Hooray for Regionals!

Hello, friends!

Last weekend, Megan and I had the pleasure of joining the rest of our staff team from Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, and Nebraska for our Regional Staff Conference (RSC). After a fully virtual Staff Conference last year, we were excited to get back together in person. Here are a few of my takeaways:

- I really do enjoy our team. One of the things that we missed the most about in person gatherings was the "in between" times. Training can be replicated pretty well virtually. What's impossible to replicate are the personal connections that happen outside of the formal times. There were meal times with story sharing. We had an epic White Elephant gift exchange. Megan dominated at Nerts and we even went on a hike to see a waterfall! It was such a joy to hang out with my coworkers as people and friends.

- Apparently, I've been doing ok at my job. The bulk of our time together was focused on an MPD initiative that we're doing with National. Some trainers from National came in to do the training and I was really encouraged by how our team appears to be a little ahead of the game when it comes to preparation for this program. It's nice to have the affirmation that I've been doing at least a passable job in my role.

- Family is always a thing. This conference was the first time that our kids were without at least one parent for an extended period of time. Meg's parents came into town to watch them, but there was still some drama. First there was the storm that was supposed to hit on Friday, so they had to come in on Thursday night. Then there was Jonah needed to go to the doctor for bronchiolitis, so us having to grab a rental car at the last minute since Megan was going to come after the appointment but I had to be there on time. Still, it was such a blessing to be able to be fully present at the conference and we're thankful for Meg's parents to watch the kids.

It looks like the next time we'll all be together again will be in the Summer. We used to have an MPD gathering in late May/early June but that will be virtual for now (and possible forever). I'll definitely be looking forward to the next time we get to see everyone in person again.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Heading to Regionals!

Hello, friends!

Tomorrow, Megan and I will (hopefully) be heading down to Kansas City for our Regional Staff Conference (RSC). This will be the first time our entire 4-State staff team will all in the same room since 2019. I've been joking with staff that I'm excited to be reminded of how tall everyone actually is since I've only seen them from the shoulders up via Zoom these past 2 years. =0).

I have a few different roles during RSC this year. Part of our focus is going to training on a national Alumni initiative we'll be doing for the next 18 months, so I'll be helping lead that. The other part of our focus is to reconnect with one another, so I'll be leading a few informal "fun" times.

If you have the time this weekend, could you please be praying for us?

- Travel: It's only a 2.5 hour drive to the retreat site but there is a chance of snow. Added to that, if the snow stops my in-laws from coming down to watch the kids, Megan will have to stay home.

- Kids: Speaking of the kids, if my in-laws do make it down, this will be the longest that the kids have been without at least one parent with them. Pray they will handle that well.

- Connection: My favorite part of these Regional gatherings is the. "in between" times, when staff just get to connect with no real agenda or thing to accomplish. We've missed that over the past few years. Please pray for real connection between the staff.

- Health. We'll be masked during sessions and spending as much time as possible outside (or at least I will) but COVID is still a thing. Please pray for protection for the entire team.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Honoring Uncle Stan...

Hello, friends!

I few weeks ago, one of our ministry partners, Uncle Stan Louie, passed away. Uncle Stan and Auntie Joyce were some of my first ever ministry partners, when I started with InterVarsity in 2007. As I was thinking about Uncle Stan and his life and legacy, there were a few things that jumped out to me. 

- Humility: Uncle Stan was one of the kindest, most unassuming men you would ever meet. He always had a smile on his face and was happy to serve in the background. I always appreciated the quiet dignity with which he carried himself. As someone who is more of a "big personality" seeing Uncle Stan live his life was foreign to me yet still inspiring. 

- Generosity: Fun thing about Uncle Stan. He and Auntie Joyce were some of my first ever ministry partners but I never formally asked them to partner with me. I just remember getting an email from InterVarsity saying that a new donation had been set up from them. Uncle Stan (and Auntie Joyce) were just generous people. In fact, my mom told me that as part of the funeral service, Uncle Stan asked that people contribute to our work with InterVarsity. That's so amazing. 

- Kind: Uncle Stan was one of those guys who always had a kind smile. You know that smile I mean, right? The one where when you see it, you know that you have a friend. Uncle Stan was kind enough to give Chinese names to each of my children. Uncle Stan was kind enough to always say hello at church and chat for a while after service. Uncle Stan was a kind man. 

So, here's to you, Uncle Stan. You will be greatly missed. Thank you for being a great man of God, a great ministry partner, and an inspiration. Enjoy Heaven...

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

https://www.legacy.com/funeral-homes/obituaries/name/stanley-louie-obituary?pid=200641358&v=batesville&view=guestbook

Good Curling!!!

Hello, friends! 

Y'all, I am tired... 

Not just because there's a new episode of Story Central that just dropped.

Or because I was featured on the Car Free Midwest podcast, talking about sustainable transportation.

PART of it is because I preached on Sunday at Church, but that's not everything. 

All those played a factor in my fatigue but the REAL reason is this...

I've been up late watching curling.

This year, Omaha hosted the US Olympic trials, which means I got to watch some amazing curling on TV but also got to see some amazing curling on TV. Since our club was host club for the trials, I also got to help out with some of the learn to curl and volunteer activities. It was a LOT of curling and I couldn't be happier. 

When we moved here to Omaha, I knew that one of the first things I wanted to do was to get involved in the local curling club. There wasn't a club in CoMO so I didn't get to go as much as I wanted. Over the past 3+ years, I've not only gotten better but I've learned more about the strategy of the game and I've fallen more and more in love with the sport. 

So, here's to Team Shuster! Congrats on winning the trials (4th time in a row!) and I'll be looking forward to cheering you on from my couch when you compete in Beijing in 2022. Given the time difference, I'll probably be exhausted then too... =0). 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam 

Meet Our New Car!!!

Hello, friends! 

A few months ago, when our Prius finally bit the dust, we knew it would just be a matter of time before we were going to need a new car. During the Summer, an electric bike will get you most places but once the weather turns around here, biking isn't really a safe option. 

So, for the past few weeks, we've been doing a lot of research, trying to find a car that will suit our needs. We wanted something that didn't have too much wear and tear on it and was within our price range. The van is still going to be our primary car, so we didn't need anything too big or too fancy. For a bit, we were looking at getting an electric car but the range isn't quite what we needed for used electric cars at this point. 

Finally, we settled on this one! Meet the newest member of the family, our 2015 Honda Fit. I've been a fan of the Fit for quite some time now. We almost bought one instead of the Prius back in the day. Our new (to us) Fit is definitely more zippy than the Prius and is more fun to drive. It doesn't have quite the same cargo space as the Prius but we're pretty sure we can still make it work. 

All in all, I'm happy with what we have. The process was relatively painless (so much paperwork!) and now we have the peace of mind that if we need to divide and conquer with the kids, we can make it happen. I still plan on biking and taking the bus as much as possible but it's nice to know that we have options. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Happy Halloween!

Hey, friends!

I know I'm a few days late but Happy Halloween to everyone! I'm not one who is really big into celebrating holidays but I can at least appreciate that Halloween is one of the more fun holidays to celebrate.

We had a really full and fun Halloween. Megan took the kids to Sioux Falls for the weekend but they were back in time for us to go trick or treating together. Since Halloween fell on a Sunday this year, our church did a Trunk or Treat (promoted as "Junk in the Trunk"), which was also fun. I helped with parking (so cold!) and was also part of a group costume with the Church staff (that's me as "Asian Jim" from The Office.).

The kids got home around 4 and a coworker of ours came over to do some Halloween crafts before we headed out to trick or treat. The neighborhood we hit was packed and there's good reason why. This neighborhood does Halloween up big, including some houses that give out full sized candy bars and one house that even gave Ezra a 1000 piece puzzle! 

After getting the kids home and to bed (only one piece of candy before bed, kids!), Megan and I watched a Halloween movie. This time it was my choice, The Nightmare before Christmas. 

From a really packed day, full of fun, I learned one valuable lesson: If the adults passing out candy don't know your son is allergic to dairy and tree nuts, they'll give the cutie in the panda costume the good stuff, which of course, translates into more candy for Daddy! =0). 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Resting Well...

Hello, friends! 

First of all, there's a brand new episode of Story Central for your ears to enjoy! I interviewed Dr. Jane Zhao, who is a professor at the University of Kansas. It was so great to hear her story and I'm so happy to be able to share it with you. 

Over the last few weeks, staff, students & volunteers attended fall conferences and retreats for the first time in over 2 years!  We celebrate Missouri Fall Conference reported 15 students wanted to "Come and Believe" that the cross was not the end but the beginning of resurrection and the restoration of our relationship with Christ.  We also celebrated Nebraska's first ever fall conference with over 50 students attending!  A quick story from one of our staff below:

"Last weekend Missouri had Fall Conference and we spent time in communal listening prayer. One of my student leaders, "K", felt the Lord calling him into repentance and worship, and then immediately felt the presence of the Holy Spirit. Last night at Bible study, "K", took more risks with the difficulty of the scripture he chose, the people he invited, and the vulnerable stories he was willing to share, including that of his fall conference experience - and it struck the other students hard. One girl who was attending IV Bible study for the first time, as a senior, decided to commit her life to Christ. And another student announced he felt God was convicting him to begin sharing his faith with his non-Christian best friend. The Bible study lasted 2.5 hours and the group prayed for the last 20 minutes!"

Sponsor a staff retreat package?   Staff have been working hard to put on campus events, bible studies, directing conferences while re-adjusting to ministering in person and as a way to bless our local staff teams, we are preparing these "retreat" boxes. We'd love to invite you to partner with us in encouraging our staff teams across Missouri, Nebraska, Iowa & Kansas with this package which will help facilitate resting with Jesus as means of restoration for their mind, body & soul. Each box includes a retreat guide, coupon to use for a retreat facility, snacks, candle, and Ruth Haley Barton's book Invitation to Retreat.  We are hoping to raise $100 per staff so each of our 40 staff would get one!  Would you prayerfully consider giving towards this opportunity by sponsoring part or all of a retreat day?   Thank you for partnering with us!

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

A Few Lessons from a Quick Trip to Cali...

Hello, friends! 

First up, there's a new episode of Story Central that just dropped on Wednesday. I interview Katie Gresham, who leads the non-profit, Under The Same Tree. Katie is not only an awesome person but she's also an IV alum AND she was Megan's roommate for a while in St. Louis. Check it out! 

Last weekend was a whirlwind of a weekend. We flew out to California to visit family for my sister's wedding reception. My younger sister actually got married in July of 2019 in a small, family only ceremony. The original plan was to have a larger, Chinese style banquet in March of 2020 but that was right at the start of the pandemic and everything got shut down. So, 18 months later, we were finally able to pull the trigger and do this thing. 

Here are a few things I learned from our quick trip out there: 

- Flying with 3 kids is hard work. This isn't the first time that we've flown with 3 kids but this is the last time we'll be flying with 5 people and only 4 seats. Jonah is just too wiggly. Thankfully, the flight attendants were in good spirits and the kids did do really well overall. It's just tough when you have long layovers, delayed flights, and kids who aren't used to staying awake until 1 in the morning. 

- There are many things I love about my family but one of my favorites is how much we all love a good dance party. My sister's reception included a BTS Flash Mob, the kids learning how to do the Maracena, my 90 year old uncle rocking out to the YMCA, and the most epic Family Closing Time I've ever seen. I only have a few photos (since I was busy dancing) but more will come later, I promise. =0). 

- As stressful as travel is, and for as long as I've been living in the Midwest, California will always feel like home, especially with the people there. Even if it was for a short trip, it was so good to see my family, especially the sibs. We had cousins and aunts and uncles come from all over the country to celebrate with us, which was a huge blessing. It was also great to see many aunties and uncles from church. 

This was the last wedding reception my immediate family will have to do for quite some time (seeing as how my niece is only 10), so in many ways, it's the end of an era. It was stressful getting there, but I'm glad we made the trip. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

 

Fall Conference Prayer!

Hello, friends!

First of all, a new episode of Story Central dropped this week. I interviewed Ruth Watt, a ministry partner in St. Louis. It was so much fun talking to "Mama Ruth" and she shares an AMAZING story about Jesus moving during the first part of the pandemic. Click here to hear the episode.

Second, Happy Anniversary to my lovely wife! Megan and I have been married for 9 years as of Wednesday. We celebrated with a date out but the big date in when we'll see Hamilton in Omaha in November. Woot!

We are now in the middle of Fall Conference Season, which is one of our favorite times if the year. Missouri had their Fall Conference last weekend and all the stories I've heard from staff have been amazing. God really moved in a powerful way.

This weekend, Nebraska has its Fall Conference. 50 students from Omaha and Lincoln will be coming together to learn through Matthew 5-7. Megan and I are helping with snacks tomorrow but other than that, all the local staff are running the show.

One thing the local staff have asked us to do is to cover the conference in prayer. I can tell you first hand that Satan doesn't like Fall Conference and does what he can to mess with things. The staff team has created a Google doc so folk can sign up and pray for the conference. If you're so inclined, would you consider signing up for an hour?

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Busted Arm!!!

Hello, friends! 

So, fun thing happened last week on the playground after school. Ezra was playing on the playset after school with his friends like he always does. His latest trick is that he can skip a ring on the monkey bars. 

Well, USUALLY he can skip a bar. Apparently, this time, he slipped, fell, and fractured his elbow. 

For the next 3 weeks, Ezra will be rocking that sweet cast. He's already had a bunch of friends sign his cast (although he's saving space for his family members). This is the first time that anyone in either of our families have broken a bone so that a cast was needed, which I guess is cool? 

Ultimately, we're thankful for a lot of things in this situation. We're thankful that Ezra wasn't seriously hurt. We're thankful that he's in good spirits. We're thankful that InterVarsity provides us with health insurance so an injury like this doesn't break the bank. We're thankful for our ministry partners who support and pray for us. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Scouts Away!!!

Hello, friends! 

One of the greatest accomplishments of my life was earning the rank of Eagle Scout when I was in high school. My parents will tell you that it was a long and arduous road, and that I almost didn't make it, but I got in by the skin of my teeth and am proud to call myself an Eagle Scout. 

With 3 kids, there's always a question of extracurricular activities. You want to make sure that your kids are doing stuff but not too much. There are sports to play, instruments to learn, and other things to do. Megan and I have had conversations about what things we did growing up and what things we'd like the kids to try once they're old enough. Knowing that time is limited, I'd prepared myself to ask Ezra if he wanted to try the scouts but not force him to do it if the answer was "no." 

You wouldn't believe my joy when he saw a table for the Cub Scouts at his Back to School night before the school year started. I think it may have been the photos of kids holding frogs that got him hooked but before I could even approach the table, he ran up to me and asked if he could join. Of course, I said yes. =0). 

A few weeks back, he went on his first Cub Scout hike. It was a short one but he had a lot of fun. It helps that a few of his classmates from school (including one of his best friends from kindergarten) is also in scouts. I connected with a few of the parents, and it looks like we're good to go, at least for this year. 

Last Tuesday, we went over the Scout Law and Scout Oath as part of him earning his "Bobcat Badge." It was funny how quickly both of those came back to me. I guess if you say the same thing every week for 12 years of your life, it kind of gets stored in long term memory...

So, a new scouting adventure begins. I told the scoutmaster that I'm committed to getting Ezra into scouting so long as he wants to do it. I'm looking forward to our camping trips, merit badge sessions, and everything beyond. He's much more of an outdoor kid than I am, so I wouldn't be surprised if he likes it even more than I do. And, regardless of whether or not he reaches Eagle, I'll be happy to watch him "Do His Best." 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Another First Day of School!

Hello, friends! 

Yesterday (Wednesday) was yet another momentous day in the Leong household. Our very own Thaliea, all of 4 years old, had her first day in preschool! 

Friends, this is a day that she has been waiting for for a LONG time. I wouldn't necessarily call her the jealous type, but the fact that Ezra got to go to school and she didn't really wasn't fun for her. But now, she's in pre-school and all is well! 

Thaliea will be in preschool on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays from 9:30-11. The preschool she's attending is the same one that Ezra went to for about 2 months before COVID shut down everything. We like the teachers there, the space looks like lots of fun, and we have a few folk we know from church who are in her class. On her back to school night, the thing she was most excited about was that the toilets and sinks were "just my size!" 

Of course, the drop off wasn't perfect. We knew it wouldn't be. Unlike Ezra, who has all the confidence in the world, and JoJo, who I suspect might like his daycare teachers more than us because they keep feeding him, Thaliea can be a little more shy in new situations. There was a little bit of crying at the goodbye, but apparently that only lasted for a moment. 

So, for a few hours a week, it'll be just Megan and Jojo. Thaliea came home from her first day so excited about everything. I think this will be good for her. Saying goodbye today was tough for all of us but we're so happy that she's growing, learning, and making new friends. Our little girl is growing up! 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Hosting Students!

Hello, friends! 

First thing: Season 2 of Story Central has dropped! I had the opportunity to interview Megan Koch, who is an InterVarsity alum, former volunteer staff, and current church planter in the Des Moines area. It was such a great conversation and I'd love for you to hear it! You can click here to download the episode, and be sure to subscribe! 

Second, for the first time in a long time, La Casa Leong (Omaha) was the site of hosting students! The Creighton InterVarsity's Leader Team needed a place for dinner after their Leadership Retreat and we were more than happy to host. Megan made a delicious meal of bibimbap and it was very well received (as it always it). Of course, we then also played our favorite InterVarsity Staff game: HOW MUCH FOOD? The game goes like this:

"How much food should we make?"

Make food

"I think we made too much food"

Students arrive and start eating

"We don't have enough food"

Start to make more food

Students stop eating

New food is ready

"We made too much food"

Out come the takeout boxes

"Where did all the food go?"

It's a fun thing to now be in a situation where we get to host but not staff. When we were doing field work and directly leading chapters, when we hosted, we had to wear multiple hats simultaneously. We were hosts but also staff for students. That led to really stressful events (all worth it, of course). Now, since we're only taking on the role of host, we can focus on making sure everyone feels welcome (and making sure the kids are fed). 

Please be praying for the Creighton leaders. They are a great group of students and I'm excited to see what God will be doing in them and through them this year. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Uncomfortable Church...

Hello, friends! 

Last week, I had the pleasure of preaching at church again. Our series right now is Uncomfortable Church. The question I tackled is, "what do we do when things go wrong?" 

Friends, this was a tough sermon to prep, not because of the topic but because of all the stuff going on in life. Jonah was sick and had to stay home from daycare for a few days, which means less time to work on the sermon. We've been walking with a friend who's mother was battling COVID and eventually passed. There was also a lot of spiritual warfare that I ALWAYS seem to forget comes when I'm preaching. Still, God did his thing and I hope the sermon was a blessing to the church. 

Have an excellent day! 

Back to School!

Hello, friends!

After 10 weeks of summer fun, it's time for the school year to start again! Here's Ezra on his first day of the First Grade. For the past few years, we've asked the kids about some of their favorite things on the first day of school. My favorite thing is that Ezra was able to write all the answers himself! 

We are definitely excited for Ezra to be back in school. We had a fun summer full of family visits, fishing trips, and travel, but I think we're all glad that the rhythm of school is going to be back in our lives. It also won't hurt to only have 2 kids instead of 3 kids to watch on our off days. Nor will it hurt to have to only pay for 2 kids instead of 3 for daycare on the days Megan works. 

Ezra isn't the only one starting school. In just a few weeks. Thaliea will be starting preschool. She'll be at the same preschool where we sent Ezra pre-COVID, so she's excited about that for sure. She has a little social anxiety, so we'll see how it goes. At least for now, she's excited. 

Of course, our kids aren't the only students starting school. All over the Region, students and staff are getting ready to start New Student Outreach (NSO). This year's NSO will be unlike any other. Not only will we have a brand new crop of Freshmen coming to college for the first time, but many of our Sophomores will also be having their first experiences on campus since last year was a pandemic year. 

So, friends, we'd appreciate your prayers. Please pray for Ezra as he adjusts to a new schedule. Pray for the rest of our family as we adjust to life without Ezra's energy in the house for most of the day. Pray for Thaliea as she prepares her heart and mind for preschool. Pray for our staff as they prepare to welcome students to campus after a year away. Pray for those new students that they will be connected to community, find a home at college, and that God will show up to change lives, just like he always done. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

A New, Old, One Car Life

Hello, friends! 

Below, you'll find a photo of me saying goodbye to Shmeevus the Prius. After 173,000 miles of work, we had a water pump blow, 2 belts snap, and a mass O2 censor go kaput. The cost to repair was more than the car was worth, so we sold it and now we're down to being a single car family. 

We've been a single car household before but it was when Megan and I were in CoMO, sans children. After The Rolla died (after over 300,000 miles, mind you!) we decided that we could live a single car life for a bit. We traded in Meg's car and actually bought Shmeevus at that point. We stayed single car up until we found out Megan was pregnant with Thaliea. That's when we went for the minivan (a choice I definitely don't regret). 

Our first foray into being a single car family was relatively easier that it will be this time around. For one, there are more of us. For two, Omaha is a bigger city than CoMO, so everything is further away. For three, the hills in Omaha suck, so biking around, even to closer places, is a beast. 

So, you may be asking yourself, "why not just get another car then?" Great question. There are a few reasons. First, because of the pandemic, car prices are through the roof. We know we'll (probably) need a second car at some point but we want to wait it out to see if prices go down. Second, there are environmental factors to consider as well. Cars are one of the big reasons climate change has gotten as bad as it has. If there's a way for us to limit our gas consumption and exhaust output, I'm all for it. 

Honestly, moving back to the single car life was something we were considering anyway. Just a few months ago, I'd started a spreadsheet, logging all the times we actually drove Shmeevus or needed 2 cars. At least through the Spring and early summer, we really didn't use both cars at the same time all that much. The times we did have both cars out often were times when I could have biked but it was more convenient to drive. 

The next few months are going to be interesting. I bought an electric bike prior to Shmeevus dying but now I'm really getting some use out of it. The weather should be mostly dry for the next few months, so that will give us time to save up and more time for me to ride. My hope is that I'll be able to leverage public transportation in tandem with the electric bike once it gets colder (and wetter) but we'll see. For now, it's back to that one car life. I'm pretty stoked. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Olympic Fever!!!

Hello, friends! 

Friends, I'll be absolutely honest. For the past few weeks, I've been really tired. I've also had my heart rate go up at various times and have had bouts of uncontrolled yelling to go along with mood swings. I've done some research, and it's pretty clear what I have...

Olympic Fever. =0). 

If you know anything about our family, you know that we LOVE the Olympics here at La Casa Leong. We love the pageantry. We love the athleticism. Megan doesn't really care much about sports but she LOVES the competitive nature of the Olympics. The time difference has been a bit of a bummer for us (thus the lack of sleep) but we've been hanging out with Rebecca Lowe every afternoon and Mike Tirico every evening for the past 2 weeks and it's been pretty spectacular. Here are a few highlights. 

- To commemorate the opening ceremonies in Tokyo, we had a sushi party! We invited over a few friends, made sushi roles, and enjoyed watching the parade of nations together. The biggest cheers came for USA (of course), and Nigeria (one of our friends at the party is visiting from Nigeria). The best part of the party is that our friends' kids and our kids were pretty self contained playing with each other. 

-  Watching Bobby Finke come from behind to win the 800m freestyle was absolutely breathtaking. Megan doesn't watch as much sports as I do, so she doesn't know how to quiet scream when something amazing happens. She may or may not have woken up the kids celebrating... =0). 

- USA Triathlon really showed out and the timing of the races was such that I actually got to watch them. Kevin McDowell was in it right until the end. Katie Zaferes took bronze in the women's triathlon, and the USA earned silver in the mixed relay, which may be my new favorite Summer Olympic competition. 

- Suni Lee is not only my new hero, but also Thaliea's new hero too. When she won overall gold, we were so proud of her. The next time we were watching women's gymnastics, Thaliea asked, "when is the pretty one going to go again?" "Thaliea, which one is the pretty one?" "Right there! (points to Suni Lee)" It was pretty great. 

There are other moments that I could name. There have been moments of heartbreak (USWNT) and frustration (I'm looking at you, USA Men's 4 x 100). But overall, it's been such a joy to have the Olympics back. 

Closing ceremonies start Sunday. Then, it'll be back to getting to bed at a reasonable hour, not having the TV on constantly, and being able to check the news without fear of spoilers. It's going to kind of suck... at least until Beijing in 2022. =0). 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Re-entry...

Hello, friends!

This past week, Megan and I had pre-fall staff meetings. For some Regions, this is a normal thing but for our Region, this is the first time since I've been on staff that we all gathered together BEFORE the school year started. What's more, this was also the first time since COVID that we would physically be together... sort of. 

Our meetings were done in a hybrid style. For the times when the whole Region was together, we were on Zoom. We had some training, Megan and I led a workshop on making good invitations during New Student Outreach, and all our Area teams competed against one another in an Olympics style competition (we took 4th out of 4... not my best effort...)

However, there were also times when Area teams did things together and for those times, Area teams got together in person. We had a cooking competition (we won that one) and did a prayer walk on a local campus. Megan and I joined the Nebraska staff team for those functions. 

Looking back on the past few days, there were a few things that really jumped out to me.

1) It is really good being with other people, especially coworkers. There's an old saying that you don't know what you've got until it's gone. I think that was true of human interaction during COVID. Most of my job is done via Zoom anyway, even before the pandemic, so the actual job for me didn't change much last year. However, I don't think I realized how much I missed being around other people during those Regional gatherings. It was a blessing and joy to be in person with other co-laborers. 

2) There are some things from the pandemic that are worth keeping. After 15+ months of practice, I'd say that our Zoom skills have actually gotten pretty good. Every time we have another Zoom meeting, it seems like things go smoother and smoother. I'm convinced that while there's no substitute for in person gatherings, we don't need to throw away everything that we've learned about how to make virtual meetings vibrant. There are ways to make it work. 

We're now almost to August, which means that soon students will be coming back to school. With the Delta Variant on the rampage, it's still unknown how long schools will be fully open. Staff are planning like campus will be fully open but fully aware that things can change. It's a time of excitement and also of anxiety. I'm glad that we as a staff team were able to re-enter together. I believe that God is going to do some really cool things this year. Whether it happens in person or virtually, I have no idea. What I do know, is that time waits for no one and it's time to hop back in. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

A Wild 2 Weeks...

Hello, friends!

Y'all, it is good to be back in Omaha after a much needed vacation. The past 2 weeks have been absolutely wild, with no sign of slowing down. If I may break it down for you. 

Friday (July 9): A massive storm rips through Omaha. We're talking hurricane force winds and massive power outages across the city, including our house. 

Saturday morning: Ezra has some friends over for his birthday party. Thankfully, the weather was nice and it was meant to be a slip and slide party, so we didn't need power. We'd also already done a bunch of the prep ahead of time, so Ezra had a great time. 

Saturday afternoon: With no power in the house, we spent the afternoon driving around, charging our phones and looking for a place that had power for lunch. This included spending 45 minutes in line at a Jimmy John's. It was a less than "freaky fast" experience. There was also a second storm that came through, soaking all the stuff from the party that we hadn't cleaned up yet. 

Sunday morning: Instead of traditional church service, our church decided to do a neighborhood clean up. We spent the morning taking down a tree that had a tree break near a community garden by our church, which was a lot of fun!

Sunday evening: A couple we met a few weeks ago from church invited us over for dinner. It was a huge blessing to eat dinner in a house that had power with great people. The couple also had kids, so it was a blessing for the kids to be able to run around too. 

Monday: Mondays are our Sabbath, which is always a blessing. Megan took the morning, so I took the kids to the zoo. It was packed. In the afternoon, I was able to bike around a bit and try to spend some time with Jesus.   

Monday evening: Another couple was gracious enough to let us use their washer and dryer. It was another huge blessing to be able to wash our clothes and have another set of eyes on the kids while they played at the park. 

Tuesday: This was supposed to be a day of work before we left for vacation. Not a ton of work got done. We were still without power, so Megan and I decided to leave a day early (since we didn't have power anyway). So, instead of getting a lot of work done, we spent the day putting gas in the car, dropping off the other car at the mechanic, packing in the dark, realizing that our basement flooded a little, so tearing up the carpet pad so the office can dry, and trying to get a few things done before heading out of town. 

Tuesday evening: Pick up the kids from daycare and head out of town. About 45 minutes out of town, we got a message from our neighbors saying the power was finally back. We ended up staying the night in middle Nebraska at a so-so AirBnB. 

Wednesday-Saturday: Welcome to Colorado Springs! Our trip consisted of lots of hiking, more than a few parks, the older kids loving their bunk beds, Jonah getting ANOTHER ear infection, and plenty of family time. (more on this trip later)

Sunday: Driving back to Omaha. For the most part, the kids did great. We made one more stop than I'd wanted, but hey, apparently it's important to eat meals and go to the bathroom. =0). One stop we made was in Grand Island, about 2 hours from Omaha. Our friend Miguel lives there and he graciously treated us to some really good pupusas. We got home around 11pm. 

Monday: Another Sabbath. This was my turn to take the morning off, so I spent my morning cleaning out the car from our trip. It was kind of nasty. In the afternoon, the kids and I hung out at home. I also got a call from the mechanic saying the Prius was dead. 

Tuesday: TODAY was the day to get some work done, right? Well, sort of. I did get a lot done but I also had to meet with the foundation guy so he could give us an estimate about installing a sump pump in the basement, run down to the mechanic to let him know that someone would be coming to scrap the car at some point, and make some phone calls to get someone to come look at our garage door after a cable snapped and it got stuck askew. 

So, that's what's been happening around here. If you're keeping score, that's:

- 4 days without power
- 5 days in Colorado
- 2 flooded rooms in the basement
- 1 dead Prius
- 1 busted garage door
- 1 more ear infection
- Dozens of friends who have offered to help

LORD, help us all. =0). 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Ezra's Birthday, a breakdown...

Hello, friends! 

Monday was Ezra's birthday! If you haven't see the birthday song I wrote for him, it's right here. 

One of the things about Ezra's birthday being when it is (July 5) is that it's right next to a big holiday for Meg's family. They LOVE Independence Day. This year was especially special because Meg's uncle who died in Vietnam was having a bridge dedicated to him and it was the last time Meg would see her grandma's house before it was sold. So, we went up to SoDak to celebrate. 

At first, Ezra was not pleased about being in SoDak on his birthday but after the day he had, maybe he'll reconsider. Let's break it down: 

9:00am - Sleep in and wake up when he wants, in SoDak

10:00am - Play in the lake by Meg's parent's house with his cousins

11:30am - Lunch from Subway, his most favorite restaurant in the world right now

1:00pm - Leave SoDak for Omaha; starting with "resting time" in the car

2:30pm - Free to use his tablet for the rest of the trip to Omaha

5:00pm - Get home and unpack the car so we can load it up again to go to dinner

5:30pm - Dinner at Yummy Crab, which is a boiling crab type restaurant in Omaha

6:30pm - Go fishing at the lake next to the Yummy Crab, promptly catch 2 fish and 2 crawfish

7:30pm - McDonald's sundaes on the way home

I don't know about you but that sounds like a pretty spectacular birthday! I don't know if we'll be able to replicate it like that every year but this year sure was a blast. 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Happy New InterVarsity Year!

Hello, friends! 

It's July, which means it's the beginning of InterVarsity's new year! As amazing as it is to think about, this is the beginning of year FIFTEEN for me! I remember when I first started, I saw staff who had been on staff for 20 years and thought, "man, I wonder if I'll get there there." Now, I can actually see that milestone on the horizon! Who knows if I'll get there, but it's fun to at least see that it's within the realm of possibilities. 

This upcoming year promises to be a wild one. Last year was definitely a wild one with the pandemic, racial tensions being brought to the front of the country's consciousness, and the election season. While this year will have some of those same elements, it'll also be something a little bit closer to "normal."

Really, what I'm looking forward to the most this year is continuing the momentum from last year. In terms of my job, we got to see some really cool things happen in our Region in terms of moving towards a more fair, just, and equitable system for Ministry Partnership Development. Personally, I got more involved in church and started moving our congregation to think about race and justice differently. This year, I'm anticipating more pushback and challenges in both areas but also more opportunities for God to show his goodness. 

So, friends! Here's to another year with InterVarsity! May God bless you this (fiscal) year and continue to bless the students we serve. I'm praying that God will continue to work through me and in me as I spend another year serving college students. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

California by the numbers...

Hello, friends! 

Last week, I told you about our wild trip home from California. That trip was too wild for me to not post about it immediately. 

HOWEVER, the original plan was to post last week about the actual trip to California. It was a long, wild, delicious, and really fun time with family. Even as I just write down all the things that we did, it's staggering. You know those vacations that are so full that when you get back you actually kind of feel like you need a vacation from the vacation? Yeah, this was one of those. By the numbers:

- 8 days in California (Wednesday to Wednesday)

- 5 trips to the beach, including one at night

- 3 sandcrabs that Ezra found on those various trips to the beach

- 2 birthday parties for my nephew (he's totally worth it)

- 2 dates with Megan (1 of which was a double date with my older sister)

- 1 trip on a train with the grandkids (my mother's dream)

- 1 set of matching jammies for all the grandkids (my older sister's dream)

- 2 trips on a roller coaster (1 with each older kid; Megan's dream)

- 1 pickleball tournament (we did not do well...)

- 1 delicious bowl of beef noodle soup (to go along with the soon du bu, chili burger, korean bbq, dim sum, In & Out, Chinese food, Dairy Queen, and bubble tea)

- 3 bedrooms taken up by my family at my parent's place (which was a HUGE blessing)

- $4.25/gallon for gas, which is just about double what it is in Omaha

- 75 degrees in the house because my parents finally got an air conditioning

- 2 nephews and 1 niece who needed my utmost attention (to go along with my kids)

- 1 dinner with Megan's uncle and family

- 1 InstaGram famous moment when the men in the family were featured on a site that sells Tshirts

That doesn't even include how good it felt to see family members, both immediate and extended, and to bask in the beautiful California sunshine.

It had been almost a year since we were out in California. We didn't do Thanksgiving or Christmas last year because of the pandemic, so it had definitely been a while. Thankfully, we'll be out again in October for my sister's wedding reception and possibly again for Christmas. My hope is that as more and more people get vaccinated, we'll be able to see more and more people with each subsequent trip. Until then, we'll always have the beach... =0). 

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

A Wild Trip Home

Hello, friends! 

This is a photo of us as we got ready to head out from Omaha to California for a family vacation. You can see that we are excited, we are relaxed, and we are ready to go! 

What you will not see is a photo of us on the return trip. That trip was a hot mess. Allow me to break it down for you. 

Tuesday, 2:50pm. I log on to check into our flight and see that I can't actually check it. After doing some Twitter research, I see that the Southwest Airlines system had a failure and the whole system was down ACROSS THE COUNTRY. Thankfully, we're doing family boarding so it's not a big deal anyway.

Wednesday, 9:00am. I have an idea. Maybe if everyone had the same trouble I had, I could go straight to the airport and check in early to get a better boarding number. I drive to the airport, check in, and our numbers are pretty much trash, so we stick with family boarding. 

Wednesday, 10:00am. I look and see that our flight has been delayed from 2:50 to 4:35. This is actually a good thing because it means that our layover in Denver is shorter and we can spend more time with my parents. 

Wednesday, 2:00pm. Oops. I get another notification saying that our flight has been move UP to 4:10. Now we have to get going so we can check in on time. 

Wednesday, 2:45pm. Literally, the moment we get to the airport, I get ANOTHER notification saying that our flight has been moved BACK to 5:00pm. Suddenly, we're early again but even more crucially, we now have only a 25 minute layover in Denver, which is tight. 

Wednesday, 2:55pm. Try to check in using the kiosks but for some reason, I can't check any bags. Our best guess is it's because our flight's original flight time had already passed but the system hadn't been updated. We get in line for a ticket agent. 

Wednesday, 4:55pm. We're on the plane. Everyone has their dinners and we're ready to fly! Megan and I are checking our flight status on the flight to see if we can gain any time to make our connection. 

Wednesday, 7:10pm. The plane starts its descent but due to wind shears, has to pull up and circle around again. We're certain that we're going to miss our connection. 

Wednesday, 8:35pm. Finally of the flight and walking to the gate in Denver. Thankfully, the plane was held for us and another flight coming in from San Diego. 

Wednesday, 9:30pm. Wheel's up in Denver. We made it! 

Wednesday, 11:30pm. Touch down in Omaha. Praise the LORD!

Thursday, 12:30am. Get back to our house, put the kids to bed, and find out that our internet is down...

Oy! 

The important thing is that we're home and we're safe. It was a wild ride, but we made it! 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

MPD 201!!!

Hello, friends!

Starting Wednesday, I'll be leading our staff team through MPD 201, which is our Spring training for Ministry Partnership Development. I'm really excited about our time together, not just because I love taking about MPD but also because we have some really great stuff planned and I've enlisted the help of a few of our younger staff to help with various parts of the program.

I'll be going all day Wednesday, all day Thursday, and the first part of Friday. Megan will be taking the kids with her up to South Dakota so her parents can help watch the kids while we're both in session, so that will be a blessing. But, she also has a wedding on Saturday and since they wedding is kids only (and the kids have tball on Saturday), right after I finish on Friday, I'll be driving up to SoDak to pick up the kids then bring them back to Omaha for a dad weekend. 

Needless to say, it's going to be a really hectic week next week. Prayers appreciated for peace, wisdom, and good health (both Megan and I are fighting colds right now). A lot goes into planning these trainings but ultimately, it's all up to Jesus. My hope and prayer is that God will do what he needs to do in our team and through me.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Two Takes On Getaway...

Hello, friends!

Thank you so much to everyone who prayed for Mini International Getaway. Here's Megan's update: 

I can't thank you enough for your prayers! Mini International Getaway was such a wonderful event and I am still hearing stories from how God moved. Over 85 students participated and 15 countries were represented. On Saturday, great connections were made with students after a year of not being able to gather that often in person. One student from India shared that she had lost many members of her family back home and a group of students were able to pray for her. Many students shared how they missed community and had been looking for it. One staff said they want to plant an international group next year when they move to a new campus. 

I am so so grateful for God answering prayers and for sparking joy in staff and students. 

While Megan was running the show, I was running around with the kiddos. Here's a rundown.  - In the morning and early afternoon, before Megan started working, as a family, we went to the farmer's market, Ezra had his last soccer game of the season, and had a soccer team pizza party! - After we got back, we dropped off Megan and went to drop off the tabs that Ezra and Thaliea had been collecting for the Ronald McDonald House. - From there, we went to the Wildlife Safari Park in Ashland to look at birds, buffalo, and some elk - Next stop, was a trip to Lincoln to meet one of my curling buddies for dinner and ice cream. - We got home just in time for me to switch with Megan so she could put the kids to bed while I led a Cultural Showcase for the Mini-Getaway.

Friends, it was a SUPER long day but lots of fun. The kids did great and I enjoyed spending the day with them. 

In a few weeks, I'll be leading a training for our Region, which means the roles will be flipped. Prayers appreciated for Megan. =0).

Have an excellent day!

~Adam