Bethel Bible Seminary

As promised here is a post to get you caught up on what I have been doing lately. Last week I was in Hong Kong for a TRACS (accrediting agency) team visit to Bethel Bible Seminary. They are seeking to become candidates for accreditation with TRACS and Lisa Collins (PIU librarian) and I were part of the team that evaluated them. I had a good time meeting the faculty, staff and administration of the school and they did a great job taking care of us. We were able to be a help to them and I always find I learn a lot about how to operate a college from each visiting team trip I participate in. The picture on the left is of the TRACS team with the administrators, faculty and staff of BBS standing behind us. On the right I am, as the team chair, leading the team in announcing the findings of the evaluation.

The TRACS team prepares for the visit in the hotel

The entrance to the Seminary, and Dr. Pramanik, the TRACS representative entertaining us with some cool tunes on the piano in the main classroom.

This was the view from my hotel room in the Regal Oriental

Update

Just a brief note. You may have been wondering where I have been. I am on the road. Last week I was in Hong Kong with a TRACS visitation team at Bethel Bible Seminary. I returned to Guam last Thursday for a few hours and then headed to Pohnpei to be one of the graduation speakers at Ohwa Christian School. This morning I met with several interested Pohnpeian high school graduates and their parents to talk about PIU. Most said they are planning to come and I urged them to get their applications in right away, along with the financial aid and scholarship forms. I had a good time getting to know them a little bit. Wednesday I will head to Hawaii for meetings with some possible partners for PIU and will get back to Guam just in time to catch our fund-raising barbecue on Saturday  night. I have been taking pictures and will post some more when I am able to get to more reliable and faster internet.

Palau Ministry Team Training

We had the Palau team over to our house last night for some dinner, training and fellowship. You can read more about them here from a pervious post. We had a great conversation around the dinner table. The students told Joyce and I about their goals for the trip, how they thought that God was leading them to contribute to the team and what they hoped to learn from the trip. We also told a lot of funny stories about cross-cultural issues, strange things we have eaten and ministry predicaments we have found ourselves in. We also got to share our own life stories and family background around the table to help prepare the team to be comfortable to be open about what God has done in their lives in Palau. We finished the evening with a time of prayer. Life is not always easy here, but these are the kind of nights that make it all feel worthwhile.

PIU Graduation Post #3

After  the ceremony the graduates marched out of the church to the receiving line to be piled up with flower, money and candy leis; and to receive hugs and kisses from family and friends. It also looked like a few pictures were taken. We had a nice spread of food and we had a good time of fellowship, celebration and chats with old friends. So, unless something unusual comes up this will be my last graduation post for this year.

Daisy poses with Julie Immanuel (left) and Joyce with Mike Ihpa

Joyce gets a picture taken with Davy Welle and Joshua Combs

Daisy got in a lot of our pictures. This may be because Joyce and I were substitute parents for Daisy for the graduation weekend since her mom and dad were unable to be there.

The food line was a popular spot and there was plenty. We also had a pleasant surprise (right) as alum Doug O’Meara showed up unexpectedly at the graduation. Even better we found out that he is stationed here on Guam for the next couple years.

PIU 2013 Graduation #2

As promised here are a few more pictures from Monday’s graduation ceremony. Thanks again to Layla Watt for taking most of these pictures.

 

Faculty member Joey Charles introduced our keynote speaker Dr. Brad Boydston

Brad began by playing his ukulele. We may be the only graduation ceremony that had a uke concert this year.

 

Faculty member Mike Owen introduced the valedictorian Joshua Combs

Joshua gave an excellent speech. He praised his fellow graduates for taking ministry and discipleship seriously and thanked the faculty for pouring their lives into the students

 

Sarah Brubaker and I awarded the degrees as Iotaka Choram read the names of the graduates

 

Joshua Combs received his bachelor’s degree in biblical studies

Mike Ihpa and Daisy Murdock also received bachelor’s degrees in biblical studies

Davy Welle received his degree in biblical studies. Kita Mokut is PIU’s first ever bachelor’s degree in liberal studies recipient.

The graduates received their leis as they went through the audience and they settled down in anticipation of the best moment of the ceremony…

  … My “charge” to the graduates. (OK maybe not the best moment)

After a song by the graduates (not sure what happened to this picture) Steve Bradley closed the ceremony in prayer and we headed out to the reception to take more pictures

Graduation Post #1 – Getting Ready

We took a lot of pictures of graduation so I will break them up into a few posts. Here are a few pictures of us getting  the stage and ourselves ready. This year graduation was held at Agana Heights Baptist Church and it turned out to be a very good venue. This year’s graduation was much smaller than 2012 and it had a very personal feel to it. Joyce was surprised to find that, since she taught a remedial English class this year she had to don her regalia and sit with the faculty. So, we got another nice academic picture together. More to come!

Nino and Celia did a great job decorating the stage. Samantha, left, was our MC.

I had to try out the new flag and make sure the podium was ok for the ceremony. Thanks to Nino and Glenda for making the new PIU flag. By the way the flags behind the stage represent the many countries that PIU students and graduates come from.

The graduates marched and wheeled in

With the graduates settled into their places we were ready to start…