Stinnettes on Guam

Off and Running

2011-02-10T15:11:00.005+10:00

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.

Christmas Break 2010-2011

2011-01-09T17:42:00.005+10:00

During the semester break we have had the privilege of having several of the PIU girls stay with us for a few days or the whole break. We've had lots of adventures together. Here's a quick recap of some of our times together.
Every year Guam's hotels deck the halls. One of our traditions is to check out the years decorations. Here are Beulah, Glendallyne, Jule and Steve in front of one of this year's trees.
A light display of many an odd assortment of characters and lights was set up on Hotel Row. Steve and the girls pose with an English soldier in front of a light display of a church.
Another night we visited several other hotels. This time Glendallyne, Alicia, Beulah and Meyou were with us.
We also visited Skinner Plaza which was decorated beautifully.
Then on Christmas Eve we joined one of the local churches who held a living Nativity in some of the tunnel systems on Guam left from WWII. It was a moving service that ended by entering the caves to see...
"Mary", "Joseph", "Jesus" and the animals (on Guam -chickens and a carabao - water buffalo). Scott and Doug two other PIU students were with us too.
Christmas morning we joined one of our adjunct professors, Marjorie and her housemate Laura for brunch.
Another day we took a road trip around the island. Here are Javrin, Glendallyne, Beulah and Steve in front of Bear Rock in Inarajan.
Javrin and Steve check out a black sand beach - Guam has several.
Beulah and Glendallyne check out Talafofo Bay from the overlook.
Another night we headed to Paseo (in Hagatna) to watch the sunset from the levy by the Boat Basin . Alicia with Anne, Glendallyne, Meyou, and Beulah in the background.
Did you know that that Guam has a replica of the Statue of Liberty. We do. Here Meyou, Beulah, Alicia, and Glendallyne pose with Lady Liberty.

One bright morning we headed to Agat Marina and Jan Z's for their famous HUGE pancakes. The six of us could barely finish 3 pancakes.
But we did it! Jayleen has now joined us for this adventure.
Since this summer we keep having students ask us when we are going to have another water blasting party. So we decided the break was a great time to do this. We invited those students who were on island and free to come on over. They took turns climbing on the roof and taking turns with the blaster and hanging out in the cool below in the house. Taking the algae and mold that develops on our flat roofs is a chore that needs to be done about every six months to keep the house cooler inside.
Some of the crowd inside. Glendallyne, Leeman, and Daisy (our Dean of Women)
New Year's Eve we joined in the service and fellowship and food with one of the local Chamorro congregations. Celia (in yellow) is PIU's business manager and campus "mom".

Then we headed to the beach to await the fireworks.
Another evening Anne and the girls decided to have a picnic and swim in the dark. We had a wonderful time! Happy New Year to you all.

We will be starting Spring Semester with registration this coming week and classes will start on the 18th. Please be praying that each student will continue to grow in the grace and admonition of the Lord.

Fall 2010 Picture Review

2010-12-24T11:18:00.007+10:00

Steve's arrival in Indonesia

Steve meets with Bible College and Seminary leaders as well as the leadership of the National Indonesia Evangelical Church to see how our alumni can help meet their needs.
Worshiping service at which Steve shared.
The mountains of Papua where there are still over 200 unreached tribes. Pray that the Lord of the Harvest will send Micronesians here.
Fall Retreat - Koinonia 2 (Fellowship with God and Man) speaker Kenny Clark sharing on the Cost of Discipleship.

Group activities included hiking Mt. Lam Lam - the tallest mountain in the world (from the bottom of the sea).
At the top of the world. This mountain receives a new cross each year on Good Friday when many of the island's residents make a pilgrimage to its summit.
Soram's climb was an example to all of us of not giving up no matter how hard it is. He arrived at the summit long after the rest, but he kept at it one step at a time until he was greeted with many cheers.Day 2's outing was to Guam's famous Inarajan Pools. Lots of fun diving and swimming was had as well as a couple of painful belly flops from 10ft. up.

In Chuuk, Steve met with Gardina, the director of the Chuuk State Department of Education, to see how PIU can partner with Chuuk DOE to upgrade their education system.
Steve and Dave Owen (PIU President) also met with the board of Mizpah Christian High School to discover ways to work together. Several of our alumni teach here.
One day these 5 students decided to come bless and encourage the PIU office staff with songs and scripture. They did exactly that!
PIU's Fall 2010 Basketball Team has done very well - playoff's will be after Christmas.
So much of what we do depends of donations to the school. Here our librarian, Lisa Collins, is opening a donation of books from Switzerland that were mailed to us in a gunny sack. As you can see they actually came in better shape than some things that arrive in boxes.
Charity, Beulah, and Glendallyne - three of the 5 girls in Anne's discipleship group. We were on an outing to Two Lover's Point and a beach walk below the cliff.
Pacific Islands Evangelical Seminary Preaching Conference held at Top of the Reef Hotel in Tumon drew over 70 participants.
The Women's Ministry Class prepared all aspects of a mini-retreat. Here women faculty and staff were asked about dating and marriage. A great Titus 2:3-5 time.
Thanksgiving Day is celebrated at PIU each year with a huge meal in the middle of the day as well as worship, thanksgivings, a message and a bit of a history lesson for the benefit of those who do not know about American traditions.
Here Stephanie Wise (left) poses with the team from Bryan College in Tennessee that came to see how we can expand our partnership at PIU and what assistance they can offer in Chuuk. Pictured are Danielle Rebman, Ray Legg, Ben Williams, and Matt Benson. Stephanie, prior to coming to Guam worked with these fine folk at Bryan.
The semester ended with a boating trip to dolphin watch, dive and snorkel that was sponsored by PIU's new dive program. It was a great day out in God's creation

What Happened to the Semester?

2010-12-24T08:59:00.013+10:00

It flew by - filled daily with blessings, adventures, and challenges.

Steve traveled to Papua, Indonesia, Chuuk (twice), Yap, Palau, and the US. The results of these trips are that we have so many opportunities available that we are asking the Lord which ones and for what times. We also had visitors from one of our partner schools, Bryan College in
Tennessee and South Pacific Campus Crusade for Christ as we explored together how we can advance the kingdom our our Lord in this part of the world. Steve also kept the Advancement Office advancing and oversaw what God is doing in the Human Resources Department. He has also been working on the development of our mission program called SURGG which will place our students and alumni on the mission field for various lengths of time. More details coming.

Anne continued in the front office and so enjoys greeting all that come through the door and helping the faculty, staff, students and guests as needed. Many a day this leads to those "divine appointments" and she stands amazed that she gets to see the Lord's hand at work in so many, many ways. She has also had the privilege of teaching the Word to 2 ladies groups (Ephesians with one group & Jonah with the other). She also meets with 5 students in a discipleship group for a little physical exercise and then time in the Word. Another privilege has been meeting with another woman one-on-one for discipleship. She also was asked to speak at a women's retreat sponsored by one of Guam's local churches. Thanks to all who have prayed so diligently for this to come about in God's timing.

The highlight of the semester was our annual Fall Retreat at which Kenny Clark of Grace Evangelical Free Church in So. Cal. was the the main speaker. His 4 talks were on the Cost of Discipleship. Outings, service projects, a car wash, basketball games, a mini women's retreat
planned by the Women's Ministry class, a children's outreach by the Principles of Teaching class, ministry by students to other students at the University of Guam (UOG), and through Big Brothers, Big Sisters at a local middle school made up some of the many other happenings.

PIES - Pacific Islands Evangelical Seminary, part of PIU, held its first Preaching Conference for island pastors and church workers. This was very well attended with over 70 participants. Mark Mitchell of Central Peninsula Church of Foster City, Ca. (near San Fran) was the speaker.

This semester has also seen much student initiated spiritual activity which is bearing fruit. A few students began committing themselves to rising early for prayer and devotions together. The basketball team told their coach they wanted to do more than just play ball - they wanted to be an example to others of walking with the Lord off the court as well as on the court. At nightly dorm devotion times students are sharing their stories with other students and as a result at least 6 students trusted Christ as Savior this semester after realizing they didn't truly know Christ. Others have been able to release old bitternesses and unforgiveness and have found new joy in their relationships with the Lord. At the same time, this has been a very hard semester as our Enemy has not given up the ground he held easily. But we can say, "we are more than conquerors through Christ Jesus our Lord!"

As we end this semester, a student organized team of 36 PIU and UOG students is in Saipan doing youth and children's outreaches, door to door evangelism, and service projects. Steve will join them Christmas night and preach the Sunday services at the Palaun Church.

Thank you for your faithful prayers on our behalf! Pictures of some of these activities will follow this posting.

Fall 2010 Semester Begins

2010-09-18T16:24:00.004+10:00

We are off and running! Here a few of our students are waiting to finish up their registration process. This year we have students from Palau, Yap, Chuuk, Pohnpei, the Marshalls, and Guam, as well as, Korea, Taiwan, China, and Bangladesh. We also have Kevin from Iowa (in blue shirt above) and Josh from North Carolina (in red shirt above), Daisy from Texas, Doug from Virginia, and Scott from California. Quite the international student body - but so exciting to see the oneness that Christ brings to the PIU family. Below are Lindsey (from Palau) and Scott.

After a long day in registration lines the PIU worship team put together a night of worship, fellowship and games. It was a great way to start getting to know the newest arrivals on campus and to renew old friendships. Not everyone had arrived yet, but those of us there greatly enjoyed the time. They even turned the drum sticks over to Steve for a couple of songs!

Making joyful melodies to the Lord is something we all love to do at PIU.

There are many ways PIU students interact with the community during the school year and the first weekend back Grace, Teisy, and Jayleen and several others helped at PIU's booth at the Island Girl Power Carnival. Our PIU ladies have the opportunity to mentor young girls through this organization, which is similar to Big Brothers Big Sisters. Here they are modeling PIU's new logo representing the school's name: The Tide.

Pray that the Lord will continue working deeply in each student's life this year and that more and more each student will desire to allow God's Spirit complete control in their lives. Pray for the faculty and staff to carefully model Christ-likeness in their teaching and daily lives also. Every year students come to PIU who do not yet truly know Christ. Pray that the Holy Spirit would speak to these and that they will surrender their lives to HIM and that they will find the joy and freedom of walking with HIM.

Girls Nights at the Stinnette

2010-09-18T16:08:00.002+10:00

One of the fun things Anne gets to do when Steve is traveling is have a few girls at a time over for the night or weekend. This time we remembered to take a few pictures too. Sometimes we just hang out, other times we play games, or have serious talks about living the Christian life out in the circumstances we live in daily. We are so blessed to have so many students that really want to learn to walk with Christ in a way that will bring Him glory.

Below Teisy is enjoying some popcorn while watching Jayleen do pedicures - what you can't see is the amazing flowers and designs she is able to do with nail polish.

Lucy and Lynn clean up after our dinner. Bless you ladies!
Maybe this should have come first since it was dinner that night.
Anne reading off Facebook what other students who were on campus were saying to these students. Lots of laughter and encouragement! Discipleship in action - Heb. 10-24-25!

Guest Teachers at PIU Summer of 2010

2010-08-01T18:45:00.003+10:00

What a privilege it has been to have good friends & fellow team mates David and Jill Mayer out here with us in Guam and Micronesia this summer all the way from Winston-Salem, North Carolina.

Jill came for 2 months to help teach our new summer intensive English program. She and 3 other teachers started the program which has students fully immersed in English during 4 classes, meals, study time, devotions and recreation 5 days a week. Many students come to PIU wanting to take classes, but their English skills are not up to college level work. This program was designed to help these students in manner that will greatly increase their chances of succeeding in a US accredited school. Jill and her students have had a great time learning English and interacting on just about every area of life and how walking with the Lord makes a difference. Thank you Jill for your investment in their lives. They will never be the same because of your investment in their lives.

David, has recently been accepted as a board member for PIU. He arrive on island the third of July and was able to stay 2 weeks. He is helping PIU with its plans for campus growth. He and Steve spent much of David's time on island meeting with government officials and others to discover the best ways to help PIU grow its physical location so that we can train more people for the "harvest field". David, Steve, and David's daughter Anna also spent 3 days in Yap so that David could meet our Yapese board member and gain some cultural insight into Micronesian life.
David thank you for sharing your wife and daughter with us for so long and being willing to invest so much of your time and talent for the students of PIU. We will see you out here again in February!

We also have had lots of fun seeing and experiencing life on Guam. Anna even braved picking up a coconut crab at Chamorro Village one evening. We've toured, and hike and snorkeled our way around the island. Often we were accompanied by other students or staff. Anna was also able to help out with Vacation Bible School at Bayview Baptist Church while she was here. Our students love her and will miss her a great deal.
Michael and Libby Stroh also joined our summer teaching crew. Originally from Ohio (not far from where the Mayers originated), Mike has been studying at Dallas Theological Seminary in Dallas, Texas for the past few years and came to Guam to work on his internship and to teach the General Epistles class. Libby was also part of our Basic English program and taught reading.
Thanks so much for all you gave to each student and staff member. We already miss you. (On one of our reef walks, Mike found this blue starfish and several others, one of which had 6 legs instead of 5.)

Below is the Certificate in Basic English teaching crew plus Mike. Mike and Libby you've met. Then there is Jen Rydzik (in the middle) has been teaching remedial English with us since Fall 2009. Sarah Brubaker (a recent graduate of Columbia International University in SC) joined us this summer also. She taught the Bible portion of the CBE program and will continue on this next school year teaching the Freshman English courses. Jill taught the writing segment and after Libby had to return Stateside, she took over the reading segment as well. Well done one and all!

Voices of Micronesia Tour

2010-07-08T15:11:00.006+10:00

The Voices of Micronesia, PIU's traveling team, has been touring throughout California most of the summer and has been visiting churches and other venues to promote the ministry of Pacific Islands Bible College. This week they made the long trek to Texas to continue their presentations. Their program consists of Island worship songs and dance, testimonies, and skits. If you have been reading this blog, you have already met each student on the the team. Also accompanying the team are 6 PIU staff: our president, Dave Owen and his wife Joyce, Eric Sorenson, Dean of the Seminary, and his wife Karyn, and Delight and Evelyn Suda. It is our prayer that the Lord will use this team to encourage churches that have been supporting PIU or PIU faculty and staff; present the power of the risen Christ, recruit potential faculty, staff and students (including current Stateside Micronesians), and develop donor relationships for the school for on going capital improvements.

We have received nothing but positive responses from these presentations. Many have said that if they had known the quality of the presentations were going to be as good as they are, they would have made sure even more people were there. It has also been a growing experience for our students as they learn to live and travel together and to adjust to the many different families they have been graciously housed by along the way.

One opportunity they were given was to sing in the Tenderloin District of San Francisco, to the street people. This was a very eye opening experience for all as homelessness is not something that is seen in Micronesia. They also got to spend time sharing the gospel one on one with those in the crowd.
One of the team's goals is to bring the Gospel back to those who have sent it to them. A skit is a good way to make a point with few words and in a way that transcends cultural barriers
Here Delight Suda, PIU's financial aid officer, shares his testimony at a church in Susanville, Ca.
The stick dances of Micronesia are a work of precision and tell a story. Our students have adapted these dances for use in proclaiming the Gospel.
Worship dance is a favorite for our women. These's are a combination of sign language and "hula" style Micronesian dance.
In Santa Cruz the team was given an opportunity to be on local television. Her Kita is sharing her testimony.
Another donor made it possible for the team to record a CD. Here they are in the recording studio.
Grace Baptist Church of Salado, Texas. The home church of PIU's assistant dean of women, Daisy Murdock donated the use of their church van for the summer. In fact, 2 church members drove it from Texas to LA in May when the team arrived in the States. This church also ministers to a large group of Palauans that live in the Salado & Killeen area.

For all but 2, this was the first time our students had seen snow. In fact, the day they were taken to the mountains in northern California it was snowing! Many a picture was taken of their first romp in the snow. They also made a snow creation, but couldn't be called a snowman.

Pray that the long term benefits from this trip will be worked out in the lives of these students for years to come. Pray also that PIU's support base will also increase.

Graduation Day - May 10, 2010

2010-06-29T22:33:00.004+10:00

Graduation Day is a day of celebration at PIU. This year graduation was held at Faith Presbyterian Church and friends and family gathered to rejoice with our graduates and thank God for His faithfulness in their lives. 8 Associate of Arts Degrees and 11 Bachelor of Arts Degrees were earned this year. As the graduates gathered to enter, Dr. Bill Wood, current faculty member and former President of PIBC, used his musical talent to provided the prelude music. Faculty marched in and were seated and then Ned Farnsworth, faculty and Student Life team member, presented the graduates by playing "Pomp & Circumstance".
Board member and former academic dean, Mary Johnson, gave the invocation and Rob Watt, VP of Student Life greet all and was our master of ceremony. Steve Stinnette was given the privilege of introducing long time friend Mrs. Kiki Stinnett, as the guest speaker. Kiki is a member of the PIU Advisory Board and President of the Chuuk Women's Council as well as being a successful businesswoman. She and Steve have affectionately called each other "cousin" for many years. KiKi is married to the only other Stinnett(e) in Micronesia - a transplant like us from Virginia. Kiki challenged our students to make a difference in their islands for Christ through whatever avenue of employment they found themselves in. She spoke from her heart to theirs as no one else could do.

The valedictorian, Doug O'Meara shared his thought with us and then diplomas were awarded. Afterward, Dr. David Owen, PIU President presented his challenge to the students. Below our graduates have just turned their tassels and are preparing to present their class song.

Iotaka Choram, faculty member, gave the benediction and Ned Farnsworth played the recessional and postlude. All gather outside for refreshments and then the fun begins. Friends and family deck our graduates with leis and gifts until they are hidden beneath them. Here are Chelsea Phillip (Saludatorian) and Doug O'Meara (Valedictorian) posing with the start of their stash of leis. Chelsea was the student speaker at the Baccalaureate service the day before and did and excellent job!

Breathing can become a problem as the leis are piled higher and higher. Pictured below are Dave Souleng, Maybellene Marar, Miury Marar, and Alicia Pedros.

Our graduates go on to many things - some work in their island churches, one young man is taking steps to take the Gospel to some of the still unreached islands of Micronesia, some are teachers, others get government jobs, some are going on for further schooling such as seminary or nursing, some stay at PIU and join our staff. Several alumni have heard God's call to go to other countries with the Gospel and are awaiting His timing. Pray that they will be faithful to use what God has entrusted to them. They are among the most educated in all of Micronesia and with that comes great responsibility before God and man.

