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

I have just returned from the PIU 2010 Baccalaureate service. I will have some pictures from that event in my next post. The Voices of Micronesia sang two songs for tonight's service. We are now less than three days away from departing Guam. We are thankful that we have secured a second van for the tour, which was graciously donated to us for the trip from Grace Baptist Church in Texas. So I only have a couple days to introduce the rest of the team, so let me introduce you to ....

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.