Hello, friends!
One of my favorite things to do in ministry is to give away bibles. There's something really fun and spectacular about meeting a student who is interested in reading the Word but doesn't have the Word to read, then being able to fill that need for them. I know that there are tons of Bible reading apps and they are all great; I use one myself. Still, there's something really beautiful about having the Word in your hand and flipping the pages. It makes the reading experience that much more real.
Yesterday, at Lincoln, I was able to give away my Bible. I've been meeting with a student for the past few months, after she became a Christian at Lincoln. It's the Lent season and when we last spoke, she said that she wanted to spend the Lent season hanging out with Jesus more. I checked in with her to see how that was going and she said it was hard over Spring Break because of all the time with family. We then talked about how she connects with Jesus, she talked about how she liked to pray and that was her main form of connection. When I asked her about reading the Bible, she said that it was hard for her because the Bible she had was hard to understand. I'm not sure if she meant because it wasn't a good translation or because it's just a tough read but I asked her if she wanted a Bible. Then, I pulled out my trusty "giveaway" bible and showed her my quick guide on how to spend some time in the Word in just a few minutes.
When I say, "my Bible" what I really mean is my giveaway Bible. This isn't a Bible that I received as a gift for my baptism or that I've had since I was a kid. These are Bibles that I buy especially to giveaway. I always carry one with me when I'm on campus because you never know when the opportunity to arise.
I've learned that while you can't judge a book by its cover, the cover can still matter a lot when giving away Bibles. I like to give away Bibles that look nice, usually imitation leather and small. I have cases of those big paperback bibles that say HOLY BIBLE on the front and the words are the exact same but I've found that when the Bible looks good and is small enough to fit into a backpack, students are much more likely to carry it around and actually read it. I once had a student who, every time he saw me on campus, would come up to me and say, "guess what I have in my backpack." The answer, of course, was the Bible I gave him.
Reading the Word isn't hard to do but can be intimidating at times. When I'm teaching students how to just get into the habit of reading the Word, I teach them two quick methods: the 4 R's and the 3 Q's.
The 4 R's:
- Read: Pick a passage and read it. Using the subheadings found in your bible is a great way to start.
- Repeat: In your own words, summarize what you just read
- Reflect: Think about what questions you had or any thoughts and emotions that came up in you as your read
- Respond: In light of your reflection, how do you want to respond to what you just read?
The 3 Q's:
- What does this passage say about God?
- What does this passage say about me or humanity?
- What is one thing I can do to put this passage into practice?
Usually, being able to break down reading the Bible into quick bites and a system helps students get over their fear of reading the Bible. It's always great when they come back to me later and talk about what they're reading and the questions they have. In fact, after giving this student my Bible yesterday, we did 2 mini Bible studies where I showed her the 4 R's and 3 Q's and she responded to it really well.
Friends, if you're interested in helping me buy some new Bibles to give away, I'd love to partner with you in this endeavor. Because I get nicer looking Bibles, the prices range from $15-$20. If you're like to help me buy more Bibles for students, you can click the link here, and donate!
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, March 23, 2017
Thursday, March 16, 2017
So long, Auntie Serena...
Hello, friends!
A few days ago, Auntie Serena Lam passed away. Most of you don't know Auntie Serena and to be honest, when I look back, I'm not sure that I knew her super well either. I don't know how old she was when she died. I remember her and Uncle Paul being in the jewelry business but I would be wrong about that one. I was informed, but not intimately so, about her health issues. It'd been months since I last spoke to her in person.
Still, when I heard that Auntie Serena had passed, I felt a deep sense of loss and a need to really mourn. I'm not a really emotional guy, so this struck me as odd. What was it about Auntie Serena? As I spent some time reflecting, I realized that Auntie Serena played a subtle but important role in many of the most important developments of my life. Through those times, she actually revealed to me a lot more about who she was than I realized at the time.
I don't remember the exact date, so I can't tell you if it was before or after Uncle Paul (Auntie Serena's husband) died, but at some point, Auntie Serena gave me his old golf clubs. It was a small gesture and maybe she just wanted them out of the house but it was a big deal to me. They were old clubs but they were a matching set and they were MY clubs. I don't use them anymore but it was having my own set of matching clubs that got me a little more interested in golf, to the point that up until Ezra was born, it was a very regular part of my week.
