Life at Gracepoint

G-Live with the seniors

Wed, 13 May 2009 18:29:38 GMT

One of the biggest sources of joy for me in the past two months was the G-Live experience. Something about this time around stands out much more than the previous experiences. Though it started off a bit slow and late in a sense, it was amazing how every part came together, starting with the week of G-Live camp and the massive amount of work and practice that was accomplished and completed during that short time of spring break. I was thankful as I thought about how the majority of our college students were spending their spring break � making props, practicing singing and dancing, repeating their one line again and again, cramming into various houses and apartments, sleeping like packed sardines in the floor, and bonding and creating unforgettable memories together through the whole process. What a contrast to how they have spent their spring break in the past, or how they would have � sleeping in, lounging around home all day, watching hours of TV and movies, playing video games, endless hours on the internet updating their facebook accounts, chatting, looking through mindless images, even maybe much more harmful and dangerous activities that could possibly deaden their soul and mind. Also such a contrast to how so many college students spend their spring break � going to a resort in Mexico, partying, etc. But here they were, each day as I rushed to NL after work, I was greeted and surrounded by numerous students who were laughing, eating, hanging out, enjoying one another�s presence, and even at times when they were tired, it was a good tired � tired because they were exerting their time and energy to a cause greater than themselves, tired because they were practicing one particular thing again and again, to get it just right so that that one line could be delivered well to communicate the message, and tired being engaged in doing something together with so many others. They were doing something worthy with their time, and it was something pleasing to God. The time spent with them during the down-times, just getting to know some of them was also invaluable.

In the midst of the busyness, physical fatigue, and sometimes stress that came with G-Live, I was personally very strengthened by being among the senior class. It was very encouraging and uplifting to see just how excited and grateful they were throughout the whole time. They were willing to give it their all in whatever big or small part they had. Of course they had fun dancing and acting, but I saw how much they encouraged and supported the ones who may have had more prominent roles. I loved seeing Steve and Wesley in the back working on the unseen things like lighting and sound; Judge, Christina, and Albert working so intently on the mics and also taking part in something that is often unnoticed. My favorite were the �ninjas� that dressed all in black and zealously moved the props and helped their peers with multiple costume changes. This reminded me of Nehemiah 3:20 where �Baruch son of Zabbai zealously repaired another section� � which may not have been some significant part, yet it was how he did it � zealously. And in Nehemiah 4:6, it is described that the �people worked with all their heart� � and I got to see this happening with the students. It was an eye-opening experience for them to see, as seniors this time around, the amount of time and work that goes into all the various aspects of G-Live. They were also prayerfully inviting their friends and classmates. No matter how well G-Live turned out, just knowing how the attitudes and the hearts of the students changed through the process of participating in it made all the difference.

The pep rally that was incited in the overflow was also another incredible picture of the kind of enthusiasm and joy that comes in doing something together as a church, taking part in God�s work of sharing the gospel, and the true exhilaration that comes through it. It was a beautiful sight (loud and crazy too) to see and hear the seniors cheer on the freshmen and sophomores as they returned from being on stage, and the underclassmen cheering the seniors on as they left to go on stage.

Message of hope to the elderly

Tue, 21 Apr 2009 22:30:15 GMT

This past Sunday we had our first worship service at Grandma Jaqi's apartment complex. Our Elderly Care Ministry was joined by our CSUEB ministry which made it about 18 of us total. I was really thankful that Judy and Chris and their group of seasoned ministers were there with us as we didn't know what to expect. Since it was our first service, we had no idea how many people would actually come. It's different from our past convalescent home visits where the residents are wheeled in and they can't leave. But 10 residents including Grandma Jaqi joined us for service! A few of the residents came because they're Grandma Jaqi's neighbors whom she had been praying for. Richard gave the message on Luke 24 about "we had hoped" -- all the hopes that have been dashed and crushed, and how only Jesus gives us true hope that nothing in life can take away. He extended a warm welcome to them and explained how we want to build relationships with them and share this gospel of hope with them. They were very attentive and responsive to the worship service. CSUEB prepared a special music. Afterwards we had a chance to fellowship over some refreshments. They immediately started sharing their lives with us and pouring their hearts out to us. Some of them have suffered a lot in life and have some deep hurts. They really needed people to talk to and listen to them. One Christian grandma shared with me that she has been greatly blessed by God, and she even asked for information about our church as she is hoping to find a church to attend. She is 83, but looks 65! By 4pm when we were supposed to leave, everyone was still deeply engaged in conversations. Looking around the room at how engaged everyone was, I was so thankful that we could be there to bring some joy and the gospel message to them. Actually that experience brought so much joy to our people as well. They received us so readily, probably because of all of Grandma Jaqi's prayers.

Contending as one man

Fri, 20 Mar 2009 17:40:20 GMT

One consistent lesson I receive from mission trips that never ceases to amaze me is the lesson of how much a team of like-minded soldiers of Christ can accomplish in such a short amount of time. Even though we were only there for eight days, we were able to do so much and experience so much. We seriously hit the ground running, arriving at Taipei Friday morning, were shuttled to Hsinchu, where we washed up, started with DT and prayer, moving to DC outreach and ending with presenting �Gone� for Friday Night Plus on campus and fellowship time. For the next week, we made a lot of contacts through DC outreach, sports outreach, dorm outreach; we celebrated our Hsinchu church�s first anniversary, practiced and prepared for Christmas Celebration like crazy; and we spent �down-time� fellowshipping and encouraging our Hsinchu brothers and sisters. No moment was wasted, and I was reminded how it is indeed possible to make the most of every opportunity (Ephesians 5:15, Colossians 4:5) and to operate with that sense of urgency (Isaiah 55:6, Revelation 22:12). My commitment from this mission trip is to carry this conviction that time is short, Jesus is coming, people are lost, and I need to bridge the gap and point the way to the way and the truth and the life. It is important for me to personally sustain this sense of calling and mission in my life. So when I am conducting ministry at USF and at Gracepoint Fellowship Church, I need to do so with that sense of ownership over God�s work.

�Without suffering and sacrifice, there is no salvation of souls.� I along with the rest of the 2008 Taiwan winter mission team suffered little and sacrificed even less. Sure, we paid $1500 and spent Christmas away from family and friends. But we all ate and slept well, and the brothers even got to play basketball as a way to meet students! And for the more fobby members, being in Taiwan was like a fish going back to water. But during our stay the entire team reached a high level of intensity, on par with NSWN mode. Non-stop outreach; hours of praise and special music practices; late nights of skit rehearsal, reciting the same line again and again; prop-making with limited time and even more limited resources. It was exciting to see everyone sharing one heart, not holding back but truly contending as one man for the faith of the gospel (Philippians 1:27). Yet, what we did cannot compare to what Jesus had done first: coming down from heaven to a lowly manger, from the manger to Calvary�s cross, and from a cruel death to eternal glory. �This is love: not that we loved God, but God loved us and sent his Son to be an atoning sacrifice for our sins� (1 John 4:10). Still, for me personally, seeing what little I gave being used by God confirmed in me that I need to be willing to do whatever it takes to carry out God�s kingdom work. The 1st anniversary message on John 6:1-15, about the feeding of the multitudes, captures God�s heart for missions and our collective experience during our short stay in Taiwan. God wants to take whatever we offer and use it to bless all those around. Together, we poured out our energy, creativity, and heart to put on Christmas Celebration, and we saw God taking that and using it to share the gospel with over 350 Taiwanese students! I see Jesus saying, �When you bring all that you have, stand back and watch what I can do!� Thus, I hope I can suffer and sacrifice anything and everything just for the chance to experience Jesus using me to bless others.

Care package to Iraq

Tue, 23 Dec 2008 14:46:29 GMT

�My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you.� ~ John 15:12

Cpl. Nhan (�Young�) Huynh is a U.S. Marine who has been serving in Iraq since May of this year. Nhan was a junior student at SF State University who first started coming to Koinonia through the 2007 New Student Welcome Night. At the Good Friday�s Service this year, Nhan made a salvation decision. I asked him once why he decided to join the Marines and Nhan told me that it was a proud family tradition for him, and that it was a way for him to express his gratitude and give back to this country that he and his family have received so much from.

Nhan was deployed to Iraq in May for a one-year mission, as a truck driver in an area that has previously experienced heavy casualty, especially drivers. We held a BBQ farewell for him, and committed to pray for him, especially in light of the politically volatile region that he was going to. On the morning of his departure, Eddie, DY and I woke up really early and met him at the Marine Base in San Bruno. Nhan showed up in his desert fatigue uniform and his usual irrepressible grin in spite of the freezing cold. We had one last time of huddling and praying with him, taking pictures, and wishing him good luck before sending him on his way to Iraq.

He told us that the most cherished item on the battlefield is a letter from home, �like gold.� Since then, we have sent care packages of snacks, photos from recent events, and letters. (These go into a small box with pre-determined size.) We heard that there were others in his platoon that did not get any letters. So, for the month of November, with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming up � a time when our military men and women can be especially vulnerable to homesickness � we decided to mobilize all of SF Campus to write cards and letters not only to Nhan, but to other Marines in his Unit, to thank them for the brave and selfless thing that they are doing so heroically for our country.

It was a community-involved expression of love, as everyone from little kids, to fellow students of SFSU, to USF, to Praxis wrote personal cards for Nhan and his fellow Marines. Our Joyland children made a Thanksgiving card for Nhan with personal message of gratitude. We also included a tape recorder in the package with taped personal messages from many of us, so that Nhan can hear from the familiar voices back home. We included letters to his platoon, even though we did not know them. We had over 50 cards and letters, and there was so much snacks that we had one shopping bag full of leftover snacks which did not make it in the specified box. As I was trying to stuff as much into every nook and cranny of the package as I could, I felt so happy for Nhan that he is going to receive this many letters, cards and voice messages during a time of the year when he must be feeling extra lonely and homesick. I was also so proud of our church, that there is such an outpouring of love and care for this one young brother and his platoon, that I had to in the end turn snacks away, and the letters and cards were as thick as a Webster�s dictionary. It was a beautiful picture of love in action.

On November 24, I received the following email message from Nhan upon his receipt of our care package:

Koinonia Brothers and Sister,

I have just received your package, and let me say that it is by far the most memorable package ever! It took me a good two hours to read all of the wonderful cards you guys wrote for me, and that was just the pile that was for me. The snacks and goodies will be distributed and shared among the platoon. The Asian snacks that Christine Chang (formerly Fong) put in the care package were perfect as well, reminded me a lot about home. God has blessed me with so many friends that care and keep my spirits high. I'm sorry I have not been able to call, my platoon has been bombarded with work. I'm not allowed to tell you for operation security purposes, but I'll tell you when its clear. We've been going on the road everyday, moving stuff around, getting back late, and doing it all over the next day. The tape you guys sent me was awesome too! Man, I can't believe you guys went through such effort for me, I feel overwhelmed. Despite all of the stress and long hours on the road, I truly feel that God is watching over my platoon because all around us, there are attacks, bombs, and other things that are out to harm us, yet we have made it this far without a single incident. Please pray for the marines and soldiers who have not been as fortunate as my platoon, for behind every attack that we get briefed about on a daily basis, there are American troops who had to endure them. Today, in the chowhall, there was a live concert put on by our very own marines and sailors, opening for the concert was a gunnery sergeant from Communications Platoon who jammed on his guitar, singing Christian songs of praise, the very same ones we sing in church on Sundays. It was nice to see live music. Thank you once again for the care package, I will be sure to post the cards y'all addressed to the platoon in the break room for the marines to see, and the Turkey artwork from the little kids was a definite keeper!

Nhan Huynh

Because of Nhan, the troops in Iraq became more real and personal to us. It was no longer a war we read about in the news only, but had a voice and a face. He may thank us, but we thank God for him for displaying the Christian love of laying down his life for others.

Shoebox of Joy

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 12:44:43 GMT

Usually at this time of the year, people are thinking about what gifts to buy for each other for Christmas. However, Koinonia members (as well as USF Koinonia and SF Praxis members) were given the opportunity focus outside of ourselves. On November 19th, about 25 SFSU Koinonia members were gathered at Arballo House to go shopping for the cause of Operation Christmas Child, which is a ministry that gives Christmas gifts presented in a wrapped �shoebox� to needy children around the world in the name of Jesus Christ.

