Introducing colleagues who are making a difference in a needy place. They are worthy of your support.

 Those of you who follow this blog, keep up with us via email, or through other means know that Kathy and I are no longer in the Pacific.  Part of our heart is still there, though. In our new role of helping the Liebenzell USA missionary family, we still have a vicarious function among the people of Micronesia. Seeing the pictures in Gary and Dot Houde's email touched my heart.

It was our privilege to work with Dot and Gary while we were serving at Pacific Islands University (PIU). In mid-life Gary and Dot left careers in the public-utility field and in education and prepared themselves to make a difference among people who needed an opportunity for Bible-based higher education. While they were in the preparation phase, they met Dr. Dave Owen, the third president of PIU (it was the sickness that led to his death that brought me to Guam). Dave recruited them for the work at PIU. The caring, humble spirit of the Houdes makes them a good match for working with the Micronesian people that PIU serves.

A few facts are in order:

• "Micronesia" means little islands. If you fly from Hawaii to the Philippines, you will pass over Micronesia. These tiny islands are spread over an area on the globe about the same size as the continental United States. yet the combined land mass is smaller than that of Rhode Island. 
• Guam, where Pacific Islands University is currently located, is the largest of these Islands. It and the Commonwealth of Northern Marianas Islands (CNMI), just North of Guam, are under US control.
• The population of the region is just over half-a-million. Close to half of that population live on Guam or in CNMI. 
• In my four+ years of working at PIU we worked with students from three of the four states of The Federated States of Micronesia (FSM), Palau, The Republic of Marshall Islands (RMI), and CNMI.
• Chuuk, is the largest of the four states that make up FSM. The Chuukese are the largest of the people groups of Micronesia.
• PIU started on one of the islands of Chuuk. The campus that was the home of PIU is currently the home of Faithwalk Christian College, a non-accredited institution.
• The current leadership of PIU has a goal of re-establishing a presence in Chuuk. This is the goal behind much of what you read in the Houde's letter.

I realize that the above is complicated. In many ways the complication is due to the fact that this region, in the last four hundred years, was colonized by, often exploited, dominated, and fought over by the  Spanish, Germans, Japanese, and the United States. Currently, the Chinese are seeking to gain a foothold there. Here is an article that gives further information.

Micronesia, and the Micronesian communities that live in various places in the US are in great need of trained Christian leaders. The Houde's letter talks about that. I believe that PIU is an institution that God raised up to help this need. Gary and Dot are God's people using what God has given them to help meet this need. They are a good Great Commission investment.

I encourage you to read the Houde's latest letter, communicate with them, or feel free to communicate with me about them. The Houdes have a donation portal on the LMUSA website. Click here. I am praying that churches and individuals will partner with the Houdes to make a difference in this too often neglected part of the world. Let me know how I can help.

By His Grace,

HM