If you have prayed for us over the years or for the school you have had a part in the lives of these students. Thank you! More than few of PIU's current students are the children of those we saw accept Christ as Savior more than 30 years ago. Our God truly does not let His Word return void without accomplishing what He sent it to do. (Isaiah 55:11)

Accreditation Renewed

2010-06-14T16:59:00.002+10:00

In order to provide the best education and training for those who come to PIU, we take seriously the necessity of meeting accreditation standards. This is an ongoing process, but this last year was our accreditation review. Lots of hard work, by the whole team was rewarded with the letter being held by Dave Owen, our President. He came to the front office to share the good news with the office staff. Delight (pictured here with Dave) and the rest of us cheered the good new... PIU has been granted 10 years of accreditation. This does not mean we coast for the next 10 years. It means we keep trusting the Lord as to how we can provide what is needed to best prepare Micronesians, Asians, and others the Lord brings us for the harvest field of the kingdom of God.

Meet Voices of Micronesa #15 Jaynee Sam and this weeks schedule

2010-05-23T12:49:00.003+10:00

This last week they did a presentation at Pasadena at the School of World Missions, Grace Evangelical Free Church and several other churches. They also put in lots and lots of practice time to refine each of their presentations. Now the traveling begins. Here is the schedule for this week:

May 23: Morning Service at Ocean Hills Covenant Church in Santa Barbara
May 24: 7.00 PM Community Center in San Luis Obispo (I can give you directions if you email me at dowen@piu.edu)
May 25: Staying in Castro Valley
May 26: Driving up to Susanville California
May 27: Activities and Practice
May 28-29: Palauan Conference, Susanville, all day
May 30: Morning and Evening Service - 1st Baptist Church Susanville

If someone you or someone you know is near any of these locations, we encourage you to find your way to one of these presentations. You won't be disappointed. Please be praying as they head out on the first of many long road trips for the summer. If you want to follow the team day by day check out the link to Dave & Joyce Owen's blog and that of Meluat Meluat in our links list to the right.

This is also the last in our series introducing our VoM Team Members. So last and youngest, but definitely a very important team member let me introduce you to ...

Jaynee Sam
Home: Kuttu island Chuuk FSM
Age: 18 years old, 3rd year student in Biblical Studies, minor in Teaching English as a Second Language
Jaynee's brother Charles is a member of the team. Jaynee is one of our ukulele players.

Jayne was born in Weno, the capital of Chuuk, but was raised on Kuttu. She was raised mostly by her aunt because her parents moved around a lot. Her dad was a teacher. Her dad was also the pastor of the church and is an alumni of MIBS. She has 3 brothers and 2 sisters. All of them have been PIBC/PIU students except the youngest who is still in high school. Her favorite thing to do on Kuttu was swim, especially when it was raining, and walk from
island to island at low tide. She also likes to take peaceful canoe rides around the island.

She was taught about Jesus and knew about him from childhood. She thought she was a Christian because she was a pastor’s daughter and pretended to be a Christian to please her father. This continued until she attended Berea Christian High School. At Berea she learned that relationship with Christ was by faith, not by works or birth. On February 27, 2007, at a retreat, when MIBS grad Steioshy Manuel preached a sermon about “pretending to be a Christian,” Jaynee realized she was lying to herself and needed to trust in Christ to forgive her sin and give her eternal life.

From preparing for this trip, “I have learned to trust God more and be patient in waiting for him to answer prayer. I didn’t think I could afford to come but now, here I am!” "I get worried about getting my needs met and it is hard to wait for God’s perfect timing." PIU is the place where I have grown in my spiritual life. I try to practice in my life what I learn in class and my PIU family encourages me to be more like Christ and participate in ministry."

Jaynee would like to continue her education after PIU to study in the medical field and hopes to be a medical missionary to wherever God calls her.

2010-05-17T18:02:00.002+10:00

Meet the Voices of Micronesia #14 - Erten William

The team is already in LA California and have already completed two performances.

Their upcoming schedule this week is as follows....
Monday: All day practice at Grace EV Free (We are working on our one hour program)
Tuesday AM: Trip to the Getty Museum and Lunch at the Park
Tuesday PM: Performance at the School of World Missions in Pasadena
Wednesday: All day practice at Grace EV Free, 1/2 of the team will make a presentation about Micronesia for a high school geography class
Thursday: All day practice at Grace EV Free, Part of the team will participate in an inner city ministry in the afternoon
Friday: All day practice at Grace EV Free
Saturday: Leave for Santa Barbara for Sunday performance at Ocean Hills Covenant Church.

Now here is Erten...

Erten William
Home: Kuttu island in Chuuk FSM, Erten is the cousin of VOM team members Charles and Jaynee Sam
Age: 27 years old. He is a 5th year student with a major in Biblical Studies and minor in Elementary Education.

Erten was born in Kuttu, a little island "where everybody knows about Christ but not all are Christians." His mom was an active Christian but his father was not. As a child Erten "pretended" to know Christ to please his mom. He knew all the stories about Jesus but when he went away from home to Chuuk High School he got involved in some of the activities his mother warned him against. Then he got a letter from his mom telling him to read the Book of Proverbs where he read, "the fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge." Still when he graduated from Chuuk HS and went to College of Micronesia in 2003 he felt that his life was getting worse. Then he attended a youth rally at the Nadaku Church, listened to God's Word and it "changed my life." When he heard the message about "how can you have eternal life," he knew that "God had spoken to me" and he trusted Christ as his Lord and Savior.

After that Erten applied to the PIU Teaching Facility in Weno Chuuk and then later transferred to the Guam campus. At PIU he learned the importance of putting into practice what he learns in Bible class. He has seen God provide as he puts his trust in Him. His family is able to provide only very little for his education and for this trip yet his needs have been met.

His goal for the VoM trip is to let God prepare Him to minister in different cultures. He has never been to the US Mainland before. After graduation he wants to return to Kuttu and teach in a public school there. He also wants people to know that his island is very small but has a beautiful sandy beach that is very nice for swimming. When the tide is low one can walk to the neighboring islands. He invites all of you to come visit him on Kuttu after he returns.

PIU Days

2010-05-16T22:33:00.004+10:00

Each year on the weekend before Easter Break PIU (PIBC formerly) the entire student body and all the faculty and staff are divided into 3 teams. A theme verse is chosen and the teams are given Greek names. This year the theme was Hebrews 12: 1-3.

This year the teams were (in English) Discipline, Perseverance, and Witness. PIU Days are 3 days of fun and spiritual emphasis that consist of basketball and volleyball tournaments, a field day, worship and the highlights are the nightly programs presented by each team. These presentations include music (many times composed by the students), skits, games, and a message based on the team's name. This year, one students from each team was chosen to give his team's messages and they all did and excellent job!! What a great privilege to watch the Lord transfom and grow these students right before our eyes.

The Stinnettes were part of Team Perseverence or Hupomone! This slide show condenses these 3 days into 5 minutes. Wish you could all be here to experience these days with us.

The Amazing Sea Life of Guam

2010-05-16T15:25:00.003+10:00

God's amazing creation is all around us every day and most of us never even see it. One of our favorite past times is to snorkle. As we do, we can't help but sing praises to our God. A couple of our co-workers have underwater cameras and have graciously allowed us to use their pictures to create this slide show so that you too can enjoy this incredible beauty.

Voices of Micronesia - Schedule

2010-05-12T21:01:00.000+10:00

This morning PIU's traveling team boarded the plane and headed for the US mainland. For most, this will be their first time to travel outside of Micronesia. Since this schedule was published, quite a few more stops have been added. They will be traveling in vans once they arrive in the States.   Please pray for safety on the roads and that these vehicles will not break down along the way. Pray also for team unity and lasting fruit in the form of growth in their own lives and in the lives of the people they touch. Pray too that as they represent PIU across the West that God will provide divine appointments that will lead to long term partnerships that will benefit both PIU and those God has called to partner with us. As we get the schedule updates we will add them here.
There are also 2 more personal profiles to come - you have yet to met Erten and Jaynee. The six staff traveling with the team are Dave (PIU President) & Joyce Owen, Eric (Dean of Pacific Islands Evangelical Seminary) & Karyn Sorenson, and Delight & Evelyn Suda.

Schedule for the Voices of Micronesia Summer Trip 2010 (So Far)

May 12           Arrive LA (they arrive 1 ½ hours before they leave due to crossing the dateline)

May 14           First Baptist West Los Angeles AWANA Club “Passport to Missions”

May 16           Grace Evangelical Church, La Mirada, CA.   AM Services

May 23           Ocean Hills Covenant Church, Santa Barbara, CA AM Services

                 Private Community Center, San Luis Obispo Evening

May 28 - 30    Susanville Southern Baptist Church, Micronesian Group Susanville CA

June 1           Shasta Community Church, Redding, CA

June 2           Glenburn Community Church, Glenburn, CA

June 4           Baymonte Christian School, Scotts Valley CA 8.45AM-1.00PM

June 5           Barbeque. Romaniello's, Boulder Creek CA

June 6           Gateway Church, Santa Cruz, CA AM Service

June 6th         Taping in the TV studio Santa Cruz, CA 4-6pm

June 8           Neighborhood Church Ladies luncheon, Castro Valley CA

June 13          Central Peninsula Church, Foster City, CA 9 AM to 2 PM

June 15          East Bay Fellowship VBS, Danville, CA

June 16-18     Gold Country Baptist and Camino Community Church, El Dorado County, CA

June 19          Antioch Community Church, Antioch, CA

June 20          Hillside Covenant Church, Walnut Creek, CA

June 23          Crossroads Covenant Church, Concord CA

June 27          Central Peninsula Church, Milbrae, CA AM Service

                Biola Congregational Church and Kerman covenant Church, Fresno, CA

July 1-5         Youth Sports Ministry meeting San Diego, CA

July 7-9         Southern Baptist Churches, Killeen/Salado,TX

July 11          TBA, Dallas TX

July 13-15       TBA, Phoenix AZ

July 17          Return flight LAX to Guam

2010-05-09T22:37:00.000+10:00

Meet the Voices of Micronesia #13 - Cecilia V. Pedro

Cecilia "Ceci" Pedro
Home: Taneyboch village of Rull, just outside of Colonia the capital of Yap State, Federated States of Micronesia
Age: 20; Ceci is a 3rd year student who will graduate with her AA degree in biblical studies but plans to continue on in the BA in Bible program

Ceci was born on Guam, but grew up in Yap. Her parents are both Palauan, but her mom grew up on Guam and her dad in Palau. Her grandfather had moved to Yap from Palau during the 1950's to be a missionary and started the first Palauan Evangelical Church there. She has one brother, but grew up with many cousins that she considered to be her brothers and sisters. Her family owns a hotel there and she has done several jobs (and played a lot there) there. She remembers, as a small child, watching the movie "Mary Poppins" with her cousin Ginny and then trying to fly off the 2nd floor balcony of the hotel with an umbrella. She "helped" Ginny fly with a little push and Ginny ended up with a broken ankle. Ginny is fine now and they are still friends as you can see from the picture (right).

Ceci grew up going to church, Sunday school and Bible study. The church was right next door to her house and the hotel. She was eleven years old when she trusted Christ and has been growing in her faith since then. She had many questions as a teen, which was why she wanted to come and study at PIU. School has provided "a lot of answers" to the questions and she has learned to "see some things differently." She says that PIU prof Eric Sorenson (one of the VoM faculty leaders) has helped her with her theological questions. She has learned to be submissive to proper authority but also to "be open and honest about what I think and feel." She has also learned the importance of prayer for dealing with life's issues.

Ceci's goals for this trip include to recruit more Palauan and Yapese students to come to Pacific Islands University and to "share the beauty of the other side of God's world." After graduation she would like either to join the US military or return to Yap and work with the church. She especially hopes to be able to use her education to disciple younger students.

2010-05-06T23:37:00.001+10:00

Meet the Voices of Micronesia #12 - Meyou Marar

. One thing that makes PIU unique is the mixture of island cultures we have on Guam and we are looking forward to introducing them to the friends we will be making when the tour starts next week.

Miury "Meyou" Marar
Home: Satawan and Moch in the Mortlock Islands, of Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia
Age: 22; Meyou is a 5th year student in the BA program in Biblical Studies with a minor in education. She will be marching in the graduation ceremony this coming Monday.

Meyou grew up in Pohnpei (another FSM State) and spent much of early childhood moving back and forth between Satawan and Pohnpei. Her mom was Protestant and her father Roman Catholic. He worked as a hospital administrator. She went to public and Catholic elementary schools in Pohnpei. When she was little she liked to play basketball and hang around with the boys until her mother told her to "act like a girl." As a teen she moved to Chuuk to live with her grandparents to attend Chuuk High School from which she graduated in 2005. Since Miury grew up in Pohnpei, she had to learn Chuukese culture later in life so she could "be Chuukese instead of Pohnpeian." She especially likes to learn to cook local Chuukese food.

Meyou went to church only rarely as a child. She started going to the Catholic church as a teen when she moved to Chuuk. When she was in high school she went to a youth retreat, Easter rally on Kuttu island sponsored by the evangelical church. She went only because "I wanted to see the island." She was introduced to Christ by a pastor from Moch but she didn't "fully understand" the gospel message. Then she "saw some Pacific Islands Bible College students" and was impressed by their example. She began to think of going to PIBC/PIU and her dad encouraged her to do so. At PIU she began to grow spiritually and learn more about the Christian life.
[Maybe this picture needs a bit of explanation - Meyou is holding a small banana in her teeth and Bessy the Carabao is snatching from her with her enormous tongue!]

When Meyou was presented with the opportunity to be part of this team she doubted that she would be able to go because of finances. But she read in a story that "where God leads, He will provide" so she "put it into His hands" and He provided all her needs for the trip. She is very nervous about speaking in front of people but her goal is to overcome her fears and be able to stand and speak. She has never been to the US Mainland before and is looking forward to trying new things. Last year she went on a mission trip to Thailand and experienced the culture there and now is looking forward to seeing American culture.

After graduation Meyou plans to go to nursing school and hopes to become a missionary nurse somewhere outside of Micronesia.

2010-05-06T23:35:00.000+10:00

Meet the Voices of Micronesia #11 - Charles Sam

Charles Sam
Home: Kuttu in the Mortlock Islands, Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia
Age: 20; Charles is a 3rd year BA in biblical studies student with a minor in Christian Education
Charles is one of our guitar players and is the composer of several of the group's songs.

Charles was born on Kuttu into a family with two brothers and three sisters. However, he did not grow up with his parents. At the age of five, he was sent to Chuuk's main island Weno to live with his grandparents. He was able to visit his parents only on Christmas and summer vacation. Charles enjoyed his times on Kuttu as a small child playing kickball in the yard with his friends and going out spear fishing. He grew up with Bible knowledge because he went to Sunday school regularly all his life. But he went to church mainly "to make my parents happy." He thought he "had salvation" because he had grown up in a Christian home, but it was not until he went to a high school retreat on the Tol PIBC campus that he understood what it meant to have faith and he put his trust in Christ.

From the time he began first grade at Berea Christian School until he graduated from high school there, Charles' goal was to attend Pacific Islands Bible College. Even though he enjoys math and numbers, his high school Bible teacher encouraged him to attend the PIU Tol campus. After two years on the Chuuk campus he transferred last year to the PIU Guam campus. Charles says being at PIU and being part of the VoM team has taught him how to step outside of his own culture to do ministry. His faith is growing as he sees God help him prepare for this trip. He wants to show Americans "the good side of Chuukese culture" and reach out to show people how "Christ is working in me." He is also looking forward to seeing his uncle in California and encouraging him to follow Christ. Charles has been to the US mainland once before, with the Close Up program, but this will be the first time he has ever stayed in an American's home.

Charles goal after PIU graduation is to be a pastor. He is not sure where, wherever God calls.

2010-05-06T10:37:00.000+10:00

Meet the Voices of Micronesia #10 - Mary Grace Lisarefach

Mary Grace Lisarefach
Home: Sapuk island, Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia
Age: 19, Mary Grace is a first year student in our BA in biblical studies program, with minor undecided.
She and her cousin, Grace Neth, are together so much we refer to them collectively as "the Graces."

Mary Grace was born on Guam into a Christian family and was adopted by her father's older sister. Her parents were "very strict" but she was "spoiled by my grandparents." She would pretend to be sick at elementary school because she missed her family so much. She moved to Chuuk in 5th grade where she attended Berea Christian School in 5th grade and St. Cecilia for Middle School. She went to high school at Bethania Christian High School for girls in Palau. She had accepted Christ as a small child, but didn't really understand how to live a life that would please God until she attended Bethania. It was there that her questions about how to endure the struggles of life and have a stronger relationship with God were answered. At Bethania, away from her parents, Mary Grace learned how to be independent and work hard.

Grace says "I am shy and usually take a long time to get to know people," but preparing for this tour has helped her to "speak up," "be bold," and be "more open about my relationship with Christ." As one of the youngest team members, she has been encouraged by the example of the older team members. Her goal for the trip is to help bring people closer to Christ and, since this is her first trip to the US Mainland, to see America and learn more about Americans. She also says that being a college student is helping her learn how to plan ahead.

Mary Grace is not sure yet about her future plans and asks for prayer that God would use this trip and her college years to show her what His will for her life is.

2010-05-06T10:33:00.002+10:00

We were told that some of the churches that support PIU are printing out these profiles of our VoM Team from the blog postings and putting them on the church bulletin board so that the church can pray for these students individually. This is a tremendous encouragement to us. Feel free to do the same. We can tell that many prayers are being said for the team and we see God working in mighty ways in and for the team.

Meet the Voices of Micronesia #9 - Jake James

Home: Uman, Chuuk Federated States of Micronesia

Age: 19 years old, Jake is a 2nd year student in the Associate of Arts in Biblical Studies Program and is the main keyboard player for the team.

Jake was born in Portland, Oregon and lived there with his grandparents until his high school years. At the time he thought that his grandparents were actually his parents, and he says, "They taught me everything!" His favorite thing to do as a young boy was to play basketball. He was the only 6th grader on his 8th grade team, but his grandparents would not let him stay out after 7 PM. So he had to sneak out of the house to practice. That year his team made it all the way to the league semifinals, but he had to miss the final games to attend a funeral. When it was time to go to high school, Jake moved to Chuuk to live with his parents and go to Xavier High School, and he graduated from Saramen Academy.

Jake's grandfather was the senior pastor of his church in Portland and, every time the doors of his grandfather's church were open, Jake had to be there, whether he wanted to or not. But when he moved to Chuuk he was not required to go to church and did not for some time. But he remembered his grandfather's words, "wherever God is now, go seek him." These words led Jake to apply to Pacific Islands University and he has found that the devotions, chapel, fellow students and staff have helped him to come closer to Christ. At PIU he has learned to see God provide and says "I want to show people what God is doing inside me and give people a picture of Christ and how he is working in my life."
Jake wants to continue his studies after he completes his AA but he is still trying to figure out his future plans and he asks that you pray for him as he seeks direction for his life.

Say Hafa Adai to Justin

2010-05-06T10:22:00.000+10:00

Meet the Voices of Micronesia #8 - Justin Marar

Justin Marar
   Home: Weno (Witam), Moch, Tolowas, Udot, Fanapanges and Satawan islands, Chuuk, FSM
   Age: 21, Third Year Student in the Bachelor of Arts in Biblical Studies program with a Minor in General Ministries
    Justin is the younger brother of VOM Team member MayMay Marar and is one of the team's keyboard players.

Justin grew up in the home of his grandparents in Weno, Chuuk. It was a Christian home and he remembers hearing about Jesus from his grandparents at a very early age. He went to Mizpah Christian High School, and it was while he was there he attended a spiritual retreat and was led to make a decision to trust Christ by Mizpah principal, PIU alumnus Steioshy Manuel. After graduating from Mizpah Justin attended the PIU Tol, Chuuk campus for two years before transferring to the Guam campus for this school year. One of his favorite activities is playing basketball and he has been playing in leagues for several years. Most of his basketball has been on outside playgrounds. His first time in a gym was in 2007 when his team won the Chuuk championship. Justin also enjoys music and was a member of the "Brothers in Christ" band.

Justin was a late addition to the VOM team, to fill the need for another keyboard player and more male singers, and so his lost passport and too short time to raise support was a concern. His new passport has already arrived and the money for airfare was also taken care of. His grandparents had sent twice as much money as was needed for his sister's airfare and they were wondering why. When Justin was added to the team the money was already there and the question was answered. Justin is excited about this opportunity to use his musical talents to serve God and to let people know that, though "Chuukese people are quiet," they have a lot to share with the world spiritually and culturally.

Justin is not sure what he wants to do after he graduates from PIU, but he thinks he might want to teach or work for a Christian organization.

And here is Grace

2010-05-06T10:20:00.000+10:00

Meet the Voices of Micronesia #7 - Grace Neth

"Princess" Grace Neth
Home: Weno-Sapuk, Fefen Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia
Age: 18, Grace is a 1st year student, majoring in Biblical Studies with a minor in Elementary Education

Though Grace's family is from Chuuk, she was born on Guam and moved to Chuuk after her parents separated when she was five years old. One of her favorite memories from childhood of her time spent in Chuuk is net fishing with family members. They would throw out the net and her job was to scare the fish and chase them into the net. She moved to Hawaii at age 8, where many of her family members are pastors. She also remembers being introduced to Christ as a child when an American pastor invited her to attend a Vacation Bible School. She stayed in Hawaii to attend high school and it was there where she heard a Chuukese pastor give his testimony. Grace says that this "opened my eyes" and she prayed to make a commitment to serve Christ. Since then, "being a Christian has given me peace within myself and with my family and I have learned to accept God's decision and thank him for every situation."

Even though Grace is naturally "loud," preparation for this trip has taught her the importance of going, asking and doing to see God work because "it is important to ask, if we want God to answer." She has learned to trust God and gained a stronger confidence in His working in her life as she has seen Him supply "little by little." She wants to "make an impact for Christ on at least one American" on the upcoming trip and gain some cross-cultural ministry experience. She is hoping to get some direction from God for her life mission.

Grace's future goal for after graduation from PIU is to go to Azusa Pacific University and get a graduate degree in education and possibly use it to minister in Chuuk.

2010-05-06T10:17:00.000+10:00

Meet the Voices of Micronesia #6 - Kita Mokut

Kita Mokut
Home: Polle in the Faichuuk region of Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia
Age: 19, Kita is a 2nd year student in the BA in Bible program with a minor in General Ministries

Though Kita was born in Chuuk she spent the first 13 years of her life on Guam. Her parents were separated before she was born and her mother moved to Guam. She did not get ever get to meet her biological father during her childhood years. This caused some resentment toward her family and she became, in her own words, "a problem child." Her maternal grandfather heard about her problems and had her brought back to Chuuk in October of 2003. These grandparents planned to put her into Catholic school but plans were quickly changed. Her biological father heard that she was in Chuuk and came to get her. She says, "For the first time I felt loved and secure with my real father," so she went with him and she lived with him during her high school years. When she lived on Guam she had not heard about God from her family, but in her father's family it was different. Her grandfather is a leading pastor in Chuuk and he led Kita to Christ. She became "a different person" after her commitment to Christ and being able to spend time with her father's family. She saw clearly the difference between a Christian family and one that does not have Christ at its center.

After attending Berea Christian School from 8th to 12th grade, Kita had many options for college. She wanted to go to school in Japan, but when she visited the PIU campus at Christmastime she knew that PIU was where God wanted her to go to school. Through the preparation process for this trip she has really learned to trust God. Her mother told her that the trip would cost too much money and she should not get her hopes up to go. Her response was "this amount of money is nothing to God, let's watch him supply it." The provision of her needs for this trip has been a real witness to her family. This is the first time Kita will see the US Mainland and the first time she has been on a mission trip. But she likes to try new things and take risks in life. She is looking forward to meeting Americans "who aren't missionaries," and wants to "return the favor" to the American missionaries who reached out to Chuuk by reaching out to "lost ones" in America.

After she graduates with her Bible degree, Kita would like to earn a 2nd degree in accounting and return to Chuuk as a teacher or get a job in a bank. Either way she wants to bring Christ's light to the people of Chuuk wherever she is employed.

It's time to meet Leeman

2010-05-05T00:46:00.002+10:00

Meet the Voices of Micronesia #5 - Leeman Sebastian

Leeman Sebastian
Home: Ngerchelong, Republic of Palau
Age: 21 Leeman is a 3rd year student majoring in Biblical Studies with a minor in Christian Education.
Leeman is serving this school year as the student worship leader for chapel and is one of the guitarists and ukulele players for the Team.

Though Leeman's family home is the village of Ngerchelong on Babeldaop island in Palau, he was actually born and raised in the former capital of Palau, Koror. He grew up in a marginally Christian home and occasionally attended the Koror Evangelical Church. He went to public high school and didn't really have much to do with God even though he had made a profession of faith as a child. This changed when he was suspended from school as a high school senior. In the midst of this difficult time his father rented a house next door to them to a Filipino couple who were attending the Pacific Missionary Aviation Fellowship there. This couple ministered to Leeman and invited him to attend their church. He began going to church there and became involved in leadership of the youth group. He had planned to attend the University of Guam after high school but friends, his church and family advised him to go to school at PIU. He decided to go to PIU for one year only, but when he got to PIU he found "the atmosphere there was so good I wanted to stay." He is thankful for the "many good people" God has brought into his life through PIU.

Leeman has learned a lot about God's faithfulness through the preparation for the VOM trip. Last week he gave his testimony at chapel about how God supplied the money for his airfare after a night of prayer the night before the deadline for having his money in. You can read more about this on Leeman's blog, Leeman Sebastian: How'd I get here?. Leeman is also looking forward to deepening relationships with other members of the VOM Team and seeing how God uses them to bless churches and individuals in the USA. He also expects God to do some life-changing work on him and prepare him for future ministry in the next few months.

Leeman's long term goal is to become a youth pastor in Palau to disciple and minister to struggling young people just like he was helped when he was a teenager.

We have watched Leeman over and over again come along side his classmates and encourage them to grow in their faith. He leads in life not just at worship times.

And here's... Keiny (Kane-ney)

2010-05-05T00:40:00.002+10:00

Meet the Voices of Micronesia #4 - Keiny Aisek

Keiny Aisek
Home: Nema, in the Mortlock Islands, Chuuk, FSM
Age: 25 Keiny is a 5th year student and will graduate in May with a BA in Biblical Studies with a minor in Elementary Education

Keiny grew up with his 2 brothers, 7 sisters and adopted cousin on Nema in the Mortlock Islands of Chuuk. His dad was not a Christian but his mother was a deaconess in the Nomoneas Church. Keiny was introduced to Christ by his mom and he learned a lot about the Christian life from her. One of his early memories was of losing his father's money. His dad was fishing and asked him to hold on to his pants. Keiny didn't realize that his father's money was in the pocket of the pants and it fell out and was lost. To avoid punishment he ran into the jungle and stayed there for 2-3 weeks. His mother had to find him and talk to him to reconcile him with his father. This is why Keiny appreciated the male Christian role models that he found when he began to attend school on the Tol campus of Pacific Islands Bible College. He enjoyed being with people who "treated him like a real son." He also began then to read from the Book of Proverbs each morning, a habit that has continued to the present day. Keiny sees his time at PIU as a life-changing experience.

Preparation for this trip has given Keiny several unique opportunities. He met the former governor of Chuuk to ask for financial support. Not only was the governor willing to support him, they spent a long time talking about what Keiny was doing and learning at PIU and the former governor has asked Keiny to be involved in his efforts to reach out and help troubled Micronesian youths. Keiny is looking forward to this summer's trip as an opportunity to promote Micronesian Christian life. He wants to help Americans understand how Christians in Micronesia live.

Keiny's longer term goal is to return to Nema and teach in the elementary school there and be a Christian male role model to the young people there.

Introducing Maybellene Marar

2010-05-05T00:29:00.002+10:00

Meet the Voices of Micronesia #3 - MayMay Marar

I am very excited to be able to buy the tickets for the airfares. The team is continuing to raise support for traveling funds (gas, food, lodging) once we get to the US Mainland. Most of our lodging is already set up but we will still need a few places to stay along the way. So let me introduce you to...

MayMay Marar
Home: Weno (Witam), Moch, Tolowas, Udot, Fanapanges and Satawan islands, Chuuk, FSM
Age: 22, Graduate Student - Master of Arts in Religion, BA graduate in December 2009
MayMay is also a staff member. She works in our advancement office as alumni relations director.

MayMay grew up in a Christian home, going back and forth during her childhood between Chuuk and Hawaii. She went to public school in Hawaii, but when she was in Chuuk she went to Berea Christian school. She remembers many good times as a child hanging out with her cousins, many of whom are PIU students or alumni. Her grandparents introduced her to Christ by taking her to Sunday School when she was small. Later, while living in Hawaii she "went away from Christ and disobeyed" but still wanted to go to the, then PIBC campus, on Tol Island in Chuuk. During her second year on the Tol campus, MayMay made her decision to trust Christ. That was when she moved from "knowing about Christ" to "personal relationship with Christ."

So far the preparation for this trip has taught MayMay to trust in God to provide for her needs and she has seen Proverbs 3.5-6 happen in her life. One of her main goals for the trip is to grow in courage to speak boldly in front of people, and not be so shy, so that she will not be kept from speaking up for her faith. She is also looking forward to meeting many new people.

MayMay is planning to get her MAR degree with an emphasis in Christian Counseling, so that she can return to her islands and help people deal with the many social and personal problems there. She also said that I need to make sure to tell everyone that she thinks, "PIU is the bomb!"

As Dave said above, MayMay works in the advancement office with Steve and her work in establishing our alumni relations office has been a huge answer to prayer. We are so glad to have her on the administrative team here at PIU.

Meet Meluat Meluat

2010-05-05T00:26:00.000+10:00

Meet the Voices of Micronesia #2 - Meluat Meluat

This is the second post in my series introducing the members of the Pacific Islands University Voices of Micronesia team. The team will be presenting their program which includes original music, personal testimonies, relevant biblical messages, and other forms of Micronesian culture as they tour California, Arizona and Texas from May 12th to July 17th. So let me introduce you to....

Meluat Meluat
Home: Ngaralong and Koror, Republic of Palau
Age: 27, 3rd Year Student, expects to graduate in December 2011

Meluat was raised with his three brothers and two sisters in, what was then the capital city of Palau, Koror but his family was from the village of Ngaralong on the island of Babeldaop (the 2nd largest island in Micronesia after Guam). His parents were divorced when he was six years old but Meluat has fond memories of family overnight trips to enjoy the beautiful rock islands. He attended Emmaus High School (where Joyce and I taught 1984-88) and graduated in 2001. He became a Christian at Emmaus when one of the faculty there introduced him to Jesus Christ. After high school graduation Meluat joined the US Army and, after basic training in Texas, was stationed in Germany. He also did a five month deployment in Israel. After leaving the army he worked for four years in the Palauan Evangelical Church.

After starting at PIU in the Palau teaching facility, he transferred to the Guam campus to attend PIU full time. Meluat's time in the army gave him a desire to learn to work with people of diverse cultures and he has participated in several mission trips as a PIU student, including last summers' trip to Thailand. He says that the preparation for this trip has helped him improve his time management and people skills. Though he is used to working with Americans from his time in the army, he is a "little nervous" because he has never done ministry in America. His goals for this trip are to represent PIU and Christ well and to show what Micronesians can contribute to the global kingdom of God. He sees this trip as preparation for becoming a missionary and an opportunity to make friends and partners for future mission work.

His goal after completing his bachelors degree in biblical studies is to be a missionary to unreached peoples, probably in Southeast Asia.

Voices of Micronesia aka PIU Traveling Team

2010-05-05T00:05:00.002+10:00

This year PIU will send a team of 15 students and 6 staff on a 9 week tour in the US. Dave Owen, PIU's president and V.O.M. team member, has interviewed each student member of the team so that you can get to know them a bit and be praying for them during this time. This is a huge undertaking and for many of them it is the first time they will be on the US Mainland (or Stateside as we call it out here in the Pacific). With Dave's permission, we are re-posting his interviews here on our blog also. This has truly been an all campus event this year as we have worked together to make this possible. These have been chosen to represent us all. It has been a joy to watch God at work in each student's life. Each is very special to us. Thank you for being a part of their lives too as you support us and the ministry of Pacific Islands University. P.S. That's Dave Owen enjoying a snack with Jayleen in the last picture.

Meet the Voices of Micronesia #1 - Jayleen Nakamura

Today I am beginning a new series on my blog introducing you to the members of our Voices of Micronesia team that will be touring the US mainland (mostly California this time) from May 12th until July 17th. Each post will introduce you to a new member of the team....

Jayleen Nakamura
Home: Weno and Satawan, Chuuk, Federated States of Micronesia
Age: 20, 3rd Year Student

Jayleen spent her pre-school years living on the island of Satawan with her grandparents. Her earliest memories were of working in the taro patch and going fishing with her grandfather. When she was in elementary school she moved back in with her parents in the district center on the island of Weno. Her parents were "very religious" but her father's family is Catholic and her mother's is Protestant, so Jayleen was very confused about what the Bible said and what it meant to be a Christian. When she finished elementary school her family sent her to Palau to attend Bethania Christian High School. It was at Bethania where her confusion about what it meant to be a Christian was cleared up and Jayleen began a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

Jayleen says that the experience of preparing for this summer trip has helped her learn to trust God and be patient to listen and wait for God's direction in her life. She is looking forward to the experience of doing ministry in a culture different than her own, eating food that is different from the rice and spam that she is used to and seeing things she never thought that she would get to see. She is excited to see how her life can impact American Christians.

Jayleen's goal after graduation is to be a missionary to unreached people groups, perhaps in Africa. She plans to get additional training as either a teacher or in the medical field after she gets her BA in biblical studies.

Ladies Night at PIU

2010-04-24T16:33:00.005+10:00

The ladies of PIU decided to have a sleep over which included a"spa" night. We had so much fun pampering each other and laughing. Most had never done something like this, so it made it that much more special. Laura, a volunteer at PIU, is also a massage therapist. She brought her chair and many enjoyed the gift the Lord has given her with her hands. Here Vivian is getting a rub-down and looks so very relaxed. There were also foot baths available to soak in. Some had water jets and others were hot water and tea mixtures and if you wanted, someone would rub your feet for you too. Celia, Lani, Kita, and Julie are enjoying the foot baths.

Facials were also on the program. We learned how to make cheap and healthy and edible masks from oatmeal, eggs, and bananas. Joni was our "cook" and followed Jen's recipe.

Here, Jen and Lucy apply our masks and then we enjoyed a rest with cool cucumbers on our eyes as our masked dried. These two had quite an assembly in of women stretched out on the floor of one of the classrooms.

Snacks and "mud" masks were also available. S-Me and Joni are having fun drying and snacking.

After we were all relaxed, clean and smooth, Celia, her daughter Makalah, and Evelyn helped the ladies try out different kinds of make-up. A new experience for many. Below, Celia is applying mascara to Julie.

Jayleen and Gloria are having so much fun and showing off their beautiful faces.

All proclaimed it a success and some even slept after a few movies. A few of us staff decided our bones were too old for the hard floor and headed home after the "spa" event, but we had a great time too.

Brown Tree Snake Adventure on Campus

2010-04-24T15:34:00.003+10:00

YES, there are BROWN tree snakes on Guam. NO they do not hang from the trees like spaghetti. YES, they are mildly poisonous. BUT their fangs are in the back of their throats so they have to swallow their prey before they can bite it. Thus not much of a threat. Every once in awhile we find one. The last night the PIU Board members were on island, we gathered for prayer. Afterwards the Plaxton's were heading home and ran over this one just outside the gate. They only stunned it. So what did they do? Ran and found Joyce Owen, our resident snake catcher! It was fairly good sized, almost 6 ft., but still young and skinny. Everyone wanted to get into the act and touch the snake. So with Joyce or someone else firmly holding the snake behind the head he/she was passed around - none to happy with the ordeal he/she was undergoing. Here Liebenzell Missions Director, Martin Auch; Erten William, a student; Ann Choram, and Joyce pose with "Mr. Brown" For those of you from Calvary in Winston-Salem, we are on the basketball court 'you all' built, which is still multi-purpose in use! Joyce and Jen Rydzik, our remedial English teacher, are trying to give those taking pictures (there were a lot of us) a picture of just how long "Mr. Brown" was.

Kita, with white headband, and Grace touch and hold a snake for the first time in their lives. It took much coaxing from Martin and others to get them to do this. But as Kita said, "I must face my fears, I can start with this."

Then all the "campus kids" wanted to get into the act. Pictured below are Amelia, Joel, Lou Ann and Ann along with Jen and Joyce, and of course "Mr. Brown".

Finally, Marisol Farnesworth decided she wanted to try too, but after getting a hold of "Mr. Brown" by the neck she wasn't so sure this was a fun thing at all. "Mr. Brown" did try to make a run for it shortly after this picture, but Joyce corralled him, slipped him into a bag and deposited him in the faculty freezer to take a permanent sleep.

His fate is to become something useful and beautiful (all things, even snakes. can work together for good). Because of his size, his skeleton will be sought after by a local artist who combines snake vertebra and polished coral to make amazing jewelry. To see a picture of the finished product see one of our Summer 2009 blog posts.

YES Anne did handle the snake. NO, Steve didn't even get near it.

