GDOE teachers Rosie Duenas and Laura Lujan spoke with Pastor Walton this week about the start of the school year and the ways we can pray for Guam teachers.
Download the New school year at GDOE Harvest Time
Episode transcript:
Chris Harper: Welcome to Harvest Time, my name is Chris Harper, and our host on this program is pastor Gary Walton, the lead pastor at Harvest Baptist Church. Every week, we spend these 25 minutes together telling you the stories of our church. We interview our members and other friends of the ministry, and we invite you at this time as well to join us at Harvest Baptist Church this week. There are 2 services every Sunday, the first at 8:45 AM, the second at 10:45 AM.
We have Japanese and Korean translation during that 10:45 AM service, and that’s also when we livestream at hbcguam.org, hbcguam.org. Let’s begin today’s Harvest Time by welcoming pastor Gary Walton. Hi, pastor.
Gary Walton: Hey. Hafa adai, Chris. This Sunday we’re as you mentioned, we’re back in 2 services and, it is a sweet time of gathering together. We’re gonna be around the scriptures. We’re gonna be singing some songs together and we would love for you to come.
We’re in a season of our year when we’re just talking about the mission of the church and, why God’s, has left the church for us, what our responsibilities are together, the, what the church means for us and what god calls us to. And so, come this Sunday. I know that you’re gonna be blessed by the word and you’ll be encouraged by the fellowship of god’s people. I’m thrilled to be able to have, 2, of the members at Harvest that have been around for a little bit of time. Laura Luhan and Rosie Duenas are with me in the studio today.
So first of all, thank you guys for coming and joining me today.
Rosie Duenas: Hafa adai.
Laura Lujan: Hafa adai. Hi.
Gary Walton: Yeah. It’s the beginning of the school year and I wanted to talk about school startup. In our Harvest family, we have quite a few teachers, not just at HCA but a number of teachers in GDE school system, at some of the other private schools on island. Of course, in the church we have students at so many schools, all across Guam. But I wanted to talk specifically about the public schools and the ministry and the mission of faithful Christians in the school system.
So you guys are both teachers, in the Guam Department of Education. Can you tell us about your role and and how long you’ve been, teaching? This is Laura.
Laura Lujan: Hi. I’ve been working with DOE, for about 30 years. I’m on my 30th year.
Gary Walton: Wow. Great.
Laura Lujan: Yes. And I currently work with kindergarteners and first graders.
Gary Walton: Okay. How long with in that role, Laura?
Laura Lujan: Wow. I’ve moved to LBJ, I think, within about 5 years, if I’m not mistaken. Could be more.
Gary Walton: Okay.
Laura Lujan: But I used, I was formerly from Timoney Elementary. Yes. Where I was there for, I wanna say over like 25 years.
Gary Walton: LBJ Linden
Rosie Duenas: Baines.
Gary Walton: Baines Johnson School over in the Timuning area. And did you mention this working with ESL primarily? Yes.
Laura Lujan: I’m the ESL teacher.
Gary Walton: Okay.
Laura Lujan: And I work with students who speak another language besides English or if they have parents who do speak another language.
Gary Walton: Okay. Great. Rosie, what about you?
Rosie Duenas: Hi. Yeah. So I am the resource room teacher at, LBJ as well, which, I work with special needs students and actually this is my 1st year to be down at that elementary school. I’ve been around the circuit for gov Guam. I’ve been with DOE since 2006.
So coming up on little under 20 years And then I just kinda gravitated towards getting a master’s in special education and, have kind of been here for the last 16 years.
Gary Walton: Okay. And we were just talking about that. I didn’t even know this. You guys are in the same school
Rosie Duenas: after these
Laura Lujan: years. Yay. Go angels.
Gary Walton: You talk about trouble, man, after all these years. Yeah. So you’ve been there for about 5 years, Laura, but Rosie, you’re able to
Rosie Duenas: I just started.
Gary Walton: It’s so awesome. Yeah. Love that. And you’re also been a part of Harvest for a while. Laura, I think you’ve been a member of Harvest since 2003.
I think we’ve got that right. Rosie, since 2007.
Rosie Duenas: Right. That’s correct.
Gary Walton: Yeah. So I’m interested in that. In fact, maybe if I could ask you, I wanna talk about schools and, you know, your role there and God’s work there. But maybe to set the stage for both of you, maybe tell us about growing up. You both grew up here in Guam.
Laura Lujan: Right.
Gary Walton: Where you grew up and and then if you just tell us a little bit about, you know, your spiritual story. Laura, start with you.
Laura Lujan: Well, I know we’ve, had joined harvest because we’ve been attending, a Catholic church and I guess we knew something was missing. We would we would get out of church and we would there would be like this rage once you get out of the the parking lot. I’m like and we’re like we just we just got out of service. You know what’s going on? And so we did feel like we needed to to look further for for a place for you know for us spiritually and it just.
