Part 4, and I'm still not done.

I really had to fight covetousness as I was on the Columbia International, and Biola campuses. The picture above is of the circular skylight that is in the center Biola's incredible library building. I heard Biola had just spent $48M on a new building. CIU, is spending $44M on campus expansion and improvements. It kind of makes our $200,000 DDOMF, look tiny. In reality, ours is as important as theirs. We are called to be faithful. We need God's light all around the world. 

I begin by backtracking just a bit. It'll help me make a point later in this post.
On my way from L.A. to Majuro, RMI, I had a layover of about eight hours in Hawaii. Originally, I had planned to check into a hotel for that time, but we were held up on the tarmac for a few minutes
before deplaning. I'm thinking, "OK, say 45 minutes to get a shuttle and get to a hotel. 15 minutes to check in. Shuttle back, and then I have to go through security check again. Hotels are a bit pricy in the Aloha state, and my sleep pattern had been jerked through enough time zones that I wasn't sure I would sleep even after I got to a bed, so I decided I'd just spend the night in the airport. After trying a couple of spots that gave no comfort, I wandered to the departure lounge from which UA 154, the "Island Hopper" would depart. No one was there. I arranged myself in a seat, used my carry-on as an ottoman, and went to sleep. I woke up an hour and a half later cold from the AC, and bugged by the two loud Island music. (The picture is of a lovely courtyard, near the lounge where I spent the night, koi, ducks, waterfall, etc.I discovered that someone had locked the door to the lounge while I was sleeping, but I had water, bathroom, and more music than I wanted, so I wasn't concerned. I found a new trash bag in the restroom--don't worry I put it back--which blocked the cold, and proceeded to sleep another 2 or 3 hours. I awoke not long before a maintenance person came in, thus letting me out. I enjoyed breakfast at Burger King, cleaned up and shaved in the Men's Room, and reported back to the lounge where I had spent the night.

If you fly very much you can tell when something isn't going right before you know what's wrong. I got that feeling. Sure enough, the announcement came. We were missing a crew member. After several standard announcements of departure times that no one really believed. The real one came, "2:00 PM."
Before that final announcement, United brought out the snack cart, water granola bars, etc. Lacking was what I really wanted, a cup of coffee. The lady in charge wandered over toward my area, so I asked, when was United going to bring in the coffee pot. Her answer was something like, "Don't hold your breath, but I sure would like a cup." Obviously, I had nowhere to go, and  Starbucks was just down the way, so I headed out. Kristen is a nice gal. She was doing her best to make the best of a bad

situation so I thought, "Why not?" So, instead of one large, black coffee, I got two. Since I didn't know how United's woman on the job liked her coffee, I loaded up on stuff and returned to the lounge. She kept asking me, "Are you serious?" After about 4 replies that I was, she accepted the life-restoring cup. The shirt I had on has Isaiah 40:31 on it.


(Island Hopper route)


      "but those who hope in the LORD 
         will renew their strength. 
         They will soar on wings like eagles; 
         they will run and not grow weary, 
         they will walk and not be faint."

It turns out Kristen believes that too.

You need to know about the "Island Hopper." Do a search and you'll find descriptions, pictures and stories. I'll just say this flight is to several Micronesian--emphasis on "micro"--communities what the old trains were to rural communities before automobiles--a lifeline. The plane lands in Majuro and Kwajalein in the Marshalls, and Kosrae, Pohnpei, and Chuuk, in the Federated States of Micronesia, before ending in Guam. Starting at 2:00 doesn't give time to complete the route. I don't know for sure, but I think United doesn't want land in these tiny airports with short runaways after dark. So those of us going as far as the Marshalls would go on this flight. Those going to Chuuk would spend the night in Hawaii and then fly to Guam and backtrack to Chuuk. Some were going to be put hotels in the Majuro before going on the next day. Everyone got meal vouchers. Personnel got overtime. I found myself wondering, "How much did one person's absence end up costing?"  I hope it was for a good reason.

It is important to be where you should be when you should be. This trip was an attempt, on my part, to do just that. Relationships are incredibly important. As we approach the Christmas season, let's remember that Jesus didn't send us a text. He came to us and became one of us. Holy Spirit remains with and in us. If I'm going to do His business, presence is important.

The change to my plans was minor, a lunch meeting was delayed from one day to the next. I couldn't help thinking that the delay meant I could have had time for a good night's sleep and a nice shower, but that's hindsight.

Next time I go on one of these trips I need to take a photographer. I keep forgetting. I didn't take any pictures in the Marshalls. Several people I would liked to have seen were not on Majuro, and, with the flight delay, my time was reduced to essentially one day there.
On Friday, November 16, I had lunch with some church leaders. They are concerned about training a new generation of leaders. So am I. Perhaps we can work together. Again, I want PIU to be where it should be when it should be. If the opportunity arises, I want us to be ready.

The flight Saturday landed in Kwajalein and Kosrae, before Pohnpei where I got off.
In Pohnpei I was able to stay in the guest house owned by the church group there. It was old-school

missionary living. My host, who lives in the apartment above where I stayed showed me some of the sights of the beautiful island and was kind to me in many ways. A flat tire added to the old-school character of this part of the trip. The picture is of my host, Petra with one of the students at the preschool she runs.

Monday, November 18, I was privileged to visit two Christian high schools on Pohnpei.
Calvary Christian Academy is operated by Calvary Baptist Church. I was able to take one class period and talk about 20 seniors. They listened well. Big thanks to Principle Virginia John for allowing me to come by.

In the evening I was able to stop by OHWA School. It is a boarding school operated by the United Church of Christ, Pohnpei. Two staff people, Verl and David, pulled together an assembly of the students before supper. Thanks. Again the students listened well.

I received a good number of requests for more information. Many thanks to my host, here in Pohnpei, Petra Scheerle. She has not only allowed me to stay in the guest apartment, but has provided me with transportation and a tour of this lovely island.

My trip to Chuuk was good. I haven't achieved Gold status with United yet,

but I am high enough in the point total that I sometimes receive an upgrade to First Class. I scored between Pohnpei and Chuuk. No meal, but a nice seat with plenty of legroom and coffee in a real cup with the offer, accepted of course, of a refill.

After I arrived, due to my own negligence, things took a bad turn. I've told you that this is the longest, most complex trip I've ever taken. If I say so myself, I did a pretty good job of getting everything arranged, until the day I arrived in Chuuk. I had thought several times that I should go online and  book a hotel in Chuuk. When I thought of it, it wasn't a convenient time, so I just never got around to it. There are 4 of 5 hotels in Weno so I figured, "I'll just get room when I get here."
Wrong!
I found out there is a big military exercise going on, plus the FSM Congress is meeting here next week, so every hotel I contacted was full. I got in touch with some friends. One of whom pulled some strings, or perhaps twisted an arm, and I didn't have to sleep in a parking lot. I don't think Chuuk has a bridge one could sleep under.
In addition to the value of friends and vastness of my stupidity, I was impressed with something else--the need to pray. I was wracking my brain thinking of whom to contact and running all kinds of schemes through my gray matter, when I realized I hadn't prayed. Just a couple of minutes after I realized my oversight, a friend who was helping me messaged me: "Pray, the Lord has something." Indeed He did. A few minutes later the friend who helped me out showed up with the solution in hand. Usually, the Lord uses one of his servants to send the answer.
Before I went to bed--thankful to have one--I read this verse that was part of my devotions:

      "God is our refuge and strength, 
         an ever-present help in trouble." (Ps 46:1)

After not spending the night in the rain, I stopped by to see another school administrator who got started in the business later in life (though not as late as me). Cathy and I had a good time--at least I did--sharing experiences and exploring how we can work together for God's glory.

God has His people--some of us unlikely candidates--in the right place, if we'll obey, and at the right time, if we'll pay attention, to do what He wants to get done. Whether I'm in Texas, Virginia, New Jersey, California, or Chuuk, I'm trying to be that person. I hope this will encourage you to do the same.

I had a lovely dinner with the leaders of a partner church, again, talking about how we could work together more effectively. I was privileged to speak in chapel at Berea High School, where Cathy Samuel is principal. Afterward, she and her husband, Repeat Samuel, a Chuuk State Judge, took me out for lunch. I learned a lot.
I plan to attend Berea Church tomorrow, then on Monday, I travel back to Guam and Kathy. Though it has been hard to be apart, Kathy is where she should be, as well. Here is a cute video of her and some of the PIU ladies. Please know that Kathy uses the word "raid" metaphorically. We definitely don't allow that. I do suspect some cookies were shared.

I usually don't do fundraising on this blog, but the theme of the blog lends itself to that. 

Kathy, I, and the rest of the PIU staff are where we are because we believe this is where God wants us. This trip has intensified my believe that Micronesia, and Micronesian communities in diaspora, are in need of leaders. From now until the end of the year PIU is dependent on donor giving to meet payroll and pay other essential bills. If God's servants are going to be where they ought to be, it means that others who are likewise where they ought to be need to partner with them. 

I'm thankful for those of you who partner with us in this endeavor, both those who direct support to us, and those who support the school directly. We look forward to giving thanks for what God will do through you to meet this year-end need.
Have a great Thanksgiving. 

Instead of getting up at 3:00 AM, you could sleep in on Black Friday. Send your money to PIU instead. Here is the link, https://piu.edu/welcome-to-the-piu-donation-page/.

By the way, I'll probably make one more post in this series, mostly pictures.

Be where you ought to be, doing what you ought to do, & have a great Thanksgiving!

