April News/Prayer Letter

Dear, Howard Yesterday, we worshiped with our "Guam church," Faith Presbyterian Christian Reformed Church, at our Good Friday gathering. It is good to be reminded of the great sacrifice made to secure our salvation. In the morning Howard will be speaking at an outreach service that Calvary Baptist Church is having on Ypao ("ee-pow") Beach. It will be a different Easter morning, but we are looking forward to it. We pray for you, as you celebrate the victory over sin and death. We thank the Lord that we are healthy. Other than one day that Howard had with some kind of bug, we haven't been sick. Kathy is convinced that just after sunrise is the best time to walk. Howard is not so sure, but he has been getting up to go walk with her most mornings. Our lives have become more routine. Howard goes to the office at least five days a week and teaches class twice a week. Kathy is involved in a variety of activities. Lately, we have been involved in a remodeling project. A missionary family will be moving on campus in June. Together with maintenance director, Jonathan Heimbach, we are doing some upgrades on the apartment where the Tavarez family will live. Kathy should start some painting after Easter. Some things about what we are doing: We are privileged to work with a great group of staff and students. All our staff, whether missionary, like us, or hired by PIU, serve sacrificially. Please pray for them. Our students represent several people groups, and nations. For almost all of them, English is a second, or even third, language. One way or another, all of them will function in a world where English is necessary. It is a struggle. Our goal is to give our students a Biblical worldview. In the next fifty years, the world where these students will live, work, and serve the Lord will change in ways we can only imagine. What we know for sure is that there will be a need in that world for people who are grounded in God's word, and able to minister effectively in church, at work, and in their communities. That's what we are up to. Praise and Prayer: We praise the Lord for good health. We are very thankful for an excellent spirit among the staff. We thank the Lord for partners like you.   Howard is preaching on the beach, Easter Sunday. End of school year crunch for both students and staff. Dave Owen, PIU President on medical leave, continues to be treated for cancer. Pray for progress. Kathy and I will head to VA on May 1. I'll be returning to Guam about June 1. Kathy a week, or several, later. She'll be attending a 90th Birthday celebration for her Aunt Bernice in Alaska. During May we'll visit Chad & Chris, and some other relatives. Please pray for a travel packed time back in the states. The needs of PIU continue to be great. We have key staff positions to fill, financial needs, and we want to reach out to the potential students with whom God wants us to work. Pray for the class of 2017. Several PIU students will be going to Schooley's Mountain NJ for a summer internship with Liebenzell Mission, USA. Pray that this will be a great experience (If you would like to help make this possible for some sharp youngsters, please get in touch with me. The students need to raise the funds for their airfare to NJ.) With our change from part-time to temporary full-time status, we need to raise some additional support. Our Pastor, Doug Williams would be glad to discuss this with you. You can reach him at awa4him@gmail.com  or 540 965 4256. We trust that you have a great Easter full of worship of our Glorious Lord and time with loved ones. You have probably seen the video below, but it serves as a good reminder of just Who our King is. By His Grace, Kathy & Howard We will continue to post information about our mission venture at http://micronesianadventure.blogspot.com/.   We receive postal mail at the University address: Howard and Kathy Merrell c/o PIU 172 Kinney’s Road Mangilao, GU 96913 THAT'S MY KING!

It Takes A Team

Kathy and I are in our fourth month of this round of ministry. More than the other opportunities we have had to serve in what we used to call the "mission field," this tour of duty has involved a great deal of teamwork. In fact one could almost say that we, Kathy and I, aren't doing much of anything. We are helping others do a lot.
Some days I'll spend a couple of hours writing a fairly simple letter. I don't think it's because I'm getting old. It's because the "team" with which I work is far-flung and varied. Some who partner with us, or are potential partners, are, for one reason or another, on the fringe of our circle. A wrong word could move them out of the circle, a well-chosen word might pull them toward the center. Sometimes the letter goes to more than one person; each of them has their own set of sensitivities, their own history, and concern. I can be the "tie that binds"--as in "Blessed be . . ."--or I can be wind that scatters.
I spend a good bit of time in meetings. Collaboration, consensus, and working-together is the order of most days.
Even the things I do on my own, often have the goal of encouraging, motivating, or equipping others. One person cannot do this by him or herself. Even a bunch of people all working side by side, but disconnected, won't get the task accomplished.
Providing education to the underserved communities in Micronesia requires a variety of skills. Those skills are packaged in a multitude of different personalities, and each of us changes from day to day as our life-circumstances, and those of the people around us evolve from one thing to the next.
Teamwork.
I just read a blog post about how many churches in their strategies only want to support a particular kind of ministry, and missionary. The author, a missionary herself, working with TCKs (third culture kids) clearly and skillfully points out that those ministries that church mission committees often consider to be front-line, where the work really gets done, and worthy of support, can't function without a whole bunch of other servants who serve in less glamorous (by mission-strategy standards) roles.

I praise the Lord for those 21st Century Livingstones, Taylors, and Slussors, who plunge in alone and get the job done. But I am thankful to be part of a team, that is making a difference in this part of the world. In a few weeks, we'll turn a batch of graduates lose. They'll do God's work in various ways. Some of them will do so with distinction. At some point, someone may ask one of them, "How is it that you are able to that? Who taught you?"
Likely they will reply with the name of some favorite teacher who had particular impact, but the true answer is, "We did." We working as a team, from the guy who mows the grass on campus to the administrators who make decisions. Pacific Islands University is a team.
I think most mission work is that--a team.
Some of you who read this are an important part of Kathy and my team. You pray for us and support us. Thank you very much. We are proud to have you on our team.