Auntie Serena's house was always open and was always the place for the after party. When my dad and Auntie Serena were both on staff for the church youth group, every beach party was followed by an after party and Auntie Serena's. It wasn't just those parties though. There were many other youth group sleepovers and pool parties and things of that nature that happened at Auntie Serena's. I don't think I pulled my FIRST all-nighter at Auntie Serena's but I know there were more than a few. I had my first significant conversation with my first girlfriend at Auntie Serena's. I made connections with some of my friends that last to this day. Auntie Serena's house will always be a place of hospitality and good memories.
When I first started my journey with InterVarsity, I had to raise what felt like an impossible amount of money. In my second year, I moved from an internship to being full-time staff and that number DOUBLED. I was confident that the money could be raised but also knew that it was going to take a lot of work. When I switched to full-time, Auntie Serena was one of my very first "no-ask" donors. I just looked at my account and there was a donation. It showed up the month after that too. And it was there the month after that. For the past 9 years, Auntie Serena has been a financial ministry partner. We never had an appointment. She just started giving.
But it wasn't just giving. She was also an advocate for me on the church mission committee. Whenever I came back to report on the things that God was doing in Missouri, I knew that I could count on her smiling and supportive face being there. I knew that I was always going to have an advocate and someone who loved and supported me in the room.
What does this say about Auntie Serena? It says that she was someone who was kind, generous, loving, giving, and serving. I don't know anyone who ever had a bad thing to say about her. She lived her life with grace, poise, and love. She will be surely missed.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
A few days ago, Auntie Serena Lam passed away. Most of you don't know Auntie Serena and to be honest, when I look back, I'm not sure that I knew her super well either. I don't know how old she was when she died. I remember her and Uncle Paul being in the jewelry business but I would be wrong about that one. I was informed, but not intimately so, about her health issues. It'd been months since I last spoke to her in person.
Still, when I heard that Auntie Serena had passed, I felt a deep sense of loss and a need to really mourn. I'm not a really emotional guy, so this struck me as odd. What was it about Auntie Serena? As I spent some time reflecting, I realized that Auntie Serena played a subtle but important role in many of the most important developments of my life. Through those times, she actually revealed to me a lot more about who she was than I realized at the time.
I don't remember the exact date, so I can't tell you if it was before or after Uncle Paul (Auntie Serena's husband) died, but at some point, Auntie Serena gave me his old golf clubs. It was a small gesture and maybe she just wanted them out of the house but it was a big deal to me. They were old clubs but they were a matching set and they were MY clubs. I don't use them anymore but it was having my own set of matching clubs that got me a little more interested in golf, to the point that up until Ezra was born, it was a very regular part of my week.
Auntie Serena's house was always open and was always the place for the after party. When my dad and Auntie Serena were both on staff for the church youth group, every beach party was followed by an after party and Auntie Serena's. It wasn't just those parties though. There were many other youth group sleepovers and pool parties and things of that nature that happened at Auntie Serena's. I don't think I pulled my FIRST all-nighter at Auntie Serena's but I know there were more than a few. I had my first significant conversation with my first girlfriend at Auntie Serena's. I made connections with some of my friends that last to this day. Auntie Serena's house will always be a place of hospitality and good memories.
When I first started my journey with InterVarsity, I had to raise what felt like an impossible amount of money. In my second year, I moved from an internship to being full-time staff and that number DOUBLED. I was confident that the money could be raised but also knew that it was going to take a lot of work. When I switched to full-time, Auntie Serena was one of my very first "no-ask" donors. I just looked at my account and there was a donation. It showed up the month after that too. And it was there the month after that. For the past 9 years, Auntie Serena has been a financial ministry partner. We never had an appointment. She just started giving.
But it wasn't just giving. She was also an advocate for me on the church mission committee. Whenever I came back to report on the things that God was doing in Missouri, I knew that I could count on her smiling and supportive face being there. I knew that I was always going to have an advocate and someone who loved and supported me in the room.
What does this say about Auntie Serena? It says that she was someone who was kind, generous, loving, giving, and serving. I don't know anyone who ever had a bad thing to say about her. She lived her life with grace, poise, and love. She will be surely missed.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, March 9, 2017
Zero's and One's...
Hello, friends!
Oftentimes, when I talking with other staff, I joke about how students only see the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the work that we do. They think that all we do is hang out with them, buy them food, talk about Jesus, and be on our way. It must be the easiest job in the world. I know that when I first came on staff, I was astonished at how much "other" work there was to the gig. There were the reports to write, the travel to various meetings, the ministry partner development, and dealing with rejection on a pretty consistent basis.
For the past few semesters, I have been working at Lincoln using our proxe stations. I've shared various stories about students becoming engaged with the Gospel through these interactive Gospel displays. I've seen students make decisions to follow Jesus. I've had really good conversations with students as they've wrestled with the question of whether or not Jesus is real. I've had the opportunity to share the Gospel with as many as 6 students all at the same time because a single friend group came by to see our display. I've seen students make strides in leadership because they lead their friends through the proxe. Overall, it's been a really fruitful experience.
But, not lately.
The past 2 weeks, as I've set up my proxe, as I've waited for the in between class rush to make their way to the cafeteria, I've had evangelistic conversations with exactly 0 and 1 person during the time that I've been out there. I'm not sure if I need to switch up my displays or if folk are just tired of seeing me out there but it's been an odd experience. Questions and displays that just a few months ago gathered entire groups of students all at once now are passed by without so much as a second though. The conversation I did have was a good one but for the effort that goes into setting up and tearing down (not to mention dealing with the wind), I'm wondering if it's actually worth it.
When I was an undergrad, I was told by a mentor of mine that I would make a really good engineer because of the way that my mind worked. Some of my best friends are engineers and I certainly can appreciate the beauty of engineering in all of its forms. I don't know much, but from what my computer science friends have told me (and from watching lots of Futurama), I know about binary code. Binary code is just a bunch of 0's and 1's, that, when strung together, make up letters, words, phrases, and commands. The joke is that there are 10 kinds of people in the world; those who can read binary and those who can't. (10 being the binary code for the number 2).
As I've reflected on the past few weeks at Lincoln, my thoughts went to binary code. The idea that all these 0's and 1's can come together to create something great has appeal. I'd like to believe that when you take all the rejections and the low fruit moments in ministry and string them together, God is still doing something. I may not be able to see it now but there is a story being written. In the moment, it feels just like a 0 or a 1 but I have to have faith that something down the road is going to make sense.
If I'm honest, I had to get myself hyped up to even set up the proxe yesterday. I had a feeling that it was going to be a 0/1 kind of day. I turned out to be right but that's OK. I'm going to trust that all these 0's and 1's are going to turn into a really great story once all is said and done.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Oftentimes, when I talking with other staff, I joke about how students only see the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the work that we do. They think that all we do is hang out with them, buy them food, talk about Jesus, and be on our way. It must be the easiest job in the world. I know that when I first came on staff, I was astonished at how much "other" work there was to the gig. There were the reports to write, the travel to various meetings, the ministry partner development, and dealing with rejection on a pretty consistent basis.
For the past few semesters, I have been working at Lincoln using our proxe stations. I've shared various stories about students becoming engaged with the Gospel through these interactive Gospel displays. I've seen students make decisions to follow Jesus. I've had really good conversations with students as they've wrestled with the question of whether or not Jesus is real. I've had the opportunity to share the Gospel with as many as 6 students all at the same time because a single friend group came by to see our display. I've seen students make strides in leadership because they lead their friends through the proxe. Overall, it's been a really fruitful experience.
But, not lately.
The past 2 weeks, as I've set up my proxe, as I've waited for the in between class rush to make their way to the cafeteria, I've had evangelistic conversations with exactly 0 and 1 person during the time that I've been out there. I'm not sure if I need to switch up my displays or if folk are just tired of seeing me out there but it's been an odd experience. Questions and displays that just a few months ago gathered entire groups of students all at once now are passed by without so much as a second though. The conversation I did have was a good one but for the effort that goes into setting up and tearing down (not to mention dealing with the wind), I'm wondering if it's actually worth it.
When I was an undergrad, I was told by a mentor of mine that I would make a really good engineer because of the way that my mind worked. Some of my best friends are engineers and I certainly can appreciate the beauty of engineering in all of its forms. I don't know much, but from what my computer science friends have told me (and from watching lots of Futurama), I know about binary code. Binary code is just a bunch of 0's and 1's, that, when strung together, make up letters, words, phrases, and commands. The joke is that there are 10 kinds of people in the world; those who can read binary and those who can't. (10 being the binary code for the number 2).
As I've reflected on the past few weeks at Lincoln, my thoughts went to binary code. The idea that all these 0's and 1's can come together to create something great has appeal. I'd like to believe that when you take all the rejections and the low fruit moments in ministry and string them together, God is still doing something. I may not be able to see it now but there is a story being written. In the moment, it feels just like a 0 or a 1 but I have to have faith that something down the road is going to make sense.
