(1343) MUSIC AND ME (Dec. 29, 2016) MY BEST SPIRITUAL AND FRIENDLY CHRISTMAS 2016

After the Sunday School message and service of the Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (4th Watch) Palau Locale by Bro. Gilbert Navarro on Christmas day, we have lunch (pot luck) at the church.

I wear the Christmas bow tie given to by a Taiwanese guest in Dec. 16, 2016 during the Christmas service. Sis. Joyce Wilhold praises the Christmas bow tie.

After lunch, the brethren proceed to the 23 Filipino fishermen staying at Ice Box Park to evangelize them and share the lunch of pancit, bread, spring roll, rice and juice.

Bro. Gilbert Navarro emphasized to them the importance of the 2 masterpieces of God -- Salvation and Creation.
Salvation through baptism.

Eleven (11) souls were baptized and saved during Christmas day service. I told them that I was baptized also on Christmas day 2005.

The other 5 fishermen on a big boat were baptized earlier before Christmas. The other 7 have yet to make up their minds.

After the service with the fishermen, I proceed to Palau Royal Resort. On Dec. 24, 2016, I've got a call from the Israeli family that became my friends during the bonding party of Executive, HR, and Sales & Marketing Department of PRR at Airai View Hotel Water Paradise in Dec. 3.
They are going back to Israel on Dec. 26 and they want to say goodbye to me at PRR lobby at 4:30pm.

I waited for them while taking photos of the fishes at the pond of PRR.

When then come, we have some photos taken at the big Christmas tree made from plastic bottles for environment-friendly motif that PRR is doing instead of buying real pine tree that is not environmentally good.

During our very productive conversation, Amir is interested to be a part of Palau Chess Team to 2018 World Chess Olympiad in Batumi, Georgia. It is possible only if Palau runs out of players for that Olympiad and he participated in one Palau tournament and he is listed as Palau player. He is not listed in Israel so there is a possibility with this idea.
We are short of 1 player in 2010 Olympiad in Russia--the link is as follows:

http://palau-chess.blogspot.com/2012/01/chess-tourists-in-russia.html
 

He said Israel is very close to Georgia and he can go there with the least expenses. They also invited me to go to Israel someday and they will take care of me there. It is also possible to do it after the Batumi, Georgia trip or some other time.

Our plan to play a friendly chess game didn't happen as they are short of time.

Liat is really touched when I told her that I will give to them the Off Road Tour from Fish N Fins for 2 that I've won during PRR Christmas Party in Dec. 17. She said I must use it with my wife because it is really a different experience. She said they've been there and she would like to do it again or even thrice. She also said it is worth $400.00. It's one day off road tour--going to see WWII relics and waterfalls.

I am doing the Evangelistic Night message at PMCC when my phone keeps on ringing near the piano. When I check it, it's Liat. I called her at Airai View Hotel and she said she's got lots of receipts from WCTC and there is a Powerball raffle every 2nd week of the month and winners can win up to $1,500.00 worth of gift certificates. She said if I would be going to the lobby of the hotel, she will leave those receipt there at the front desk.

After having lunch of pizza at Rock Island Cafe, I dropped my wife Flor to the Dragon Tei staff house and I proceed to Airai View Hotel to get the receipts.

I teach Liam an hour of drums lesson at Pentecostal Missionary Church of Christ (4th Watch) Palau Locale on Dec. 05, 2016. It was a blast!
Liam enjoyed every minute of it! With Amir and Liat telling him what to do in Israeli language while I'm teaching him.
The last part of the lesson is-- Liam holding an acoustic guitar as it is a Hawaiian guitar; I'm playing another acoustic guitar the song "Hotel California" and Liat at the drums! She knows the lyrics of the song so we sing it together. It's another unforgettable scenario that Amir didn't want to miss and he took a video of it. Another blast!

We have 'exchange gift' with Liam (the son, in which name is derive from the first 2 letters of Liat (the mother) and Amir (the father), giving me a very special religious item with Jerusalem on it and the Israeli 'flag symbol' in the middle of it. I gave them in return a magnet from Baku, Azerbaijan which I have given also to more than 20 friends and relatives as gifts from Azerbaijan.

After I teach Liam drums on Dec. 5, 2016, he became more closer to me and after I showed them where to buy souvenir items (WCTC), we proceed to PRR and hold Liam's hand in showing him the fishes at the pond and the swimming turtle there.

I later leave them to take a look at PRR's pool, beach, restaurant, Breeze Bar where I play keyboard from 9-11pm Tuesday-Saturday.

After dinner at Cafeteria, I proceed to PMCC again for caroling in Airai state from 7-8:30pm. In one of the house that we sang Christmas carol, a Palauan boy is interested to learn guitar from me after I gave his mom my card and told her that I'm teaching music.  

 

Sources: Chess Mate by Roberto Hernandez
              Tia Belau Newspaper
              December 29, 2002 -- February 07, 2017

              Chess and Music (Perfect Combination)
              The Beginning of Chess in Palau
              By Roberto Hernandez
              Soon to be published as a book

             Music and Me by Roberto Hernandez
             Tia Belau Newspaper
             March 15, 2012 -- April 18, 2013
             http://palau-chess.blogspot.com
             April 25, 2013--February 07, 2017