15 years!!!

Hello, friends! 

While I wasn't technically OFFICIALLY hired until August 1, 2007, since today is the start of the new ministry year, I'm celebrating finishing up 15 years of ministry with InterVarsity! Time flies when you're having fun! 

The past 15 years have been absolutely wild. I've lived in St. Louis, Columbia, and now Omaha. I've directly worked with students from WashU (#GoBears), Mizzou, Columbia College, Lincoln University, Missouri State, Creighton University, Bellevue University, University of Nebraska - Lincoln, Boston University, Texas A&M, The Ohio State University, and the Royal University of Law and Economics in Phnom Penh, Cambodia. I've tried my hand at planting or staffing Asian American chapters, Black Campus Ministry chapters, Multi-ethnic chapters, and Nurses Christian Fellowships. I've been a planter, a Team Leader, and Associate Area Director, and now a Regional Ministry Coordinator. I've been a part of leading projects for the National MPD department and Asian American ministries. I got married and had 3 kids. I've cried exactly 4 times (including twice in the past 18 months). God has been very, very good. 

In 2006, when I first heard the call to consider staff, I heard very clearly from God what I was going to be serving college students for the next "season of life." I had no idea that this next season would be 15 years (and counting!). I remember meeting staff who had been with InterVarsity for 20 years and thinking they were "lifers," wondering how they could be so faithful for so long. Now, here I am, 15 years later, seeing 20 on the horizon as a very real possibility. 

Of course, it hasn't been all good. Chapters have failed and been shut down. I've made my share of ministry mistakes. There have been some really tough seasons of ministry when it seemed like nothing was going right. And yet, God was (and is) still good. 

So, here's to year 16! Who knows what it will bring. This is normally where I say something like, "Here's to (at least) 15 more!" or something like that. But, the truth is that I have no idea what's on horizon. All I know for sure is that God has blessed me these past 15 years, and at this point, I have no intention of ending this InterVarsity "season" anytime soon. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam