Meet the PIU Students – Philip Ranganbay

Today begins what I plan to be a weekly feature – the Pacific Islands University student of the week. The post will contain an interview and a short bio of one of our PIU students. Our first student of the week is one of our brand new freshmen Philip Ranganbay (facing the camera in the picture),  from Rull, Yap. Philip is 20 years old and is the 2nd oldest in a family of 7 brothers and 4 sisters. He graduated from Yap High School in 2010. He grew up in a family with “Christian values” but did not attend church as a child. One of his best memories, and a turning point in his life, was attending the Yap Evangelical Church 3 Day Youth Retreat with “all his cousins.” They “had a blast” and, though Philip had become a Christian as a child, this is where he began to be committed.

Philip enjoys music, especially guitar and likes to spend time reading or writing. His favorite subject in high school was mechanics, but now he is enrolled in the biblical studies major at PIU. He is not sure yet what he wants to do as a career, but his goal is to find out and become what God calls him to be. Many of his family members are PIU alumni, but the greatest influence on his decision to come to PIU was the Yap Mission Team that came to Yap this past summer. “I saw what it was like to live a Christian life and have a heart set for God.” He says the most surprising, and his favorite thing, about PIU is its small size. “It is not as big as the brochures made it seem,” but “it reminds me of home. I feel at home here.” Philip says, “I would not be here at all if it wasn’t for Jesus”

Philip mentioned three prayer requests. 1) Finances: His family cannot provide all the money he needs for his school bill. 2) His family: That they will be more active in church and 3) for faithfulness in his own daily walk with God. He also wants everyone to know that Yap is one of the most beautiful places in the world. “There are remote places in Yap with a natural beauty completely untouched by civilization.” Thank you for praying for Philip and for all the PIU students, especially the new students who are getting used to college life and being away from home for the first time in their lives.