February Was A Full and Fruitful Month

2010-04-24T10:15:00.003+10:00

Each February our multicultural PIU Board of Directors meets to pray and plan for the coming school year. We are so privileged to have these servants of God trusting with us and praying for God's direction for this school for His Kingdom.
Meet our Board members: (Back Row left to right) David Owen, PIU President; Martin Auch, Liebenzell Intern'l Missions Director; Harald Gorges, Liebenzell; Micronesia Director; Bill Schuit, Liebenzell, USA Director; Howard Merrell, pastor from Covington, Va.; (front row) Mary Johnson, pastor's wife and former PIBC Academic Dean, Guam; Vincent Parren, Yap Evangelical Church deacon; and Marcellus Ngiraingas, pastor of Koror Evangelical Church, Palau.
They survived 3 days of intense meetings and still came out smiling. Howard's wife Kathy also was able to join him this year and Anne and she and some other ladies got to tour the island a bit and have some sweet fellowship.
Why are Steve and Dave smiling and holding an envelope between them? Because the day this picture was taken was a historic moment in the journey of PIU. We have been praying and trusting and working hard at developing funding sources for this ministry in addition to the tuition the students pay. In order for the school to grow and train more people we must have additional funding. Most colleges and universities have an annual fund to which supporters of the school can donate. The Rising Tide is the name of PIU's Annual Fund and in the envelope being held is the first donation designated specifically to this fund. If you would like to donate to PIU's annual fund please visit the PIU website (www.piu.edu), click on the Advancement tab, then on the donate tab.

Grant writing is a slow and arduous process. Katherine Currie, our grant writer, has been working for most of this year on the process. Gaining small grants leads to bigger grants. We are in dire need of several new buildings to house classrooms, more dormitories, a student center, faculty housing and our growing library and are working towards several grants to do so. Pictured below is our head librarian, Lisa Collins, opening the box containing books from our first library grant. Please pray with us that the Lord will provide the funding to indeed build these much needed buildings.

February also saw the arrival of several guests visiting our campus. Below, picture with Kalvin Assito (with cap) are three pastors from Central Peninsula Bible Church in California who were investigating ways their church can partner with PIU and have a part in helping provide training for pastors and missionaries in the Pacific Rim. Yes, coconut "water" is more refreshing than coffee.

Roger Doriot, long time missionary and Bible translator to Papua, Indonesia came to PIU to talk to our students about the exciting vision of translating the Bible into all the remaining lanugages in the world by 2025. With new technologies, Wycliff and other groups that do translation work have found ways to accelerate the translation process, called Mother Tongue Translation. This process involves training native speakers from unreached people groups to do the translation themselves from English back into their native languages. In the past, this process would take a life time. Roger was presenting this Mother Tongue Translation strategy to our students. Steve and Kalvin will travel to Papua to look into short and long term mission opportunities for our students in this area of the world in the near future. This is another answer to prayer.

It was our great joy to have Caleb Ludwig visit us and PIU. Caleb, from Pohnpei, was one of the men that Steve discipled in our early years on Guam. He went through the Campus Crusade Great Commission Training Center here on Guam and join CCC staff and served several years ministering at the University of Guam. He later attended the CCC seminary in the Philippines and now he and his wife, Rose, and their three daughters serve the Lord in Fiji. He came to PIU and shared with the students that Micronesians can in fact reach the world for Christ. He shared about his past and current ministry opportunities.

PIU Office Staff

2010-04-08T14:57:00.007+10:00

As promised, here is a picture of MayMay who works in our Advancement/Alumni Affairs Office.

Celia Atoigue is our amazing Business Office Manager. She keeps all the accounts well balanced, but sees her job as much more than "keeping the books". It is her ministry. She is a second "mom" to many of our students and her love for them and for Jesus is so very evident in all she does.
Delight Suda our Financial Aid Officer also has found that his job encompasses much more than administering Federal Pell Grants and other student financial aid packages. He often takes time to listen and encourage students in their walks with the Lord. Delight is even more special to us as he is married to our "daughter" Evelyn. Evelyn also serves part time at PIU using her Masters in Marriage & Family Counseling degree from Liberty University. Together they also assist in staffing PIU's traveling team called Voices of Micronesia. (more on this group soon).
Sharon Bock (second from the door) and Anne share the receptionist job at PIU and together they try and keep the phones answered, messages taken, greet those entering the office and many other jobs to help the other administrative staff. She and her husband Larry (next to the door) have volunteered at PIU for the past two years and plan to be with us again in the fall. Larry teaches several of our Bible classes.
One of Anne's responsibilities is to make sure that the needed documents, such as applications, catalogs, handbooks, and policy manuals are printed and assembled. Below she is using a combination hole punch/binding machine to complete all the documents needed for the annual board meetings that were held in February.
Together we count it a privilege to serve each person that comes through our doors.

New Faculty and Staff

2010-04-07T16:16:00.013+10:00

For the most part the PIU faculty and staff is made up of missionaries and volunteers who have a heart for missions and a desire to see the men and women of Guam, Micornesia and the Pacific Rim trained to take the Gospel with them no matter what "job" God puts them in after they graduate. There are some of us that have been here for years, others a few years, and then each year the Lord brings us others to serve for various lenghts of time. All play a part in God's larger plan for PIU and bring a special touch from Him to the rest of us. We truly see the Body of Christ building itself up in love (Eph. 4:16). This spring the Lord sent us these special people:

Perry Webb, though a professor at another college, came for a month to help wherever he was needed. He built cabinets and mail slots, did lots of grounds work, spoke to us in chapel and radiated Christ in all he did. Thank you Perry! (This picture was taken at Lost Pond, after a refreshing swim.
Steve Bradley, a former Liebenzell missionary and Columbia International University professor, has come each spring to teach at our Tol campus for the last 6 years. This year he is teaching here on Guam. What an encouragement he is to us all. The students affectionally call him Grandpa Steve. (Steve and his wife Pat were some of the first missionaries we met when we came to Micronesia in 1979 and at that time were serving at the Palauan Church here on Guam.)

Ben (in the white shirt) was the last to arrive on Guam this spring and came to volunteer in our maintenance department for 3 months. He is an excellent mechanic and has worked miracles on several of our vehicles that were in dire need of help. He has also helped in the renovations of several offices. Next week he heads to Yap to help complete the Teaching Facility there which is slated to open this coming August. He has made many, many friends among the students here.

JC Yoon, his wife and two boys arrived from Korea to teach at PIU this spring. JC is also the assistant Academic Dean-in-training and will assume the VP of Academics position when Melody Plaxton takes a short furlough this fall. We are so glad to have JC and Jihee with us.

Marci Martinelli, an intern in clinical counseling, has been been teaching a Personality Development class and has been setting up our new counseling center. Through her efforts the center is "inviting, comfy and cozy". She is a huge blessing to students and staff alike.

Jo Romaniello came for 5 weeks and taught an intensive seminary level counseling class. She and Marci have worked through the paperwork and other things to begin getting our Counseling Center off the ground. She is Marci's supervisor and is actively looking for others to come and help in this capacity either long term or short term.

Stephanie Wise arrived in mid-January and is the administrative assistant in the Advancement Department (working with Steve). Stephanie has been to Micronesia twice before when she helped to staff 2 short term missions from Bryan College in Tennessee. The Lord had already told her to begin getting ready to go overseas even though she didn't know where that would be. When Steve contacted her, she knew that PIU was the place where the Lord was sending her. We are so glad He did. Below she is pictured with Bessie the carabao at Ft. Soledad in Umatac.

Maybellene Marar (MayMay) graduated from PIU in December and was accepted to join the Advancement Department in the establishment of the Alumni Office. She has been doing a great job locating all of the MIBS/PIBC/PIU alumni and establishing communication with them and discovering ways PIU can be off assistance to them. (She will be pictured in the next post.)

If you are interested in serving as a teacher, counselor, administrative aide, in maintenance
or in any other area that you feel the Lord is tugging at your heart to help with, please contact Steve at sstinnette@piu.edu. We are also in great need of a Chief Financial Officer (CFO). If you or someone you know has the qualification plus a heart for missions, please contact Steve immediately.

Spring Semester Kickoff

2010-04-07T15:57:00.003+10:00

With the Super Bowl looming in the near future, our Student Life Team kicked the Spring Semester off with play-by-play announcing on January 19th. From left to right, our announcers were: Jen Rydzik, Rob Watt, Kalvin Assito, Daisy Murdock, and Ned Farnsworth. Faculty and staff entered amidst much fanfare and were introduced to the student body. The Student Life Team's creativity made all those necessary announcements much more enjoyable. Later that evening we celebrated the new semester with a BBQ Guam style (lots of chicken,rice, potato salad and topped with ice cream).

Steve's Fall Trips

2010-02-26T01:56:00.000+10:00

Steve spent much of the Fall Semester traveling to fulfill many of his responsibilities at PIU. His first trip was to Yap to meet with church leaders and to encourage alumni in their walks with the Lord. Below is the building that is being refurbished to be PIU's Remote Teaching Facility in Yap. It is also the house that we stayed in during our first trip to Yap in the summer of 1978. While living here we both felt the Lord calling us back to Micronesia, which He brought about a year later. What a gift He gave us in placing us in this part of the world and allowing us to see His hand at work over time. The children of those we saw come to Christ that summer are now at PIU!!! Steve's next trip was for 5 weeks as he and PIU's president, Dave Owen traveled and spoke at several colleges and seminaries. Here Steve is sharing a message on the Great Commission (Matt. 28:18-20) at Shasta Bible College in northern California.

They also met up with Micronesians that are living in California, Texas, and Arizonia for a time of mutal encouragement and to share with them what PIU has to offer.

Another of the purpose of the trip was for meeting with our accrediting agency TRACS in Forest, Va. Pictured below are Steve, Howard Merrell (PIU Board Member from Covington, Va.), Bill Schuit (Liebenzell, USA Director and Chairman of the PIU Board), and Dave Owen (PIU President and fellow Liebenzell missionary).

There was also a time to dream and plan for the expansion of the Guam campus which is bursting at the seams. Steve and Dave met with Bill and Howard as well as Katherine (PIU grant writer living in NC) and David and Jill Mayer with this in mind. David is an architect and has volunteered his expertise to help with the expansion plan. He and wife Jill are planning to head to Guam this summer for the first time. Jill will help teach in our summer English program.

The traveling PIU duo then took some down time to learn some history from Micky Beckham, an institutional financial consultant and avid history buff, that has helped set PIU on track in the Fund Development areas that Steve now oversees.

Since its inception, PIU (formerly PIBC and before that MIBS) has always had as its main purpose to train Christians to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ effectively wherever the Lord takes them, no matter what vocation they pursue. Thus missions has always been an integral part of our focus. Another aspect of the trip was seeking opportunities for our students and alumni to complete internships or longer terms of service outside of Micronesia. In the picture below, Steve is speaking with a missionary to a Southeast Asian country about the possibility of sending some of our students there and they sending some of their people to PIU. God keeps doing "more than we can ask or think". Some days it is hard to keep up with Him.

They were also able to see several of those near and dear to all our hearts who are now "Stateside". Brad Boydston (former academic dean and current distance ed. teacher) and his wife Cheryl (former business office staff) now serving the Lord in Laveen, Az. outside of Phoenix are pictured here. They also met up with Aaron and Hollie Schaub and their new son Sam (see link to the right), Matt Augee and Dan Fields who had just been in Guam for our Spiritual Emphasis Days, and the Barretts who served in Guam and Palau with us in our early years in Micornesia.

The trip was very successful and they returned with more than 100 contacts and many possibilities to pursue.

Pray with us all as we continually seek God's direction and purposes for PIU.

Pray for:

- those prayerfully considering joining the faculty and staff of PIU

- US residents considering PIU for their education

- the expansion of campus facilities

- wisdom on how to best serve the churches of Micronesia

- the growth of our students spiritually and academically.

Pray also for the Lord to raise up a CFO to oversee the school's financial operations as this is our greatest need at the moment. If you know of anyone who has experience in this area and a heart for missions, please let us know, as you might be part of God's answering this prayer.

Holidays

2010-02-15T14:45:00.004+10:00

Thanksgiving is always a special day on campus. Very few of us have extended family on Guam so our celebration together is extra special. We usually meet in the main classroom around noon where we will sing, pray, share things we are thankful for, or even have a short history lesson on why Americans celebrate Thanksgiving. Then it is time to open the table. For the most part traditional American dishes are prepared (including 6 turkeys) by the faculty and staff, but a feast here is not complete without fish and rice so those can also be found. Fellowship around the tables is sweet. It is a time for faculty and staff and students to get to know each other better outside the classroom.

Each year the students have a Christmas party that they organized and put on for themselves. Crazy skits and gift exchanges are part of the festivities. The faulty and staff have just as much fun but in a different way. This year we reserved at room on the top floor of the Reef Hotel with an incredible view of Tumon Bay at sunset. After enjoying the view 5 of the ladies (May, Josephine, Sharon, Anne and Mary Lou) posed for this picture before we sat down to eat a
scrumcious meal.

Delight, our financial aid officer did what most of us really wanted to do - he began his meal with dessert! After the meal we had a white elephant style gift exchange and had lots of laughs. It was a great evening with some very special people who have sacrificed so much to answer God's call to teach and work at PIU.

Below is a picture of almost all of us. We are both in the picture, but a bit hard to see. Those who aren't in the picture are the hundreds of you that live elsewhere that make it possible for us to be here. Thank you so very much for caring about the peoples of the northern Pacific here in Micronesia.

Other Activities

2010-02-15T14:08:00.002+10:00

Students often raise money for their activities through the means of car washes. On an island where salt spray is often in the air, cars are in constant need of a hose off, so this is a popular way of raising money for all groups. Between $300-$500 can be raised in a few hours on a Saturday. The Luthern Church of Guam has been very gracious in allowing our students to use their parking lot and water supply for which we are most grateful. There are a lot of cars cleaned and a lot of fun had in the process.Most of our students are from off-island and have no means of personal transportation, so unless relatives or the faculty and staff take them off-campus they are not able to leave. Thus outing days are always looked forward too. Some favorite activities are a day at the beach, swimming, snorkling, hunting sea cucumbers to eat (a delicacy we Statesiders just don't really appreciate), or just enjoying the shade and a BBQ. Below is a picture of one of the beautiful blue starfish that are abundant in the waters around the island.

Occassionally we will head out on a trip around the southern end of Guam and when we do we always make a stop at Ft. Soledad in the village of Umatac. It was in this bay that Magellan "discovered" Guam and brought it to the attention of the Western world. One of the attractions at Ft. Soledad is Big John and is 31 year old carabao (water buffalo) Bessie, whom he has dubbed the "fastest horse on Guam". Big John will also open a coconut for you to drink or sell you local bananas or other fruit. Here Jen Rydzik, our remedial English teacher, is taking a ride on Bessie and listening to Big John tell her about his village (one of the oldest continually lived in villages on the island). On some of the other blogs you can access from our page, you can watch a video of another ride that was taken on Bessie. The remains of an old Spanish fort are also on this site.

Often as we explore the island together we are treated by the Lord with a rainbow - His almost daily reminder of His faithfulness to keep all of His promises.

Other Happenings

2010-02-11T09:09:00.004+10:00

Along with their regular classes our students are involved in other activities also. Each student is involved in an off-campus ministry. Some are in churches, but many are learning that there are many ways to reach out to people in the community. Many of our students are involved in the Big Brother, Big Sister program at one of the local middle schools each week. Others work with the UOG Campus Ministry. This last summer one of the young women and Anne helped teach a Violence Prevention Program based on Christian priniciples to middle school children in one of the northern villages (still haven't recieved pictures for this, I promised earlier). Those students who are enrolled in the education minor for teacher certification do their student teaching in the public and private schools. Here Judson is spending a day at one of the local Christian pre-schools. Another ministry some of our students are involved in has been called the Traveling Team for the last couple of years. They represent PIU by visiting local churches and sharing music, testimonies, information about PIU and sometimes even the main message for the service. This coming summer the team, now named Voices of Micronesia, will be visiting churches and other groups in the US on a promotional tour. Pray for their preparations. More details coming soon.

At the end of each semester the Principles of Teaching class taught by Dr. Christel Wood (standing with red shirt) prepares for and executes a Kid's Day outreach to children. Many of the come from the neighborhood surrounding the school. This is always a special event and looked forward to by one and all. Our students did an excellent job and about 70 children attended. Here Meluat is telling this group of children a Bible story. Several children indicated that they received Christ as Savior during the day's activities.

And of course there are always times when we get together just for fun and to get to know each other better. For the last couple of years during Fall semester the ladies get dressed up and have what we call Mystery Dinner Night. The women students are broken up into 5 teams. The evening is run like a progressive dinner of sorts. The women staff and faculty are assigned to one of 5 sites around the campus. When it is time to start each team is sent to one of the 5 sites to start at. They know they will have a portion of their dinner at each site, but they don't know which course they are having or in which order, thus the "mystery". At each site, the teams eat and do an activity. Some activities are games and others are "get to know each other" sharing times prompted by a set question or two. Below the team pictured is having a snack and drinks and they shared with each other answers to a preset question. Everyone had a great time and the evening ended by having all teams meet in the main classroom for one last game.

The game was hysterical to play and to watch as teams of 2 tried to hold slips of paper between the body parts labeled on the pieces of paper. The team that won managed to be connected in at least 10 ways at the same time. Below Miyou and KeiKei are trying to hold two different slips between their foreheads and their cheeks at the same time. What a special privilege it is to share life and ministry with these precious ladies!!

Spiritual Emphasis Days

2010-02-09T15:04:00.006+10:00

uEach year in the Fall PIU holds Spiritual Emphasis Days. It is a time for us all to set aside the academics and concentrate solely on our relationships with the Lord. Often we rent a "ranch" on a beach and ferry every one there. Sometimes we have guest speakers and sometimes different faculty or staff share the main messages. This year Matt Augee of Phoenix, Az. was our main speaker. Matt was part of our CCC staff team in 1985 as we prepared for Explo '85, the worldwide teleconference. His time on Guam changed his life, he tells groups. We were reconnected with Matt not to long ago when he met a mutual friend in Hong Kong. After meeting with Matt several times Steve invited him to come to Guam and be the speaker for this years Spiritual Emphasis Days. Matt used many props to explain Biblical principles that the students have often studied. But his illustration brought these truths to life in fresh new ways. Many students shared that for the first time they really understood how these truths related to their every day lives. In the picture below Matt is about to pull many odd types of tennis balls out of his bag to teach the lesson that there is no partiality with God - a much needed reminder in a school filled with many nationalities (many of which have a history of mistrust apart from Christ).

This year our venue was to be camping in the fields of Bayview Church which has a fantastic view of the Philippine Sea (the ocean area to the west of Guam). And were using the sanctuary for the large group meetings. But as often happens here, Plan B went into affect when the outer winds of a typhoon which was by-passing the island drenched the island in heavy rains. Fortunately the church's leaders gave us permission to move the girls into their Servicemen's Center for the 2 nights and allowed the guys to sleep in the sanctuary.

