Meetings in North Carolina

Sandwiched around my trip to South Carolina were several meetings in Winston-Salem, North Carolina. After arriving in NC from Nashville, I spent the weekend with my friends Ernie and Annette Ladd (parents of PIU student Josh Ladd). We got in some good football watching, eating and conversation. It was a nice break from meetings. After spending Monday through Wednesday in South Carolina, I drove back to Winston-Salem to the house of PIU Board member David Mayer where several meetings had been set up. The first was with the PIU Director of Foundation Relations, Katherine Currie. Katherine lives in NC but she has been part of the PIU family for the past two years. She helps us develop relationships with American foundations and churches, has written several grant applications for us and last year coordinated the scheduling for the Voices of Micronesia.

The next day PIU board members Bill Schuit, David Mayer (pictured) and Howard Merrell met to discuss revision of the school’s long range plan. It was good to see them and I felt like I got some good direction as I prepared to head back to Guam and get ready for the PIU annual board meeting in February. That evening the Mayers hosted a party at their home. One purpose of the party was to help send long-time colleagues Steve and Anne Stinnette on their way back to Guam after a several month stay in the US for medical treatment. (The picture is of Steve and Anne’s presentation of their ministry to the group.) The second purpose was a reunion of the short-term mission team from Calvary Baptist Church that came out to PIU (then PIBC) in 2000 to build our outdoor basketball court. What a great mission team that was! That court is still a focal point of the social life and ministry of PIU. It was a great way to end the trip before I headed back to Guam on Sunday morning the 20th.