Happy End of the Year!

Hello, friends!

In case you didn't get a chance to read our end of the year update, here it is! Merry Christmas!

Christmas Miracle Time!!!

Hello, friends!

I've posted about Urbana already on this blog once before. Well, we are just a few days away from Urbana and I'm pretty excited about it. There are a to of reasons to be excited but here's one of my favorites: we're about to see a Christmas miracle happen. The best part? You get to be a part of it!

Since Urbana is so near and dear to me, I made a simple promise to everyone from in Columbia who signed up to go: you pay the deposit ($100) and we'll cover the rest of your costs, including housing. The way that we were going to do that was to invite our friends, family, coworkers, churches, and neighbors to come alongside us and donate to the scholarship fun. And, we were going to pray like crazy. We set a goal of $6000 to cover the entire cost for each student from Missouri attending.

Friends, we are THIS CLOSE to reaching our goal. As I'm typing (and you're reading) we are just under $600 away from reaching our goal. It's been really fun to see God show up in miraculous ways, anonymous donors, random people coming up to me and asking if there were any conferences where they could give scholarships, churches pitching in, and it's been really fun to see students take steps of faith. Now we're almost there and I am asking you to consider being the partner to put us over the top.

Depending on the topic of the blog post, this blog gets anywhere from 30-200 hits per post. (In case you're wondering, posts about social justice and my wife are the most popular). I would say the typical post gets around 50-60 hits.

Here's what that means: It means that if you, dear reader, click here give $10 to the Urbana scholarship fund, we'll have reached our goal in the time it takes you to finish reading this sentence.

Of course, if you feel so inclined, you can give more. Any overages will be used to help students attend other conferences in the Spring semester or next year. And, of course, if you aren't in a position to give then we totally understand that too. No worries. You can also share this post and get some of your friends to join in on the fun too!

Regardless of whether or not we reach our goal, I'm still so thankful for all of the partnership we've already received and am confident that Urbana is going to blow some minds. =0).

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

My Christmas Campaign...

Hello, friends!

It's December, which means we are fully into the Christmas season. There are a lot of things that I love about Christmas. I love celebrating the birth of our Lord and Savior. I love spending time with family. I love eating delicious Christmas desserts that Meg makes. There are a lot of things to love.

However, there is one thing (ok, more than one thing) that bothers me to no end every year about Christmas and this year I've finally decided that it's time for me to say something about it. Ready? Here it is...

"Baby It's Cold Outside" is the worst Christmas song ever and should be taken off the radio.

Whew! I feel so much better now! =0).

Allow me to expound upon my point. I should make it clear that I have nothing against Christmas music in general. I can listen to the Mariah Carey and Christina Aguilera belt out Christmas tunes with not problem. As far as I'm concerned this song right here is pure magic. I'll walk in a winter wonderland, jingle a bell, and deck the halls with the best of them. But I can't STAND Baby It's Cold Outside.

Understand, it's not the melody itself. It's a very catchy tune (which is probably part of the problem). The problem are the lyrics.

Does anyone else think that this song is creepy?!?! The whole plot of the song is that this gal doesn't want to stay but the dude totally coerces her into staying the night, probably to have sex! He sweet talks her. He makes excuses. He even puts something in her! Surely I'm not the only one that sees a problem with this, right?!

So, friends, here is my plea to you. Turn off your radio when Baby It's Cold Outside hits the airwaves. In fact, maybe call your radio station and ask them to not play it anymore. Maybe take to Twitter or Facebook to start a campaign. Let's get this song, in all of its iterations, off the air!

End of rant. Merry Christmas. =0).

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

The MidYear Review

Hello, friends!

First of all, happy December to you all! Here's hoping that you all finish the year falling more in love with Jesus.

As a supervisor of staff, December is when I do MidYear reviews for all the staff who I supervise. It's a way for us to look back on the semester and look forward to the next semester. I usually do it in the form of a letter to the staff I am supervising so it seems less like a report and more like a conversation.

It's also a good time to not just review the work of the staff I supervise (my supervisor also does one for me) but to also do some self reflection and look back on the semester that was. So, as I've been reflecting, I wanted to share with you a few themes that I've noticed from the past few months.

1) Fatherhood is the best: I suppose I should lead with the most obvious one. These past 5 months with Ezra have been the absolute best. There have been the sleepless nights, the inconsolable crying fits, the diapers that you didn't know could get so full, and all the other things that come from being a parent. There have also been the smiles, the times where he falls asleep in my arms, the new things he learns everyday, and pretty much being in love with the little guy. I have loved being a father in all of its facets and I'm pretty stoked that I get to be Ezra's dad for the rest of my life.

2) Hats need to be broken in: I've posted before about all the new and different hats that I've been wearing this year. There's the fatherhood had but also the different ministry roles that I've taken on this year, doing some things that I've done before but a lot of new things too. The big question going into the year was how I was going to manage wearing so many hats. Looking back on the semester, I can't say that I nailed it with every role. What I can say is that I learned how to manage and how to do the best that I could with the resources I had available to me.

3) Justice is a thing: This goes beyond the Mizzou protests. I've been learning a lot about justice and the many different forms that it takes. There's the pursuit of justice that we're seeing on college campuses across the country but there are also issues of justice in terms of how we do our fundraising, how we enter into community, and how to follow Jesus. I've been more and more convinced this semester that to follow Jesus means to "do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with my God." (Micah 6:8).

4) There's always work to be done: There is a part of me that wants to get down on myself for all the things that didn't get done. And here's the truth, a lot of things didn't get done. But here's another truth: there's always going to be more to do so I can't get down on myself for it. Just like how hats need to be broken in, I've had to learn to be ok with some hats not being worn as well as I would like. It just comes with the territory.

Friends, thank you so much for all of your love and support this semester. I'm thankful for each one of you who reads this blog and who prays for the work that we're doing here in MidMissouri. Here's to a great month and many more to follow!

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Being Thankful...

Hello, friends!

Here's hoping you had a wonderful Thanksgiving! Megan, Ezra, and I are up here in South Dakota visiting Megan's family for the week. The weather is cold but the food is delicious, so I don't mind so much.

I suppose this entry would have made sense to post a few days ago, BEFORE the actual holiday, but I wanted to make sure that all parts of my Mizzou Protest Super Blog were out, so this entry had to wait. If you've already moved on to Christmas, feel free to skip this post. I won't mind.

Right about now is when folk start thinking about how they're going to answer the quintessential Thanksgiving question, "What are you thankful for this year?" It's a good question because reflection and thankfulness are good habits to have. I've been trying to start my days thanking God for all of his goodness and it's helped me see more of the little things.

As I was reflecting, there were some obvious answers. I'm so thankful for Ezra and all the joy that he's brought into my life. I'm thankful for Megan for the same reason. I'm thankful that I have a job that I love, that we are never in want, that we have a family who loves and supports us, and, of course, I'm thankful for you, our ministry partners. Without your partnership, whether it be through prayer, advocacy, giving, or serving, we wouldn't be able to do the good work for the kingdom that we do. I'm definitely thankful for all of those things.

What struck me the most though, looking back on this year, is how thankful I am for the steps I've taken in my ethnic identity this year and the steps that I've taken on my journey towards understanding how racial reconciliation looks in the kingdom.

Don't get me wrong, it's been a really hard year in a lot of ways. About this time last year, the St. Louis County prosecutor announced that Officer Darren Wilson would not be charged in the killing of Michael Brown. Since then, we've seen protests in Baltimore, New York, Minneapolis, and even in Columbia, Missouri, all centered around systemic injustice and racism against people of color (particularly blacks) in the United States. People have been shot. Churches have been set on fire. Tempers have flared. It's been really hard but I am choosing to see it as a step in the right direction, thus, I am thankful for it.

One person I know made the point that these things are all actually bad things. He said that racial tensions only got higher since Ferguson and that racial tension is a bad thing. Ergo, the protests and such are a bad thing. I would have to disagree.

It would be naive at best or willfully ignorant at worst, to say that race relations were better "back in the day" (however you define that term). Racism has been a part of the fabric of the United States literally since the beginning, when blacks were only counted as 3/5 of a person when determining state's representation in congress. In the history of our great nation, a war had to be fought over whether or not one people could continue to enslave another. Dogs and firehoses were set on men and women who had the audacity to believe that they had a right to vote. The American church even has a  history of using the bible to support racism, or at least be silent about it. Racism and oppression of minorities is part of our history.

To say that things were better back in the day because there wasn't as much protesting or fewer conversations about race is to take the position that no news is good news. In fact, the protests of the past year are proof of movement in the right direction. How can we move forward as a country or as individuals if we don't know what's wrong? We need these voices crying out to remind us that we have not yet arrived and that we still have a ways to go. Without them, the majority will believe that everything is awesome and minorities will continue to feel like outsiders in their own country.

