Hello, friends!
Megan and I were out to dinner last night and it suddenly hit us that July is just about over, which means that August is right around the corner and that school will soon be starting! The summer really has flown by and now it's time to get back to work on campus.
Of course, that's not to say that we haven't been working hard these past few months since the our conferences ended at the end of May. There's been plenty of work to be done; finishing up the year well, planning for the new year, meeting with new ministry partners, praying a ton for students and ministry, and doing what we can do to keep ourselves sharp for what's ahead. In fact, Meg has still been meeting with students and ICF has been having Bible studies over the summer.
The big difference really is the pace. Even though I've been traveling a bunch this summer, the pace of work has been lighter than during the school year. Between August and May, a 40-hour work week is a given. 50 is always possible. If there's a conference or some big event happening, getting up into the 70's and 80's isn't out of the question. During these past few weeks, it's been a much more relaxed pace, which is very much appreciated.
It's not just about the number of hours worked. It's the content of what is actually in each of those hours. During the school year, not only are the hours higher but the hours are much more condensed. It's not uncommon to have meetings back to back to back, meaning that every interaction needs to get to the point as quickly as possible. During the summer, things can be a little more relaxed and time can be a little more relative. There's more space to breathe and pray. There's more time to listen and pick the right words to speak. It's nice.
So, these next few days will be the end of that period before it's time to get going again. Next week we'll be at staff meetings and then it'll be ICF will start it's pre-fall student ministry. Before we know it, it'll be time for students to move back into CoMO and classes will be beginning. Hooray!
Friends, please be praying for us these next few days as we do these last few preparations before the beginning of the semester. Pray that Meg and I will be refreshed and not stressed by the impending school year and that we will be trusting in God with all of our plans.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Friday, July 29, 2016
Friday, July 22, 2016
The Joys of Home Ownership...
Hello, friends!
Happy Friday to you all and happy heatwave! It's been consistently in the mid to high 90's here in Missouri for the past week or two, which has been a bit of a bummer but we're making it work! Ezra and I have been taking a lot of "indoor walks" which essentially means strapping him in the Ergo and walking around our living room in circles around our coffee table. For some reason, he really loves it!
One of the things that is really nice about the summer is that it gives us a chance to do all the things that didn't get done during the school year and start to prepare for the year to come. This usually means meeting with potential donors, doing prayer and strategy for our chapters, setting goals, and things like that. However, it also means we get to take some time and take care of the personal stuff that doesn't quite take priority during the year. Of course, then there are the disasters...
Friends, the past 2 months have felt like a comedy of errors of sorts when it comes to La Casa Leong here in CoMO. In just the past few weeks we've had:
- Our washing machine die
- Having to install a new electrical box so we can use our new dryer
- Our garage door needing to be fixed
- The toilet not filling well so the pump having to be replaced
- Our basement flooding so having the carpet all torn out and having to put in new carpet
I'm sure there are other things that we've had to do and have had to get done but those are the big ones that jump out to me from the past 2 months or so.
The biggest issue, of course, is that all of this costs money. Washing machines aren't cheap. Neither is carpet. Thankfully, we aren't big spenders in general so we have the savings set up to take care of these things without any stress. Also, insurance has helped us cover much of the cost too. So, while it isn't much fun to deal with all of this, it also isn't totally devastating.
All said and done, these past few weeks of home fixing has actually made me really thankful. I'm thankful that we have the money to cover all these things. I'm thankful for our ministry partners who give to the ministry, allowing us to spend money on the things we need. I'm thankful that I have a house to begin with and that it's actually something that we own. I'm thankful for insurance. I'm thankful for all the nice people, from the guy who ripped out our carpet to the guy who installed our dryer outlet, who have been nothing but helpful, kind and courteous. I'm thankful that Meg and I have been able to partner together in making our house a home. I'm thankful that these fixes haven't had an adverse affect on Ezra. I'm thankful that this is all happening during the summer when there is more flex time. Ultimately, I'm thankful because God is good.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Happy Friday to you all and happy heatwave! It's been consistently in the mid to high 90's here in Missouri for the past week or two, which has been a bit of a bummer but we're making it work! Ezra and I have been taking a lot of "indoor walks" which essentially means strapping him in the Ergo and walking around our living room in circles around our coffee table. For some reason, he really loves it!
One of the things that is really nice about the summer is that it gives us a chance to do all the things that didn't get done during the school year and start to prepare for the year to come. This usually means meeting with potential donors, doing prayer and strategy for our chapters, setting goals, and things like that. However, it also means we get to take some time and take care of the personal stuff that doesn't quite take priority during the year. Of course, then there are the disasters...
Friends, the past 2 months have felt like a comedy of errors of sorts when it comes to La Casa Leong here in CoMO. In just the past few weeks we've had:
- Our washing machine die
- Having to install a new electrical box so we can use our new dryer
- Our garage door needing to be fixed
- The toilet not filling well so the pump having to be replaced
- Our basement flooding so having the carpet all torn out and having to put in new carpet
I'm sure there are other things that we've had to do and have had to get done but those are the big ones that jump out to me from the past 2 months or so.
The biggest issue, of course, is that all of this costs money. Washing machines aren't cheap. Neither is carpet. Thankfully, we aren't big spenders in general so we have the savings set up to take care of these things without any stress. Also, insurance has helped us cover much of the cost too. So, while it isn't much fun to deal with all of this, it also isn't totally devastating.
All said and done, these past few weeks of home fixing has actually made me really thankful. I'm thankful that we have the money to cover all these things. I'm thankful for our ministry partners who give to the ministry, allowing us to spend money on the things we need. I'm thankful that I have a house to begin with and that it's actually something that we own. I'm thankful for insurance. I'm thankful for all the nice people, from the guy who ripped out our carpet to the guy who installed our dryer outlet, who have been nothing but helpful, kind and courteous. I'm thankful that Meg and I have been able to partner together in making our house a home. I'm thankful that these fixes haven't had an adverse affect on Ezra. I'm thankful that this is all happening during the summer when there is more flex time. Ultimately, I'm thankful because God is good.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Friday, July 15, 2016
A Few Weeks Home...
Hello, friends!
It's the middle of July, meaning we're just one month away from the start of the school year! Time sure does fly when you're having fun! This is the season where we start to transition from all the summer work that needed to be done to thinking about the semester ahead, before you know it, it'll be August and it'll be time to start up another fun year of ministry!
Do you know what my favorite part of these next few weeks is going to be? It's going to be not having to travel anywhere. No work meetings. No weddings. Nothing like that. I just get to hang out at home with my wife and son and be home for a bit.
Here's been my calendar since May 1. Mind you, not all of this has been work related but still, it's a lot of miles on the car, a lot of time on the road, and a lot of nights sleeping in a bed that actually isn't mine.
May 6-9: Impromptu trip to South Dakota for Mother's Day (4 days)
May 13-20: End of the year conferences in the Lake of the Ozarks (8 days)
June 2-3: Regional Ministry Partnership Development training in Iowa (2 days)
June 4: Area staff team meeting in St. Louis (1 day)
June 13-15: Regional Leadership Team meeting in St. Louis (3 days)
June 17-18: St. Louis so Meg can attend a bachelorette party as a bridesmaid (2 days)
June 25-28: St. Louis for a wedding then immediately to Chicago for another wedding and some meetings with potential donors (4 days)
July 1-6: South Dakota for the Fourth of July, Ezra's birthday, and a vacation (6 days)
July 9: Day trip to Innsbrook, MO to attend a wedding (1 day)
July 13-14: Omaha, NE for a staff meeting with other staff in the region plantin on campuses part-time (2 day)
By my count, in the last 75 days, I've been out of town for 33 of them, or just under 45% of the time. Even if you just count the business travel, it's about 25% of the time. I know there are tons of jobs where this is normal, or even light, and again, not all of this was for business purposes, but still, that's a lot of travel!
Of course, I'm not complaining. I love the work that I do and every trip on that list was totally worth it. However, when I first started working for InterVarsity, one of the things that took me by surprise was just how much travel was involved. Especially when I was the only staff out here in Columbia and everything was centered in St. Louis, it felt like I spent just as much time in the car as I did on campus. Now that I've been around for a while and have more and larger responsibilities, the amount of travel has become even more pronounced.
All this is to say that I'm excited to be spending the next 3ish weeks in Columbia with no plans to go anywhere that I couldn't get by bike. =0).
Friends, please pray for this time home. Pray that it will not only be productive but also restful and restorative. Pray for good connections with friends and my family, and that my next trip will be met with excitement and not dread.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
It's the middle of July, meaning we're just one month away from the start of the school year! Time sure does fly when you're having fun! This is the season where we start to transition from all the summer work that needed to be done to thinking about the semester ahead, before you know it, it'll be August and it'll be time to start up another fun year of ministry!
Do you know what my favorite part of these next few weeks is going to be? It's going to be not having to travel anywhere. No work meetings. No weddings. Nothing like that. I just get to hang out at home with my wife and son and be home for a bit.
Here's been my calendar since May 1. Mind you, not all of this has been work related but still, it's a lot of miles on the car, a lot of time on the road, and a lot of nights sleeping in a bed that actually isn't mine.
May 6-9: Impromptu trip to South Dakota for Mother's Day (4 days)
May 13-20: End of the year conferences in the Lake of the Ozarks (8 days)
June 2-3: Regional Ministry Partnership Development training in Iowa (2 days)
June 4: Area staff team meeting in St. Louis (1 day)
June 13-15: Regional Leadership Team meeting in St. Louis (3 days)
June 17-18: St. Louis so Meg can attend a bachelorette party as a bridesmaid (2 days)
June 25-28: St. Louis for a wedding then immediately to Chicago for another wedding and some meetings with potential donors (4 days)
July 1-6: South Dakota for the Fourth of July, Ezra's birthday, and a vacation (6 days)
July 9: Day trip to Innsbrook, MO to attend a wedding (1 day)
July 13-14: Omaha, NE for a staff meeting with other staff in the region plantin on campuses part-time (2 day)
By my count, in the last 75 days, I've been out of town for 33 of them, or just under 45% of the time. Even if you just count the business travel, it's about 25% of the time. I know there are tons of jobs where this is normal, or even light, and again, not all of this was for business purposes, but still, that's a lot of travel!
Of course, I'm not complaining. I love the work that I do and every trip on that list was totally worth it. However, when I first started working for InterVarsity, one of the things that took me by surprise was just how much travel was involved. Especially when I was the only staff out here in Columbia and everything was centered in St. Louis, it felt like I spent just as much time in the car as I did on campus. Now that I've been around for a while and have more and larger responsibilities, the amount of travel has become even more pronounced.
All this is to say that I'm excited to be spending the next 3ish weeks in Columbia with no plans to go anywhere that I couldn't get by bike. =0).
Friends, please pray for this time home. Pray that it will not only be productive but also restful and restorative. Pray for good connections with friends and my family, and that my next trip will be met with excitement and not dread.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Tuesday, July 5, 2016
Happy Birthday, Ezra!
Hello, friends!
Today is a very special day. It's Ezra's birthday! To celebrate, I put together a little something. Pardon the missed chord change and a lyric mishap, I had to record it real quick before we left for South Dakota. =0).
Happy Birthday, Ezra!
~Adam
Today is a very special day. It's Ezra's birthday! To celebrate, I put together a little something. Pardon the missed chord change and a lyric mishap, I had to record it real quick before we left for South Dakota. =0).
Happy Birthday, Ezra!
~Adam
Friday, July 1, 2016
Happy (Fiscal) New Year!!!
Hello, friends!
It's July which means it's time for InterVarsity to turn the calendar over to 2016-2017! Here in Mid-MO, that means we have a lot of really great things on the horizon. Get excited!
New Hires! As of July 1, we officially have hired a new intern, Danny Poon, to take over Mizzou ACF! Danny is a Mizzou ACF alum who graduated in 2014. He has a big heart for students and loves working with them. We're super excited to have Danny on the team and are really excited to see what God is going to be doing through him these next 2 years (and maybe beyond?!?!)
New Chapters! With the beginning of the new year also comes new opportunities for reaching new corners of the campus! First up, Asian American graduate students and faculty. We're still not sure of how this will work exactly but Charis is going to be focusing her time on that population in Columbia. As someone who was an Asian American graduate student herself, she knows the rigors of life and how faith is crucial to that walk. Hooray!
New Campuses?! June ended with a flourish in terms of contacts from other campuses who were interested in potentially starting a new InterVarsity chapters on new campuses across Mid-MO. We have no idea if any of these campuses will stick at this point but it's exciting to think that this could be a year of great expansion.
Those are just a few of the highlights from what to expect this upcoming year. We know that everything is going to depend on the grace and provision of God and that in this job, things can turn from good to bad in a hurry. Still, we're excited for the possibilities and ask for you to pray for us. Let's do this, New Year!!!
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
It's July which means it's time for InterVarsity to turn the calendar over to 2016-2017! Here in Mid-MO, that means we have a lot of really great things on the horizon. Get excited!
New Hires! As of July 1, we officially have hired a new intern, Danny Poon, to take over Mizzou ACF! Danny is a Mizzou ACF alum who graduated in 2014. He has a big heart for students and loves working with them. We're super excited to have Danny on the team and are really excited to see what God is going to be doing through him these next 2 years (and maybe beyond?!?!)
New Chapters! With the beginning of the new year also comes new opportunities for reaching new corners of the campus! First up, Asian American graduate students and faculty. We're still not sure of how this will work exactly but Charis is going to be focusing her time on that population in Columbia. As someone who was an Asian American graduate student herself, she knows the rigors of life and how faith is crucial to that walk. Hooray!
New Campuses?! June ended with a flourish in terms of contacts from other campuses who were interested in potentially starting a new InterVarsity chapters on new campuses across Mid-MO. We have no idea if any of these campuses will stick at this point but it's exciting to think that this could be a year of great expansion.
Those are just a few of the highlights from what to expect this upcoming year. We know that everything is going to depend on the grace and provision of God and that in this job, things can turn from good to bad in a hurry. Still, we're excited for the possibilities and ask for you to pray for us. Let's do this, New Year!!!
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
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