By chance a coworker of mine, she’s retired now hadn’t mentioned long story short. She mentioned something about daycare and we had our little Ryan who needed somewhere to be while we went to work and it just so happened that she had mentioned harvest and so through him going to school and us looking for a church, we ended up here at harvest.
Gary Walton: Yeah. That’s cool. Your husband, James, and you and your kids, we love your family, been here since 2003, around that time.
Laura Lujan: Yes.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Cool. Rosie, what about you?
Rosie Duenas: Yeah. So I started out as a HCA parent in 2004. Wow. So I’ve been in this car line for 20 years.
Gary Walton: You got a chance to see it
Laura Lujan: again today. 20 years.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Yeah.
Rosie Duenas: And we didn’t officially become members until 3 years later. It was through the Oana program. We love love the Oana program because it was through our daughter’s teachers helper that opened the door for us to be able to have her come to Oana’s while we were at work. At the time, I was a social worker with Child Protective Services. So my schedule was chaotic at best to describe it and so missus offered to keep our daughter Hannah, after school on Wednesdays to come up here and little by little, the Lord started tugging at our hearts.
John and I were saved but we just were unchurched. We weren’t coming and when we saw, our daughter just be excited for it and of course, the Lord, used her to get us back in and here we are faithful, 16, 17 years later and this is home. We walk the campuses here we walk the campus here and it it really is home. It’s home for my kids and it’s, home for us and just to be able to, have a sister in Christ like Laura. And there’s others out there also, that work in the public school system and to know that, we can be able to make a difference and leave a footprint in the children’s lives that we are teaching throughout the day.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Amen. I’m so thankful for that. In fact, that’s exactly why I wanna talk with you today and be able to share your story and the way that God’s using you. I mentioned earlier, of course, we do have teachers in public school system, other private schools, and they’re and they’re on mission and, and there’s needs all across the island.
So to have Christian godly teachers is such a powerful thing. I I wanna ask this before I kinda get to that. You both, what schools did you go to growing up here?
Rosie Duenas: Oh, wow.
Laura Lujan: Where where
Gary Walton: did you graduate from? Maybe that’d be.
Laura Lujan: Okay. Well, I did graduate from a Catholic school, Academy of Our Lady and I did attend the University of Guam.
Gary Walton: Okay. Great.
Rosie Duenas: Yeah. So I graduated from Evangelical Christian Academy but, for most of my school years, I went to a public school here in Guam and then I went to Cal State Long Beach in California.
Gary Walton: Okay. Great. And then, how did you get into education? What what was the draw for that?
Laura Lujan: Wow. I I just remember being small and playing school or playing store and I pretty much that kind of grew the desire to be a teacher and also, of course, trying to due to you know other things in my life trying to be stable so and of course there was an opportunity and there was a need for teachers so that was kind of the driving for me that there was a need for teachers here in Guam.
Gary Walton: Did you feel like a calling to it or the more of the opportunity some sense of the need of course?
Laura Lujan: I think because I loved when I was small just remembering that I like to do that. For me, I think it was like a calling something. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Okay.
Gary Walton: I got it. Rosie, what about you?
Rosie Duenas: Yeah. So while I was in college, I, worked part time for the Long Beach Unified School District. So most of my career has really been with children and then, I interned also during college with Child Protective Services in Long Beach. So I was kinda doing both at the same time and upon graduation and moving back to Guam, I ended up becoming a social worker. So I’ve always had a burden working for children and it wasn’t until 2,008 and or around 2,009 that the Lord just started to really impress upon me the need just when I saw the need of students with special needs and there was a need for educators and so I prayed about it and it was a big sacrifice because I was going back to get my masters and Hannah was still young and so John was willing to not willing but he supported me in that.
Because by me going back to get my masters also, involved him kinda picking up more of the load back at home. And there was just such a peace about it, when I finished with my masters and jumping in to the classroom and that was really my first opportunity to get into the classroom and work with, the special needs population. And it really is rewarding. It does have its challenges but, just being able to partner with parents and knowing that, they trust me completely with their children and, you know, it’s not uncommon for some parents to, you know, send me emails or texts of their children now who are adults whether it be in the workplace, or just navigating life and as an adult with special needs. So I definitely think, that this is where the Lord would have me to be and I’m just really also blessed that I’m able to, be partnering with Laura, at the same school as well.
So it makes it, that much more special.
Gary Walton: It is cool. And I mentioned, earlier, you know, just wow. Did Guam know what they’re getting with you both in the same school. But but truthfully, what an incredible blessing that school has to have 2 godly ladies that care about what they’re doing and care about these kids. They probably have no idea.
Well, maybe they do what a blessing it is. But can I ask you guys about, you know, as you look back over your time, your career as educators, what have been some what have been some of the blessings of that career that I really think kind of a ministry for you guys?
Rosie Duenas: Well, for me, there have been opportunities outside of the classroom where parents have allowed me to bring their children to Awanas. So that was with, the knowledge of course of with my administrator because that student teacher relationship now was moving past the classroom and with parent, consent. So that was a sweet time of, blessing and with the Lord just really using me in that position, and then other parents, asking me to pray for them, just outside of the scope of being their child’s teacher. Just being able to sense that they can count on me to be able to share that those particular burdens with them.
Gary Walton: Lord, do you sense that and I really teaching’s hard. Right?
Laura Lujan: Definitely.
Gary Walton: Yeah. What parts do you really love? What feel like blessings for you?
Laura Lujan: I guess just meeting new kids every year because kid every year is different. You know, of course, there’s the challenges and rewards, every year but just meeting new kids every year seems to be my highlight.
Gary Walton: Teaching can be hard. Do you do you guys feel that? What are the challenges?
Rosie Duenas: I think for me working with the special needs population, is that the progress may not be as quick as it would be for a general education student. And so just tracking that progress and just really encouraging them to go every step of the way and, also just letting parents know that it’s okay, you know, it’s, you know, slow progress is progress and watching them meet those, those goals whether it be academic or, on the speech side of things or the physical therapy side of things or the occupational therapy side of things. Just being able to watch them progress.
Gary Walton: Rosie, are you working with, you know, how many students do you have kind of in your care?
Rosie Duenas: Sure. So right now because this is, this is the school is up to 1st grade, so the population isn’t as large as it would be for another type of for another elementary school. So right now I’m servicing 1st graders and with that comes a lot of different, you know, behaviors and foundational skills that really just need to be taught, and worked on from toileting to following one step directions, to engaging their attention beyond 2 minutes. Those kinds of, those kinds of tasks that, those are the types of tasks that I’m working on with them.
Gary Walton: Yeah. That attention one, that’s probably good for a lot of people.
Laura Lujan: Right.
Gary Walton: They’re 2 past 2 minutes. We maybe need to do some seminars on on that. Yeah. Yeah. Laura, how about you?
How many how many kids would you have in the ESL programs you’re working
Laura Lujan: with? For on day on a day to day basis, I would have between 4 to 5 classes.
Gary Walton: Okay.
Laura Lujan: And in each class, the max I would have would be 12 kids at a time. Okay. Yeah. And the challenges would be I guess because I work with, ESL students or ELL, they would call them, is the cultural, background, I guess. Yeah.
Them and parent parent participation, I guess, would be or parent involvement would be one of the challenges at least, within my area that I work with with the students I have.
Gary Walton: Yeah. I know that, we’re all burdened for this. The the Department of Education has been a difficult summer, and some challenges getting, you know, classes going and up. And, each of us that are part of the Guam community feel that. I know that teachers probably feel that even more so.
Can you just talk about that a little bit?
Rosie Duenas: Sure. So, you know, the school thankfully, the school that we’re at, goes to school 5 days a week. We’ve passed this it the school passed their inspection. Last year, we’re up for reinspection. So we’ll see hopefully, lord willing, we’ll be able to pass that and continue to forge through.
But in, for other schools that have alternating school schedules, and share shared campuses, those teachers really have to evolve either onto a an online learning platform or also give hard copy lessons. So it’s it’s like a hybrid I think of during the COVID days and so, I know personally for me, during that time, I had to teach myself a lot of skills, I wasn’t as quick, I wasn’t as savvy on teaching on an using an online platform. So and also to being able to assess, the children, online especially working with special needs children as well. So I, you know, I I commend and, you know, we’ll continue to pray for our other, educators out there that are having to navigate during this time with sharing campuses, or I believe the secondary schools are gonna just do online for a while. I’m not quite sure what the plan is after that.
Gary Walton: Laura, how would you feel like how are teachers dealing with that? Because it the uncertainty is hard, you know, on on everybody, and I’m a teacher. I’m sure you teachers are planners. And, how do you feel like teachers are doing?
Laura Lujan: Well, I know I’m sure they’re they have a stress level.
Gary Walton: Yeah.
Laura Lujan: You know? Yeah. But because I of previous events, I think they kind of have that expectation already of what they need to do. I think the frustrating part is, getting to that finish line and and having to deal with why certain things are not how they are Mhmm. You know, or how they should be rather.
And it seems to be something that happens yearly. And so it’s just having to to be consistent in, you know, keeping up with our schools. Because from the the previous years from COVID and from this typhoon, the teachers that I’ve worked with, they’re very dedicated.
Gary Walton: Yeah. I know that. Yeah.
Laura Lujan: Yeah. They step, you know, they step up. If if they need to come in and paint the desk and chairs, they’ll be there.
Gary Walton: Yeah. Yeah. I’m I’m very burdened for that. I I think anybody that cares about Guam, should be burdened. I’m burdened for teachers and administrators because it’s a difficult season.
There’s a lot of challenges there. I’m burdened for, kids all across our community. A lot of our church kids, you know, that there are challenges with that. Parents are trying to navigate that. How I don’t maybe there’s not even an answer to this, but how can, how can the average person help?
So if somebody is listening, sharing the burden that I feel that our church feels, for sure we wanna pray and care, but anything practically, what, you know, are there things that that, can be done to help?
Laura Lujan: I know we’ve always, if if parents would like to help to just reach out to the schools. Okay. And ask you know in ways that they could help and I’m sure, we would respond back to that. Yeah. I would
Rosie Duenas: I would echo the same sentiments to reach out to the to the schools. Well, either the school that their child may attend or just a school that might might stick out to them. They maybe they previously attended to see how they could be able to help whether it’s meeting their meeting their needs as far as labor, to help get these schools up to par or I’m not sure about donating supplies. I I’m not sure where the the district is on that. Mhmm.
Gary Walton: Well, I’m thankful. I know the same thing that there’s there are so many dedicated, teachers, administrators, personnel that, are the care about kids, the care about the education of kids and giving sacrificially. I’m really, I’m really thankful for that. I’m thankful for you 2 that I think are just representative of, you know, a lot there’s a lot of educators on Guam, you know, and they’re serving sacrificially and I’m thankful for that. I don’t mean this, in, you know, kind of a passing by kind of way.
I really believe in prayer. Absolutely. So how can how can we pray? How can we pray for you guys? How can we pray for teachers and students and families, you know, across the school systems?
Rosie Duenas: I think, for me, it would just be to to pray for clarity and organization and, time management, and just to have a positive attitude with, with with relations whether it be with with our peers or with our, superiors because a lot of times, directives change and it can change overnight or, within the same day and just to be able to, continue to have a sweet spirit about those types of decisions that are made, that are just really beyond our control. Yes.
Laura Lujan: I I feel the exact same way with Rosie.
Rosie Duenas: It it’s very fluid, I think, with the with the directive sometimes that are given and we have to be able to respond in different capacities.
Gary Walton: Well, we’ll do that. I wanna tell you guys, I’m thankful for you. Oh, thank you. I’m thankful for your desire to serve for the faithful way that you’re representing Jesus to the the lives and hearts of impressionable young students and families.
Rosie Duenas: Right.
Gary Walton: And, the commitment here and part of the reason we’re talking about it on the radio is the commitment of our church to pray for you and with you, and alongside you. And actually, I don’t know that I’ve done this very often, but I’d actually like to pray, you know, for you right now
Rosie Duenas: if that’s okay. Yes. Okay. Thank you.
Gary Walton: Our father, I’m thankful for Laura and for Rosie and for the teachers that they represent. Thank you for many across our island that are giving sacrificially for the cause of education because they care about kids and their families and they care about our island and the future of it. Lord, I pray that you would, equip them. Would you strengthen them and help them? I would ask for clarity, and just an organization of time and and the details and all the things that are going into that.
I pray for the challenges, specifically the GDO GDOE system, for the administrators there that are working hard to overcome these things. I pray that you would strengthen them and give them wisdom. We know that that their decisions impact all of us and impact the future of Guam and its people. And so I pray for strength and wisdom there. And then I pray for teachers all across the island, in public schools and private schools.
We know as we started out this conversation that so many of them are in influential roles. And so we’d ask for your direction and your guidance, in these ways. And so thank you for people who are willing to serve you. We ask for your blessing as we approach this new year, that these ministries would be done in ways that would glorify you and would draw people to know about you. In Jesus name we pray.
Amen.
Rosie Duenas: Amen. Beautiful. Thank you.
Gary Walton: Well, thank you guys for being willing to come and talk a little bit about about your roles, your teaching. I didn’t mention this at the beginning, but I should have. You guys are both very involved with Harvest House as well. Both serve on the board That
Laura Lujan: we are.
Gary Walton: Actively actively involved in multiple ways and so giving back not just in, not just in the school system, but giving back at Harvest House. You’re both very involved in church as well Right. In multiple different roles. So thank you guys.
Rosie Duenas: We’re thankful for this church and for you. Yeah. Yeah. Thank you.
Chris Harper: Well, thank you for listening to Harvest Time today. At this point in the program, we always want to invite you again to services at Harvest Baptist Church. There are 2 on Sunday, the first at 8:45 AM, the second at 10:45 AM. We offer Japanese and Korean translation during that 10:45 AM service. You can listen to that service here on 88.1 FM and on khmg.org.
We hope to see you this Sunday. Thanks again for listening to Harvest Time.