Off and Running

Spring Semester 2011 is off and running and is already in it's fourth week. Pictured here are some of our girls meeting for dorm devotions on the basketball court. Devotional times are a huge part of life on the PIU campus and it provides our students with opportunities to learn and help each other grow in their relationships with the Lord. Some of these times are student lead others are staff led. Often after devotions there is chatter on Facebook by the students on what they learned that night.

As soon as we helped get the students through registration, we took off on an adventure of our own. On Jan. 18th we boarded a plane headed for Seattle, Washington. Our daughter, Amy was graduating from Simpson University in Redding, Ca. on Jan. 22 and we were headed to help her celebrate God's faithfulness in her life.Nine and one half years after beginning college, 2 schools, serious health problems that sidelined her for a few years, marriage, helping her husband in youth pastor, an intense semester of distance ed and 2 semesters separated from her husband, Matt, in order to finish, she graduated Summa Cum Laude. To God be the glory. The speaker spoke on perseverance - how appropriate!
After all the travel Stateside and then down to California and back the first week, we have just been hanging out with Amy and Matt and getting some much needed rest. One of the few clear days (yes it is true, winter in Seattle is cold and wet) we headed into the Cascade Mountains to a Bavarian style town called Leavenworth. Every building including McDonald's and Safeway looks like it was taken right out of the Bavarian Alps of Germany and plopped down in the middle of Washington. The mountains all around were gorgeously snow covered. How can one not see the hand of our Creator in them!
Another surprise, as we enjoyed meandering through the shops and around the town, was coming upon the name of the very small Bavarian town Anne lived in as a child on the side of the one of the buildings.
But the rest time comes to an end on Feb. 10th and we will be off and running again - this time back to Guam and all the Lord has for us there through the ministry at PIU.