If I'm honest, I had to get myself hyped up to even set up the proxe yesterday. I had a feeling that it was going to be a 0/1 kind of day. I turned out to be right but that's OK. I'm going to trust that all these 0's and 1's are going to turn into a really great story once all is said and done.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, March 2, 2017
36 Hours in Maryland...
Hello, friends!
I'm writing this to you from beautiful Columbia, MO but I've only been back here for about 24 hours or so. The past few days were a whirlwind as I traveled to College Park, MD, to visit one of the staff who I'm coaching as part of my new role as Asian American Ministries Pilot Project Director. While I was there, I got to visit the campus (beautiful!), meet with the staff who is on the ground (gifted!), and do a quick training for the students who he is working with as part of the project (motivated!). It was a quick trip but one that was definitely worth it. Allow me to break down the timeline for you.
December 31: Buy tickets for Maryland visit set for the first weekend in February
January 28: Cancel tickets when it comes to light that the women are in the middle of sorority rush season and won't be able to meet
February 10: Begin trying to setup a new date for a visit
February 23: Come to the conclusion that the only date that's going to work is February 28. Proceed to purchase tickets, rental car, and hotel
February 27:
- 6am: Drive from CoMO to StL to catch my flight
- 4pm: Arrive in MD and get myself situated
- 9:30pm: Meet with the staff to go through the training I'll be leading
February 28:
- 11am: Ohana staff video conference
- 12pm: Prayer walking around the Maryland campus
- 3pm: Training prep
- 6pm: Meet the staff and his family for dinner
- 7:30pm: Pick up student number 1
- 8:30pm: Student 2 arrives and we do the training
- 10pm: Training finishes and we take folk hime
- 11pm: Debrief with the staff
March 1:
- 12:30am: Arrive back at the hotel, finish up a few things and pack before heading to the airport
- 3am: Arrive at the airport and take an hour nap before security opens
- 5:50am: Fly back to StL
- 9:15am: Arrive back in StL and drive to Jefferson City to staff at Lincoln
- 11:30am: Arrive at Lincoln and do my staff stuff there
- 4pm: Drive home from Jeff City
- 4:30pm: Back Home
That, my friends, is a ridiculous kind of trip but boy was it fun. There was something really beautiful about how quickly the trip came together and all the pieces worked. Of course, it would have been nice if the tickets had already been purchased so that part wasn't fun but the logistics of everything was the plan was put into motion was pretty great and more evidence that God is pretty great too.
Fortunately, this was my only visit for the year so I don't have to worry about doing something crazy like that again anytime soon. I'm also so thankful for Meg and her being OK watching Ezra for a few days without me so I could go on this trip. It was definitely good to go but certainly better to be back.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
I'm writing this to you from beautiful Columbia, MO but I've only been back here for about 24 hours or so. The past few days were a whirlwind as I traveled to College Park, MD, to visit one of the staff who I'm coaching as part of my new role as Asian American Ministries Pilot Project Director. While I was there, I got to visit the campus (beautiful!), meet with the staff who is on the ground (gifted!), and do a quick training for the students who he is working with as part of the project (motivated!). It was a quick trip but one that was definitely worth it. Allow me to break down the timeline for you.
December 31: Buy tickets for Maryland visit set for the first weekend in February
January 28: Cancel tickets when it comes to light that the women are in the middle of sorority rush season and won't be able to meet
February 10: Begin trying to setup a new date for a visit
February 23: Come to the conclusion that the only date that's going to work is February 28. Proceed to purchase tickets, rental car, and hotel
February 27:
- 6am: Drive from CoMO to StL to catch my flight
- 4pm: Arrive in MD and get myself situated
- 9:30pm: Meet with the staff to go through the training I'll be leading
February 28:
- 11am: Ohana staff video conference
- 12pm: Prayer walking around the Maryland campus
- 3pm: Training prep
- 6pm: Meet the staff and his family for dinner
- 7:30pm: Pick up student number 1
- 8:30pm: Student 2 arrives and we do the training
- 10pm: Training finishes and we take folk hime
- 11pm: Debrief with the staff
March 1:
- 12:30am: Arrive back at the hotel, finish up a few things and pack before heading to the airport
- 3am: Arrive at the airport and take an hour nap before security opens
- 5:50am: Fly back to StL
- 9:15am: Arrive back in StL and drive to Jefferson City to staff at Lincoln
- 11:30am: Arrive at Lincoln and do my staff stuff there
- 4pm: Drive home from Jeff City
- 4:30pm: Back Home
That, my friends, is a ridiculous kind of trip but boy was it fun. There was something really beautiful about how quickly the trip came together and all the pieces worked. Of course, it would have been nice if the tickets had already been purchased so that part wasn't fun but the logistics of everything was the plan was put into motion was pretty great and more evidence that God is pretty great too.
Fortunately, this was my only visit for the year so I don't have to worry about doing something crazy like that again anytime soon. I'm also so thankful for Meg and her being OK watching Ezra for a few days without me so I could go on this trip. It was definitely good to go but certainly better to be back.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Tuesday, February 21, 2017
The Joys and Heartbreaks on Honesty...
Hello, friends!
I've been a missionary with InterVarsity for just about 10 years now. During that time, I've seen a lot. I've seen students make decisions to follow Jesus and students make decision to leave the faith. I've seen students catch a vision for being missionaries where they are and I've seen other students who were seemingly solid go through their college careers with no sense of mission. I've seen Freshmen get plugged in immediately and Seniors fall off the face of the earth. I've worked with White, Black, Asian, Latino, and International Students, with successes and failure across the board. I've started chapters and shut down chapters. I've seen a lot.
When you're in this line of work, you have to develop a thick skin to a certain extent while still not losing your humanity. On the one hand, when rejection and failure comes in terms of students not following Jesus or leaving the chapter, it's important to remember that it is not necessarily you they are rejecting but Christ. Just like when a student comes to Jesus it's not because of my work but because of Christ. If I don't remember that, I go crazy, getting too high with the highs and too low with the lows of student reactions.
At the same time, it's important to rejoice and mourn well. I joke all the time about not really having any emotions but the truth is that if I don't at least feel SOMETHING, then I'm probably not doing my job right. I can't just be trying to REACH students; I also have to be willing to LOVE students.
One of the most important ways that I'm able to do this is by focusing on the PROCESS and not necessarily the RESULT. I tell students all the time that it matters to me where you are but it matters more to me where you're going. If you are moving toward Jesus, we're doing just fine, regardless of what you think of him now. In the same way, if you're moving away from Jesus, that's a red flag for me, regardless of where you are presently. An honest assessment of where you are and where you're going are what matter most.
That's why texts like these are so interesting:
"I don't see the point because I don't know if I believe that he even exists. My father is dead and to me God is the same."
"In all honesty man when you first approached me on the field I didn't feel comfortable telling you I was an atheist due to the nature of the conversation, subsequently entangling me in a lie in which you believe I am slightly religions. I apologize and should have told you earlier but I am actually very against Christianity."
Quote number one was a text message that one of my students received from a friend who he has been trying to reach in his dorm. Quote number two was from a student that I met while doing a proxe on campus.
In both of these cases, I'm a little bit torn between the happy and the sad. One the one hand, I love the honesty. The fact that these things can actually be said means that there is a certain level of trust built up. Those confessions are not easy things to say but there was something in the relationship that compelled honesty.
However, on the other hand, my heart breaks for these students. One student is blaming God for the death of a loved one and can't quite get past the sense of loss. The other student is straight against God and isn't all that interested in even entertaining a conversation about Him. Those make me sad.
My first instinct is to put together a game plan on how to reach these students. There are bible studies to be prepped, conversations to be had, and all sorts of strategies to be employed. None of those things are necessarily bad either. But, I've been compelled to pray more this year and I pray that you'll join me in interceding for these students. Pray that God will reveal himself to them and that in their honesty about where they are with God, He will bring a truth that will set them free.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
I've been a missionary with InterVarsity for just about 10 years now. During that time, I've seen a lot. I've seen students make decisions to follow Jesus and students make decision to leave the faith. I've seen students catch a vision for being missionaries where they are and I've seen other students who were seemingly solid go through their college careers with no sense of mission. I've seen Freshmen get plugged in immediately and Seniors fall off the face of the earth. I've worked with White, Black, Asian, Latino, and International Students, with successes and failure across the board. I've started chapters and shut down chapters. I've seen a lot.
When you're in this line of work, you have to develop a thick skin to a certain extent while still not losing your humanity. On the one hand, when rejection and failure comes in terms of students not following Jesus or leaving the chapter, it's important to remember that it is not necessarily you they are rejecting but Christ. Just like when a student comes to Jesus it's not because of my work but because of Christ. If I don't remember that, I go crazy, getting too high with the highs and too low with the lows of student reactions.
At the same time, it's important to rejoice and mourn well. I joke all the time about not really having any emotions but the truth is that if I don't at least feel SOMETHING, then I'm probably not doing my job right. I can't just be trying to REACH students; I also have to be willing to LOVE students.
One of the most important ways that I'm able to do this is by focusing on the PROCESS and not necessarily the RESULT. I tell students all the time that it matters to me where you are but it matters more to me where you're going. If you are moving toward Jesus, we're doing just fine, regardless of what you think of him now. In the same way, if you're moving away from Jesus, that's a red flag for me, regardless of where you are presently. An honest assessment of where you are and where you're going are what matter most.
That's why texts like these are so interesting:
"I don't see the point because I don't know if I believe that he even exists. My father is dead and to me God is the same."
"In all honesty man when you first approached me on the field I didn't feel comfortable telling you I was an atheist due to the nature of the conversation, subsequently entangling me in a lie in which you believe I am slightly religions. I apologize and should have told you earlier but I am actually very against Christianity."
Quote number one was a text message that one of my students received from a friend who he has been trying to reach in his dorm. Quote number two was from a student that I met while doing a proxe on campus.
In both of these cases, I'm a little bit torn between the happy and the sad. One the one hand, I love the honesty. The fact that these things can actually be said means that there is a certain level of trust built up. Those confessions are not easy things to say but there was something in the relationship that compelled honesty.
However, on the other hand, my heart breaks for these students. One student is blaming God for the death of a loved one and can't quite get past the sense of loss. The other student is straight against God and isn't all that interested in even entertaining a conversation about Him. Those make me sad.
My first instinct is to put together a game plan on how to reach these students. There are bible studies to be prepped, conversations to be had, and all sorts of strategies to be employed. None of those things are necessarily bad either. But, I've been compelled to pray more this year and I pray that you'll join me in interceding for these students. Pray that God will reveal himself to them and that in their honesty about where they are with God, He will bring a truth that will set them free.
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, February 9, 2017
Welcoming and Being Welcomed at Mizzou...
Hello, friends!
When I first moved to beautiful Columbia, MO as part of InterVarsity, I was the only staff within 120 miles. The other two staff hubs in Missouri were in Kansas City and Saint Louis. Kansas City was part of the Kansas Area and I was with Saint Louis in the Missouri Area. During my intern year, because I had weekly training in Saint Louis, I actually had an apartment in both places. Monday through Friday I would be in CoMO, then Friday through Monday I'd be in Saint Louis. Thankfully, the rent out here is cheap enough that I was able to do that without too much trouble.
After I moved to CoMO full time, I still had to travel to Saint Louis for staff meetings but once a semester or so, the Saint Louis staff team would come out to CoMO so I wouldn't have to travel. At first, it didn't make a lot of sense to me since it meant more cars and more effort to get a bunch of people here when it was so easy for me to hop in my car and make my way to Saint Louis, but now that our Mid-MO staff team has grown and my family has too, I'm thankful that this tradition still holds true. Yesterday, the Saint Louis team hopped in their cars and trekked across I-70 to for our monthly staff meeting.
Our team and our campuses where work is being done has expanded over the past 10 years but Mizzou is still our hub so we met on campus. Meg was out of town for different staff meetings with the National International Student Ministry Team so it was up to me to host. Thankfully, being around her for a while has taught me a number of things about being a good host. We had planned out our staff meeting a few weeks prior so we had a good sense of what we were going to do and these meetings always have the same basic feel. We have 4 basic elements to every meeting: spiritual formation, lunch, training, and business. Our training was going to be centered around leadership recruitment for our chapters.
Then, last week, President Trump signed the travel ban, and our plans shifted a little bit.
Regardless of your political leanings, and whether or not you think the travel ban is a good idea or a bad idea, the truth is that it had consequences for international students. We know of at least a handful of students who were supposed to come back the US from their home countries in the few days after the Executive Order was signed who could not and had to wait in limbo while clarification was made. We also know through conversations with international students that many were feeling uneasy because they didn't know if their countries would be next on the list or if they would be able to go back home after the semester was over. I've gotten in trouble for letting my politics show on this blog before. This isn't about that so please don't read too much into what I'm sharing. I'm just telling you that these are some of the effects we've seen.
Post-Executive Order, the team decided to switch up the training, not to directly address the executive order, but sort of in response to it. Instead of talking about student leadership, we were going to be a little more experiential and see if we could figure out how Mizzou felt about its campus in terms of it being a welcoming environment and how much students engaged with people of other cultures. Our plan was simple: stand outside with posters asking those two questions, then ask students to identify their thoughts with stickers and talk to them about why they put what they put. Here are a few photos of us at work:
Here are my big takeaways from our time.
- When you ask a good question, you get good answers: Y'all, it was COLD yesterday. The temperature was in the low 30's with a little bit of a wind. We really shouldn't have been out there. And yet, folk still stopped by. Most didn't stay long to talk but people were still intrigued enough to stop by and put a sticker on our board.
- Personal experiences reign supreme: It's no secret that Mizzou has had its troubles in terms of cross cultural conflict in the past year. Still, the phrase that we heard over and over again was, "Well, Mizzou has had a problem but I'M welcoming so the campus must we welcoming.
- No one wants to admit areas for growth. You may not be able to see it on these photos but regardless of whether or not someone things that Mizzou is welcoming to every culture on campus, EVERYONE says they engage with people from other cultures regularly. I've been on campus long enough to know that isn't the case but I'm not so sure that I would want to admit it either.
One last really fun story. While we were out there, a Black student came by to put a sticker on our board. On the question of whether or not the campus was welcoming to all cultures, he put his sticker all the way to the left, on the "False" side. As he was explaining his experiences on campus, including being called the "N-word" on multiple occasions, a White student came up to put his sticker on the board. After the Black student shared his story then left for class, the White student said, "well, I WAS going to say true, but based on hearing that guy, it seems like maybe it isn't so much."
Friends, we're calling that a breakthrough towards a more welcoming Mizzou. =0).
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
When I first moved to beautiful Columbia, MO as part of InterVarsity, I was the only staff within 120 miles. The other two staff hubs in Missouri were in Kansas City and Saint Louis. Kansas City was part of the Kansas Area and I was with Saint Louis in the Missouri Area. During my intern year, because I had weekly training in Saint Louis, I actually had an apartment in both places. Monday through Friday I would be in CoMO, then Friday through Monday I'd be in Saint Louis. Thankfully, the rent out here is cheap enough that I was able to do that without too much trouble.
After I moved to CoMO full time, I still had to travel to Saint Louis for staff meetings but once a semester or so, the Saint Louis staff team would come out to CoMO so I wouldn't have to travel. At first, it didn't make a lot of sense to me since it meant more cars and more effort to get a bunch of people here when it was so easy for me to hop in my car and make my way to Saint Louis, but now that our Mid-MO staff team has grown and my family has too, I'm thankful that this tradition still holds true. Yesterday, the Saint Louis team hopped in their cars and trekked across I-70 to for our monthly staff meeting.
Our team and our campuses where work is being done has expanded over the past 10 years but Mizzou is still our hub so we met on campus. Meg was out of town for different staff meetings with the National International Student Ministry Team so it was up to me to host. Thankfully, being around her for a while has taught me a number of things about being a good host. We had planned out our staff meeting a few weeks prior so we had a good sense of what we were going to do and these meetings always have the same basic feel. We have 4 basic elements to every meeting: spiritual formation, lunch, training, and business. Our training was going to be centered around leadership recruitment for our chapters.
Then, last week, President Trump signed the travel ban, and our plans shifted a little bit.
Regardless of your political leanings, and whether or not you think the travel ban is a good idea or a bad idea, the truth is that it had consequences for international students. We know of at least a handful of students who were supposed to come back the US from their home countries in the few days after the Executive Order was signed who could not and had to wait in limbo while clarification was made. We also know through conversations with international students that many were feeling uneasy because they didn't know if their countries would be next on the list or if they would be able to go back home after the semester was over. I've gotten in trouble for letting my politics show on this blog before. This isn't about that so please don't read too much into what I'm sharing. I'm just telling you that these are some of the effects we've seen.
Post-Executive Order, the team decided to switch up the training, not to directly address the executive order, but sort of in response to it. Instead of talking about student leadership, we were going to be a little more experiential and see if we could figure out how Mizzou felt about its campus in terms of it being a welcoming environment and how much students engaged with people of other cultures. Our plan was simple: stand outside with posters asking those two questions, then ask students to identify their thoughts with stickers and talk to them about why they put what they put. Here are a few photos of us at work:
- When you ask a good question, you get good answers: Y'all, it was COLD yesterday. The temperature was in the low 30's with a little bit of a wind. We really shouldn't have been out there. And yet, folk still stopped by. Most didn't stay long to talk but people were still intrigued enough to stop by and put a sticker on our board.
- Personal experiences reign supreme: It's no secret that Mizzou has had its troubles in terms of cross cultural conflict in the past year. Still, the phrase that we heard over and over again was, "Well, Mizzou has had a problem but I'M welcoming so the campus must we welcoming.
- No one wants to admit areas for growth. You may not be able to see it on these photos but regardless of whether or not someone things that Mizzou is welcoming to every culture on campus, EVERYONE says they engage with people from other cultures regularly. I've been on campus long enough to know that isn't the case but I'm not so sure that I would want to admit it either.
One last really fun story. While we were out there, a Black student came by to put a sticker on our board. On the question of whether or not the campus was welcoming to all cultures, he put his sticker all the way to the left, on the "False" side. As he was explaining his experiences on campus, including being called the "N-word" on multiple occasions, a White student came up to put his sticker on the board. After the Black student shared his story then left for class, the White student said, "well, I WAS going to say true, but based on hearing that guy, it seems like maybe it isn't so much."
Friends, we're calling that a breakthrough towards a more welcoming Mizzou. =0).
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Thursday, February 2, 2017
Corners Conference Recap!!!
Hello, friends!
I'm back from Kansas City, full of fatigue but also full of joy. Y'all the Corners Conference was AMAZING! Allow me to throw a few stats at you:
- Over 400 students attended the 4 conferences
- Of those 400+ students, 9 students made first time commitments to follow Jesus, 94 students recommitted their lives to Jesus, and 81 students committed to "starting something new" on their campuses
- Mid-MO brought 8 students to Imani (6 from Lincoln and 2 from Mizzou), 11 students to Ohana (all from Mizzou), and 2 to Being White (from Mizzou)
Of course, stats are great, but the personal stories are even better. Here are a few of my highlights:
- Seeing M, one of my Lincoln students, at the prospective staff dinner and talking to him about what it would mean to potentially take that route as a vocation.
- Sitting at dinner with R on Saturday night, and the first question she asks me being, "Can you guarantee that we'll be able to come here again next year?"
- At lunch on Sunday, as we were getting ready to head back home, hearing all the stories from the Lincoln students about their experiences and THEN hearing them tell their friends about the experiences with such excitement on Wednesday when I went to Lincoln.
My role actually was with Ohana, not Imani, so that was a little bit of a logistical thing, to try and check in as much as possible while still doing my job. A few Ohana highlights would be:
- Seeing Danny thrive in his role as Party Master while simultaneously taking care of the Mizzou students
- Having a really great conversation with one of the WashU students about school pride (#GoBears!)
- Having fun as an MC for the conference, much better than my first go around at the last Ohana (practice makes perfect, I guess)
Now, you may be thinking to yourself, "self, the words are great, but I want me some pictures!" Friends, I have you covered. =0).
I'm back from Kansas City, full of fatigue but also full of joy. Y'all the Corners Conference was AMAZING! Allow me to throw a few stats at you:
- Over 400 students attended the 4 conferences
- Of those 400+ students, 9 students made first time commitments to follow Jesus, 94 students recommitted their lives to Jesus, and 81 students committed to "starting something new" on their campuses
- Mid-MO brought 8 students to Imani (6 from Lincoln and 2 from Mizzou), 11 students to Ohana (all from Mizzou), and 2 to Being White (from Mizzou)
Of course, stats are great, but the personal stories are even better. Here are a few of my highlights:
- Seeing M, one of my Lincoln students, at the prospective staff dinner and talking to him about what it would mean to potentially take that route as a vocation.
- Sitting at dinner with R on Saturday night, and the first question she asks me being, "Can you guarantee that we'll be able to come here again next year?"
- At lunch on Sunday, as we were getting ready to head back home, hearing all the stories from the Lincoln students about their experiences and THEN hearing them tell their friends about the experiences with such excitement on Wednesday when I went to Lincoln.
My role actually was with Ohana, not Imani, so that was a little bit of a logistical thing, to try and check in as much as possible while still doing my job. A few Ohana highlights would be:
- Seeing Danny thrive in his role as Party Master while simultaneously taking care of the Mizzou students
- Having a really great conversation with one of the WashU students about school pride (#GoBears!)
- Having fun as an MC for the conference, much better than my first go around at the last Ohana (practice makes perfect, I guess)
Now, you may be thinking to yourself, "self, the words are great, but I want me some pictures!" Friends, I have you covered. =0).
Have an excellent day!
~Adam
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)