From the Editor
I’m Glad I’m Not a Pineapple
MBA Beach Handshake Games, Circa 1970s So, the man who plants the seed isn’t anyone special, nor is the man who waters it. But God is the One who does everything, because His power gives the plant its life. 1 Corinthians 3:7 (Clear Word)
Last month, I hosted a MBA Alumni Chapter reunion in Honolulu, Hawaii. We have quite a few alums over there on the fabulous islands. It was great to meet our “aloha” alums who seemed to appreciate MBA coming to them. We even ate Watsonville fresh strawberries together! It’s my pleasure, I might add, as we continue to host many more alumni reunions around the U.S.
One of the days during our short trip, my husband and I visited the Dole Plantation and learned more than we ever imagined possible about that sweet, juicy fruit called the pineapple. When you study into how pineapples are grown, especially for canning purposes, I found it interesting that although pineapples can grow quite large, often they are only grown to a certain size so that they fit into the can. Mostly for pineapple rings I’m thinking.
I don’t know about you, but I am so happy that God does not do that with us as He allows us to grow. He does not confine us and make us “fit” into the can of life. God encourages us to reach our full potential as human beings. He nurtures us during our life-long growth process. Thankfully the harvest for us doesn’t come nearly as soon as the pineapple.
Spring is here! If you are currently a student at MBA, you have spring fever. If you are a senior at MBA, you have a more than a fever. You have senioritis. (Remember those days?)
I pray that spring brings good things to your life. Spring is always a time for renewal. Hope you are planning to be at Alumni Weekend next month, April 23-26. If you haven’t registered for the 10th Annual Golf Classic, there’s no time like the present. (visit alumni.montereybayacademy.org) If you live in the Loma Linda/Riverside area of California, please join us for our MBA Alumni Loma Linda Chapter Reunion March 20-22. (See event calendar for details.) That is coming up this weekend! And best of all, I hope by receiving this today, it puts a “spring” in your step.
Until next month—
Where Land and Sea Unite to Inspire (Quote of the Month)
“Don’t just react – act.” — Jan King, breast cancer survivor and author of Bouncing Back: Rebound from Life’s Challenges with Humor, Grace, and Style
MBA Trivia Contest
Question for March 2009
What purpose did this building serve on campus, and when was it no longer needed for that purpose? Click on the graphic below for a larger view .
Answer to February Trivia Question 
Q: This MBA groundbreaking ceremony was for what project?
A: This ceremony took place during the 1964-65 school year for the swimming pool.
Winner: Marlene (McNeese) Cabreira, ’65, is in the photo and even remembered the color of her outfit she was wearing that day. She is pictured near the center between the girl with the white headband and glasses and the boy in the middle with the black glasses. She is the face in between.
New Trivia Contest Rule: Only one win per person/couple per year. Your name can only be entered one time for the annual grand prize drawing. However, you’re welcome to keep guessing.
Contest Details
The Value Of Simple Pleasures
 Eleven-year-old Zlata Filipovic, like so many girls her age, kept a diary in 1991. “We gave ourselves a treat today,” she wrote one July day. “We picked the cherries off the tree in the yard and ate them all up. We had watched it blossom and its small green fruits slowly turn red and now here we were eating them. Oh, you’re a wonderful cherry tree!”
Zlata’s words read like any young girl’s whimsical musings. But this innocent summer activity held a much deeper meaning: Zlata wrote the diary entry in the midst of war in her hometown of Sarajevo. “I miss fruit a lot,” she continued. “In these days of war in Sarajevo, there is no basic food or any of the other things a person needs, and there is no fruit. But now I can say that I ate myself silly on cherries.”
That simple pleasure brought tremendous joy to a girl who witnessed brutality daily. Simple pleasures can do that if we take the time to appreciate what the moment offers.
Adapted from Zlata’s Diary Zlata Filipovic, Viking Press
Hu·mor: a keen perception of the ludicrous
MBA alumna Karla K. Larsson, 1976, and her parrot, Frostie, had their day of fame recently on ABC’s Good Morning America program. Frostie’s dance to the Ray Charles tune Shake Your Tail Feather is a YouTube video hit. http://youtube.com/onepickiechickie
Church Bulletin Mishaps… (these sentences actually appeared in church bulletins or were announced in church services)
- The Fasting & Prayer Conference includes meals.
- Sermon this morning: ‘Jesus Walks on the Water’. The sermon tonight: ‘Searching for Jesus’.
- Ladies, don’t forget the rummage sale. It’s a chance to get rid of those things not worth keeping around the house. Bring your husbands.
- The peacemaking meeting scheduled for today has been canceled due to a conflict.
- Don’t let worry kill you off—let the Church help.
News Notes
- Mr. Leslie Goodwin Many of you have asked how he is doing since his recent hospitalization with pulmonary embolism. Mrs. Goodwin recently reported he is doing well at home now. It was a miracle they got him to the hospital in time once he began to have symptoms. He’s a bit tired but back to giving Bible studies in the Sonora, CA area where they live. “All of your cards and emails were a lift to his spirits,” says Mrs. Goodwin.
- 10th Annual Golf Classic Register today on our website alumni.montereybayacademy.org. The tournament is Friday, April 23.
- Sandscripts Check out our latest issue. It’s online and coming to your mailbox any day!
- Alumni Weekend Make plans now to be here April 23-26. See the weekend schedule on our website. alumni.montereybayacademy.org
- Costa Rica/Belize Please pray for our faculty, students, and volunteers who embark tomorrow on these trips. The mission trip is headed to Belize and the Biology trip is headed to Costa Rica. May God bless their efforts!
MBA’s Top 60 List
 In celebration of our 60th Anniversary, we would like to compile our own Top 60 List that may even beat out Letterman’s Top 10. When you think of all you did at MBA, all the people you encountered, all the events you attended, all the roommates and dorm mates you had, tours and trips you went on—what is your very most favorite memory? Submit your memory to alumni@montereybayacademy.org and watch for this list to appear as part of our 60th Anniversary celebration. Now this is going to be interesting…
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