Guam Update November-December 2010

Hafa-adai (greetings) from Guam!

One semester under my belt and 3 or 4 to go! It’s been a long and stressful term, both deeply impactful and incredibly challenging. I know I can’t include everything in this update, but I’m going to do my best.

First of all, the semester is over! I’ve just completed New Testament History, Christian Doctrine I, Wisdom Literature, Linguistics I, and Ministry Introduction. It’s great having all of my classes themed toward my major.

Next semester my schedule will be a little different. I’m glad to announce that I’ve been hired at Guam Nihon Gakku (Japanese School) and will be teaching English to Japanese students ages 6-14. I start on January 6 and will continue working until the end of the semester. As most of you know, the job is a huge answer to prayer. I didn’t have many credentials, and I was extremely nervous in my interview. Yet God won the heart of the principal and I was hired on the spot! Since I will be working 3 mornings a week, I will be taking some online classes and some afternoon classes. My goal is to remain a full time student as long as I am here.

I am also pleased to announce that I have been selected to be an RA for the guys dorm for next semester. Unlike ordinary universities, RAs here are somewhat responsible for the spiritual health of the students. We will be spending time meeting and praying for all the students.

As you know from my last email, there is chapel twice a week all semester. Last semester, my friend Leeman was leading every chapel. For next semester, student life is giving me the opportunity to share the load with him and take half the chapels. I’ll be leading chapel worship every Friday morning.

I haven’t been back to Faith Presbyterian since my last email. Instead, I’ve been attending Lutheran Church of Guam every Sunday. I’ve gotten to know the pastor, Jeff, very well, and he’s even recently invited me to join the worship team. I’ve gotten to know many of the church members and have found a great family at LCG. I promise all of you, I am not becoming a Lutheran! Pastor Jeff is actually very supportive of my Calvinist roots, and LCG is in fact, not very Lutheran. In any case, I went through several weeks of church hopping, trying to discern the best place for me, and I am now very sure my place is at LCG.

As you know from my last update, there is a ministry that some of the PIU students do at the University of Guam. Since helping out last semester, I’ve been invited and am very excited to take a more active role this semester.

The UOG ministry team just returned from a week long Christmas mission trip to Saipan. We stayed at the Saipan Evangelical Church, a small Palauan church in the mountains. Every night, we would put on a program consisting of skits, action songs, choir, worship, a message, and student testimonies. I was a part of many of the activities and got to see God do some amazing things. The week was incredibly difficult for all of us. Practices were long and trying, but every evening before the program, all of us would pray earnestly that God would use our feeble preparation.

Tension was high for most of the trip, and eventually led to most of us breaking down on the last day, approaching everyone with whom our relationship wasn’t right. Every night, members in the congregation would approach us and tell us how they were blessed by the program, and every night, we would assess the evening as a group and realize that God was working just as hard in all of us as he was in the congregation. Aside from the evening programs, we did a lot of community service, meal preparation, and even one afternoon of door-to-door evangelism.

I learned a lot of personal lessons from God, as well, most of which are very hard for me to explain. With Saipan’s beauty and the church’s remote location, it was easy for me to go exploring and do my quiet times and devotions away from the others. One path leading away from the church went through the jungle and up the hill to a large opening surrounded by cliffs, jungle, and a multitude of birds. It was there that I went to God and cried out to him every day. There was so much stress and hardship during the trip that I found myself in tears many times. But it was during those times that I felt I was closer to God that I ever have been. Every time I think I have a good relationship with him, he shows me that I do not, and takes me even deeper. One thing I learned from him during the week is that he cares for me, loves me, and even wants to bless me, but every time I take him for granted and neglect him, good things in my life are just temporary. It seems like every time I act on my own and forget to trust him I mess things up. I wish I was better at explaining it. Just know that those quiet times were a big step in my walk, some of many more I hope. I have become quite sensitive since coming here. I didn’t ever imagine myself like this!

Anyways, from now until January 17 I will be on Winter break. I’m not yet registered for next semester, but as it stands I am in need of support. I am still ineligible for financial aid due to my income last year. Once my registration is complete, I’ll have a better idea of what I owe for next semester, but for now just be in prayer that God will provide. Also, please be praying for my relationships with others here.

