Dear Colleagues, It is with genuine sincerity that I express my gratitude for the many kind and gracious friends that I have had the opportunity to work with over the course of the past several years. I have thoroughly enjoyed participating in GGF as well as the creativity, friendly atmosphere, and stimulating activities availed by IBM. I am writing to you to inform you that I am resigning from IBM and the technical/scientific industry, including GGF and my leadership involvement. Though seemingly abrupt, this decision has been under consideration for over a year. The sole reason for my departure is in response to an inexplicable and ever increasing draw and loving desire to serve in full-time Christian ministry. I am pursuing higher education and training in one of the finest seminaries available while serving as a pastor of a regional Bible church. I leave IBM and all of my related participating activities in excellent standing and repute. I would love to share more with you, however out of respect for the diverse community of GGF, I want to invite anyone who is interested in more details or would simply like to discuss the matter to please contact me at: manuel@trinitybiblechurch.org. Best regards, Manuel Pereira ------------------------------------------------------ IBM Almaden Research Center 1-408-927-1935 [Tieline: 457] mpereira@us.ibm.com ------------------------------------------------------