Fall Alumni Fellowship

A week ago on Saturday we enjoyed an evening of fellowship with our PIU alumni. We had alumni from the MIBS, PIBC and the more recent PIU grads. It was a fun night getting caught up with them, seeing their children, eating together and joining together for worship. I am hoping in the future we can do more than one of these each year.

The flags represented the many home countries of our alumni

Babies and Friends

Some good conversation

Alumni Coordinator, Billy Edwin, was the MC. Dr. Bill Wood, Bible teacher and former president of the school was our keynote speaker

We had testimonies from Merong and Doug.

Senior Sermon Chapel #2

The Preaching class sermons continued in chapel on Tuesday with a switch from narrative sermons to a more expository style of sermon. Rusty (left) preached on the end of Luke chapter 9 with an exhortation to “count the cost” of serving Christ. It was a powerful message coming from him because we have seen him “count the cost” several times in his own personal ministry in and through PIU. Rob (right) followed with a sermon on Hebrews 8 and the implications of the New Covenant. He focused on how “counting the cost” is not a negative (something we must endure) but a positive because it brings us into deeper new covenant relationship with Christ and is motivated by love instead of law. Again both guys did a great job and I know that the PIU family was blessed and challenged by their messages.

Mike and Rob led singing before the messages and the student life team followed the messages with instructions for how things will work at our student, staff and faculty K2 retreat this coming weekend in Umatac.

Joyful Noise Festival This Weekend

This weekend will be the 3rd Annual Joyful Noise Music Festival. It will be held in the Abundant Life Church’s brand-new auditorium. We have 13 music groups already signed up to perform with pie and ice cream to eat afterwards. This is why it is one of my favorite events of the year. We will be taking an offering for the PIU scholarship fund. All money collected will go to help needy students pay for their Christian education. I hope to see you there!

Preaching Chapel #1

One old tradition that has been revived this year at PIU is having the preaching class students do their final sermon in our chapel service. In the past these chapels have always been among my favorites so I am very happy that we are doing this again. I missed the first set of sermons while I was away on my trip but was there for the second set last Friday. Preaching prof Mike Owen assigned different styles of sermons throughout the semester and we had the opportunity to hear his students preach these different types of sermons.

 

On Friday the style was a first-person  narrative sermon. Jonie (right) preached on 1 Samuel as Hannah, while Esme (below left) played the role of the woman who found the lost coin, and was servant to the father of the prodigal son, from Luke 15.

Both ladies did an excellent job and drew us into the story with their heartfelt portrayals of these biblical women. It was obvious that they had deeply internalized the message they were preaching and their passion about the subject came through quite clearly. Well done, Jonie and Esme!!

Great to Be Back on Guam Again

I arrived back on Guam about 3 AM last Wednesday and am slowly re-acclimating to Guam Standard Time. It was great to see the new PIU sign at the entrance gate as I drove into PIU on Wednesday morning. I was also pleased to see the new logo and colors on our new PIU van. I know that van will be a real blessing to the students and to the school.

Joyce picked me up at the airport and, after some rest, resumed her hard-working schedule

And it was great to see these three again.

On to the Carolinas

The last stop on my trip was 5 days in the Carolinas. I arrived in North Carolina on Tuesday night and met old friends Ernie and Annette Ladd. Their son Josh is a student at PIU. Then Wednesday afternoon I headed down to Columbia SC to do some teacher recruiting at Columbia International University. I had not been down there in a couple years, so it was good to see Don and Melissa Howell. They are always very gracious to allow me to stay in their home and help me arrange meetings with strategic people at CIU. My main focus at CIU was to find English and liberal arts teachers. CIU English prof Dr. Joe LeTexier invited me into one master’s level English class and one undergrad class. I met with several interested students and we have some prospects for future English teachers in the islands. We were also able to Skype in our PIU English prof and CIU grad, Sarah Brubaker, into the undergrad English class to encourage the students to consider a ministry at PIU. In addition I met and talked with several teachers and administrators at CIU.

On Friday I headed back up to North Carolina after lunch at the Cracker Barrel with Steve and Philip Bradley. We had a great time getting caught up on each others’ lives and it was good to see how far Steve has come from his stroke last Spring. We will really miss having Steve at his usual spot in PIU this Spring and miss Philip and family at Agana Heights Baptist Church. It was a very nice to be avail myself of their wisdom at lunch. Back in North Carolina I had the opportunity to meet with a couple donors and make a PIU presentation at Calvary Baptist Church in Winston-Salem. I will be following up on several prospects and opportunities from my time in the Carolinas. On Monday morning I got up early to head to the Greensboro airport for the 26 hour flight through Chicago and Tokyo and then back to Guam.

On To Texas

On Sunday evening (November 3rd) I got on the plane at the San Diego airport and headed to Dallas Texas. Monday afternoon I had two interviews with prospective faculty members for PIU at my alma mater Dallas Theological Seminary. Both interviews went well. Going to Dallas also gave me the opportunity to spend a little time with Cliff, Missy and Leila. It was good to see and spend some time with them. Leila has grown a lot since we last saw her in March. We are looking forward to seeing them again in January. Tuesday night I headed out again for the Carolinas.

 

 

Leila was a little shy, but we had a good time together.