I’ve made some of the best friends of my life here who constantly encourage me, pray for me, and hold me accountable. I’m hoping that God uses me in the same way so that I can be that kind of witness to others. I’ve experienced debilitating depression and homesickness at times, especially when I am confronted with cultural challenges and stress, but so far God has met it all and raised me up. I’ve heard that successful foreign missionaries wait up to a year before getting involved in serious ministry, and now I’m beginning to see why. I thought I was invincible when I came here, that I could detach myself from my own culture and transition easily. Now I see just how attached I am. The clearest mirror in the world is living overseas.

I’m praying for a chance in the future to come back and give a full report, even to do some recruiting. I am in love with this place and what God is doing in my life through it. I hope to hear back from some of you. Please continue to pray for me.

Grace and Peace,

Kevin Patrick Graham

Guam Update October 2010

Hafa-adai (greetings) from Guam!

I had hoped to send these at least once a month, and I realize I am long overdue. I beg your pardon in regard. I am officially an undergraduate student of Biblical Studies and TESL at Pacific Islands University, 1/3 through my first semester of my junior year! It will take me a little longer than expected to finish due to finances. I will address that more below.

I am healthy and doing well, despite lacking sleep and good food. Micronesians tend to stay awake all night and sleep during down time. I'm trying to find a healthy balance there. We have catered food everyday, usually consisting of rice, fatty meats, and Korean style veggies. I share Al Bandstra's distaste for pickled kimchi veggies. I buy a lot of tuna, bread, and green peppers from the grocery store and prepare my own meals when I have time.

I am living in the men's dorm with 2 Americans (there are only 5 American students in the dorm) and one local. I am in close fellowship with the two Americans, Josh and Doug, as we spend many nights staying up studying and addressing hard questions with our Bibles and books. We all have a certain respect for our student-hood--that is, that we don't know the answers--and that we are here to learn from our instructors and each other. How different it is to live with brothers in Christ, than with unbelievers. On occasion we are so richly taught and blessed that we forfeit rest and spend time in prayer. There is also discomfort in the dorms. I mentioned the food and lack of sleep; another thing might be temptation to have sloth. I will go into more detail about my struggles below.

I am taking five classes. They are Christian Doctrine 1 (Theology), Wisdom Literature (the "writings" of the Old Testament), New Testament History (Matthew-Acts), Ministry Introduction (observation reports), and Linguistics (for my TESL minor). My classes are both challenging and engaging, and hold extra weight by their nature. I am learning about the Bible at an accelerated rate, responding in projects, papers, prayer, and practice.

I recently won a 1989 Buick LeSaber by auction for $501.01. Some of you know I was praying for transportation due to the school's odd location. Well, the car is in great condition. It had one owner, and was donated to the school after that owner passed. Driving in a ugly brown vintage luxury vehicle is a far cry from my beloved manual sports car back home, but I am adjusting well and praising God for his supplication and sense of humor. (It happens to be the spitting image of my grandmother's old car, and it reminds me of her. I count it as a blessing for sure!) Humorously, on my first night driving I misjudged a u-turn and blew a tire on the curb. A week later I locked my keys inside at the Department of Motor Vehicles just after receiving my Guam Driver's License, and having an audience, broke in with piece of fence wire.

If you have seen my pictures, you have some idea of what Guam is like. I can drive through the city, walk through the jungle, swim in the ocean, eat wild coconuts, climb mountains, explore caves, and bask in the sun in a single day.

With my travels, however, I am getting a fuller picture of the earth and God's plan for it versus my romanticizing of it. Guam is a tropical island, but is a sort of paradise of deception if you are not careful. Some of my Micronesian friends have explained their upbringing on islands and how paradise quickly scoops you up into laziness and "island fever." Every place on Earth has its rose and its thorn. God's craftsmanship is extraordinary, but the residents are suffering from some isolation and apathy. On a positive note, I get to enjoy snorkeling in the ocean reef on a regular basis and am becoming quite the swimmer!

I will share a bit of history regarding the school. I'm sure some of you know the story of Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission. PIU is a result of both his initiation and Leibenzell missionaries from Germany. Most of Micronesia is catholic, thanks to the Spanish; and many of the students have catholic backgrounds. PIU is the sole protestant, evangelical university in the area. All of my teachers and most of the staff are missionaries from the States.

The school itself is a form of ministry, and with our small size, that is much more evident than it would be at a larger evangelical university. We have chapel twice a week, and devotion every school night. We have a fellowship/worship/game night every Saturday, and the students attend local churches on Sundays.

I am involved in several of the school's activities. I run sound for the worship team for all chapels and special events, and I play drums or bass as a back-up. I hope to lead worship here for the first time soon if not this Friday. I am also the male junior class representative for Student Council. (We just held a fund raiser for a StuCo scholarship we hope to be able to present students in the future.) Every Tuesday night, many of the students load up in a van with some sound equipment and go to the secular university (UOG) for Fellowship Live, an outreach we do for those college students. I get to take pictures and videos of the activities and play somewhat of a guiding role in prayer. It's cool to see the students' hearts for the believers and lost at UOG.

Perhaps the hardest struggle for me here is daily dorm life. Everyone here (like anywhere else) is either a Paul, a Peter, a David, a Pharisee, or a Roman. There is a lot of impatience, sensiivity, hypocrisy, brokenness, envy, rumor, lust, and rebellion. The amazing thing about all of that is the fact that God is making a kind of strand of firecrackers out of our short fuses that causes some to break down completely and give incredible testimonies and soft, raw hearts to Jesus. I have had to pray for an extra measure of patience due to a number of things, but God works on me just as hard as the prodigal son. Many times my sacrifice (a contrite heart) is my pride, and I am continually being forced to surrender it, all praise to God!

There have been several special events and side notes that I want to add to this email, but numerous as they are, I can't. Know specifically that God is working in more than just the school chapels and church services.

My requests to you are prayers for several things. First, upon arriving I found out that I am ineligible to receive any sort of financial aid, Leibenzell scholarship, or work-study due to my income last year. For this reason, I will have to find a job to pay for my schooling here. I know that God is already at work, providing for me in ways I can't imagine; but I would ask for your prayers still.

Second, please be praying for my brothers and sisters here as we all suffer from growing pains and some intolerance. There are some new believers, and some that are so close but are still held by things outside. My roommate in particular is suffering from certain things. He did sit down with us one night and we all prayed with him in tears for God to take his pain away and give him Jesus. He still needs prayers. There are so many negative distractions in his life and he just can't quite give it all up.

Third, please be in prayer for Faith Church as they continue to search for a pastor.

Fourth, please be in prayer for my sanctification.

Fifth, please pray for my future ministry both here and in Japan, that I would be continually Kingdom-focused.

Sixth, be in prayer for my family and I, as I have found it incredibly difficult to find time to stay in touch with them, and it looks like I could be overseas for as long as 3+ years.

I have been in correspondence with John Van Farowe, and may have some exciting news soon in regards to Japan. I miss you all and pray that God is working in your lives. I am working on a video/presentation that will hopefully convince some of your youth/children to come to school here! I apologize for the length of this email and will try to be more selective with the next one. So much can happen in a month! God bless and praise to Jesus our Lord.

Grace & Peace,

Kevin Patrick Graham

Guam Update August 2010 cont.

Greetings!

After 22 hours of flying, I arrived safely on the island of Guam at 12:00 AM this morning (Sunday). Words cannot express the excitement I have in being here; both in a ministry and training sense, and also an adventurous one.

I am being hosted by a Pacific Islands University administration couple for a few days until I can move into the dorms. They have been more than accommodating and helpful in letting me stay.

I attended Faith Presbyterian CRC this morning and was warmly and excitedly welcomed. The church itself is small but lively, with a multitude of different cultures including Filipino, Chamorro (Guam native), Japanese, Korean, Polynesian, German, Canadian, American, etc. It was an awesome experience to see so many different cultures worshiping God together. I met briefly with a couple of the elders who were excited to put my spiritual gifts to use, either in worship or youth ministry. More to come on this in the coming weeks. I also was greeted by a representative from TransWorld Radio, an international gospel sharing station on Guam, which I may have the opportunity to volunteer or help out at. I made many new contacts and friends today, all who had words of encouragement, wisdom, and ministry. It is truly a delight to see your prayers working over here, as I am welcomed by so many new brothers and sisters. Particular friends I made today are an inquisitive 7 year old Chamorro boy whose mother leads worship, and an elderly Filipino man that I tried guessing the nationality of and failed humorously =) Everyone is so warm and encouraging, that I know the Lord is working here on Guam.

My hosts were kind enough to give me a half-day tour around the southern half of the island. At the 17th parallel North, Guam is definitely a tropical island. I saw mountains and valleys, lush jungles, sharp cliffs, clear bays, sandy beaches, rocky reefs, brilliant blues and greens; and the weather at an 85 degree average with a cool sea breeze is fantastic! How exhilarating is the Lord's creation!

Please keep Faith Presbyterian CRC in your prayers as they search for an interim pastor. They are a Spirit-filled church that greatly needs a servant. Also keep me in your prayers as I move into the dorms this week and experience Polynesian culture-shock, magnified by the close-quarters of dormitory living. They are a collectivist culture where every item in view is there for the good and use of all; as opposed to my individualist Western culture. Pray that I would be more sharing when able, and that they would be good stewards of my things!

Above all, pray that the Spirit would minister to all of the students at PIU this Fall, including myself. Thank you for your support. God using your willingness has enabled me to be sent out into the world.

Guam Update August 2010

It's about 5:45 PM in Tokyo, but still 3:45 AM for me. Didn't really sleep that much. I finally found some free internet. It feels really good to be back in Japan, if only for a little while. Just seeing so many Japanese really gets my heart moving. I made friends with a Japanese boy on the plane. We got a little piece of chocolate for breakfast and I gave it to him. Good icebreaker, since we can't understand each other =) Departing for Guam in about an hour. All is well with me and I'm in good spirits. Another update once I reach my tiny island.

Application to PIU status: ACCEPTED.

As of 6:00PM June 15, 2010, I have been accepted into the Bachelor of Arts program at Pacific Islands University in GUAM! I am praising the Lord with joy for opening this door and leading me to this point!

I am panning on an August 19 departure and attending Fall and Spring semesters. My major is undecided at this point, but will possibly be either Biblical Studies or Missions; whichever will be most beneficial for where the Lord leads me.

I am hoping to spend the following Summer in Japan at a private boarding school in GIFU, scoping opportunities, learning Japanese, and visiting friends in Shizuoka. More updates to come as my path comes into perspective. I'll try to maintain a balance of objectivity and personal ministry updates in my blog from now on. Please be praying for my schooling, my growth as a Christian, and that the Lord would bring many ministry opportunities my way.

Grace&Peace

-Kevin

P.S.

I will be starting a mailing list soon for those who wish to pray specifically. The goal I feel the Lord has led me to make is to do mission work in Japan. Updates that apply toward that end will be sent out on a regular basis.

Hunger & Thirst Tour

Two of my favorite bands, My Epic and So Long Forgotten, are currently on a tour of the MW with a few special conditions. The purpose of the tour is explained by Micah from So Long Forgotten in the video below.

From what I understand, they are fasting for 30 hours before every Saturday night's show, and asking us to do the same. We will send the money that we would have spent on food to them to distribute to World Vision, eventually ending up as food in the hands of the hungry.

The fast starts this afternoon and goes until early Saturday evening. If you have never fasted before, I encourage you to start with this. During your fast, be praying for those who don't have food and water, and also for the band as they spread this example across the MW during their tour. It is easier to come to God and pray when we are uncomfortable and weak.

The Hunger and Thirst Tour from so long forgotten on Vimeo.

Keith Green movie in the works

From Los Angeles Daily News:

Christian rock icon's widow enlists Hollywood to tell the musician's story

Nearly 30 years after Christian-rock pioneer Keith Green died in a plane crash, his widow and a Hollywood producer have teamed up to bring his story to the big screen in the hope of introducing a new generation to his music.

One of several Christian rock musicians who lived in the San Fernando Valley in the 1970s, Keith and his wife, Melody, wrote numerous hit songs, but also formed a seven-home community in Woodland Hills where they cared for people in need.

"The stuff he did was breaking all the rules," said Melody, now an author, composer and speaker who leads Last Days Ministries out of Kansas City, Mo.

"He showed up in flip-flops, blue jeans and suspenders and really kind of revolutionized the music industry by giving away his music for free, loving God, really loving people and telling Christians, `Hey, we've got to do what we say we believe."'

Full Article: http://www.dailynews.com/news/ci_15105172

Forgiveness When Shame Is Heavy

A video blog on forgiveness when our shame is too overwhelming from Aaron Stone of the band My Epic. Make sure you watch the whole thing, because there is a special treat at the end.

Reforming Reformed Always Reforming

I read an uncomfortably poignant slogan today. It is translated many ways, with different words left out here and there, thus changing its meaning. This is the full quote, I believe. My understanding of Spanish, French, and English and love of transliteration will attempt a literal translation, with a little help from Google (which does not translate Latin).

"ecclesia reformata semper reformanda est secundu Verbum Dei."

"Church (Assembly) reformed always reforming is second(to) Word God"

In an English grammar mold, it looks like this:
"The Reformed Church is always reforming according to the Word of God"

Often it is just quoted "ecclesia semper reformanda" meaning "church always reforming." You can see where this quote could be greatly abused if only half of it is used.

How does this saying challenge you? For me, it's something like this: I am reformed, not because I want to fit into an organized mold, but because because being reformed means precisely the opposite; always studying the Word of God so that the mold of useless human methodical moralism does not become the new word of God.

Church should never "feel good" just because something is familiar tradition. We must always be asking why we do what we do, and what are we not doing that we should.

After reading this, don't go to your pastor and say, "We need to reform." Rather, ask him, "how can I make sure that I am always reforming to what the Bible says?"

Women and Calvinism

Carolyn James speaks at a Religious Newsletters Association meeting briefly about what it means for her to be a Christian woman. If you're finding the Bible to be male-dominated, double-standardized, and a bit chauvinistic, give an ear to this woman and how she learned that the Bible is not domineering towards women, but rather extraordinarily freeing.

From the DesiringGod.org Resource Library. External link here.

Music 7: Page CXVI (FREE DL)

Hymns & Hymns II

Page CXVI

(Indie/Praise/Worship) FREE! ---->

Page CXVI is a worship band comprised of members of the indie band The Autumn Film. The Hymns album featured here includes many well known hymns put to different tempos, instruments, styles, and sometimes even melodies.

The music sounds a lot like what you might hear if Copeland did worship music. The vocalist is female and somehow sounds nearly identical to Aaron Marsh. Some of the renditions are very upbeat and can be replicated for an awesome worship service for your church. Downloads from their website include chord sheets.

For a limited time (only one week, I think), Page CXVI is giving away their first album for free, in celebration of their second album. Go to PageCXVI.com to download their music or order CDs.

If you like the first Hymns album, the second one only gets better.

Reconciliation through the Cross of Christ

Do you have someone you need to forgive? Maybe you need to seek forgiveness from someone else. True reconciliation cannot happen unless we first realize that we have all been forgiven and reconciled to God. Perhaps you feel that that person doesn't deserve your forgiveness. Remember, that our forgiveness is completely unmerited as well.

Michael Oh is a is a missionary in Japan, and president of Christ Bible Seminary in Nagoya. His message here is about reconciliation and forgiveness through the cross of Jesus Christ. He speaks with personal conviction; after hearing his story, you might not think your situation is so exceptional.

Tools for the Great ComMission #FIVE

John Piper speaks at a youth conference in the late 1990s, pleading with youth to embrace the cause of Christ. Think about tragedy in your life and in the lives of others, then compare it to the tragedies mentioned here.

Music Worth Checking Out #SIX (FREE DOWNLOAD)

Hymns
Anathallo
(Worship/Indie/Experimental) FREE!---->

Anathallo is an obscure and eclectic band of 8 multi-musicianary followers of Christ. Their two latest full-lengths--Floating World and Canopy Glow--are masterpieces of artistic songwriting, and I whole-heartedly recommend them to anyone who loves mostly soft, concept music that weaves a story through the whole album.

The Hymns album to the right is an EP release that the band recorded and sold for a homeless mission. The EP is out of print, but if you follow the link (below), courtesy of the band itself, you can download the album for free.

Link: the long way home - Free Anathallo Hymns Album

Songlist:
01. It is Well With My Soul
02. I Need Thee Every Hour
03. Come Ye Sinners, Poor and Needy
04. All Creatures of Our God and King
05. Before the Throne of God Above
06. Wondrous Love

"Before the Throne" is a personal favorite, and Anathallo's rendition is beautiful. Don't miss it!

Thought for today...

I have not lived a long life, but I do know of love and of death; of which I can say the healing of the soul stands between the extremities of greatest consequence of both. The body and mind are simply vessels; to loose them for sake of a washed soul is among the greatest lives you can live.

"The body they may kill: God’s truth abideth still." -Luther, 1529

Disasters are Times for Opportunity

Don't waste it. Show Christ in your giving and praying and fasting.

Matthew 25:31-46



(Link to pictures: Boston.com)
(Link to charities I trust: Here. Give with a thankful heart.)

(Thanks to Pastor for these.)

"I will teach you to forgive one another"

This is a long-time favorite of mine.
Put it on fullscreen and open your heart.



(Audio: Some Seek Forgiveness, Others Escape by Underoath)
(Video: The Passion of the Christ directed by Mel Gibson)

Piper on Abortion

(HT ERC Pastor's Blog)