I just thought of it this morning. The weather is no longer the main topic of idle conversation.
IT'S MASKS. We argue and complain about them, they have replaced bumper-stickers and yard-signs as political statements, and they have become an unexpected fashion statement. On a recent trip to the US Mainland, my wife made sure that we had a couple of face-coverings that showed our "Guam-ness."
Perhaps you have gotten so used to breathing through a fiber barrier that you have forgotten that there was a time before masks, and, dare I hope, there will be a time after. Here on Guam, the COVID darkness is beginning to lighten. We are praying for those of you who are still experiencing the worst. Without making light of the continued difficulties of those you in places where the numbers are still bad--in some cases awful--and where each of those numbers represents one more tragedy, can I offer a word of hope and purpose? If you are OK with that, keep on reading.
One of our major prayer requests at PIU, over the past ten months, has been, "Lord, let us get back into the classroom. Many of our students don't do well in this online-only environment." As we started our semester on January 18, we saw that prayer answered. My hope, and I think it is a realistic hope, is that we'll get back to a time when we can really see people smile, shake hands, sit next to one another, and even give a hug to those we care about.
What will we talk about, then?
More imortantly, what will we DO then?
In 2019, when we began the Dr. Dave Owen Memorial Fund (DDOMF), we did so not only to honor a worthy servant, but to take modest steps to move into a new decade with new purpose and effectiveness. Who knew that this new decade would begin as it did?
You can read more about this fund in other posts on this blog, but let me give you a summary, here.
- DDOMF will remind future generations of the real source of our well-being. My hope is that Alumni participation will fund the erection of the Prayer Spot. (See this booklet with lot's of information or click here for a brief summary.)
- DDOMF will address much-needed maintenance and upgrades to PIU's main building. In honor of our third President, we'll name the building the "Ezra 7:10 Building." Even though our fundraising efforts were mostly stopped by the Pandemic, three sources of giving to DDOMF continued, along with a few one-time gifts. I'll post an update ASAP, but our fund reached about the 25% point. This enabled us to sign a contract to address the biggest need on the building that will be named "The "Ezra 7:10 Building," THE ROOF. (Watch for a report in a future post.)
- The third part of DDOMF will be a beginning on stabilizing the future of PIU's financial foundation.
Again, See this booklet with lot's of information or click here for a brief summary.
Before COVID became the chief topic of conversation, the transformative, Bible-oriented, God-honoring education offered by PIU was needed. Since the arrival of the Novel-Coronavirus, PIU as kept on offering that kind of education. Grants from the US Government helped a lot, but it hasn't been easy. We wore our masks, worked from home,
delayed trips to see family, and provided refuge for students who couldn't get home. We hired a new Chief Academic Officer, Rhonda Haynes (pictured with husband Ron, who is teaching for us), and continued to push forward wherever we could. Our launch of PIU Online, a greater outreach of Distance Education, was a timely venture, and we are learning more of the benefits of our new Learning Management System (LMS), Populi. It was introduced about the same time Corona landed. Even without the pandemic, we've been busy.
After COVID--What then?
- When we can once again receive students from our Micronesian Island neighbors,
- When we can put away the temperature checking machines, and take off our masks,
- When "normal" isn't hyphenated with "New."
What then?
We want to be ready. By God's grace we will be ready. Please help us be ready. Your gift to DDOMF will help us be prepared for the next phase of PIU's ministry.
We are dusting off some digital machinery. It hasn't been used for a while, because of the COVID obstacles we have all encountered. At this point, the best route for donating to the DDOMF is to go to https://piu.edu/resources/contribute/ and use one of the options to donate. Please note, if the option to give the information that this gift is for DDOMF doesn't show up in the process, please send a note to catoigue@piu.edu. Celia will send back a nice note.
