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Dr. Amal Harsha de Silva, Director of Health for Sri Lanka, visited Pacific Union College and St. Helena Hospital on Tuesday, April 11, during his family’s vacation in the U.S. De Silva toured the science departments of the college, including a special visit with the nursing department’s programmable medical mannequin, SimMan, as well as taking a tour of St. Helena Hospital. De Silva’s interest in the college and hospital stems from the connection between Pacific Union College and the Associated College of Health Sciences, which opened in Sri Lanka in 2003 as part of an effort to increase the number of qualified nurses in that country. Dr. Julia Pearce, the former chair of the Pacific Union College nursing department, was instrumental in helping the new school develop its curriculum and in advising the school’s administration about Western healthcare training standards. Pearce spent a week in Sri Lanka when the school opened, participating in the ceremonies, bringing 200 pounds of books and materials with her, and helping with curriculum preparation. Three years later, in January of 2006, Pearce returned for the first graduation—with another 100 pounds of books. “I never thought I’d get father than Phoenix!” Pearce laughs. “So this is...

At the all-school colloquy on April 6, Pacific Union College President Richard Osborn presented alumnus Jake Scheideman with a check for $8,388. About two months earlier, Scheideman shared at a colloquy program about his housing project in Nicaragua (see “A Spontaneous Gift: Students Send $8,000 to Nicaragua” ). At the end of his story, students, faculty and staff made donations and pledges toward funding one of the houses in the Nicaraguan village, which cost about $6,000 each to build. On April 6, the total amount was presented to Scheideman and the St. Helena Rotary Club, which oversees the project. “This is humbling, and outstanding!” Scheideman said. He hopes to use the money to fund one of the houses in the most recent building phase, which will be completed at the end of May. “We can all do something,” Scheideman told the audience. “As educated Americans we have a responsibility to do something for our world—and it’s fun!”...

Godfrey Miranda, a 2005 PUC graduate, returned to share his original musical composition with students at the first colloquy of spring quarter. His homecoming featured a successful first performance of In the Beginning: a Symphonic Suite. Performed by the PUC Orchestra and conducted by Rachelle Berthelsen Davis, this five-part movement is based on the five themes of John Milton’s book Paradise Lost. The theme of each movements portrayed a section of the book using both visual and sound elements. The text and graphic representations displayed on the overhead screen followed the story behind each movement. One movement featured a jazz duet between the clarinet and flute representing Satan’s temptation of Eve at the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil. Before the first and fourth movement, Miranda’s enthusiasm for the subject barely kept him in his seat and he jumped up to explain the emotions and thoughts tied into each individual work. This was the first time Miranda heard the entire piece played live (he composed it using his computer and synthesized instruments), and his excitement was evident before and during the performance. When the performance ended Miranda’s reaction was pure joy. “Oh wow! That was rich,” he said. “The...

Imagine living in a 25-foot trailer, with knowledge that at the end of the year, you’ll have to move out and somehow find a job. Citizens of Waveland, Mississippi have been surviving like this for the past seven months. Since Hurricane Katrina wreaked havoc on the Gulf Coast last year, 75 percent of the businesses in Waveland, which is located about 30 minutes from New Orleans, have remained closed, and the lingering residents possess little hope for the future. Youth pastor Jon Cicle from the Pacific Union College Church and a group of 16 volunteers journeyed to New Orleans and Waveland during spring break to take part in continued efforts to get the Gulf states back on track. PUC student Jaylene Chung and her parents provided the crew with a nice surprise by unexpectedly joining up with them in Waveland. While most experts are estimating that clearing the devastation and rebuilding will take at least three to five years, the group of PUC students, high school students, and sponsors did their best to make a difference in the lives of some grateful families. From removing broken toilets and appliances to clearing debris washed in from massive flooding, the group worked...

PUC alumna Sharon Fujimoto-Johnson recently published her first book-length translation, Rainbow Over Hell. Currently a free-lance writer, this 1997 PUC graduate shares with English-readers the true story of a man transformed from an assassin to a Seventh-day Adventist pastor. Written by award-winning Japanese author Tsuneyuki Mohri, Rainbow Over Hell was printed by two major Japanese publishing houses in 2005 and is now available for the first time in English. Rainbow Over Hell describes Saburo Arakaki’s journey after joining a group of militants at 18 during the 1944 war in Saipan. After the final surrender of Saipan he was arrested for assassinating two men thought to be corroborating with the U.S. Air Force, and was sentenced to death. During his time in prison he discovered the Bible and was so transformed by his new faith that his own warden petitioned for his release. In 1954 Arakaki received a full pardon from President Eisenhower and returned to Japan, where he became a Seventh-day Adventist minister. Fujimoto-Johnson sees the story as valuable on two levels. “This book is historically significant as a Pacific War account, but just as importantly, it’s also a message of hope.” She adds, “It was a privilege to translate...