Big Trip, part 3:

At the end of the last post, Nino and I were at the TRACS Conference in Garden Grove, CA. I took Nino to the airport to head back to Guam early on Saturday, November 9. After finishing my night's sleep I packed up to move out of the hotel where the conference was held. I needed seek less pricey accommodations.
I'll let pictures do most of the talking for the rest of my time in CA.

I interned under Pastor Ralph White, at the Johnstown (PA) Bible Church, in the summer of 1970. I lived with He, Doris, and their kids in the big, old parsonage. It was a pleasure to see Doris, Ralph, and their daughter Darlene. I'll next see Doris in heaven.

Matt Mclain did a lot of his growing up at Covington Bible Church.

It was great to spend time with Matt, Jessica, and their kids. Dr. McLain is a teacher at Master's University.

Dr. George & Prisca Shakwelele are new missionaries with Liebenzell USA. George is involved in recruiting and is representing us on the West Coast. 

George provided me with introductions to a number of administrators at Biola University, including Dr. Barry Corey, President.

This is probably a good place to stop. Before I do I want to thank Dr. Corey for the gift of a book he wrote. I read it on a couple of my flights. I recommend it. Dr. Corey's book is a good reminder that we should develop habits of kindness, like saying "Thank You." So, Thank You, to all have helped along the way, and prayed for me on this trip, and for Kathy, back on Guam.

More to come.

Part 2 of my "Big Trip" Report:

I got to ride my bike once, a rare treat, and enjoyed the Fall leaves and weather. I had a couple of meals with some good friends. “We wish Kathy were here,” was the frequent comment, to which I replied, “Amen!” Even though Kathy wasn't physically present, she is always on my heart, so here's a picture of her with some other guys, but not me.

On Wednesday evening, I was able to share about PIU to a joint meeting of Faith Baptist Church, and my home church, Covington Bible. For many years I attended a Thursday morning pastor’s get together at McDonald’s. It was a privilege to join some of my old friends and a new one, for coffee, McFood, and great fellowship.

I figure I should write up a report of my trip, thus far, before the details fade from memory.

I already shared part 1 of my diary, Guam to Atlanta, so I’ll go on from there. As I said in that post, this trip is mostly business, but I was able to blend in some family time, and even a bit of fun time.

After my delightful visit with Sue Rector, I continued by car to Greenville SC. My granddaughter Madeline is a student at North Greenville University. I met her for supper in the touristy town of Traveler’s Rest. Maddie appears to be thriving at NGU. NGU is a Christian school, Maddie has good friends. Maddie bought our old Honda a while back. I’m glad to say that the Civic is continuing its habit of regular attendance at church parking lots. Actually, there is a group of girls that travel to church together and then talk over the sermon while they eat. I’ll tell you, that brought a smile to this grandpa’s face. Maddie and I enjoyed our time together so much that neither of us thought of taking a picture.

My late father would never admit to being lost. He just “didn’t know where he was and didn’t know how to get to where he wanted to be. My first 2 rental cars--I was on my second one at this point, a little, red, brand new Hyundai Accent—didn’t have GPS. Since my smartphone doesn’t work in the mainland US I could only use it’s GPS if I loaded the map while I was in a wifi zone. Like the picture, I didn’t think about it, and Maddie and I were both confident that “that-a-way” would be the right way. I was reminded that there is a whole lot of nothing but mountains and trees around Greenville SC. I finally made my way back to the interstate, but I was 25 miles behind where I had turned off when turned to meet Maddie. (For some of you, who wonder if I'm losing it, I offer this defense. I drove around Dallas, Houston, Atlanta, Newark, and all around Los Angeles on this trip. This was my only lost moment.) My arrival at son, Chad’s house was later than expected. Fortunately, they weren’t expecting me for a meal.

I really enjoyed my time with Tanisha, Chad, Kendal and Ava. A highlight of my time there was attendance at North Rock Hill Church, where Chad is lead pastor. Previous to my plans, Chad had scheduled his brother, Chris to speak. So I was at the church Chad pastors listening to Chris speak. You can watch the video here. It had been a long time since I had eaten venison. Chad had killed a little buck with his bow, and grilled some for me. Excellent!

Ava and I continued a "Papa tradition," a doughnut run. Krispy Kreme had some special Holloween doughnuts. Here is one of Ava's picks. 

While I was in SC, I took a trip down to Columbia. I had an enjoyable visit with Dr. Markus Klausli at Columbia International University. We share several overlapping interests and friendships. PIU and CIU have partnered together in significant ways. I want to keep that relationship alive. I was sad that Dr. Joe LeTexia wasn't able to meet with me. His mom died suddenly just before my visit. She is in heaven, but death is always hard. Pray for Joe and his family.

Speaking of partners, I shared lunch and had a delightful visit with Stephen Bradley. Steve may be PIU's #1 prayer warrior. I'm glad to report that though his stroke of several years ago has taken a toll, Steve is still sharp and bright. His smile s a good indicator of his state. Time with Steve is always a joy.

I Made my way north into North Carolina. I was an overnight guest in the home of Jill and David Mayer, Chapel Hill. David is PIU's Chairman of the Board. Our time together was short but productive.

I spent 2 nights in my bed in Covington, 10/29&30. I got to ride my bike once, a rare treat, and I enjoyed the Fall leaves and weather. I had a couple of meals with some good friends. “We wish Kathy were here,” was the frequent comment, to which I replied, “Amen!” She was busy hanging out with younger men and spending time on the beach. I hasten to add, that is not exactly correct. Kathy has been working very hard. 

On Wednesday evening, I was able to share about PIU to a joint meeting of Faith Baptist Church, and my home church, Covington Bible. Both churches are

supporters of PIU. For many years I attended a Thursday morning pastors' get together at McDonald’s. It was a privilege to join some of my old friends, and a new one, for coffee, McFood, and great fellowship.

I had a list of items to pick up for Kathy. I think I got them all. I packed up and headed north to Shenandoah WV, where I spent the night with Van & Janet Marsceau. Our time was short, but precious. Van is Kathy’s brother and the Lead Pastor of Fellowship Bible Church.

Liebenzell Mission of USA held its Board meeting November 1&2. I was able to meet with some of our ministry colleagues, give a report about the ministry of PIU to Board members and friends of the mission, and meet the new Interim Director, Dr. Chris Mathews. There was frost on the ground when I left Schooley’s Mountain, NJ, to drive to Newark for my flight to Los Angeles.

My time in LA was the main reason for this trip. I took the shuttle from LAX to the car rental place, picked up my 3^rd car, and drove to our hotel in Garden Grove, just down the road from Mickey Mouse.  After chilling a while I picked up Nino, PIU’s VP for Administration and Finance, at John Wayne Airport. You’ll be glad to know I resisted swaggering as I walked in. The next morning Nino and I appeared before the TRACS (Transnational Association of Christian Colleges and Schools. I gave my “5 minute speech,” we answered a couple of questions, then, after one of the commissioners led in prayer, we stepped out so the Commission could deliberate.

We barely had time to sit down before we were ushered back in to hear the word we had prayed for, for months. TRACS granted us a 10-year renewal of our accreditation.

I had made known before we left Guam that when we got the good news, Nino and I were going to celebrate. There was a book in our hotel room that had pictures of various tourist attractions in the area. I saw a couple of pictures of Mission San Juan Capistrano, about 45 minutes away. Especially since Nino’s home, the Philippines, and California share the Spanish Colonial heritage, we decided this looked interesting. It was a good choice. I’ll tell about our visit in another post. We also enjoyed a nice meal, and got to see some Southern California country—mostly, though, I saw traffic.

The TRACS Conference was good, but definitely an anti-climax. Something surprised me. I’ve now been in this role long enough that I have a network of acquaintances, even some friends, in this network. I grew up hearing old-timers talk about the school of hard-knocks. When it comes to educational administration, that is where I have received my education. Some of these folk, Drumm McNaughten, Tanmay Pramnkik, Martin Ramsay, and some others whose faces I can see, but whose names I can’t recall at the moment, have provided encouragement and opportunity for this old preacher turned university president. I am continually impressed with networks. I don’t think that 21^st Century word is all that different from certain aspects of Biblical fellowship, but, again, that’s the subject for another post.

It's also, way past time to put an end to this post, save the rest for part 3 and maybe even #4.

I have been, and am aware—as I sit in my room in the Republic of Marshall Islands—and appreciative of the prayer that has been offered on my behalf, and for Kathy, holding things down back on Guam. We’ll be back together, November 25. It will be a special Thanksgiving. I am, right now, and I will be on November 28, giving thanks for you. 

Thank you, Lord.

It's Not What You Think (& a good news announcement)

Missionary life, at least much of it, isn't what you think it is. I have missionary friends who live off the grid--though the grid is constantly reaching out to more and more remote places--they are the exception. Granted, Kathy and I are odd missionaries (Note: most of the oddness is mine), but, in my observation, we share the trait I'm going to talk about with most of our missionary colleagues.

We don't eat bugs, not on purpose anyhow.

We live in houses and apartments that aren't that different than yours. We drive Toyotas and Fords. Where we live a Land Rover is a luxury vehicle, not a necessity. Most of us are pretty adept at using computers and cell-phones. We have to juggle bank-accounts, credit-card balances and insurance statements. In many ways, the things we deal with in a given day are not all that different than those that fill your day.

Right now, as I type this, I'm sitting in the lobby of a large hotel in a major city. I'd say half the

people who are here aren't on vacation. I just ran across a big group yesterday who are here for a gathering of HR managers. I'm here for our accrediting agency's conference. I attend yearly. In this group, we missionary types are a small minority. In fact in a meeting yesterday, I was quizzed about the concept, as if the source of one's income was a factor in the job one does. It's not, or it doesn't need to be. Again, it's not unlike what many of you deal with. You get questioned about things that don't really matter. Many of those around you "don't get it." 

I'm rambling on about this for two reasons:
1) Most of the potential (This is also true about already serving missionaries) missionaries in the 21st Century don't look like Hudson Taylor, David Livingstone, or Mary Slessor. They likely look like the new intern at the office, the cashier at the big box store, or your co-worker who just retired last month. Read the biographies of great missionaries for inspiration. Don't use the heroes of the past to construct a job-description or a list of qualifications ford a missionary worthy of your, or your church's support.

The Great Commission is about making disciples. Missions is about placing disciple-makers in locations and situations where the job isn't done yet, and where resources are such that unless somebody goes there for that purpose it probably won't get done. Sometimes the task can be done by dedicated Christians who go to that needy place and support themselves in a career while helping others become mature Jesus-followers. Other times that just isn't going to work. The Great Commission isn't just about evangelizing. That is the first step; the process goes on through leading converts to walk in obedience and then equipping them to carry on the process to a new generation. Often that path is littered with language, cultural, economic, educational, geographic, and many other kinds of obstacles. A simplistic view of what a missionary candidate will be doing, or what a missionary is doing, will often lead to a wrong conclusion. Granted, some pseudo missionaries are just going through the motions, trying to appear busy. I would venture to say, however, that there are times when you don't look like you are doing what you are paid to do, when the fact is you are doing exactly what needs to be done so what you are supposed to do can be accomplished.

2) Knowing that much of missionary life is like much of your life--boringly mundane--helps answer the question: How do I pray for this missionary?

• Pray that he/she/they won't be consumed by the day-to-day.
• Pray that they will keep their eye on the goal.
• Pray that they will be encouraged by mini-victories and join them in rejoicing over them. Give thanks to God.
• Seldom do missionaries work alone. Pray that the accumulation of the team will lead to overall progress.

Let me get back to the hotel lobby, my attendance at this conference, and the "good news" I talked about in the heading of this post. I serve as part of a team in a 100+-year project. We are seeking to do Great Commission work in a remote area of the world. Hawaii and North America are off the map, thousands of miles to the east. Asia is to the left. Fewer than half a million people live in Micronesia. Colleagues of mine who are in heaven now evagelized here. Churches were founded and Bible translations produced. What hasn't yet happened is the establishment of a self-perpetuating group of leaders who can preserve the gains of the past and guide the people of these tiny islands into greater things in the future. Pacific Islands University, where I serve, is seeking to fill that gap. 

To do that our institution needs to be educationally credible and there needs to be a way for us to pay for higher education among people who have few resources. Being an accredited institution is a way to accomplish both of those. So for a year or more this missionary, me, has been leading a group of people to jump through all the hoops, dot all the "i"s, and cross all the "t's necessary to achieve the renewal of our accreditation. My time hasn't been spent killing lions or paddling canoes. No pith helmets were involved, but receiving our 10-year renewal, just yesterday, is an important part of continuing the Great Commission work in Micronesia. 

Thanks for the support and encouragement. As you rejoice with us in this step ahead, take time to tell me about the victories--mini or otherwise--in your life. I'd like to rejoice with you.  

One more thing: As you know from my previous post, Kathy is back in Guam, right now. She is the most faithful person I know in living every day with eternity in mind. Thanks, sweetheart.

Right now the Merrells are on two sides of the world.

As I write this post, only one of us is in Micronesia, but we are both part of the continuing adventure.
Essential to "an adventure" is the "venture" of experiencing something new and challenging. Our life continues to have those elements. Some aspects of adventuring are more fun than others; that means some aren't all that enjoyable.
For Kathy and me, being away from one another is no good. Right now, though, it is necessary, and there are good things going on.
Kathy dropped me at the airport on Guam, early October 19. After stops in Honolulu, Los Angeles, and Denver, I arrived in Dallas, just "a few" hours after I left. Actually, the flight took the better part of a day, but time in Texas is "Chamorro Standard time" minus fifteen hours.
There are small communities of Micronesians all over the United States. I had supper with a Chuukese couple--he is a pastor and church leader. I worshipped with a group from Palau, on Sunday morning. Both promised to send me some pictures, but I haven't gotten them yet. Micronesians love their island cultures. One of the ladies in the Palauan/Texan group had been in Palau at the Gospel Day celebration earlier this year. Kathy and I were also there. It is important for PIU and me to maintain these connections with the Micronesian Diaspora.


PIU is also dependent on connections with churches. Former PIU Board Member, John Robertson, arranged for he and I to meet a couple of members of the Missions leadership team at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, in Houston. John and Anna recently moved from Guam to Houston. MDPC is their church. MDPC invests heavily in missionary ventures. As a pastor, I know that there are far more opportunities to invest than there are resources to invest (on a local level, with God there is no lack). John and I very much enjoyed meeting with Kelsi and Amy. We leave the outcome in the Lord's hands.
Since I am traveling all over this side of the world, and some on the other side, I decided that I should--real burden, here--visit with family. I drove from Dallas to Houston, with an overnight in Corsicana, where I met my Micronesian friends. After the meeting at MDPC on Monday, I drove to Shreveport LA, where I met my two oldest grands, Carrington and Christopher. After supper, I drove to College Station Texas, let myself into the house and saw Silas and Kira when I got up. I was only at Chris and Nancy's house for about twenty-six hours, but I really enjoyed it.

I left early on Thursday morning, drove to Dallas and flew, by way of  Greenville Mississippi, to Atlanta. I didn't know when I booked the flight, but my journey was in a little single-engine plane. The airport in Greenville, a farming community near the Mississippi River, was about the smallest I had ever been in. The plane I was on, was the only one in sight. It was an enjoyable trip. I enjoyed seeing the farmland and rivers below.

Madeline is a student at North Greenville University. I met her for supper in the little touristy town of Traveler's Rest. From there, I went on to Rock Hill South Carolina, where I am now. One of my Papa traditions is doing a doughnut run. Ava and I picked up a supply at Crispy Creme this morning. I'll attend church at North Rock Hill Church, where Chad pastors. Chris, who joined us here last night, is preaching in the morning.

In between family time the main purpose of my trip continued. While in College Station I met with a potential partner. Please pray for this ongoing conversation. Between Atlanta and Greenville, I spent a delightful hour with Sue Rector. Sue is one of our partners; she supports Kathy and me in our missionary venture.


 This relationship cam together in a remarkable way. You can read about it, here. It gave me real joy to see Sue's bulletin board. She said she kept our prayer card there to remind her to pray for us. Just what we hope for.

This is going to get too long, so I'll wrap it up and continue it tomorrow or sometime soon. I'll give you some meanwhile back on Guam news.
I appreciate you praying for us.
As I flew over the rich southern farmland, I was reminded of the words of our Lord to His disciples, and through the inspiration of Holy Spirit to us. "The fields are white for harvest." John 4:35. In Matthew 10:38, Jesus instructs His disciples to "pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out laborers into his harvest.”

For now, that's the prayer request I leave with you. That, and that I'll get back to Kathy on November 25.

Watch for part 2.

July 2019 thoughts on Prayer and God's Provision:

Frequently, I sign my letters and emails with a closing that mentions God's grace--"By His Grace," or, “By His Grace, we Carry on," or "… Continue." I can assure you it is much more than a literary flourish. 

When I arrived at PIU two and a half years ago, I looked at the situation around me, and at my own resources and quickly saw that this was a God-sized task, with Divinely-proportioned possibilities if we should succeed. Again and again, those realities have been emphasized in my time as President of this school. I've seen it as new needs appear, and I’ve observed it even more as I observe God's gracious—grace-filled—provision. It confirms that what I can do isn’t enough—not nearly enough.

I think I've mentioned in a previous communique that I’ve been working to gain a better understanding of Isaiah 40:31. 

“[T]hey who wait for the Lord shall renew their strength;
they shall mount up with wings like eagles;
they shall run and not be weary;
they shall walk and not faint.” (Isaiah 40:31, ESV)

I was privileged to share from this powerful passage, a little over a month ago at my home church in Covington VA, and then again at the Gospel Day celebration in Palau. The Palau Evangelical Church chose the verse as the theme verse of their conference.

Commentator, Alec Motyer, comments on this passage: Those who wait on the Lord “will ‘keep putting on fresh strength’. They are promised different strength, a strength that is not natural. It’s as if people should grow wings like an eagle, the greatest of birds. They are also to be given divine strength. The natural person [the youths and young men of verse 30, are] not like God [Who does not faint or grow weary, verse 28] but the believer is." Wow! The believer is like God, not that we take on the “omni” traits of our Lord, but we become like Him in strength to meet the challenges of our day, because as we wait on God, rather than take matters into our own hands, God himself works through us.
 

Waiting on/trusting/hoping in the Lord, all these elements are contained in the Hebrew word. This is not a passive state. We have to work at waiting. Praying is the task of the one who waits on God. Please join us in praying that we will have that "different, unnatural, God-like" strength and provision for the important work of PIU.

Know that God is using you as you partner with us. Please continue to pray.

Here are a few items for waiting-prayer.

•      As is true in any facility, we have ongoing maintenance needs. Pray that our reduced staff, with a severely limited budget, can get needed repairs done before the Fall Semester.
•      Pray for a good crop of new students.
•      Thank God for a couple who are going to volunteer some time to help us with some of our IT needs, especially web-based.
•       Joyce Owen, wife of our late President, David Owen, is returning to Guam to work with us at PIU. Pray for her transition, continued adjustment to her new life, and her effective ministry at PIU.
•     Late Spring and early Summer was wedding season. Pray for several new PIU related families. I’m told that others are in the works.

·        Please let us know how we can pray for you.

By God’s Grace We Wait,

Howard Merrell, President PIU
hmerrell@piu.edu

PS: I posted a brief video that contains much of the same material as this note, https://youtu.be/5XPnEsI6pL4. You may want to watch it yourself or use it to let others know about PIU.

You can keep up with the news at PIU on the “News” tab of our website. Likewise, the “Donate” tab will give you information about how to partner financially with PIU.

The Merrell's May, 2019 News & Prayer Letter

News from Kathy and Howard Merrell, serving at Pacific Islands University, Guam
May 2019

Dear Partners,

Over our years of marriage, we have
been blessed with 

The PIU Class of 2019. There are two pastors in this group.
Most of the class wants to be a teacher. This is a picture of hope. 

 far more than we deserve. Part of that blessing has come from the God-given ability to take used things and make something useful, even beautiful of them. Over the years Kathy and I have remodeled our home in Covington VA, repaired old cars and trucks, refinished and built furniture. Kathy dresses stylishly mostly with selections from yard sales and thrift stores.

In many ways, our current ministry is a continuation of that pattern. We are taking what we acquired over a half-century of

Joyce Owen, wife of former

President, David Owen, 

was our graduation speaker. 

The theme of her message, God’s love.

preparation and ministry, and repurposing and investing it in a new place, in new ways, in new lives.

Thus far, 2019 has been one of the busiest times of our lives. The year began with the pressure of completing the self-study for the reaffirmation of our accreditation. There was the preparation for the visiting team from our accrediting agency, and then the visit itself. Our Student Development team planned an “In House Mission Project” for Spring Break. Most of our dorm students and some commuters participated in a number of activities including some campus improvement projects. Howard planned those, supervised some, and both he and Kathy got their hands dirty along the way.

Even Howard’s saw-damaged
thumb turned out to be useful.
It was a great incentive to
pay attention to safety rules
when using power tools.

 Though we are half a world away, we rode the roller-coaster with our friends Dave (former PIU President) and Joyce Owen. We rejoiced with them as it appeared that Dave was cured, only to weep when three weeks later it was clear that his body was ravaged with a different variety of the dread disease. We helped plan a memorial chapel service in Dave’s honor and then
Howard made the trip to California to take part in his memorial service. This past weekend was graduation, and, last night, Howard performed his first wedding on this side of the world.

Along the way we each taught a class in the Spring Semester, and kept up with our day-to-day

Kathy teaching Introduction to Music.

responsibilities.

Kathy leaves tomorrow for Virginia, and Howard a week later. At the end of June we’ll be in Palau, where Howard will be one of the speakers in the Palauan Evangelical Church’s Gospel Day Celebration. We’ll arrive back in Guam, July 1. Perhaps we’ll see you while we are stateside.

At the school’s Board of Trustees’ meeting in March—I forgot to mention that—the board indicated a desire for Howard to continue as President. At this point we figure it is best to make commitments in smaller bites. We told the Board we would be here through the 2019-20 academic year. We’ll evaluate as May 2020 approaches. Our plan is to continue to invest the resources the Lord has entrusted to us as long as we are able. For the foreseeable future, we are glad to continue to serve as missionaries at PIU.

Thank you, so much for partnering with us in raising up a new generation of leaders in the Western Pacific. We are making some new prayer cards. We’ll be glad to give you one when we see you, or if don’t get to see you, we’ll send you one. 

   Speaking of Prayer, here are some praise and prayer notes:

  

•  We praise the Lord that our reaccreditation process is going well. We aren’t there, yet, but it looks like we’ll make it.
• We see growth in the lives of some students.
• We also see tragic collapses. Pray especially for Alex, Scott and the rest our Student Development Team. They are the point of the spear in touching student lives.
• Pray for families.
• Alex and his family are, like many of us, traveling. Pray for good contacts, safety, and refreshment.
• Pray for those holding things together here on campus.
• We are in good health. We’ll do our annual checkups while in VA. No one is indispensable, but it would make things inconvenient for a lot of folk, if we can’t continue for a while.
• The big three requests remain. We need students, PIU needs financial partners, and we need staff who can serve with us as missionaries.

The Passing of My Predecessor and Friend

I awoke on the morning of March 30 to news that Dr. David Owen, the longest serving President of Pacific Islands University graduated to heaven. 
It was about two and a half years ago that Dave and I were in Germany together. We were meeting with others who have an interest in the Lord's work in Micronesia. Dave was there as President of PIU and a lifelong missionary to this mostly forgotten part of the world. I was there as Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the school and as one who was transitioning from a pastoral to a missionary role. Dave didn't feel well, yet his advocacy for the work he loved was vigorous. 
A few weeks later we were together again, at our mission's headquarters in New Jersey. Dave still wasn't feeling well. He was concerned about some sores on his legs. He thought maybe they were from insect bites or an allergic reaction. Soon, we found out they had a much more serious cause.
Dave often talked about the "contingency" of this universe in which we live. It is something with which the greatest of minds struggle--and Dave's was an impressive intellect. 
On one occasion, Solomon observed, "Again I saw that under the sun the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, nor bread to the wise, nor riches to the intelligent, nor favor to those with knowledge, but time and chance happen to them all. For man does not know his time. Like fish that are taken in an evil net, and like birds that are caught in a snare, so the children of man are snared at an evil time, when it suddenly falls upon them.” (Ecclesiastes 9:11–12, ESV)
Neither the King of Israel nor the third President of a Christian University in Micronesia were cynics. They were just honest. There is a lot that we don't know, and down here can't know. Dave and I drove our Theological stakes at different points in the trying-to-figure-out-God-and-His-ways spectrum. I more to the Calvinist end, Dave more to the it's-a-work-in-progress end. 
I have spent the last twenty-seven months sitting in the President's chair. I am in that seat at Dave's invitation. When he asked me to come, he had no idea that he would never sit in that chair again.
It is remarkable that a small-town pastor from Virginia got to be a good friend of, and ministry colleague with, a Christian educator on the opposite side of the globe. I was privileged to walk with Dave on the road next to the firehouse in Yigo, Guam, in the Black Forest of Germany, and down the main street of Weno Chuuk. We also walked together through many good and bad times in the life of PIU. Though Dave mostly left me alone in my new role, I took great comfort in knowing that he continued to walk with me through prayer.
In his younger years, Dave was a fiercely competitive athlete. He brought that same vigor to the work he did. He wanted to win. Sometimes he struggled with that, but, to his credit, after he processed things Dave didn't want others to lose. Much of the last decade of Dave's life was spent building coalitions, making peace, and searching for ways victories could be shared. My prayer is that this legacy will continue to bear eternal fruit.
It is a great honor to sit in what I'll probably always consider Dave's chair. Over the past couple of years, I've often wondered what Dave thought about what I was doing from that seat. Perhaps we'll talk about that over a cup of "coffee, black." As Dave often said, those are the only two words needed when you order the blessed elixir.
As I sip my coffee down here, I am confident that he and I shared--dare I say, "still share"--the same desire. There is a great need for Christian leaders in Micronesia and beyond. Dave's passion was expressed in the words of PIU's Mission, words of which he was the main author.

Pacific Islands University exists to provide

accessible, excellent, transformational Christian higher education 

and ministry training to the people of Micronesia, the Pacific islands, and to the ends of the earth. As such, our mission is to prepare men and women with a biblical worldview for leadership and service in life, work, and ministry in the global community and the church. (emphasis mine)

Dave firmly believed that the truth of God's word is transformational. In order to make that kind of education accessible to the people of Micronesia, someone has to come out to this side of the world, somebody has to travel to various Island communities that make up Micronesia and let the people know that there is a Christian institution that offers education from a Biblical worldview. Dave did all of that. He recruited people who would do an excellent job of delivering that education. He and his wife, Joyce, served with excellence in what they did. It was a privilege to serve with him. Now, though my feet are bigger than Dave's, I can't come close to filling his shoes. If Dave were here, I'm confident he would say, "Don't try to be me. Be the best you, you can be and trust God.

I've missed my friend for some time. For much of the last couple of years he has been too sick to communicate much. I don't know if he heard me the other day. Joyce put the phone on speaker so I could share some good news about PIU. I hope he did. Now, from an earthly viewpoint, the separation is final. I'll not see Dave again down here. 
My prayers are with Joyce and the family. 
Dave, I remember you describing PIU something like "a treasure in a brown paper bag." That's a pretty fragile arrangement. I'm doing my best to take care of it. Keep the coffee hot.

Please pray for me as I lead a chapel service in honor of Dave tomorrow, April 2, here at PIU, then as I travel to California for his Memorial Service.

A memorial service for David Lee Owen will be held on April 6, 2019 at Gold Country Baptist Church (3800 North Shingle Road, Shingle Springs, CA 95682) at 3pm. 

In honor of Dave and Joyce's lifelong commitment to PIU the family stated,

If you wish to make a donation, please donate to Pacific Islands University

(https://piu.edu/welcome-to-the-piu-donation-page/)

Thank you.