There are many great things that happened this past week in Palau. Decisions were made in both the church and school meetings which I believe will have long term positive effects on the kingdom work in Micronesia. But, I believe the event I was most excited about was the ordination that took place on Sunday morning. This was the climax of the Gospel Days celebration and I believe that was appropriate because the church's recognition of the raising up by God of new young leaders is really what we are all about. The church ordained two new pastors, three new missionaries (in Palauan church polity "missionaries" function as a kind of pastoral assistants doing preaching, teaching and other pastoral work and assisting the pastors in the sacraments or ordinances. Often they are sent out to new or very young ministries) and three deacons. It was especially exciting to me that one of the pastors and two of the new missionaries were PIBC graduates.
Hedrick Kual, the PIBC valedictorian of 2005, was ordained to pastoral ministry along with his wife Prima. Hedrick was been ministering since his graduation as an assistant to the Koror pastor Billy Kuartei and English service pastor and PIBC coordinator Rob Watt. He has been preaching regularly in the PEC and been working with Rob training the deacons and other church leaders. Prima has directed the Gospel Kindergarten for many years. We are also thrilled that Hedrick will be one of our first students in the Master of Arts in Religion program in our new seminary. We also are hoping to employ Hedrick and Prima at PIBC while they are in our seminary program. We are still looking for scholarships to finance Hedrick's tuition since seminary programs are not eligible for federal aid.
Two of our graduates were ordained as missionaries. (L to R me, Merong, Mac) Merong Hideyoshi, who just graduated last month, will probably be working with youth in the church on the island of Angaur. He may also be teaching in the public school there. Merong is very gifted in music and often played guitar in the PIBC chapel and for kids' ministries. Please keep him in prayer as he begins this new ministry. Mac Alfonso, a December 2007 graduate, has already been leading the youth group in the Yap Evangelical Church since his graduation. He will be continuing to work with the Palauan and Yapese youth on Yap and assisting pastor Asael Ruda (2002 graduate of PIBC and Chuukese missionary to the Yap Evangelical Church) with pastoral duties for the three YEC churches. Mac has a heart for
missions, has been on a several PIBC mission trips and hopes to be one of the first long term missionaries to be sent out from Micronesia. Mac was our chapel coordinator while he was a student and we are looking forward to and praying for what God will do through him.
There are many great things that happened this past week in Palau. Decisions were made in both the church and school meetings which I believe will have long term positive effects on the kingdom work in Micronesia. But, I believe the event I was most excited about was the ordination that took place on Sunday morning. This was the climax of the Gospel Days celebration and I believe that was appropriate because the church's recognition of the raising up by God of new young leaders is really what we are all about. The church ordained two new pastors, three new missionaries (in Palauan church polity "missionaries" function as a kind of pastoral assistants doing preaching, teaching and other pastoral work and assisting the pastors in the sacraments or ordinances. Often they are sent out to new or very young ministries) and three deacons. It was especially exciting to me that one of the pastors and two of the new missionaries were PIBC graduates.
Hedrick Kual, the PIBC valedictorian of 2005, was ordained to pastoral ministry along with his wife Prima. Hedrick was been ministering since his graduation as an assistant to the Koror pastor Billy Kuartei and English service pastor and PIBC coordinator Rob Watt. He has been preaching regularly in the PEC and been working with Rob training the deacons and other church leaders. Prima has directed the Gospel Kindergarten for many years. We are also thrilled that Hedrick will be one of our first students in the Master of Arts in Religion program in our new seminary. We also are hoping to employ Hedrick and Prima at PIBC while they are in our seminary program. We are still looking for scholarships to finance Hedrick's tuition since seminary programs are not eligible for federal aid.
Two of our graduates were ordained as missionaries. (L to R me, Merong, Mac) Merong Hideyoshi, who just graduated last month, will probably be working with youth in the church on the island of Angaur. He may also be teaching in the public school there. Merong is very gifted in music and often played guitar in the PIBC chapel and for kids' ministries. Please keep him in prayer as he begins this new ministry. Mac Alfonso, a December 2007 graduate, has already been leading the youth group in the Yap Evangelical Church since his graduation. He will be continuing to work with the Palauan and Yapese youth on Yap and assisting pastor Asael Ruda (2002 graduate of PIBC and Chuukese missionary to the Yap Evangelical Church) with pastoral duties for the three YEC churches. Mac has a heart for 
missions, has been on a several PIBC mission trips and hopes to be one of the first long term missionaries to be sent out from Micronesia. Mac was our chapel coordinator while he was a student and we are looking forward to and praying for what God will do through him.
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