Almost There!

Thanks to the help of friends (especially some dear Crossroads Church friends), the cargo container was loaded and shipped out on 10/14/07. It will be traveling over the waves and sea and will arrive in Guam on 10/28/07. Our most recent email update provided the gory details of what an amazing feat it was to ultimately get 90% of our belongings inside! Karyn is now scrambling to figure out what to do with the 10% that didn't fit. (If you are not receiving our updates but would like to, email us at Sore4guam@gmail.com)
Katie (10), Noelle (7) and Karyn (34--just joking!!), will be catching a flight on the 28th to join Eric and Christian in Guam. After being apart for nearly two months, everyone is anxious to be reunited.

In the meantime, Eric and Christian wait. But they wait busily. Eric is teaching both freshmen and seniors this year. The picture is of a few of the freshmen girls from his Bible Introduction course. They are all bright and eager to learn. Apparently, Eric couldn't get too far away from preaching because he's agreed to preach at Agana Heights Baptist Church through the end of November. At least he's doing two things he loves: teaching and preaching. Christian's own homework keeps his schedule full, but it must be working out - he's pulling all A's again. Now it's off to a college staff potluck!

Blown Away by God's Love!

Wow! I have been blown away by "God's intervention into the affairs of man". (Unfortunately, I can't think of the reference for this quote--I'm sure my husband could tell you!)

First, as we stated in our latest update and blog entry, God miraculously provided a house and car within our price range. Everyone shakes their head when they see "our" house and hears the price we are paying. There is no logical explanation for these sweet deals!

Second, we had asked for prayer to find an affordable landscaper to replace the existing sprinkler system and lay sod in the front yard of our house. The renters were not very happy when the sprinkler system failed completely! The bids came in at over $5,000! A supporter, Dale Alvarez, contacted us with someone who bid the job at $4800. I explained to him that we were missionaries and there was no way we could afford that. "My 19 year old son and I will do ANYTHING to lower the cost. We'll work right along side you! We can haul the old grass to my parents' ranch and dump it to save money. We'll do anything!" I pleaded. The following day he contacted me and said he would do everything for half the cost! With tears of joy streaming down my face, I told him that I believed he was the answer to the prayers of over 200 people who were praying that God would supply our needs regarding our landscaping. "I will not be making money on this job," he responded, "I am doing it because you are missionaries." Victor attends a local Catholic church. I do not know where he stands with our Lord, but I do know that God chose to use him to meet our needs. Wow!

Last, I received a form email from a high school friend, Julie Sayre, saying she had moved back to the San Francisco Bay Area and had changed her email address. As I read her email, I noticed under her name that it said, "Creative Memories Consultant." Although I knew she was extremely creative, I had no idea she did photo scrapbooking! I was so excited because I had been feeling compelled to make a photo album for Teyler (our first born--19 years old) since he will have VERY little physical contact with us because he will be staying here in the States for college. I immediately emailed Julie and asked her advice about supplies. She not only answered my supply questions, but said she would like to make a digital scrapbook documenting in words and photos our journey from being a "normal" (at least somewhat normal) family to becoming a missionary family! She said if I would send her the words and photos, she would put it together! The end product would be a professionally bound book!

Now, this might not seem like a big deal to you, but IT IS A BIG DEAL! I think it shows God's desire to be involved in every aspect of our lives. Nothing is too little (or too big) for God. The timing on all these examples is not just coincidence. These examples speak of the character and very nature of God. He is a God who wants to give good gifts to His children (Matthew 7:11). But, even more amazing, is how when I said "Yes" to missions, I was so fearful of all the "sacrifices" I would have to make. I see now that we can NEVER out give God. Truly, God has provided for all our needs and has thrown in personal touches to boot! What an AWESOME God we serve!

P.S. I went to the passport office in San Francisco last week and was told there would be NO PROBLEM getting a replacement passport within a week of my departure date (or 24 hours if I wanted to pay more.) So, I will continue to look for my passport until two weeks before my departure date--hopefully end of September! Please continue praying that I will find the missing passport!

P.P.S. It is a weird feeling to post a blog and then have NO idea if ANYONE is reading what we write. If you are reading our posts (even if we don't know you!), we'd love it if you click where it says comments and simply say, "Hi, from (your name)." Thanks so much!

Of Houses and Cars

With great delight, I (Eric) report that we now have both a car and a house! Once again, the Lord has been good to us. We had the privilege of using a loaner car for the first couple of weeks here on Guam while we busily looked for one of our own. For a variety of reasons, we focused on a Hyundai Santa Fe; a type of car we see buzzing all over the island. We looked, and looked. Someone then connected us to a guy on "Big Navy" (the main Navy base) who had a `03 Santa Fe. Turns out he wanted $1500 more than we had budgeted. Agreeing that it wouldn't work out, I went back to looking. That was a Tuesday. After trying more cars and under-bidding each one, only to be rejected, I got a call back from our Navy friend saying that by the time he traded in this car, bought a new one, and shipped it to his new post, it would cost him $7000. He offered it to me for my offering price which was $1500 less than the dealer offered him on trade-in!

On to the house. We looked and looked. We also made some interesting discoveries. While working with a real estate agent, we learned that the base amount given to the military for housing is $1720 a month. That could be why nothing was available in my $1300 range! That was also why the $1500 places were uninhabitable. We took a look at one $1500 place and nearly gagged upon entry. The dead cockroaches, the hot moldy smell, and the chunks of concrete fallen from the walls were more than Christian and I could take. Only one place seemed to be remotely possible. After noticing we were disappointed, our agent suggested we just drive through this decent neighborhood and see if there were any signs out that were not on her list. Can you tell where this story is going? We saw a very nice-looking house in a friendly neighborhood. Sure enough, the lock box was in place, so we got in to find a nice, clean home, that had indoor laundry (rare in Guam), a large enough kitchen, and room for a study! Our hearts sank as the agent made a call to find out the rent was $2500 a month, which shouldn't have surprised me. I then asked her to see if they would take $1700. She coughed, but asked anyway. I guess the listing agent also hiccuped, but said they may consider $1800.

To make a long story short, after lots of back and forth over details, I signed a lease for $1800 a month. Note, that's a $700 cut per month! We moved in last night. Much thanks to Dave and Joyce Owen for putting us up and putting up with us, but it was nice moving into our own digs, even though we still have precious few possessions. As you can see from the picture, the house features the traditional Guam "bunker look," but that means it will survive the typhoon they say we are due. We are so thankful to God for his wonderful provision, yet again.

That being said, $1800 is still about $800 per month more than budgeted. We had no idea what actual costs would be, so even when we're finding a deal over here, it's often still above budget. Your faithful giving to our ministry here is vital to its continuing.

School is just about to start, so we've been engaged in lots of meetings and preparations. Meanwhile, back in California, Karyn and the girls are readying themselves to load the shipping container, and then they will be free to come to Guam. Finalizing the shipping container is just a matter of details and pricing (another prayer request). Thanks so much for all of your support and continued prayers.

Growing Accustomed

• Well, just as Christian is getting accustomed to wearing pants that are really too short (even after lengthening them as much as possible), Eric is also trying to adjust. First, lets talk about Christian. He admits to being a little overwhelmed by a new school where he doesn't know anyone and he sticks out like a scoop of vanilla ice cream in a vat of hot fudge (in the Guam heat, this image was appealing)! Being the only white kid in his junior class (and in the whole high school for that matter) makes life interesting. Standing a full foot higher than many of his classmates makes things very interesting. The little ones from the adjacent elementary school stare, point, and giggle like he's a circus attraction. By far the tallest in the school, people can't believe he's only a junior and are begging him to join the basketball team (not his favorite sport). He is a bit hesitant, however, for after playing a pick-up game at lunch, he claims he's never sweat like that in his life. After playing a brief couple of minutes at the end of the day, he walked to the car almost drenched and exhausted. He can't believe how hot he gets, and it doesn't help that his school requires long pants and full shoes.
  
  Eric is also trying to adjust. After dropping Christian off at school, Eric rushes home to hit the books (the second part of his doctoral disseration is due SOON) However, the little bit he has run around has made for interesting encounters. Here is a brief list of some of the things he's trying to grow used to:
• Driving in the pouring rain with the a/c on (isn't it cold when it rains?)
• Dodging meandering dogs in the road
• Waiting, waiting, and waiting
• "Local" grown bananas costing more than they do in the states
• A yellow light means "speed up" and red means "proceed with caution"
• Constantly being asked, "What base are you stationed on?"
• People being so friendly it seems strange
• Swimming laps in the warm ocean at 8am

Meanwhile, we are still waiting for a rental house we've made a low offer on, and are trying to be patient enough to find the right car (there is a limit to the choices). Nevertheless, we are thankful to Dave and Joyce Owen, president of PIBC, for their hospitality in letting us stay in their house and use their car. The real test comes when they arrive back on the island early next week!

Alpha Team Arrives!

Well, the long-awaited transition has happened for two of us, so "Haffa Adai," as the locals say! Christian and I arrived on the island of Guam August 2, after a long, grueling trip via Honolulu and Osaka, Japan. Contrary to the way it sounds, it was not a paradisial trip. Japan Airlines rejected our transfer in Hawaii and sent us back to United Airlines. After 4 hours in the airport (not the beach), we got on a Northwest flight to Japan. After finally locating our gate, we were told Christian had no ticket to Guam and that we'd have to buy one. It appears that someone back in paradise accidentally ripped out his ticket from Japan to Guam. Through broken English, I was told he couldn't go on. I thought Christian would do quite well in Japan, so I was about to leave when he talked me into trying to change things (not really). Finally, when I had just handed All Nippon Airways my credit card, they told me that Northwest confirmed his ticket via the phone! Close call.

We arrived here at 2am to humidity, clouds, and rain. I guess that makes sense because the Western Pacific just moved into its rainy season. Christian has been rather surprised by a few things: the island seems bigger than it is, there are acres of jungle, a large percentage of people living way below any of our standards (living in virtual shacks), there are loose "boonie" dogs roaming the streets everywhere, and people just dump their old rusted cars along the road. He's also been surprised by the scores of Japanese tourists on the west side of the island and the incredible water that "feels and looks like swimming in a tropical aquarium." We've spent about an hour each day snorkeling around different spots in between all the banking, shopping, and dissertation writing I have to finish. The picture above is of him at one of the many WW2 memorials - this one overlooking the navy base and the beach the Americans stormed in 1944.

Tomorrow we transition to looking for housing, which is my first prayer request. Because of the expenses of living here, good rentals are very expensive. We really need four bedrooms because my office will need to be at home, and there will be five of us. Secondly, tomorrow I try to secure a car. Fortunately, we've been able to borrow one from PIBC president Dave Owen, but they'll be back soon and needing their car. Of course, Karyn and the girls are still in California; please pray that all the business back home will get wrapped-up soon so that they will be able to join us. Alpha Team has arrived, but we are eagerly awaiting Beta Team! Finally, Christian settles into school on Wednesday morning - you know how to pray from there.

Thanks for all of your support. If you've made a pledge to support us, now would be a great time to start sending it in if you haven't already. God bless you all. The Alpha Team (Christian and Eric).

IN THE CHAOS, IT IS WELL WITH MY SOUL!!!

You know, I've never been so out of control! One time, when I had three little ones and a newborn, was living in a house we were re-constructing, was homeschooling, working, and being a pastor's wife, I thought I was out of control. I guess I was wrong! For the past six weeks, because none of us can fit into the "little house" due to our belongings taking up the whole 700 square feet, all four of us are living in a 10' x 10' room in the upstairs of my parents' "big" house. I can't find my passport, I can't find a work file I need to write a report to the State of California, I can't find the metal frame of the trampoline (how do fifteen metal poles disappear?) I still don't have storage figured out for the items we can't take. I can't begin to fathom which of the myriad boxes jammed into the little house might hold my passport or how I'll even get to the boxes to check. The renters of our house are wanting the sprinkler system replaced pronto--how will I add this undertaking into my schedule? How will we pay for it? I need to order the books the girls will need for homeschooling now so I have them before we leave--it is far too expensive to have them delivered to Guam.

From a human perspective, the logical question is, "Why are you doing this?" But, you know, God is truly an amazing and personal God. This morning, as I was reading Psalm 16:5-11, David's words resounded within me. Yes, my circumstances may not be the best at the moment, but it is well with my soul!

The Lord is my chosen portion and my cup;

you hold my lot.

The lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;

indeed, I have a beautiful inheritance.

I bless the Lord who gives me counsel;

in the night also my heart instructs me.

I have set the Lord always before me;

because he is at my right hand, I shall not be shaken.

Therefore, my heart is glad, and my whole being rejoices;

my flesh also dwells secure.

For you will not abandon my soul to [hell],

or let your holy one see corruption.

You make known to me the path of life;

in your presence there is fullness of joy;

at your right hand are pleasures forevermore.

Thanks be to God!

Karyn

Six Day Countdown!

Eric and Christian will be at the airport at 7:00 a.m. Tuesday to catch a 16 hour flight to Guam. The environment around the house is pretty frenzied with last minute obligations to complete and lots of friends and family wanting to get together! This update is going to be short and sweet because of our time constraints.

Immediate Prayer Requests:
1. That Eric and Christian will be able to pack appropriately. It may be a couple of months before we'll all be together again so they must be sure to bring all they will need in the interim.
2. On August 6, Christian begins his junior year at a new high school with a VERY different culture. Please pray that God will give him peace and help him with this transition.
3. That our support will continue to come in and that we will get closer to our needed 100%.
4. The sprinklers in the front yard of our Clayton house have completely died. The renters aren't too thrilled with this! We need to put in a new sprinkler system and lay sod. Please pray that we will find someone reputable and affordable to take care of this. If you have any contacts, please let us know!
5. Karyn's passport is missing! It's not in the fire safe box with the other important papers. This means it could be anywhere among the myriad boxes jammed into the "little house". Please pray that this would be found!
6. PTL we have heard of an organization that provides inexpensive shipping for missionaries. Unfortunately, these services are only available on the East Coast, but we have a friend trying to see if we can make something work here, on the West Coast. Please pray that this will work. As it stands, the cost is over $8, 000.00 to ship one way to Guam!
7. While in Guam, Eric will be diligently searching for affordable housing (a difficult thing to find in Guam). Please pray that God will provide the right house for us.

God is good. Although it is very intense for us right now, we find rest in God. "God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in times of trouble."

Praise be to God!

The Sorensons

Don't forget our email address has changed to Sore4Guam@gmail.com

To contribute to this ministry, please make your check to:
"The Evangelical Covenant Church" with Support for Sorensons on the memo line and mail to:
Department of World Missions
The Evangelical Covenant Church
5101 North Francisco Avenue
Chicago, IL 60625-3676

Thanks so much for your support!