I'm thankful for the past year because it has allowed me to have conversations that I would not have thought to have otherwise. I've been able to see my own biases and prejudices as a Chinese American man. I've been able to reconcile with some of my Black brothers and sisters who I did not even know I had wronged. I've had great (albeit hard) conversations with students, coworkers, family, and members of the community about what it's like to be a minority in a predominantly White community like Columbia. I've been able to shape my own theology about racial reconciliation and the role that the Asian American community has to play in bridging the racial divide in our country. I'm thankful for the people who have had conversations with me and helped me process. I'm thankful for the people who have listened and entered conversation with me with a posture of learning and not of condemnation. I'm thankful for people who have called me out for my sins and who have been receptive when I do the same. I'm thankful that this is a conversation that can happen out in the open, instead of behind closed doors in hushed voices. I'm thankful that we are actually seeing change.

An analogy that has been helping me process this past year has been that of cleaning my desk. Every few months or so, I need to clean my desk. The first step is to take out everything and lay it all bare so I can see what I need to keep and what I can pitch. After step one, the space actually looks WORSE than before, not better. But, without step one, I can't actually get my space to where it needs to be.

Friends, this is like step one of desk cleaning. Right now all of our junk is being laid out in the open so we can see what should stay and what should go. It looks terrible but it's necessary in order for us to move forward. I'm thankful for the opportunity to move forward with you.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

The Mizzou Protest Super Blog!

Hello, friends!

It's been quite a few weeks in Columbia, that's for sure. A lot of stuff has happened and I've had to process a lot of it. I thought I would share some of my thoughts with you.

Like some of my previous super blogs, this is the home page. From here, you can get to any of the other posts that I've written (8 in all). The topics vary, which is why they each get their own post. Read one or read them all, it's ok with me. Some of them will be funnier than others. Some may be more polarizing than others. Just know that my intention is what it always has been. I want to make sure that I am being transparent in my ministry, so you always know what's happening.

What InterVarsity's Done in Columbia
Wednesday
How My Hat Cost InterVarsity $650
When It Rains, It Pours
Jesus and Activism
Finding Your Niche in Activism
Hard Conversations
On Facebook

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

The Evolution of Spiritual Formation...

Hello, friends!

As you're reading this, Megan and I are on our way or already at our staff spiritual formation retreat. Once a semester, all of the staff in Missouri get together to connect with God, connect with each other, and be filled up so we can keep doing the work that we have been called to do. I've been going to these spiritual formation retreats for a number of years now and it's been really interesting to see how much my thoughts on them have evolved.

The Early Years: When I was first starting out, I absolutely loved spiritual formation retreats but probably for the wrong reasons. These retreats weren't about connecting with God (although that sometimes happened). It was about hanging out with my staff friends, playing Settlers of Catan, and getting in a good nap or two. Those retreats were refreshing but not in a spiritual sense as much as in a physical and relational sense. Sometimes God spoke to me and sometimes he didn't. That didn't matter to me nearly as much as making sure that I slept as much as possible, ate as much as possible, and played as much as possible.

The Middle Years: Once I got past the point where my staff work was based on my natural abilities and actually started to become work (apparently, charisma only gets you so far...) these spiritual formation retreats really became a burden more than anything else. I still enjoyed the fellowship and such but since I felt like I was struggling more in my staff work, time away for these times felt like an extra burden. Why should I be getting away for a few days when there is so much work to be done on campus! Again, there were often times when the LORD spoke to me and Jesus did some really good stuff. One of my favorite memories was watching Game 6 of the 2011 World Series as a staff team at one formation retreat. Still, looking back, I wish I'd seen more of the value from a staff work perspective.

The Now Years: I've found that my early and middle years of staff have now brought me to a place of better appreciation for these times away. The fun and games are still there but to a lesser extent than before as I've gotten older and generally less willing to stay up past 10pm. I've learned that the spiritual aspect of our work cannot be ignored and that these times actually make my time on campus better and more effective. I still eat well and hang out with other staff but those things aren't the end all of our time together. I am genuinely excited to hear from the LORD today.

Friends, please be praying for us as we prepare to engage in spiritual formation. Pray the God will meet us where we are and that he will be present in everything that happens today.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

What InterVarsity's Done in Columbia

Hello, friends!

There are so many different articles that have already been written about what has already gone down in Columbia that rehashing those events probably wouldn't actually be very helpful. What I want to do instead is focus on what we as an InterVarsity staff team have done this past week, to give you a little glimpse into our lives. Our staff team includes 3 paid staff, 1 intern, and a handful of some of the most caring and dedicated volunteers you will ever meet. It has always been an honor to work alongside these men and women but especially this past week.

Monday: Megan led a staff team meeting so our staff team (most of whom are ethnic minorities) could process together and pray about how we wanted to engage with the campus. By her account, it was a really humbling time as staff shared stories about their encounters with prejudice and racism in Columbia and as the team prayed about how to proceed well. Unfortunately, I wasn't there, but I'm so glad to have a great partner in life and in staff like Megan.

Tuesday: ACF and ICF held a joint meeting to process, pray, and visit the tent city that had been set up on campus to offer to pray for and process with the students who were staying there. (Note: This effort was short lived because the threats of violence against Black students happened Tuesday night and the tent city was cleared out for safety reasons). Ezra was sick so Megan stayed home but Matti, our ACF lead volunteer led the time.

Wednesday: Wednesday was a day... I have a special post about Wednesday all by itself.

Thursday: Columbia College students gathered to process what had been happening at Mizzou. Charis, the Columbia College staff is working with administrators to have a race dialogue on campus after the Thanksgiving Break. Also, at Mizzou, Meg led ACF and ICF students in an interactive display, giving Mizzou students an opportunity to process what they're feeling about what's been happening on campus.

In some ways, it doesn't feel like much. We've prayed for some folk, helped a few folk process, and bought a few meals. On the other hand, it's been such a blessing to see students be blessed. This is why we do the work that we do. These are hard weeks but these are also the weeks where we really get to see God move in powerful ways in us and through us. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

BACK HOME

Jesus and Activism...

Hello, friends!

The past week or so, I've heard a lot of people make the argument in terms of the protests that Jesus wouldn't do things this way. Jesus wouldn't protest because his kingdom was a kingdom of kindness and love, not a political kingdom.

While I agree that Jesus' kingdom is not one of political structures and is based on the love and goodness that God is, I have to disagree with the notion that Jesus is anti-protest. I actually see our God as a God of activism. Here are a few examples:

- In both Mark 11 and John 2, Jesus clears the temple, flipping tables and making a whip. His target were the money changers and their unjust practices of charging foreigners more than was fair.

- In Ezekiel 16:49-50, Ezekiel says that the sin of Sodom was that it was overfed with no concern for the poor and needy. Instead of flipping tables, God straight set the whole place on fire.

- One could make the same case about the flood (Genesis 6) and the Egyptians (starting in Exodus 5), that these were acts of God as a way of protesting the injustices done against his people.

- Many, if not all, of the prophets in the old testament talk about how our God desires justice and mercy and that his people should pursue the same.

- In Acts 6, the Hellenistic Jews protest their unfair treatment, leading to an entirely new system and new leadership in the distribution of resources.

Personally, I don't see any way that you could NOT see our God as a God of activism but that's just me. I have a bigger problem on my hands.

See, here's what I believe is missing from a lot of activism today. The activism of the Bible, real, godly activism, actually points people towards Christ. In the case of the prophets, the injustice they saw was an affront to God. Jesus called out injustice that took away from worship. Our God is a God of justice and when we fight for justice, we actually need to be pointing people towards God as well. This is an area that I think is actually easier said than done but I believe it is a cause worth pursuing.

Friends, I don't want to make this a political argument. You can believe one thing or you can believe another. You can protest or not. You can be an activist or fight for things as they are. My one prayer for you, as well as for me, is that whatever side you end up on, you are actually pointing people towards the real, radical, life changing, Jesus.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

BACK HOME

Finding Your Niche in Activism...

Hello, friends!

I was talking to a coworker of mind the other day about what's been happening in Columbia and he asked me a question:

"If the Asian American Association (AAA) at Mizzou came up to you and asked you how they should engage in supporting the Black community, what would you tell them?"

My answer was simple: "Do what you have been created to do."

I think that one of the problems that Asian Americans have when it comes to activism is that we believe that activism looks a certain way and that we aren't made in that image. When we think of activism, we often think of yelling, holding signs, marching, and generally being on the front lines (Note: I would argue that most people think this way). The problem is that for many Asian Americans, this isn't us. We've been brought up with a high value for harmony so any disagreement is a bad disagreement. The idea of putting ourselves out there makes us more afraid than anything else.

So, what is an Asian American to do? Well, I say that we do what we've been created to do. While we may not be gifted in the traditional methods of activism, we still have a role to play if we want. You know what we do well? We do hospitality really well. I mean REALLY well. It's how God has made us and we can use that gift for the kingdom.

Let me give you an example. Students created a tent city on campus in an act of solidarity with Jonathan Butler, the student who was on a hunger strike. That is a pretty bold move on everyone's part. As Asian American may not feel like it is his or her place to insert themselves into the tent city. But you know what we CAN do well? We can bring blankets and hot chocolate. We can engage in conversation with those who are there. We can make sure that there is enough light so folk can study and that people have pillows. We can show off our gift of hospitality like the bosses we are.

How does that lead to activism? Well, I think it does a number of things. I think it shows the students who are on the front line that they are not alone. I believe it gives strength so that those students can go for a little longer and a little further. I think it is a comfort for people to know that someone is helping them carry the burdens of LIFE, as well as the cause. I think it builds relationship.

So, to my brothers and sisters who believe that there's something to be done but don't know what it is, I humbly suggest that you pray and ask God this question: What have you created me to do? From there, you may find the answers you seek.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

BACK HOME

On Facebook...

Hello, friends!

Our pastor on Sunday gave a sermon about what's been happening in Columbia and how the church (both the local church and the Church) should respond. In one little spot he said that this sermon didn't fit into a 4 point sermon but if he had to try, he'd say that the 4 points were this:
- Seek empathy
- Be positive
- Engage in a conversation with someone who is different from you
- Get off Facebook

He was joking but I think I know where he was going with that last point. There have been a lot of conflicts that have happened only in cyberspace because of a Facebook post taken the wrong way. A lot of conflict could probably be avoided if we just all stayed away.

Here's the thing though. I believe that Facebook is a place where we can actually have an impact in a positive way if we do it well. I don't claim to be an expert in Facebook but I am someone who likes to fight, so in my vast experience of getting into conflict via Facebook, I've learned a thing or two.

So, without further ado: here's my guide to fighting well on Facebook:

1) DON'T THINK TOO HIGHLY OF YOURSELF. How Facebook conflicts usually happen is that someone sees something they don't agree with so they post a response to refute whatever was said. In some ways, that's exactly what Facebook was designed to do. The problem comes when people take  original posts as personal attacks. Here's the honest truth. Whoever posted that thing that you didn't like, probably didn't have you in mind when they posted it. You're almost certainly not that important. Remember that may stop you from getting into unnecessary fights with folk you met at that camp that one time.

2) COUNT THE RELATIONAL COST. This is related to the first point but let's say that someone posts something that deep hurts or offends you. You have a decision as to whether to engage in conversation or not. My rule of thumb is to think about what the relational cost is to NOT engage. If it's that dude I met at that camp one time and I'll never see them again, there's high cost to engage but low cost to not engage. I'm not going to engage. However, If it's someone who I talk to on a regular basis and have real relationship with, NOT engaging is very costly (in terms of awkwardness and broken trust). In that case, I should probably hop in.

3) 'TIS BETTER TO DEFEND THAN ATTACK. There are times when it is obvious that you need to comment because someone is saying something that is actually doing a lot of harm. However, usually posts go away unless someone responds, so attacking/responding actually gives more fuel to the fire. I'm a much bigger fan of letting attacks go but defending like crazy when someone comments on my stuff. Basically, I'm not going to go after you but if you come after me, get ready to rumble.

4) REMEMBER THAT TEXT BASED COMMUNICATION IS INCOMPLETE. It's hard but do your best to avoid reading too much into the tone or tenor or someone's comments. A lot of times, we read too much into things because we're emotionally charged. Usually, if they're actually a friend of yours (as opposed to the comment section of an online article where no one knows each other) they do not mean malicious intent.

5) SET THE EXAMPLE OF HOW YOU WANT TO BE TREATED. If you desire empathy, make sure your posts show empathy. If you desire kindness, show the same. If you are asking for logic or evidence, make sure you have your own stuff together. It's a great way to show the world that you're not a crazy person yelling at another crazy person.

6) TRY TO ENGAGE IN REAL LIFE. Seriously. I say offer to get coffee or something if it's possible to do so. It works on a number of levels. It shows a desire for community. It may deepen friendship. Sometimes it even gets the person to stop talking because they're afraid of face-to-face conflict. It really works pretty well. =0).

7) DON'T TRY TO SAVE THE WORLD. It's ok to disengage. It's ok to take a break. You're not a coward, a loser, or a weakling. You're probably just tired. Facebook, for all it's blessings, isn't quite real life. =0).

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

BACK HOME

Hard Conversations...

Hello, friends!

Friends, here's the deal: sometimes people disagree. Sometimes we have different opinions on things. Sometimes stuff is said and emotions get involved. When race, racism, privilege, and justice get involved, then things get even harder.

This past week has been a week of really hard conversations. There have been conversations with students who have been the victims of racism and who don't understand how anyone can deny its existence. There have been conversations with students who don't know what their role is supposed to be in all of this and are searching for guidance and answers. There have been conversations with member of the community who don't understand why there are protests and are mad at the protesters for messing up the status quo. All of these conversations have been hard and very draining, emotionally, spiritually, and even physically in some ways.

I'm not an expert on all things related to justice or protests. No one on our staff team is an expert. But we are people who love Jesus and believe that he has the answers that we need. Our job is to do our best to point people towards him and have faith that he will deliver in a really powerful way.

Thanks have calmed down here but that doesn't mean that the conversations are anywhere close to being over. Please pray for us as we engage in these conversations. Pray that we will represent Christ well and that through these conversations, others will see a little more of him too.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

BACK HOME

When It Rains, It Pours...

Friends!

I'll start with a disclaimer. There is NEVER a good time to have racial tension on campus. In a redeemed world, we would all live in harmony and peace with one another. However, the truth is that we live in a broken world and every now and then, tensions boil over and stuff needs to be addressed. That's what's been happening in Columbia these past few weeks.

That being said, from the standpoint of the Leong house, the timing was especially bad. Here's what's been going on in our lives for the past few days.

Last Thursday: We drive to St. Louis so we can attend staff meetings Friday

Last Friday:
- Staff meetings in Southern Illinois
- We actually leave these meetings early because my older sister T and her family are going to be flying into Kansas City and driving to Columbia to visit us for the weekend
- When we get home, we see that our basement has flooded because the sump pump unhinged

Last Saturday: Good day with the family, including some quality time with my brother-in-law, tearing up carpet

Last Sunday: Another good day with the family. My aunt and her family come in from St. Louis so we could all do dinner together. Many photos are taken and laughs had. All the while, Meg and I are trying to stay fully present while still keeping up to date on what's happening on campus.

Last Monday: President Wolfe resigns, a rally is held, and I'm actually on my way to Memphis for a conference so I can't participate in what's happening. Added to that, Meg texts me and says that Ezra has pink eye to go along with a cold.

Tuesday: I'm still in Memphis, Ezra is still sick, the black students are threatened with violence, and the campus is in a state of min-panic.

Wednesday: Wednesday was a long day...

Thursday: After already having worked 40 hours in the past 3 days, I take the day to be with Ezra while Meg goes on campus to engage with students and help them process.

Friday: Friday a group of prospective staff come into town to learn more about InterVaristy and particularly Mizzou. As we prepare the house to host these folk, I realize that our sump pump has completely failed and I need to buy and reinstall a new one.

Saturday: Saturday is not only another day with prospective staff but also ICF's International Thanksgiving. Roughly 80 international students and community members came together for a traditional Thanksgiving meal. Members of our church provided the food and taught a little bit about the history of Thanksgiving. It was a pretty spectacular time.

Sunday: Meg goes to the clinic and is diagnosed with strep throat.

So, that's been us. Even without everything going on at Mizzou, it would have been a crazy week. Even without everything going on at home, it would have been a crazy week. Thank God, he is our sustainer.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

BACK HOME

How My Hat Cost InterVarsity $650...

Hello, friends!

I wrote in my post of the play-by-play for Wednesday that the students at the Black Culture Center (BCC) were being very vigilant and skeptical of non-Blacks wanting to enter the building. There had been threats of violence made against Black students so this made perfect sense to me. Still, knowing that I was one of the few campus ministers of color on Mizzou's campus, Meg and I agreed that it was worth it for me to try and be there for students.

When I walked up to the door, I was met with skeptical looks, which I was expecting. I introduced myself as "Pastor Adam" and said that I just wanted to check in and see if there was anything that I could do to help or support students. I also told them that I knew Ms. Velma, one of the head administrators for the BCC, and that the guards could get her and I'd be more than happy to talk to her first. I also offered to leave my bag outside the doors to be extra safe.

This seemed to build enough trust to get me in the building but I still needed permission to stay there. One of the students got Ms. Velma and I re-introduced myself.

"Hi, Ms. Velma, I'm Pastor Adam with InterVarsity Christian Fellowships."

"Hm, I don't know that I remember you."

"We've met a few times before. I'm just here seeing if there are ways that I can help."

"... You know what? We have met before. I recognize the hat. Come on in."

