Tonight, we had a meeting in up here with all of the guys in Dorm Four. For those of you who don’t know, that is the dorm which I’m in here at Portland Bible College. Although the meeting was short, it caused me to think and reflect on the entirety of this past and first semester I have lived through up here at PBC. It made me think about things in my life that happened before I came to school up here, and it caused me to think of how much I really have valued all of the time I have spent with all of the people. Most of all, it caused me to ponder how great God truly is.

When I first decided to come and attend PBC it was on a whim. I didn’t know exactly what I was doing. At first I simply was applying to go to a new college. I wanted to learn more about God and the Bible so that I could better articulate it towards others. I wanted to be able to teach others in a way which I was incapable of. I also wanted a pass out of Reno. I was becoming somewhat tired, and I just wanted a way to get away and get some rest. I needed to set my life straight, and get away from it. I had created a lot of stress in my life that was apparent to others, but it wasn’t very obvious to me. I do think that all of this was a large part of why I began my inquiry of this school, although I didn’t have any idea as to what I was signing up for.

When I arrived at PBC, I was very unsure of what I had chosen. It was the first time I was away from home, and I wasn’t very comfortable with being so far from my family and Church. Yet, I quickly began to meet people, and everybody was more friendly than almost anyone I had ever met. I began to realize that the atmosphere provided at PBC required results. It is an environment of study, worship, prayer, and fellowship, and the fruit of this environment is very evident in the students. It is this fruit and this environment which allowed me to find comfort in the midst of my calamity. It is the presence of God, and it is provided through the people who are so earnestly seeking to serve God in total and complete humility towards Him and His will.

You know what is so great about all that I just said? It has all been orchestrated and guided by the hand of God. First there was the discontentment in my life which led me to seek a way out. This way was provided by PBC. After getting here and being totally unsure about my decision, I was at a point of total brokeness. I had to seek God more than I ever had before in my life. Through this all I met people who have influenced me and shown God’s grace to me in such fullness. I have had conversations which have caused me to grow in ways which I never expected. I got the chance to experience ministry in ways which were totally foreign to me, and you know what? It has all been so worth it. God did place me here at this time for a specific reason, and I am not sure as to what it was; but I do know that I feel so much more real with the God that I have known for the past three years of my life. And regardless if I end up back here or not, I will always have a great amount of respect for the people who have influenced me, especially those up here in Dorm Four! Love you guys!