ACE Time!

Hello, friends! 

This month, I'm leading a project for our Region called ACE, or the Alumni Closing Extravaganza! The tl;dr is that we have $20k in matching grants available for any alumni who set up recurring gifts to any of the campus accounts in Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri by next Friday. Praise the LORD, we've already raised over $10,000 of our match. It's also been a joy getting to connect and reconnect with InterVarsity alum from all over the place! 

Friends, ACE has been a LOT of work. In order to cast as wide a net as possible, each of our staff has a list of 20-40 alumni (depending on if they're full time or part time) they are contacting. Since everything is happening in such a tight window, our staff are contacting each alumni 2-4 times each of these weeks too. I've sent so many text messages that I'm pretty sure Google Voice suspended my account... =0). 

And yet, we've seen some really cool things happen! A lot of our staff have reconnected with alumni with whom they haven't spoken in years. It's been so great to hear about how our former students are doing and the impact that InterVarsity had on their lives. It's been such a blessing to see that students are continuing to follow Jesus and that they want to continue to see InterVarsity happen on their campuses. 

So, want to be apart of our ACE?! If you are and alumni of a school in Iowa, Kansas, Missouri, or Nebraska and want to be a part of seeing the Gospel go to every corner of your campus, click here to search for your campus and please do let me know if you decide to give! 

If you're not an alum in the Central Region but still want to give, that's totally cool too. You can also tag friends or family who are alum to let them know about this great opportunity. 

Either way, would you be praying for us? Pray that alumni would be responsive, that staff would be filled with strength, and that our campuses would be blessed by the work we're doing now. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Getaway Travel Adventures!

Hello, friends! 

We are back from International Getaway! How was it? You'll have to ask Megan, since I was with the kiddos. How did the kids do? They all slept mostly through the night, played well with the other kids, and had a ton of fun, so we'll call it a win! Seriously though, even though I didn't attend any of the sessions, I heard that everything was great. The students were engaged and connected. The photos I'm seeing show that everyone had a great time. I still believe that Getaway is one of the best things that we do as a Region. 

But I don't want to talk about Getaway itself. I want to talk about getting TO Getaway because THAT was an adventure. 

The original plan was simple: Pick up the kids from school a little early, grab dinner on the way, and make it to Getaway in time for the evening session at 7. I had a meeting that went until 2, so I figured I could grab the kids by 2:30 and we'd be golden. 

Waiting for the kids took a little bit longer than anticipated but we still got out of town by 3. That would have put us in St. Joseph for a drive-through dinner at around 5ish and getting into Getaway somewhere in the 6:30 range. Things were looking good. 

About 45 minutes into our drive, the low tire pressure light came on, which is never a good thing. Sometimes it's a false alarm and sometimes it's the real deal. This time, the light was accompanied by a "pop" and rattle... we'd blown our right rear tire.

Here, I have a decision to make. I could change the tire and get us to the next exit, where I could then look for a tire shop that would be open at 5pm on a Friday or I could call AAA and have them tow me somewhere. Given that it would take time for AAA to get to me and then the chances of a tire shop being open would be even lower, I opted for the change. 

Friends, trying to change a tire on the side of the interstate is not a ton of fun. Thankfully, it was the passenger side, so it'd be safer but it still would not be fun. Thankfully, a good Samaritan came by and offered to help. 

Oh, and help he did! Not only did he help me change the tire, since he was from the area, he knew the local tire shops and called around to see if one was open (all the local shops were closed but the Walmart was open). After we changed the tire, he noticed that the spare was looking low on air, so he followed me off the interstate then led me to a body shop that could at least put some air in my tire. He was an absolute God send. 

So, we get the spare filled up good then drive 20 minutes more to the Walmart. I check in the car and ask them to also check the rear tire on the driver's side too. Sure enough, there was a nail in that one and it probably would have blown on this trip too. It looked like we were getting TWO tires changed instead of just one. 

Do you want to know what's hard? Trying to keep 3 small children entertained but not destructive at a Walmart. This included having to scold the kids multiple times to stop climbing on the tires and running through the aisles. It included at least 5 trips to the bathroom (on the other side of the store). It included eating some really sub-par chicken tenders from the Walmart deli. It was an ordeal, that is for sure. 

One hour and hundreds of dollars later, we were back on the road. The rest of the trip was easy enough and we made it in to camp around 9pm, just as the evening session was finishing. All told, it was a 3 hour detour that I'm OK never doing again. 

Leaving Getaway was its own adventure too. A student accidentally gave Jonah some nuts and he had an allergic reaction that the medicine was a little slow in counteracting, so we had to take a detour to Urgent Care (Jonah's fine). When we stopped for lunch, the drive-through forgot part of our order so I had to turn around and grab that. We were supposed to make it home in time for Ezra to go to his friend's birthday party. We were able to catch the last little bit of it, which was good. 

