Beautiful Guam

 

The Area Offices close down for about one and one-half weeks from Christmas to into the New Year so we had the opportunity to go to Guam for a week.  Christmas isn't a holiday in Japan but of course our offices are closed.  Here people know about Christmas, Santa Claus and giving gifts but there is no Christ in Christmas.  We were excited to back to Guam since it has been 40 years since we lived there when Gary was in the Army.  We never thought we would go back but it is in our area so the Area Presidency approved our trip--at our expense or course.  It was wonderful to go back to see how the island has changed and how much the church has grown.  When we were there Guam was part of the Hawaii Mission (3500 miles away) and there were two missionaries serving there.  We had one ward, mostly military and school teachers, which was part of the a stake in Hawaii.  Now Guam has a mission which includes all the islands in the area and a stake just on Guam.

Guam has changed dramatically since we were there.  We went crazy in the stores, especially grocery stores, just seeing all the stuff we like but can't get in Japan or in some cases we can get but the cost is outrageous.  There are big malls and very busy and wide highways.  Guam is a huge tropical destination from Japan being about a 3 1/2 hour flight direct to Tokyo and several other cities in Japan as well as Seoul, Korea. We had lots of opportunities to talk to people about the church and everyone was very nice to us old missionaries.  We did finally take our badges off when we were shopping at Macy's in the mall because people kept asking us to help them find something.  We enjoyed the American restaurants and the fact that we could talk to everyone.  But we were happy to get back to Tokyo where we belong. 

Delta flight attendant at the Marriott Hotel

Santa Claus at the Marriott--it was very Christmassy in Guam

View across Tumon Bay from our hotel room on the 19th floor

 

View of "two lovers" point from our hotel--the ancient legend is that two lovers whose families
wouldn't let them marry leaped from this point



Hotels along Tumon Bay

View of the beach and swimming pool from our hotel room



Wind surfers on the bay

 

Home of first church members in Guam who owned the apartments where we lived next door. 
The apartments are gone with nice homes in their place.  Victor and Gwen Olsen are also long gone.

Group of missionaries in front of the mission office.

Our original church in Guam.  It was new when we were there 40 years ago
 and has been expanded so that now it is a stake center.

 

Yigo chapel near Anderson Air Force Base

A Guam bomb as we used to call the beat up old cars in Guam. 
There are still a few driving around on the roads.

Tumon Bay hotels after dark.

Latte Stone Park--Carol with Naoko Kawahara from our office in Tokyo.

This is Elder and Sister Chandler at Latte Stone Park.

The lattes tones were actually part of the structure to hold up the ancient homes as shown below.

Caves and shelters occupied by the Japanese soldiers during WWII

 

Agana Bay and the city of Agana, now called Hagatna.
 It is much changed from when we lived there.

U.S. Naval Hospital where our daughter Kris was born.

View of Apra Harbor and the Naval Base from Nimitz Hill

Gary at Two Lovers Point

Viewing platform at Two Lovers Leap--the cliffs are about 200 feet straight down to the ocean.

 

Carol standing between the trees

Our hotel as viewed with telephoto lens from Two Lovers Leap

Just more hotels on Tumon Bay

Beautiful flowers and missionary

 



Another LDS chapel in Santa Rita--I like the outdoor style

U.S. Naval Magazine where Gary worked when we lived in Guam

Old Spanish bridge on southern end of the island near Inarajan where Magellan landed in 1541

Bay where Magellan landed and planted a cross for Spain--of course the cross shown above is not the original.

 

Interesting trees on the drive around Guam

Beautiful flowers along the way

Great swimming and snorkeling areas

 

 

 

Just a little reminder about Christmas
 

 



WWII tanks can still be found on the island

 

Agana Harbor

 

 

 

Adios for now beautiful Guam.