September 24, 2015

Update on Nancy:

Nancy is continually improving.  She now has an oxygen concentrator, thanks to our son Gary for bringing it.  She is on oxygen all the time.  When she was in Manila and we traveled down the mountain where the Oxygen level is higher her pO2 level was normal.  So she did not need O2 in the low lands until she walked and exerted herself.  Continue to pray for her and her strength.

About Micah:

When I last wrote a prayer letter our grand daughter Micah was taken to the hospital with bleeding.  They put her through a lot of tests and could not find the problem so we thank you so much for your prayers and the Lord's healing touch.  The doctors do not know where the blood was coming from but she is totally all right.

Our ministry in Philippine Islands is coming to an end.

We have had a truly wonderful experience here.  It has been so awesome serving here.  We felt God's call to come to Philippine Nazarene College and we have felt the love and support of those here.  It is so wonderful passing through the campus and having students and staff come and greet us.  I went into the Kindergarten class this week to talk with the teacher and the students stood up and said "Pastor George" and then they came and huddled around me and hugged me and many said, "Pastor George I love you".  We have definitely felt the love from everyone. 

With Nancy's illness it is so wonderful as different students have come by and cooked our meals.  Of course they eat with us too.  When you are a people person that definitely demonstrates love and it has been awesome.

We still have classes we're teaching in the college (George - Old Testament Survey and Nancy - English Plus [This is an English remedial class for those with poor English skills]) and a religious education class in the grade 6 and these classes will be going on until the day we are ready to depart the campus.  So be in prayer for us that all my students' assignments will be submitted on time because 2 days after finals we will be leaving and I don't want straggling papers that I need to grade and submit via email from the USA.

We will be departing PNC on 14th of October.  We will attend a Missionary/leadership Conference and then will be departing Manila in route to the USA on the 29th of October.  Pray for Nancy but this conference will be at sea level and should be more conducive to her health. 

George's Birthday.

My birthday is the 10th of October and that is the magic date (65th) or the beginning of our retirement. I will celebrate this in Philippines so we have a lot of parties coming up immediately before we leave.  I'm preaching my last sermon here in the College Church on Oct. 11th (With birthday dinner following service - I and the pastor's husband's birthday is on the 10th also).  My last college chapel where I will be preaching will be on October 6. October 7 will be the last High School chapel, and the elementary chapels.  During the last college chapel of the semester Oct 8th, the college president will preach but we will say our farewells and share in communion with the students and staff.  On Friday, Oct 9th we will have cake and noodles for the students and staff to celebrate my birthday.

Our Final Home Assignment.

• If you want us to share on your district or in your church please notify us. 
• To see our current (confirmed) schedule check out our blog: http://georgeandnancymiller.blogspot.com {Our schedule is posted on our home information.}  We would love to visit with you if we are in your part of the woods during our travels.
• We have a need for a vehicle. 
• We have the need for a home.  We can rent or purchase.
• We will start our services in November 2015, and as long as we have health and the passion we will be woking for the Kingdom (and Grand Children which is also Kingdom work).  We will be touring for the church, in an official deputation capacity for one year, before actual retirement at 66 years old.
• Join us in prayer as we find another niche where we can serve our Master.

HIS Servants in the vineyard, 

George & Nancy Miller

Philippine Nazarene College

Update on Nancy

20 August 2015,

Today we went to the doctor's office for the follow-up visit.  I have been extra busy with keeping up with the chaplain's work plus doing more around the house to help Nancy.  Fortunately we have a young woman, Loise, who has really helped with the house work and even in fixing the meals.  Other students are so willing to assist too.

Nancy is gaining her strength but is on Oxygen most of the time.  When we went to Manila, at sea level, and she was setting in the air conditioned vehicle her oxygen level was good.  She has lost a lot of weight, mostly attributed to fluid.  The edema in her legs has been largely resolved.

We have purchased a portable Oxygen concentrator from the USA and currently we are making arrangements for our son Gary to visit the Philippines and hand carry the concentrator.  She will need oxygen when she flies on the airplane.

Our grand daughter Micah, 8 months old, was bleeding. (Micah is Geoff and Churie's youngest.)  Last week when they discovered it in her diaper she was taken to ER and was examined and released. The problem came back this week, and on Monday she was admitted to Children's hospital. Today they did a scope exam on her and couldn't find anything, so she has now been dismissed, but please continue to pray for her and peace for her parents during this time.

George & Nancy Miller

Philippine Nazarene College
Pico Road, La Trinidad

Benguet 2601, Philippines

Phone: +63 908 373 6493

blog: http://georgeandnancymiller.blogspot.com

Web: http://oceanianazarene.org

Prayer for Nancy

23 July 2015

Nancy was admitted yesterday to the St Louis University Hospital in Baguio City, Philippines.   We certainly ask you to remember her in prayer.  My prayer is that she will fully recover soon, but at least fully recover before our home assignment begins end Oct 2015.   

Her problem: Her legs were swollen and we went to the physician who ordered an Ultrasound.  The sonogram showed veinous reflux (Blood is not flowing properly up the veins in the legs).  They are assessing the cause of this.  They are concerned about blood clots developing but there is currently no evidence of this.  After coming here they discovered a heart murmur and they did echocardiogram to assess this. Results should be in the morning.

We will update you from time to time. If you have Facebook, connect with me (George M Miller) through that social media.  You might see updates from me or others posting something.  Her swelling [edema] is slowly improving. 

We are receiving excellent care in the hospital here.  The hospital staff are great. Our PNC staff, students, and friends have been so supportive even coming to the hospital, serving as watchman for Nancy so I can return to the college and teach my classes.  

I am sorry because during this time I have not been on-line much. 

George & Nancy Miller

Philippine Nazarene College
Pico Road, La Trinidad

Benguet 2601, Philippines

Phone: +63 908 373 6493

blog: http://georgeandnancymiller.blogspot.com

Web: http://oceanianazarene.org

March 29, 2015 Prayer Letter

The school year is over and the campus is quiet so I can finally catch my breath and get out a long overdue prayer letter.

Graduation:

This past week was full of graduations and a flurry of end of the school year activities.  We had four wonderful graduations.  First was the Preschool graduation on Tuesday morning, followed by the grade 6 graduation on Tuesday afternoon.  Wednesday morning was the high school graduation and Wednesday afternoon was the college Baccalaureate service.  Then Thursday morning was the College graduation.  Since graduation I (George) have accompanied the teachers to a few of the graduation parties.  

(Pictured above is from the Pre-school Graduation, then coming down 6th grade, High School, and then last College.)

Many of the student's parents will prepare a meal for the student to fellowship with their friends. 

When I arrived at the students home on Friday night my breath was taken away.  First the homes, in the LaTrinidad area and in the mountainous region where there is not much flat land to build on, are build one on top of another up the side of the mountain.  We drove down a narrow one lain street to the location and then climbed up three steep flights of stairs up to the home on the third level where our student lived. The climb was almost enough to make one short of breath but when I stepped inside the veranda area of the gorgeous and spacious home, it literally took my breath away.  I mean the homes we passed on the lower levels and in route to this house were kind of plain and ordinary.  I do not have words to describe the beauty of this home.  After walking up the plain cement steps without a good handrail, I certainly did not expect a home so elaborately furnished to be at the top of the stairs.  It was simply gorgeous and breathtaking.  On the way home I commented about the home to our guidance counsellor who confirmed that was certainly not a typical home in the Philippines.  

It has been a joyous time celebrating with our graduates.  One of our graduates, Jem, is going to pioneer a new start church.  This year only two students graduated with AB in Theology and will be pastors.  The other graduates are in Education (Religious education, Special Education, Elementary Education, or Secondary Education).  Many of them plan to return to their church and help in their local church.  

Christian Education Class:

This last semester I began teaching 6th grade Christian Education class.  (Students 31 in total pictured in the class photo.  One was absent day of shoot.  Classroom teacher/advisor on left.)  This class meets 2 days per week for 1 hour.  I asked about teaching that because of all the students the class that I was not connecting with was the 6th grade.  I knew they would be graduating.  This was a real challenge as many students in this class were very disruptive.  I just wanted to get to know these students and to know there names.  I had met some of the students when we had some drinking/smoking issues and the chaplain was in the line of people they needed to visit.  When that problem surfaced in December before the school break, I began to pray for these students and the Lord laid it on my heart to get more involved.  When I asked if I could teach them, the idea was met with excitement by the elementary teaching staff.  

Honestly though some of the students were so wired and out-of-control that a few days I would leave wondering if I was accomplishing anything.  God blessed and by the end of the semester I had connected with these students.  Recently I had birthday lunch with some 5th grade boys.  They asked me if I was going to teach them CE next year.  They said, "Pastor George, we want you to be our teacher."  Usually boys are not as emotional but as they were saying good bye and getting ready to return to class one of the boy's told me, "Pastor George, we love you."  It almost choked me up.   

On my final exam in Cristian Education I had 4 - 100s. One of the boys who is quite in class is bullied and usually scored very poorly on the quizzes.  Coming to the final I told him, as well as others, that he could make a 100 if he studied hard.  I gave them the scope of the exam and what to study. When I graded the final I was so proud of this boy.  He did not make a 100 but made a 90%.  Usually he made under 50% on everything,

Work and Witness Project:

There is a team here from Canada erecting a new tool room and vocational center.  The building was donated from partners in Canada and the team has come to erect the building.  This was a much needed improvement.  

The Covered Walkway (PTA Project):

The Parent teacher association added 30 or so meters to the covered walkway.  It was completed just in time for graduation.  [The walkway is pictured over my left shoulder.] We probably will not be here for the completion but after there next fund raiser this project should be competed so our college girls and elementary students can walk to the dorm and classroom sheltered from the rain.

Miller's Deputation:

If you would like a missionary speaker, we are available from November 2015 - October 2016.  This is our final home assignment.  We are interested in coming to your church or district.  Just let us know and we will schedule you.

Pray that we will have a full schedule as this will be our final home assignment before retirement.

Pray for us in this transition period as we look for a place to settle down and a ministry to be involved in after official retirement.  I'm not sure when or if we'll truly retire, but we want to follow God's will.  We are hoping that we can be near our grandchildren.  God has certainly led us in pleasant places and as we look back on our life, it has definitely been wonderful.

Currently we only have the following dates confirmed and others inquiries but dates not set yet.

Pawhuska, OK - Nov. 19, 2015 AM service

Pittsburg, TX - Dec 13, 2015 AM Service

Living Hope Waxahachie, TX - Feb. 20-21, 2016

Swiansboro, GA - Date not as yet confirmed.

Pray that we will have a full schedule as this will be our final home assignment before retirement.

George & Nancy Miller

Philippine Nazarene College

A practical joke and a misdirected Valentine Card resulting in marriage lasting over 50 years.

Do you believe in a practical joke being providentially used to bring two people together?  Well I do. As we celebrate this valentines day I would like to share the story of my mother and father who became friends due to a misdirected valentine and were married for nearly 52 years before my mother passed away in 2001 and my father passed away in 2005.

Mom and dad lived in rural Oklahoma and actually attended the same small town high-school.  Although there was less than one year age difference mom was 2-3 years ahead of dad in high school. In the late 1930s older boys were required to help on the farm during harvest and planting time so they frequently graduated high school later than the girls of the same age.  Dad did not make much of an impression on mom in High School.  Since they lived on farms on opposite sides of town, they never had contact outside of school time.

Mom never had a boy friend and neither did dad have a girl friend during their high school days.  After graduation dad left to work for farmers wherever he could find work.  Mom stayed at home and helped her widowed mother, taught Sunday School in the church, and did other things.  Sometime after graduation she went to California to live with her older sister and to find work in California.  By this time dad was working for a farmer near Abilene, Kansas.

On Valentines day, mom mailed valentines back to the children in her Sunday School class.  One of the boys in her class had the same name as my father.  My father's address was a different route number but the same town.  When the card arrived the two mail carriers who both new my father decided they would play a practical joke on my dad and send this boys valentine to my dad's address.  I'm sure today they would be in prison or such for intentionally misdirecting mail as a practical joke.  The valentine went to the Miller's farm and my dad's brothers when they received it, mailed it on to where dad was working in Kansas with a note attached, "Are you going to get a Kansan or Californian".  That misdirected valentine with the picture of a pineapple and hearts with the caption, "I'm sweet on you" was the beginning of a life long relationship.  My mother carried this valentine forever in her purse but when she died the valentine was missing.

Their relationship was mostly by mail and I believe maybe the 3rd or 4th time they actually met face to face they were married. Dad and mom told me that they only had one real date prior to marriage.  They went to see the Stamps Quartet.  Dad said he spent 25 cents on his only date with mom. (10 cents for admission for two to the Stamps Quartet and 15 cents for two hamburgers and a coke).  That was the day when a nickel was worth something.

Happy Valentines Day and may you be blessed on this day.