The days were filled with large group activities, small group discussions, worship, messages, and plenty of time to get alone with the Lord. Laughter and tears were also very much apart of our times together. Below Anne's small group is working on a cooperation exercise. Each person had specific instructions which none of the others in the group knew. We had to work together to build a Lego building of at least 6 layers with out speaking or making any sounds. It was much, much harder than it seemed it would be, especially since some of us were told to take pieces off that others had put on. This exercise had many applications, one of which is we are being fitted together into a holy temple (Eph. 2) and we are to build one another up.

When Matt came, he brought his friend Dan Fields, a brother in Christ, and a professional photographer with him. In the days before the Spiritual Emphasis Days, it was my privilege to take these men around the island so that Dan could capture the essence of the island. He also took many incredible pictures of our students and staff. You can view the more than 800 pictures he has posted (from more than 10,000 he took) at http://danfields.smugmug.com/

It was exciting to see the Lord work in the lives of the students during this time. Even more it has been exciting to see the lasting fruit and growth in their lives.

Long Awaited Up Dates

2010-02-08T16:33:00.005+10:00

For many different reasons we were not able to keep up with this blog this last semester and for that we apologized. It is our goal to do much better this semester. We have "borrowed pictures from our co-workers so that we can give you a glimpse into life here. We are so grateful for each and everyone of you that support us in prayer and giving and as Paul says, we "make mention of you in our prayers" often. You are making a difference in God's kingdom and we want you to know that. Several of our students who thought they had a relationship with God through His son, Jesus Christ, began true relationships with Him this last semester. We feel that this is in direct answer to your prayers and ours as a staff and faculty of PIU.
Every other Sunday night, the staff and faculty meet for prayer and fellowship. We have out grown most of our homes as a place to meet. Another answer to prayer as God sends us co-labors. Keep praying to the Lord of the Harvest to send out laborers.

Nightly devotions are an important part of campus life. Some times the students meet in small groups and some nights they meet together. This is a picture of an all women's devotion night and the girls are doing an "action" worship song that is a favorite - "O, My Feet Are Made for Dancing"

Chapel is held every Tuesday and Friday at 11 AM. These times are a set aside for all to worship and be encouraged by the Word and prayer. When Steve discovered that he had severe osteoparosis, the leaders of the school called for a time of prayer over him. What you can't see is that the whole of PIU is link in prayer - each with a hand on the person in front of them with these in the center with their hands on Steve. God's grace has been sweet and He is providing strength, encouragement and a treatment plan we can afford for him.
Often Friday's chapels are lead by the students. Here is a picture from one the skits they shared that went with the message they had prepared. Our students are quite creative!

A Month into the Semester...

2009-09-30T13:17:00.005+10:00

Life on our busy campus is bustling. With 112 undergrad students and 7 grad students we are bursting at the seams, but excited to see what God is doing. Students seem to be really enjoying their classes. When Anne asks a student which class is their favorite class this semester she gets the answer, "all of them" most of the time! The library and study center seem to be full much of the time too. Good things to be happening at a university. Ministry opportunities are being organized and students are taking advantage of them. Even more exciting is that the students are excited about how they see God using them in the community.

In the midst of all the studying going on there is fun too. Last weekend brought together the students of PIU with the congregation of the Lutheran Church of Guam for the 3rd Annual Sports Day. The trophy that has sat on the PIU Office desk this last year was at risk of being lost after the first event - basketball. Then PIU came back in the volleyball game and they were awarded the win after the skies opened up and made further play unsafe. It all came down to the tug-o-war team. Could they pull out 2 wins out of 3 to win it all for PIU?

Here Steve and Rob Watt (who took over Steve's Student Life responsibilities - bless you Rob) watch the guys play basketball.

YES - they were able to slip and slide their way to the victory and PIU retained the cup for another year!!!!! No that is not snow, but it is heavy rain coming down as they tugged.

Then the real rain started falling. For days we've had rain and then this morning, we had more than 2 inches in just a couple of hours and 4-6" more was called for this afternoon due to a tropical storm passing by. The picture below is of the campus "parking lot" and was taken by a co-worker this morning. Many have been praying for us and it seems that the storm has just fallen apart. Winds are suppose to be picking up right now, but I just heard the meteorologist on the radio say she can't find the storm on the radar anymore! It has fallen apart over the Rota Channel (the water between Guam and Rota, the next island north). The sun is even starting to shine. Thank you Lord!!!!

But don't stop praying, there is another storm that is suppose to be typhoon strength by the time it arrives on Sunday - so we'll still be wet for awhile more. We are praying that the roof will stay on the administration/classroom/women's dorm building, so pray with us.

God's Mercy and Grace Once Again

2009-09-14T21:53:00.003+10:00

Some of you know that soon after the Lord healed Steve's eye this summer, he broke his sternum as he helped a friend reassemble a trampoline. No he was not testing it out, but simply pushing the leg and frame together. He was told it would be healed in 8 weeks at most. Arriving back in Guam it was still bothering him. He went to see a doctor friend and it was decided to do x-rays. What was found was a huge surprise - Steve has severe osteoporosis. This is very unusual for a man and so extensive tests were done to seek a cause. The doctor told us, "quite frankly I'm looking for cancer."

Once again we began to pray. From the beginning we sensed the Lord asking us to trust Him no matter what the prognosis. We prayed for the best and yet have been trusting Him with what we couldn't begin to understand in the light of all that the Lord has already done, that cancer may be His best. There is a quote by C.S. Lewis that expresses how we felt.

"We are not necessarily doubting that God will do the best for us; we are wondering how painful the best will turn out to be."-- C.S. Lewis (Thanks Donna for sharing this.)

So Steve asked for our colleagues and the pastor of the church we are attending to pray for him. It was decided to share this prayer time with the student body during Friday's worship chapel. This was a very special time before our Father for all. We prayed for healing, of course, but even more so that the glory of the Lord and His kingdom would break through no matter which answer was given us. We would trust and follow.

Today, with peace in our hearts and at the same time a bit of held breath we went to hear the results of the tests. Yes, severe osteoporosis, but NO cancer. Steve will start treatment for the osteoporosis, but it will not hinder him completing the tasks the Lord has preserved his sight and life for. But it is a reminder that all that will be accomplished will indeed be done by and through the Lord and "not by might or power, but truly through His spirit." Our prayer is still that the Lord and His Glory will be the focal point of every step we take.

Thank you for praying for us in this and for those that have diligently prayed for us for more than 30 years!

New Things at PIU

2009-09-06T21:29:00.007+10:00

As we make the transition from PIBC to PIU many things are changing including our seal. The main design has remained the same, but the seal reflects our growth from Bible College only to 3 schools in one - Pacific Islands Bible College, Pacific Islands Evangelical Seminary, and Pacific Islands Christian College. Much still needs to be done as we make this transition to provide transformaional, excellent, and accessible Christian education for this area of the world, but we are well on our way.Our new pavilion was completed before the students arrived last week and is already proving to be a favorite hangout spot on campus as it provides shelter from the sun and the rain.

We praise God for His provision of students to fill the campus to overflowing this year. 110 students have registered and started classes on the Guam campus.

Steve will continue heading up the Human Resources and Advancement Departments for the University and will be traveling a great deal. He is also teaching one independant study class on Ministry Immersion. Anne is continuing to help in the front office and helping look for ways to get our students connected in ministry in our community.

The following are some pictures taken by others of our first week of the Fall 2009 Semester. We will catch you up on our summer activities as we finish gathering pictures.
First stop in registration is to see an advisor. Melody Plaxton our Academic Dean is seen here helping a student during one of the slower times during registration day. Eric Sorenson, dean of the seminary, is also pictured here getting a small break in the flow of things.
The week prior to registration the incoming freshman and transfer students were required to come to school for the first module of a Study Skills and Orientation to college class. Here some of them can be seen in our new Study Center working on an assignment with our newest faculty member Jen Rydzik and her mentor, Melody Plaxton.Registration day would have been totally hectic without the help of PIU volunteer Laura Peters (center). She helped Anne direct traffic in the main office as students dealt with the financial end of registration and the collecting of textbooks. Pictured here with Laura are returning students, Meyou (left) and Jayleen (right).
We ended registration day with a BBQ that our Student Life team sponsored for our students. Above and below are some of our students sitting around the basketball court enjoying their meal, the fellowship. and respite from a long day of waiting in lines.

The next morning, Sunday, we held a Worship Service on campus to begin the school year together. In the coming weeks students will begin attending many of the churches on Guam using what they learn in the classroom in ministry situations. Here are Steve and Leeman as they lead the Worship music during the service. Steve played guitar and didn't get out the drums this time.

Rob Watt who has been our teacher and TF (teaching facility) facilitator in Palau the last 5 years is now working with us on the Guam campus and has taken over the leadership of the Student Life Team for which Steve is most greatful. He share a message based on Ps. 133 that was very encouraging to all. One student stated after the service, that he was very grateful that the Lord had brought him to this school. We are too. Pray with us that each student would trust the Lord to work deeply in their lives this school year.

Steve's Home

2009-08-13T23:27:00.009+10:00

21 and half hours from Greensboro, NC to Guam. That is a new travel record for us! He bettered our old record by a half hour. Thanks to those who prayed. It was smooth and uneventful, just the way we like these long trips to be.
He arrived home just in time for a glorious sunset that lingered and lingered. As the sky went from pale pinks and blues to fire red and then to a deep, deep crimson we kept oohing and aahing. A nice treat after a long flight for Steve and a day of the torrential rains that Anne had to maneuver her activities around.
p.s. I've been noticing that whenever I post a blog the time given is the current Eastern Time Zone time and not the Chamorro time zone time what is that? It's 11:27 PM Thursday Aug. 13th.

Updates coming soon

2009-08-13T10:36:00.003+10:00

Steve has probably just left Hawaii and is winging his way home across the wide Pacific as I write this.
It's been a full summer for both of us and we are so grateful to be able to be together again in just a few more hours!
Thanks to SKYPE we've been able to talk and see each other almost every day and sometimes even twice a day. What a blessing that has been! In a few days we will be gathering our tales and sharing them with you.

In the mean time, will you please pray for the Settlemyre family here on Guam. Carol Settlemyre, my long time prayer partner and very, very close friend died while taking a nap after work Friday evening. Her homegoing was very unexpected. She is rejoicing in her Savior's presence - she is one of those people whom the Spirit of our Lord just shows through in every facet of her life. She was one of the first people to sign up for the Island-wide Prayer chain that started in 1984 and has helped me lead it for years now since Kathy Wood, the other co-founder, left Island. She also was a kindergarten teacher at Price Elementary School, one of Guam's public schools. That was her mission field and she worked in it diligently. Pray for her husband of 41 years, Paul, her children David and Joy, David's wife Emmy, and granddaughter Adelaide as they adjust to life without Carol's daily presence. She will also be missed by hundreds on this Island and elsewhere that she touched with Christ's love.

Bones, Mangoes, a View, and Answered Prayer

2009-07-17T20:30:00.005+10:00

Here is the promised picture of Joyce's coral and snake bone jewelry. If you click on the picture and enlarge it you can get a better view. Amazingly it looks so very nice with the things she has worn it with. Watch out snakes - Joyce's in on the hunt!

Here is a picture of Joyce and I at the Mango Festival with some of the mangoes on display. These were not even the largest ones.

The picture below was taken by Rob Watt and is the heading picture on his blog. It is a shot of the northern most tip of Guam, Ritidian Point. It was taken from the front yard of other fellow missionaries Bill and Christel Wood. If you enlarge this picture also you can see see the island of Rota about 40 miles north of the northern tip of Guam. Look just to the left of Ritidian on the horizion line (looks like it is sitting in the right most "v" created by the tree in the foreground). Doesn't the beauty of God's creation just make you sing His praises?

One of Steve's jobs while in the States this summer was to locate a person that would meet the qualifications and needs PIU has for a Foundation Researcher/Grant Writer. We are also praising God for His answered prayer in leading Steve to that person. Her name is Katherine Currie and we will be introducing her to you shortly. Please pray for her this next week as she will be attending a training conference sponsored by our accrediting agencey.

More praise to the Lord!

2009-07-03T08:27:00.002+10:00

Hey Everybody,

This is just a quick note to let you know that I saw my eye doctor again today. My eye is exactly the same as it was after the miracle - no change. What this means is that I can continue wearing the same style of contact lens, but stick to the 10 hours a day schedule. If I have to go longer, up to 12 hours in a day, then I should take a whole day off soon after that day. I'll get checked again in August before I return to Guam.

Thank you for your prayers, and let's keep praising the Lord.

Steve

Congratulations Hollie!!!

2009-06-30T16:56:00.002+10:00

Hollie Schaub, our co-worker at PIBC for the last 3 years, (and the other Student Life team members) did much to encourage the students at PIBC to apply all the Bible knowledge they learn to their daily lives. The challenges she faced in this task led to her to take on the theme NAVIGATING THE CURRENTS OF CHANGE IN THE MICRONESIAN WORLDVIEW as her master's thesis. Her research will be helpful for many as they come to Micronesia and begin their ministries here. Thanks so much Hollie (and Aaron) for giving so much of yourselves to the people of Micronesia through PIBC. Congratulations on achieving your masters in Intercultural Studies at the same time you were working at PIBC and fulfilling your responsibilites as a naval officer's wife. We love you and miss you. Your legacy will be eternal.

Mangoes, Jewelry and Signs...

2009-06-30T15:58:00.009+10:00

It's mango season on Guam and the trees are loaded with what has become my favorite of all fruit. For the 3rd year the village of Agat has hosted a Mango Festival. Joyce Owen and I headed down south Sunday after church and had a great time looking at the largest mangoes I've ever seen (about 10" long or bigger), eating mango cinnamon buns (even better than Cinnabuns), and perusing all the booths. Can you count the mangoes on this tree Joyce and I saw on our way home from the festival?Joyce purchased a very beautiful necklace and earring set made of polished coral beads with the most unique spacers between the beads. I would never dream of using such a material to make jewelry, but that's why I'm not an artist. The spacers are vertebra of the local brown tree snake! The creator of these told Joyce that if she were to bring him a snake of at least 4 feet in length, he'd make a trade with her for more jewelry. Now this is a challenge our resident snake catcher will take on! I'll ask Joyce to take a picture so that I can post it and let you see these very interesting and really very beautiful pieces of jewelry.

On the way home we stopped for gas and spied the sign below. It had us giggling, so I pulled over and Joyce got a picture of it. Not sure if I want to try their "glorious" coffee or not.

More from Thailand

2009-06-30T15:35:00.003+10:00

We'd like to share with you part of a blog entry from one of the Thai Mission Team members, Meluat Meluat. God is answering your prayers for this team. Be encouraged and keep praying for them. "Anyways, let me continue the sharing of blessings that i have faced over here in Thailand. During the time of Erten's injury, it was suppose to be a downpoint for everyone. But because everyone's focus was on Christ, it did not slow down our work, but motivated us to work even harder. During that night of injury, I challenged my brother Erten while he was laying on the bed waiting for the doctor to bring him to th O.R. I told him that everything that comes to our lives, either joyful moment or painful moment, we have to thank God for allowing these things to happen in our lives. I explained to him of how he can consider this injury and the situation that he went through as a blessing. Brothers and sisters, Erten's injury did not only impact us alone, but also impacted Campus Crusades and this brought us more closer and motivated us to stand firm on our mission and not giving up, not making excuses, but it derived us more toward the core of our goal. After he came out from the hospital, I challenged some of my brothers and sister's one night when we were in the kitchen and i told them about Job's faithfulness toward God and compare it to the situation that happened to us. First, it was Job's animals and crobs (crops) were taken away but Job did not submit to the hands of satan. Then his family were taken away too but his faith remained in God's presence. For that, the enemy thought that attacking his physical body would make him give up. But Job's faithfulness was fixed on God. Later on that story, we knew that God doubled up the things that Job lost. Same situation that happened to us and this is what i told my brothers and sisters that night, "The enemy was trying to destroy us through miscommunications and some little insidence even until few days before we leave, but we survived because we allowed God to take charge. We are here in Thailand and the enemy try to separate us or make us give up on reaching out to the students, but we never gave up. He could not destroy our relationship and our focus to God because our mind is fixed toward God, so he try to destruct us by hurting our brother Erten. We did not give up but continued to minister and actually our ministry and our relationship got even more stronger than ever." This is what i challenged them that night. Brothers and sisters, our ministry is still strong and we will keep it that way so the fountain of blessings will continue. I believe yesterday the heaven was shaking and the angels were shouting for joy because one of the student allowed our Lord Jesus Christ to take over her life. She was sitting with us today and we continued having a good fellowship in the campus. Like what i said earlier, there are lot of blessings happening over here and i always want to share.

Changes

2009-06-21T16:50:00.003+10:00

Though the campus is very quite at this time and most faculty, staff, and students are gone for the summer things are changing. A much needed pavilion (or summer house as it is often called here) for shade is being built near the basketball court, thanks to the foresight and hard work of one of our colleagues, Bill Wood.
It has been interesting watching the preparations and the building process. Many principles that parallel our spiritual lives can be drawn. Much preparation went into the foundation that included 4 large and deep holes filled with concrete in which the pillars are anchored. This is necessary to keep the building standing during and after our frequent earthquakes. So to, we must anchor ourselves deep in our relationship with the Lord through His word to weather the storms and quakes of life. It is this hidden preparation that will make all the difference in whether the building or we stand the tests of this world.

Another quiet change is that on July 1, 2009 Pacific Islands Bible College (PIBC) will become Pacific Islands University (PIU). This change brings about a broadening of the ministry of PIBC and the opening of our seminary (this started this last school year) and a liberal arts college to prepare Christian students to be influencers for the gospel in fields other than full time Christian work. PIBC will continue as a school of PIU for those pursuing degrees in Bible. We are slowly working on the name changes on all our information and materials. The first one to go public is our sign off of Rt. 15 (better known locally as the Back Road to Anderson). Pray with us as we follow the Lord into these new areas of ministry to the Pacific Region. Pray too for the Lord of the Harvest to send more laborers and the means to hire them.

More Guam Beauty

2009-06-21T16:28:00.003+10:00

For the last couple of weeks the flame trees on Guam have been magnificent. In fact, more so than any year I can remember. So often the storms and the bugs eat at these majestic trees, but this year the Lord has filled them with incredible glory. I drive around just ooohing and ahhing and wishing I had a camera to capture just a small portion of their beauty (Steve has the camera with him in the States) . So thanks to the Farnsworths I was able to "borrow" some pictures from them to show you all. We saw many of these trees as we road in the open "Trolley Bus" with the Farnsworths at the request of Joel and Amelia before Steve headed "stateside". Ned Farnsworth is taking the picture so this picture is just of his wonderful wife Marisol, the kids, and us. We are so thankful for the children who are part of our PIBC family and their excitement about all of life around them!

2nd Update on Erten

2009-06-21T16:20:00.002+10:00

More news from the Thai team:
The doctors believe the surgery went well. Erten seems to be doing well over all. He has returned to the house after a two night stay. The doctors expect that he will have full use of his hand after he heals. The doctors, nurses, Kalvin and the Thai Campus Crusade staff took very good care of him. Now he is home and we are all helping. We are praising God for that and that the expenses were only $1000 (approx.). Continue to pray for his recovery. Thank you all who have been praying.

This note came Saturday:
Erten seems to be healing well and for that we are thankful. You can follow the team's activities by clicking on Melissa Heck to the right and then on PIBC Thai Team to the right on her blog.

Update on Urgent Prayer Request from Thailand

2009-06-14T12:36:00.004+10:00

Melissa sent this update Saturday night Guam time. Please keep praying

Just wanted to send a quick update....

Erten is still in the hospital but will be coming home tomorrow. He will need to have the hand cleaned each day of the week for a week. I am told he is in good spirits but when we went to visit he was tired and seemed sad. Kalvin (our other leader ) is staying with him. We will be excited to have him back tomorrow. Some good news is that the medical bills will only be in the neighborhood of $1200 which we have. It may leave us a bit short at the end but we are trusting that God will provide for our needs.

Another good news is that the doctor believes the surgery was successful and Erten will eventually have full use of his hand.

Please continue to pray for God's provision and protection.

Also pray for some Thailand Campus Crusade staff in the south part of Thailand. A van with about 7 - 8 people had an accident and are now in the hospital.

These things are not positive but have put us in a position where we are forced to rely on God... and we know that He is good. We are all thankful to be here.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Blessings,
Melissa

Urgent Prayer Request from Thailand

2009-06-14T12:33:00.001+10:00

We just received (Friday night Guam time) the following in an email from Melissa Heck, PIBC/PIU Dean of Women and one of the leaders of the mission team. She says....

Although it is hard for us to understand exactly what happened one of our team members, Erten, walked into a glass door and it shattered severing the tendons in his hand and severing two veins. He was rushed to the hospital where he needed surgery to repair his hand. He is in the hospital recovering --- should be ok but is in a lot of pain. Please pray for Erten's recovery. Please pray for the medical expenses to be covered some how. Pray for God's protection over the rest of the team. Pray for God's wisdom and discernment in the ministry. The spiritual battle here is fierce. Thanks.... Melissa

Praise the Lord for another Miracle!!!

2009-06-11T13:41:00.002+10:00

Just after midnight this morning I was awakened with a call from Steve relating what God had done on his behalf. Here is what he wrote in an email later:
"The eye appointment report: all I can say is that a real miracle happened. You know how this appointment was scheduled because blood vessels were beginning to grow into and take over my cornea. Well, the doctor looked into my eye with her little magnifying instrument thingy, gazed for about 10 seconds or so, backed away from the instrument, dropped her mouth open, gasped audibly and, as best as I can recollect, said, "Oh my goodness! I don't believe it! They're gone! The blood vessels are all gone! It's like they were never there!" And then proceeds to repeat this whole thing two more times, even taking multiple digital pictures because she's never seen anything like this before, and apparently wanted to document it.

She could see slight "shadows" where the vessels had been, and showed me the pictures. It was amazing. She wants me to gradually increase my wearing time from six to ten hours a day, and then come by and let her see me again the first week of July to see if they come back. If they do, she'll fit me with the Sclera lens; if they don't, then she'll keep in a fresh supply of the current lens."
So thank you all for praying once again and please continue to pray that the blood vessels stay away.

Good-byes

2009-06-10T09:34:00.004+10:00

These last few days has been a time of good-byes. When you live on and island this is a way of life, so we have learned to enjoy deeply each moment we have with those the Lord brings our way whether its for a short or long time.
But not all good-byes are the same.
Some good-byes are short term -"if the Lord wills" as the book of James says:
Monday morning I said good-bye to Steve as he left for his eye appointments and a summer of trusting God for a fruitful summer of tasks involving the Fund Development parts of his PIBC responsibilities.
A few hours later, I was back at the airport to pray for a fruitful ministry with the Thai Missions team as they left for 51 days of outreach.
(part of the Thai Mission Team practicing a skit)

Some good-byes are those that tend to be harder - those in which we often say , "We will see you either here or there or in the air". Though today's technology makes staying in touch though apart so very much easier.
On Tuesday, Brad and Cheryl Boydston left for their new ministry assignment in Arizona. It has been so obvious that the Lord has been in this move, but oh how we will miss them both! However, since Brad is such a great blogger we will have constant updates on what the Lord is doing through them.
Then one more good-bye happens this week as I join with the rest of our small group to say "adios" or should it be "ciao" (they are headed to Italy with the military) to Paul and Heidi.

Good-byes are important reminders that we are only guaranteed this moment we are in right now, so reach out and touch the lives of those around you and allow yourself to be touched.
"Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God and everyone that loves is born of God and knows God." 1 John 4:6

Thailand Mission Team Update

2009-05-26T21:19:00.002+10:00

School may be out but those on the mission team going to Thailand this summer are working hard. Each morning they work on campus to earn their room and board so that in the afternoons they can receive training and preparations for their ministry with Thai university students. Their plane tickets are purchased, their visas have been secured, they are training faithfully, and trusting fully that the Lord will provide the $5000 still needed for their living expenses for 2 months in Thailand. God is using these trips to show our students that He wants them to be part of becoming the Micornesian mission force - their worldview is growing! If you feel that the Lord wishes you to be part of the answer to their prayers you can send checks to PIBC at P.O. Box 22619, Barrigada, GU 96921.

TRACS Accreditation Team Visit

2009-05-26T20:42:00.004+10:00

PIBC enjoys the privileges of being a fully accredited educational institution through TRACS. Every so many years the school undergoes a reviewing process to make sure we are continuing to uphold the high standards necessary to provide the best Christian education possible. It also permits our students to receive the financial aid they need through US Pel Grants. The team that arrived all work at other Christian colleges and are committed to helping fellow schools to be the best they can be.
Most of the team flew in from the US mainland (one came from Saipan) and inspite of jet-lag worked very hard during the 4 days the
they were with us. They left us with commendations (jobs well done), recommendations (things that must be done) and suggestions (ideas that might help). Most of the recommendations can be accomplished with minimal effort. A couple of them will involve hiring for a few key staff positions. Steve's area of responsibility in Advancement and Fund Development for the college will be directly involved in fulfilling these positions and he would appreciate your prayers as he seeks the Lord's provision through gifts and grants for the school. The picture to the left is of the TRACS team and some of the PIBC faculty and staff. Can you find both of us?

Death and Life

2009-05-26T20:05:00.003+10:00

Sunday morning May 17th as several of us from PIBC
were just starting Sunday School, we received a call
from Tim and Melody, our fellow Liebenzell missionaries and co-workers at PIBC. They had just gotten
a call from their oldest daughter with news no parent ever wants to hear. Their second daughter had been murdered. So once again, the PIBC family had to face the
reality of life and death for the second time in two weeks. Again we grieve together; this time the tragic circumstances make it a bit harder to bear, but Tim and Melody know that their daughter gave her life to Christ and is with Him and freed from the things she struggled with in this life. Please pray for them as they, and their third daughter, Erin, (who has been teaching at Bethania Christian High School for Girls in Palau for the last two years) leave for the States in the morning and prepare to bury their daughter/sister. They are so grateful for the prayers and love of the saints who have surrounded them with the love of Christ. Melody said the other day, "I do not know how people face these things without Christ." Neither do we.

Minutes before we received this call, Dave and
Joyce Owen, (our PIBC president and wife) had
announced that their 3rd grandchild was on the
way into this world. They received this picture several hours later of Milo Draven Owen, born to their oldest son, Matt, and his wife Kristen.
Congratulations to all!

We are reminded that men and women are born and then leave this world again so shortly. We only have a short time to make choices whose consequences are eternal. We must love those around us enough to share the eternal hope of forgiveness and salvation that is available to all
who believe and receive Christ Jesus (John1:12)

Wedding Bells at PIBC

2009-05-26T19:46:00.003+10:00

On May 16th, 4 days after graduation our Valedictorian, Sonny (from Yap) married Elilai (from Palau and raised on Guam) another of our PIBC students. It was a wonderful ceremony and celebration held at the Palauan Evangelical Church on Guam. One of the symbolic events in their wedding was the pouring of two colors of sand together into one container. This was to show the blending of two cultures, two families, and two people into one in Christ. Pray for this young couple as they seek to glorify Christ in their marriage. Unlike most Micronesians Sonny and Elilai took the time to prepare for marriage through extensive pre-marital counseling with their pastor and to have a public church wedding to proclaim their vows before God and men. We are so very happy for them. They will continue to live on Guam while Elilai finishes up her degree at PIBC.

PIBC Graduation Day - May 12, 2009

2009-05-14T05:09:00.007+10:00

On Guam, we never have a dull moment. Graduation gowns were ordered in plenty of time to arrive on island for our graduation. But all that arrived was the diploma covers and the valedictorian's stole. Each day we'd check the mail - nothing. Finally, we realized we needed a Plan B. Joyce Owen began calling alumni to ask to borrow gowns and caps for the occasion. Our alumni came through. But we still needed tassels. The only tassels we could find were small and royal blue (the school colors are hunter green and gold). So how do we make them work? A craft box of ribbons and some creative thinking by a group of students and staff came to the rescue and we were set. Remember the missionary motto: BE FLEXIBLE!!! (For pictures of this process click on the link to Melissa Heck's blog in the right hand column of this page.)

But the Lord's presence was very much a part of the day and that is what made it so very special. Steve first met our valedictorian, Sonny, when he took our Astumbo Community Church Youth Group to Yap years ago. Sonny was 10! What a privilege it has been to see God's work in the lives of many of our students for even longer than the years they have been at PIBC. In many cases our current students are the children of those we saw come to the Lord in the early years of ministry here in Micronesia. What a faithful God we serve!!!!

The picture above is of Lydia, one of our students from Yap. She is decked out with more than 10 lbs of leis made of flowers, candy, money, yarn and soda can tabs and more. This is a very common tradition among the islanders and we are always amazed by it. We have seen students who could not even see through the stack of leis around their necks and heads. Their caps seemed to be floating on top of a stack of leis. Lydia has probably as many on her arms as she has around her neck. Breathing was easier that way!

This is the last graduating class of Pacific Islands Bible College. In July, we become Pacific Islands University which will include the Bible College, our seminary, and a liberal arts college. More on what the Lord is doing in that area in later posts.

Here are some more great pictures from our graduation that appeared in the Pacific Daily News.

In Memory of...

2009-05-06T18:22:00.002+10:00

Kathy Newell, the Education and English Language Acquisition professor at PIBC, went to be with the Lord this morning. [You can find more details on Kathy by clicking on the PIBC link to the right side of the screen.] As you can imagine, the entire PIBC family and many others on our island are in shock and are grieving. Please pray as the Lord leads you for the Lord to be glorified and people to come to Christ as the reasons she lived are shared in memorial services, for the students as they try and finish up their final exams, for those finishing up her responsibilities, and for the faculty and staff as we finish up the semester and prepare for the accreditation team arriving in less than 2 weeks. We rejoice that she has finished the race set before her and she is face to face with Jesus, yet there is a huge hole in our hearts because we miss her already. Yet the Lord in His mercy knew we'd be grieving today and led our president, Dave Owen, to share a message at chapel yesterday on trusting the Lord even when things don't make sense. Many have commented today on how timely that message was even though this application was not even thought of yesterday. Thank you Holy Spirit for being our comforter and guide in all things.

Thailand Mission Team

2009-05-05T21:12:00.002+10:00

We thank the Lord for providing the airfare for our third team from PIBC to Thailand this summer. They will be in the country for 2 months as they continue working along side of the Thai Campus Crusade staff. This year the team is being lead by Kalvin, a PIBC almuni and now assistant dean of men. They have been getting ready in many ways: being faithful in their studies and personal relationship with Christ, learning to share the Gospel with those with Buddist backgrounds, talking about culture, language and food (picture above was take at a field trip to a Thai resturant for a "taste test"), praying, and trusting the Lord for the funds for the trip (this has included doing work projects and car washes). Pray with them for a speedy issuing of their visas, for the funds for their in-country expenses, and for a fruitful ministry while in Thailand. It is our prayer that the Lord will raise up full-time missionaries for Thailand and other countries from among those that go on these mission trips.

Worship with a beat!

2009-04-27T16:21:00.004+10:00

Steve walked into the worship practice for our campus chapel services the other day and told the guys that they were doing a good job, but the sound would be much better if they only had drums. They all agreed and said "if only" with a sigh. Then Steve told them to follow him to his office. Waiting there was a digital drum set. You never saw such huge grins on the faces of those young men!!! This week Steve will begin teaching those who want to learn to play.

Meanwhile he has had fun playing with the guys for the last couple of chapels. Thanks Galley's for making this possible.

PIBC DAYS

2009-04-23T19:36:00.009+10:00

PIBC Days (April 3-5 this year) is a celebration of what God has done over the years since the school started in 1976 as Micronesian Institute of Biblical Studies. Preparations begin when a theme is chosen and the students and faculty and staff are divided into 3 teams. This year's theme was 1 Timothy 4:12 - "Let no one look down on your youthfulness, but rather in speech, conduct, love, faith, and purtiy, show yourself an example of those who believe." The teams were given the Greek names of the words love (Agape), faith (Pistis), and purity (Hagneia). Each team is in charge of preparing an evening program. this includes decorating the main classroom, [Part of the Pistis team doing a worship song to motions] preparing worship, music specials, skits, [Hagneia doing a funny skit called the Holy Spirit Power Wash which had a serious meaning of the importance of walking in the power of the Holy Spirit.], and a message that is centered around the chosen theme of the year.

[Harold Gorgous, Liebenzell Mission area director, speaking on Faith]

During 2 of the days there are sports tournaments - basketball for the guys and volleyball for the gals -[Team Agape claimed the volleyball championship]

and a day of field games.

[Agape vs Pistas in the Tug of War - Students trying to find a bit of shade - Jens (administrative director) and Lydia(a senior from Yap) judging a race - notice the blue, blue ocean behind them.]

and food [Maybelline and Me You getting ready to enjoy the local cuisine.] Our team was Hagneia Here we are gathered together for a group shot.

We laughed, played and embraced the Lord together. What a sweet experience.

Beauty around the Island

2009-04-07T07:52:00.009+10:00

We thought you'd like to see a bit more of our island home.

This time of year Guam is bursting with color as many of our plants are in bloom. The flowers are on our campus. (Row 1: Pink Plumeria -- Double Lacy Hibiscus -- Bouganvilla -- Row 2: Rock formations --Coral on the beach -- Pandanus or Walking Tree

The Pandanus Tree is very unique and useful. Its leaves are very strong and used for the weaving of mats, hats, purses, etc. But what makes this tree so unique is that it can actually move itself! See the long roots that are above ground. If the tree is not getting enough sunlight it will send out new roots in the direction of the sunlight and over time move itself to a better spot. It's large round fruit can grow to the size of a basketball!

And then there is the way that our Lord "paints the sky" every morning and evening. Truly His creation shouts daily His glory to all who "have ears to hear".

Film Making at PIBC

2009-04-05T08:29:00.007+10:00

Part of Steve's job in the areas of Human Resources and Fund Development for PIBC is to create promotional materials. Our friend Ken Rife, who teaches film making and photography at Columbia International Universtiy in SC, volunteered to come out during his spring break to help with this project. He also brought along his daughter, Janae (a freshman at CIU) to be his assistant.
They spent many hours filming interviews with students, facutly, staff, local board members, pastors, and members of the community. They also filmed just about every aspect of life at PIBC that they could get that happen the the last week of March. Here Ken is getting ready to interview Hiob our Dean of Men in our lovey outside "studio" under the spreading palms of our campus.

The last day Ken and Janae were on island we spent taking them around the island to get scenic shots. It was a gorgeous Guam day! Here Janae is getting flower shots and grand vista shots from Two Lovers Point.

Ken is at Tanguisan Beach taking pictures of the beautiful tree and coral covered coast line down the beach (You'll have to wait for the promo videos to be done to see what he was filming.)Notice the very, calm, very blue ocean in the background

One of the highlights of Janae's stay was being able to stay in the dorm with the girls. They embraced her as only Micronesian girls can do and she was also presented with her own Chuukese skirt. She is pictured here with Evelyn (our "daughter" and PIBC professor) modeling their skirts.

Thanks Ken and Janae for all your very hard work and maintaining an insane schedule for the week. We look forward to seeing the fruits of your labors.

We'll be praying for you as you produce these materials to further the training of Micronesian nationals to reach out in their own islands and into the 10/40 Window of Asia.

AWANA Night

2009-03-29T06:14:00.002+10:00

On Mar. 15th Anne had the privilege of being the guest missionary speaker for one of the AWANA clubs on Island. Even though these children live in our "mission field" many are not aware of life on other islands. She told them that sometimes when sharing the Gospel you have to do things to bridge cultures that are "strange" to you. She had the kids sit in a position that Steve was once required to sit in for over 3 hours without moving. By being willing to do this, he was able to share the Gospel with the men of an "unreached island" and secure an invitation to send back a full time national worker to live among them. Eventually half of that island's population gave their lives to Christ and a church was planted.

On Mar. 24th Anne was also given the opportunity to be the guest speaker for the Women's Ministry class at PIBC. Her assigned topic was The Authority of Scripture in Daily Living. This is one of her favorite things to share with people! Why? Because it is through the daily choices we make to apply the living word of God that our lives are transformed bit by bit. God's word is so practical and is truly able to judge the thoughts and intentions of our hearts (Heb.4:12) and to teach, reprove, correct and train us in righteous living (2 Tim3:16-17).

Meet a few of our students

2009-03-08T22:24:00.002+10:00

Last Friday, Melody Plaxton, our academic dean, wandered around campus taking the pictures of a few of our students and asking them what they would be doing this weekend . You can view the results of her informal interviews on her blog site by clicking on "Tim and Melody Plaxton" in the right hand column of this blog or going to www.plaxtonsonguam.blogspot.com and reading the entry for March 5, 2009.

On the personal side, On Saturday we painted the house we will be staying in and today we enjoyed worshipping our Lord with the body of Christ meeting at Bayview. Steve was able to play with the worship band. Those of you who know how much he loves to drum, know what pure worship that is for him! This evening we joined the staff and faculty team for an evening of prayer. A great way to end the day and start a new week.

This year is accrediation review year for PIBC. Please be praying for those on our staff that are finishing up the accreditation review reports that need to be turned in by this coming Sunday. This is a huge job that has been added to the responsibilities of already over worked coworkers. The visiting accreditation team will be heading to Guam in May. To read more about this you can click on "Dave and Joyce Owen" at the right side of the screen and read the last several posts.

