Sunday, March 29, 2015

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