Happy End of the Year!

Hello, friends! 

Happy end of 2020 to you all! In case we didn't have your address on file, here's our end of the year letter! If you would like to receive letters in the future (often with gifts!), please click on the link here and we'll make sure you're on the mailing list. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Virtual Staff Conference

Hello, friends! 

2020 has claimed yet another in person gathering. This time, it's our Regional Staff Conference (RSC). 

Honestly, RSC is one of my favorite times of the year. It is one of only 2 opportunities that we have as an entire staff team (Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska) to come together for fellowship and community. It's also one of the few opportunities that we have as staff to be a part of something that is made for us, instead of us making things for others (usually students). This year, we were going to be joined by the Graduate Faculty Ministry (GFM) staff team that also works in our same 4 states. 

But, alas, instead of 3 days connecting with folk, eating decent hotel food, and trying to find time to get to the indoor water park, Megan and I will be spending Friday and Saturday parked in front of our computer screens, connecting virtually. 

Of course, a virtual conference is not without its benefits. Travel costs are considerably lower and driving long distances around this time of year is never fun, so that's nice. Also, since we're being allowed a food allowance to cover meals, the food will be better.

As I've been praying throughout this year, one thing that God has reminded me is that just because things are different, and even inferior in some ways because of the pandemic, it doesn't mean that God can't still move. RSC will be different. There will be technical difficulties and a lack of connection. But God will still move. 

If you'd like to pray for us this weekend, here are a few specifics:

- Technology: Anytime you have 40-50 staff on a single call, there are opportunities for things to go wrong.  

- Family: Our babysitting situation fell through so we'll be working double duty, trying to be fully present while also making sure the kids stay well fed and alive.

- Movement: Pray that God will do something great and that we'll be surprised by His work. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Quarantine Thanksgiving

Hello, friends!

I hope that you all had a wonderful Thanksgiving, however you celebrated. After much deliberation and consternation, we decided to stay home and have our Thanksgiving in Omaha. It was a bummer to not be able to see family but we felt like it was the right thing for us to do.

So, what did we do? I'm glad you asked!

Despite it just being the 5 of us, we still wanted to have a traditional Thanksgiving dinner. So, preparations actually started the day before when Megan started banking rolls. I love bread and I actually enjoy baking bread, but I can't figure out yeast for the life of me. As you can see, that wasn't a problem for her. She also started making the green bean casserole so we could do a side swap with some friends of ours. We would send over some rolls and green bean casserole and they offered baked mac and cheese and cheesecake.

Thanksgiving day itself was actually a lot of fun. The kids weren't up too early so we were able to sleep in a bit. We spent most of the morning watching the Thanksgiving Day parade and the kids helped me make cranberry sauce while Megan continued to cook up a storm. 

We had a light lunch and after resting time for the kids, Ezra and I went for a Turkey Trot. The boy did 1.5 miles in about 20 minutes, which isn't too bad for a 5 year old!

At 3, we had a Zoom Birthday Party for Jonah since Thursday was also his first birthday, complete with smash cake and songs. He was a fan. =0).

Dinner was an absolute feast. Megan made turkey, rolls, sweet potatoes, mashed potatoes, and green bean casserole. I added stuffing and cranberry sauce. Our friends pitched in the mac and cheese, completing the plate. For dessert, there was homemade pumpkin pie, the rest of the smash cake, and some cheesecake. It was pretty great.

Our night ended with both versions of the Peanuts Thanksgiving. There's the traditional version, which is great, but my favorite version is actually the one where the Peanuts gang are kids on the Mayflower and you learn all about their voyage. Isn't learning the best?!

All in all, it was a total success of a day. Of course, seeing family would have been great but given the circumstances, I'd say that we did ok. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Prospective Staff Weekend!

Hello, friends! 

This Saturday, the Central Region (our Region) will be having its annual Prospective Staff Weekend (PSW). Men and women from all over our 4-state Region (Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri) will be gathering together to learn more about InterVarsity's vision and begin the discernment process of deciding whether or not to apply to staff. 

Much like so many other things this year, PSW will be different because of the pandemic. Instead of gathering in one place, it will be a virtual gathering. Because it's a virtual gathering, it'll only be a few hours on Saturday instead of the normal 24 hours it usually is. Instead of having all of the RLT present, only a few of us will be there to run the show. In fact, I'll only be there for part of the time (to talk about MPD, of course). 

Even though things are going to be scaled down compared to other years, I'm still excited for this year's PSW. I remember when I went to my PSW, 14 years ago. There were 6 of us from the St. Louis area who attended, including 3 of my best friends, one more fellow WashU student (#GoBears), and another good friend of mine. While only 3 of us ended up applying for staff (1 is now a teacher, one is a social worker, and one is doing anti-racism work), it was still such a blessing to be hanging out with friends, hearing about what God is doing beyond our little St. Louis Bubble, and beginning a discernment process that brought me to where I am today. 

So, friends, if you think about it Saturday afternoon, would you pray for our prospective staff? Please pray that God would speak to them during this time and make it really clear what He has in store for them during this next season of their lives. Would you pray that the technology would work and that community would still be established, even virtually. Pray for all those presenting (including yours truly), and that we would be speaking God's words, not our own. The harvest in plentiful but the workers are few. Pray that God would bring more workers to his harvest here in the Central Region! 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Yes You Can, Little Girl...

Hello, friends! 

This is my daughter. She's kind of the best and a little bit ridiculous. 

On Saturday morning, my daughter asked Megan, "Can I be president one day?" This was just a little bit before Joe Biden was announced as the winner of the presidential election. It was with great pride that Megan could say, "Yes, you absolutely can!"

Representation matters. Regardless of your politics or who you voted for, we can agree that the election was a momentous one for little girls like my daughter. In the same way that the election of Barack Obama in 2008 opened up a world of possibilities for African American children all across the country because they saw someone who looked liked them ascend to the highest job in the land, my daughter can look towards 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue and see a bi-racial, Asian American woman just like her, one heartbeat from the Presidency. 

I have no idea what the future holds for this little girl. Right now she's more into dolls and playing school than anything else (which makes sense because she's 3). She can spell her name and count to 12 but there's still a long way to go before she could even consider running for office.

But it's possible... and she's knows it... because she sees it... and that's pretty great. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Relationships After the Election...

Hello, friends! 

As you're reading this, the presidential election has yet to be decided. With that being said, I've been thinking the last few days about what life is going to be like after the election is certified and we either have 4 more years of the current administration or a new administration in the White House. Regardless of who wins, there are still some truths that will be true for the next 4 years and beyond. 

I've been seeing a lot of memes in the past few days that basically say the same thing: Just because we voted for different people, doesn't mean we can't be friends anymore. Whether it's a dude holding up a sign, stick figures in a cartoon, or whatever, the message is the same, and for the most part, the message is received well. 

But that message also has the potential to be super harmful and I would argue that it's actually unbiblical. 

We (I'm speaking for Christians here) are called to love one another and to love our neighbors as ourselves. That is pretty clear. The problem with memes like the ones referenced above, is that it conflates loving with being friends. Loving someone does not mean putting on a friendly face every time you see them or pretending that nothing is wrong. Loving someone does not mean forcing yourself into unhealthy environments for the sake of unity. Loving someone does not mean diminishing differences so that no feathers are ruffled.

One could also make the argument that Jesus says the exact opposite of "be friends no matter what." In Matthew 5, as part of the Sermon on the Mount, Jesus says that if your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. I'm paraphrasing here, but I interpret that to also mean, "if constantly being around someone, pretending that nothing is wrong makes it harder for you to love that person, stop hanging around that person!" It's OK to love from afar.  

