Hello, friends!
One of my favorite things to do in ministry is to give away bibles. There's something really fun and spectacular about meeting a student who is interested in reading the Word but doesn't have the Word to read, then being able to fill that need for them. I know that there are tons of Bible reading apps and they are all great; I use one myself. Still, there's something really beautiful about having the Word in your hand and flipping the pages. It makes the reading experience that much more real.
Yesterday, at Lincoln, I was able to give away my Bible. I've been meeting with a student for the past few months, after she became a Christian at Lincoln. It's the Lent season and when we last spoke, she said that she wanted to spend the Lent season hanging out with Jesus more. I checked in with her to see how that was going and she said it was hard over Spring Break because of all the time with family. We then talked about how she connects with Jesus, she talked about how she liked to pray and that was her main form of connection. When I asked her about reading the Bible, she said that it was hard for her because the Bible she had was hard to understand. I'm not sure if she meant because it wasn't a good translation or because it's just a tough read but I asked her if she wanted a Bible. Then, I pulled out my trusty "giveaway" bible and showed her my quick guide on how to spend some time in the Word in just a few minutes.
When I say, "my Bible" what I really mean is my giveaway Bible. This isn't a Bible that I received as a gift for my baptism or that I've had since I was a kid. These are Bibles that I buy especially to giveaway. I always carry one with me when I'm on campus because you never know when the opportunity to arise.
I've learned that while you can't judge a book by its cover, the cover can still matter a lot when giving away Bibles. I like to give away Bibles that look nice, usually imitation leather and small. I have cases of those big paperback bibles that say HOLY BIBLE on the front and the words are the exact same but I've found that when the Bible looks good and is small enough to fit into a backpack, students are much more likely to carry it around and actually read it. I once had a student who, every time he saw me on campus, would come up to me and say, "guess what I have in my backpack." The answer, of course, was the Bible I gave him.
Reading the Word isn't hard to do but can be intimidating at times. When I'm teaching students how to just get into the habit of reading the Word, I teach them two quick methods: the 4 R's and the 3 Q's.
The 4 R's:
- Read: Pick a passage and read it. Using the subheadings found in your bible is a great way to start.
- Repeat: In your own words, summarize what you just read
- Reflect: Think about what questions you had or any thoughts and emotions that came up in you as your read
- Respond: In light of your reflection, how do you want to respond to what you just read?
The 3 Q's:
- What does this passage say about God?
- What does this passage say about me or humanity?
- What is one thing I can do to put this passage into practice?
Usually, being able to break down reading the Bible into quick bites and a system helps students get over their fear of reading the Bible. It's always great when they come back to me later and talk about what they're reading and the questions they have. In fact, after giving this student my Bible yesterday, we did 2 mini Bible studies where I showed her the 4 R's and 3 Q's and she responded to it really well.
Friends, if you're interested in helping me buy some new Bibles to give away, I'd love to partner with you in this endeavor. Because I get nicer looking Bibles, the prices range from $15-$20. If you're like to help me buy more Bibles for students, you can click the link here, and donate!
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Thursday, March 16, 2017
So long, Auntie Serena...
Hello, friends!
A few days ago, Auntie Serena Lam passed away. Most of you don't know Auntie Serena and to be honest, when I look back, I'm not sure that I knew her super well either. I don't know how old she was when she died. I remember her and Uncle Paul being in the jewelry business but I would be wrong about that one. I was informed, but not intimately so, about her health issues. It'd been months since I last spoke to her in person.
Still, when I heard that Auntie Serena had passed, I felt a deep sense of loss and a need to really mourn. I'm not a really emotional guy, so this struck me as odd. What was it about Auntie Serena? As I spent some time reflecting, I realized that Auntie Serena played a subtle but important role in many of the most important developments of my life. Through those times, she actually revealed to me a lot more about who she was than I realized at the time.
I don't remember the exact date, so I can't tell you if it was before or after Uncle Paul (Auntie Serena's husband) died, but at some point, Auntie Serena gave me his old golf clubs. It was a small gesture and maybe she just wanted them out of the house but it was a big deal to me. They were old clubs but they were a matching set and they were MY clubs. I don't use them anymore but it was having my own set of matching clubs that got me a little more interested in golf, to the point that up until Ezra was born, it was a very regular part of my week.
Auntie Serena's house was always open and was always the place for the after party. When my dad and Auntie Serena were both on staff for the church youth group, every beach party was followed by an after party and Auntie Serena's. It wasn't just those parties though. There were many other youth group sleepovers and pool parties and things of that nature that happened at Auntie Serena's. I don't think I pulled my FIRST all-nighter at Auntie Serena's but I know there were more than a few. I had my first significant conversation with my first girlfriend at Auntie Serena's. I made connections with some of my friends that last to this day. Auntie Serena's house will always be a place of hospitality and good memories.
When I first started my journey with InterVarsity, I had to raise what felt like an impossible amount of money. In my second year, I moved from an internship to being full-time staff and that number DOUBLED. I was confident that the money could be raised but also knew that it was going to take a lot of work. When I switched to full-time, Auntie Serena was one of my very first "no-ask" donors. I just looked at my account and there was a donation. It showed up the month after that too. And it was there the month after that. For the past 9 years, Auntie Serena has been a financial ministry partner. We never had an appointment. She just started giving.
But it wasn't just giving. She was also an advocate for me on the church mission committee. Whenever I came back to report on the things that God was doing in Missouri, I knew that I could count on her smiling and supportive face being there. I knew that I was always going to have an advocate and someone who loved and supported me in the room.
What does this say about Auntie Serena? It says that she was someone who was kind, generous, loving, giving, and serving. I don't know anyone who ever had a bad thing to say about her. She lived her life with grace, poise, and love. She will be surely missed.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
A few days ago, Auntie Serena Lam passed away. Most of you don't know Auntie Serena and to be honest, when I look back, I'm not sure that I knew her super well either. I don't know how old she was when she died. I remember her and Uncle Paul being in the jewelry business but I would be wrong about that one. I was informed, but not intimately so, about her health issues. It'd been months since I last spoke to her in person.
Still, when I heard that Auntie Serena had passed, I felt a deep sense of loss and a need to really mourn. I'm not a really emotional guy, so this struck me as odd. What was it about Auntie Serena? As I spent some time reflecting, I realized that Auntie Serena played a subtle but important role in many of the most important developments of my life. Through those times, she actually revealed to me a lot more about who she was than I realized at the time.
I don't remember the exact date, so I can't tell you if it was before or after Uncle Paul (Auntie Serena's husband) died, but at some point, Auntie Serena gave me his old golf clubs. It was a small gesture and maybe she just wanted them out of the house but it was a big deal to me. They were old clubs but they were a matching set and they were MY clubs. I don't use them anymore but it was having my own set of matching clubs that got me a little more interested in golf, to the point that up until Ezra was born, it was a very regular part of my week.
Auntie Serena's house was always open and was always the place for the after party. When my dad and Auntie Serena were both on staff for the church youth group, every beach party was followed by an after party and Auntie Serena's. It wasn't just those parties though. There were many other youth group sleepovers and pool parties and things of that nature that happened at Auntie Serena's. I don't think I pulled my FIRST all-nighter at Auntie Serena's but I know there were more than a few. I had my first significant conversation with my first girlfriend at Auntie Serena's. I made connections with some of my friends that last to this day. Auntie Serena's house will always be a place of hospitality and good memories.
When I first started my journey with InterVarsity, I had to raise what felt like an impossible amount of money. In my second year, I moved from an internship to being full-time staff and that number DOUBLED. I was confident that the money could be raised but also knew that it was going to take a lot of work. When I switched to full-time, Auntie Serena was one of my very first "no-ask" donors. I just looked at my account and there was a donation. It showed up the month after that too. And it was there the month after that. For the past 9 years, Auntie Serena has been a financial ministry partner. We never had an appointment. She just started giving.
But it wasn't just giving. She was also an advocate for me on the church mission committee. Whenever I came back to report on the things that God was doing in Missouri, I knew that I could count on her smiling and supportive face being there. I knew that I was always going to have an advocate and someone who loved and supported me in the room.
What does this say about Auntie Serena? It says that she was someone who was kind, generous, loving, giving, and serving. I don't know anyone who ever had a bad thing to say about her. She lived her life with grace, poise, and love. She will be surely missed.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Zero's and One's...
Hello, friends!
Oftentimes, when I talking with other staff, I joke about how students only see the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the work that we do. They think that all we do is hang out with them, buy them food, talk about Jesus, and be on our way. It must be the easiest job in the world. I know that when I first came on staff, I was astonished at how much "other" work there was to the gig. There were the reports to write, the travel to various meetings, the ministry partner development, and dealing with rejection on a pretty consistent basis.
For the past few semesters, I have been working at Lincoln using our proxe stations. I've shared various stories about students becoming engaged with the Gospel through these interactive Gospel displays. I've seen students make decisions to follow Jesus. I've had really good conversations with students as they've wrestled with the question of whether or not Jesus is real. I've had the opportunity to share the Gospel with as many as 6 students all at the same time because a single friend group came by to see our display. I've seen students make strides in leadership because they lead their friends through the proxe. Overall, it's been a really fruitful experience.
But, not lately.
The past 2 weeks, as I've set up my proxe, as I've waited for the in between class rush to make their way to the cafeteria, I've had evangelistic conversations with exactly 0 and 1 person during the time that I've been out there. I'm not sure if I need to switch up my displays or if folk are just tired of seeing me out there but it's been an odd experience. Questions and displays that just a few months ago gathered entire groups of students all at once now are passed by without so much as a second though. The conversation I did have was a good one but for the effort that goes into setting up and tearing down (not to mention dealing with the wind), I'm wondering if it's actually worth it.
When I was an undergrad, I was told by a mentor of mine that I would make a really good engineer because of the way that my mind worked. Some of my best friends are engineers and I certainly can appreciate the beauty of engineering in all of its forms. I don't know much, but from what my computer science friends have told me (and from watching lots of Futurama), I know about binary code. Binary code is just a bunch of 0's and 1's, that, when strung together, make up letters, words, phrases, and commands. The joke is that there are 10 kinds of people in the world; those who can read binary and those who can't. (10 being the binary code for the number 2).
As I've reflected on the past few weeks at Lincoln, my thoughts went to binary code. The idea that all these 0's and 1's can come together to create something great has appeal. I'd like to believe that when you take all the rejections and the low fruit moments in ministry and string them together, God is still doing something. I may not be able to see it now but there is a story being written. In the moment, it feels just like a 0 or a 1 but I have to have faith that something down the road is going to make sense.
If I'm honest, I had to get myself hyped up to even set up the proxe yesterday. I had a feeling that it was going to be a 0/1 kind of day. I turned out to be right but that's OK. I'm going to trust that all these 0's and 1's are going to turn into a really great story once all is said and done.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Oftentimes, when I talking with other staff, I joke about how students only see the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the work that we do. They think that all we do is hang out with them, buy them food, talk about Jesus, and be on our way. It must be the easiest job in the world. I know that when I first came on staff, I was astonished at how much "other" work there was to the gig. There were the reports to write, the travel to various meetings, the ministry partner development, and dealing with rejection on a pretty consistent basis.
For the past few semesters, I have been working at Lincoln using our proxe stations. I've shared various stories about students becoming engaged with the Gospel through these interactive Gospel displays. I've seen students make decisions to follow Jesus. I've had really good conversations with students as they've wrestled with the question of whether or not Jesus is real. I've had the opportunity to share the Gospel with as many as 6 students all at the same time because a single friend group came by to see our display. I've seen students make strides in leadership because they lead their friends through the proxe. Overall, it's been a really fruitful experience.
But, not lately.
The past 2 weeks, as I've set up my proxe, as I've waited for the in between class rush to make their way to the cafeteria, I've had evangelistic conversations with exactly 0 and 1 person during the time that I've been out there. I'm not sure if I need to switch up my displays or if folk are just tired of seeing me out there but it's been an odd experience. Questions and displays that just a few months ago gathered entire groups of students all at once now are passed by without so much as a second though. The conversation I did have was a good one but for the effort that goes into setting up and tearing down (not to mention dealing with the wind), I'm wondering if it's actually worth it.
When I was an undergrad, I was told by a mentor of mine that I would make a really good engineer because of the way that my mind worked. Some of my best friends are engineers and I certainly can appreciate the beauty of engineering in all of its forms. I don't know much, but from what my computer science friends have told me (and from watching lots of Futurama), I know about binary code. Binary code is just a bunch of 0's and 1's, that, when strung together, make up letters, words, phrases, and commands. The joke is that there are 10 kinds of people in the world; those who can read binary and those who can't. (10 being the binary code for the number 2).
As I've reflected on the past few weeks at Lincoln, my thoughts went to binary code. The idea that all these 0's and 1's can come together to create something great has appeal. I'd like to believe that when you take all the rejections and the low fruit moments in ministry and string them together, God is still doing something. I may not be able to see it now but there is a story being written. In the moment, it feels just like a 0 or a 1 but I have to have faith that something down the road is going to make sense.
If I'm honest, I had to get myself hyped up to even set up the proxe yesterday. I had a feeling that it was going to be a 0/1 kind of day. I turned out to be right but that's OK. I'm going to trust that all these 0's and 1's are going to turn into a really great story once all is said and done.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, March 2, 2017
36 Hours in Maryland...
Hello, friends!
I'm writing this to you from beautiful Columbia, MO but I've only been back here for about 24 hours or so. The past few days were a whirlwind as I traveled to College Park, MD, to visit one of the staff who I'm coaching as part of my new role as Asian American Ministries Pilot Project Director. While I was there, I got to visit the campus (beautiful!), meet with the staff who is on the ground (gifted!), and do a quick training for the students who he is working with as part of the project (motivated!). It was a quick trip but one that was definitely worth it. Allow me to break down the timeline for you.
December 31: Buy tickets for Maryland visit set for the first weekend in February
January 28: Cancel tickets when it comes to light that the women are in the middle of sorority rush season and won't be able to meet
February 10: Begin trying to setup a new date for a visit
February 23: Come to the conclusion that the only date that's going to work is February 28. Proceed to purchase tickets, rental car, and hotel
February 27:
- 6am: Drive from CoMO to StL to catch my flight
- 4pm: Arrive in MD and get myself situated
- 9:30pm: Meet with the staff to go through the training I'll be leading
February 28:
- 11am: Ohana staff video conference
- 12pm: Prayer walking around the Maryland campus
- 3pm: Training prep
- 6pm: Meet the staff and his family for dinner
- 7:30pm: Pick up student number 1
- 8:30pm: Student 2 arrives and we do the training
- 10pm: Training finishes and we take folk hime
- 11pm: Debrief with the staff
March 1:
- 12:30am: Arrive back at the hotel, finish up a few things and pack before heading to the airport
- 3am: Arrive at the airport and take an hour nap before security opens
- 5:50am: Fly back to StL
- 9:15am: Arrive back in StL and drive to Jefferson City to staff at Lincoln
- 11:30am: Arrive at Lincoln and do my staff stuff there
- 4pm: Drive home from Jeff City
- 4:30pm: Back Home
That, my friends, is a ridiculous kind of trip but boy was it fun. There was something really beautiful about how quickly the trip came together and all the pieces worked. Of course, it would have been nice if the tickets had already been purchased so that part wasn't fun but the logistics of everything was the plan was put into motion was pretty great and more evidence that God is pretty great too.
Fortunately, this was my only visit for the year so I don't have to worry about doing something crazy like that again anytime soon. I'm also so thankful for Meg and her being OK watching Ezra for a few days without me so I could go on this trip. It was definitely good to go but certainly better to be back.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
I'm writing this to you from beautiful Columbia, MO but I've only been back here for about 24 hours or so. The past few days were a whirlwind as I traveled to College Park, MD, to visit one of the staff who I'm coaching as part of my new role as Asian American Ministries Pilot Project Director. While I was there, I got to visit the campus (beautiful!), meet with the staff who is on the ground (gifted!), and do a quick training for the students who he is working with as part of the project (motivated!). It was a quick trip but one that was definitely worth it. Allow me to break down the timeline for you.
December 31: Buy tickets for Maryland visit set for the first weekend in February
January 28: Cancel tickets when it comes to light that the women are in the middle of sorority rush season and won't be able to meet
February 10: Begin trying to setup a new date for a visit
February 23: Come to the conclusion that the only date that's going to work is February 28. Proceed to purchase tickets, rental car, and hotel
February 27:
- 6am: Drive from CoMO to StL to catch my flight
- 4pm: Arrive in MD and get myself situated
- 9:30pm: Meet with the staff to go through the training I'll be leading
February 28:
- 11am: Ohana staff video conference
- 12pm: Prayer walking around the Maryland campus
- 3pm: Training prep
- 6pm: Meet the staff and his family for dinner
- 7:30pm: Pick up student number 1
- 8:30pm: Student 2 arrives and we do the training
- 10pm: Training finishes and we take folk hime
- 11pm: Debrief with the staff
March 1:
- 12:30am: Arrive back at the hotel, finish up a few things and pack before heading to the airport
- 3am: Arrive at the airport and take an hour nap before security opens
- 5:50am: Fly back to StL
- 9:15am: Arrive back in StL and drive to Jefferson City to staff at Lincoln
- 11:30am: Arrive at Lincoln and do my staff stuff there
- 4pm: Drive home from Jeff City
- 4:30pm: Back Home
That, my friends, is a ridiculous kind of trip but boy was it fun. There was something really beautiful about how quickly the trip came together and all the pieces worked. Of course, it would have been nice if the tickets had already been purchased so that part wasn't fun but the logistics of everything was the plan was put into motion was pretty great and more evidence that God is pretty great too.
Fortunately, this was my only visit for the year so I don't have to worry about doing something crazy like that again anytime soon. I'm also so thankful for Meg and her being OK watching Ezra for a few days without me so I could go on this trip. It was definitely good to go but certainly better to be back.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
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