Just Back From Palau

I got back from Palau on Monday morning after taking that awful Continental 1:45 AM flight from Palau to Guam that arrives at 4:40 AM. I'd probably have felt more rested had I gone straight to bed instead of staying up to watch the 49er-Seahawk game, which the 49ers lost anyway. It was a good trip in which I completed the classroom portion of my Distance Education Prophetic Lit class, talked to several PIBC grads and former Emmaus High School (Campus pictured to the left here) students, encouraged (at least I think they were encouraged - giving them ice cream seemed to help a lot) the new missionary teachers at Emmaus and Bethania, met with Palauan church leaders and preached in the Koror Church Sunday morning service.

I had 5 students in the PIBC class. Most are older students trying to complete their BA degrees and working full time. We had an enjoyable time of discussion although the format of teaching 5 three-hour sessions in four days is a little overwhelming. It was overwhelming to the video projector bulb too as we burned it out. We ended the class with a dinner and fellowship. I am always encouraged by the insights into the Word and practical applications of it shared by our students.


I also was able to spend a lot of time talking with graduates and missionaries. Hedrick and Prima Kual are ministering as the associate pastor and Director of the Kindergarten in the Koror Church. It was exciting to see our graduates being effectively used by God to minister in their home islands. Hedrick also drove me (note the Koror traffic in the pic) around quite a bit and I enjoyed the time that gave us to talk in addition to the good fellowship times with him at the Rock Island Cafe. I also got to talk with many other former PIBC and Emmaus students.

It was also great to have an opportunity again to preach in the Koror Church on Sunday morning. It was "scholarship Sunday" in which all the church offering goes to support Palauan PIBC students. I also saw a lot of old friends there and was encouraged by their response and support for PIBC.

While I was in Palau my grandson Titus celebrated his first birthday. I could not resist adding in a picture of this good-looking boy at his first birthday party. I will get to see him this month on my way through LA on the way to a conference on the mainland.