There's also the problem of uneven value placed on the election. In a completely unscientific scan of my Facebook and Twitter feeds, the people who are posting these memes are predominantly folk for whose lives will not be drastically affected by the outcome of the election. It's easy to say "water under the bridge" when it's a game. For many of my friends, particularly my friends of color, this election had real emotional, mental, and spiritual costs. To insist that because the election is over, the trauma is over, and that things can go back to the way they were, is naïve at best, and harmful at worst. 

So, what does all this mean? To my friends who insist that everything should just go back to the way it was before the election and that everyone should just "get over it," please give those around you the space they need. Remember, relationships are two-way streets. You may be ready but they may not. 

For my (especially Christian) friends who are re-evaluating their relationships, my request is that you look for the best way for you to love your neighbor as yourself. That might mean cutting off the relationship. If so, be free in that and don't look back. That might mean continuing to lean in and having difficult conversations. If so, may God give you all the courage and strength you need. That might mean taking a break so you can reset. If so, may you be restored and refreshed by the Holy Spirit. Whatever you do, please keep love as your primary motivator. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Congrats, Dodgers!

Hello, friends!

On August 27, 1993, I officially became a St. Louis Cardinals fan. My dad took me (and maybe my little brother?) to a Cardinals game vs. the Dodgers at Chavez Ravine. In extra innings, the Cardinals scored 1 in the top of the 10th and Brett Butler was thrown out by Tom Pagnozzi in the bottom of the 10th for the final out. The crowd groaned, my dad and I (and maybe my little brother?) cheered, and I was officially hooked. 

Growing up a Cardinals fan in Southern California meant that all I heard about around town was the Dodgers. Which means, all I heard about in my house was how the Cardinals beat the Dodgers. There was the 1985 NLCS (go crazy!). There was also the fact that the only time I ever got to see the Cardinals play was against the Dodgers (fun fact: The Cardinals are undefeated at Chavez Ravine when I am in attendance). As far as I was concerned, the Dodgers were the Cardinals' greatest rival, and I hated their guts. 

Then, I moved to St. Louis for school (Go Bears!) and I learned that the Cardinals and the Cubs is the REAL rivalry. I got to see more Cardinals games against more opponents. Sports talk radio was now dominated by Cardinals talk. It was (baseball) heaven, and my hate for the Dodgers grew to distaste, which eventually grew to ambivalence. 

Why does all this matter? Last night, the Dodgers won the World Series, beating the Tampa Bay Rays 3-1 to take the series in 6 games. The last time the Dodgers had won the World Series was 1988 (The Cardinals have won 2 since then). Watching the game last night, knowing that the series could be over, I thought that I would be rooting hard for the Rays, extending the Dodger title drought for at least another day, and possibly another year. Imagine my surprise when I found myself more or less ambivalent to who won. If you asked me point blank, I probably would have said I wanted the Rays to win, but when Julio Urias threw that final pitch for a called strike 3, I was happy for the Dodgers. I didn't expect that. 

So, congrats, Dodgers fans! You're world champions. It was well deserved. Enjoy this championship, coming from a Cardinals fan who, at the very least, isn't pissed that you won. =0). 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

World Polio Day!

Hello, friends! 

When I first moved to Columbia, MO, all those years ago, one of the first things that I did was join the local Rotary club. At least part of that reason was because I needed to meet people and build networks when as I was living in a new place. But, I also new that Rotary was going to be my jam, as opposed to the Elks, the Optimists, or any of the other service oriented clubs because of my history with Rotarians. In high school, I was part of the Interact Club, which was the high school version of Rotary. The Garden Grove Rotary Club funded by Eagle Scout Project too. I've always had a soft spot for Rotarians. 

One of the favorite things that Rotary does, apart from community service, social events, and wonderful conversations from interesting people, is their dedication to the eradication of Polio. 

Polio is a virus that attacks the spinal cord and can lead to paralysis, among other symptoms. In the 1950's, a vaccine was developed and the world was changed. In 1985, the year I was born, Rotary took up the cause of eradicating polio. Earlier this summer, the WHO announced that Africa was officially free from wild polio. Currently, Iran and Afghanistan are the only countries in the world that still have wild polio. This is, in no small part, because of the work of Rotary. 

Saturday is World Polio Day! If you have some time, watch this video about Rotary's history in combating polio and consider giving to the End Polio Now fund. 

Drop to Zero-Polio Plus from Joe Meyer on Vimeo.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

COVID Prayers

Hello, friends! 

Tuesday morning, I woke up with a tightness in my chest and some body aches. I didn't have a fever but decided that self-isolating and getting a test done was the right call, just to be on the safe side. 

COVID symptoms are really hard to diagnose. On Monday I went to the dentist and was sitting in a position that wasn't very comfortable. When I got out of the chair, my neck definitely hurt. Were the body aches because of my body being out of alignment, or COVID? I am an asthmatic and have athletically induced asthma. Monday evening we went on a walk and I was running a bit with the kids. My allergies have also been active. Are those reasons I had some chest tightness, or is it COVID? It's hard to say. 

If I did get COVID, it'd be from 1 of 4 spots. I ran errands on Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, so it could be from any one of those places, although I was masked up and everyone else I saw was wearing a mask too. It could have been Ezra's soccer game on Saturday, as he and I were the only ones wearing masks (Thaliea and Megan were wearing their masks on a different field because Thaliea had soccer at the same time) but that was outdoors and besides the kids (I'm assistant coach) I wasn't interacting with anyone else. 

Another hard part of this whole scenario was the decision of whether or not to get the test. I could have easily chalked my symptoms up to being out of alignment and the running but then I run the risk of infecting others if I do actually have it. On the other hand, the test I took yesterday takes between 1-3 days to get results and I couldn't get a rapid test until tomorrow (Thursday) afternoon, so I'm isolated downstairs, Meg is running solo, and Ezra didn't go to school today in case I am COVID positive. 

So, that's where we are. I'm feeling much better today and will know sometime tomorrow at the latest if I'm COVID positive. Until then, please pray for me, for my family, and for all those who continue to deal with the uncertainty of life during a pandemic. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Back to School (Part 7): Day One (Again)!

Hello, friends! 

Who's that good looking boy enjoying his first day of in person kindergarten? Why, I believe it's Ezra! 

After one false start, a few weeks of completely virtual learning, and days of anticipation, Ezra was finally able to attend school. He'll be going into class every Thursday and Friday, as well as alternating Wednesdays. Here are a few takeaways from everyone's first day:

- Ezra LOVES it so far. When Megan and I picked him up, you could actually see the glow on his face. He was so excited and wouldn't stop talking all the way home about all the things he did. To be honest, the excitement started as soon as he got up. There was no trepidation from him when he walked into the building. The boy was ready. 

- Kindergarten is hard work. Ezra's school provides breakfast and lunch but Ezra doesn't have the normal snacks that he does when he's at home. As soon as he got into the car, he CRUSHED the snack we brought him. He also ate all of his dinner in record time. Apparently, all that learning and playing burns a lot of calories. 

- Thaliea is a big winner too. Except for one spot during resting time when she was crying because she missed her brother (a somewhat normal occurrence), Thaliea did great. I think she enjoys only having to share the sitter with one brother instead of two. As soon as Ezra got home, the two older kids were kind of inseparable, which was pretty cute. 

Of course, we're only one day in and things could change at any moment. Still, we're thankful that Ezra had a good first day and is ready to go back. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

(At Least) 8 more years!!!

Hello, friends! 

Depending on when you read this, today may or may not be Megan and my anniversary! 8 years ago today, roughly between 2 and 3pm, Megan and I tied the knot and life has been a blast since then. Here's what happened in the past 8 years. 

- A trip to Jamaica

- Our very first apartment (Shout out to Lucas Hunt Village!)

- A move to CoMO

- Working together at Mizzou ACF

- Leading students on a global trip to Cambodia

- Having Ezra

- Having Thaliea

- Sabbatical

- Moving to Omaha

- Having Jonah

Of course, in between those times have been all the normal parts of marriage. There have been great dates and moments of laughter. There have been fights and reconciliations. There have been pounds gained and lost. It's been a heck of a ride and I couldn't be happier. 

When we were dating and when we first got married, a question that I got a lot was, "what is it that attracts you to Megan?" Back then, my standard answer was that I loved how generous and hospitable she is (along with being gorgeous and a great cook). Since then, my attraction has only grown and expanded. I grateful for how she's taught me to get into my emotions more. She's an amazing mother, daughter, sister, and friend. Every day, I'm learning something new from here. 

So, as I always like to say, here's to (at least) 8 more years! If every year of marriage, we can work on doubling it, I think we'll be OK. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Racism and COVID-19 (Part 2): And a Child Shall Lead Them

 Hello, friends! 

A few months back, as the COVID-19 pandemic was just getting started, I wrote a post about how Asians Asian Americans living in the United States were being targeted as the "cause" of the pandemic. There are tons of videos and news articles with anecdotal evidence. I'd like to add one more piece of media that just came across my desk. 

The link below will take you to an audio link for Masked Kids, the podcast produced by Dragon Kids of P.S. 126 in Manhattan. It won NPR's Kid's Podcast Challenge in the Middle School division. I'm not saying listening to it made me almost tear up. I am saying that somehow this podcast activated my allergies... =0). 

Enjoy, and fight anti-Asian racism! 

https://soundcloud.com/karin-patterson-148776835/masked-kids

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Back to School (Part 6): Back in the Classroom?!

Hello, friends! 

Yesterday, while we were on a family walk, I got a text message from Omaha Pubic Schools (OPS) saying that I needed to check my email for an important announcement regarding a return to school for OPS students. We knew that the "all virtual" school was only guaranteed for the first quarter of school, so I figured that the email was about the decision for the second quarter. 

When I checked my email, I saw that OPS was going to be returning to the original "3/2" model that we were supposed to be doing for this year. Starting October 3, Ezra will be going to physically in school on Thursdays and Fridays, along with every other Wednesdays. On Mondays and Tuesdays, he'll have a check in with his class but then it'll be online assignments for the rest of the day. 

This decision has brought up a lot of different thoughts and emotions in me. 

- I'm glad that Ezra is going to be able to experience in person school and interact with other kids

- I'm a little nervous that Ezra is going to be interacting with other kids

- The days he is in school are going to free up Megan and me (especially Megan) because we won't also have to keep an ear out to make sure Ezra is paying attention in school

- The days he's NOT in school are going to be a little more chaotic (again, especially for Megan)

- We don't know how Thaliea is going to react to this either

So, as we take the next 2 weeks to prepare for a new transition, please continue to pray for us. We need wisdom, peace, and plenty of grace in the family. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam 

Final Sprint Numbers!

Hello, friends! 

We're 2 months past June 30, when we finished our Region-wide MPD Sprint but now it's OFFICIALLY OVER. What changed? Well, during the month of June, we set out to make a lot of invitations to partnership, whether it be through Giving, Advocating, Partnering, or Serving. The truth is that oftentimes, folk need some time to make decisions, which we are totally cool with. Knowing that, the hope was that our staff team would spend the months of July and August "closing asks," which means getting a confirmation of a "yes" or "no" to the invitation to partner. 

Praise the LORD, we had ourselves quite a Sprint! Here are our final numbers:

- Asks: 875 (Goal 750)

- Yeses to partnership: 467

- New pledges: $260,000+

Praise the LORD for his provision! 

The piece of this that I'm most proud of is our Full Jars Initiative that we implemented for this Sprint. Our theme passage for the Sprint was out of 2Kings 4. When Elisha was helping a widow who's husband had just died, he told her to go ask her neighbors for all the jars they could spare. Then, God filled those jars with oil so she could sell them and make enough money to live. It's an amazing story that highlights our need for interdependence and God as provider. 

In response to this passage, we decided that every staff, regardless of how much was actually pledged to them, would get a minimum "Full Jar" amount. This was our way of trying to address some of the iniquities that come from our funding model. We had just about $260,000 in pledges for the 35 staff who participated in the Sprint, meaning that the average amount was $7500. For the Full Jars initiative, that means that every staff who received below $7500 in pledges will get a grant to make up the difference. Those who received more than $7500 in pledges will keep all their pledges. 

Friends, while this isn't perfect, I am really proud and excited about our Full Jars. The staff team worked so hard and we saw God come through in amazing ways during our Sprint. I'm proud to be a part of this team and honored to be in the role I am. 

Sprint complete, for real this time! 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Back to School (Part 5): A Parent's Perspective

Hello, friends! 

Yesterday, I took a 15 minute nap. It wasn't intentional. I was laying down next to Thaliea because she needed a nap and just kind of dozed off for a bit. Normally, Thaliea can take naps by herself but yesterday she was pretty emotional and needed someone with her. All through lunch, she was sobbing, yelling, "I MISS MY BROTHER!" Spoiler alert, she wasn't talking about Jonah, who was next to her. =0). 

Virtual school has been interesting these past few weeks. I'd say that our three kids have taken to our current arrangement at different levels. 

Jonah: Jonah's great. He has no idea what's going on and that's OK. All he knows is being home with us, so that works out fine for him. 

Ezra: Ezra is enjoying kindergarten, even if his focus isn't great at times. The harder thing has been for us than it has been for him. We know that he's missing out on the best possible kindergarten experience but he doesn't know that. We need to remind ourselves that he's growing and doing just fine because for him, this is normal. Of course, we'd like it if he paid attention a little bit more but he's also 5, so what can reasonably be expected? We also plan on buying something for his teacher because that woman is working HARD and we can see it. =0). 

Thaliea: This has been the hardest on Thaliea. There are some days when she's fine. There are other days when she's crying because she misses her brother. There are still other days when she's crying because, "I WANT TO BE IN KINDERGARTEN!!!" Her world has definitely changed the most. When Ezra is downstairs in school, she has to be upstairs. She's lost her number one playmate and sometimes it's just her and the sitter. It's been a rough go for her, for sure. 

For Megan and me, we're making it work. Of course, we'd love it if Ezra was on campus and we could put Thaliea and Jonah in daycare so they'd be getting some socialization and more focused learning too but that's just not possible right now. We understand that and want to keep our family healthy above all else. 

So, that'w where we are right now. Overall, I'd say we're doing well, or as well as can be. If you're the praying type, please pray for Thaliea and that she'll be able to cope and adjust well to this new normal.

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Back to School (Part 4): The Interviews

Hello, friends! 

The past few weeks, you've heard from me about how school has been going. Now, you get to hear from the kids! Below are 3 quick interviews with each kid on how the past 2 weeks of having Ezra at virtual kindergarten has been going. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Back to School (Part 3): The Lessons Have Begun!

Hello, friends! 

Well, the day finally came! Tuesday was Ezra's first day of school! We moved his desk downstairs, set up his school issued iPad, and he was ready to go! 

Friends, Ezra has been a champ. As much as a kindergartener can sit still, he's been able to focus. He's doing his assignments and enjoying the learning. Of course, it's been not just learning for him, but learning for Megan and me too. Here are a few lessons we've picked up after the first few days: 

- We did the right thing by putting Ezra in kindergarten now. Since Ezra was born in July, we had the option of enrolling him in kindergarten this year or waiting until next year. Especially after COVID hit, there was a real temptation to wait until next year but we decided to go for it this year. We're really glad that we did because at this point, he is crushing the academic material. Of course, it's just the first few days and everyone thinks that their child is a genius, but we're sure that if we waited a year, he'd be bored out of his mind. 

- Kindergarten teachers are superheros. Ezra's teacher, Miss Long, has the patience of a Zen master. All throughout the day, we're hearing kids interrupting the lessons and asking questions. Miss Long has been doing a great job of being patient with the kids and keeping them on task. Megan and I both agree that it's a job we probably wouldn't be able to do well. 

- Remote learning is full-time work for parents too. Tuesday and Wednesday, Megan was on Ezra duty. Today was my day. I was still able to get some stuff done but it certainly wasn't as much as if I was just working today. I moved all my meetings off today and I'm glad that I did. Ezra's schedule goes roughly 60 minutes on then 20 minutes off with a homework assignment before each break. During the 60 minutes on, Ezra does a great job. During the 20 minutes off, he still does great, but he needs a little help with his homework and getting a snack. Keeping up with him isnt' hard, it's just time consuming. 

Right now, with a few days under our belt, we're trying to figure out what the best path forward is for the rest of this first quarter. We have another family we know who is in a similar boat and so we may try to coordinate something together. What we do know is that Ezra appears to be doing well and everyone is learning a lot. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Back to School (Part 2): Another Change in Plans

Hello, friends! 

Well, things certainly have changed a bit, haven't they?! 

Last week, I wrote about how we didn't know that Ezra's school start date had been moved up a week and how we were scrambling to get him ready for school. Well, apparently, the law of the land right now is, "hold all things loosely." 

On Thursday, we went to Ezra's Back to School night. He picked up his mask, met his teacher, as well as the school nurse, counselor, and administrator. Omaha Public Schools was on a "3/2" schedule, meaning Ezra was going to be in class Thursdays and Fridays, as well as every other Wednesday. 

Friday, we got the news. Due to a spike in cases in Omaha, OPS decided to move the start of school back a week and be completely virtual for the first quarter. It was a big disappointment for us but we trust the OPS administration and agree with their assessment. 

So, we have one more week to prepare for life witha  kindergartener at home. We got a rough look at his schedule today from his teacher and it looks like he'll be in front of the school-issued tablet for a good chunk of the day. We aren't excited about it but we know there are no perfect answers. 

Please be praying for us. Pray that Ezra will still have a positive kindergarten experience. Pray that we'll be able to figure out all the logistics that come from him being at home while in class. Pray that Omaha will be able to get a handle on this pandemic so he can go to school in person during the second quarter. Pray for peace for Meg and me as we try to navigate all this. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Back to School (Part 1): An invitation

Hello, friends! 

Yesterday, Megan and I got automated calls from the principal of the elementary school Ezra will be attending this year (Go Rose Hill Rams!) with an invitation to their Back to School Night and instructions on how to do iPad pickup next week before school starts. 

As we were listening to the message, a question popped up for us: Is school starting next week instead of the week after? The answer, YES! 

It appears as though in between the beginning of the summer when we checked the calendar and the point when we realized that we weren't on the Omaha Public Schools (OPS) email list, OPS decided to change the schedule and move everything up a week during the first semester and extend winter break a week, seemingly to limit potential COVID exposure during normal flu season. 

Meg took Ezra to do some back to school shopping after dinner while Thaliea and I made chocolate chip waffles with Jonah hanging out in his jumperoo. Apparently, Ezra was pretty stoked about shopping and picked up a sweet backpack-water bottle-lunch box combo (Spiderman in the house!). 

Next week I'll give you the run down of Ezra's first day of school: how it went, who cried, etc., but first, I wanted to invite you to a back to school event that InterVarsity is hosting with a number of other minstry groups from around the country. 

EVERY CAMPUS BACK TO SCHOOL is going to be pretty great. Christian artists from multiple genres will be performing. We'll have words from professional athletes. There's even a WashU professor who will be making an appearance (Go Bears!). Once we're done with Ezra's Back to School Night, you'd better believe that we'll be tuning in for the show. 

We hope you'll be able to join us tonight @ 8pm Central. Whether you're a college student yourself, a parent of college students, or someone who just believes that college is a place where God can and has done some amazing things, my hope is that tonight is an encouragement. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Preaching!!!

Hello, friends! 

A few weeks back, I had the pleasure of preaching for my church here in Omaha. I love preaching and was greatful for the opportunity to bring the word. Honestly, I had a lot of fun putting this sermon together.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Another Sprint Complete!

Hello, friends! 

I am back from vacation in California! It was a great time connecting with family, going to the beach (a lot) and eating tons and tons of tasty food. The kids loved hanging out with Ama and Gung Gung, as well as their aunts, uncles, and cousins, including their newest cousin, Jared! 

Honestly though, the timing for the trip wasn't ideal. Not because of the weather (which was gorgeous) or the travel (which actually wasn't terrible). It was becuase we got home last Wednesday, and after over a week of lounging and eating, I had to get myself ready to compete in my first ever open water triathlon! 

Triathlons are something that I've wanted to do for quite some time. I did my first one in 2012 and really enjoyed it. I don't think that my knees would be able to hold up for an entire marathon, and I really enjoy biking, so a triathlon made sense. The tri I did in 2012 was a pool triathlon, so this was going to be my first time swimming in open water competitively. 

My tri was a "Sprint," so it was a 750 meter swim, 20k bike, and a 5k run. If I'd opted for the Olympic tri, all those distances would be doubled. At first, I couldn't remember if I'd signed up for the Sprint or the Olympic so a few weeks ago, prior to our vacation, I considered dropping out. Since the pandemic, I haven't been able to swim much and the idea of drowning in a lake wasn't particularly appealling. Thankfully, I saw that I had signed up for the Sprint, so we were good to go! 

So, how did it go? Allow me to give you a rundown of the day: 

- 3:30am - Wake up and get ready for the race. This includes putting on my race suit and sunscreen, eating breakfast, and hanging out with Jesus.

- 4:15am - Driving to the race, with a stop by the QT along the way to pick up a Gatorade.

- 4:45am - Get to the park where the race is happening, and start walking to the race site.

- 5:00am - Get to the race site, start to set up my station, and realize that I'd left my timing chip at home. Thankfully, the race anticipated this and I got a new one. 

- 5:40am - National Anthem, final instructions, and the race begins! Due to social distancing, instead of a mass start, we were released 5-10 seconds apart, meaning everyone started at a different time. 

- 6:14am - I hop in the lake and start swimming!

- 6:15am - I realize that I'm going to be in a lot of trouble on this swim. My goggles aren't prescription goggles, so I can't see great without them. In a pool, it doesn't matter much becuase you have lane lines, and the water is clear. When it's your first time doing an open water swim, the sun hasn't fully risen yet, the lake water is not clear, you can't see the buoys to tell you where you're going, and you don't even have the splashes of other competitors to tell you where to go, you're in a lot of trouble. 

- 6:40am - I get out of the water, tired and a little dejected, but still determined. I definitely got lost a few times on the swim course (mostly by swimming off line and having to recorrect myself) and got passed by a LOT of people but I finished and was ready to go. 

- 6:42am - Start the bike. There are no headphones allowed on triathlons for safety reasons, so instead of having my podcasts like I normally do, I was a man alone with my thoughts... well, and the entire Kelly Clarkson Breakaway album, which I'd memorized. I saw right away that my front tire was a little flat, which made for a harder ride but I kept going and made it just fine. 

- 7:40am - Finish the bike, eat a banana really quickly, and get ready to run!

- 7:41am - Onward to the run! Thankfully, the run was pretty flat. On my last triathlon, went out on the run too hard and had to finish out the last half mile with a pulled hamstring. Knowing that I didn't want to repeat that experience, I took it nice an easy, focusing on just finishing. 

8:10am - Done! My goal was to finish in under 2 hours. Final official time: 1:55.56. Goal complete! 

Comparatively, I definitely wasn't breaking any records out there. I finished 4th out of 5 in my category (men between 35-39), 39 of 49 men, and was 58 of 72 overall. However, I was in the top half across the board in my transitions, so it's good to know that there's at least one area where I did OK. 

What did I learn? I learned that I need some prescription goggles and need to work on my swim form. I learned that I need to check my tire pressure before my next race. And I learned that I really liked competing. There's another triathlon happening in Iowa in a few weeks that I'm thinking of signing up for again. The new goal would be under 1:55. =0). 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

 

Sprint Complete!!!

Hello, friends!

For the past month, I've had the pleasure of leading our staff team through a Regional MPD Sprint. For the entire month of June, each of our staff devoted at least 80% of the InterVarsity hours to working on their Ministry Partnership Development (MPD), inviting new people to partner with us in the work we are doing and inviting current partners to increase their partnership. 

Y'all, this past month was some hard work! On top of doing my own MPD, I was checking in on our coaches, leading weekly bible study and check-in times for our staff team, strategizing and making adjustments to the schedule, and coaching 8 staff in their own MPD. There were a lot of early mornings in order to get everything done. 

And friends, did things get done. As of today, here are the stats for our staff team of 40. 

- Over 2900 contacts made to potential ministry partners

- 862 invitations to partner or increase partnership, made either in person, via phone, video chat, or email

- 427 new partners either Giving, Praying, Advocating, Serving, or some combination of those 4

- Over $196,000 in new gifts (and still counting!)

It was a really tiring month but it was also an absolute blast. I'm so proud of our staff team and the way that we worked hard to do some good MPD. There were lots of breakthroughs for staff, both on a skill and a spiritual level. Overall, I'd say it was a smashing success. 

Up next for me is a nice, long vacation. After sprinting for a month straight, plus all the time it took to prepare for the Sprint, I'm ready to take some time off and be restored by Jesus. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Vincent Chin

Hello, friends! 

When I was working at Mizzou, one of the first things that I did was join the Asian American Association (AAA). With the population of Asian Americans at Mizzou being less than 3%, AAA was a great way for me to meet a large number of Asian Americans on campus without running around campus looking for a needle in a haystack. 

One of the things that I could always count on at AAA was that the first General Body Meeting (GBM) of the school year would be centered around the story of Vincent Chin. It was a story that I hadn't heard before I got to Mizzou, but one that affected me deeply as God has called me to more and more activism. Yesterday (Tuesday) was the 38th anniversary of his murder.  

I could recap Vincent Chin's story in my own words, but there are many people who are much better writers than me who have summarized the story well, so I'll be quoting one of them instead. Below is from a friend on Facebook. Please read it and learn. 

"Today is the 38th anniversary of the death of #VincentChin, a Chinese American man who was beaten to death by two white men, a father and a step son, who targeted Vincent over their frustrations with the rise of Japanese automobile imports into the US. After an initial altercation, the two men spent up to 30 minutes searching for Vincent. They found him at a nearby McDonald's. While hurling racial slurs, one of them held Vincent down and the other bludgeoned his head repeatedly with a baseball bat until his skull was cracked open. Vincent died 4 days later on June 23, 1982.

Sound familiar? A father and son, chasing down a person of color, murdered him in cold blood while making a mockery of his killing with racial slurs. This was practically the Asian American version of #AhmaudArbery. Two almost identical narratives separated by almost 40 years between the two incidents and you wonder why we are still taking the streets in protests.

The two men, Ronald Ebens and Michael Nitz, were convicted in a county court for manslaughter after a plea bargain brought the charges down from second-degree murder. They served NO JAIL TIME, were given three years' probation, fined $3,000 and ordered to pay $780 in court costs. When asked about the insanely lenient sentences, the judge responded by saying "These weren't the kind of men you send to jail... You don't make the punishment fit the crime; you make the punishment fit the criminal."

While we wait begrudgingly for the trials of Gregory and Travis McMichael to unfold over the murder of #AhmaudArbery here in 2020, any true sense of hope seems to have been robbed by our exhausted cynicism. And after more than 120,000 American lives have been claimed in a matter of a few months, he gets on stage and says #KungFlu and the crowd known for their Confederate flags and the wielding of their guns began to scoff and laugh. And you wonder why we are traumatized while we lay awake at night wondering who's going to be the next #VincentChin, except this time the justification is not just car companies coming to "take their jobs", this time, it's "Kung Flu" coming to "kill Americans".'

A few weeks back, as the COVID-19 pandemic was starting, I wrote a post about how anti-Asian sentiment across the country was growing and how rhetoric around the coronavirus was putting my kids at a higher (albeit still unlikely) risk of having violence done against them. Vincent's story reminds me that this is the story we have lived for decades. May God have mercy on us all. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Helping the Children...

Hello, friends! 

Today for lunch, Megan and I had the pleasure of presenting our ministry case to the staff team of our church, inviting them to partner with us and the work we do with InterVarsity. We provided the food (Thai food from a local restaurant) and they, like the good hosts that they always are, provided drinks and utensils and such. 

As we were talking, connecting, and eating our food, I was reminded of a very important job I needed to do. 

"Guys, can I have your soda can tabs?"

For the past few months, Ezra (with some help from Thaliea) has been collecting can tops. It started when I started drinking soda again. I told him that if he collected a bunch of them, he could donate them to a place that helps children.  Ezra was very excited about the possibility of helping children, so he was definitely on board. 

Since he started a while back, his little mason jar is probably about a quarter of the way full. My parents send him a little baggie full of tabs last week, which helped a lot. He's still collecting but he also lets Thaliea put a few tabs in the jar every now and then. 

If you're down for helping out some kiddos (both mine and the ones at the Ronald McDonald House), save your tabs and the next time you see me, I'd be glad to take them off your hands. Of course, you could send the tabs to me too (just message me and I'll get you an address) but I don't know if shipping costs defeats the purpose. Either way, we'd love to have you on the team as we help the children! 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

The Power of Prayer

Hello, friends! 

Last week, I posted about how tired I was on a number of different levels. There was a lot of stuff going on, and there still is a lot happening, and it was definitely a tough week. 

Friday night, the older kids had trouble falling asleep and Megan and I were up talking about the week, so we didn't get to bed until late. I went to bed really pretty exhausted. 

Jonah didn't sleep great that night, so it wasn't the best night of sleep. Still, when I woke up, I was really energized. I didn't snooze my alarm. I hopped right out of bed and got ready for the day. I hung out with Jesus, exercised, and even practiced a little Mandarin. When the kids got up, I made them breakfast and was part of a call that my church was doing for the men in the church. It was astounding how great I felt. 

Then I thought about it. It shouldn't be so astounding. When I last checked Facebook before falling asleep on Friday night, there were about a dozen or so friends who said they would be praying for me. That's definitely more interaction that I usually get on these blog posts, and it appears as though I got about twice the number of page views that I normally get, so it's safe to assume that there were more than just that dozen folk praying for me Friday into Saturday. 

Prayer is a powerful thing. 

I shouldn't be surprised by that. There are so many other times in my life when prayers have been answered. We make it a point to teach the kids that God answers prayers, particularly when we ask Him to heal various ouchies. It's nothing new.

And yet, it's still so good when I remember it. 

So, dear friends, if you're up for it, let's try praying together again! We've starting sleep training Jonah and we'd love for him to sleep through the night. We believe it can happen. Will you pray for us? 

Of course, we'd also love to pray for you too. If you have any prayer requests, whether it's personal, work related, health related, or whatever, please let us know.

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam 

Tired...

Hello, friends! 

I'm tired. I'm really tired. 

Being stuck in the house most days because of COVID-19 has made me mentally tired. 

Processing the deaths of Ahmaud Arbury, Breonna Taylor, George Floyd, and James Scurlock has made me emotionally tired. 

Trying to lead the staff team in MPD training as they are processing everything that is happening in the world and realizing that in my own fallibility, that I can't do everything perfectly, is making me spiritually tired. 

Jonah not sleeping great and my back hurting because I'm bouncing him a lot through the night is making me physically tired. 

What does one do when one is so tired? My tendency is to turn to food. The joke in our house for Megan and me is that after a particularly hard day, it's an "ice cream" night. I'm pretty sure I've had ice cream nights every night this week. I've also been craving french fries, which I know means I'm under duress. 

But food doesn't quite cut it. After eating, I'm still hungry. Sleep won't fix everything (though it will help) because focusing on the physical isn't quite enough. 

Simply put, I need Jesus. I've been reading through the bible chronologically and just finished the part where Saul dies and David is made king over Israel. The big difference that I've noticed between Saul and David is that they each have a different source when it comes to their strength. 

For Saul, his strength comes from the people. So many times, Saul acts because the people were restless or because the people were mad. It was almost always the wrong decision. David, on the other had, is constantly inquiring of the LORD. Even when he thinks he knows the answer, he asks, and sometimes he gets surprised. 

As I'm going through this this time of deep tired, that's what I'm trying to do. I'm trying to go to Jesus. There have been some moments when he's spoken really clearly to me and energized me. There have been times when I've fallen asleep waiting for an answer. Both of those are OK. 

Y'all, I'd love for you to pray for me. Pray for Megan too, because she's just as tired as I am. Pray that God would give us rest and not just sleep. Pray that he would restore us and not just heal us. Pray that he would speak to us and be Jehovah Jireh, the one who provides. Much appreciated. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Time to run!

Hello, friends! 

Last June, Megan and I, along with our Regional Leadership Team (RLT) participated in a Ministry Partnership Development (MPD) Sprint. The goal was simple: Spend the entire month focused on asking new partners to hop on board with the work that we're doing with InterVarstiy, through Giving, Advocating, Praying, and/or Serving. Our 9 person team made nearly 150 asks and brought on dozens of new partners. It was hard and it was scary at times, but it was good. 

This June, I'll be leading our entire 40 person Regional Staff Team in another MPD Sprint. our goal is somewhere around 700 asks, which is crazy but also pretty cool. 

Everything starts next Wednesday when I'll be leading our staff team in a virtual training. I'm not super excited about 8 hours a day on video calls but when there's a pandemic, you adjust. Some folk from InterVarsity's National Office will be heading up the training alongside me and I'm excited to see how things will go. 

Given the state of the world right now, I'm feeling a lot of things, but mainly, I'm excited. When teams in our National movement do these Sprints, it's always followed the same script: folk are worried that it will be too hard, folk work really hard, folk are glad they did it. I'm hoping that this Sprint is no different.

If you could be praying for us, it would be much appreciated. Pray for me as I lead the team. Pray for our staff team as they do risky things. Pray for our potential ministry, that they'll be open to meeting. Pray that God will move in a really powerful way. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Being a COVID-19 Loser...

Hello, friends! 

In high school, some friends and I decided that our New Year's resolution would be to give up soda. The year passed by and then it became a contest to see who could go the longest without soda. I think I went about 18 months before I decided that I'd proven my point and started drinking the bubbly stuff again. 

A few years later, I decided to try giving soda up for the year again and decided to make it an annual tradition. I would alternate between on soda years and off soday years, with me abstaining in odd numbered years. 

When Megan and I got married in 2012, I switched from full calorie soda to diet since that's what Megan drank and it didn't make sense for us to buy 2 kinds of soda. Still, I was on and off until 2019, when I realized that part of the appeal of not drinking soda was cutting back on the "empty calories" and that I my on and off strategy was actually counter-productive. On my on soda years, I was drinking diet, which doesn't have any calories. During my off soda years, I was drinking a lot more lemonade and Arnold Palmers, which definitely did have calories. 

So, in 2019, I decided to switch things up and do a lifestyle challenge. I would weigh myself every week. If I was over my target weight, no soda for that week. If I was under or at my target weight, I could drink soda. I figured that I was someone who usually hits his goals and can be dedicated to something once he puts his mind to it, so it shouldn't take too long to drop the necessary pounds. 

Friends, it took 14 months and a pandemic for me to finally start drinking soda again in March... =0). 

You are probably asking yourself two questions right now: 1) Why did it take so long and 2) How did being stuck in the house during the pandemic actually help things? The two are actually related. Friends, I have a confession to make...

My name is Adam Leong, and I love eating out...

During the "before times", I was actually eating out a fair amount. If I had a meeting with a ministry partner or a staff I was supervising, it made sense for us to center it around a meal, or at least a coffee and dessert of some sort. I could spend entire days doing work at the right coffee shot (like the dearly departed Omaha Bicycle Comany), which meant I would have a few drinks and maybe a snack or two during the day. I was by no means gorging myself or getting too overweight, but I also definitely wasn't working towards that soda goal too hard. 

Right around October of 2019, I realized that I had some work to do if I was going to actually get to soda before the end of 2019. The problem is that the Fall and Winter are really bad times in the year to start watching what you eat. There's Halloween, followed by Thanksgiving and Christmas. Added to that, Megan was pregnant with Jonah, then Jonah was born, then we were parenting 3 kids. What I was eating wasn't top of mind. 

January of 2020 came and went, and so did February and I still wasn't at target. Then, cases of COVID-19 started showing up in the US and different states started going on lockdown. As an asthmatic, I knew that the smart thing to do would be to stay home as much as possible. Of course, that means eating out less. And when I'm eating out less, I'm consuming fewer calories, which means I'm losing more weight. Isn't it funny how that works? 

The big question is how long I can make this last. I've given myself a littl bit of margin so that if I have a gaining week, I'm not off soda again. After that first bottle of bubbles hit my lips (it was a Sangria soda that my dad left here when he visited in January), I remembered how much I loved soda. I don't plan on going off it again, which means I need to keep off the weight. For now, that's easier because we still aren't going anywhere (I took the kids on a donut run yesterday for a field trip, which was my first donut in 2+months), so the real test will be once it's safe to go outside again. I guess we'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, I'll just keep enjoying my soda and eating home cooked meals. There are worse things in life. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam 

Happy Birthday, Thaliea!

Hello, friends! 

My dearest daughter, Thaliea, turns 3 today! As is per my tradition, below is the music video I made for her. Apologies to Little Nas X for butchering his song. =0). 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam 

Return to the Wild!

Hello, friends!

In the midst of the various COVID-19 stay at home orders, a number of different news outlets have reported stories about wildlife returning to reclaim cities and towns. While a number of those stories are not exactly true , there still make for some fun and entertaining videos.

Here in the great city of Omaha, particularly around our house, we've had our own run ins with wildlife too. Just in the past week, here's what's happened.

- On Thursday, Megan found this spider next to our house:  The photo doesn't really do it justice but we're pretty sure it was around 2 inches long. 
















- On Friday, while I was working, I got a text from Megan that the neighbor dog dug under our fence and was running around our backyard. A different neighbor was able to get the dog back into her yard and Megan put a stone over the hole so I think we're OK. And yes, I know that dogs aren't really wild animals, but still!

- On Saturday, we realized that the swallows have returned for the season. There is a family of swallows that has decided that our outside lights are a perfect place for them to make their nest. They've been doing it since we moved here. The nest is annoying and the bird poop all over our porch isn't great, but the worst part is that the birds, after they lay their eggs, are very protective. They sit in a nearby tree, and if they think that someone or something is getting too close to their eggs, they dive bomb out of the tree. What counts as getting too close? That would be going outside our front door...

- Sunday, we took the kids for a picnic at the park across the street from our house. As we were eating our spam musubi, we were telling the kids how great it was that they eat all different kinds of cuisines. That led to a discussion about the word "cuisine" and as we were explaining that Chinese, Korean, Indian, Ethiopian, Mexican, etc., cuisines are distinct but still "American" a bald eagle flew by! Symbolism, anyone?

- Monday, there was a wild turkey in our backyard. I'm not sure how much more I can say about that.

- Also, Monday, underneath a water table we have outside that had been flipped over so mospuitos don't start to breed in standing water, we found a baby bunny!

Do any of these things have to do with COVID-19? Besides maybe the turkey, almost certainly not. Still, in the midst of pretty much being homebound for the past month, it was a blessing to see that God is still in control of nature, and that the animals are coming to visit so we don't get too bored. =0).

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Elevate!

Hello, friends!

Even though it feels like an eternity ago, I wanted to share an update on one of the projects I had the pleasure of working on this Summer.

If you remember the amazingly hard travel May that Megan and I had almost a year ago, you'll recall that I needed to go to Chicago to help lead a training for InterVarsity National. The Elevate program was designed to help staff directors who were struggling in their MPD make 50 asks over the Summer. Below is a recap video. It was a pleasure working with such wonderful staff and I was so excited to see all the ways that Jesus worked in their lives. Enjoy!

Distress Day!!!

Hello, friends!

Did you miss me last week? Maybe you didn't notice, but there was no blog post last week. Why not? Did I run out of things to say? Well, if you know me, you know that will never be the case. =0). Nope, I just decided that last week, I was going to take one of my new "Distress Days."

After the COVID-19 pandemic pretty much shut down society, things definitely changed for everyone, InterVarsity staff included. When campuses across the country closed for the semester, our model of ministry had to be adjusted, but that wasn't all. Much like many of you, many of us had to navigate new school, family, and daycare situations. To say that this transition has been trying on all of us would be an understatement.

In response to all these changes in life circumstances, InterVarsity gave every paid staff 20 "Distress Days" to use before the end of June. These aren't quite paid vacation days, but rather margin for us to not have to worry about the added stress of "working enough" while also trying to balance and cover all the other aspects of life. I'm so thankful to InterVarsity for their generosity and willingness to care well for their employees.

Most of my distress days are going to be taken in the form of fewer hours worked each week when I'm on kid duty. Megan and I have adjusted our schedules so that we are both working some (albeit less that pre-COVID-19) and both doing school with the kids. (Note: she's doing more with the kids because she's the best). However, last week, I decided that I was going to actually take off a full day to spend with my family.

What did we do? Well, about a half hour outside of Omaha is a wild animal park. For the month of April, it's free to zoo members and you can drive through the park and look at the elk, deer, bison, and birds. The kids love it because when we are driving through the park we let them sit up front so they can see better. Megan and I like it because we can get out of the house for a bit. The rest of the day was just hanging out with my family. We played some games. We wrestled some. It was nice.

My next full Distress Day isn't scheduled right now. I have a lot of big projects on the horizon that require all my time (more on those later). Still, I am thinking that I should put one on the schedule before too long. The last one was tons of fun and a blessing for sure. I wouldn't mind experiencing that again.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

A Non-COVID-19 Story!

Hello, friends!

Under normal circumstances, I'd be trying to get you to click on this link here...  but these aren't normal times. In the midst of all the craziness happening around the world right now, I thought I'd try to lighten the mood by sharing a story of God's provision and funny timing.

In 2004, I was living the life. I had just finished my Freshman year at WashU (Go Bears!), had an encounter with Jesus, had made a ton of new friends through ACF and the larger IV movement at school, and really was loving life. I'd returned to California that summer in pretty good shape. Plus, I still had the car of my dreams. 

For some reason, in highschool, I got it into my head that the VW Bus was the best car in the world. When a guy I knew was selling his, I borrowed money from my parents to buy it. My first car was a 1972 VW Bus, Westfalia Camper style. I had it painted two-tone white and cream, and loved driving that car around.

Was it a good car? Absolutely not. It got 18 mpg highway and probably 12 in the city. It didn't have power steering (or a sound system). After I got in an accident, something got messed up in the wiring and the horn would go off randomly while driving. No, it wasn't a good car... but it was my car.

Alas, all good things must come to an end. I knew that I wasn't going to be able to take The Bus with me to St. Louis, and Phuzz or the Kid wasn't going to drive it, so I needed to sell the Bus. I drove it around the summer before going to school, but now, after my Freshman year, I had a whole summer to sell it. I put up an add on Craigslist and within a few days, got an offer.

Long story short, I got scammed. I was so motivated to sell that I didn't do due diligence, sent money via Western Union to what turned out to be a random bar in Chicago, and ended up filing a police report later after realizing that I'd been scammed. I ended up selling The Bus a few weeks later in person, for much less than I'd wanted.

You may be asking yourself, why I'm telling you this story and how this is a happy story. Read on.

Just a few days ago, I got a call from my dad. He said that some mail had been sent to his house for me from the Justice Department regarding The United States vs. Western Union Company. I knew exactly what it was in reference to, seeing how I'd only ever used Western Union once in my life, but didn't know what the situation was. Apparently, in 2017, I'd been contacted about being part of a class action lawsuit against Western Union for fraudulent practices. I'd figured that there must have been a check in there for a few bucks relating to that suit. I told my dad to open the mail.

His response... "Whoa."

God bless the Federal Trade Commission! Apparently, I'd gotten a full refund as part of a settlement from earlier this month. It was definitely a blessing.

So, what's the lesson? It's definitely not to get scammed now with hopes of getting your money back later. I'm going to go with the lesson that God has a sense of humor, and I'm OK with that.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Racism and COVID-19

Hello, friends!

In 2019, in the city Wuhan, China, the first case of the novel coronavirus that is now a global pandemic was reported. Since then, not only has the virus spread all over the world, but the CDC and the WHO have also officially named it COVID-19 and have asked that everyone refer to it as such.

Why does the name matter? The name matters because since the spread of COVID-19 started in the US, violence against Asian Americans has gone up across the country and a big reason for that is because Asian Americans are being (unfairly and inaccurately) blamed for the spread of the virus. When people refer to it as the "Wuhan virus," the "China virus," or the "Chinese virus," instead of COVID-19, it creates space for blame to be spread to Asian Americans.

The logic, conscious or subconscious, goes like this:
- When something has your name on it, that means it's yours (like how if someone said they were going to the Leong house, it would be reasonable to assume that the things in the house belong to me and I am responsible for them).
- The thing is called the Wuhan (or China, or Chinese) virus
- Therefore, the Chinese must own it
- Therefore, the Chinese are the reason that everyone is getting sick and I can't go outside
- Therefore, the Chinese are my enemies
- Therefore, when I see someone who looks Chinese (read: Asian), I must treat them as my enemy

Many news outlets have documented violence against Asian Americans. We have a Burmese friend whose cousin was beaten in the Bay Area a few days back. The threat of violence is real.

I've heard a number of arguments defending the use of Wuhan/China/Chinese virus. They include:
- Well, it DID start there, so we're just being accurate.
- The Chinese ARE responsible, so calling it something else lets them off the hook.
- We call other diseases by where they come from, so there shouldn't be anything wrong with doing this again.

These arguments are bogus on their face (message me if you'd like to hear why) but the time spent to refute them would take up too much space. I'm trying a different approach:

- Using the term Wuhan/China/Chinese virus increases the risk of violence against Asian Americans
- My children are Asian American
- By continuing to use that term, you are increasing the risk of violence against my children
- If you choose to do something that increases the risk of violence against my children, you are no friend of mine

One more thought. If you're calling it Wuhan/China/Chinese virus to stick it to the Chinese government, guess what. THEY DON'T CARE! Facebook isn't allowed in China, so they aren't seeing your snarky and self-satisfying posts. Your protest isn't even falling on deaf ears, it's completely useless. All you're doing is increasing the chance of my kids getting hurt and that cannot stand.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Social Isolation...

Hello, friends!

On Tuesday, I went to the mailbox.

Wednesday, I went to the gas station.

Today, I'll bring in the trash cans from the curb. 

Social isolation is a thing...

Megan and I have had to make a number of adjustments since the country got put on lock down. Ezra's preschool was cancelled and we're not taking the kids into daycare, so everyone is spending a lot more time at home. Megan has done a great job of making a schedule so the kids are still learning and such. We both still have work to do so we're switching off watching the kids and working right now. Thankfully, InterVarsity has given all its employees extra paid "distress" days, which unfortunately, is not a luxury many workers have.

I've been mostly fine watching the kids. I've been mostly fine not working as much, especially since a number of my projects have been moved from physical to virtual. The hardest thing for me has been not being able to go outside.

Normally, while I'm working, I'm also traveling some. Especially on Wednesdays and Friday when I have meetings in various locations that are actually close to each other. I'll usually drive my car down to an open parking structure, then either bike or walk to all my meetings. It's good to get out into the fresh air and just be. Well, that's not an option right now. I'm hanging out in the office and later I'll go upstairs. It's a weird place to be right now.

After a few weeks, I'm sure that either things will be back to "normal" (or close to it), or I'll have gotten used to things as they are now. As an asthmatic, I really can't risk being in social places, and with Jonah recovering from RSV, even if I'm OK, I can't risk getting him sick. So, we'll stay isolated and make it work.

Have an excellent day!

COVID-19!!!

Hello, friends!

Did you know that the first verse of the Beatles' Yellow Submarine is roughly 20 seconds? Why do I know this? Because, for the past few weeks, as I've actually taken a full 20 seconds to lather with soap when I was my hands (don't judge!), instead of singing Happy Birthday twice, for some reason, Yellow Submarine popped into my head. My theory is that the first verse of most pop songs is about 20 seconds but I haven't tested it out yet.

All silliness aside, dealing with the global pandemic known as COVID-19, has been a thing. In just the past 48 hours, a lot of changes have been made that directly alter our lives in significant ways. Here's a rundown:

- Omaha Public Schools have been cancelled. Since Ezra's preschool follows the lead of OPS, that means Ezra doesn't have any preschool for a bit.

- A number of campuses in the Central Region have suspended in person classes for the semester, meaning our staff are scrambling to figure out how to still do ministry when there's no place to meet. Virtual small groups will now be a thing. 

- InterVarsity National had cancelled all camps and end of the year gatherings through May 31, which means International Getaway, the conference Megan was directing at the end of May, has been cancelled and she's trying to figure out an alternative.

- That cancellation also means that the New Staff Training I would be running in Omaha in April and our Regional training at the end of May need to be re-imagined and probably done virtually.

- Ezra, Thaliea, and I are supposed to fly to California for my sister's wedding reception next Friday. We are currently monitoring the situation.

- All major sports leagues have been postponed, which affects me in the sense that I have a lot more free time since I'm not reading or watching my teams. =0). 

The phrase that Megan keeps saying over and over again is, "We live in crazy times." As I've been trying to process everything, I'm even a little stuck on what the right thing to pray is. Is it a lack of faith for me to not pray for complete and miraculous eradication? Is it selfish to pray for protection for my family because that's my number one concern? How does one pray regularly for the President (as I have tried to do since graduating high school) whole at the same time being so frustrated with the inadequate response from this administration? Ultimately, prayer has been a little scattered but we're making it work.

I don't know exactly what to pray for but I know that we should be praying. Pray for our students. Pray for our country. Pray for our world. Join me, best you can, and we'll see if we can't figure some of this out together.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Preaching!!!

Hello, friends!

This past weekend, I had the pleasure of preaching at my church, Bridge Church, here in Omaha. This is my first time preaching at a church in a while and it was a lot of fun. Here's the video (I think you need to click the link to watch on Vimeo

NOTE: If you're wondering what that thing hanging off my shoulder is, I originally had a wireless microphone but it kept scraping up against my goatee, so they switched me to a handheld. I tried to take off the wireless but forgot that it went down the back of my shirt, so I just left it on my shoulder. Oops! =0).

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Happy Birthday, Grandma Horner!!!

Hello, friends!

This past weekend we had the pleasure of heading up to SoDak to see family for a few days. Here are some photos of the older kids playing in the snow:

Now, we are currently in the middle of curling season, and I had a match on Sunday but I called in a sub so I could go on this trip. What was so important that I'd be willing to skip CURLING?!?!

Grandma Horner turned 95!

Megan's grandmother is one sweet and caring woman. She's also incredibly strong and terribly interesting. She remembers there being only 48 states. She's lived in the same house for over 60 years. She raised 9 kids. She and her husband (Whiz) square danced in all 50 states before he died in 1990. Here's a photo with 4 generations of the Horner clan including Grandma, Megan's mom, Megan, and our kids:

I have one story about Grandma that needs to be shared and now feels like as good a time as any. For the first few years of Meg and me being together, I had exactly one job to do: get Grandma connected to the internet. One year her children bought her a laptop so she could keep up with her emails and such. Of course, a laptop isn't much good without the internet, so they got her that too. Being that I was the relative new guy and slightly more tech savvy than anyone else in the family, it was my job to set up the laptop and show her how to use it.

This did not go well...

First, I had to show her how to use everything. Then, when the settings got changed, I had to show her again. Then I had to change the settings to how things were before. Then there were problems resetting the router and changing the wifi password. Every time we went back to Watertown to visit, I'd ask Grandma the same question: "How's the computer treating you?" The answer was also always the same: "I haven't used that thing in months. I don't know what's wrong with it."

Eventually, someone decided that it really wasn't worth it to keep paying for internet that wasn't being used or to keep around a laptop that was only bringing wailing, crying, and the gnashing of teeth. Still, I'd like to think that my brief time as tech support endeared me to Grandma Horner.

As a gift, everyone in the family contributed to a book we made for Grandma Horner: 95 things we love about you. Elena, my niece, read it to her and it sure seemed like she enjoyed it. She's had a lasting legacy and doesn't plan on going anywhere anytime soon, which is pretty great.

So, as I say for all of my birthdays, let's shoot for doubling our age, shall we, Grandma Horner?! Here's to (at least) 95 more!

Have an excellent day!

~Adam