Here's that Update!

Hello, friends!

As promised, here are Christmas letters we sent out to our ministry partners. We hope you enjoy!

If you'd like to received a mailed copy the next time we send them out, please use this form to give us your address. 

AND, if you want to help us reach our financial goal for the year, you can use this link here. =0).

Have an excellent day!

Shock and Loss...

Hello, friends!

The original plan was for me to post our Christmas Letter here so folk who aren't on our mailing list could get it. However, a change in circumstances has postponed that post until next week.

While waiting for a doctor's appointment this morning, I saw that the Student Government Association President at Lincoln University was shot and killed last night. As of me writing this blog, there aren't a lot of details available and police are still investigating the incident. The student in question was a graduating Senior. I personally didn't have any interaction with him during my time at Lincoln but I'd seen him around and given the size of Lincoln, I'm sure that I had students who knew him, or at least knew of him.

Shock and loss are the part of the job that they don't tell you about when you sign up for InterVarsity Staff. I've had students battle serious illness, visited students in the psychiatric ward after a suicide attempt, and mourned the loss of students who belong to chapters in our Region. We aren't trained counselors but for many students, we are the only "adults" they've learned how to trust, so we are their first line of processing. Sometimes there aren't words.

Yet, I have to believe that there is still hope. It was the death of a Freshman in ACF during my Junior Year at WashU (Go Bears!) that led me to applying for an internship with InterVarsity. I've seen chapters come together through times of trauma and students make decisions to follow Jesus because of how communities of faith have responded to tragedy. We may be inadequate but God's strength is made perfect in our weakness.

Even though I'm not staff at Lincoln anymore, I still feel for the campus. I think about Che, Marcus, Gloria, Ray, and Dom and pray that they are processing well and looking toward Jesus in the midst of this. I pray for Solome, the new IV staff there, that God will empower her with the words to say and not say so she can shepherd the chapter to a response that brings glory to the kingdom. I pray for my friend Pastor Nelson as he does the same with his congregation. I pray for the campus and the student body, especially those who knew and were close to the student. I pray for God's kingdom to come.

Pray with me.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Leading on the Regional Level...

Hello, friends!

There have been a lot of things that I've had to get used to in my new role. I'm not on a specific campus anymore. I'm not working directly with students. I'm doing a lot more video calls than before. There are a lot of things that have taken getting used to.

However, the biggest difference for me has been the role that I've been asked to take on as a leader for the entire Region.

My role as Regional Coordinator for Ministry Partnership Development (MPD) means a lot of different things. I'm coaching some staff in their MPD. I'm developing training and resources for staff in our Region to use. I'm experimenting with new ideas with the hope that the Region will adopt these ideas and we'll see MPD move in a new direction.

All these things are things that I've actually been doing before I took the job. When I was team leader for Mid-MO, I was doing some spot MPD coaching. I led a few of the MPD trainings for the Region. I experimented with new ideas like team MPD. The difference is that instead of my side hobby, now this is my job. The stakes are higher and the influence is greater.

When I was a Team Leader, all these MPD things I was doing were side projects and the impact was minimal in some ways. If I didn't have time to coach someone or lead a training, it was OK because that wasn't my job. If an MPD experiment didn't work so well, it only affected a few staff so that was OK too. Now, coaching, leading, training, resourcing, and experimenting are all part of my job and my influence has extended to the entire Region.

I'm still not sure how I feel about that. On the one hand, I enjoy the added responsibility and I believe I have something to bring to the table. When I was deciding whether or not to apply for the position, a big part of the reason why I did was because I really believe that God has blessed me with a love for MPD that most staff do not possess. In many ways, this job was literally made for me.

On the other hand, the added pressure is a real thing. It's not enough to just give something a shot to see what sticks. The stakes are bigger. I have to think through things a lot more. I'm doing more learning and am figuring out my blind spots and growth edges. These things are good things too; they just take some time to get used to.

Central Region's Regional Staff Conference (RSC) is this weekend. RSC is one of only 2 times throughout the year that we get together as a whole staff team. There will be a section on MPD and you can guess who is going to be leading it. This will be my first time introducing a Region wide MPD initiative. Actually, I'm releasing 2 of them. I'm excited about the initiatives and I think they are good moves for our Region. It's just getting real. Prayers appreciated. =0).

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

The Supernova

Hello, friends!

After 8 days in beautiful Southern California visiting with family and seeing old friends (Happy Thanksgiving by the way!) the Leong's are happy to be back in Omaha where there's snow on the ground and a chill in the air.

Last night, we got in around 11pm local time. We had to get off the plane, get our bags, then wait for the Lyft to get us home. By the time we finally walked through the door at Ruggles street, it was well past midnight, which is way past bedtime for both kids. This means that Megan and I got to see the Supernova in all its glory.

In astronomical terms, a Supernova is the explosion of a star. I don't know the exact physics of it but my understanding is that a Supernova radiates a whole lot of energy before collapsing on itself, leaving a dense core of what used to be the star.

However, in parenting, a Supernova is when your kid decides to give off an immense amount of energy before crashing at bedtime. It really is a sight to behold.

Ezra has 2 kinds of Supernovas. The physical Supernova is when he runs around like his hair is on fire. He runs under the table, does ridiculous dances, and generally is a wiggly mass of energy that is simultaneously frustrating and entertaining (though more the former than the latter).

What we got to see yesterday is the much more fun verbal Supernova. This is when he just starts talking and won't stop until he falls asleep. The stuff that comes out of that boy's mouth can only be described as terribly entertaining.

On the trip home last night, we got some real good stuff. There were conversations about triangles, squares, and circles. There was a story about an octopus eating crabs. Previous verbal Supernovas have included descriptions of our house in great detail and the assertion that Jesus wouldn't like to be eaten by ants (which, to be fair, is probably true). Every verbal Supernova is a new adventure.

For as long as he's been able to talk, Ezra has been a talker. We didn't know that he was especially verbal until the pediatrician told us. But, it totally makes sense and it's one of the things we love about him, especially when we get to see a verbal Supernova.

So, if you're ever in the mood for a fun night, come on over and put the kids to bed way past bedtime. You may get to see our son talk himself to sleep. And Megan and I wouldn't mind someone watching the kids while we went out in a date either. =0).

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

Prospective Staff Weekend!!!

Hello, friends!

Thanks to everyone who way praying for us as we made our Missouri road trip last week. Besides a little bit of sickness for me (and then Thaliea) it was a great trip. Both Megan and I thought that our trainings went well and it was good to see Aunt Judi and my dad who ended up coming into town. Ezra and Thaliea definitely enjoyed being spoiled by "Gu Pah" (Great Aunt) and Gung Gung (Grandpa).

Even though we just got back on Sunday, it's almost time to hit the road again! On Saturday we'll be heading to Kansas City for Prospective Staff Weekend (PSW), which is when folk from all over our Region who are interested in potentially joining staff come together so we can help them begin the discernment process. It's honestly one of my favorite things that we do as a Region.

My job is going to be laying out the MPD portion of staff life. I'll hopefully be casting a vision that MPD is different from fundraising and that our desire for partnership should motivate us as opposed to scare us, when it comes to MPD. I did the same section last year and I really enjoyed it. It was also well received. Here's hoping the sequel is as good as the original. =0).

Friends, please be praying for us as we prepare for PSW. There are a few specific ways you can be praying:
- Journey's mercies to and from Kansas City. The kids did pretty well on our Missouri trip. Here's hoping we have a repeat.
- Megan and I will both be leading small groups. She's much better at leading them than I am. Pray that we will be helpful as we begin the discernment process with prospective staff.
- I'll be doing the MPD talk and Megan will be a part of a panel on "a day in the life of staff." Please pray that God will speak through us in each of our sections.

Next week is Thanksgiving so no post next week. But, I do want to say that I'm thankful for all of you.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam

MO Fast, Mo Roadtrip!!!

Hello, friends!

As my good friend Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson* likes to say, "FINALLY, THE LEONGS ARE COMING BACK TO MISSOURI!!!"

We made a trip out to CoMO and St. Louis at the end of our Sabbatical to see family and friends and such but this will be our first trip back for InterVarsity purposes. It should be a blast. Here's the itinerary:

Monday: Leave for CoMO
Tuesday: Hang out with folk in CoMO (and see if I can get to Jingo's for some spicy beef noodle soup) then head to St. Louis.
Wednesday: I'm leading an MPD training for the MO Fast team on Wednesday and Thursday.
Thursday: More MPD!
Friday: Seeing friends and family
Saturday: Meg is leading an ISM staff training in the morning
Sunday: Visiting one of our partner churches before heading back to Omaha

That's a whole week in the great state of Missouri! I'm really excited about this trip for a few different reasons:

1) It'll be good to see the old staff team again. I've had a few interactions with them here and there but to this level. I'm excited to work those wonderful folk again.
2) It'll be good to do some MPD training! This is honestly one of my favorite parts of my new job. I love breaking down MPD into doable bites of work that actually get staff excited to do the work.
3) It'll be good to see family and friends. Of course, we'll get to hang out with my aunt who lives in St. Louis but we'll also see a few other folk who we haven't seen in quite some time.
4)

So, friends! If you're thinking of us, please be praying for us as we travel. Pray for journey's mercies, good connections, and lots of fun! No blog next week but we'll see you the week after with an update.

Have an excellent day!

~Adam


*Note: Adam has never met Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson but went to high school with his cousin, so we're practically family.

Props to Mid-MO!

Hello, friends!

When I first joined InterVarsity back in 2007 (ah!), I was sent to Columbia, Missouri with a vision and a mission. Our Regional Director at the time took me to breakfast and he told me that if we were going to reach the rest of the state of Missouri, Mizzou was going to have to be the flagship. We had work in St. Louis and were starting work in Kansas City but the rest of the state was empty as far as InterVarsity was concerned. My job was to lay the groundwork and plant the first Mizzou chapter(s) and then spread out from there. It was just a pipe dream at that point but the Mid-MO District was born.

As I got ready to leave CoMO for Omaha, the one thought that continued to nag at me was whether or not I'd done enough to ensure that Mid-MO would survive. We'd hired a few staff and planted a few more chapters but everything felt tenuous. I grappled with the fear that everything I'd spent the past 11 years building would fall once I left town and that I would have failed in my mission.

LORD, forgive me for my pride.

Y'all, Mid-MO is absolutely CRUSHING IT. When I get the updates from Charis, Danny, Sonya, and Solome about the work that they're doing with students and the chapters they are working with, it warms my heart. Why was I worried?! Look at these faces!!! Who wouldn't want to follow these folk?!?!

In all seriousness though, it has been a huge blessing to hear about all the ways that God has continued to move in Mid-MO. From 11 years ago when a punk 22 year old stepped foot on Mizzou's campus for the first time, God has done some amazing work and I know he'll continue to do so. I'm so blessed to have been able to leave Mid-MO in such capable hands. 

#MidMOForever

Have an excellent day! 

~Adam