Monday Roundup

LAST DAY ON THE ISLAND
We leave Guam at about 6:30 a.m. tomorrow -- layover in Tokyo for about seven hours -- and then arrive in San Francisco at about 9:30 a.m. That is, the trip will only take three hours from start to finish -- on the clock. Of course, in actual time it be over 20 hours.

We'll miss all the people here -- a lot! It's a wonderful community of students, teachers, staff, and other assorted missionaries. I will miss being around students who walk around campus singing to themselves.


GEODOME HOMES
This morning we tried to tour a couple of Geodome home models. Unfortunately they were closed. But I got their url. These domes are advertised as typhoon-proof AND earthquake proof -- both of which are issues on Guam. Unfortunately, as well, the website is only in Korean. The pictures are fascinating, though.

Most homes on Guam are made of concrete -- including the roofs. There are a few shacks and a few made from shipping containers. The most interesting home we saw is an ongoing project that someone is doing -- building-out on top of two adjoining concrete homes.


THE HIGH COST OF BANANAS
Yesterday, on the way home from worship and lunch, we stopped at a fruit stand to buy some bananas. I wanted to try out some of the small bananas that are fairly common on Guam. But they wanted $9.75 for the bunch of 12. I declined (and after I walked away rolled my eyes). But when we got back to Dave and Joyce's place there was a bunch on the kitchen counter that someone had given to them. So we had free bananas. And they are really sweet -- more so than what we get in the States.

Just another Island contradiction -- someone is always trying to make big bucks off what can be had for free -- if you know the right person.


CHURCH WEBSITE OF THE WEEK
Each Monday I am highlighting a church website -- most from congregations that are a bit off the beaten path -- at least to Americans. This week -- St Helen's Church in London -- just in case you thought that all of the church in England was in rigor mortis.


NO MARRIED PRIESTS
The Roman Catholic bishops meeting in Rome have reaffirmed their church's stance on celibacy for priests. I had thought that there was at least a chance that this time they'd move in a new direction.

In a related note, the RC Church claims to be growing everywhere except Europe (how ironic). I don't think that Guam is on their radar. Roman Catholicism (or a syncretistic version thereof) is the dominant religion on Guam. But the scuttlebutt here is that they have declined by 10% in the last decade. I have not yet come across anything to confirm that figure.