Friends, I often ask for journey's mercies as we travel. I don't know how this qualifies. On the one hand, we were helped by a Good Samaritan, the Walmart tire shop was open so we could get the work done, they found the second tire nail before we blew the tire, and we did eventually get to Getaway. On the other hand, it was a 3 hour detour there (and a 90 minute detour on the way back) that was very stressful and tiring. Ultimately, I'm just happy that we made it. 

How was Getaway? From what I heard, Getaway was great. How was Getaway travel? I'd say... less great. =0). 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam 

I know  

Pray for Getaway!

Hello, friends! 

Depending on when you're reading this, staff are on their way, students have just started arriving, or we're in the middle of International Getaway, our Regional international student conference. As I'm writing this, Megan is on her way to Kansas City to get things ready for everyone. 

Honestly, International Getaway is one of the best things that we do as a Region. For the past decade plus, we've created an atmosphere where international students from all over the world and many different faith traditions, can come together, have fun, and explore who Jesus is. There have been dance parties, cultural showcases, high stakes quiz shows, and more than one student making a decision to follow Jesus. 

One of my favorite stories from Getaway is a few years ago, when Getaway fell on the calendar at the same time as Ramadan. As a way to welcome Muslim students, the staff team created a Muslim track with a completely backwards schedule. Since Muslims fast during the days of Ramadan, their schedule started with the evening meal, followed by Bible study into the night. It was a great example of how our International Student Ministry staff do an amazing job of contextualizing ministry work to reach every corner of every campus. 

Megan is directing Getaway this year (again) and always does such a good job. For the past few months, she's been working with her co-director to make sure the staff team are prepared in their various jobs. I'll be coming up with the the kids tomorrow so they can experience Getaway too. 

Confession time... I don't think I've ever officially staffed an International Getaway. For its first few years, it was held at the same time as another student conference we did and I was always working that conference. Then, once we started having kids, I was never assigned a specific role since my main job was going to be kid duty (as evidenced by the ONE photo I have of Getaway from last year...). This year, it's the same. I've experienced Getaway in some form or fashion for years now, but never officially as a staff (beyond leading a game or two since I was already there). 

So, friends, would you take some time to pray for Getaway? If you'd like to sign up for an official prayer block, here's the link for that. However, if you'd like to just pray in general, here are a few prayer points:

- Journey's Mercies: Staff and students are coming from all 4 states, which means a lot of driving. Please pray for safe travels for everyone. 

- Good Weather: It's supposed to rain on Friday. We're praying that it holds off until the night so students can have a good experience all around. 

- Bible Studies: Pray for open students and good discussions. They'll be studying the life of Jesus through Matthew, Luke, and John. 

- Family Time: Personally, the kids are pretty bummed that we don't get to join Megan early (alas, gotta keep the kids in school!). We'll have about 36 hours of "Daddy Time." Pray we all survive. =0). 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Fun Run!!!

Hello, friends! 

Yesterday, Ezra and Thaliea participated in Rose Hill Elementary's annual fun run fundraiser. The kids raised money by committing to running 4 laps around the school resulting in them running a full mile. Thankfully, my work schedule allowed for me to watch them both run. 

Thaliea was up first with the other kindergartners and first graders. She was really nervous about running the race. She was worried that she would be embarrassed if she fell down. I'm so proud of her for fighting through her fears. She ran the mile in 9:30 and even got right back up when she took a tumble on lap 4.

Ezra ran next with the second and third graders. He was pumped and ready for this race. He improved on last year's time but 25 seconds (I clocked him at 8:05 for the mile) which was great. However, what made me most proud was that at the beginning of the race, while all the kids were bunched up, Ezra saw one of his classmates take a tumble. He ran right over to her to make sure she was ok. Once she stood up and started walking off the course, he bolted back to the race. We're pretty sure he finished top 5, even with the stop for sportsmanship.

All said and done, in super proud of both of them. I think I'm still faster than them both but it's getting closer. We'll see how next year goes. =0).

Have an excellent day!

Another Month in Photos!

Hello, friends! 

I did it again... I didn't blog much. Apparently, having a full time job and 3 kids is a lot of work! =0). 

Since the photo journal of March went so well, we'll do it again! Here's what went down in April. 

Our church hosted a Family Fun Fair for the community. We had around 800 people show up and over 24,000 eggs were donated! What was also great was that Ezra invited some friends from school and they had a good time too. 

                                        

We went to SoDak for Easter. Look, it's a good family photo! I promise, we told the kids that the Rosary is not meant to be a necklace...

                                        

We celebrated Megan's birthday! It didn't quite go as planned (Thaliea had to go the ER for X-Rays because a door got closed on her hand; she's fine though) but Megan still felt loved and appreciated. 

                        

                       

Things are going great at Bellevue! The group has started meeting regularly for Bible study and the ladies are doing a great job of leading. Even better, Shelby (left) is applying for a student internship with InterVarsity! 

                                        

We had some days off school for Teacher Development, so the kids got to invite their friends to go to the trampoline park together. We're so glad the kids have friends they like to spend time with. 

                                        

We finished the month by going to California for my cousin's wedding. It was great to see family, go to a wedding, and eat lots of tasty things. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

Reflections on Preaching...

Hello, friends! 

For as long as I've been in ministry, I've tried to keep this blog (or a similar blog) updated. This started because most of my ministry partners were in California while I was stationed in Missouri and I wanted to make sure they were updated with what was happening. It's also been a good way for me to reflect on what's been happening in ministry on a regular basis. 

When I moved to a supervisory role and worked less directly with students, the blog changed a little. I was writing more about family and other random thoughts, mainly because I didn't have as many student stories because I wasn't working with students as much. One way for me to fill the blogosphere was to link to a YouTube video every time I was invited to preach. It was a fun break in the monotony that came up every now and then. 

I haven't posted a sermon in a while, but that's actually because I've been preaching MORE, not less. The last time I posted a sermon was last August. Since then, by my count, I've preached 7 times since then (about once a month) with another 2 sermons coming in the next 3 weeks. That's a lot of preaching! 

One of the things that I've appreciated as I've preached more has been how my preaching style has evolved. When I was only preaching once a quarter (or less), my job was more of a pinch hitter; I would preach on whatever was asked of me by the pastoral staff and my sermons wouldn't necessarily connect to one another. However, since I've gotten more opportunities to preach, especially the past 3 months, while our Head Pastor was out on Sabbatical, I've been able to craft a preaching style that fits me and hopefully benefits the congregation. 

My style? I call it "aspiring bible nerd." What I love to do is look at a passage and see if there is a new (to us) way of understanding the passage by looking at the Word from an unconventional angle. Usually, this means going back to the Greek or Hebrew to see how the English translation of a word is different from the original intent. One of my favorite recent sermons is when we were going through our Armor of God series and I was able to preach on the Word of God. 

Another way you could describe my style is "break it down." Even though it's a little awkward to receive compliments right after preaching, one of the common refrains I hear from people is that they appreciate how I break down biblical concepts into easy to understand bites. I appreciate that it's something I can bring to the table. 

Now that our head pastor is back, I'm not sure how much I'll be preaching moving forward. I'm always happy to preach when asked but I won't be inserting myself into the conversation just for the sake of my own desire. But, when the call comes, this aspiring Bible nerd will be ready to break it down as needed. 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam

The Month in Photos!

Hello, friends! 

Well, apparently it's been too long since I last posted about ministry happenings! Instead of words, we're going to go with photos! Without further ado, here's the latest month in (mostly) ministry. My hope is that I'll do a better job of keeping y'all updated moving forward. 

March 2 will forever be known in the Leong Household as Awkward Family Photo day! I submitted this photo in 2021 and it finally made its way to the calendar! 

Megan attended the IF Gathering with our church, so the kiddos and I went to the Children's Museum. #Dadding

Ezra and Thaliea spent some time selling coupon cards for our Cub Scout Pack. The best part of the day actually was me meeting a Chinese woman who attends the Chinese church in town. It was good for my soul to connect with Chinese folk in Omaha. 

Bellevue Bible Study Kickoff! The ladies decided that a game night was a great way to start. We ate lots of Chick-Fil-A and I taught everyone to play Catan. 

Small Group! Megan and I are co-leaders of our church small group with another couple. This is us stuffing eggs for our church's Family Fun Fair (more on that later). It's been so great seeing us come together as a community. 

We had some friends visit! Phil and I went to WashU together (#GoBears) and he came into town to visit us and another friend who recently moved to Omaha. It turns out that his friend's oldest goes to the same school as Ezra and Thaliea and got put on our soccer team! 

MPD 101! Our newest staff came to Omaha for some training. This is us after we totally crushed an escape room. It was so great to hang out with these new staff and get going on some really good MPD action. 

     

While I was at MPD 101, Megan took the older kids on a scout overnight to the Strategic Air Command Museum. The kids had a blast!

Where was JoJo? He was with my mom! My mom came to visit the last weekend in March. Why? 

Because the Soccer Season has officially begun! Ezra's team has started off the season well, going 3-0 so far. I'm hoping that one more season of coaching under my belt is helping. #GoBlackWidows

We took the family to see the Omaha Union, Omaha's professional soccer team, play. It was all of our first time attending a pro soccer game. Ezra loved the soccer. Thaliea loved the family time. Jonah loved the snacks. 

The older kids had their Blue and Gold Banquet for Cub Scouts. Thaliea earned the Lion Rank and Ezra earned his Wolf badge. I'm so proud of my little scouts! 

Well, that was the month of March! As you can see, it was a really busy month. April is also looking packed. Hopefully, I'll post again before May comes around. =0). 

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam