What do you consider essential? A roof over your head? Flushing toilets? We often take these conveniences for granted when they work well. Yet all facilities, like our schools, need repair as time and wear take their toll. Children spend most of their days at school and deserve to learn under a dry shelter and have clean restrooms for hygiene.

Repairs like these are ongoing, but due to the COVID-19 travel restrictions and government mandates, many projects at the Guam-Micronesia Mission have been delayed. By God’s grace, progress may have been slowed, but it did not stop. We are grateful to report the completion of some essential projects.

YAP SDA SCHOOL ROOF

The Yap SDA School was in need of a new roof on their elementary school building. The old roof leaked, causing mold to grown on cabinets and water damage to the floors. 

In 2019, the mission committee of the Guam SDA Clinic organized a medical-evangelism trip to Yap. Slated for March Break 2020, this mission trip would also include a construction group, made up of Guam youth, to work on the roof project. Church members worked with the youth to fundraise for months, spending most of their Sundays at bake sales and car washes. When the pandemic was announced, the trip was unfortunately canceled. As disappointing as this was to the participants, the school on Yap continued to need a roof replacement.

Money for the materials was provided by donors, Hope for Humanity, and Guam-Micronesia Mission. The mission group would have alleviated some of the cost of labor, but in end, a local company called Centerlane Construction was hired. With about 40 people working together, they completed the roof project in two days. Some rooms will need repair, but now the renovation can be protected from the elements by a new roof.

CHUUK SDA SCHOOL RESTROOMS

Mrs. Hattie Ifa, the wife of Pastor Karmeno Ifa, has been involved with the Adventist work in Chuuk for many years. She is now the principal of the Chuuk SDA School. In the report below, the Chuuk SDA School shares the students' response to having new boys' and girls' restrooms:

“Ranannim! Ifa usum? Kot epwe afeiochuk.” (A Chuukese greeting for you.)

Chuuk SDA School has been operating since 1980 and it has been a blessing to many families. Its students’ restroom was almost 40 years old. The project of this new restroom began in August 4, 2020 and was completed on December 16, 2020. The North American Division of Seventh-day Adventists made this possible. Students were so excited and they kept asking when it would be open for them! Talk about student excitement!!!

A dedication was held to recognize the blessing of the new restrooms. We would like to thank Pastor Karemeno K. Ifa for sharing an inspirational thought during the dedication ceremony. The ribbon cutting was led by Mrs. Hattie Ifa, the school principal. 

A big thank you to everyone involved in making the new restroom project a success. Special thanks to the donors, the North American Division, Guam-Micronesia Mission, former Principal Andy Humbert, Mr. Dudley Jordan, and AKW General Construction.

We praise the Lord for making it possible to provide safe, clean environment for our students and staff, even during the challenges of a pandemic.

Guam-Micronesia Mission schools and ministries have additional projects that need support. Not everyone may be able to travel to work on a project, but you can help push our work forward with your prayers and financial support.

Learn more at www.gmmsda.org/projects