Apparently, I'm the campus missionary who wears a hat. =0).

My favorite part about this story is that it was something as simple as me wearing a hat that led to a whole host of other opportunities.

The hat got me permission to stay in the BCC
Permission to stay in the BCC got me access to students
Access to students allowed me ask them about their needs
Asking about their needs led to us buying a lot of food (about $650 for lunch and dinner)
Buying lots of food led to trust being built
Trust being built led to more opportunities for conversations and prayer with students

Friends, at this point, I should say a HUGE thank you to all of our ministry partners who partner with us financially. You are the ones who give us the resources to do things like this so we can bless students better and point them towards Jesus. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

BACK HOME

Wednesday...

Hello, friends!

Back when I was the staff of ACF, Wednesdays were definitely my busy days. I'd start in the morning with the normal admin stuff, move onto meetings with students in the afternoon, and spend the evenings coordinating our Large Group meetings. By Wednesday night, I was pretty beat.

When I transitioned away from ACF this semester, one of the first things that jumped out to me was how much more free time I had on Wednesdays! A lot of times I'm watching Ezra while Megan goes to small group but it's still slower paced than before.

This past Wednesday was definitely a throwback though. Let me run it down for you.

9:30am - Get to campus and head to the Black Culture Center (BCC). Campus is eerily quiet but the BCC is full of life. Black students have designated this as their home base for all operations, including walking to class together for strength in numbers.

9:35am - The doors are locked to the BCC and there are students standing guard, checking out anyone who wants to enter who isn't Black. There have been threats of violence made on their lives, so this makes complete sense and I'm not offended. Thankfully, I'm let in the door.

9:45am - I find a student who looks like she's in charge and I ask her how I can help. I ask particularly what kind of food they have on hand (of course I do) and she tells me that they have water and some snacks but not much else. A plan has been put into motion.

10:00am - Meg and I text and call back and forth, coordinating lunch for students. As the number of students who enter the building grows, so does the number of pizzas we'll need to order.

10:15am - At this point, I'm just trying to have conversations with students, hearing where they are, walking with them to class, and generally trying to bring a calming pastoral presence.

12:00pm - Meg shows up with 30 pizzas and drinks. They are much appreciated, well received, and quickly consumed.

1:00pm - Conversations continue and plans begin to form amongst our staff team about how to provide dinner for students as it becomes clear that they will be staying at the BCC for a while.

4:00pm - Join in a prayer call with our regional staff team, lamenting about what has happened and asking God for wisdom, guidance, and strength. It was a very uplifting time.

5:15pm - Leave to go pick up dinner. The meal for the night included fried rice, orange chicken, beef and broccoli, home baked cookies, and a few more pizzas.

6:00pm - Get back to campus to see that the students have left the BCC to do a rally at the student center. Students from Kansas City, St. Louis, and Jefferson City have joined them. Josephine (our intern) and I let the leaders know that we've brought food begin to set up dinner.

7:00pm - Dinner is served. Honestly, we weren't expecting as many people as were there and as soon as I walked into the rally, I saw that we were going to be short on food. This is where my Asian American hospitality gene kicked into gear and I began to feel great shame. =0). Still, everyone was very appreciative.

8:00pm - Cleanup and do a few interviews for local and campus newspapers. I don't know if any of our stuff was used but I tried to preach the Gospel as much as possible.

8:30pm - Bike home after a long day's work.

Friends, Wednesday was crazy. I've had longer days before in terms of hours. There have been days when I've gone from 6am - 10pm without a break. But this was different. This was special. This was emotionally exhausting. I'm glad that I was able to partake.

I would be remiss if I didn't mention that Wednesday was a team effort. Megan coordinated meals. Matti was working with ACF students. Chris ordered the food in Chinese, probably getting us a better deal. Josephine connected with students. It was a beautiful, long, and tiring day.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

BACK HOME

Urbana!!!

Hello, friends!

Guess what 2015 is! It's an URBANA YEAR!!! =0). Allow me to explain:

Urbana is InterVarsity USA's tri-annual global missions conference for college students. Every 3 years, college aged students from all over the world descend on St. Louis, MO for 5 days of multi-ethnic worship, incredible speakers, mind-blowing seminars, life changing Bible studies, and pretty much the best week of their college careers. (Can you tell I'm a fan?)

When I talk to people about Urbana, I give them this rundown of a "typical" Urbana day:
- Wake up and do an inductive Bible study with 300 of your closest friends led by some really bright folk
- Then attend the morning session where you Patrick Fung, president of OMF international will exposit the word for us
- Students can then spend the afternoon attending various seminars as well as visiting the expo center, where over 250 different seminaries and missions organizations will be offering information on their different groups
- The evening is spend participating in multi-ethnic, multi-cultural, multi-dimensional worship, engaging in the arts, the globe, and hearing from speakers like David Platt and Francis Chan
- Sleep hard, because it all starts up again tomorrow!

This will be Urbana #4 for me, 1 as a student and my 3rd as a staff. I have seen lives changed at Urbana. I have seen people be set free at Urbana. I have had significant movements in my own life happen at Urbana. Urbana... changes... lives...

Friends, here is where I need your help. We have a group of 8 students from Mizzou as well as another few potentially from Lincoln who are geared up and ready to go. The only thing that is stopping them from going is money. 5 days of awesomeness isn't cheap and when you include housing costs, it doesn't get any cheaper.

Here's where you can help. My goal is to raise $5000 so that students can attend Urbana at a reduced cost and cover their housing. Praise Jesus, we have already made a lot of progress towards that goal but there is still much work to be done. If you're interested, you can click here and give towards our scholarship goal. Even if it's just $5, every little bit help.

Even better, if you have friends, family, coworkers, church folk, etc., who may be interested in helping get students to Urbana, send this blog on to them!

One last thing. Would you pray for us? Pray for God's provision. Pray for more students to sign up. Pray that the students attend will receive from the LORD. Pray for us staff as we lead the students. Please, pray.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Fighting Well...

Hello, friends!

My mother, my wife, and more than one ex-girlfriend will tell you that I am always up for a good fight. I don't know if it's because I'm highly competitive, if my personality lends itself to being combative, or I just don't have enough sense to walk away but if there's a fight to be had, I'm usually game to go a few rounds.

Back in the day, my fights (or debates, discussions, conversations, etc.) were pretty much academic in the sense that I would pick fights for the fun of it. My position didn't matter as much as the fact that it was the opposite of yours. I could pass as a liberal, a conservative, a libertarian, a hippie, an evangelical, or even an agnostic if the mood suited me. For me, the fight was less about learning and more about the thrill of the chase.

The problem with my love of the fight was that my style of engagement left a lot of carnage in my wake. It didn't really matter much to me if I hurt someone, flustered someone, or generally made myself look like a jerk. I was having fun and that is what mattered.

When I made the decision to follow Jesus with my everything in college, a number of things changed for me. One of those things was God changing my heart towards how I fought. The thrill of the chase was still present but there were new rules in place. Let them know when you're just screwing around. Always argue with a smile. Care about your audience. Let it go unless it's actually a big deal. Above all, when you're in a real fight, always speak with an attempt at love, compassion, understanding, and empathy.

Over the course of the past year or so, ever since Michael Brown was shot and killed in Ferguson, I've found myself engaged in a lot more fights than before. Questions of white privilege, equal rights, the significance of #blacklivesmatter, Asian American rights, immigration, and a whole slew of other things have led to discussions, conversations, debates, and ultimately, fights. Some discussions have been productive. Most, not so much. Through them all, I've done my best to follow my own rules but I'm sure that I've made mistakes.

Here's the thing though. I can't stop fighting. There is real injustice that needs to be addressed. There are things that cannot "just be let go." There are things to be said and perspectives to be shared. It would not be right for me to avoid these conversations because they may lead to discomfort. I'm pursuing fewer fights than before but I believe these are the "right" fights.

So, friends, if you see me going after one cause or another, especially via Facebook, know that I believe passionately in the cause, trust that I am seeing after Jesus, forgive me if I speak harshly, and be prepared to see me go hard. You can pray for my words and pray that my heart will be known by all and in line with God's.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Boston on My Mind...

Hello, friends!

I wrote last week about how I would be going to Boston to do a little staff training. I've recovered from the travel and such so I figure now is as good a time as any to update y'all on the trip! Here are a few high (and low) lights:

- Boston roads are the worst. Boston is an old city and like most old cities, it was built without city-wide infrastructure in mind. For some, this gives Boston a certain amount of charm. For those of us who suffer from motion sickness, this gives Boston a certain amount of disdain. We were moving between the Harvard and Boston University areas so there was much car driving. I was not a fan.

- I love working with Asian American students. The purpose of my trip was to coach a staff as she worked with Asian American students to reach other Asian American students via the secular Asian American student orgs. Needless to say, I spent a LOT of time around Asian American students and I really loved it. I love the work that I'm doing now at Lincoln and with nurses but there's something nice about being back with the students who started it all.

- I'm not as smart as I think I am. For one of our team building events, we went to an escape room in Boston. If you've never been to an Escape Room, allow me to explain. You're locked in a room. You have one hour to figure out how to get out of the room. There are puzzles to solve that will lead to clues that will lead to the key to get you out of the room. We did not get out of the room on time... =0).

- I have been burned into Ezra's long term memory. This really has nothing to do with the trip but when I picked Ezra and Megan up from the airport, Ezra's eyes totally lit up and he smiled when he saw me. We spent 3.5 days away from each other and it was a grind. Thankfully, I was pretty busy the entire time so I didn't have a lot of time to dwell on the fact that I wasn't with my family. Still, it was different not putting the little guy to sleep.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

A New (but kind of a bummer) Milestone...

Hello, friends!

In just a few hours, we will be embarking on a new adventure, and one that I must say, I'm torn. Here's the scoop.

Y'all know that I love Asian American Ministries. I love being Asian American. I love reaching other Asian Americans with the Gospel. I love talking to people about why it's great to be Asian American and why they should be trying to reach Asian Americans with the Gospel alongside me. It was an easy call then when I was invited to coach a staff out in Boston on how to reach Asian Americans on the campus via the "secular" student organization. When I started Mizzou ACF all those years ago, I started by getting involved in Mizzou's Asian American Association (AAA). With only 2.5% of the student body population being Asian American, AAA was a great way for me to meet a lot of Asian Americans at once. In Boston, they are going to try to reach their Asian Student Union (ASU) so they asked me to coach a staff as she did it. I was more than happy to say yes!

One piece of the coaching includes a visit to Boston to see the staff in action as well as meet her students and give a little "on the ground" coaching. T used to live in Boston so I've been there before but I was definitely excited to go. Megan is going to a wedding in Virginia with Ezra this weekend anyway, so it seemed like as good a weekend as any to make a visit.

While I was packing, I had a revelation... This is going to be my first weekend away from Ezra and Megan since he was born. In fact, this is going to be my first night away from those two since Ezra was born. For the past 3+ months, I've pretty much been able to count on the fact that at the end of the day, I'd be able to kiss my wife and son goodnight before going to sleep. The streak ends tomorrow night.

All said and done, I think I'm ok with it. It was bound to happen at some point, right? It's just a few nights and I'm not a super emotional person anyway. Still, it's a bit of a bummer to think that tomorrow night, I won't be able to bounce Ezra to sleep while singing "Closing Time." I guess all good things must come to an end.

Friends, we really need your prayers this weekend for all of our travels. Please be praying first for journey's mercies, that all 3 of us will get where we need to go and get home safely so we can be together as a family. Second, please be praying especially for Meg. She'll be the one taking Ezra on the plane and taking care of him this weekend in a place that isn't Columbia. Finally, please be praying for Ezra, that he'll be more like his mom on the plane (no motion sickness or discomfort) and less like his dad (generally a mess).

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

The Long Play...

Hello, friends!

After a 44 hour work weekend (15 hours Friday, 18 hours Saturday, and 11 hours Sunday), 2 sick days (migraines are the worst!) and a fair amount of Ezra time (I really didn't get enough of it) I feel like I've fully recovered physically from FC15. What a weekend it was!

Fall Conference weekends normally have a certain structure to them. Students arrive on Friday night in anticipation of the weekend to come. We have our first session that is followed by the small group "what are you hoping to get out of this conference?" question. Saturday morning has another session followed by free time. Saturday night, the Holy Spirit falls, the speaker makes a call to faith, a bunch of students "stand up" to make decisions to follow Jesus, and we all leave after the Sunday session refreshed and ready to take on the world. I would venture to say that this structure isn't even special to Fall Conferences but it pretty much standard across the weekend Christian conference landscape. It's a good formula and it works.

However, sometimes you get a conference theme and you know that things aren't going to be wrapped up into a tiny bow come Sunday morning. FC15 definitely had that feel.

"Reconciliation" is a HUGE topic, one that isn't easily defined or easily remidied. Where does one begin? Is racial reconciliation the most important topic? How do we reconcile the good news of the Gospel with what we're seeing in the world right now? What about socioeconimic reconciliation? How about gender reconciliation or sexual reconciliation (asking the LGBT questions)? Students come from a number of different backgrounds and belief systems. It would be impossible to cover everything that needed to be covered in the course of a weekend and we knew that going into FC15. The word that I kept getting was to "remember the long play..."

With a conference theme like "Reconciling All Things," your goal is not to have the conference be self contained. You want it to bleed out beyond Sunday afternoon. We want there to still be conversations, wrestlings, and question asking because the long play says that figuring out our role in God's reconciliation of all things takes time.

Let me give you an example. Saturday morning we held a series of workshops called, "How the Gospel reconciles the _________ community," with "Black," "Asian American," "White," "Latino," "Native American," and "International" filling in the blank spot. Students would attend 2 workshops. First, they would go where they identify (ie, I would attend the Asian American workshop). Second, they would go where they DON'T identify but want to reach. Each workshop was about 45 minutes.

There isn't a lot you can do in 45 minutes and we knew that. What you CAN do though, is start the conversation. I think that's what we did. We had students in the first workshop begin to discover their ethnic identities in ways that they hadn't considered before. In the second workshop, you could see the gears turning for students as they considered what it would look like to connect with someone different from them.

Our job is far from over and our job looks very different from normal. Thinking about the long play means that follow up is more crucial than ever before with every student who attended, not just those who stood up Saturday night. (That's especially true this year as no one stood up Saturday night). It means that FC15, instead of being the end of our New Student Outreach season, actually begins a new season of hopefully hard conversations and new revelations. It means that after 44 hours of conference directing, 2 sick days, and not nearly enough Ezra time, the long play is just beginning.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

FC15 Hooray!!!

Hello, friends!

As I'm writing this, we are preparing for our Fall Conference 2015 (FC15), Reconciling All Things. In just a few hours, over 120 college students from all over Missouri will be gathering together to worship, fellowship, and learn about how our God wants to reconcile us to himself and to each other.

I'm directing this conference and have been humbled by God's goodness in a number of ways. He has continued to show me that He is the one who is in charge and that He will take care of the conference and the students.

Will you take a few moments RIGHT NOW and pray for FC15? Here are a few specific ways that you can pray:
- Journey's Mercies. Our site is about a 2-3 hour drive from either St. Louis or Columbia. Pray that students arrive safely and prepared to receive what God has for them.

- Logistical Peace. The only thing you can guarantee at a conference like this is that something will go wrong. As director, I'm feeling the pressure to make sure that we have all our bases covered. Please pray for the peace that surpasses all understanding.

- Soft Hearts. Our topic is a heavy one and we will be having a number of different groups joining us. There will be Black, White, Asian, and International students from a number of different countries all joining us. We also have at least 8 non-Christians. Please pray that God will soften their hearts to receive what He has for them.

- Ezra's First Conference. We're not sure how he'll do. Pray that he'll eat well in a new place, sleep well in a new place, and generally continue to be the happy wonderful baby he has been so far.

Have an excellent weekend!

~Adam

Short but Sweet at Lincoln

Hello, friends!

Happy Friday to you all. I hope you are all enjoying your week and are preparing for a stellar weekend. This week was definitely a long one for me in terms of work but it's a good kind of tired. I'm especially encouraged by what happened at Lincoln this past week.

My normal plan for Lincoln is to carpool with a friend of mine down to Jefferson City, drop him off around 7:30, spend the day on campus meeting students and praying, then be done by 4 to pick up my friend and head back to CoMO. Megan needed me to watch Ezra @ 2 and I had set up a meeting off campus @ 9:30 so I already knew that I was going to have a shorter day. It's amazing what can happen in just a little bit of time.

I got onto campus around 11 and checked inside the prayer box that I'd left on the counter of the bookstore. The first few weeks we'd had about 3 prayer requests but this week there were 8, including one student who wanted for "God to use her as his vessel on campus." I'd say praying for that is a pretty good start, wouldn't you?

The plan from there was to meet students for lunch @ noon and then head back by about 1:15 so I could get the car back to Megan by 2. That makes for about 75 minutes worth of vision casting and bible study. Of course, that supposes that students don't show up late and/or have to leave early. =0). Instead of 75 minutes, we ended up with about 15 minutes, which was really just enough time to share a little about our stories and do a little vision casting.

On my way home, I really didn't know what to think. We sort of got our bible study started but there wasn't as much momentum or time together as I would have liked. I had plans and they didn't really get executed as much as I would have like. But then I started thinking about WHO was there.

Looking back at the students who were there, even though it was just a short meeting, I don't think I could have asked for a better group in terms of students to potentially plant a ministry.

First there was the "Gatherer." M is a total gatherer. She showed up late but she knew EVERYONE. In fact, most every student who came by our table did so to say hi to her. One of her friends even stayed for our bible study! In order for a plant to get off the ground, there needs to be a student who knows everyone and is unafraid to invite people. Which brings us to...

The "New Kid." G just stopped by to say hello to M but it was enough for her to stay when invited. It's one thing to have a group of solid students who are committed to the group and coming regularly. It's another thing entirely to have new students coming and checking things out, even if they don't all stay. A good group needs to begin with a culture of newcomers. Once the new kids get locked in, they can start to be affected by...

The "Influencer." This is the student who not only knows everyone but gets that it's about more than getting together and that it's about mission. The Gatherer and the Influencer differ in how they best express themselves. The G is all over the place with a lot of acquaintances. The Influencer knows lots of people too but he also has a few really tight relationships and sees himself as a leader. I'm pretty sure that A is going to be the Influencer in our group.

I'd be remiss if I didn't also mention how important it is for us to have the "White Guy" in our group to start too. Lincoln actually has more White students than Black students but most of student life is centered around the Black students because they are the ones who live on campus. If we're going to be a group that truly reaches the entire campus, it's important for us to begin with diversity instead of trying to add it later.

Friends, please continue to pray for our little group at Lincoln. The question is always who is going to show up the SECOND week. That's what builds momentum.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Terrible Efficiency...

Hello, friends!

A few weeks ago, I bought a new bike, replacing my old one, and shutting down the Penny Peddling blog. I said that I'd still occassionally post about my riding exploits on this blog, so here's my triumphant (or not...) return to me writing about biking. Hooray!

One blog post I did a while back was entitled Beautiful Inefficiency, talking about how much I've enjoyed working from home to be with Ezra. I'm considerably more efficient at getting stuff done away from home but the time I get to spend with my son is well worth the inefficiencies of working from home.

I've found that when it comes to biking, however, I've run into the opposite problem... I'm not too efficient for my own good.

Sulu, the bike that started it all for me, was stolen in September of 2012. For the next 3 years, I was riding my old bike, which I bought for $40 on Craigslist. It had thick, half-mountain/half road tires, was a little bit too tall for me, and only let me shift to 6 of the 18 gears it possessed. It got me where I needed to go but biking was a struggle. I earned every inch of every mile that I biked with that bad boy.

My new bike is like riding Sulu all over again. All the gears work. The tires are nice and thin (although not so thin that handling is a problem). It fits just right so I'm not having to strain to pedal. Last weekend I did a 40 mile ride with some guys from my church and I was feeling spectacular afterwards. If I'd tried to do 40 miles with my old bike, it would have taken forever.

Here's the thing though. A fast bike is GREAT for commuting for the obvious reason you get places faster. From a commuting standpoint, buying the new bike was a no-brainer.

From an EXERCISE standpoint though, having a faster bike doesn't actually help me, and kind of hurts in some ways. My goal is to do some sort of exercising for 45 minutes a day. When I was riding my old bike, it took me roughly 11 minutes to get from my house to campus. Now, it takes me only 7. It used to be that going to campus and back counted for nearly half of my exercise time. Now, it's not even a third!

This doesn't even take into account that I'm not working as hard either. I got a fitness tracker over the summer that also takes my heart rate. When I used to ride my old bike, I was breathing hard and definitely getting my cardio going. Now, I get to campus without even breaking a sweat and my heartrate in a barely elevated state. It's like I'm not working at all!

Am I bummed about the new bike? Of course not! It's so much better to ride and well worth the investment. I just think maybe I didn't consider the negative implications of being a much more efficient rider now. =0).

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Changing Diapers, Changing Roles

Hello, friends!

When Megan and I first started doing ministry together in Columbia, it took us a while to find a system that worked. When we were both working with ACF, we found that while we did good work, it was hard to talk about what was happening on campus without switching from Husband/Wife mode to Coworker mode. On the one hand, it was great that we could contextualize all of our conversations really well since we both knew the fellowship. On the other hand, it was hard to have a real date when a lot of conversations turned into troubleshooting sessions.

The next year, Megan began planting ICF and a we developed a completely different dynamic, one that worked quite well. We now had the same job but different spheres of influence. In many ways, things went back to when we were dating; we could talk about work but it was in more of a "how was your day" kind of mode. Of course, there was the added benefit that we could actually help out one another when needed because we were actually living in the same city. This dynamic has been great.

My role in ICF the past few semesters has been one of logistics. I've been the guy in the background doing all the stuff that no one notices so that Megan can connect with students and have conversations that aren't constantly being interrupted by "hold on, I have to go take care of this." It's a role that I enjoy, not just because it means I'm doing something useful, but also because every now and then I get to stop and watch Megan in action, which is a site to behold. I tell you, she is REALLY good at her job. =0).

Friends, tonight the role changes just a little bit. Megan got off of maternity leave this week and tonight is ICF's first Dinner and Discovery (D&D), which is dinner and a bible study for students. D&D is a great place for Christian students to learn how to serve and lead, for non-Christian students to learn about Jesus, and for everyone to join together in community. When I helped at D&D (which wasn't every time) my role was usually jack of all trades. I was giving rides, setting up audio/visual equipment, making copies and things like that. Tonight my role is decidedly different... child care.

D&D will be on campus, which means Meg will be on campus and I'll be having a "boy's night" with RaRa. Who knows what we'll do tonight but I'm sure of two things: I'm in charge of at least one feeding and a few diaper changes.

I've taken care of RaRa by myself a few different times before and nothing has ever gone wrong. This one just feels a little different because it's for work and this will probably be a regular occurance. I'm excited for some time with my man though, that's for sure.

So, friends, if you remember, please pray for our family tonight. Pray for us boys as we hang out and bond like a father and son should. Also, please pray for Meg that she'll be fully present and that big things will happen tonight.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

When Campus Becomes a War Zone...

Hello, friends!

One of the things that constantly strikes me as I continue on this journey of campus ministry is remembering that the fight we fight is not just on the campus but is a spiritual battle as well. There is a real enemy and he does not want us to advance the Gospel in a real and meaningful way. He does not want college students to follow Jesus. He doesn't want campuses transformed into places where the Gospel shines. He certainly doesn't want students to graduate with a sense of purpose and calling to follow Jesus wherever they go next. So, the enemy fights, and he fights dirty. He lies. He steals. He destroys. I wish he wasn't so good at what he does but this ain't his first rodeo. Here are a few of the battles I've seen over the past week or so.

I was talking to a campus pastor the other day and he was talking about an administrator who is downright hostile towards Christians. The pastor was sharing with me different interactions that he's had with this administrator, as well as giving me a little bit of background about why this administrator may be so hostile. As we were talking, the sense of spiritual warfare was palpable. Somewhere along the way, this administrator started believing the lie that having a Christian presence on campus was not just bad for the school but bad for him personally. This administrator has a fair amount of power at the university too, meaning that we can expect plenty more battles to come.

A few days ago I was talking with some coworkers about a cult that has made its way onto a number of different campuses across the nation. Cults are scary business already but the ones that are disguised as Christian groups are the ones that terrify me the most. I've heard a number of stories of students who got involved, thinking they were joining a Christian group, only to realize that something wasn't right when the group started putting extra-biblical requirements on their salvation. Thankfully, those students got out but a number of students, too high a number, get sucked in for good.

Usually, August isn't migraine season but this past month had its share of close calls. There was more than one occasion where I had to fight to get up and fight off the pain. Looking back at my calendar, I noticed a pattern: Migraine days were days when I was going to be doing something significant on campus, usually a visit. One could call it a coincidence but I know there's something more to it than me just happening to be dehydrated on the exact day I'm supposed to go visit a campus and try to plant some campus ministry.

What's the solution? Friends, the solution is prayer. This past week, I spent a significant amount of my time at Lincoln praying. As I walked around campus, I saw students with crosses around their necks, dropping F-bombs and N-words, talking about how plastered they were going to get over the weekend. So I prayed that they would encounter the real Jesus. I saw students visibly in distress, with that glassy look in their eyes like they didn't know how they were going to make it through the day. So I prayed that they would feel the love of Christ and that it would give them hope. I walked around the library and prayed that it would be a place of refuge and learning and that walls would be broken down. I prayed that a light would begin to shine on campus. I thanked God for the work that he's already done. I sang "This Little Light of Mine." I prayed.

Friends, will you take a few minutes right now and pray for the work that's being done here in MidMissouri? Would you pray for more workers for the harvest? Would you pray that God would break through the lies students are believing? Would you pray for a revival at Mizzou, Lincoln, Columbia College, and wherever we aren't yet? Would you praise Jesus for the good work that he's already done? Will you pray with me?

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Treasure Hunting Goose Chases...

Hello, friends!

Here's what I hope you'll consider a fun story about following Jesus and planting!

I went to Lincoln yesterday and decided to do some treasure hunting prayer. Treasure hunting prayer comes from Mark 14 when Jesus tells 2 disciples to go look for a man carrying a water jug so they can have a place for the passover. The idea is simple. You spend some time in listening prayer, asking God to give you an image of some sort. Then, you go looking for that image (treasure hunting) and seeing what you find there. Sometimes they are places on campus (ie "Go to the fountain."). Other times they are more abstract.

As I was listening, the first phrase that popped into my mind was "red shoes." After a little while longer of listening and not really hearing anything else, I decided to go for it and walk around campus looking for red shoes.

As I was heading up towards the Soldier's Memorial, I saw a woman wearing PINK sneakers. I debated in my mind whether or not pink counted as red but before I could decide, I saw a man wearing very red sneakers and a cross earring walk past. I decided to follow him.

Oddly enough, I never caught up to him or got close enough to call to him without being awkward. When I got within calling distance, I was passing the library and a different man said hello to me. Not wanting to be rude, I stopped to talk to him and found out that he's a Christian staff member who works in academic services. One more contact in the books.

Walking back towards the memorial, another woman called to me telling me to get punch and ice cream. The library was having an ice cream party and the woman was the head of the library as well as an ordained minister in MidMO. Let's add to the Christian faculty contact list, shall we?

I finish up my conversation with her when I see 2 women walking back towards their dorm. One of the women definitely had very red sneakers, so I decided to follow them. I get up to their dorm and offer to pray for them. They were very much not into it but said I could. As I was praying for them, a Christian student who I had met LAST week walked out of the dorm and towards the student center. This student was one who I think has the potential to be a person of peace but I wasn't sure. At least I know what dorm she lives in now and I was able to remind her of who I am. =0).

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Beautiful Inefficiency

Hello, friends!

Many of you who know me know that I love efficiency. It's one of my favorite things in the world. I love looking at a situation, a problem, a gadget, or whatever and asking myself, "How can I make that run better?" There's probably a bit of pride in there (read: there's DEFINITELY pride in there) but I really do believe that I have a special knack for looking at things and boiling them down to the basics, in order to make it the most efficient situation.

Here's something I've learned: If you want to be efficient at doing your administrative work (writing reports, responding to emails, preparing bible studies, supervision, etc.) as a campus missionary, do NOT work from home with a newborn.

Right now, Ezra is the antithesis of efficiency. He poops whenever he wants, usually right after he just had his diaper changed. He goes through onesie after onsie because he spits up after eating... then spits up again. He'll cry like a banshee for what seems like an eternity, only to be consoled after he's picked up because he had a gas bubble and didn't know how to burp while laying on his back. Seriously, raising RaRa, or any human, is strong evidence for the creation theory: how could anything EVOLVE into being that useless?! =0).

BUT, here's the thing: He's the only person in the world who could make me LOVE inefficiency as much as I do right now. I love changing his diaper, putting a new onesie on him, then rocking him to sleep. Emails are nothing compared to picking up my son and helping him pass gas. I will put any and all work on hold if it means that I get a chance to hold him and see if he'll smile. Work can wait because fatherhood is calling!

A few weeks ago, I tried doing some work on campus and actually, it was really efficient. Just like before RaRa was born, I biked to campus, popped in my headphones, went to the computer lab, and just kept typing, planning, and working until everything was done. In fact, it was probably even MORE efficient than before he was born. But that was because I wanted to get home as quickly as possible. Apparently I missed the little guy.

Of course, there will be errands to be run. I'll be heading to Jefferson City once a week on campus visits, meaning I'll be away for 10-12 hours at a time. I had a staff meeting a last week in St. Louis and I survived it ok. I'm not going to be able to spend 24/7 with the little guy and I know that. Still, there's something to be said for embracing the inefficiency and spending a little more time snuggling with my boy.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Part Time Planting

Hello, friends!

On Tuesday and Wednesday of this past week, I had the pleasure of gathering together with 9 other staff from around the Region (Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri) to do some training and workshopping about part time planting, which is what I'm going to be doing at Lincoln this year.

Part time planting is in some ways a new concept but in many ways it is an old concept too, one that has unfortunately been forgotten over time. Our hope in this team is to be able to recapture the magic and find best practices for a new generation of part time planters in the 21st century. Much of what we're going to do and try isn't new (it's happening with great success in many other parts of the world) but it's new to us and to our context.

The full time planting model that we are used to implimenting is one that I was taught and have embraced for years. The name of the game is total immersion. You spend as much time as you possibly can on campus, in that community, building relationships and casting vision for the group. In my case with ACF, it meant moving to Columbia. For others, it can be moving even further or just changing your commute. Either way, it's a method that is high investment and definitely has its strengths. I'm so glad that I was a full time planter for ACF and I wouldn't change that experience for the world.

On the other hand, part time planting focuses on People of Peace, folk who are ALREADY invested in the community, who ALREADY have a vision for the campus, and who just need a little empowerment or coaching to get things done. What I love about this model is that it allows for students, staff, faculty, people in the community, and the like to take on a majority of the load for a group of people with whom relational trust is already built. Another thing I love is that it allows for a greater reach by the staff. Instead of spending 40/week on one campus, I can plant of 3-4 campuses simultaneously, increasing the scope and influence of InterVarsity and the Gospel.

This idea is hardly novel. In Ethiopia, our sister movement EVASUE has a  student to staff ratio is 1000:1, compared to the 35:1 ratio we have here in the US. Back in the day, when InterVarsity first came to the United states, there were 8 staff covering 90 campuses. Somewhere along the way, we changed our model. Some of the change has been good but some of it has led us to miss a lot of campuses that are right in our neighborhoods.

Ultimately, I'm really excited about this team and this experiment. It is going to require a lot more intentionality and a lot more dependence on Jesus to do the work that needs to be done but I am confident that he is willing and able. My role is going to be less "centerpiece" and more facilitator, which will be different for me but something that I think I am looking forward to.

Friends, please pray for me as I embark on this new journey. Pray not only for fruit at Lincoln in limited time but also for peace as I plant and for eyes to see where he is moving. This is an experiment that we are hoping will go national in a few years so please, also pray for eyes to see what is happening from a structural level and words to describe my experiences clearly.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

The Baby SuperBlog!

Hello, friends!

In case you haven't heard, Ezra Adam Leong was born on July 5, 2015. I've taken the past 2 weeks off to enjoy being a father and hanging out with the little guy. I knew that I wanted to blog about my new experiences but there are so many new and exciting experiences that I knew I couldn't get it all done in one shot.

So, here's to another SuperBlog! Much like my Cambodia blog from last year, this is the homepage of sorts. Below, you'll find a bunch of blogs on a bunch of different topics related to the miracle that is Ezra (RaRa). I hope you enjoy!

Have an excellent day!

~Adam (and Megan and Ezra)

My wife the rock star
What's in a name?
On Family
Saying Goodbye
Things you can do while holding a baby
Useless Training
Back to Work
Things I've Learned

What's in a Name?

Hello, friends!

One of the things that has surprised me the most about the response that we've gotten to Ezra is how many people compliment our choice of name. I'm sure that no one would say, "Man, that name is terrible!" to our faces, but folk have been genuinely excited to hear him called Ezra. I figure now's a good of a time as any to go through the naming story.

When we were first trying to have a baby, Megan was hanging out with Jesus one day and was in the book of Ezra. I'm not sure of all the details but she heard very clearly that we were going to have a baby boy. Mind you, this was when we didn't know that she was pregnant yet. When we found out that she was pregnant, we looked at the calendar and realized that she got pregnant right around the same time that she heard from Jesus that we were having a boy. When we found out at 20 weeks that we were in fact having a boy, that made things even cooler.

However, Ezra was not a lock for the name. We had a whole list of names that we considered. I liked some that she didn't. She liked some that I didn't. We knew that we wanted a name that would strike a good balance between sounding good, having good significance, and not been TOO common. Eventually, we decided that we would have our top 3 names and make a decision once he was born. We did this for 2 reasons. 1) This gave us more time to pray through the names and 2) it allowed us to honestly tell people that we didn't have a name yet when everyone asked. We wanted him to be the first person to hear his name.

After he was born, both Megan and I knew that Ezra was his name. It couldn't be anything else. We're holding onto the other top 2 options in case we have more boys but this little guy is Ezra. =0).

Of course, he wouldn't be my son without a kicking nickname. In fact, one of the reasons that Ezra stayed in the top 3 for me for so long was because I liked the nickname possibilities. Without further ado, I present to you a current list of nicknames for Ezra Adam Leong.

Ezi - This is what his mother will be calling him. It's simple and it makes sense. I anticipate this being the most popular of the nicknames.

RaRa - This is what his father will be calling him. I wanted something a little unique. Also, I love how every time you say it, it sounds like you're cheering for him.

Little E - This is what his grandfather (Papa John Leong) will be calling him. My nephew's name is Elliot so Papa has decided that Ezra will be Little E and Elliot will be Big E.

Brother Ez - This is what his other grandfather will be calling him. It's a play on words from Brother Iz, who's the guy who sang that version of "Somewhere over the Rainbow" that everyone likes.

AJ - This is what my younger sister has been calling him. I've been told it stands for "Adam Junior" because he looks so much like me.

Ez - This is what a few folk with the name Ezra guess he'll be called because that's what they're called. Again, it's simple and makes sense. I prefer Ezi myself.

Eazy E - Also acceptable would be Dr. Dre or Ice Cube. (Just kidding… sort of)

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Useless Training...

Hello friends!

One of the things I heard over and over from folk once we told folk that we were having a baby was that I needed to get as much sleep as I could now because once the kid was born, I was going to miss all that sleep. My thought was to actually move in the opposite direction. I figured, if I spent time during Meg's pregnancy getting LESS sleep, I'd be better prepared and less affected by the lack of sleep that came once RaRa was born. Well, here's how that went…

From my research on the internet, there were two themes that emerged. One, in order to learn to function on less sleep than normal, the best method was to set a normal sleep time and a normal wake time that never changed. The theory is that no eventually the body would get used to the new rhythm and would regulate itself. Well, looking at my calendar, if I wanted to set my alarm for the same time every morning, it meant that I had to look at the earliest I would have to get up on any given day and resolve to get up at that time every single day. Looking at my calendar, that meant getting up @ 5am every morning to make it to my 6am men's small group on Tuesdays… oy.

Getting up at 5am every morning was hard and I didn't succeed every morning but there was one added benefit. Most days I didn't have something to do right away so I got to fish more. =0).

The second theme that emerged from my internet queries was that while it is possible to function on less sleep, it's not a smart proposition. I think I saw this as well. I didn't get deathly ill or anything like that. I didn't end up with more migraines or a weaker immune system. But, I could tell that I was more tired and that my body was struggling. I was surviving on less sleep but I wasn't thriving. Still, in my mind, if it made me a better father, then it was worth it.

Well, fast forward to RaRa being born and here's what I've learned… all my training was pretty useless. It isn't so much that I needed to learn to function on less sleep. Actually, what I needed to do was learn to function on shorter spurts of sleep. RaRa has been feeding every 2-5 hours. Those first few weeks, I was up with Megan to help her with the feedings, which means that I was up every 2-5 hours. It's actually possible to get 8-10 hours of sleep in a day. You just have to be prepared for it to come in 3-4 sleep sessions, which was not part of my training.

So, here we are. I'm still glad that I tried the experiment, if for no other reason than because I got to fish more. Still, as a word of warning to all those soon to be fathers out there: don't try to game the system. When people to tell you to get as much sleep as possible before your baby is born, take them up on it.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Things I've learned...

Hello, friends!

I've been on this earth for over 30 years and so I've learned a thing or two in my day. Still, fatherhood is a new beast entirely and throughout this process (pregnancy, birth, and being a dad) I've learned more than a few new tidbits. Here are a few of my favorites.

God covered all the bases when he made the human body. So, apparently, when a woman becomes pregnant, HER BODY GROWS AN ORGAN SPECIFICALLY FOR GROWING A BABY. The placenta essentially feeds the baby for 9 months then at birth it exits, only to grow again when another baby comes along. Does anybody else find that fascinating?

Rapidly Involuting Congenital Hemangiomas are nothing to be worried about. When RaRa was born, he had a big purple bump on his left leg. Being a first time dad and medical novice, I was super concerned. Was it a tumor? Would we have to amputate the leg? What event should we start training for in the Paralympics? Well, it turns out that what he has is a Rapidly Involuting Congenital Hemangioma, which means he has a cluster of blood vessels that look like a bruise but will eventually go away and may leave a little birthmark. Again, God covered all the bases when he made the human body.

Eating is not intuitive. For someone who loves to eat, and I mean, I LOVE to eat, it boggles my mind that eating doesn't just automatically happen. Well, babies need to learn to eat, and that includes RaRa. He's already gotten so much better but at the beginning, we had to feed him every 3 hours so that he'd learn to eat and that Megan's milk would come it. The process itself, waking him, calming him because he was mad that we woke him, changing his diaper because when he got mad he wet himself, then getting him to actually eat, took an hour or more, so it was definitely a process. Don't worry folk, he's growing like crazy. =0).

Fatherhood is the best. Y'all, it's pretty ridiculous how great fatherhood. RaRa doesn't really do anything yet. He sleeps, eats, and poops. He hasn't learned to smile or anything like that. Still, I could spend hours upon hours just staring at him. Every move he makes is amazing. This is pretty much the greatest thing ever.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

My Wife the Rock Star...

Hello, friends!

Ezra was born July 5 but his due day was July 3, so he was a few days overdue. By the end of the pregnancy, both Megan and I were definitely ready to meet the little guy. Alas, these things take time. Let me give you a blow by blow of what went down on July 5.

12:30am - Megan begins having contractions. I'm definitely asleep.
1:00am - Megan wakes me up to tell me that she's having contractions. We begin going through them together.
3:00am - Megan tells me that she'd rather have me awake and alert later so I should sleep now. I'm far too tired to protest.
6:00am - I'm awake again and we begin the home labor process. This includes a few walks, lots of counter pressure, a bath, and more than one breating exercise.
2:00pm - We decide to go to the hospital. We wanted to do as much from home as possible so the plan was to check in, see how things are progressing, and leave if things weren't going anywhere.
2:30pm - Arrive at the hospital and check in.
3:30pm - We decide that things have progressed enough that we're going to stay. I text all the family members and let them know that it's going down.
4:00pm - We move down to the labor floor at the hospital and labor begins in earnest. This means lots more breathing, a bunch of heat packs, a few walks up and down the hosptal halls, and a lot more counterpressue to combat the back labor.
7:00pm - Women's world cup final starts. I have no problem admitting that I watched the first half while helping Megan through labor. Don't worry, I asked Meg for permission first. =0).
8:00pm - The doctor on call arrives and we move into transitional labor, meaning it's time to start pushing and it's time to have a baby!
8:24pm - Ezra Adam Leong enters the world and we all rejoice.

A few notes:
- The hospital staff was AMAZING! We couldn't have asked for a better nurse or experience. They took our birth plan to heart and were nothing but supportive of us. It was a really great and relatively stress free experience. I was prepared to fight to stick to our birth plan but they were 100% supportive.

- I think one of the reasons they were so supportive was because we were going for a 100% natural birth. There was going to be no epidural. We weren't going to induce labor and we were going to wait as long as possible for the water to break on its own. Apparently only about 5% of the labors at our hospital are done naturally so I think the staff was excited to see if we could do it.

- My wife is an absolute rock star. 20 hours of labor on only 1 hour of sleep without any medications or interventions is nothing short of a miracle. I loved being with her every step of the way. She said I did a good job coaching her, so that's nice too. =0).

- Coaching labor is hard work! The hardest part was definitely the counterpressure, pushing on her hips during a contraction, at least from a physical standpoint. My arms were definitely sore by the end of it. Of course, I'm not complaining, compared to what Megan went through, but still, it was more of a workout than I thought it would be.

- Jesus was with us every step of the way. During contractions, Megan kept reciting Philippians 4:13 "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me." Every part of our process had the peace and strength of God in it. We were blessed by a great team, a great labor, and a great little boy. Praise Jesus!

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Back to Work!

Hello, friends!

So, I'm writing on the blog, which means I'm back at work! I took 2 weeks off so I could get to know Rara and help Megan with all the stuff that needed help. It was an amazing 2 weeks and I'm bummed to go back. Here are a few thoughts on getting back into the grind.

Taking off time really puts you behind! Over the course of 2 weeks, I accumulated over 200 emails. Most of them didn't need to be answered but it was definitely a little overwhelming to check my inbox Tuesday morning and see a big fat stack of unread emails.

Not working wasn't all that hard. As a workaholic, I was certain that it was going to be nearly impossible for me to not think about work. When added to all the different projects that I'm working on, things are looking bleak. In actuality, it was easier than expected. All I did was turn off auto-sync on my email for my phone and it was definitely "out of sight, out of mind." Of course, it didn't hurt that I pretty much wanted to spend every second with my new son.

There is but there isn't a lot to do the first weeks of a baby's life. On the one hand, the first few weeks of parenthood have been intense. Between feeding, changing, and rocking to sleep, there are times during the day when there's a TON to do. But then again, babies sleep a lot too. I'm not complaining about it, and Rara definitely knows how to sleep, it's just interesting to me that there's a little more downtime than I had anticipated.

Going back is hard but also great. I've actually enjoyed the past few days of work. It's good to get back into the swing of things. I've enjoyed catching up on projects and preparing for the year ahead. It's good that apparently I still enjoy my job. =0).

Once the school year starts, things will be significantly different again. Right now most of my work can be done from home so I can still be around. Once students return to campus though, then we'll really see how I can handle being away from the house for so long.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam