So Long, Seniors!

Hello, friends!

Wednesday was our last Large Group of the year which means it was our annual Senior Sendoff.  We do dinner and worship like normal but instead of a teaching we give our departing students a chance to share a few words about their time in ACF.  There are usually a few laughs and quite a few tears and definitely plenty of hugs to go around. We pray for our departing students then we send them off to wherever is next.

(In retrospect, calling it Senior Sendoff is a little misleading as in the past few years we have actually had more exchange students than seniors leaving. But, the name is an alliteration so we stick with it. =0). )

This semester we said goodbye to about a dozen or so students. I wanted to spend a little time sharing about our departing leaders.

Colter: We have a little joke in ACF that we always need to make sure we have a token white person leading with us. In the early years it was Julie, then it was Sarah Liz. Colter was next in line but really he was more than that. One of the things that I love about Colter is that he is always willing to jump in and volunteer. If there is ever a need, whether it be a chair that needs to be stacked or a bag of trash to be taken to the dumpster, Colter has always been there to hop in and do what needs to be done. In fact, we have sometimes had to tell him that he can't help because someone else needs to learn. That's the kind of guy Colter is. He is going to be volunteering with InterVarsity next year in Indianapolis where he will be for grad school and we couldn't be happier for him.

Grace: Grace was actually ACF's very first high school student. She grew up in Columbia and went to church with some ACF folk. When she got accepted to Mizzou her senior year of high school, the ACF folk at church invited her to be a part of the group early. Grace was involved on and off her first few years of college but this past year came on as a small group leader and was a huge blessing to our leaders team. Like she said on Wednesday night, it is never to late to start something. To me, she is a reminder that we never know what God has in store for students. Grace took a path towards leadership in ACF that was definitely unorthodox but in the end, I think the path made her a better leader and more passionate follower of Jesus.

Danny: For four years now, Danny has never lost his focus. He has wanted the folk in AAA to know the love of Jesus. His methods have looked different over that time but his purpose and his goal have never wavered. He is a testament to the adage that "methods change but principles stay the same."  I have no problem saying that Danny has been one of the most influential people that have ever come through ACF. I may have been the staff during his time here but no doubt he was ACF's leader. I always say that students are better at reaching students than staff are. Danny exemplified that, for sure.

I could talk more about these guys and also many other of our departing students but I don't want this blog to be unbearably long. Kyoko, Hanna, Youjin, Ahra, Kevin, Yujin,  Youngjoo, and Wonsam, all were a part of our group this year and we were better because of it.

To each of you I say this. Thank you for thanking a chance on our community. Thank you for sharing your lives with us and for letting us share our lives with you. You will always be family and you will always have a home with us. No matter where you go from here, continue to pursue Jesus. I promise that you will find him. =0)

Have an excellent day!

~Adam