds, it acts like a parasail that can take the whole roof, structure and all, with it!

That is why you will see them tie-down the structure to the frame of the house. Of course, the question that is always raised is: where is the weakest point? In a strong wind, what will go first: the metal roof, or the structure under it?

All metal roofing, no matter how fancy, have the same inherent problems in a storm

And you can see what will happen if someone does a great job installing the metal roof, but forgets to tie-down the frame underneath!

Of course, some homes are built so that they can play 'wizard of Oz' and fly off to another land, completely intact, during a severe storm...

While others want to make sure they are securely tied to the ground

Knowing the inherent weakness of a metal roof in this area, some have decided to add both a belt and suspenders to their pants...er, house. I have often seen people 'strap' their metal roof down, by installing metal straps, running over the roof from one side of the house to the other, and attached on either side to the concrete walls. It is actually a very good idea, and adds holding power to both the metal roof and the structure under it!

This inventive homeowner had the right idea... however, I don't think running two ropes across the roof and tying them to heavy rain barrels was what engineers had in mind...

This is an very old building up on Marpo that still has its metal roof intact. You can see what is left of two wide, heavy metal straps that run across the roof, and that were, at one time, attached to the frame on the sides. It just offers another level of protection from the wind.

So, ladies and gentlemen, that is your roofing lesson for today...

Now back to the good stuff! Another beautiful day on Tinian! This is looking down from Marpo Heights at the San Jose Village. You can see Goat Island in the background.

We once again have our sign back! It keeps dissappearing, and then reappearing. Its magical!

Oh, yeah, I forgot! I'm supposed to talk about tigers! This is a picture of a tiger spot orchid sent to me from Janet King (which reminds me, I am still looking for that illusive flower up on Carolina Hieghts!)

A trip to Saipan

2009-04-06T09:25:00.006+10:00

Terri and I traveled to Saipan over the weekend. It has been a tough week and we both just felt the need to get away for a while. We did try to mix a little business with pleasure, as Terri met with a couple of people who had been wanted to meet with her.

It is always fun to take the small plane between the islands. It gives you a unique perspective of where you live. This is a view of the road just north of the airport that runs west to Fleming Point. We traveled this road when we went to South Coke Dump.

This is the communications center, and the Voice of America, that broadcasts to Asia. You can get a better perspective of how high the towers are, and how high off the ground the worker was who was suspended between the towers!

This is an areal view of the atomic bomb pits and Japanese buildings. In the center is Runway Able, where the Enola Gay took off from to deliver the atomic bombs to Japan. To the left is an old Japanese runway and buildings; and to the upper left is where the two bomb pits are, where Fat Man and Little Boy were loaded.

This is the north point of the island. You can see the road Terri and I traveled recently. We had seen the road from the air before, and noted that it did not show up on any maps.

This is the west coast of Saipan, where most of the hotels and businesses are located.

You can see how built-up the area is, compared to Tinian.

This is the southern edge of Saipan. You can see the beautiful golf course along the ocean. One of the new casinos planned for Tinian has a golf course designed as part of its over-all plan.

Saipan has a very high peak, and very steep roads, unlike Tinian, which is relatively flat (unless you are walking them...)

On our return, you can see the east coast of Tinian. Most of the east side of the island is one long cliffline. Jim Bell is still on the island attempting to swim around Tinian. He has swum about 2/3 of the way. The last area he has to complete is this long eastern cliffside. The problem, of course, is that there is no place to stop and rest when swimming along this side of Tinian-- it is all steep cliffs. But he is determined, so it is just a matter of time!

This morning I discovered a group of birds kept by someone--chickens and pigeons. As he was feeding them, they were flying about his head like a tornado!

They are building a new addition on top of SN-5.

The road builders continue to create new catch-basins for run-off water . This one is by the Elementary School.

They continue to make progress in framing and pouring the concrete curbs for the upper road.

And they continue to widen and deepen the large catch-basin in the middle of the village. It is really big! (but not as big as the one by the amphitheater!)

The death of John Untalan

2009-04-03T12:12:00.004+10:00

I have the misfortune to announce the death of John Untalan, the chief executive officer of Tinian. Terri and I are heartbroken over his untimely death, and our love and prayers go out to his wife, children, and extended family.

We considered John a friend. He was a consistent advocate for the Tinian Medical Center and the healthcare of the Tinian community. Terri and John spoke from time to time about the future of Tinian Health Center, and John supported Terri’s attempts to make constructive changes at the clinic.

Although we knew John mainly through his political assignment as the Mayor’s right-hand-man, we were impressed that he always put the people of Tinian first and his politics second. He was often willing to take a principled stand.

We feel so badly for John’s wife and children and will pray that they will be able to be comforted in this time of sorrow and grief.

Anytime someone dies, it makes me ponder the life we live. This usually means a walk along the beaches of Tinian...

The peaceful, quiet of nature seems to bring a kind of perspective to life, and any fear of our mortality seems to be washed away by the life teeming around us.

Everything has a season. Just like the waves of the sea, that crash against the rocks, but then quietly spread out and dissipate back into the ocean; our lives, no matter how hectic or confusing, will eventually end, our bodies will blend back into the earth, waiting to come to life again in the resurrection.

When we step back, away from the cliffs of chaos, to view our lives in perspective, it is almost impossible not to see that there is a grand plan behind what we see.

We are not alone.

God actually has a plan for us; and when we experience pain and sorrow in this life, there is a reason for it! I am reminded of a Mormon scripture, given to Joseph Smith while he was going through an unusually difficult time:

"If thou art called to pass through tribulation; if thou art in perils among false brethren; if thou art in perils among robbers; if thou art in perils by land or by sea;

"If thou art accused with all manner of false accusations; if thine enemies fall upon thee; if they tear thee from the society of thy father and mother and brethren and sisters; and if with a drawn sword thine enemies tear thee from the bosom of thy wife, and of thine offspring, and thine elder son, although but six years of age, shall cling to thy garments, and shall say, My father, my father, why can't you stay with us? O, my father, what are the men going to do with you? and if then he shall be thrust from thee by the sword, and thou be dragged to prison, and thine enemies prowl around thee like wolves for the blood of the lamb;

"And if thou shouldst be cast into the pit, or into the hands of murderers, and the sentence of death passed upon thee; if thou be cast into the deep; if the billowing surge conspire against thee; if fierce winds become thine enemy; if the heavens gather blackness, and all the elements combine to hedge up the way; and above all, if the very jaws of hell shall gape open the mouth wide after thee, know thou, my son, that all these things shall give thee experience, and shall be for thy good.

"The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?

"Therefore, hold on thy way, and the priesthood shall remain with thee; for their bounds are set, they cannot pass. Thy days are known, and thy years shall not be numbered less; therefore, fear not what man can do, for God shall be with you forever and ever. (Doctrine and Covenants 122:5-9)

One of the main reasons we were placed here on earth was to be tested, and to experience both good and evil.

How can we have free will, and be given the ability to choose, if we didn't have a choice? How can we learn the difference between right and wrong, and between good and evil, if there was no evil? There must be an opposition in all things in order for us to learn and progress.

God understood these eternal principles, and purposefully organized a world in which we could come to experience all of these things, and learn from them--knowing it was going to be difficult for us. No matter how hard this life may become, remember, it is for our good.

So, while we must suffer terrible things while living upon this telestial world, the lessons we learn about good and evil, and the decisions we make based upon those things we learn, have eternal consequences for each of us!

There is a reason the scriptures tell us we must 'endure to the end'. If it was supposed to be easy, we would not have to 'endure'. But the point is, that this experience was meant to be difficult! It was meant to be the most difficult experience possible, otherwise we would not, could not, fully understand and appreciate the blessings and glory we are to receive afterward.

Searching Tinian

2009-04-01T15:40:00.005+10:00

I was given the assignment to try to find someone's farm; and, I am still trying to find the flower that everyone was discussing; so I climbed up the Carolinas today. This is a picture looking from there across to Marpo Heights.

As usual, I was able to find some beautiful flowers along the way!

And some interesting trees

The homes where I thought the flower had been, had wonderful flowers, but not the one I was looking for!

Trying to find a specific farm on Tinian is difficult. There are no road signs, or house signs. I asked what few people I could find in order to locate the Alden farm. I was directed to this location. Some of the pictures look like what was described, while others do not. So I don't know if I got the right place!

This is the driveway that goes down to the pig-pen, and a very nice guard dog.

The only ones at home were the pigs...

And the dog--that didn't bark at me! Maybe he was lonely?

On the way back I found some children playing outside the Grace Christian School

And across the street were some children learning to ride tricycles

Terri and I decided to take a break and go swimming. As usual, we had the beach to ourselves.

Tinian half-time show

2009-03-31T13:16:00.003+10:00

Here is the dancer that brings the house down at all the basketball games!

The new Tinian cheerleaders make their debut

2009-03-31T11:15:00.004+10:00

The entertainment for the night began with the debut of the Tinian Dynasty Cheerleaders. Wow!

Tinian Dynasty loses a tough game

2009-03-31T11:06:00.004+10:00

It was a very close game all the way, with Tinian keeping the lead most of the time

Our half-time show was the now famous 'dancing man', who always brings down the house!

In the end, Fiestas Grand pulled ahead, mostly due to good foul shooting. It was a tough loss, since I thought Tinian was the better team.

I am told that there is not a 3 or 4-way tie for first place!

Moving forward

2009-03-31T10:42:00.005+10:00

Dynasty seems to have a new tourist bus...at least I have not seen it before

It was crowded with happy people heading somewhere

It was just another beautiful day on the island. You could easily see Goat island in the distance

The drainage field for the septic system has been completed and covered over; and they are now working on building a retaining wall around the covered areas, so that brickwork can be laid.

The amphitheater itself seems to be about ready

They continue to expand the large retaining pond behind the amphitheater...

They are also creating parking areas on both sides

I've heard of street sweepers... but roof sweepers? They are getting the park and grounds ready for a festival or something?

Roadwork continues from one end to the other

Its only a job?

2009-03-30T10:01:00.009+10:00

I was given the assignment by one of my readers (Trent Aldan) to find their home up on Marpo Heights. I was told that his home was to the right of Sylvestre Palacios. Here is my first attempt:

I was told that the home of Sylvestre Palacios was to the right of this two-story home

That would make this the home of Sylvestre Palacios... and to the right of his home:

is this home, of which I have taken three pictures:

Hope this helps! It is in a nice area, and was across the street from the new addition with the solar heaters on the roof.

Here are what look like some cactus plants... I still have a tough time accepting cactus plants on a tropical island!

There is always a great view from Marpo Heights. You can see the ocean gleam in the distance. I was lucky on my walk today--the rain seemed to go right around me!

This is Rama Ula from Bangladesh, India. He works for the Ben Manglona family. He was hard at work cutting grass from the side of the road to feed some deer. I guess the family has five deer they keep... I suppose it is no different than keeping cattle!

Here are what I assume are some of Tinian's famous hot peppers!

There are just a few trees that are beginning to bloom. In a couple of months the flame trees are supposed to come out in full.

The community time and temperature sign is back in place and working again. It was 80 when I left on my walk, and 86 when I returned.

They continue to dig a big hole in the middle of town, between the two main roads.

Dump Coke South

2009-03-29T07:50:00.007+10:00

Terri and I decided to travel to Dump Coke South--the other side of the cove we were at the day before. The road to this end comes off of 8th Ave at the Seabees monument.

For the last couple of days men have been working on the radio towers on Tinian. This is where the Voice of America is sent to Asia. The small dot you can see between the two towers is actually a man hanging off a cable! Who is this guy? How much would they have to pay you to hang hundreds of feet in the air?

This is a small home to be found along 8th Ave

There was a small access road that ran north. We thought perhaps this was the road to Dump Coke South, but it ended up to be a dead-end--just an access road to property.

The access road is to the left, while the road we are traveling continued directly west towards the ocean.

The access road was quite a long drive, and ended up behind the communication towers we had seen before.

It was a beautiful road to nowhere!

As you can see, it simply ends in jungle

All along the road were gates to access private property. It was a beautiful area of the island!

Every now and then we would see roads going off to the side. We decided to take this road, as we could tell it was very new, and had just been made.

At the end of the road was a gate to someone's property. The access road was perhaps 1/3 of a mile long-- a lot of work cutting away the jungle just to get to your front gate!

Then we headed back west to try to get to the road that went to our destination

We finally hit another T in the road, with this road, like the access road, heading directly north. If we were to continue west, it would have taken us to Fleming Point, which we had seen before.

The road was in pretty good shape--much better than the Dump Coke North road was the day before.

The area opened up several times, and more roads took off of this one, perhaps connecting to other property as well.

The road finally turned west again towards the ocean, and began to drop down--though not as steeply as the north road had done. It was much easier to get out of this area on the way back also.

The trail closed in for the first time in this area, but it was still easy to ride through it

You can see Terri ahead of me as the road descends towards the shoreline

If you look closely, you can see Terri to the left as she continues out to the clearing at the point, which is to the right.

The cliff line could be seen directly to our right, dropping off about 100' to a small beach below

Even on the sides of steep cliffs you can find amazing flowers!

This is the view to our right as we begin to follow the cliff line to the end

This is looking back from the west end of this south point of the cove

You can see Terri standing at the end of the peninsula, and the sheer drop into the ocean!

It is a great place to come for some peace and quiet, and to ponder the meaning of life...

Here is the view looking North, towards the point where we visited yesterday

And this is looking south toward Fleming Point. There were two small fishing boats that we could see. You can also get a feel for what it is like to walk around in this area--very rough volcanic rock. Ankle-busters I think they are called!

Here we are, at the south end of the cove, ready for the climb back up the hill

How is it that I can walk 3-6 miles a day, and Terri is the one that looks good? Life just isn't fair!

Found some odd looking plants on this trip!

The Tinian ferry passed just in time to get a good picture and wave to all the tourists.