Hello, friends!
As of tomorrow (Thursday), there will be exactly one month left before Megan's due date! In just a few short weeks, our family will move from being a family of 4 to a family of 5 (out of womb) and Megan and I will switch from playing man-to-man to zone defense. Hot Cocoa (Thaliea's name for him) is growing well, which is a good thing, except for when he decides that he wants to play soccer with Megan's intestines. The kid is a mover! =0).
When both Ezra and Thaliea were born, there was a season of nesting that took place as we tried to get the house ready for our new addition. Things needed to be cleaned, repaired, bought, and assembled. This pregnancy is no different and there's a list of chores that is simultaneously shrinking (as things get done) and growing (as we realize there are more things to do). It's not my favorite part of my day or weekend (especially yard work) but it's stuff that needs to get done and I came into the third trimester knowing that.
The surprise for me was the realization that I there was also some work nesting that needed to get done before Hot Cocoa is born. This wasn't a thing with Ezra and Thaliea. In 2015 and 2017, when Ezra and Thaliea were born, I was still doing field work, so my schedule worked on the academic calendar. When Ezra was born in July, it was a dead time for campus work. Thaliea was born in May, which can be a busy time, but I didn't have any student conferences that May and the school year was over by the time paternity leave ended, so when I came back, there wasn't much to do.
My new role and the timing make things different this year. I'm not in the field anymore, so my calendar is different. I now have more mid-year reviews to write and preparations for the second semester to consider. There's a Regional Staff Conference in December that requires my attention. There are also still a few weeks of the semester left after Hot Cocoa is born. So, I need to prepare.
Between paternity leave, the holidays, and accrued vacation time, with the exception of our Regional Staff Conference, I'll be off until after Christmas. I'm looking forward to the time with my family and won't mind getting to know Hot Cocoa, but there's still a sense of the unknown. I'm confident that things won't fall apart if I'm out for a few weeks but I'd definitely like to limit the number of things that "fall through the cracks."
Ultimately, all I can do is prepare the best I can, and pray that God will fill in my gaps. Join me in prayer, won't you?
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Wednesday, October 23, 2019
Wednesday, October 16, 2019
Beyond Black and White...
Hello, friends!
It's an interesting thing being an Asian American living in the Midwest, especially having grown up in Southern California. Spending 4 years in St. Louis, 10+ years in CoMO, and the past year and a half living in Omaha has given me an interesting view on issues of race, ethnicity, and justice.
Here's the truth: to be an Asian American in most parts of the Midwest is to be fundamentally misunderstood. When most folk in the Midwest talk about race and ethnicity, they talk about it in terms of Black and White. This makes sense since it's predominantly Black and White folk living in the Midwest. Still, it makes for an interesting dynamic in conversations. White folk talk to me as if I was a White person because I'm not Black (true), forgetting that I'm still a minority. Black folk generally relate to me as a minority but there's still a sense of trying to figure out exactly where I fit into their paradigms of race. Everyone first assumes I'm an international student (because: Asia), which can lead to some interesting conversations about where I'm "really from" (Note: The answer always has, and always will be, Southern California).
For the most part, this hasn't caused me any identity issues or things like that. When we were living in CoMO, we attended a predominantly White church, most of our community was White, and most of the conversations I had with folk about race and ethnicity were with me representing the "minority perspective," a role that I took on happily.
Moving to Omaha has changed things a bit. Our church is much more diverse than in CoMO. Because of that, my social circles are more diverse, but predominantly in the Black and White sense. (Note: One time, I asked an Asian American living in Omaha if there was much in the way of Asian American community here in Omaha and he just laughed...). I'm currently in a small group with some men from my church where we're talking about race and ethnicity. Just about half the group is Black. Just about another half of the group is White. Then there's me.
What I'm wrestling with right now is what my role is in the conversation. I can't simply represent the "minority experience" anymore because there are more folk who represent that experience in a language that is better understood (read: through a Black/White lens) than before. I can be more focused and represent the Asian American experience but that experience isn't regarded as particularly because when folk think of race and ethnicity, it's in Black and White terms.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. Nor am I saying that I have nothing to say. Y'all who know me know that speaking up is not a problem that I have. It's just a matter of trying to figure out a new role in a new space with new dynamics and new demographics. I'm confident that there's a place for me at the table; it's just a matter of finding my new seat.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
It's an interesting thing being an Asian American living in the Midwest, especially having grown up in Southern California. Spending 4 years in St. Louis, 10+ years in CoMO, and the past year and a half living in Omaha has given me an interesting view on issues of race, ethnicity, and justice.
Here's the truth: to be an Asian American in most parts of the Midwest is to be fundamentally misunderstood. When most folk in the Midwest talk about race and ethnicity, they talk about it in terms of Black and White. This makes sense since it's predominantly Black and White folk living in the Midwest. Still, it makes for an interesting dynamic in conversations. White folk talk to me as if I was a White person because I'm not Black (true), forgetting that I'm still a minority. Black folk generally relate to me as a minority but there's still a sense of trying to figure out exactly where I fit into their paradigms of race. Everyone first assumes I'm an international student (because: Asia), which can lead to some interesting conversations about where I'm "really from" (Note: The answer always has, and always will be, Southern California).
For the most part, this hasn't caused me any identity issues or things like that. When we were living in CoMO, we attended a predominantly White church, most of our community was White, and most of the conversations I had with folk about race and ethnicity were with me representing the "minority perspective," a role that I took on happily.
Moving to Omaha has changed things a bit. Our church is much more diverse than in CoMO. Because of that, my social circles are more diverse, but predominantly in the Black and White sense. (Note: One time, I asked an Asian American living in Omaha if there was much in the way of Asian American community here in Omaha and he just laughed...). I'm currently in a small group with some men from my church where we're talking about race and ethnicity. Just about half the group is Black. Just about another half of the group is White. Then there's me.
What I'm wrestling with right now is what my role is in the conversation. I can't simply represent the "minority experience" anymore because there are more folk who represent that experience in a language that is better understood (read: through a Black/White lens) than before. I can be more focused and represent the Asian American experience but that experience isn't regarded as particularly because when folk think of race and ethnicity, it's in Black and White terms.
Don't get me wrong. I'm not complaining. Nor am I saying that I have nothing to say. Y'all who know me know that speaking up is not a problem that I have. It's just a matter of trying to figure out a new role in a new space with new dynamics and new demographics. I'm confident that there's a place for me at the table; it's just a matter of finding my new seat.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Friday, October 11, 2019
It's Time for Post-Season Baseball!!!
Hello, friends!
As you've seen on this blog in recent months, you know that I'm a sports fan. I've written about how exciting it was to see the Blues win their first Stanley Cup. I've written about my love for curling and how it might be my favorite sport to play right now. Recently, I've become a fan of soccer and there's always basketball and football to watch. Even sports entertainment (read: professional wrestling) has re-piqued my interest since it started showing on network TV again.
But my first love will always be baseball...
Papa Leong grew us up to be baseball fans, and even more than that, to be St. Louis Cardinals fans. When my younger brother played T-ball back in the day, they had to wear Cardinals T-shirts underneath their Dodgers jerseys so the Cardinals would be closer to their hearts. Growing up, in my neighborhood, you were either a little league person or a soccer kid. We were little league all the way.
For the past few years, the Cardinals have been fine but not spectacular and on a bit of a downward trajectory. In 2011, we won the World Series. In 2012, we made it to the National League Championship Series. In 2013, we made the World Series but lost. In 2014, we lost in the NLCS again. In 2015, we lost in the NLDS. The next 3 years, we missed the playoffs.
BUT NOW WE'RE BACK! After a down to the wire finish to the season, we finished atop the National League Central. We just beat the Braves in the NLDS in one crazy series, and tonight we start another NLCS against the Washington Nationals. It's going to be fun.
Growing up in Southern California, pre-Internet, the Cardinals were my team but I didn't know much about them. I only got to see them play once a year and the only information I got about them was from my dad, the newspaper, or the back of a baseball card. When I moved to St. Louis to go to WashU (#GoBears!), suddenly, I was in my version of baseball heaven. That's when my fandom, and my love of the game, REALLY took off, possibly in an unhealthy way. I still remember running around the lounge of Mudd Hall after the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series, their first in my lifetime. I remember taking a train downtown so I could celebrate inside the stadium with the rest of the city. I remember trying to get on a train the next Monday to go to the championship parade but not being able to get on because it was too crowded. Baseball in college was big.
Many people thing baseball is boring. Those people are wrong and has never watched a game with me. In college, I was a baseball evangelist. If you said you didn't like baseball, I said it was because you didn't understand it. Then, I'd buy you a ticket to a game, we'd watch it together, I'd explain everything that was happening, and you'd leave the game a fan. It happened more than once.
Since Ezra was born, I've watched a lot less baseball. The truth is that I'm trying to be fully present for my kids and so long as there are only 24 hours in a day, I'm going to prioritize time with my kids. But, I still have managed to teach them to be Cardinals fans.
Me: Kids, what do we say when we see the Cardinals?
Ezra: Go Cardinals!
Thaliea: Go Cardafsadffa...
Me: And what do we say to the other guys?
Ezra: Get off our lawn!
Thaliea: LALALALALA
Tonight, as you're reading this, I'll be heading to a birthday party for one of Ezra's friends. Game 1 of the NLCS starts and 7. I'm not saying I'll be distracted, I'm just saying that my first sports love will never be too far from my heart and mind...
Go Cards, and have an excellent day!
~Adam
As you've seen on this blog in recent months, you know that I'm a sports fan. I've written about how exciting it was to see the Blues win their first Stanley Cup. I've written about my love for curling and how it might be my favorite sport to play right now. Recently, I've become a fan of soccer and there's always basketball and football to watch. Even sports entertainment (read: professional wrestling) has re-piqued my interest since it started showing on network TV again.
But my first love will always be baseball...
Papa Leong grew us up to be baseball fans, and even more than that, to be St. Louis Cardinals fans. When my younger brother played T-ball back in the day, they had to wear Cardinals T-shirts underneath their Dodgers jerseys so the Cardinals would be closer to their hearts. Growing up, in my neighborhood, you were either a little league person or a soccer kid. We were little league all the way.
For the past few years, the Cardinals have been fine but not spectacular and on a bit of a downward trajectory. In 2011, we won the World Series. In 2012, we made it to the National League Championship Series. In 2013, we made the World Series but lost. In 2014, we lost in the NLCS again. In 2015, we lost in the NLDS. The next 3 years, we missed the playoffs.
BUT NOW WE'RE BACK! After a down to the wire finish to the season, we finished atop the National League Central. We just beat the Braves in the NLDS in one crazy series, and tonight we start another NLCS against the Washington Nationals. It's going to be fun.
Growing up in Southern California, pre-Internet, the Cardinals were my team but I didn't know much about them. I only got to see them play once a year and the only information I got about them was from my dad, the newspaper, or the back of a baseball card. When I moved to St. Louis to go to WashU (#GoBears!), suddenly, I was in my version of baseball heaven. That's when my fandom, and my love of the game, REALLY took off, possibly in an unhealthy way. I still remember running around the lounge of Mudd Hall after the Cardinals won the 2006 World Series, their first in my lifetime. I remember taking a train downtown so I could celebrate inside the stadium with the rest of the city. I remember trying to get on a train the next Monday to go to the championship parade but not being able to get on because it was too crowded. Baseball in college was big.
Many people thing baseball is boring. Those people are wrong and has never watched a game with me. In college, I was a baseball evangelist. If you said you didn't like baseball, I said it was because you didn't understand it. Then, I'd buy you a ticket to a game, we'd watch it together, I'd explain everything that was happening, and you'd leave the game a fan. It happened more than once.
Since Ezra was born, I've watched a lot less baseball. The truth is that I'm trying to be fully present for my kids and so long as there are only 24 hours in a day, I'm going to prioritize time with my kids. But, I still have managed to teach them to be Cardinals fans.
Me: Kids, what do we say when we see the Cardinals?
Ezra: Go Cardinals!
Thaliea: Go Cardafsadffa...
Me: And what do we say to the other guys?
Ezra: Get off our lawn!
Thaliea: LALALALALA
Tonight, as you're reading this, I'll be heading to a birthday party for one of Ezra's friends. Game 1 of the NLCS starts and 7. I'm not saying I'll be distracted, I'm just saying that my first sports love will never be too far from my heart and mind...
Go Cards, and have an excellent day!
~Adam
Wednesday, October 2, 2019
What I Learned at FC19...
Hello, friends!
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of returning to the great state of Missouri to be the speaker for the Missouri Area's Fall Conference 2019 (FC19). My passage for the weekend was John 10:1-18, focusing on Jesus as he calls himself the Good Shepherd. Overall, there were something like 120 students in attendance, which was great to see. We also had at least 3 students make first time decisions to follow Jesus and another 15 or so recommit their lives to Jesus. It was a pretty great time.
The last time I was a speaker for a whole conference was when I did a high school retreat back in 2008 or 2009. This was a very different experience. Also, the Missouri Area was where I grew up, spending the first 12 years of my staff career there. So, being there as a speaker and not as a staff was a different experience too. Below, you'll find some of the big lessons I learned from FC19.
1) I really love preaching. When I was at AAMSC19 back in February, we did a time of listening prayer, asking God to reveal what gifts had lied dormant that He wanted to rekindle in us. The gift of preaching was what came up for me, and since then, I'd been looking for opportunities to exercise. FC19 was a perfect opportunity. It was 4 sermons over 48 hours, which was such a blast. I loved being in the Word, crafting the sermons, tracking with the students and telling stories. I heard I did a decent job too, which I'll take. =0).
2) Conference preaching is hard work! Back when I was lead staff for Mizzou ACF, I would more or less preach every week. I know most pastors preach every week too. That is its own beast. Preaching for a conference pushed me to my limits, for sure. Because everything was in such a short period of time, I was extra careful to make sure that everything flowed together. I didn't have a week to prep the next sermon; I was going to have just a few hours to make any adjustments as needed. Honestly, I didn't even finish the Saturday night sermon until about an hour before the session started. By God's grace, everything got out and I felt like it flowed together. It took some work though.
3) Staffing a conference is even harder! One of the things that was weird about being back at FC19 was that I was in the same space that I'd been many times before, but without any students. InterVarsity staff in conference mode have to do a little bit of everything. You have a conference job but you also are taking care of your students and making sure they're OK. When you're the conference speaker, your only job is preaching. I actually went to bed before midnight on both nights of the conference, which would have been unheard of had I been conference staff. I tried to help out where I could but the staff team let me know that my number one job was to preach and they wanted me to do that well. For that, I am grateful (and well rested!).
4) The voice of God is a powerful thing. The theme of FC19 was "A Voice Worth Following." As such, I had us do some listening prayer during both morning sessions and there was seminar devoted to listening prayer on Saturday morning. That afternoon and evening, the stories I heard from students and they ways they heard from God were pretty great. I talked to one student who had a huge breakthrough in listening to God and it was through hearing His voice that he decided to follow Jesus. That's pretty great! God also spoke to me in helping me craft what I was preaching. Before I preach, I always ask that the words of God be written on the hearts of the audience and words not from God are forgotten as soon as they are heard. Especially Saturday night, I know that God spoke and moved in the hearts of students. It was pretty great to witness and be a part of that.
In conclusion, I'm so glad I was able to preach at FC19. Thanks to the MO Fast Area team for inviting me. I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon, but if anyone is ever looking for a guest preacher, you know where to find me. =0).
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Last weekend, I had the pleasure of returning to the great state of Missouri to be the speaker for the Missouri Area's Fall Conference 2019 (FC19). My passage for the weekend was John 10:1-18, focusing on Jesus as he calls himself the Good Shepherd. Overall, there were something like 120 students in attendance, which was great to see. We also had at least 3 students make first time decisions to follow Jesus and another 15 or so recommit their lives to Jesus. It was a pretty great time.
The last time I was a speaker for a whole conference was when I did a high school retreat back in 2008 or 2009. This was a very different experience. Also, the Missouri Area was where I grew up, spending the first 12 years of my staff career there. So, being there as a speaker and not as a staff was a different experience too. Below, you'll find some of the big lessons I learned from FC19.
1) I really love preaching. When I was at AAMSC19 back in February, we did a time of listening prayer, asking God to reveal what gifts had lied dormant that He wanted to rekindle in us. The gift of preaching was what came up for me, and since then, I'd been looking for opportunities to exercise. FC19 was a perfect opportunity. It was 4 sermons over 48 hours, which was such a blast. I loved being in the Word, crafting the sermons, tracking with the students and telling stories. I heard I did a decent job too, which I'll take. =0).
2) Conference preaching is hard work! Back when I was lead staff for Mizzou ACF, I would more or less preach every week. I know most pastors preach every week too. That is its own beast. Preaching for a conference pushed me to my limits, for sure. Because everything was in such a short period of time, I was extra careful to make sure that everything flowed together. I didn't have a week to prep the next sermon; I was going to have just a few hours to make any adjustments as needed. Honestly, I didn't even finish the Saturday night sermon until about an hour before the session started. By God's grace, everything got out and I felt like it flowed together. It took some work though.
3) Staffing a conference is even harder! One of the things that was weird about being back at FC19 was that I was in the same space that I'd been many times before, but without any students. InterVarsity staff in conference mode have to do a little bit of everything. You have a conference job but you also are taking care of your students and making sure they're OK. When you're the conference speaker, your only job is preaching. I actually went to bed before midnight on both nights of the conference, which would have been unheard of had I been conference staff. I tried to help out where I could but the staff team let me know that my number one job was to preach and they wanted me to do that well. For that, I am grateful (and well rested!).
4) The voice of God is a powerful thing. The theme of FC19 was "A Voice Worth Following." As such, I had us do some listening prayer during both morning sessions and there was seminar devoted to listening prayer on Saturday morning. That afternoon and evening, the stories I heard from students and they ways they heard from God were pretty great. I talked to one student who had a huge breakthrough in listening to God and it was through hearing His voice that he decided to follow Jesus. That's pretty great! God also spoke to me in helping me craft what I was preaching. Before I preach, I always ask that the words of God be written on the hearts of the audience and words not from God are forgotten as soon as they are heard. Especially Saturday night, I know that God spoke and moved in the hearts of students. It was pretty great to witness and be a part of that.
In conclusion, I'm so glad I was able to preach at FC19. Thanks to the MO Fast Area team for inviting me. I won't be quitting my day job anytime soon, but if anyone is ever looking for a guest preacher, you know where to find me. =0).
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Friday, September 20, 2019
A Change in Plans...
Hello, friends!
Greetings from beautiful Omaha, Nebraska!
Wait a second, I'm not supposed to be in Omaha... I'm supposed to be in College Station! What happened?! Did I miss my flight? Am I no longer working for InterVarsity? Did I get in a fight with the staff and Texas A&M and decide to go home early?
Nope! I just got rained out.
Tropical Storm Imelda wreaked a bunch of havoc on the great state of Texas yesterday. One of the areas hit hardest was Houston, including the airport, where something like 900 flights were cancelled in and out of Houston Hobby.
My original plan was to fly out of Omaha at 11:30, get to Houston by 3, and have enough time to rent a car and make the 2 hour drive to College Station by 6:30 for bible study. Here's what actually happened:
10:45am - get in line to board the plane
11:00am - told that all flights to Houston have been grounded and we'll have an update in an hour
12:00pm - back in line to board the plane
12:15pm - on the plane, with a whole row to myself since it wasn't a full flight
12:30pm - told that the flight had been grounded again and that there would be another update in an hour. We could get off the plane if we wanted so we weren't stuck in our seats but we needed to stay close because once we got the OK to go, we were going to go.
12:50pm - finished the crossword on the in-flight magazine
1:05pm - exit the plane and take a few laps around the airport terminal to stretch my legs
1:15pm - back on the plane
1:45pm - the flight is officially cancelled; exit the plane and get in line to see if I can catch another flight
2:30pm - my 3 options are to either get into Houston Friday @ 10pm (much too late), fly into San Antonio just before Midnight on Thursday night then drive 3 hours to College Station (much too tiring), or cancel the trip and try again next semester.
Thankfully, I was able to cancel my rental car and get a full refund on the flight. The only thing the trip really cost me was one night's stay at the hotel in College Station since it was too late to cancel that reservation without penalty. All said and done, I'll take that.
So, we'll try again next semester. It's certainly not the worst thing that could have happened. After seeing all the rain and flooding that hit Houston, there's a good chance that I would have been stranded at the airport anyway, which would have been a huge bummer. I'll take the time I should have been at College Station and use it instead to play with my kids and pray for the city of Houston.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Greetings from beautiful Omaha, Nebraska!
Wait a second, I'm not supposed to be in Omaha... I'm supposed to be in College Station! What happened?! Did I miss my flight? Am I no longer working for InterVarsity? Did I get in a fight with the staff and Texas A&M and decide to go home early?
Nope! I just got rained out.
Tropical Storm Imelda wreaked a bunch of havoc on the great state of Texas yesterday. One of the areas hit hardest was Houston, including the airport, where something like 900 flights were cancelled in and out of Houston Hobby.
My original plan was to fly out of Omaha at 11:30, get to Houston by 3, and have enough time to rent a car and make the 2 hour drive to College Station by 6:30 for bible study. Here's what actually happened:
10:45am - get in line to board the plane
11:00am - told that all flights to Houston have been grounded and we'll have an update in an hour
12:00pm - back in line to board the plane
12:15pm - on the plane, with a whole row to myself since it wasn't a full flight
12:30pm - told that the flight had been grounded again and that there would be another update in an hour. We could get off the plane if we wanted so we weren't stuck in our seats but we needed to stay close because once we got the OK to go, we were going to go.
12:50pm - finished the crossword on the in-flight magazine
1:05pm - exit the plane and take a few laps around the airport terminal to stretch my legs
1:15pm - back on the plane
1:45pm - the flight is officially cancelled; exit the plane and get in line to see if I can catch another flight
2:30pm - my 3 options are to either get into Houston Friday @ 10pm (much too late), fly into San Antonio just before Midnight on Thursday night then drive 3 hours to College Station (much too tiring), or cancel the trip and try again next semester.
Thankfully, I was able to cancel my rental car and get a full refund on the flight. The only thing the trip really cost me was one night's stay at the hotel in College Station since it was too late to cancel that reservation without penalty. All said and done, I'll take that.
So, we'll try again next semester. It's certainly not the worst thing that could have happened. After seeing all the rain and flooding that hit Houston, there's a good chance that I would have been stranded at the airport anyway, which would have been a huge bummer. I'll take the time I should have been at College Station and use it instead to play with my kids and pray for the city of Houston.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Wednesday, September 11, 2019
Onward to Aggie-land!
Hello, friends!
If everything goes according to plan, I'll be blogging next week as part of my normal posting schedule. Knowing how life works and certain that things will NOT go according to plan, I'm going to post about what's happening next week and we'll go from there. =0).
One of my jobs is as director of an evangelism project for InterVarsity's Asian American Ministries (AAM). I was part of an AAM chapter at WashU (Go Bears!), planted an AAM Chapter at Mizzou (#ACFFTW), and have been Asian American for my entire life, so the opportunity to do something directly with the AAM department had a lot of appeal.
My project centers around working with AAM chapters in reaching secular AA organizations on campus, focusing on collaborative events as a way to build relationship and open students up to Jesus. Oftentimes, especially at predominantly white institutions (PWI's), reaching AA students can be a tough go because they are so spread out around campus. AA secular organizations (like the Asian American Association, Korean Student Association, etc.) is a great mission field for AAM chapters because lots of AA students are all concentrated in one place.
The two AAM Chapters I'm working with are at Texas A&M and The Ohio State University. The group at OSU is focusing on the Khmer Student Association (KHSA) and A&M is reaching the Filipino Student Association (FilSA) on campus. It's been a ton of fun working with these students and staff and seeing the ways that they are building relationships with other groups on campus.
Next weekend, I'll get to visit A&M and do a little "on the ground" observation and training. I'm looking forward to meeting with the students, doing some training, eating some tasty food, and generally being the "fun uncle" who pays for a bunch of things while he's in town. I'd like to think that role suits me well. =0).
Friends, I'd love your prayer next weekend as I travel. Here are a few specific ways to pray.
- Journey's mercies. My travel includes a flight into Houston and a 2 hour drive to College Station from there. Please pray for good weather, good roads, and a generally pleasant travel experience.
- Student connection. I'm excited to be back in the think of things with students again. Please pray not only that I'll be able to meet students but that I'll be able to connect those students to InterVarsity students so when I leave, relationship can continue.
- Family. I'll be leaving Thursday morning and coming back Saturday afternoon, so that'll be a good chunk of time that Meg will be riding solo with the kids. Please pray for rest for her and naps for them.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
If everything goes according to plan, I'll be blogging next week as part of my normal posting schedule. Knowing how life works and certain that things will NOT go according to plan, I'm going to post about what's happening next week and we'll go from there. =0).
One of my jobs is as director of an evangelism project for InterVarsity's Asian American Ministries (AAM). I was part of an AAM chapter at WashU (Go Bears!), planted an AAM Chapter at Mizzou (#ACFFTW), and have been Asian American for my entire life, so the opportunity to do something directly with the AAM department had a lot of appeal.
My project centers around working with AAM chapters in reaching secular AA organizations on campus, focusing on collaborative events as a way to build relationship and open students up to Jesus. Oftentimes, especially at predominantly white institutions (PWI's), reaching AA students can be a tough go because they are so spread out around campus. AA secular organizations (like the Asian American Association, Korean Student Association, etc.) is a great mission field for AAM chapters because lots of AA students are all concentrated in one place.
The two AAM Chapters I'm working with are at Texas A&M and The Ohio State University. The group at OSU is focusing on the Khmer Student Association (KHSA) and A&M is reaching the Filipino Student Association (FilSA) on campus. It's been a ton of fun working with these students and staff and seeing the ways that they are building relationships with other groups on campus.
Next weekend, I'll get to visit A&M and do a little "on the ground" observation and training. I'm looking forward to meeting with the students, doing some training, eating some tasty food, and generally being the "fun uncle" who pays for a bunch of things while he's in town. I'd like to think that role suits me well. =0).
Friends, I'd love your prayer next weekend as I travel. Here are a few specific ways to pray.
- Journey's mercies. My travel includes a flight into Houston and a 2 hour drive to College Station from there. Please pray for good weather, good roads, and a generally pleasant travel experience.
- Student connection. I'm excited to be back in the think of things with students again. Please pray not only that I'll be able to meet students but that I'll be able to connect those students to InterVarsity students so when I leave, relationship can continue.
- Family. I'll be leaving Thursday morning and coming back Saturday afternoon, so that'll be a good chunk of time that Meg will be riding solo with the kids. Please pray for rest for her and naps for them.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Wednesday, September 4, 2019
It's Curling Season!
Hello, friends!
If you know me, you know that I have a number of different loves in my life. I love Jesus. I love my wife and my kids. I love my family. I love the St. Louis Cardinals. I love biking. I love a lot of things. You probably also know that I love curling.
What is curling? I'm glad you asked! Allow me (or rather, this 2 minute video) to explain!
Look, I'm not saying I'm obsessed with curling. I'm just saying that I may or may not have driven from Columbia to Kansas City to go curling on occasion. And I may or may not have gone to the Vancouver Olympics in 2010 to watch curling. And it's possible that in Vancouver I had a conversation with the parents of an Olympic curler and the mother complemented me on my knowledge of curling and it may or may not have been one of the greatest complements I've ever received. And maybe I was up late yelling at the TV in 2018 when the US Men's team started the tournament 1-4 and won 6 straight matches to claim the gold.
However, what I am saying is that it is now curling season at the Aksarben Curling Club here in Omaha, and I am ready to go! I'm by no means a great curler but I'm ready to go!
At this point, you may be asking yourself, "Self, how did a Southern California boy get into a winter sport like curling?!" The answer, my friends, is Fred Roggin.
Fred Roggin is the sportscaster for KNBC Channel 4 in Southern California. During the 2002 Nagano Olympics, which was broadcast by NBC, Fred Roggin was in charge of the curling coverage. My brother and I, recognizing Fred, decided to watch some curling. I wasn't hooked quite then but by 2006, I had caught the curling bug.
Omaha has a curling club, and in my unbiased opinion, it rocks (Get it?)! This will be my third season curling with them and I'm ready to go. Curling teams are teams of 4. My friend Doug (pictured above) and I got randomly paired together when we first started in the Spring of 2018. The other 2 on our team have switched each season (and will be switching again this season) but we're still good to go. I'll be helping with the instructional league in September then our official league will start up in October. It's so close I can feel it! Hooray for curling! =0).
There is probably the question floating in your head right now as to what me curling has to do with ministry. The answer is that it probably doesn't a ton. However, there is some connection. Much like OBC, curling has been one of the things that has made Omaha feel like home. I know I do better work when I feel like I'm in a stable place and thriving. It seems kind of silly, but knowing that I have a few hours each week where I can do something I love and have fun is pretty great.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
If you know me, you know that I have a number of different loves in my life. I love Jesus. I love my wife and my kids. I love my family. I love the St. Louis Cardinals. I love biking. I love a lot of things. You probably also know that I love curling.
What is curling? I'm glad you asked! Allow me (or rather, this 2 minute video) to explain!
Look, I'm not saying I'm obsessed with curling. I'm just saying that I may or may not have driven from Columbia to Kansas City to go curling on occasion. And I may or may not have gone to the Vancouver Olympics in 2010 to watch curling. And it's possible that in Vancouver I had a conversation with the parents of an Olympic curler and the mother complemented me on my knowledge of curling and it may or may not have been one of the greatest complements I've ever received. And maybe I was up late yelling at the TV in 2018 when the US Men's team started the tournament 1-4 and won 6 straight matches to claim the gold.
However, what I am saying is that it is now curling season at the Aksarben Curling Club here in Omaha, and I am ready to go! I'm by no means a great curler but I'm ready to go!
At this point, you may be asking yourself, "Self, how did a Southern California boy get into a winter sport like curling?!" The answer, my friends, is Fred Roggin.
Fred Roggin is the sportscaster for KNBC Channel 4 in Southern California. During the 2002 Nagano Olympics, which was broadcast by NBC, Fred Roggin was in charge of the curling coverage. My brother and I, recognizing Fred, decided to watch some curling. I wasn't hooked quite then but by 2006, I had caught the curling bug.
Omaha has a curling club, and in my unbiased opinion, it rocks (Get it?)! This will be my third season curling with them and I'm ready to go. Curling teams are teams of 4. My friend Doug (pictured above) and I got randomly paired together when we first started in the Spring of 2018. The other 2 on our team have switched each season (and will be switching again this season) but we're still good to go. I'll be helping with the instructional league in September then our official league will start up in October. It's so close I can feel it! Hooray for curling! =0).
There is probably the question floating in your head right now as to what me curling has to do with ministry. The answer is that it probably doesn't a ton. However, there is some connection. Much like OBC, curling has been one of the things that has made Omaha feel like home. I know I do better work when I feel like I'm in a stable place and thriving. It seems kind of silly, but knowing that I have a few hours each week where I can do something I love and have fun is pretty great.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
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