Thursday, August 20, 2015

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

Thursday, July 23, 2015

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

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





Friday, February 13, 2015

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.


Sunday, January 4, 2015

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

Monday, November 24, 2014

Tour around the Campus


Let me take you on a tour around the beautiful campus of Philippine Nazarene College better known as PNC, formerly Luzon Nazarene Bible College (LNBC).
In the above photo Nancy and I are standing in front of the sign board with the administration building in the background



This is the front of the administration building.  Everything is either up or down.  Not really handicap accessible and it is challenging for Nancy.  But we have daily exercise.
This building houses the classrooms for the college and the high school rooms as well as the computer lab, library, and some offices including mine.
There is the outside of the chaplains office.  Actually now my office has moved to the door on the right.  The other office is for the guidance counselor.











The is the covered walkway path going down to where we live.  The building through the trees is the college girls' dorm (three level), the bottom floor houses the elementary school. Our apartment is on the second floor and on the right side of the building.








Here is Nancy walking up the path.  Notice the play ground equipment on the left side of the photo.  This is for the preschool children. The sidewalk going to the left goes to the Kindergarten and Preparatory classes.









Daily when it is fine weather the school day begins with calisthenics, flag salute, and national anthem.

The blue roofed building in the background is the boys' dorm.  The girls' dorm is on the right side. Our apartment door is near the basketball court, about 5 meters behind the goal post.

We have a ring-side seat for many activities on campus.


This is the other direction from our house and you see the awning from the covered walkway behind the students.

The building through the trees on the left is the dining hall on top and the Kindy and Prep classes below.

Here everything is up and down and so you have many buildings that are two or more levels with doors from each level at ground level.



This is just a beautiful photo.
The day I took these photos the third grade class was leading, so the student raised on the cement as well as those in front are from the third grade and their teacher is dressed in navy blue, near the front, supporting and encouraging them.
They do their exercises and national anthem to the  CD music.

The elementary students are in pink and the High School students on the left are wearing white shirts/blouses.

This photo is of the high school students with the third grade boy directing.
Here is a photo of the high school students receiving recognition for their achievements at a recent contest held at our school campus.

The two following photos are of the same.



Nancy is resting at a gazebo in from of the administration building.

The following photo is from a different direction and shows the administration building in the background

This is the inside of the campus chapel (College Church).  The mark in the floor was made by a huge earthquake that hit Baguio some years ago. But we have annual earthquake drills preparing in the event of another big one.



This photo and the following shows the back of the administration building after a typhoon and strong wind passed through.  We lost a few trees.

See the guard rail damage on top the building.




This is a view of the valley below our campus.

These three photos are a different view of the valley below and is the farming area.  We farm vegetables and if you look closely you can see the large coverings or green houses.




Sunday, November 23, 2014

Prayer Update 24 November 2014

Prayer Update 24 November 2014,

We are excitingly serving the Lord. We are enjoying connecting with the students. Many students are now beginning to share their prayer concerns with us.  They were always friendly and respectful toward us.  The Filipinos as well as other Asian cultures have a way of showing respect.  But it has been wonderful to move beyond the formal relationship to where students can come to my office and feel comfortable sharing their hurts, and very personal needs with me.  I wanted to build that type of trust. In the Solomon Islands we had the trust of the church members and leaders but we served there a long time and on coming to this new field where we realized our term was limited (only three short semesters), we knew we needed to establish relationships very quickly.  

The Lord has helped us and we want to thank you for your prayers.  It would further help if I learned the language. Pray for me to learn more and more of the language.  I started trying but I don't know the approximately 500 names of the students and staff.  I am trying to learn these too.  I have never been good with names. Pray for us as we make the connection with the students and staff. 

Updates:
Jessica:
Jessica is home resting this semester and trying to get her thyroid regulated.  She stays in fairly regular contact with me, thanks to modern technology, and she hopes to return next semester.

Solomon Islands District Assembly:
Thank you for your prayers for this assembly.  A large piece of our hearts are still with the Solomon Islands.  The reports we received were encouraging. General Superintendent Dr. David Busic ordained three pastors, all graduates from our SPNTC, where Nancy, I, and other visiting lecturers had a part in their spiritual formation.  Pray for these Pastors, Rev. Osborn Fagea, Pastor of the White River Church, Honiara, Guadalcanal Island; Rev. Barnabas Siru, Pastor of the Kwalaitutu Church, Malaita Island; and Rev. Gibson Pina, Pastor of the Sovereign Grace Church, Munda, New Georgia Island. We had a part in the mentoring of these pastors and it is so thrilling to hear of their ordination.  I know you rejoice with us.

Also at this district assembly they put in place a District Leadership Team. The team divides the function of the District Superintendent and also provides mutual support so the weight of running the district is spread over 4 competent individuals instead of just one.  Please be in prayer for these for men: Bro. Dickson Manongi, Rev. Alick Hagi, Bro. Jeremiah Akoeasi, and Rev. Dolasi Baesi. They also elected their district officers.  The Solomon Islands district accepted the challenge to rise to a PHASE 2 district and I feel they are positioned to really grow and multiply the church in the Solomons.  

Events Coming up that need your Prayer:
District Thanksgiving Service:
I have been asked to bring a missionary message to the Metro Luzon District Thanksgiving service this coming Saturday November 29.  Please be in prayer for this.

Home for the Holidays:
Nancy and I will be traveling to the USA for the Christmas Holidays.  It will be a fast trip departing Manila on 21st of December and then for the return we will depart USA on 2nd January and arrive back to teach by Jan. 5.

Spiritual Deepening Week:
Our Spiritual Deepening Week will be held January 7-9, 2015.  Pray for our speaker Dr. Dick Eugenio as he brings the messages each evening and conducts a class on Thursday and Friday mornings.

Prayer Requested for Nancy:
She has had a chronic cough for a long time.  It is evidently allergies but to things that are difficult to avoid totally. Pray for her health.
 
Thank you for your prayers.
Your Partners in HIS Ministry,

George & Nancy Miller