Settling into life on Guam and at PIBC

2009-03-03T22:47:00.021+10:00

HOME

God in His very special ways has provided this home for us to live in for a time here on Guam. We are most grateful. We are helping the landlords with some inside renovations which include, scraping and painting, a and deep cleaning necessary because of water pipes breaking in the house. Anne and Joyce are pictured here packing dishes and beginning the cleaning process. Below Kinay (pronounced Kane-knee) in the foreground and Delight (Evelyn's husband) are helping to scrape the paint that is peeling from most of the ceilings. What would we have done if it were not for their strong, young, arms! Thank guys, you are greatly appreciated.

OUR TEAM

We are also settling back into the family here at PIBC. Several times a month the staff and faculty meet for worship, prayer and fellowship. These are special times for all of us and keep us focused on why we are doing what we are doing and the One who is the accomplisher of all that will last for eternity. Pictured here on the left is a portion of the team (some were unable to be at our last gathering).

One of the hard things about life on Guam is continual going and coming of people to the Island. Two of those people have become very dear to us over the last 3 years. Hollie Schaub, who has been Steve's right and left arms in the ministry here and her husband Aaron a Navy helicopter pilot. They have served the Lord well during their stay on Guam. But alas, the Navy has sent Aaron to his next duty station in Corpus Christie,Tx. and Hollie will follow in 3 weeks after she finishes compiling information for her master's thesis. They will be sorely missed!!!!!

We also had the great joy in hosting newly-weds Julie and Jordan Morris on their very long layovers between Guam and Palau. Julie is the daughter of our former Campus Crusade teammates Dan and Kaylynn Mills now serving at the South Pacific CCC headquarters in New Zealand. Jordan is a New Zealander. Anne was able to spend a few hours showing them where Julie use to live and some of the places her family frequented when they lived on Island. Congratulations to you both and may the Lord give you many wonderful years together serving Him.

OUR COMMUNITY GROUP
All of the staff, faculty, and students at PIBC Guam are divided into community groups, which are small groups that meet regularly for fun, fellowship, and sharing with and caring for each other. This last Sunday Hollie sponsored our group onto Andersen Air Force Base's Tarague Beach (one of the best beaches on the Island). We enjoyed the incredible vistas, the roar of the blue, blue surf (no swimming due to jelly fish floating in), food, laughs, singing and just getting to know each other a bit better. Below left is the view of the northern coast-line as the road winds down the side of the cliff. And on the right are several of our community group members getting ready to enjoy our meal. The islands of Palau, Yap, and Chuuk (both lagoon islands and outer islands) are represented in our very intercultural group. It is wonderful to see the uniting of hearts as the cultures of all are laid aside for the fellowship we share as children of the King of Kings! Pray with us that more and more this will be the one of the very real testimonies that Christ's Spirit is at work in the lives of the whole PIBC family. P.S. Please forgive the layout problems this looks one way when I lay it out and completely different when I posted it. It is late and this will at least let you all know what we have been doing. You are appreciated greatly for all your prayer and support for us and the peoples of the Northern Pacific.

An Errand Morning on Guam or an OOG Day (Only On Guam)

2009-02-19T11:06:00.005+10:00

This morning I set out for what should have been a short 4-stop errand trip. But as we always tell people new to the Island, figure out how much time it should take and then at least triple it and be ready for anything along the way. I was glad I had remembered that piece of advice myself.

Stop One - Post Office in Yigo (northern most village). I have a small package to mail and take it to the counter. "I'm sorry but you will have to take your package to Payless (the grocery store?) to mail this package. We don't have any stamps." (This is the US Post Office isn't it?). I find out that he means the private mail box shop next to the grocery store. I decide not to go there because they charge extra for their stamps.

Stop Two - The gas station. (Easy enough right? ) I have a nice conversation with the attendant filling my tank and find out he is the son of one of our PIBC board members. Then I go to pay for my gas with the brand new credit card Steve just picked up from the bank yesterday. "Sorry, but your account is blocked." (Already? It was just issued yesterday. What could have happened? Oh well one of my stops is the bank anyway. I'll use an alternative payment now.)

Stop Three - Best stop of the day. I am taking something for Steve to his doctor (who is also a friend). I'm having trouble finding a parking spot, but find one and as I start walking towards the clinic I see his doctor walking across the parking lot from the hospital. Perfect! I can skip all the explanation to the nurses inside. Yeah!!

Stop Four - Bank. I explain that my brand new credit card is not working. She remembers Steve being in there yesterday and issuing my card. She checks. "Oh my. Your new card was blocked because of a breech on some of the bank's accounts sometime yesterday and yours was one of the cards frozen for security reasons. (Ok) We will issue you another new card and you can get it in another 3-5 business days. (The cards Steve picked up yesterday were to be done in 3-5 business days - and that only took 21 days!) I'm so sorry." (She is very helpful and it is not her fault, so I thank her for her help.) So now my 2nd order of business - new pin numbers for both of us. "I'm sorry but you can only order yours. Steve will have to come down or call in himself. (Can't we use the same pin numbers since its the same account? "No" is the answer.) And that will take 3-5 business days if you pick them up here yourself." (By this time I'm laughing and feeling more at home once again - believe or not these quirks grow on you.) Then we do the paper work to shut down my already stopped brand new card permanently. (I thank her again and head out, with "I'll see you in 3-5 business days.")

Stop Five (the extra stop)- another Post Office. All goes fine with the exception of a very long line that is moving very slowly. But that is ok too, because all in line are being entertained by a new born infant and another one-year old girl who is facinated by the baby and keeps calling out to the baby and saying "baby" at the top of her lungs.

I finally make it back to Yigo to pick up Steve after stopping at just about every red light coming and going. Years ago that would have been 3 or 4 lights. Today it was more than twenty!!! But I was greatful for the extra time to listen and join in the praise music playing on the CD as I made my way up and down Marine Corps Dr. (that's right, it is not just Marine Drive anymore). In spite of the challenges of doing the "dailies", it is truly a priviledge to be able to serve the Lord on this Island.

Other recent events

2009-02-18T09:59:00.005+10:00

We had only been back on Guam one week when people began arriving from off -island for the Annual PIBC Board Meetings. They came from the US, Germany, Palau, Yap, & Chuuk. Steve participated in these meetings when they discussed areas for which he is responsible. Anne & Joyce with the assistance of May & Judy helped make sure meals were ready and in place for the Board Members. Bill Schuit, the US Global Ministries Director from Schooley's Mt., commented that Anne was still doing the same thing on this side of the ocean that she was doing in NJ - setting up meals for guests. He was right! The picture below was taken after the Board Members attended Chapel on campus. It pictures most of the students who live on the Guam campus, faculty & staff, and board members. Can you find Steve? Anne and Joyce are not in the picture because they were getting lunch ready for our hungry Board Members.

For you Calvary members who built this basketball court you can see it now has "bleachers" and really is the center of many activities on campus. Yes, a basketball court can serve eternal purposes! The building behind the court is currently being renovated for use as the computer lab.
We have a great team here on Guam, trusting the Lord together for the building of godly character and witness in the lives of our students. Last Friday night those of us who report to Liebenzell as our sending mission met at the Wood's home (which has a fantastic view of almost the entire west coast of Guam) for fellowship and an update from Martin, who is Global Missions Director for all of Liebenzell world-wide. It was good to hear what the Lord is doing around the world. Thanks Martin! Below Steve & Martin enjoy some great food - jerk chicken and ribs!As we were waiting for all to arrive, Anne and Marisol were watching Amelia look for fish in the Wood's pond. She was hoping to catch one and take it home to the family fish tank. But the fish proved too elusive for us this day. Better fishing next time.
Pray for the students at PIBC to not only desire to follow the Lord but to actually take the harder steps to choose to follow with a whole heart daily.

Around the Island

2009-02-17T19:31:00.006+10:00

One of Anne's favorite things to do is to show off the beauty and history of Guam to those new to the Island. Last Wednesday, while Steve was participating in parts of the annual PIBC Board Meetings, she had the pleasure of being "tour guide" to PIBC's Micronesian History class. They had been studying the ancient history and Spanish history of Guam and what better way to learn it than to head off to the sites they'd been studying about.

We started with the Plaza de Espania - the site of the remains of the seat of Spanish government. (Anne is the one on the far left of the picture looking up at an original Spanish seal.) Stop two was across the street at the huge latte stones thought to be foundations of ancient Chamorro home. (Though this is a picture of a latte stone from the island of Saipan, ) Then we headed south and saw two original bridges built about 200 years ago along the Spanish "freeway" from Umatac to Hagatna. Our longest stop was at Ft. Soledad, a Spanish fort that over looks the bay in Umatac where Magellan first landed in Guam. The students explored the ruins and 3 of them rode a carabao (water buffalo species brought to Guam by the Spanish). Here's Joyce (a fellow missionary taking this class) enjoying her ride. There was lots of laughing by all at the "fastest horse on Guam" or "the best 4x4" on Guam" depending on your perspective - ie. the carabao. Next we saw the Bell Tower in Merizo and then we made a special stop at the remains of the first Protestant church in the village of Inarajan. We also saw grinding stones and more latte stones left by early Chamorros. Pictographs are part of just about every culture and even on Guam they can be found in Gadao's (a former island chief) cave. We made the short hike to see these. It always amazes me that they have lasted so long since the cave is right on the water and must fill when there are storms. Between all the stops we enjoyed many beautiful vistas as we drove. What a wonderful day! We'd love to show you each around in person!

Please remember to pray for many of the Chamorro people of Guam who still do not understand that they can have a personal relationship with our Lord in spite of being surrounded by the glory of God's creation.

What were all those beads for?

2009-02-07T17:52:00.007+10:00

Some of you know that we had been asked to find and send hundreds of packages of beads in many colors to Guam during our last few weeks in the US. At first we didn't know what they were for. Then we learned that they were to be used for a celebration in Chuuk later this summer. Finally we saw a few of the finished products and want you to see too.

(Anne & Evelyn with just a few of the bead leis)

These are bead leis created by Puluwat Islanders. Originally these were made from colorful shells and the patterns are clan related. The same patterns are used in these bead leis and others are new designs based on old themes. Evelyn and her relatives are making lots and lots of these for a celebration in honor of a relative. The beads are strung on curling ribbon we use for presents without a needle and there may be as many as 21 strands of ribbon used in one of the more elaborate leis. Thank you to those who helped look for lime green pony beads at Walmarts across the country.

Getting Resettled

2009-02-07T17:04:00.006+10:00

In the week we have been back on island we have started to reconnect with many friends and co-workers. Thank you all for the warm Island Welcome; you had both of us choked up with your love for us. You really blessed our hearts.

Last Sunday we even had the chance to hike to one of the Guam sites that we've never had to opportunity to see in all these years since it is located on the Naval Base and access is limited - The Spanish Steps.

(Anne is the one at the top of the rope)

These steps were built about 300 years ago by the Spanish to get to a well at the bottom of the cliff. Some of the steps actually remain. Where the steps are missing there is a path and ropes to assist in decent and ascent of the cliff. At the bottom the remnants of the well remain and after a short hike through the jungle you emerge on a rocky beach in a secluded cove.

The water was crystal clear and even with out a mask and snorkel the many colorful corals and fish could be seen. It was well worth the hike and the fellowship was great with old and new friends alike.

(Steve with old and new friends - Anne by Steve's left ear)

Steve returned to his duties at PIBC immediately and has spent much of the week with PIBC's fund development consultant, Mickey Beckham, who is visiting Guam and Palau for 10 days.

Anne has been spearheading the resettlement plan, which is quite different this time. We have decided to keep renting our home to Evelyn & Delight (our Chuukese daughter and her husband) and find an apartment that is closer to the PIBC campus. We will make a decision between two options in the next couple of days. Pray with us that the Lord will make it clear which option will work best for us.

Because we did not know how long we would be off island with Steve's eye situation, we sold our car. Therefore this week has also lead us on an adventure to locate a good used car. We were excited to find a '99 RAV4 with very low mileage and in great condition to buy at a very good price (even the insurance person said we got a good deal). Our car is unique also. We are the third owners of this car that did not start its life on Guam, but in Saudia Arabia. On the side mirrors the warning that cars are closer than they appear to be is written in Arabic and the speedometer is in kilometers only! An international car for an international family - it fits.

Pray for us as we continue to settle in an seek the Lord for the specifics of our roles here in the ministry of our Lord through PIBC.

Pray too for the formation of the student team that will be headed to Thailand this summer and for all that will be involved in them getting there.

WE'RE BACK

2009-01-30T03:37:00.002+10:00

After an airline flight that felt like it was going to last forever and ever, we stepped off the plane, gathered our luggage, and stepped into a hugh crowd in the arrival area, and were immediately surrounded by smiles, hugs, laughter, tears, and praise to the Father for bringing us back! (You can read several reports about the event itself by clicking on the links to the side, or on these links - Dave and Joyce Owen, Ned and Marisol Farnsworth, or Melissa Heck). They have many pictures which you can enjoy. Anne and I were both overwhelmed, to say the least. This return journey has been the most dificult ever for us, mainly because we were feeling sadness at leaving behind so may people we loved. When we arrived, the Lord reminded us, "See? There are many people here who love you too." The welcome filled the sad spots in our hearts. We still love and miss the ones we love in the States, but now have a realization of God's supernatural love and power that remains with us. We'll have to trust the Lord to fill in the gaps for you, as these words don't begin to describe it all. We thank God for His love flowing through you.

2009-01-29T07:08:00.004+10:00

Here is a post I "borrowed" from colleague Dave Owen's blog:

We make a lot of trips to the airport to see people off (sad goodbyes) and to welcome new and old friends to the islands (yea!). Last night was one of the happy trips to the airport as we welcomed back our long-time colleagues and friends Steve and Anne Stinnette.

They left over 18 months ago for medical reasons and for Steve to finish his Master's degree. With a close to miraculous remedy for Steve's eye and the degree completed, Steve and Anne are back to resume their ministries at PIBC.

In the short term, Steve will be focusing on his VP of Advancement (fund raising and recruiting) position, but will also be heading up our student life department. Anne will begin working in the office, but will also be working with the young ladies on campus. Steve and Anne have had a long time ministry on Guam and it was exciting to see how many of their old friends came to meet them at the airport. The students greeted them with a welcome song and there were lots of hugs. After the airport we headed to King's Restaurant so Steve could get some Chamorro Food.

We are glad to have them back and I know their Micronesian hearts are very happy to be back. Steve even jumped right back in to a planning meeting this morning. We are praying for quick recovery from jetlag and would appreciate you praying along with us that they will be able to settle back into island life, get moving logistics taken care of (mail, car, house etc) and that God will use them mightily as they minister here. Thank you Daisy for the pictures!

PREPARATIONS FOR GOING BACK TO GUAM

2008-11-25T07:16:00.002+10:00

It does look like we'll be leaving pretty soon to go back to Micronesia. We only need $200 more in monthly support, plus a car. We are praying for either the finances to buy a car when we get to Guam, or if the Lord provides one here in the States, we would drive it to California, and ship it to Guam.

We have not purchased our tickets yet, but we should be doing that in the next few days.

We mailed 22 boxes to Guam three weeks ago, so there is evidence we are really actually leaving soon!

NO LAPTOP, NO PICTURES!

2008-11-25T06:55:00.002+10:00

As you may have suspected, we survived the frozen typhoon with only a little difficulty! Four days without heat, power, or water (especially hot water) has made us appreciate heat, power, and water (especially hot water)! We successfully moved down from Schooley's Mountain after some sad good-byes, and landed in Virginia, where...

...one day later, we were off to Nashville, Tennessee, where Steve had meetings with PIBC's President, Dave Owen and Liebenzell Mission's Global Missions Director, Bill Schuit. They were in town attending a conference sponsored by PIBC's accrediting agency, TRACS. We stayed with my brother, Sam and wife Nancy, and their two adopted Chinese children, Samuel and Rebekah. We had a great time with them! Back to Virginia, where...

...one day later, Steve was off for Winston-Salem and Clemmons, NC, where he met Dave again, and together they went to Columbia International University in Columbia, South Carolina, to meet with faculty and graduating seniors about the possibility of coming to PIBC for ministry. Back to Virginia, where...

...one day later, both of us take off for Elizabeth City, NC, to visit one of our supporting churches, Weeksville Community Church, and long-time friends, Greg and Melanie Owens. We had another great time! Back to Virginia, where...

...it's today! But tomorrow, one day later, we take off again, this time to spend the Thanksgiving holidays with our son, Jason, wife Kristy, and daughter Kelsey.

Now the reason this entry is labeled "NO LAPTOP, NO PICTURES" is because my laptop broke - literally. It broke at the hinge, with plastic pieces falling off and stuff hanging all out. So, no laptop, no pictures. And we have some good ones, too. As soon as the Lord provides me with another laptop, I'll post some (I did manage to save everything on an external hard drive before the great break occurred)! But many, many thanks to my mother-in-law, who is letting me use her MAC.

FROZEN TYPHOON!

2008-10-31T08:15:00.002+10:00

When we woke up Tuesday morning, it was snowing. We were surprised. Everyone else was, too. And caught off guard. But the adventure was only beginning! The snow turned into a once-every-decade blizzard! You see, we live at the top of a mountain, which is higher in elevation than the surrounding areas. When there is bad weather, we generally experience the worst of it. And this was to be one of those times. We stared in awe as it snowed and snowed and snowed.

As we were walking back to our little apartment from our regular noon-time prayer with the Global Mission staff here, we could hear trees and large branches snap, pop, and crack under the weight of the newly formed snow.

Because the trees had not yet lost their leaves, they acted as gloves, and caught the snow as it fell. For many trees, the weight of the snow became too heavy, and they fell to the ground, each sounding like a rifle shot as they broke. It sounded like a battle outside, as shot after shot echoed through the woods. And the snow piled higher and higher. All over the mountain, hundreds and thousands of trees and branches crashed, some on power lines.

A typical scene around the Liebenzell Headquarters property the next morning.

Notice the large branches on the power lines and on the ground. This scene is behind our little apartment. Two and a half days later, nothing's changed. At noon, our power went off. At 2:00 in the afternoon, Anne and I ventured outside to measure what turned out to be 11 1/2 inches of snow - and it was still coming down hard.

Here is Anne with a 12 inch ruler.

Anne after placing the 12 inch ruler into the snow next to her. See the top? Only 1/2 inch is sticking up. Eventually, we lost our water. Then as evening fell, 45 to 50 MPH winds started whipping through - just like in Guam when a typhoon blows through! Only this time, IT WAS COLD!!! FREEZING!!!

Staying warm has been on our minds the most since last Tuesday. So we slept that night under all the blankets we could find, and in as many clothes as we felt comfortable. In the morning, when it's cold outside the blankets, and there's no heat in the house, most people will get up and build a fire in the fireplace. We don't have one! The only way we can stay warm is to throw on a few more clothes. Eventually, we even throw on the winter coat, the stocking cap (called by some a toboggan), gloves, and a scarf. And at some times since then, we've passed the time reading while sitting on a coach under a blanket.

So, it's been a little bit of a challenge to stay warm enough to keep on packing, find a way to eat, while trying to stay warm. And did we mention trying to stay warm?

So, there's been a small number of us here on the mountain who have spent time searching for a way down the mountain and a place with the Internet. A way down was found the next day. But it's taken a little while longer to find the Internet. Bill Schuit, our Global Missions Director, just called a few minutes ago with the word, "There's a warm fire in the fireplace and the Internet at Panera Bread at..." then he names the place. It's not too far away. So we jump in the car. wind our way down the mountain, and here we are! We still don't have power, water, or heat, but we have plenty of God's grace to keep us going!

We're planning to move down off the mountain this weekend to Virginia to begin our slow crawl back to Micronesia. Who knows, maybe we'll even have a chance to get a warm shower before we leave!

Where Did This Come From?

2008-10-28T23:45:00.003+10:00

So you can imagine our surprise when we woke up this morning and looked out the window to see it snowing like crazy! We were just beginning to enjoy the colorful leaves of the Fall season when Winter shows up!

This is what it looked like around here last week when we went biking along a lazy river just down the mountain where we live. But no more! You'll have to forgive us if we seem overly amazed. As ones who have lived in the tropics of the Pacific for the last 30 years, snow seems so unreal. We still have to get used to it.

Packing Out

2008-10-28T23:24:00.003+10:00

The time has arrived for us to pack up and ship out! At least, from Schooley's Mountain. We spent practically all day yesterday packing and boxing and taping and addressing. If you've read a copy of our last prayer-news update, you know that we plan to move down from the Liebenzell Mission headquarters here on Schooley's Mountain to Daleville, Virginia, for the last two months of our stay in the States. This is an approximate time table only. Steve is done with his degree and his eye issues are under control. So we've decided it would be better to move closer to our families, friends, supporters and supporting churches before heading back to Guam. We also need to concentrate on raising the remaining support we need, and it's easier to do that when we're closer to the people who know us and our ministry a little bit better. We have wonderful supporters - supporters who give, not only their finances, but also their time, ideas, commitment and love. We appreciate them very much.

Links to Bryan College Chapel Messages

2008-09-27T06:23:00.002+10:00

While Steve was at Bryan College two weeks ago, he spoke in their chapel services, once on September 8 and once on September 10. If you would like to listen to those messages, just click on either of the above highlighted dates, and you will be directed to the Bryan College website where you can then download the message to your computer, or click the play button to begin listening.

What's Steve Been Doing #3

2008-09-23T18:51:00.010+10:00

My most recent trip was to Bryan College, in Dayton, Tennessee. This was one of my most favorite ministry activities of my entire time here in the States. I simply love visiting the Bryan College campus. I was invited down by long-time friend Matt Benson, the Director for Spiritual Formation there. Bryan College has sent out two mission teams to Micronesia in the past years. We even have a Bryan College student doing a 4-month ministry internship with our PIBC missionary in Palau, Rob Watt (see below in "What's Steve Been Doing #1"). This is also the school Amy first attended before she was diagnosed with Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. The campus is beautiful, nestled among mountains, and is itself located on a mountain. I always enjoy my time here.

Here is Matt (left), along with two of his three staff, Bryan graduates Danielle Rebman and Jessica Hundley. Jessica's boyfriend Joel, also a Bryan grad, is at the right.This is the third staff, another Bryan grad, Ben Norquist, with his expecting wife Ariel. Ben and our Amy were classmates several years ago, and met on a mission trip to Spain and Morocco. Ben invited me to speak in one of the classes he teaches, a Worldview class, which compares and contrasts differing worldviews with the biblical worldview. My stories from Micronesia provided a real life context for many of the concepts there were learning. Together, Matt's team is responsible for creating an atmosphere for spiritual formation in the lives of the Bryan students, mainly through chapel programs, student-led ministries (local and international), and student-led small groups with incoming Freshman. They train student leaders to assist other students in growing spiritually. One of the reasons Matt invited me down was to speak in a couple of their chapel services.

My theme was "The Power and Beauty of the Gospel" as lived out in the context of my life and ministry in Micronesia. I taught on 2 Timothy 2:15 illustrated with lots of stories about life and ministry in Micronesia. Real-life story lines, especially from the mission field, grab attention and provide the context for memorable application of biblical truths against the backdrop of post-modernism.

The auditorium was filled with 750 students and faculty. The second day was a great challenge for me because I had an enormous headache that kept competing with my concentration and focus. But the Lord proved He was the dominant power. My favorite part of the whole trip was interacting with students and faculty alike afterwards in the dining room as we ate lunch and discussed spiritual issues together.

Some of you will recognize Pam Davis at the left. She was one of the Bryan students who came to Micronesia on its first mission trip in 2004. She returned to Bryan, graduated, and came back to teach English at PIBC in Guam and on our Tol island campus for one year. She's currently pursuing her Master's degree and is teaching at Bryan's writing center. Here she is seated with three other Bryan faculty. One of the other things I enjoyed was interacting with Bryan's President, Steven Livesay, Academic VP, Cal White, and the Development Director, Jim Barth. They provided great fellowship and insight into improving our operations at PIBC. One of the things we talked about was inviting Bryan faculty to take a sabbatical and come teach at PIBC for a semester or a year.

I can't tell you how blessed and excited I was to see Emily Cook, a 2007 Bryan grad who also came to Micronesia on the 2004 mission trip. A Freshman at the time, Emily shared with me about her spiritual journey since that time of discovering God's goodness. She has since graduated, has spent 6 months in Peru teaching missionary children, and is back in the Dayton community following hard after God's heart and teaching English as a Second Language in a local school. I stayed with Matt and his wife, Melody (and their two sons, Jonathan and Joshua, and as of yet a third child, an unborn daughter!) in their home. My last evening there found me on their back, screened-in porch, amongst 15 or so student ministry leaders. I was asked to share with them a little bit about how they could develop leaders under them to take responsibility for their ministries after they graduate next year, since they are mostly seniors. Again, I cannot possibly communicate with you all the excitement and joy I experienced sharing what I have been learning in the mission field with the Bryan community, and all that I learned from them.

When my time was done, I boarded a plane and headed once again to Winston-Salem and Clemmons, North Carolina. My main purpose was to meet with a fund raising consultant to discuss a plan for private funding for PIBC. Then I met Walter and Teresa Falardeau for lunch at Salem Village. It was Walter's birthday. No age given!

And helped celebrate Anna Mayer's 13th birthday (she's in the green jacket next to me) with her family.

And Sonia Talato's birthday with her family and friend, Jeanne Runyun. Again, no age given!

What's Steve Been Doing #2?

2008-09-23T04:05:00.007+10:00

One of the things I also did was attend a Fund Raising Conference sponsored by PIBC's accrediting agency, TRACCS, in Lynchburg, VA. PIBC needs to expand it's base of private funding and this conference provided some training on how to begin thinking about this.

We had another visitor from Guam - this time our daughter Evelyn came. She was here to take her final comprehensive exams for her Master's degree at Liberty University in Lynchburg. She studies and prayed and studied and prayed some more...and passed! We're proud of her. While she was here, we took her to New York City...

The skyline from a boat on our way to Staten Island.

After our arrival at Penn Station, Evelyn stands in front of her favorite store (way in the background) - Macy's!

At McDonald's inside Macy's.

Anne and Evelyn in front of a small waterfall in the plaza at Rockefeller Center.

Now I don't want to lose you here. It gets little complicated, but here goes. Even though the eye doctor has released me from seeing her and has given me clearance to return to Guam (as long as I can come back to see her once a year, and can see an eye doctor on Guam 4 times a year), and since I've finished my degree, the only thing that remains is raising a little more financial support. Maybe you "picked up" on that from some of my previous posts. Only the Lord knows when the support will come in. Until it does, I will be working for PIBC full-time, only from here in the States. How do I do that?

From a distance! I have meetings with the leaders on site in Guam via the Internet, conference calls via a program called Skype, via long distance phone calls, and emails. I have been given responsibility for two major areas - everything related to the students at PIBC (including equipping them, mobilizing them, and placing then in other countries on short-term and long-term mission trips), and everything related to the staff (a Human Resources function). In addition, I've been given the responsibility of helping develop PIBC's Fund Raising strategy. One of the things I did was travel to California, not only to visit with Matt and Amy, but to interview a man for the Fund Raising position, and to meet with my assistant, Hollie Schaub, who will do things on the ground on Guam while I help coordinate things with her from here in the States. Make sense?

So, here I am with Amy and her husband, Matt, in Sacramento. They also helped me try to raise some financial support. They arranged for me to speak in the church where they work, Matt as a Youth Pastor, and Amy as a young women's discipler. Here we are at a wedding ceremony in Redding that Matt performed. For those of you who are familiar with it, notice the "David Crowder" look.Maybe it's more apparent here. Matt is becoming a good worship leader as well as a youth pastor. His preferred instrument is the bass guitar, but he's also teaching himself to play the guitar. When I was there with them, I got to play the drums. Amy took me around to a few new places. Here we are in Old Sacramento.

This is Hollie, my "right-hand-man" I referred to above. One of the staff for PIBC, Hollie Schaub, has been working on her Master's degree from BIOLA in Los Angeles this summer. After her classes, she drove up to Sacramento and stayed with Matt and Amy for a few days so she and I could meet together. Her husband is a helicopter pilot in the Navy, on deployment somewhere in the world. They've stationed on Guam for the past almost 3 years.

One of the cool things that Amy did for me while I was in California was take me to my first ever professional sports event - an Oakland Raiders football game.

I had told her that one thing I'd like to do before I die was go to an NFL game. It didn't matter which one. Well, the Oakland Raiders were playing a pre-season game with the Arizona Cardinals that weekend, so we went. It was great!

I know it doesn't mean anything in light of eternity, but the fact that my daughter and I got to do something like this was priceless. As you can see, I'm also speechless!

What Has Steve Been Doing #1?

2008-09-23T03:19:00.007+10:00

You mean, besides working 30+ hours per week trying to finish my degree (see post below - I finished!)? Well, let's see...

One of the things I've been doing to is leading devotions for the staff here every week (when I've been here) which includes worship (here with my 12-string guitar) and a short Bible study. Depending on what's going on here, there may be anywhere from 6 or 8 staff to as many as 12 or 15.

Sometimes we host staff, visitors and volunteers in our little apartment for a meal and some fellowship. Here is Timo, Anika and baby Sylvie, from Germany, who took a three month vacation from their jobs in Germany to come and volunteer here in the U.S. at the Liebenzell Mission headquarters.
A couple of times, one of our missionary staff in Micronesia who was on furlough in the States would come by the Mission headquarters and see us. Here Anne and I are pictured with Schooley's Mountain regulars Mike and Jane Galley as we have a nice lunch with one such Liebenzeller, as we are called. Rob Watt is the coordinator of our PIBC Teaching Facility on the island of Palau. He came by for a day, and we had a refreshing time of fellowship. Another Liebenzeller, Melissa Heck, was also in the States this summer. She is our PIBC Dean of Women at our Guam campus. She also came by to see us a couple of times actually, but alas! the picture we took turneth not out!

We have taken several "support raising" trips down south, mainly to North Carolina. We have become very close to two different families in Clemmons, and friends with many, many others. These two families have hosted desserts and introduced Anne and I to may of their friends to try and help us raise more support. Teresa and Walter Falardeau and their family have been a haven of friendship, dependability and fellowship for us. We had a picnic in the nearby town of Lewisville this summer and watched one of their daughters in an outdoor production of Oklahoma!

David and Jill Mayer, with daughters Anna and Christen, have hosted us the last several times we've visited. Their family has also been a haven of fellowship, support and friendship, all contained in a fun-filled family environment. Here the Mayers are pictured inside the unfinished new house they are building, and they let me help sometimes!

OK, so what's this? This a picture of the broken ankle of one of our new missionaries who lives in North Carolina and is currently raising her financial support to come to Guam to work at PIBC. Her name is Stephanie Cooper. I've stopped by several times this summer to train her in raising support, and encourage her when "things broke down!"

And of course you can't forget about family. Every time I go south, I visit with the Talatos, this time to help celebrate Krystal's birthday.

Anne's Guest House Ministry

2008-09-19T20:56:00.003+10:00

Liebezell, USA's head quarters at Schooley's Mountain houses not only the Global Ministries offices that care so well for all us missionaries, but also a Retreat Center Ministry comprised of 2 facilities - a Guest House and a Camp on 150 acres of "perserved farmland" here in the beautiful mountains of northern New Jersey.

One of the privileges I have had here at Schooley's Mountain is to assist the wonderful Retreat Center staff as hostess for the Guest House. This involves greeting guests, get them settled, interacting with the kitchen staff and helping them by setting up the dinning hall and cleaning it after each meal, fixing salads or deserts, serving meals, assisting guests with needs they might have, and interacting with the guests.

One of the most exciting things about being at the Guest House is the opportunity to touch the whole world right here from this small NJ mountain top. Each weekend groups come from all over the Northeast (and sometime from around the country) to use the rustic facilities and quiet grounds for their church's or group's retreat. What's so exciting is that most of these groups are comprised of peoples from all over the world. One week we may be serving a group from Ghana, Africa and the next week, a group from the Philippines or Korea, and the next week one from various South American countries. Some groups are here just to worship and pray, some have restorative ministries, some are youth orientented, some are just for men or just for women, some are whole churches. But whatever the purpose or wherever they are from they have one thing in common. They want to help their people know and serve Jesus Christ better. What a privilege it is to get to know them and to serve them!!!

Most people coming to Schooley's Mountain think that Liebenzell is just a retreat facility with a strange sounding name. So during one of their meals here, I will share that Liebenzell is first and foremost a mission agency with a rich heritage dating back to the late 1800's. I will then share how God provided this farm that they are enjoying during World War II. I will then extort them to join with us in carrying out the worldwide ministry of Liebenzell, by taking what they are learning during the weekend and sharing it with the people around them.

Major Accomplishment - FINALLY!!!

2008-09-05T07:15:00.000+10:00

Well, it was hard to imagine that I would ever be able to announce this, but now I can. I am finally finished with my Master's Degree! I mailed in the last assignment this morning. It was a comprehensive type of final exam covering all of my courses. I even mailed in my graduation fee. It's hard to believe. The last year and a half I've been working on it in the middle of dealing with the keratoconus in my left eye, which simply means my face was "glued" to the screen of my laptop computer almost the entire time. Literally, though, my face was about 8 inches away most of the time, even while reading the books. But rejoice with me! The Lord is good! He gave me grace and power. Many, many times I prayed, "Lord, would You please just give me some insight here? Would You please give me perseverance? I can't go on in my own strength!" And somehow, He always answered. It never felt miraculous, but as I look back over the years it took to get this thing done, it definitely was something where God took pleasure in being in the middle of.

My Assignment from the Lord

2008-06-30T21:37:00.000+10:00

While my colleagues from Liebenzell Mission in Micronesia and from PIBC were celebrating the 80th anniversary of the Gospel's arrival in Palau last week, and doing business with the Lord at the annual PIBC Board meeting there, my assignment from the Lord was to take a break from my studies and deliver a series of messages from God's Word to a small group of pastors in a retreat setting 1/2 hour away from Schooley's Mountain, a place called Liberty Corner. These pastors came from several places in the U.S. Several are relatively new in the ministry, and several are retired missionaries who still pastor churches. Seven messages covered topics like passion, attitude, teamwork, and honoring one another.

The One-Armed Backyard Mechanic

2008-06-24T07:40:00.000+10:00

One of our friends from Guam, Dianne Shelton, from Trinidad, but who lives in Guam, came to Schooley’s Mountain for a visit. After staying with us a few days, we drove her three hours west to stay a few weeks with her brother, Adrian, and his wife, Joann, who live close to Lancaster, PA.

After delivering her, intending to only stay a couple of hours, Anne and I got back in the car and started driving away. Five miles down the road, we could hear something was terribly wrong with the car we were driving, that Toyota RAV4 you’ve seen in previous pictures. To make a long story short, it turned out to be a broken water pump.

But the Lord brought together all the elements of a rather entertaining drama that was to last for the next eight hours. We were in the middle of Amish country surrounded by buggies and plenty of farms, it was late Saturday afternoon, but the Lord provided us with an open auto parts store, a one armed backyard mechanic named Horace, a rainless, cool summer night in Horace’s backyard to get the car worked on, plenty of wood blocks to jack the car up, and another helper named Billy.

Thanks to Adrian, who provided transportation carting me all around the country-side looking for parts, and a place to stay in his house for the night since we weren’t going to be going anywhere for a while. Adrian and I used our four arms to hold the flashlights while Horace and Billy provided the brains and the muscles in their collective three arms to do the work, dismantling half the engine just to get to the water pump, unbolting the engine from the car’s frame so they could alternately raise and lower it to get at the bolts in the tight places holding the broken water pump.

As they confronted the monster-stuck, hard-to-get-at bolts, Adrian and I prayed. Actually, we fasted and prayed (we didn’t have dinner). We prayed for each bolt to come loose, and rejoiced when each one finally did. It was all extremely interesting as I watched Horace and Billy creatively confront jam after jam with backyard ingenuity, at one point even using a 6-foot long 2 X 4, a 4 foot length of metal chain, and a magnet.

When they finally got at the broken water pump, it was time for Adrian and me to pray for Horace and Billy to find the right place for each unloosed bolt, because there were an awful lot of them lying on the ground. The engine would alternately be raised and lowered again and again as each bolt was prayed into place. At midnight, the work was finally done, we could all go to sleep, and give thanks to the Lord for letting it all happen so close to friends like Adrian, Joann, Horace and Billy.

A Plan to Root against the Hokies?

2008-06-24T07:34:00.000+10:00

Anne and I recently took a trip down south, landing in Winston-Salem and Clemmons, trusting the Lord to introduce us to some more people who would be interested in becoming financial supporters in our ministry, since we need about $700 in new monthly support before we can go back to Guam. We stayed with David and Jill Mayer, and their two girls, Kristen and Anna, whom we’ll introduce and share a little bit about in the future. But while we were there, we got the treat of spending a little time with Josh Ladd, whom the last time we saw, seemed to be a little 12-year old boy. Those of you who know Josh may be as shocked as I was to see that he’s now a 6’2”, 245 lb. offensive center for his high school’s football team, which was in the North Carolina State finals this past year. And he's only 16, and still growing! Josh’s dream is to play for NC State, then get drafted by the NFL. I told Josh that if he made the NC State football team, I would cheer for him and root for the NC State Wolfpack, even when they played against the Va. Tech Hokies. Those of you who know me, know that that’s real dedication and commitment, and maybe even a miracle.