To My Last Breath

Today in 9th grade OT class I was teaching from the book of 1 Kings. I gave each student a passage summarizing the life of a king, and then I asked them to create a sketch of that king's tombstone.

"Here lies Omri King of Israel...he sinned more than any kings before him" read one student's tombstone.

What an honest thing to write on a tombstone! It is interesting how God's word records these bad things about certain people. What a lesson I am learning through reading about those who followed God and those who did not.

After class the Lord showed me a verse from Psalm 104.33 (NLT). This is my prayer today and for my whole life: "I will sing to the Lord as long as I live. I will praise my God to my last breath!"

May my tombstone read: "Here lies a faithful servant of the Lord...she praised Him to her last breath and now lives with Him to praise Him eternally."

What do you want your tombstone to say?

Time Machine

There has been a blogging lull from the Beckers, and we'll tell you why. We have been in a time-machine! Yes, folks, we went in a time-machine called Northwest Airlines on December 15th, went back in time several hours (truly!) and then stepped off that time-machine on the same soil with the same temperature three weeks later on January 7th. I ask myself, "Did all that really happen?"

You watched us post, you saw the photos, you journeyed with us from the time with the families, to the wedding in Chicago, to Indiana, Nebraska and Colorado (and back!). You shared the Christmas holidays with us and the New Year. Then you said, "Where did they go?" I ask you the same question, "Where did we go?" We got back and everything was the same as we had left it, so I wonder if it was all even true.

Honestly it was wonderful and amazing to see everyone. It all went by really fast for me and when we got back we were both sick. We slept a lot, unpacked, went to church to worship and then were back at school.

The greatest thing about being back (if we ever even left) was seeing the students again. When I saw my class sitting in their desks ready to learn and smiling at me I knew I missed them a lot. I was so happy to be back in the classroom. I love teaching these students! We are just ready to "Get back in the saddle", as Nate says, and have a great semester! What about you?

Arrived back safely!

Praise the Lord, we arrived back safely today! All of our luggage came with us too!

We are still feeling tired but we thank the Lord for the rest He gave us along the way. Even though in some ways things get easier the more often you travel across the planet, it still can be tiresome and not exactly enjoyable. However, there are still opportunities to smell the roses through the mundane!

We will try to write some blogs of exciting things we experienced during our last few days before we left the U.S.

Thank you for all of your prayers!

Now it is time for second semester!

-Nate

Please Pray As You Read--Departing

We are loading the car in ten minutes to head to the airport. Today we will travel for many many hours to return to the Philippines.

We ask prayer for our safe and smooth travel. Please pray for us as you read this. Pray that we will be healthy (I came down with a cold that is hard to fly with), and pray that we will become somewhat rested through our time on the plane. Pray for our smooth transition back into our lives in the tropics.

Praise God for a wonderful time with friends and family. Praise God for the many blessings and resources He has given. Praise God for His grace and salvation through Jesus Christ.

Bringing In the New Year

The seventh annual New Year’s Eve party was held at our friends’ Chris and Janelle’s home in Colorado last night. Our friends from Taylor annually gather to celebrate at a different person’s house. Last year Nate and I were in the Philippines for NYE, but this year we had the privilege joining everyone for the bash.

We gathered with people from Taylor, their spouses, relatives and the local small group friends, plus their kids. What a huge group! We had a campfire out back to warm us, inside we had some crazy karaoke fun and we enjoyed the usual treats to tie us over ‘til midnight.

At midnight we held a count-down to bring in 2006, “Ten, nine eight seven….” HAPPY NEW YEAR!!! We thank the Lord for an amazing 2005. In just one year I completed my first year of teaching, got engaged and married, and travelled across the Pacific ocean four times. We pray that in 2006 we will seek the Lord dilligently and put Him first in all things as we continue to serve Him.

Last Chance For Snow and Skiing

With our Christmas money from our grandparents we got to spend a day of skiing with our friends in Colorado. Since we will be returning to the Philippines soon we wonder if this may have been our last chance to see snow and to ski. We enjoyed every minute of God’s creation and the grandeur of His splendor displayed in the Colorado snow-capped mountains.

We woke up early on New Year’s Eve and drove to Loveland to ski with our friends. I was so thankful to Kim that I could borrow all her skiing gear. It wasn’t until I got this picture back that I realized I looked kind of scary in my costume! (I’m the one with no skin showing…watch out skiers, I’m coming down). Thankfully I was very warm and of course got no sun burns.

It feels so great to breathe in the fresh air and swoosh down the mountain on skis. It is also really fun just to ride the lift to the top and see the blanket of sparkling white snow so smoothly sloped. This was my first winter with Nate and my first time skiing with him. It was definitely a joy and gift that we will not soon forget!

A Day At the Zoo

It's great going to the zoo in winter because so few people are willing to risk the cold to see the animals. The good thing about Omaha's zoo is that many exhibits are indoors. They also have a great I-max theatre where we were able to enjoy some 3-D fun.

Outside the zoo we found this great photo opportunity with Peter, so I had to include this photo find.

Inside the zoo we enjoyed seeing the indoor desert dome, the aquarium with Peter's favorite jelly-fish, and the replica barrier reef that looks similar to the real thing in the Philippines.

Later that night we all enjoyed what was my first 3-D I-max experience. We all watched "The Polor Express" with the funny glasses on. Even Peter tried to reach out and grab the ticket that was flying toward us. What a fun evening of memories!

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everybody! Jessica and I had a fabulous time yesterday for Christmas. We slept in and wrapped all of our presents at 10:30 in the morning. That's right, we wrapped our presents on Christmas Day--talk about procrastination!

We had Christmas brunch and fellowship at the Bruces' house. Then, we opened presents in the early afternoon. After that, Jessica, Micah, John and I played a game of Settlers' of Catan.

Later in the afternoon, we drove to Lincoln for an annual tradition. Every year, Jessica's grandparents host the "Sing For Your Supper" extravaganza with the extended family. This was my very first opportunity for a "Sing For Your Supper" experience, so I was very excited and interested in this famous family event.

Twenty four of us arrived at Grandma and Grandpa's house in Lincoln last night. We first were served a scrumptous Christmas dinner! Then, after we all had our fill, we transfered over to the Sun Room for the family concert.

Everyone who brought an act or a song put their name in a hat, and then everyone performed their songs in random order.

Several of us played a silly song on a strange combination of instruments; one person played recorder, another played the harmonica, I played my trumpet mouthpiece, Jessica played violin, and others played on boom whackers!
Jessica also played "The First Noel" on the violin while I accompanied her.

My favorite part of "Sing For Your Supper" was near the end of our time together when we sang several Christmas carols together. The women all sang "Away in a Manger" and all the men sang "We Three Kings". We wrapped up the evening by singing "Silent Night" together in the dark--it was beautiful!

As we left and said good-bye to our relatives and Jessica's grandparents, we had tears in our eyes because we do not know the next time we will be able see them. Even so, we are thankful for this joyous occasion and for the tremendous love in our family!

I Am an Uncle!

I am so happy now that I am an uncle. When Jessica and I returned from our trip on Friday, we were greeted by little Peter and Clara, Jessica's nephew and niece. And since I am now part of the family, they are also my relatives!

Peter was so adorable as he was playing different games and running around. We told him that we had brought back a saxophone, and he suddenly became very interested. So, I got out the saxophone and gave him a mini-lesson! He even was able to play a few notes (okay, they were more like squawks, but it was wonderful nonetheless!).

Jessica and I are amazed how much of a learner Peter is. When we are telling him something, he looks at us and listens intently to every detail. He also was a major help when we unloaded the car on Friday!

And Clara is learning how to stand up and walk. She is growing every day--what a joy it is to watch her develop!

Yes, my new nephew and niece are star kids AND students--I love them loads and loads!

Our crazy week in the Midwest!

This is Nate. I decided to get back to blog-writing after eons of absense!

We have now made it full circle back to Omaha. What a wonderful week of seeing people, laughing, and making new memories the week before Christmas!

It all started when we flew from the Philippines into Omaha last Thursday evening. Last Friday and Saturday were crazy wedding days in Chicago with Stephen and Joy, the bride and groom! We also had some quality time with my other siblings, especially when we played Settlers of Catan (I love that game!).

We stuck around in Chicago area on Sunday & Monday, mostly to spend time with my favorite parents in the whole world! But, we also saw some other quality people, like Trisha, Katie, Dave, Barrett, Suzanne, Allison, and Suzanne :) Fun, fun!

On Tuesday, we said goodbye to my parents (sad) and then visited with one of my former professors at Taylor U, at Ivanhoes. Jessica and I also drove around the campus in the snow--how romantic!

Then, off to Indianapolis, where we had a fabulous dinner and visit with the Merricks (we love you guys!).

Wednesday was a low-key day at Kevin & Kim's--their bed was so comfy! That evening, we visited my sending church, MCOG, and then went caroling afterwards. By the end of the evening we were in the famous hot-tub with Kevin and Dave--that was some real bonding!


Thursday was another day of good-byes and hellos, as we said good-bye to the Schuesslers, Lockes, Callahans, and Gloria. We also picked up a ton of music resources at J.W. Pepper for our music students in the Philippines.

Then, we were off for Illinois. We stopped in Peoria to visit with Chris and Janelle and their family--it was so good to see them again after so long!

And, yesterday, Friday, we arrived back home again in Nebraska--whippee! Now we are enjoying ourselves before we go with Jessica's family for a fun evening on Christmas eve!

Thank you, Lord, for all your blessings along the way and for such a wonderful trip! We praise Your name for family and friends and for Your direction in our lives!

Ornament of the Year

Today we were blessed to visit with several close friends from Indy. The Lord has blessed us with so much love and support from among His Body. Let us tell you about some of them.

Ernie and Thelma love the Lord and faithfully pray for us. They have blessed many others in the church with their love and generosity. One of the ways Ernie loves to bless others is through his gift of woodworking.

Ernie has a little workshop in the back yard, which he perfectly organized to make use of every square inch. In the summer he has a little fan that blows cool air on him. In the winter he has a little heater to keep him warm while he carves ornaments with his scroll saw.

Today we got to drop by and see his latest creations. Ernie has created many amazing things out of a piece of wood, but one of my favorite things was an ornament of a U.S. postal truck.

Everyone loves to get a letter in the mail, but in the Philippines we do not get to see that symbol of a letter at all: the U.S. postal truck. Ernie took a photo of one and then created his own ornament out of his photo. I call this one his “Ornament of the Year”!

While we were standing in their home a U.S. postal truck even drove up to deliver mail right then, and I noticed how precise Ernie’s design was. His ornament even had the exhaust pipe and frontal mirrors! Ernie was generous enough to give us a few of his pieces of artwork, so we are thankful that every time we look at his creations in our Philippine home we will think of the love he and his family have shown!

Some Photos of the Wedding

We made it to Indiana and have seen many beloved friends. We got to sleep in! Praise the Lord! Now we have a chance to download some photos for you to enjoy. These are from the wedding in Chicago we just went to. Enjoy!

DON'T THEY LOOK LIKE BROTHERS? L-R NATE, STEPHEN (BEFORE HE MARRIES JOY), AND CHRIS

THE BECKER COUPLE WITH THE NEWLYWEDS (ALSO MR. AND MRS.BECKER)

ENJOYING DANCING WITH MY PRINCE CHARMING!

THE WHOLE BECKER FAMILY TOGETHER FOR CHRISTMAS 2005!

On the Road Again

We are leaving Chicago for Indiana in the morning. It is amazing how much you can do in a few days! We have enjoyed every minute in Chicago, the "Windy City".

Yesterday we enjoyed my first Christmas celebration with the whole Becker family. It was so special and wonderful even to have the bride and groom there! Everyone was together, but it was sad to wonder when the next Christmas together will be. Thankfully I still have Christmas with my family to look forward to this coming weekend. (I am not able to post my own pictures of the celebration from this computer).

We have had the blessing of visiting with close friends who live in the area and catching up with them. We are still adjusting to the reality of being here. It feels even more like a dream to me than you would have thought our wedding week would have been. Being a different place and season in such a whirlwind travel makes it hard to process all that is happening so quickly. Time to rest and pack. Pray for our safe travel to Indy, "The crossroads of America!"

Winter Wedding

We're blogging from the cold city of Chicago. We'll have to get some pictures posted later of the wedding. What a blessing to be with Nate's family and many friends. We are trying to soak it all in like a dream when you awake.

The bridesmaids carried lanterns down the aisle, the musicians sang a gorgeous arrangement of the Lord's Prayer, and my man Nate looked so handsome and sharp in his tux! The Lord blessed us with so many wonderful conversations with people we miss. I'm pretty tired right now after dancing the night away, but I just wanted to let you know we are thankful.

My prayer: Thank You, Lord for Stephen and Joy. Thank you for their love for you and for others. Please bless their marriage and keep them faithful to You and faithful to each other. Use them to lead many to You. Thank you for letting us be here even though it was a long way to travel. To Your Name be the glory, Lord Jesus. Amen.

Prayers Answered

We are back to the homeland! Praise the Lord! What a long day as we went back in time. We waved to Sam in Japan and landed in the snow up North. BRrrr!! I felt sick for a while but God gave me great grace to recover in time to say hello to everyone. A SURPRISE appearance from Daniel all the way from Chile! Wow, I was shocked. All of our bags made it. We enjoyed Valentino's pizza...and Breyers Ice cream. Now we are mailing all the items that we offered to hand carry for other co-workers. We are also repacking so we can get to the wedding in Chicago tomorrow (rehearsal tomorrow, wedding next day). We will be away from internet (sorry for the lack of photos and quality entries). This is life on the move.

"For unto us a child is born..."
"A Savior is born...he is Christ the Lord."

Thank you, Lord for safety, health and family! Praise Him for His Salvation through Christ!

Pray for Departure

It is crazy! We are leaving in a couple hours and we haven't packed a thing. We have been busy with the musical, grading, giving exams, teaching the last classes, organizing for our early departure, collecting packages for other people and I just finished putting in the grades for the report cards.

NOW, I have to rush home, get everything and hope I don't forget anything. Once Nate finishes teaching band he will help me do a BLITZ pack and we've got to get to the airport.

PRAY FOR US!!!!!!!!! WE are so exhausted. We are tired and just think with jet lag and snow how we will feel. We are also EXCITED! We can't wait to see loved ones. Oh we are pumped. So pray for God's grace!

MOM...I don't think I will have time to email you!!! I hope you read this!!! BRING COATS to the airport. We are going to freeze. Our bodies are used to life in the tropics. Remember to get us at the airport (of course). And we have TONS of MAIL to send out on behalf of many here, so maybe we can organize a P.O. run sometime soon. (P.S. Sorry for the public memo here! We've got to go soon)

LOVE YOU TONS

Musical Performances a Success

The musical Friday and Saturday night was a great success! Many people heard the gospel message presented through song and drama. The students themselves also learned about Jesus through preparations and performances. We praise the Lord for this wonderful opportunity and for all His answers to prayer!

Here are a couple photos from the evening. As directors we did not get to take photos, so we will get those from others at a later time. For now just imagine what you can from these two photos. I wrote you a more detailed update on email, so I will keep this brief.

Remember that Jesus was born to save us from our sin. He will come again to reign forever as King! Glory to God in the highest!

Preparing for the Show

We've been excited and busy preparing for the musical performances for the elementary kids. Nate and I have a wonderful time working together with the kids. I help direct the kids on stage with choreography and Nate directs all the singing and actions in the choir. We both have been busy coordinating with all the things directors do. What a joy to work together with my man!

The Lord is blessing us in many ways. We ask your prayers for tomorrow and the next night (Fri and Sat--Philippine time). Pray that it doesn't rain (see blog entry below!). Pray for our health and strength and for all the kids. We want to see Jesus lifted up!

Here are some photos of the preparations: Colorful skirts for "Jesu Cristo"--the Bread of Life. Fans for "King of Kings". Nate directing the choir and Jessica teaching the celtic dance. See you soon I hope!

My Taxi-Boat Experience

After a long day of Saturday shopping, I took my cart out of the mall and said “Oh no!” Not only was it Christmas rush shopping, (which I’m sure you can relate to), it was also raining! That means there is a huge line of people, or more like a crowd, waiting to get the first taxi. No, waiting can’t be the right word. How about pushing and competing?

With a huge cart of stuff I was no where near getting a taxi. The minute people pull up in a cab there are more people pushing at the door and knocking on the window to jump in. Being a white person, it is handy that people usually try to help me in order to get a tip. Well today is the day to give out tips to the first guy to find me a taxi!

Sure enough someone pushed to the front for me, claimed a taxi for me, and unloaded my stuff for me. He got his tip and I got my seat.

Once inside the taxi I realized we would be jammed in traffic for quite a while. Bare-chested boys knocked on my window begging for money or just being silly. Vans and taxis cut us off as we tried to weave through bumper-to-bumper chaos.

My boat experience began when we tried to plow through a street that had flooded with rain-water. You know it is deep when you can feel the water flowing under you. Out my window was a sight almost like this photo I found on the internet of an Indian monsoon, only it was dark outside, the taxis and jeepneys look a little different, and there was not as much space between cars.

We finally got home, and Nate was there to help me unload the bags. I was thankful we made it through the river in our taxi-boat, because if we had stalled I don’t know what I would have done with all those bags!

Frank’s Fancy Birthday Party

When we got invited to one of Nate’s student’s ninth birthday party we had no idea how fancy it would be! We were given directions to third-grader Frank’s neighborhood, where we were to meet at the clubhouse. When I hear the word clubhouse I think of my dad’s country club. Well, this was not far off from that!

I didn’t know a place like this even existed in the city. I am becoming more accustomed to the simple living and unorganized neighborhoods with partially gravel roads. This neighborhood had mansions and gates with yards and decorations. As my jaw dropped at this small culture shock, I was reminded of the verse from Psalm 49: “Do not grow overawed when a man grows rich, when the splendor of his house increases, for he will take nothing with him when he dies…”

To sum it up, this little boy had all the friends in his class, plus other Filipino kids, plus all their siblings and parents, plus some extra adults like his teachers. There were at least three servers of a long buffet, two DJs, four entertainers (including a clown, dancers, game people and a magician), and probably more workers in the kitchen. There were numerous give-away prizes for the kids for every game, and the place was decorated like a wedding reception.

Little Frank was all dressed up in his spiffy suit, while some of the other kids were dressed ready to go swimming in the enormous pool afterwards. WHERE DID THEY GET THE MONEY FOR ALL THIS? “They must not be a mission family,” we thought.

Sure enough we found out that he is one of our “business kids” at the school. The sad part to all this wealth was that his dad actually lives and works in S. Korea while the rest of his family lives in the Philippines. Every month his dad comes down for a week or two to visit, but other than that he is doing business in another country. That explains the lavish birthday party, but that saddens me.

The last small detail I want to tell you is for any of the MOMS READING. See the photo with that streamer thing hanging from the ceiling? It is a very traditional party thing here and one that you should try (I forget what it is called)! There is a frame like lattice and then streamers hanging down. Inside the mess of streamers are several prizes for kids. Like a piñata, someone pulls the string up and down. When the lattice lowers, the kids reach in to try and grab a prize. They love it!