Last Sabbath

My 3 Amigas at Grant's Grotto, Last Sabbath, June 7, 2008

"Oh great ocean, oh, great sea; Run to the ocean, run to the sea."
--from "One Tree Hill" by U2
Naftan Point, Last Sabbath, June 7, 2008

For me this blog is merely about what we did last Sabbath. For Mai, Jess, and Judith, it is an account of their Last Sabbath in Saipan for some time to come.

After leading the church in worship Sabbath morning, a tasty lunch with one of our 8th grade graduates, and a power nap, Judith, Jessica, Mai, JohnMo, and I headed out to explore. We spent the afternoon drenched in sunshine, washed by island breezes, overwhelmed by the beauty of Saipan's wilder places, and guided by the gentle hand of God. All along we were acutely aware that precious memories were being made.

We found our way to Grant's Grotto (so named because he and Bev "discovered" it on another glorious Sabbath afternoon more than a year ago. Bev, in turn, brought Mai there on Mai's first Sabbath back in Saipan last summer, and now on Mai's last Sabbath in Saipan, she shared this out-of-the-way spectacular location with us). After that we journeyd on to Naftan Point where we closed the Last Sabbath with prayer while the sun dipped towards the horizon behind us.

This entry is mostly photos, but Mai's got a great summary of the afternoon and more pictures over at her blog. I urge you to click here and check it out!




Our worship team leads the congregation Last Sabbath morning. From L to R: Mai, "J" (who is bravely shouldering all the guitar playing responsiblities now that Riki is gone), JohnMo, Carol, Me, Jessica, and Judith.

After church the girls gathered around to give Elijah a hug.

"Learning to fly around the clouds. . ."

Mai, Jess, and Jude

Saipan has some truly wild places and the area around Grant's Grotto is one of the them. If the western side of the island is all about white sand beaches gently caressed by turquoise wavelets, the eastern side is rocky, rugged shoreline bashed by massive foaming waves. The ocean just seems bigger on the eastern side of the island.

Wild Beauty. If you look very carefully, you can make out Forbidden Island near the right side of the photo above.

Looking down from Naftan Point

Naftan Point bathed in the late afternoon sun.

JohnMo contemplates the vastness of the ocean, the smallness of man, and the mysteries of solitude at Naftan Point.