Hello, friends!
Greetings from Cleveland, Ohio! Why am I in Cleveland? Actually, I am here for a funeral. After 82 years, my great aunt Della died on July 23. I was able to fly out to Cleveland as a representative for my siblings to be with the family.
Death is a part of life. I've been to funerals before. When I was 12 my grandfather died. Most recently, in 2007, my great uncle died. I have been with friends as they have walked through the death of friends and family members. Death is nothing new to me.
The one thing that was new to me was going to a non-Christian funeral while working as a campus staff member for InterVarsity Christian Fellowship/USA. The questions as I prepared to fly out here were plentiful. Which rituals would I participate in with my family? What should I do with the opportunities to talk about faith with my family? How much does it matter that I am campus staff for a living?
As I thought and prayed about it more and more, what I really felt God telling me was to remember to love people above all else. There were going to be opportunities to talk to all members of my family and what I did with those opportunities, whether or not we talked about Jesus or not, would be secondary to whether or not I was speaking out of love.
Yesterday was the wake and today was the funeral. I would like to think that I did ok. Except for the incense messing with my asthma and headaches, I was able to participate in the wake and the funeral. I had a great conversation with one of the guys who Aunt Della mentored about Jesus and the afterlife. I was even asked to pray at the burial along w' my dad (Papa John ended up doing the prayer).
I can't say that I did everything right but I feel good about it. I was looking for opportunities to love my family I and I hope that I did ok. My hope is that God was glorified through my actions and words. Pretty much, it's up to Jesus at this point.
Please be praying for my family. Many of my family knows Jesus but many in my family doesn't. Please pray that God will move in my family. Please pray for more opportunities to share who Jesus is. Please pray for peace for me as I return home.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Tuesday, July 30, 2013
Sunday, July 28, 2013
One Week...
Hello, friends!
Greetings from beautiful Columbia, Missouri, also known as Megan's and my new home! Just one week ago today we packed up the truck, drove through some storms, and started the next chapter of Team Megan and Adam here in CoMO. The past few days have been spent unpacking, trying to get a sense of a new rhythm, and hanging out with students.
Still, with everything that is on the horizon, at the moment we aren't feeling overwhelmed in terms of stuff to do. Most of the boxes are unpacked, including the important ones (read: kitchen stuff). We've set up the living room and the bedroom so we can lounge and sleep with some level of comfort. I've set up the Nintendo, so I'm good to go there. =0). There is student stuff but the biggest piece on our hands is planning the Pre-Fall leader's retreat, which will be important but not terribly time consuming. In many ways, you could say that things are a little slow out here right now. Honestly, though, I think that's just fine with me.
Both Megan and I are doers. I'm super task oriented and Megan loves being active. We like it best when there is a task to be accomplished or something to do. In some ways, it is maddening to be here and not be filled to the brim with work, like how things will be in just a few weeks. With that in mind, I've decided to change my attitude and actually be thankful for the chill time that we have. There may not be a lot to do in terms of ministry but I believe that it's actually a gift from God that we have time to unpack and unwind a little. I'd much rather have this than be swamped with work and living out of boxes and suitcases for a few more weeks.
Transitioning is tough work. We visited a church today and I felt the pull of trying to see it as its own thing and not compare it to church in St. Louis. That goes for eating at a restaurant and walking downtown. Things are different here. Some may say they are better. Others may say they are worse. I'll just say they are different and leave it at that.
One thing that I've been hearing during this time has been God saying, "Trust me." Being the task oriented fixer that I am, I've wanted this transition to be just another item on the to-do list. Things haven't been quite that easy and it's frustrating because I know that the only things that are going to make this better are time and Jesus, two things that I cannot make more of but have to be given to me. It's not easy right now but I believe that God will make this place a home for us and that it will be awesome.
Friends, please continue to pray for Megan and me as we continue to transition to life here in Columbia. Pray that God will be with us as we serve together and learn to serve each other during this time.
Have an excellent day!
Greetings from beautiful Columbia, Missouri, also known as Megan's and my new home! Just one week ago today we packed up the truck, drove through some storms, and started the next chapter of Team Megan and Adam here in CoMO. The past few days have been spent unpacking, trying to get a sense of a new rhythm, and hanging out with students.
Still, with everything that is on the horizon, at the moment we aren't feeling overwhelmed in terms of stuff to do. Most of the boxes are unpacked, including the important ones (read: kitchen stuff). We've set up the living room and the bedroom so we can lounge and sleep with some level of comfort. I've set up the Nintendo, so I'm good to go there. =0). There is student stuff but the biggest piece on our hands is planning the Pre-Fall leader's retreat, which will be important but not terribly time consuming. In many ways, you could say that things are a little slow out here right now. Honestly, though, I think that's just fine with me.
Both Megan and I are doers. I'm super task oriented and Megan loves being active. We like it best when there is a task to be accomplished or something to do. In some ways, it is maddening to be here and not be filled to the brim with work, like how things will be in just a few weeks. With that in mind, I've decided to change my attitude and actually be thankful for the chill time that we have. There may not be a lot to do in terms of ministry but I believe that it's actually a gift from God that we have time to unpack and unwind a little. I'd much rather have this than be swamped with work and living out of boxes and suitcases for a few more weeks.
Transitioning is tough work. We visited a church today and I felt the pull of trying to see it as its own thing and not compare it to church in St. Louis. That goes for eating at a restaurant and walking downtown. Things are different here. Some may say they are better. Others may say they are worse. I'll just say they are different and leave it at that.
One thing that I've been hearing during this time has been God saying, "Trust me." Being the task oriented fixer that I am, I've wanted this transition to be just another item on the to-do list. Things haven't been quite that easy and it's frustrating because I know that the only things that are going to make this better are time and Jesus, two things that I cannot make more of but have to be given to me. It's not easy right now but I believe that God will make this place a home for us and that it will be awesome.
Friends, please continue to pray for Megan and me as we continue to transition to life here in Columbia. Pray that God will be with us as we serve together and learn to serve each other during this time.
Have an excellent day!
Tuesday, July 16, 2013
I'm Sorry...
Hello, friends!
The past few nights I have had a lot of trouble sleeping. Normally, it takes me a bit to fall asleep but things have taken much longer since Saturday night. What happened on Saturday night? Well, on Saturday, a jury found George Zimmerman not guilty of second degree murder and manslaughter of Trayvon Martin. Since then, I've been thinking about the verdict and various implications, not just on me, but on my community as well. Each night I have been kicking around a different question in my mind and trying to make everything clear.
Originally, my plan was to post my thoughts about each of the questions that I had been kicking around each night but as I began to type, it felt like another long post that bordered on blabbering was probably not helpful to the conversation. So, instead, I am going to do what feels right in my heart to do: Say I am sorry.
To the Martin family, I am sorry. You lost your son and probably feel like you have lost out on justice as well. A court of law and a jury of your peers decided that the man who shot and killed your son did not undeniably do so out of evil intent and malice. That sucks.
To my African American friends, I am sorry. From the people who I have spoken to, this was not just a murder trial. This was about community and family. From the people who I have spoken to, this verdict was not just a miscarriage of justice, it was another kick in the gut, another reminder to you that the system isn't fair and that you will always be considered second class citizens. I don't know if that sentiment is true or not, but the feelings are real and I am sorry you are experiencing this right now.
To my students, I am sorry. I wish I had a good answer on what the Christian response, or the Asian American response is supposed to be in this situation. Everything that I have come up with has sounded hallow and trite. Bits about being "bridge builders" and "trusting in God's judgment over the judgment of man" don't seem to cut it at this point. I want to point you in a good direction on this one but I'm not sure of what that direction is. The best I can tell you is to care about this. Care about this because it is important.
~Adam
The past few nights I have had a lot of trouble sleeping. Normally, it takes me a bit to fall asleep but things have taken much longer since Saturday night. What happened on Saturday night? Well, on Saturday, a jury found George Zimmerman not guilty of second degree murder and manslaughter of Trayvon Martin. Since then, I've been thinking about the verdict and various implications, not just on me, but on my community as well. Each night I have been kicking around a different question in my mind and trying to make everything clear.
Originally, my plan was to post my thoughts about each of the questions that I had been kicking around each night but as I began to type, it felt like another long post that bordered on blabbering was probably not helpful to the conversation. So, instead, I am going to do what feels right in my heart to do: Say I am sorry.
To the Martin family, I am sorry. You lost your son and probably feel like you have lost out on justice as well. A court of law and a jury of your peers decided that the man who shot and killed your son did not undeniably do so out of evil intent and malice. That sucks.
To my African American friends, I am sorry. From the people who I have spoken to, this was not just a murder trial. This was about community and family. From the people who I have spoken to, this verdict was not just a miscarriage of justice, it was another kick in the gut, another reminder to you that the system isn't fair and that you will always be considered second class citizens. I don't know if that sentiment is true or not, but the feelings are real and I am sorry you are experiencing this right now.
To my students, I am sorry. I wish I had a good answer on what the Christian response, or the Asian American response is supposed to be in this situation. Everything that I have come up with has sounded hallow and trite. Bits about being "bridge builders" and "trusting in God's judgment over the judgment of man" don't seem to cut it at this point. I want to point you in a good direction on this one but I'm not sure of what that direction is. The best I can tell you is to care about this. Care about this because it is important.
~Adam
Friday, July 12, 2013
Discipleship Style...
Hello, friends!
Now entering my 7th year on staff with InterVarsity, I've had the opportunity to disciple and supervise a number of different folk in a number of different roles. I have done training, coaching, mentorship, accountability, teaching, preaching, small group leading, and a whole bunch of other roles. I've worked with students, volunteers, interns, and fellow staff. Depending on my role, my relationship, and the task at hand, I have learned to adapt my leadership style accordingly. It hasn't been perfect but I have been learning more and more about how to be an effective leader in a number of different contexts.
One thing that has stayed constant in my discipleship style though, is my basic philosophy in developing people: I want to help you do what you want to do as well as possible. What I mean is this. Sometimes there are instances where my job is to create a gameplan and lead folk toward that gameplan. But I feel most comfortable when folk have a place they want to go and my job is to help them get there as quickly and successfully as possible. Even when I have a gameplan, it is usually more of a loose guideline kind of thing that allows for input and wiggle-room.
Understand, I love specifics. I have ideas on how things ought to be done and the best way to accomplish goals. I am not afraid to voice opinion or let folk know when something is going to work or not going to work. But I have always believed that folk really develop when they own their actions. If someone does something I tell them to do, they may do it, but it won't be theirs. When someone outlines their own goals and we craft a gameplan together, that is when they really own their actions and their decisions. It is a beautiful thing to see it happen.
However, there is a downside to my leadership style. Actually, there are two big risks involved. The first is that this style requires a lot of trust and discernment. If I am going to help you get where you want to go, I have to trust that you have put in the work to decide where God wants you to go. Sometimes this can be a bit tougher when it comes to students who do not have a lot of experience listening for God's voice.
The second risk is that time can sometimes become an issue. If folk are unsure about their decisions or don't know how to make good decisions, eventually it can get to the point where something is chosen simply because something needs to be done. I like to say that need is a terrible reason to do something. This holds true for decisions as well.
Now that Meg and I are Team Leaders, there are more opportunities for discipleship and influence, especially as we consider branching out to other colleges beyond Mizzou. Please be praying for us as we continue to develop our leadership styles in a way that will serve those we are leading and give glory to the kingdom.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Now entering my 7th year on staff with InterVarsity, I've had the opportunity to disciple and supervise a number of different folk in a number of different roles. I have done training, coaching, mentorship, accountability, teaching, preaching, small group leading, and a whole bunch of other roles. I've worked with students, volunteers, interns, and fellow staff. Depending on my role, my relationship, and the task at hand, I have learned to adapt my leadership style accordingly. It hasn't been perfect but I have been learning more and more about how to be an effective leader in a number of different contexts.
One thing that has stayed constant in my discipleship style though, is my basic philosophy in developing people: I want to help you do what you want to do as well as possible. What I mean is this. Sometimes there are instances where my job is to create a gameplan and lead folk toward that gameplan. But I feel most comfortable when folk have a place they want to go and my job is to help them get there as quickly and successfully as possible. Even when I have a gameplan, it is usually more of a loose guideline kind of thing that allows for input and wiggle-room.
Understand, I love specifics. I have ideas on how things ought to be done and the best way to accomplish goals. I am not afraid to voice opinion or let folk know when something is going to work or not going to work. But I have always believed that folk really develop when they own their actions. If someone does something I tell them to do, they may do it, but it won't be theirs. When someone outlines their own goals and we craft a gameplan together, that is when they really own their actions and their decisions. It is a beautiful thing to see it happen.
However, there is a downside to my leadership style. Actually, there are two big risks involved. The first is that this style requires a lot of trust and discernment. If I am going to help you get where you want to go, I have to trust that you have put in the work to decide where God wants you to go. Sometimes this can be a bit tougher when it comes to students who do not have a lot of experience listening for God's voice.
The second risk is that time can sometimes become an issue. If folk are unsure about their decisions or don't know how to make good decisions, eventually it can get to the point where something is chosen simply because something needs to be done. I like to say that need is a terrible reason to do something. This holds true for decisions as well.
Now that Meg and I are Team Leaders, there are more opportunities for discipleship and influence, especially as we consider branching out to other colleges beyond Mizzou. Please be praying for us as we continue to develop our leadership styles in a way that will serve those we are leading and give glory to the kingdom.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Sunday, July 7, 2013
Summer Welcome...
Hello, friends!
Right now I am in beautiful Columbia, Missouri. Meg is in Madison, Wisconsin training staff on how to be an excellent planter, which is great for her but sucks for me because I miss my wife very much. Still, the time apart has given me the opportunity to be in CoMO to get the house ready for our move in a few weeks.
One of the other things that I'm doing is helping out with Summer Welcome at Mizzou. I am part of a professional organization at Mizzou called the Association of Campus Religious Advisors, or ACRA. The goal of ACRA is to get students plugged into student groups and religious organizations on campus so they can grow their faiths. The theology of being part of an inter-faith council can be debated back and forth but the one thing I know for sure is that being a part of ACRA has given me unprecedented campus access and a lot of great friends.
ACRA's main event is being a part of Summer Welcome, when all of next year's freshmen make their way to Mizzou for orientation and such. There's an activities fair where dozens of organizations are present to try and attract students. The ACRA table hopes to connect students to faith based organizations based on their religious backgrounds and such.
Friends, I will be honest with you. Summer Welcome does very little for ACF. Summer Welcome runs about 20 days or so and if we can find 5 students who are interested in ACF, we will consider it a banner year. Most students (or their parents) are looking for a denominationally based group, or they aren't Asian/Asian American, so our prospects aren't great to begin with. Still, I really enjoy being a part of Summer Welcome and helping out my friends at ACRA.
Let's be honest: I want everyone to follow Jesus. I don't care if they do it through us, Cru, Navigators, church, or whoever. What I want is for folk to follow Jesus. What this also means, by my logic, is that I want students who have a faith background that is different from mine to be real about their faiths too. Cultural religion, regardless of if it is Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or whatever, does not add to society. It does not lead to folk being changed. It does not bring people closer to Jesus because apathy is a terribly strong force. Summer Welcome, as trivial as it may seem, is an opportunity to witness.
I had a great conversation with a father today at Summer Welcome. He has 6 kids and his youngest daughter will be the first in his family to be going to college in the fall. He was terribly proud but also terribly afraid that his daughter would not be able to make it. It was a short conversation but I was able to talk to him a bit and encourage him to encourage her to get plugged into good community because that is what is going to keep her grounded. I have no idea what will happen to this student. She wasn't Asian/Asian American so the chances that she'll end up in ACF are pretty slim. But that doesn't matter because I was able to help.
Can we be praying for next year's freshmen? I don't think it's too early. How amazing would it be if the class of 2017 was a class that totally turned the campus towards Jesus? For that to happen, we need to start praying for them now.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Right now I am in beautiful Columbia, Missouri. Meg is in Madison, Wisconsin training staff on how to be an excellent planter, which is great for her but sucks for me because I miss my wife very much. Still, the time apart has given me the opportunity to be in CoMO to get the house ready for our move in a few weeks.
One of the other things that I'm doing is helping out with Summer Welcome at Mizzou. I am part of a professional organization at Mizzou called the Association of Campus Religious Advisors, or ACRA. The goal of ACRA is to get students plugged into student groups and religious organizations on campus so they can grow their faiths. The theology of being part of an inter-faith council can be debated back and forth but the one thing I know for sure is that being a part of ACRA has given me unprecedented campus access and a lot of great friends.
ACRA's main event is being a part of Summer Welcome, when all of next year's freshmen make their way to Mizzou for orientation and such. There's an activities fair where dozens of organizations are present to try and attract students. The ACRA table hopes to connect students to faith based organizations based on their religious backgrounds and such.
Friends, I will be honest with you. Summer Welcome does very little for ACF. Summer Welcome runs about 20 days or so and if we can find 5 students who are interested in ACF, we will consider it a banner year. Most students (or their parents) are looking for a denominationally based group, or they aren't Asian/Asian American, so our prospects aren't great to begin with. Still, I really enjoy being a part of Summer Welcome and helping out my friends at ACRA.
Let's be honest: I want everyone to follow Jesus. I don't care if they do it through us, Cru, Navigators, church, or whoever. What I want is for folk to follow Jesus. What this also means, by my logic, is that I want students who have a faith background that is different from mine to be real about their faiths too. Cultural religion, regardless of if it is Christian, Jewish, Muslim, or whatever, does not add to society. It does not lead to folk being changed. It does not bring people closer to Jesus because apathy is a terribly strong force. Summer Welcome, as trivial as it may seem, is an opportunity to witness.
I had a great conversation with a father today at Summer Welcome. He has 6 kids and his youngest daughter will be the first in his family to be going to college in the fall. He was terribly proud but also terribly afraid that his daughter would not be able to make it. It was a short conversation but I was able to talk to him a bit and encourage him to encourage her to get plugged into good community because that is what is going to keep her grounded. I have no idea what will happen to this student. She wasn't Asian/Asian American so the chances that she'll end up in ACF are pretty slim. But that doesn't matter because I was able to help.
Can we be praying for next year's freshmen? I don't think it's too early. How amazing would it be if the class of 2017 was a class that totally turned the campus towards Jesus? For that to happen, we need to start praying for them now.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Friday, July 5, 2013
Update Time!!!
Hello, friends!
A few weeks ago, Meg and I started a partnership campaign to recruit more partners for Team Leong in Columbia this upcoming year. It has been a truly wonderful and humbling experience for a number of different reasons.
1) Vision casting is awesome. Seriously, this is one of my favorite parts of the job. There is something so exhilarating about talking to folk about what Meg and I do and asking them to be a part of it. As many folk will be able to tell you, I get pretty excited when I start talking about the vision for Mid-Missouri. For Meg, it's the same when she starts talking about International Student Ministry. We both believe that God loves college students so when we get to get other people on board with that love, we are stoked!
2) It's nice to talk to older folk. Most of the time, Meg and I are with college students, whom we both love. We wouldn't be doing this job if we didn't love college students. Still, there's something nice about spending time with folk in other life stages. We've talked to young urban professionals, parents of small children, parents of grown children, grandparents, young married couples, and had fun building relationship with each of them.
3) Partnership is so much fun! If you know Meg and you know me, you know that Meg and I are different in a lot of ways. This includes how we meet with people to talk about our work. It's taken some time but it has been a lot of fun partnering with Meg and learning how to do that well. I think this bodes especially well for us since next year we will be on the same campus for the first time. =0).
Ok, how about that status update? Well, as of today, we have met with over 30 different people, casting vision for what God is going to be doing through us in Columbia. We've also been able to share at 2 different church services with 1 more to come. We have over 20 new prayer partners and have raised just about 50% of our goal for this campaign. Praise God!
If you'd like to partner with us financially and join "Team Leong" you can do so here. Please continue to pray for us as we partner together, and with God, to cast vision for his work in Mid-Missouri.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
A few weeks ago, Meg and I started a partnership campaign to recruit more partners for Team Leong in Columbia this upcoming year. It has been a truly wonderful and humbling experience for a number of different reasons.
1) Vision casting is awesome. Seriously, this is one of my favorite parts of the job. There is something so exhilarating about talking to folk about what Meg and I do and asking them to be a part of it. As many folk will be able to tell you, I get pretty excited when I start talking about the vision for Mid-Missouri. For Meg, it's the same when she starts talking about International Student Ministry. We both believe that God loves college students so when we get to get other people on board with that love, we are stoked!
2) It's nice to talk to older folk. Most of the time, Meg and I are with college students, whom we both love. We wouldn't be doing this job if we didn't love college students. Still, there's something nice about spending time with folk in other life stages. We've talked to young urban professionals, parents of small children, parents of grown children, grandparents, young married couples, and had fun building relationship with each of them.
3) Partnership is so much fun! If you know Meg and you know me, you know that Meg and I are different in a lot of ways. This includes how we meet with people to talk about our work. It's taken some time but it has been a lot of fun partnering with Meg and learning how to do that well. I think this bodes especially well for us since next year we will be on the same campus for the first time. =0).
Ok, how about that status update? Well, as of today, we have met with over 30 different people, casting vision for what God is going to be doing through us in Columbia. We've also been able to share at 2 different church services with 1 more to come. We have over 20 new prayer partners and have raised just about 50% of our goal for this campaign. Praise God!
If you'd like to partner with us financially and join "Team Leong" you can do so here. Please continue to pray for us as we partner together, and with God, to cast vision for his work in Mid-Missouri.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
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