The Week That Was...

Hello, friends! 

Guess who has run into a really interesting "Catch-22" of sorts?  Ok, you guessed it, it's me.  =0).  Sorry it's been so long since I've posted.  I've found that when there is a whole bunch of stuff happening I have less time to post but I have more of a need to post because of all the stuff that is happening!  It seems like doing just a quick blurb of everything doesn't do it justice but the other options are to have a super long post (in which case you probably aren't going to want to read the whole thing) or a series of posts (but we both know that I'm not going to post enough and the posts are going to get backlogged).  So, a quick-ish summary is going to have to do.  Here's a recap of the week that was:

Wednesday: Our first Large Group of the semester!  Friends, to say that it was a spectacular night would be quite an understatement.  We had 75 students show up (an all time high), Tim gave an amazing testimony of his missions trip to Thailand that he took this summer.  We had enough food for everyone, and we even had 16 students sign up for Fall Conference!  But, the best part of the night was before things even started.  We had to meet on campus which meant that parking was a bit of a beast (as always) so I had to drop off all our Large Group supplies then find a place to park.  When I got to our room, I saw all of our leaders, already there and going through the run-through of the night, right before they were going to pray.  I love our leaders. 

Thursday: Thursday, Meg and I met a guy who is interning with a local church who is interested in possibly volunteering with us at Columbia College.  We're not sure where things will go from here but it was cool to do some Team Leading stuff, which includes looking at potential hiring.  As I've said before, it's fun being an adult. 

Friday: On Friday, we had our first Columbia College event, which was a grill-out at our place.  I have been so proud of Charis and her desire to really see the campus reached with the Gospel.  After dinner, Charis went back on campus so she could take part in her first ever "Zombie Dance."  I'm not sure if she got any photos posted but she texted us later that she had a lot of fun, which was fine by us.  =0). 

Saturday:  Saturday was the reintroduction of one of my favorite ACF traditions: the ACF Tailgate!  Pretty much, it goes like this.  We grill up a whole bunch of food before the Mizzou game (Mizzou beat Toledo 38-23), play some games, and build relationships by baking with folk in the hot sun.  It was great to see the 25-30 folk who came out.  It was interesting to see how this event was very much an Asian American event.  We had some international students joining us but the truth is that when you put college football, grilling, heat, and lawn games together, it's probably something that is a little more "American" in tradition than anything else. 

Sunday: Now we've come to today.  Today was one of those days that had a little bit of everything.  We took a student to visit a church, bought some groceries for another student who wasn't feeling well, did a TON of admin, and then went to dinner with about a dozen students or so.  It was one of those days where there wasn't necessarily a plan but there was all sorts of stuff with students that happened anyway and you weren't going to hear us complain about it. 

So, there's the past few days!  Looking back, I didn't realize that we had something pretty big happening every day.  Both Meg and I are taking Sabbath tomorrow which is way needed.  Please be praying for us as we get ready to rest to get ready for the new week. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Hey Day!!!

Hello, friends! 

In just a few minutes, I will be on my way to Columbia College (Go Cougars!!!) to table with InterVarsity for Hey Day, which is sort of like an activities fair for the Columbia College students.  Our intern Charis has been doing a lot of great work there trying to get an InterVarsity chapter planted there.  The administration has been super open to the idea of us being there on campus and Hey Day is a great start toward that end.  We are super excited about what God could be doing at Columbia College. 

There isn't much time before I need to leave so please be praying, specifically for:

- Great interactions with students.  We don't know who we'll be meeting but please pray that God will give us divine interventions. 
- Continued favor with the administration.  When the school is on board with what you are doing, campus access is much easier than when there is an antagonistic relationship.  Please pray that this relationship will continue to blossom. 
- Energy for Meg and me.  Tuesdays are pretty long days for both of us.  Tabling will go until 2pm then we both have meetings in the afternoon before the Leaders Meeting tonight @ 7pm. 

I'll try and update later today with how things went but no guarantees on account of all the meetings and such.  Thanks for the prayers! 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

On Being an Adult...

Hello, friends! 

I'm sitting here right now blogging in Beautiful Columbia, Missouri with a simple question to answer.  Do I play some video games or do I paint a table?  Yesterday, the choice was whether or not I should watch college football or clean the basement.  I ended up cleaning the basement and soon I will be painting the table.  I just spent the past 30 minutes doing a home energy audit to see if how to best cut back on costs.  This includes looking into getting some information on possibly going solar.  Added to that, I've been going back and forth the past few months on whether or not we should switch to pre-paid cell phones instead of the post-paid arrangement we have now. 

What have I learned from all this?  Being a grown-up is hard work! 

Let's be real y'all... I'm not the young man I used to be in a lot of ways.  I'm closer to 30 than I am to 20 (or 25 for that matter).  I'm now a (happily) married man instead of a single guy.  This is year 7 with InterVarsity and I am on the "veteran staff" side of the team now instead of the "new staff" side.  My number once concern used to be whether or not the Cardinals won last night.  It's still top-5, but not an obvious #1 anymore.  =0). 

Here's the thing.  I love being an adult.  I really do!  I love being married and having grand conversations about having kids and things like that (No kids anytime soon, btw).  I love owning a home and thinking about ways to make it run more efficiently.  I love taking on more responsibility in my job and seeing a new crop of student leaders and staff answer the call.  I don't love not being able to run a sub-6 minute mile anymore but even that's necessarily set in stone!  Being an adult is awesome! 

The one thing that has remained a constant throughout my maturation has been that I have loved seeing how God has given me new opportunities to love and serve the kingdom.  When I was younger, it was through my studies (oops), my attempts at relationships (double oops), and student leadership (meh!).  Now it is through my job, serving my wife, and staff leadership.  Financial stewardship is a big deal.  Making sure that I'm serving and loving Meg is a HUGE deal.  Setting a good example for students and empowering them so they can share Christ's love with the Asian and Asian Americans on Mizzou's campus is a crucial deal. 

Pretty much, it comes down to this.  Being older or being younger doesn't matter in the grand scheme of things.  Freshmen have just as many opportunities to do good work for the kingdom as Seniors (and staff!).  The opportunities may look different but they are most certainly there.  As I've seen it happen in my own life I have hope that I'll be able to see it happen in the lives of students. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

A Bonfire Miracle!!!

Hello, friends! 

Sorry that I've been out of commission for the past week.  NSO stuff has been crazy.  On Wednesday ACF hosted a relay race that was really well attended and everyone had a lot of fun.  Meg and I have been busy meeting students, attending meetings of other student orgs (including kickball and game nights!) and getting everything ready for our first Large Group next Wednesday.  Because of that, I haven't had a chance tell you all about our Bonfire last Friday! 

Here was the plan: set our backyard on fire, grill up some meat and sugar, and invite a bunch of folk to see if they want to join us in setting meat and sugar on fire.  =0).  Ok, it wasn't quite like that but it was still a rocking good time. 

Based on our best estimates, we were expecting somewhere around 70-80 folk showing up, which meant that we needed a lot of food.  Of course, we also didn't want to spend too much money as it would mean fewer meals down the road (in order to stay within our budget).  So, our plan was to spend $120 for 80 people, or about $1.50 per person.  Our menu included hotdogs (with all the fixin's), fried rice, corn, sweet potatoes, baked beans, fruit, and s'mores for dessert.

This is where it gets fun.

Miracle 1) We actually stayed on budget.  Both Meg and I have this problem where when it comes to food we'd rather overbuy than underbuy.  I suppose it isn't really a problem but it can lead to us going over budget because either we want more variety (Meg) or we want folk to eat more (me).  Thankfully, after tallying up the receipts, we bought all the food we wanted and were on budget.  Praise Jesus! 

Miracle 2) Everyone showed up and everyone ate their fill.  How we ended up cramming 70 people into our backyard around our fire ring is a little bit beyond me but it worked!  The spread of food looked great and everyone had a fun time eating and meeting one another.  For many of the international students it was their first time eating a s'more, which was a lot of fun to watch.  =0). 

Miracle 3) There was actually TONS of food left over!  I'm not saying it was a "12 baskets" kind of situation, but there was definitely food left over.  When you couple that with the fact that everyone ate enough and that we stayed under budget, I am definitely calling that a miracle.  Meg said that she and a student leader prayed over the food before the bonfire started, that it would multiply and there would be enough.  As far as I'm concerned, that definitely happened. 

Miracle 4) Better than Miracle 1, we actually ended up UNDER budget.  Some of the stuff we were able to return and some of the stuff we were able to use for other events.  All said and done, we probably spent around $90 on this event, meaning that we spent a little bit over $1 per person and saw everyone full with tons of food left over to give away at the end of the night. 

Friends, God is so good.  Having a few hotdogs and some corn left over at the end of the night may not seem a big deal but when you look at it, it really just shows God's goodness and provision.  I'm not saying that this will happen every time but it sure was fun to see God multiply food and people. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Bonfire!!!

Hello, friends! 

I am writing this blog right before it's time to get down to business.  No, we won't be defeating the Huns (Mulan reference, anyone?).  Rather, we are going to be hosting what could be the most epic bonfire the good people of Mount Vernon Avenue have ever experienced. 

Allow me to break it down for you.  Right now we are in the midst of New Student Orientation (NSO) season.  The goal of NSO is to meet as many people as possible so we can show them how awesome our group is and they will want to join, make decisions to follow Jesus (or follow Jesus more) and eventually change the world in the name of the Kingdom.  Yes, folks, it's just that easy.  =0). 

So, Meg and I, along with input from the student leaders, decided that we wanted to do a bonfire this year at our place.  We have the space, we have the fire pit, and the bonfires that we had during the summer were well attended.  Besides, isn't eating food that you cooked over a fire fun anyway? 

Plans were made and we got excited about things, and then Meg and I came to a realization:  There are possibly going to be as many as 80 people crammed into our backyard tonight.  See, we may have overlooked three minor details.

1) ACFers are AMAZING at invitation.  They are tenacious.  They are diligent.  They are excited.  I'm pretty sure an ACFer could invite me to get a root canal done and I would at least consider going. 

2) We travel in packs.  Asian and Asian American cultures are both very communal.  That means that all decisions are group decisions and if one person decides to go somewhere, usually the rest of the group will follow. 

3) Free food is very attractive. 

When you put these 3 factors together, what you come up with is what could be a pretty epic party.  Here's hoping. 

Friends, please PRAY for us tonight.  Pray for the logistics of rides and food.  Pray for good conversations to happen.  Pray against rain.  Pray that tonight will lead to all sorts of great momentum for the year. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Table Up!!!

Hello, friends! 

I'm slightly dehydrated form being out in the sun all day, my mouth is sore from smiling too much, and Meg and I are wearing the same shirt... it must be time for tabling at Mizzou!!!  =0).

The concept of tabling is simple: You reserve a space on campus, set up your table with information about your group, and have conversations with students who pass by, inviting them to stuff and getting their contact information.  If you do it right, it can lead to lots of new contacts and propel the fellowship into the new year.

Here's the thing: year after year, I see that there are too many factors working against us to ever table well.  Let's run through them, shall we?  

- What's in a name: With a group name like Asian Christian Fellowship, it's not going to be easy when the campus is 85% White and only 5-7% Asian and Asian American.  Students see your stuff, slow down because the swag is good, read the name, and then be on their way.  Some of the bolder ones will even go so far as to come up and ask to still have the stuff, even though "They aren't Asian." 

- High Assimilation: When we do see Asian American students, they are usually with a group of non-Asian American students.  This leads to awkward eye contact and sometimes even spite when you consider that they know the only reason you are eyeing them is because they are Asian American.  ACF was created to reach all the Asian and Asian American students on campus but it works best with high identity students.  The truth is that most Mizzou students are used to being the minority and are totally ok with it.  (NOTE: Reaching out to Asian International Students is MUCH easier because they are high identity and usually travel in packs.) 

-  The curse of, technology:  Ok, so let's suppose you find an Asian American walking down the street.  Even better, he or she is alone so there isn't the awkwardness of group dynamics.  It should be easy from here, right?  Well, that depends on whether or not the student can hear for with the earphones on and the volume turned up on high.  Without getting too old school, back in my day, we talked to people on our way to class.  Apparently, it's all about the music as you move from one building to another.

For all the things that make tabling difficult, there is one huge benefit to tabling each semester.  Even though it may not do much for our group numbers, it grows our leaders in incredible ways.  I am always amazed at how well tabling brings out the best in our student leaders.  At its best, you see students take risks, get out of their comfort zones, and grow in their love for the campus.  Even at its worst, it brings up all sorts of internal issues within students that you can then begin to deal with.  It's not always pretty but it sure is helpful.

So, friends, please continue to pray for us as we continue to outreach.  We have a whole host of events coming up these next few weeks that will hopefully reach more students and grow the ones we have.  We may even table a little bit more.  =0).

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

It begins again...

Hello, friends! 

I am happy to be writing to you not only form BEAUTIFUL Columbia, Missouri, but also form the Mizzou Student Center and using a University Computer, just like old times.  As I sit here and pretend to be a preductive member of society, I am surrounded by the sounds of freshmen buying books, the parents of freshmen freaking out about the cost of books, and upperclassmen laughing at the freshmen buying books.  =0).  It's good to be back. 

Things have already gotten off to a great start.  On Sunday, the Student Leaders helped with student move-in.  I'm not sure how many students they met, but when I saw them later that evening, they had a look of exhausted satisfaction.  Added to that, Meg has been helping at the International Student Orientation, making friends and making contacts.  Meg and I have also been working on planning our pre-Fall Leaders Retreat, hopefully setting the table for a great year to come. 

Amazingly, this will be year number 7 here at Mizzou ACF for me.  This will be my 7th year meeting freshmen, my 7th year following up with students I meet, my 7th year planning a kickoff event, and my 7th year praying that God will bring new students into our fold.  In some ways, it feels familiar.  I know the campus.  I know the schedule of the university.  I know roughly what to expect.  Yet, at the same time, things are completely different.  This year I have a wife.  We have a team of interns and volunteers.  We have multiple roles and multiple campuses, including Columbia College.  We have a leaders team that has never been bigger or more diverse.  It may be the same Mizzou but it is an entirely different scenario. 

One thing stays the same though.  Our mission, as it has been and as it always will be, is to be a community that share's Christ's love with the Asian and Asian Americans on campus.  We have a purpose.  We have a mission.  It's time to get things done. 

Friends, please be praying for us as the new year gets underway.  Pray particularly for Meg and me as we learn to Team Lead together and learn to lead students together.  Pray for our leaders as they take on more and more responsibility.  Pray for the campus, that God will come in full force this year. 

We have no idea what will happen this year.  It has the potential to be a huge year for ACF.  All by God's grace. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam