I have finally returned from several days in paradise. This a view of sunset at a beach on the Navy base where we snorkeled and played in the water with the grand daughters. This is typical of the beauty of the whole island of Guam. Our grand daughters are Kelsey (14), Adysen (6), and Allie (5). We are very proud of these girls who are wonderful, smart, and just good kids. Our trip was a grand success, with every flight on time, accommodations better than we expected, and the time with our family was priceless. Carol and I took well to the surroundings.

The native people of Guam (Chamorn) are wonderful, smiling people who love their little island and the people who have made it their home. Japanese, Chinese, and other Asians are the majority except for the American military of Anderson AFB and Guam Naval Base and other smaller bases. The Japanese folks were also very friendly, always smiling and bowing to those who speak to them. I really enjoyed trying to communicate with some of the Asians and even some of the Chamorans who do not speak English.

We were blessed to have government housing for the first few days at only $20 per day and it was far better than a $60 room in the U.S. Also, my son had arranged a free car for us for the whole time. So we were able to do some exploring on our own and one day drove around the South end of the island and again and again were over whelmed by the beauty of the vista we saw at every bend of the road.

Our last several days were spent at the Guam Hilton Hotel and Spa on the beautiful Tumon Bay and the center of Guam on the Philippine Sea. The beauty was astounding! I would add more pictures but my editing skills are minimal. If you care to see more you can go to http://picasaweb.google.com/RoyceOgle where 160 pictures are posted, perhaps 150 of them are decent pictures. They include some made during our 2 days in Honolulu.

The only negative is that we had to come home. And, I have managed to get very ill. Horrible ear infections, chest congestion, stuffy nose, and a consistent cough have dulled somewhat a wonderful, once in a lifetime vacation.

Nevertheless, I am glad to be back in Monroe, and back to blogging. Depending on my recovery, I plan to begin a series on Repentance and Faith in the next few days. I had some good time with the Lord walking the beach at night and made some notes late one night after one of those walks for my first installment.

Thanks to all of you who wished me well and prayed for us.

Grace and Peace,

Royce Ogle