Chuuk Trip Report

I just got back from a four day trip to Chuuk last night. Joyce picked me up at the airport and got me over to the Guam campus in time for my Thursday night Bible class. I had a great time of fellowship with the faculty, staff and students of the Chuuk Campus on Tol island and the Chuuk Teaching Facility on the main island of Weno. I also had a chance to meet with the executive committee of the Evangelical Church of Chuuk Board. They are planning a Jubilee Celebration of the 100th anniversary of the arrival of the Gospel in Chuuk. The church, Liebenzell Mission and the other churches of Micronesia will be involved in the celebration and meetings. Pacific Islands Bible College will also have a part in the program. The program will also include a planning meeting that will involve all the island churches and the mission. We hope to organize a mission board that will send Micronesians (hopefully many PIBC students) out as missionaries to needy areas.

Many of you must have been praying for my trip because the lagoon was smooth as glass for my trip over to Tol. I felt like I was on a lake. An even bigger bonus was that I got to see three groups of dolphins. The last group included the biggest dolphin I have ever seen. One of the Chuukese teachers thought it must be a shark until we got close to it because it was so big. We were able to make the trip back during a break between rain storms. It was a little rougher but not too bad. It was only a "two Advil trip." (We measure the trip by how many Advils you need to take after it!) The trip to Tol is definitely worth it because it is one of the prettiest spots in the world. The only way to describe it is that it looks kind of like a tropical summer camp. We have 62 students, six faculty and several staff members. Praise God that the school generator was fixed soon after I left so the campus has power again.

The hot topic of conversation in Weno was the rescue of four Chuukese who were lost at sea. One of the men was the brother of one of the Guam campus students. There were several small miracles involved in their rescue. They were lost for over a month and spent most of the time in Bible study because they had four Chuukese Bibles. They had a large sack of coconuts that sustained them for a while. After that they prayed for food. While praying they heard swishing in the water and looked down next to the boat to see a turtle swimming. They ate it raw. They were also able to catch fish. After this the captain of the boat made a profession of faith in Christ. Soon after that the wind took them into the path of a Chinese fishing boat which rescued them. They returned to Chuuk last Saturday and a celebration was held for their return in the Berea Church in Weno on Sunday. It really is an amazing story of God's provision.

Needs in Chuuk

1. Maintenance Person: The Chuuk campus urgently needs a "jack-of-all trades" maintenance man. The job includes a little plumbing, electrical, engine repair, carpentry etc. There are also some local workers to supervise.
2. English Teachers: We also need master-degreed and ESL qualified teachers on both the Tol campus and the Chuuk Teaching Facility. We need to be able to offer both remedial and college level English on both sites.
3. Bible/Theology Teachers: Both Chuuk sites need master-degreed Bible, theology and ministry teachers.

For all these positions a person with their own financial support would be great, but the campus is able to pay a small salary that would provide for your needs in Chuuk.