Christmas/ New Years Letter

As I write this prayer letter it is New Year's Day 2015.  2014 just sped by, as we were busy with many activities, and with joy serving the Lord. 

Tomorrow (Jan 2) Nancy and I will celebrate our 44th anniversary onboard the air plane, traveling back to the Philippine Islands.  The weatherman is predicting icy roads in Dallas, reminding me of our wedding day in 1971.  We will leave Gloria and Scott's house early to catch our morning flight to Manila, via Japan.  If the forecast is correct we will leave very early.  As with traveling West and crossing the international date line, we will almost miss January 3rd, arriving in Manila very late at night on 3rd.  Then we will catch a bus to Baguio, arriving at Campus on the 4th, ready to resume our "normal" activity on 5th.

Christmas Highlights:

We enjoyed our Christmas in the USA.  This is the first Christmas in USA in 15 years and was great being with our Grandchildren and family.  Here are some of the things we did this Christmas.

• Greg and Wendy took us along with their family and Geoff and Churie's 4 girls to visit Nancy's Mom.  Fortunately Geoff just purchased a 12 seat van so we had space for our 4 adults and 8 Grandchildren to travel to Owasso and visit Grandma Sides.  We enjoyed the day and took her out to eat at Chic-fil-a. 
• We were able to watch the girls as Churie gave birth to Micah Mae Miller, their 5th daughter, on Christmas Eve.  
• Our kids had a family get together planned on Saturday after Christmas.  Friday was a beautiful day but we awoke on Saturday to a 2-inch blanket of snow.  Nancy's brother Chris and family from Tulsa planned to attend but were hindered from the snow.  We enjoyed seeing all our family there.
• We attended a wedding, which was a remarriage of our niece (my brother Wesley's daughter) and her husband, who separated and divorced soon after my brother's death. This is a miracle of God's grace and restoration to heal their broken relationship.  This nephew attended our deputation service last home assignment and soon thereafter sought the Lord's forgiveness.   Their coming back together and remarriage is nothing short of miraculous.
• We spent some quality time, with our grandchildren, playing games with them etc.
• We had our Miller family Christmas, opening presents, reading the Christmas story, scavenger hunt (The kids followed their clue to find their present.), etc. 
• Sunday 28th, Micah Mae, only 4-days old, was dedicated to the Lord. It was a beautiful service with 38 of Geoff and Churie's family members present to witness the dedication.  This was the only time since Geoff and Churie's wedding that all four parents, all their siblings and family members (including wives and children) were present since their wedding.  Of course the family has grown numerically since the wedding.  Also, Nancy's brother Don and his wife Linda were present for the dedication.

 

I would like to share some highlights from this past year.

• In January our Field Strategy Coordinator visited and asked us about transferring to the Philippines, thus starting us on a new chapter of our life.
• Most of the Month of February we were involved in Bible College Class.  George taught Theology 3, The Holy Spirit and the Church.  
• Dr. Herb Ireland visited from the USA and taught New Testament Survey and Doctrine of Holiness.
• The culmination of the Bible College was the Graduation on March 1st, with 2 students graduating from our Bible College.
• March, April, and May was a flurry of activity in preparation to leave the Solomon Islands, our home for 15 years.
• Our Children Gloria, Scott, and Gary visited the Solomon's to help us with our packing up, shipping our belongings, and our preparations.  Their help was most valuable.
• June we arrived in the Philippines to begin our new assignment.
• From June to December George served as Chaplain. Nancy and George both taught one class each term.

Highlights from the Chaplaincy.  George was the chaplain/pastor to 300+ Elementary Students, 100 High School student, 90 Bible College Students, and 50 teachers and staff.  Here are some of the highlights.

• It has been fun connecting with students this year.  going to their special events and celebrating with them in their various competition.  I have enjoyed eating lunches with students celebrating their birthdays.  
• George has enjoyed ministering in chapel.  
• Nancy taught English for the first term and is now teaching "Pauline Epistles.
• George taught Old Testament Survey first term and is now teaching "Pentateuch".

I began this letter on Jan 1st and now it is the 4th and we have safely returned to our assignment at the Philippine Nazarene College.  Thank you for you prayers and support.

George & Nancy Miller

Philippine Nazarene College
Pico Road, La Trinidad

Benguet 2601, Philippines

Phone: +63 908 373 6493

blog: http://georgeandnancymiller.blogspot.com

Web: http://oceanianazarene.org