Faculty and Staff Share in Revival Week

Revival week at Pacific Union College gave students across campus a chance to reawaken their spiritual experiences this winter from January 22 to 26. This quarter, the week featured a lineup of PUC faculty and staff speaking on the week’s theme: “In One Accord in Fellowship.”

At each event, the speakers shared personal life experiences which led them to their current life values and beliefs.

During his talk Tuesday evening, PUC chaplain Laffit Cortes described his early life as apathetic and lacking religion during his talk Tuesday evening. He remembered how he observed overt racial intolerance firsthand for the first time while living in Texas and the impression it left on him while he converted and declined promising career moves to find his life calling. He urged students to live their lives according to God’s plan and noted that doing so had led him to his current job working as chaplain at PUC.

“That’s how I got to PUC,” Cortes said. “Everything that I do today and get paid, I did all my life for free,” he added, noting that all of his life experiences had helped prepare him for his role at PUC.

On Thursday morning, during what is usually the colloquy time period, director of student activities Doug Wilson and Grainger Hall dean Jonny Halversen performed a comedic presentation in duo: “Things don’t always work out the way you plan,” said Wilson, but asserted that it was okay as long as one has a purpose. The two ended their presentation as a duet singing an inspirational ditty.

Other faculty and staff also presented during the week. John Nunes, associate professor of business administration at PUC, presented the first talk of the week on Tuesday night while Alisa Jacobo, instructor of social work, spoke on Thursday evening and Tammy McGuire, professor of communication, presented on Friday evening.

The week of revival was capped off Saturday morning by Leo Ranzolin, chair of the department of religion. Ranzolin recounted his life story and spiritual journey including his days as a high school basketball star, to his experiences in college as a business major and eventual change in career direction to theology.

Ranzolin ended his talk, and the revival week, with a heartfelt call for listeners to give their hearts to God. “You and I have a God-shaped vacuum,” Ranzolin said. “It can’t be filled by anything created, but only by God–the creator–made known through Jesus. so my prayer as I close is that each one of you may come to Jesus—recognize that we have a creator, sustainer and source of all things.”

“If we do,” he added, “that God-shaped vacuum will be filled by Jesus Christ and we will experience this great debt, the peace of God which surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.”

“Week of prayer was really nice,” said sophomore history major Becky Buhrke. “I got to connect with my friends and with God and the amazing music and speakers were really inspiring.”