I am honored to be the first alumnus to serve as President at PBU. In addition to my professional interests and education, I have always been interested in history, politics, and culture and serve as a member of the Board of Governors of the John Jay Institute for Faith, Law and Society in Colorado Springs Colorado. I grew up in Middletown, Pennsylvania where I graduated from Middletown Area High School and am a first generation college graduate. I trusted Christ during my high school years and after that I served several years as Horsemanship and Wilderness Program Director at Camp Hebron in Halifax, Pennsylvania. I met my wife Dawn while working at the camp. We have been married for twenty one years, have two teenagers, Connor and Caitlin, and live in Morrisville, Pennsylvania. As a family we enjoy music, the arts and the outdoors. We spend as much time as we can outside gardening, canoeing, fly-fishing, and hiking. I also enjoy golf and tennis. We attend Westerley Road Church in Princeton, New Jersey.

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March 25, 2009

Pura Vida!

My family and I recently returned from a PBU Tour to Costa Rica with a number of the University's friends. I have never been to Central America before. - Didn't know much about Coast Rica either. But we all learned about its history and culture and improved our Spanish. They have a national motto/greeting/response that everyone there says. "Pura Vida!" - pure life. Our guide informed us that it is an indication of the people's optimism and joy in living amidst such natural beauty and nature's bounty. The lush rainforests, cloud-forests, plantations, farms, and countryside are full of life. - Quite a contrast from the winter lawn and bare trees in Pennsylvania. Everywhere we went there were fresh fruit and vegetables, blooming flowers, and colorful birds. The tour was promoted as a natural beauty tour and we saw much of what God created good. We had many opportunities to reflect upon God's goodness and creativity. In fact, my messages for a series of sessions while we travelled were centered on Genesis 1-3 and the three basic elements of a biblical world view - creation, fall, redemption. And we saw evidence of all three. We marveled at creation from every angle. We saw the reality of the fall in the poverty, crime, pollution, and immorality. We also saw thriving churches and met Christians who are about God's work there and rejoiced that the message of God's redeeming love was being proclaimed and believed. As we drove over roads of varying quality and took in all there was to see, it was as though you could sense the truth of Romans 8, that all of creation was groaning, awaiting its final redemption and the return of its Creator. I am very grateful that PBU provides its students opportunities to travel the world and see it from different vantage points. -To see it as it is in reality, - beautiful and good, fallen and corrupted, redeemed and waiting. One day, in God's perfect timing we will have true Pura Vida!

Posted by Todd J. Williams, Ph.D on March 25, 2009 4:32 PM |

Comments (1)

TWF:

I too have been blessed with the opportunity that PBU provided me in going abroad, not necessarily for "missions" work, but to study the Word in Israel. (However, I've been on multiple short-term missions trips with other churches and schools.) Like the good doc has said, I too urge you to go. If you haven't seen the glory of the Lord in another country that may be hostile to Christ's redeeming work or one that is poor as poor can be, then go. Go and allow the Spirit to humble your heart, to make your heart like flesh. See the people live for Christ in such a way that you so desire to live from that point forward. And if you aren't moved when you return, then you need to ask yourself, why am I not encouraged by those who are "poor in spirit"? Pray. Pray that the Lord would open your eyes to those who are in need and to give you a servant-mindedness that was so awesomely displayed by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Posted by TWF | March 31, 2009 5:46 PM

Posted on March 31, 2009 17:46

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