At 7pm, we were off to Target where many of us roamed up and down the aisles for useful items for our kids, such as toothbrushes, gloves, HotWheels and new outfits. After shopping, we gathered together back at Arballo House not only to wrap our shoeboxes, but also to show-off to one another the goodies we were able to find for our kids! The living room in Arballo House was filled with joy and laughter as we decorated our shoeboxes and neatly arranged the toys in the boxes. Many of us were able to write cards and draw pictures for the kids to enjoy.

Looking back, this was a memory-making moment where we were able to see first of all, how blessed we are to live in the US, where we have all of our physical needs met. Instead of spending money on ourselves, we were able to spend money for a cause outside of ourselves, that would not only brighten up the faces of little boys and girls, but more importantly, give them an opportunity to hear about Jesus� love for them. There was a lot of joy in knowing that we were making an impact in this world with the simple act of giving unto others, while doing it together.

Divine Purpose

Tue, 09 Dec 2008 06:23:24 GMT

In my 7th grade journal for English class, I wrote that in the year 2000, I would be living on my own in a cool, artsy loft in New York. I detailed the kind of cultured and carefree life I saw as having �made it.� I would be independent and successful.

Right after high school graduation, one of my closest friends committed suicide after a long battle against severe depression. The dominant memory of my last year of high school, apart from all the typical frenzy of teenage activity and fun, was trying to �save� my friend from his depression and suicidal thoughts. When he died, so did any of my illusions that life was going to be easy, that I could genuinely help anyone, or that 7th grade dreams could come true. When I was 16, I seriously thought this was the guy I was going to marry. We were going to run away (again, to New York), I was going to be a cool, hip writer, and he was going to be in a band, and all this small-town drama would be behind us.

After what happened with my friend, I decided the only way to be carefree about life, which was actually so full of pain, was to numb myself by indulging in whatever pleasure and fleeting happiness I could before I died. Like in high school, I swung between mildly melancholic depression, writing morose poems while listening to the Cure or more angry alternative music that screamed about how people and life really stank, and manic escapism through movies, books, and increasingly destructive forms of �hanging out.�

I know that if God had not intervened at this critical juncture of my life, I would have gone down a dark path of self-destructive hedonism and nihilism. I am pretty certain I would be an alcoholic and a gambler. I would probably be an angry-at-the-world Riot Grrrl blogger, and think being angry at everything was the definition of being �deep� and �in touch with reality.� I would have serious anger management issues and would likely be making everyone in my life miserable with all my petty drama.

Instead, through the providential meeting of Jeannie Lee and Richard Kwon who helped me move into my dorm my freshman year of college, I was able to come to Gracepoint, where I had a fresh encounter with the God and gospel I thought I knew since birth, and I am now involved in the only Drama worth talking about � the story of God�s redemptive work in this broken world. My attempts to save my friend through my own humanistic means have been replaced with the truly life-saving gospel of Christ, which first saved me, and I now try to take to others God has brought into my life. I think about the poems I used to write. I was so confused about life, and yet so sure I had the bird�s eye view that being cynical was wise, and all the happy people were na�ve. Now I reflect and journal about the word of God and how it applies to my life amidst all the storms, ups and downs, how it guides my life, fills me with true hope, purpose and the truth that there is joy in the Lord because of who He is and what He has done.

This year, as I co-lead one of the college department homegroups, I have the privilege of participating in the truly dramatic work of God in the lives of about 40 undergrads. Sieun and I minister to about 20 girls together, and just this year, we�ve experienced so much - 1 salvation, 4 baptisms, several big Lordship decisions, people going on mission trips and their worldviews being overturned, and more. I am filled with genuine joy when there is spiritual movement in the life of one of these precious younger sisters in my life, when the word of God comes alive to them for the first time. As my younger sisters struggle to become true disciples of Christ, I am filled with awe that God would somehow use me toward that end.

I paused when I was at our Thanksgiving Celebration practice last week. What was I doing, doing silly dance moves with people on average ten years younger than myself? I would never have pictured my life the way it is now. On a typical day, if I�m not meeting up with these college students, I�m thinking about them, praying for them. Now, when I�m sitting at a caf� table, I�m not reading some esoteric novel and sipping on a latte, but counseling a younger sister, praying for her as she daily struggles to fight against very real and toxic peer pressure in this sex-saturated, substance-dependent culture.

I used to envision living alone in some fancy loft filled with art, music, books, and movies with subtitles. There actually is a loft in the house I live in now, but I�m also living with six younger sisters, and we�ve committed to opening our home to be used for God�s work. Our home and our collective lives are filled with people, and I couldn�t be more thankful to God for the blessing each one is in my life. Before, I did not want to bother with the messiness of other people�s real life problems, because as I experienced with my friend from high school, I knew I couldn�t help them on my own. But especially this year, as I personally experienced the power of God in a deeper way to break my own chains of cynicism and despair, to free me from sin and to carry me through times of deep insecurity and questioning my worth and purpose, I can embrace each person and the potential can of worms they might be with the confidence that comes from the hope of God and not the despair of man. Once, my goal was to be independent and to numb myself through this painful existence called life, but now I am actively engaging my world and the people in it. I used to avoid any kind of struggle in my life, but I have committed to struggling against my own sins and character issues, so that I can be an effective channel of God�s love in the lives of the precious people I have embraced and claimed out of an obligation to the gospel of Christ. When I doubt God�s leading in my life because I get hung up on how the world defines a good life, all I have to do is think about the isolated, self-destructive kind of life I wanted and was on the way to having, and to see God has truly multiplied my life, filled it with so many people, and ennobled it with His divine purpose.

Being an older brother

Fri, 28 Nov 2008 08:46:32 GMT

God has dignified my life by letting me serve in ImpACT. I look at my childhood with shame, because I failed to be the older brother that my younger brother needed when he was growing up. He needed love from me, but he received my fits of anger and verbal abuse. He needed comfort, but I was the major source of emotional and physical pain. It wasn�t until the end of my high school days that I felt guilt and shame, but by that time it was too late for any healing or reconciliation to happen between the two of us. It was too late to apologize. Too late to do anything real to repent, to compensate, or give consolation. Nothing. It was hopeless. The memories are still vivid for me today and I still get depressed over them whenever they surface.

I received the Gospel seven years ago, but the same old messages still amaze me today. That God loves sinners. That God makes all things new. I had always asked God to give me a second chance to be an older brother. I asked in faith, because deep down I didn�t believe it was possible with my background. In 2006 when our church was starting ImpACT again, I felt like God was answering my prayer, and I leapt at the chance to be the older brother I never was.

As a 26 year old it is embarrassing to admit that I�m still learning how to be an older brother, but many thanks be to God who uses many people, even those who are younger than me, to teach me. Josh Wang was one such person. We were Team Leads together for the first Springfest. It was 2006 and it had actually been a long time since I had interacted with kids and I had all but forgotten how rowdy they could be and how angry I could get at that. In the past I would�ve just gotten angry, but Josh responded completely differently. He established boundaries and rules for our kids, was calm, and often talked it out with the kids to find out what was really going on. Josh doesn�t know this, but he was instrumental in teaching me to respond with care rather than anger. Whenever I explain rules or have to put a child in time-out I still have a vivid picture of Josh doing this for our first crop of ImpACT kids.

In an ironic and poetic justice kind of way God answered my prayer to be an older brother by placing into my care a child who is exactly like my little brother when he was young. His name is John Tran. He is Vietnamese, has the same last name, had a very hard time listening to instructions, tested boundaries, and seemed to enjoy making people mad. This was a kid who on several occasions would tell his driver that he was at the wrong house, make his driver wander around the neighborhood just to come back to the same house and triumphantly exclaim �I tricked you!� In the past I would�ve strangled my little brother, but now I was committed to patience and loving correction. I love God�s sense of humor. Mr. Chi and Principal Jeannie can tell you how many times I had to put John in timeout and the number of talks we�ve had. I wasn�t expecting it, but as I confronted him more and more, I grew to love him more and more and was naturally driven to pray on his behalf without it feeling like a chore.

I am so thankful for all the lessons I�ve learned from working with Mr. Josh, Mr. Chi, Principal Jeannie, Principal Andy, Mr. Bruce, Principal Tony, Steven, and Wynn. I still have much more to learn, but I am thankful that through ImpACT I experience God making things new in this area of my life I once thought was hopeless.

True tough guy

Mon, 17 Nov 2008 19:52:28 GMT

I have always known that Eugene has a long commute from Hsinchu to Taipei everyday, but I didn't really know how bad this was until I had an internship in Taipei this past summer. I commuted with him on most days: we try to get out by 6:15 to take the bus to Taipei, then we would try to do DT together at a caf�. We always looked forward to the wonderful 1.5 hour nap on the bus to Taipei and the seats on these buses are actually really comfortable, so this is really not bad at all. Originally I thought we'd be able to have some wonderful fellowship on the bus ride�I mean, sometimes it is hard to find time to pause to talk to Eugene when things get busy. But we didn't really talk on the bus, except saying good night to each other the moment we found our seats, no words exchanged but wonderful fellowship nonetheless.

My internship was pretty easy; if I had to leave early or take time off, I just had to ask. Everyday, I got off at 5pm and caught the bus back to Hsinchu, but because of the bus route and traffic, I rode the MRT to Taipei Main Station to transfer to the bus to Hsinchu and stepped into our home slightly before 8. But for Eugene: only on a good day would he be able to get off at 5. He usually gets off at around 6 and gets home around 9 or later. I only did this for a few weeks during the summer but Eugene has been doing this for over one year now.

The most exciting part of this commute with Eugene was on Friday night. Friday Night Plus starts at 6:30 with dinner and Bible study starts at 7:30 so it was pretty obvious we can't make it back in time if we took the bus, but good thing there was the high speed rail, which took about 1.5-2 hours door to door including the MRT and taxi ride to and from the high speed rail station. I could get off work early very easily but Eugene would always be super tight with time. He would get off work, run to the MRT station, swim through the Friday night crowd at the MRT station. He knows exactly how long it takes to run from work to the MRT and how long the MRT takes to get to the main station and exactly what time the high speed rail takes off. He also knows to take the middle car on the MRT and stay close to the door so he can beat the crowd exiting one of the two small elevators and staircases. After that, we ran pretty hard to the exit and high speed rail transfer point. Most of the time, he gets on with one or two minutes to spare, but because he gets on so late, all the seats are taken. So we find a place to stand, and as I am trying to catch my breath, Eugene puts down his bag, takes out his Bible study outline and reviews it during the 40 minute ride. We'd always stand in car #9 because Eugene has figured out that it always ends up being closest to the stairs where we get off. After arriving in Hsinchu, we rush off again, beating the crowd to the stairs to catch the taxi to get to campus for Bible study.

I thought this was kind of fun and exciting for the first two weeks, but it soon began to be a little unbearable. At times, I would feel disoriented as I got to FNP and just wanted to disengage and complain: man! I can't concentrate. But before I could begin complaining, I would see Eugene getting up to the stage to teach Bible study: man! I have NOTHING TO COMPLAIN ABOUT, so that pretty much ended my whining. Because I did this with Eugene, I went through my internship okay, and was emotionally stable for the most part. I really have no idea how Eugene does it.

The most amazing thing is that I never sense that Eugene is overwhelmed with stress. I know he gets tired but he always has the spirit to joke around with us, hang out with us, and make fun of us. I never get from him the sense that the world is caving in. I remember I would get that from people sometimes: it's overs for me� It's overs man� this is overs, and I would soon feel stressed too. Eugene instead always has the spirit to spend time with us. Sometimes he would jokingly tell us: I am stressed because you guys refuse to take the cross and give Bible study and Sunday message. He'd always make the most of the opportunity to make fun of us: you know you can be the answer to your own prayer and concern for me by just stepping up to teach and preach. Of course, none of us have the courage to really step up, so he just laughs at us for a little. This is all done good-naturedly of course. I am sure he does feel tired and stressed but he never makes a big deal out of his stress. So very often, I'd say, if he is doing okay, then I should be doing okay, and honestly, this has really been the solution to many small stressful situations for me. I just learn from him, not to make a big deal out of the situation, keep up my spirits and just go through it. Most of the time, what I conceive to be stress is really not that big of a deal, so by just keeping up my spirits and going through it, I am just being true to reality.

Of course, Eugene is not a robot. He gets sick, tired, sleepy, and stressed at times. We know and see this because we live with him. But no matter how tired he is, or how many Bible studies or Sunday messages he has to give, how many times he has to do the crazy commute, he always has the spirit to hang out and just bring his lively spirit to our midst by making fun of and taunting us. We always have so much fun and laughter hanging out with him. And often we'd have so much fun together that we forget he has the burden of teaching Bible study and Sunday message every week. Sometimes we would hang out on Saturday night and realize: oh shoot! You have to give message the next day right, do you have enough time to prepare. He bobbles his head and laughs a little. This is my fearless leader.

I am sure among the leaders, among people who have gone before me, many have gone through similar or tougher situations and kept up their spirit and their faith. I want to emulate them and walk in their footsteps. In the mean time, I am just really thankful to be able to work side by side and see in detail and firsthand how this kind of emotional toughness and resilient faith is lived out. I think this is God's lesson for me as I am emotionally weak and wimpy, losing sleep over the slightest inconveniences.

Graduating from law school

Mon, 10 Nov 2008 21:19:19 GMT

Graduating from law school in May was an important milestone and such a clear reminder of God's goodness and faithfulness in my life. I remembered coming to Hastings and SF Campus 4 years ago, how scared and insecure I felt back then, and how many countless people loved, guided, encouraged and took care of me during those stressful years.

As soon as I walked out of the auditorium after the ceremony, I was bombarded with flowers, hugs, congratulations; people went out of their way to talk to my parents and make them feel welcome; some left early to set up the AV equipment at the restaurant, and Mike Ho had made a picture slideshow of all the graduates. At the graduation banquet, I saw the faces of so many leaders who had reached out to me ever since freshman year of college, my peers with whom I shared so much history together, and the brothers and sisters at SF Campus. I was overwhelmed by the goodness of God, that He brought me into this church and loving community that I did not deserve or earn in any way. Were it not for this church, I would have lived a miserable, stressed out and self-centered life, only caring about my GPA, what my classmates and professors though of me, and whether I could land a good job. I would have pushed out everyone else so that I could advance my career. But God had provided a church where I was constantly reminded that law school was not the ultimate reality of my life, and that when law school was over, only the treasures in heaven would last.

Taking the bar exam was also a clear reminder of how much I am loved. It was a time that would normally have been an intensely stressful, fearful, and isolating experience. That was the case. But during the whole process, so many people went out of their way to let us know that they cared and we were not alone. Many people told us they were praying for us, many cooked us food throughout the summer so that we wouldn't have to. Once I got sick right before the bar, and Irene drove all the way out to the Tower and brought me food, two days in a row. When my laptop got stolen during the summer, Lillian Chung immediately gave me her laptop for a month. Several people gave me Starbucks gift cards, even Phil Su who I barely knew. During the bar exam, my Home Group sister staff prepared a huge ice chest full of food, snacks and drinks so that we could eat lunch in our hotel room and not have to worry about lunch. My peers in Alameda came all the way out to our hotel in Oakland to bring us dinner every day of the bar exam, even though we had not asked or expected them to do it in any way. Annie Song brought us lunch on the last day of the bar exam and was such a cheerful and encouraging presence, even though we later found out that she had just heard discouraging news about her cancer. The sisters took us out to dinner at Tony Roma's to celebrate with us after the bar exam was over. Finally, I was supposed to move out of the Tower two days after the bar exam, but I was too stressed out to think about it. But to my surprise, some of the brothers had already planned out the move, rented a U-Haul for us, and had already assigned people to help that Saturday morning.

This was not even a complete list of all the love and prayers I received during this summer. Looking back, it's just astounding at how much love God poured out on me through this church, even in this one snapshot. It's not because I deserve it or I contribute so much to this church, but just because I happen to be part of this community.

Bringing warmth and joy

Mon, 03 Nov 2008 19:06:28 GMT

On Sunday morning, 14 of us (plus a little half-person) went to the Crown Bay Convalescent Home to spend time with the men and women living there. Richard and Lauren's Praxis home group goes each week to Crown Bay convalescent home to spend time with the residents and lead a worship service. Our college home group had the privilege of joining them and leading a worship service. We sang a song we had prepared, "How Great Thou Art," listened to Allen give a brief message through 1 John 4 on God's love, gave a potpourri gift to each person, and spent time talking and being with each of the men and women who live at that home. Here's some sharing from the people that went:

I was thankful that the people enjoyed the service. I was touched when they sang along with us. I didn't expect to have such an memorable experience.
I was touched that many of the elderly show a tremendous thankfulness and passion about life through their smile when seeing Abigail moving around with Jenny. I was also touched when they tried to remember the joys and happiness in their early lives and the peaceful way they present these stories to me. And these stories teach me how rich life can be, and how well a person can enjoy from his journey of life.
I was thankful God helped me get past my mind block. Going into the convalescent home I felt intimidated to start a conversation with the elderly. Graciously God lessened the age gap and gave me questions and things to talk about. Eventually, one grandma, Joy, was able to brighten up for me and I was glad she was so open to listening and responding to me. I hope to visit her again.
I was thankful for meeting a woman who served God through years of missionary work in China. Her testimony displayed the timelessness and power of the gospel throughout generations.

After the message during the time of handing out our potpourri gifts, I noticed how loud the conversation was and how much warmer the atmosphere felt. I was proud of our students who without prodding were sidling up next to people, taking their hands and talking, even laughing with them. As I took Abigail around to the different grandmas and grandpas, some of them were laughing so hard watching her eat a banana. Afterwards Lauren was so surprised at some of their reactions, noting that she's never seen them so bright or laughing like that. She also said there was one grandpa who has been very hostile and refused to come to the services, but this Sunday he actually came in and was being cordial.

For me personally, it was a particularly meaningful time because that week before I went to LA to visit my own grandma who is paralyzed from stroke, unable to communicate and we think in the last stages of her life. I tried to read to her Psalm 23 and Romans 8 out of the Korean Bible in my stumbling Korean, staring hard into her blank eyes. Every time I see her, it's a bit jarring to realize this is the same fiery grandma who single-handedly took care of a family of four during the Korean War, escaping from the north, selling scraps of fabric and cigarettes and eventually starting her own business. She was the same grandma who flew in to help take care of us when my parents divorced, cooking some of the best Korean food I've ever eaten, bearing with us while my sisters and I took turns going through our rebellious phases. As we were talking with the grandmas and grandpas at Crown Bay, I thought about how each of these people had a story and is someone's grandma and grandpa, someone's mom or dad, and ultimately, they are the child of our Heavenly Father. I was thankful to just be there, that in a small way, we could share with them in plain English that a great God loved them, and I was reminded of the power of just being with people.

ImpACT October news

Sat, 01 Nov 2008 16:01:01 GMT

Just wanted to share what's been going on in ImpACT for this past month. Enjoy our newsletter!

Trial by fire training

Fri, 24 Oct 2008 20:10:35 GMT

From the stage of Bessie Carmichael Elementary School, I surveyed the unique sight of over a hundred worshipers as I plucked my first bass notes for the SF Campus praise band. I had only begun learning the bass guitar about 2 months earlier, so I felt quite nervous and unprepared. I then thought back to the time when I first told Gordon that I was joining praise band. He had given a hearty laugh and exclaimed, "Looks like it'sgonna be trial by fire!"

Even though this past summer, I served as Angell's TA for his "Multiply-Your-Talents" acoustic guitar class, my concurrent bass training with Isaac dispelled any notion that there was much musical talent in this TA. True, the bass guitar only has four strings compared to six on the acoustic, but the bassist actually has to memorize many more notes on the fretboard, and boy are there a lot of frets! In addition, since I'd never had a keen sense of rhythm, I felt quite apprehensive when I learned on the internet that the bass guitar is supposed to help carry the rhythm for a band. Trial by fire or not, being the type of person I was, I set out to learn as much as I could by taking professional lessons and practicing as much as possible. I'd even (and still do!) bring a metronome with me on my commute to work so I could tap out sixteenth and triplet beats.

Yet despite all the hours I put into improving my bass skills, I think the most valuable lessons came from practicing with the band. One thing I never knew before was how the band members sacrificed their time and energy in this ministry. I'd always thought that our praise band members were so talented that they could "wing" a set without much effort or preparation. Little did I know that each praise set was carefully chosen, a full weeknight was dedicated for band practice, and the practice involved tough scrutiny of all aspects of the set. Learning about their sacrifice taught me to feel very grateful toward all the people who had ever led me during praise time on Sundays.

It was also through these practice times that I learned that we were much more than just a band. For example, last week our practice began with a dinner that was graciously provided by our pianist. Then, we discussed and shared our personal reflections on the chosen songs to prepare our hearts for the practice. And finally, after the practice time�which was filled with laments and laughs over missed notes and musical dissonance�we closed with a time of prayer for one another. How fitting it is that this team of worship leaders should conduct our practices in this way � with God at the center of our fellowship. And I am just thankful and feel really privileged to be a part of this kind of ministry.

Y�all laborin� so hard!

Tue, 21 Oct 2008 23:46:46 GMT

I just got back from a week in beautiful Austin, Texas helping our sister church, Gracepoint Fellowship Church-Austin , prep for their Inaugural Service. About a dozen of us from Berkeley and SF went for the entire week leading up to the Inaugural Service. The week in Austin entailed passing out invitation flyers, meeting students at their dining halls, and doing the odds and ends of church operations � setup, take down, loading, unloading, cooking, cleaning, video, publications, lighting, keying keychains, all while swatting away those pesky Texas mosquitoes.

It was great to be with our Austin brothers and sisters for a week and I didn�t realize how much I had missed so many of them until I was with them again. We did morning prayer walks, DT with Pastor Manny, and fellowshipped together in the evenings over various work and dining tables every day.

And while the team from Berkeley was trying to be helpful, a realization that I couldn�t deny was the difficultly in setting up a church. It was hard just being there for one week but I can�t imagine the work and toil of all that we did that is done on a regular basis apart from us, week in and week out. In Berkeley, there�s always someone else or some other group that�s scheduled to do a certain task, or a subject matter expert that�s a resource for knowledge. But in Austin, everyone�s needed for loading, everyone�s needed in the kitchen, and everyone is a subject matter expert.

But this picture of the church is all worth it. On Inaugural Sunday, there were 30 plus students in attendance and they saw the concrete love and deep relationships that were displayed when all the 50 plus visitors from Berkeley, Waypoint Community Church, and Bridgeway Church of Silicon Valley joined the Austin team in their celebration. And that concrete love and richness in relationship isn�t something that can be faked. And that�s why the gift of the church is so beautiful - broken lives come together to fellowship and love each other so that the world may see that Christ is alive and real in our midst. So although I already miss my friends in Austin, some of whom were my former leaders and housemates when they were here in California, I�m so encouraged to see them pour out their lives day in and day out over the work involved in the new church in Texas. So it�s no excuse for me to slack off here or rely on someone else to be that subject matter expert while I know many are working hard in Austin, in hopes that those who come will find rest and Lord-willing, join the Austin team in their good labor.

God's faithfulness to my family

Thu, 16 Oct 2008 23:21:03 GMT

My family came to the United States in 1993. I still remember vividly how my parents vowed that our family would never worship any gods or idols after we immigrated to the United States. They made that vow because their worship of gods and idols in China had disappointed them, for their gods brought them neither wealth nor happiness. My parents told my sister and me that we would start our lives anew, and, this time, by relying on our own strength and effort.

Following my parents� new life philosophy, I worked hard in high school and got into UC Berkeley with full scholarship. Though I did well in school in my freshmen year, I was experiencing intense loneliness due to the breakup with my ex-girlfriend. I started to fall into depression. Though I put up a cheery face before others, I was dying inside and I didn�t know what to do. The lonely feelings drove me to think about how I was living and what I was living for. Right around this time, God orchestrated a chance meeting with a Christian at the Unit 3 DC. There, I began my journey of seeking God. I joined the college group, which used to be called ABSK. I took Course 101, but, at the end of it, I couldn�t make a decision to accept Christ as my Lord and Savior because of my parents. I was afraid that they would be angry with me for disobeying them. Also, I still had doubts that God could love me more than my parents. After all, my parents were the ones who gave me birth and really sacrificed a lot for me.

However, God had mercy on me. He opened my eye to see that my parents� love for me was very limited in the summer after my sophomore year. I got my first B in my sophomore year. When I told my dad about this, he was very upset at me and said that if I didn�t do well in school that he and the whole family would be looked down by my aunts. Though I had heard of such remark before, I was particularly struck with the feeling that I was only a puppet on a string to them. That incident allowed me to see clearly for the first time the limitedness of my parents� love for me. That opened my heart to seek God�s love. Soon after that, I recognized more clearly my sinfulness and my need for a Savior in Jesus Christ. So, I made my decision to accept Jesus Christ as my Lord and Savior the summer after my sophomore year.

The first scary task after becoming a Christian was to break the news of my decision to my parents. However, it was clear to me that I had to tell them about this decision because it was a very important decision. I didn�t think that I could truly live as a Christian until I told them about it. God had mercy on me. My parents received the news without much disapproval.

After receiving the Gospel, I wanted people around me to hear this Good News as well, especially my parents. However, I was filled with doubts and cynicisms about sharing the Gospel with them, given my age, me being their son, and the language barrier. When I brought up these doubts to my leaders, they encouraged me to pray and live out God�s love before them. I am really grateful for my leaders because they took up my concerns and prayed for them as well. Their prayers and support really encouraged me. I cried out to God in prayers. In my prayers, God showed me that I could show His love to my dad through meeting with him for lunch regularly on Saturdays. At that time, Saturday was my major sleep catch-up day. I would go back to my parents� apartment in SF and take a really long nap. God, in His wisdom, showed me that I could use my time better. It was over these lunch meetings that my dad and I got to talk about politics, education, my life, his life and eventually religion and church. After about 6 months of meetings like this, I sensed that my dad�s heart toward Christianity was softening up.

One time, my leader gave me an apologetic book called �Science and Faith� written in Chinese for my dad to read. On my mom�s 45th birthday, I gave my mom a Bible as her birthday gift. I wasn�t sure how she would receive it, but, amazingly, my mom told me that she had wanted to read the Bible. After that, my dad actually started to read the Bible on his own. He would ask questions about the Bible and about Jesus� teachings during our Saturday meetings. Not long after that, I asked them if they would like to attend church. After some struggles, they agreed to go. This was a huge step forward in their spiritual journey. After attending church regularly for two months, they called me one day and told me that they made a decision to accept Jesus as their personal Lord and Savior. They said they wanted to turn back to the one true God after sinning against Him by worshipping idols for so many years. I couldn�t believe it. My jaws dropped. That was one of the happiest and the most unbelievable moments in my life.

Since then, their lives began to change. They had in their hearts joy, peace and gratitude to God for their salvation. But God continued to help them grow. One of the biggest tests of faith for my parents was my decision to go to China for short-term mission in 2003. When I told my parents that I wanted to go to China for short-term mission, my parents strongly disapproved of my plan. My parents suffered through Cultural Revolution. Since they had tasted the government�s persecution first-hand, they were very concerned about my safety. In view of their disapproval, I struggled over my decision to go to China. God convicted me that I should go because He will take care of my parents and He would provide for us. Finally, at the Eve of 2002, I received blessings from my parents to go. This struggle really refined my family�s faith in God.

And since then, God continued to use my parents to glorify His holy name. God gave my dad such hunger for his Word. When he first became Christian, he devoted himself to the reading of the Bible. He finished reading through the entire Bible once in less than one year�s time. And he started to become active in the publication department in his old church. Later, the pastor of the church discovered that he was a good writer, so he was asked to write for his church�s monthly newsletter. As his thirst for the Word of God continued to grow and per the encouragement from his pastor in his new church, he decided to go to seminary. He studied very diligently on nights and weekends while he performed well at work during the day. With the expanded knowledge about God, God used him in a larger capacity by having him teach Sunday School. After graduating from seminary in October last year, I heard from my mom that the pastor had asked my dad to preach at their Sunday Worship Service. I was like �What? My dad, a preacher man?� I was in disbelief.

Well, as much as I was in disbelief when I heard it the first time, it actually happened 3 weeks ago. God provided the opportunity. My dad�s church, Chinese Independent Baptist Church in Oakland, started a mandarin congregation about 5 weeks ago. In this new ministry, they needed someone who could speak fluent mandarin. Given that my dad had been teaching Sunday school and could speak Mandarin fluently, he was given the opportunity to preach. So, three Sundays ago, my dad stood behind the pulpit for the first time. Karen and I were there to witness God�s faithfulness in his life as we listened to the message. It was a very overwhelming experience for me because I had seen God�s faithful leading in my dad�s life every step of the way, from when my dad said �let�s rely on ourselves� to now that he passionately proclaimed: �we need to let the spirit of God live in us so that we could be the salt of the earth, light to the world, and the city on a hill that cannot be hidden.�

He preached on Matthew 5:13-16, challenging his congregation to live out their Christian faith and to reach out to the lost souls around them. In his message, he shared a personal story about how he encouraged his Caucasian coworker to go back to church after having stop going to church for 30 years. What happened was that, one day, he noticed that his coworker looked very down. When he asked her what happened, she told him that her son was arrested in her apartment after overdosing on drugs. She felt like she had lost her son, and she couldn�t do anything about it. My dad said to her: Didn�t you say that you are a Christian? Christians are never without hope because we could always ask God in prayers. She replied that she didn�t think that God would answer her prayers because she had not gone to church for 30 years. My dad told her that God would accept us and hear our prayers as long as we wanted to turn back to Him. So, my dad took her outside of the office and prayed together during the lunch time. She prayed for her son, and she also prayed that she would turn back to God by going to church. The following Monday, her face was beaming when she met my dad in the office. She told my dad that she went to church last Sunday, and God had answered that prayer. My dad said: �That�s great. Now, let�s continue to pray for your son.� So, they prayed. To keep the long story short. Her son eventually started going to church and became a Christian. The story was amazing enough, but knowing that my dad had been trying to live out his faith, his own message in his work place really challenged me.

After the service, when I went up to green my dad, I realized that my dad�s voice was shot from teaching Sunday school and preaching the service message back-to-back. Though it was hard labor, his face was beaming with joy�it was the joy of serving the Lord. Over dinner that night, I shared how proud I was to hear dad blowing out his voice by preaching God�s word at the service. After hearing that, my mom became concerned about my dad�s health. She told him to maybe preach less or lighten up ministry load since he was working full time. My dad became silent. Oh, how I understand that silence. That�s the silence that I would give to my parents when they told me to not run around too much or take on too much. Seeing my dad�s awkward silence, I chuckled in my heart. And then, I broke the silence by saying �You know. When we serve God, we don�t use our own strength. We use God�s strength. So, I think dad will be okay.� My dad could not agree more and said: �That�s right. It�s God�s strength.�

In closing, though this story is about my dad, this is really God�s story. And I look forward to seeing how God will continue to use my dad and the church that he serves in to advance God�s kingdom in his generation.

Understanding hunger

Fri, 10 Oct 2008 18:57:15 GMT

Two Saturdays ago, the sophomores and juniors of a2f Blue along with the staff drove out to the San Francisco Food Bank for an afternoon of volunteer work. We arrived at a humongous warehouse structure filled with towering rows of donated foods. One sophomore likened the inside to Costco, except that all the food we saw was donated and slated for consumption by the city�s underprivileged. We were put to work packaging food rations for the elderly in the city. The Food Bank staff arranged us in assembly-line manner so that everyone had a specific job, and the completion of a single food box depended on the efficiency of every member, starting with the very first job on the line. A2f Blue hit a groove of speedy and joyful activity as we assembled boxes, wrestled with huge rolls of saran wrap, heaved boxes of cans onto the assembly belt, and stuffed in as much food as possible into each box. We did this for 3 hours which passed by in a blur. By the time we were done, SF Food Bank staff congratulated us on helping pack 27,000 pounds of food which would go immediately to those who could not afford the daily, basic necessity of food.

As we were given the tour of the facilities afterwards, I was reminded of the time we partook in the 30-Hour Famine, where we raised money through a massive garage sale while fasting for a little more than a day. After the garage sale, we walked through an exhibit on world hunger and poverty that coincided with our �famine,� which left an indelible impression on me. Hearing the staff at SF Food Bank tell us of how about 1 in 5 children in the city of San Francisco don�t have enough to eat, and how many families live below the poverty line in what is ostensibly one of the richest cities in America made me realize that the very problems we tried to address during the 30-hour famine existed in our very own backyard. I grumble about being �tired� or �busy� while enjoying 3 healthy meals a day and not having to worry about where my next meal will come from, or how I will pay for car insurance and rent. But I realize that being thankful and stewarding well the resources we are blessed with go hand-in-hand, and I learned through this Serve Day of how much more I need to be thankful for every single aspect of my life. If I am truly thankful, then I will have room for the generosity needed to serve the poor. As we drove home from the SF Food Bank, the looks on the students� faces told me that they were tired but fulfilled from doing an afternoon�s worth of worthy work. I think we were all grateful for the opportunity to serve our community. At the same time, this experience gave us at a2f Blue a glimpse of why we need to be good stewards of all we have, thankful for the basic necessities of life, and work hard to serve others less fortunate than us.

Giving it all, one ride at a time

Tue, 07 Oct 2008 22:47:47 GMT

At Gracepoint you often hear stories about hard workers behind the scenes who make things happen especially for big events like G-live, NSWN, or JCC. Among this group are our weekly ImpACT and Joyland drivers who may very likely be the epitome of what it means to give it all.

The rides component of the ImpACT and Joyland programs draw on drivers from many of our ministries � Berkeley and CSUEB College staff, Element, ISM, Korean Department, and Praxis � who are already serving in different capacities yet continue to make the time to serve by driving ImpACT and Joyland kids from Oakland to Willard and back to their homes. It truly takes the whole church to successfully coordinate and arrange rides for the many children who come to ImpACT and Joyland. Throughout the week, I speak with Sue Yi, Tony and Michelle Sun, and Ken Yi (from Korean Department) as we work together to find and finalize drivers for that coming Sunday.

Drivers are participating in a task that many will not see. They are relating to ImpACT children and continuing to stretch themselves even more as they continue to give their all. It�s obvious that ImpACT and Joyland drivers have pivotal roles in our program because they transport the kids to and from Willard, but more importantly, ImpACT and Joyland drivers have the advantage of connecting with and ministering to the kids in the 20 to 30 minute car rides. They are the first people to greet the kids as they come to ImpACT and Joyland and the last people to leave an impression as the kids return home.

There are Sundays when rides go smoothly, but the Sundays where there aren�t enough drivers have proven to be the most effective in faith building. It is during these Sundays that the body of Christ giving their all for a common purpose becomes strikingly apparent as drivers step up to take kids home. It is encouraging for me to experience the kind of positive attitude and willingness I see from drivers, especially those who are asked an hour before (or five minutes�and sometimes even on the spot), to drive for ImpACT and Joyland. Regardless of their tiredness or the busyness of their morning schedule and responsibilities, the drivers continue to be all there for their kids as they engage in meaningful conversations and just simply try to understand where the kids are coming from.

Having the opportunity to coordinate rides for ImpACT and Joyland has allowed me to see the various ways in which we, at Gracepoint, strive to give our all for God�s work and kingdom. My prayer is that the kids will come to understand the kind of heart and character exhibited by these drivers, and that they will one day also come to serve God in similar ways.

Walking the walk together

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 22:34:24 GMT

It hasn't even been one month that our group, Kairos 4, has begun officially as a campus group in Berkeley, but to our joy and excitement, God has brought us about 10 students who have been regularly joining us for our Bible studies and fun activities. This past weekend was our first extended time together with a subset of those students, and it was a wonderful opportunity to "struggle" together through an uphill battle against nature (pun fully intended). In the midst of LOTR-like fog drifting through towering redwoods, we shared stories, fears, close-encounters with monster banana slugs from another planet, and a delicious picnic lunch together (okay, it was just a sandwich, but man does ANYTHING taste incredible after a 4-mile walk/hike!). I most enjoyed just getting to know each other, taking those first steps in what we hope to be God-given, life-long relationships.

As this is a semester of some new beginnings for all of us in Kairos, staff and students alike, it's been appropriate that we've begun our Bible studies in John 1, "In the beginning was the Word." It's only been a month, but I look forward to sharing not only in these kinds of Muir Woods memory-makers, but really growing closer to each other and taking steps closer to God in His Word.

Serving God together

Wed, 01 Oct 2008 08:16:56 GMT

For Andrew and me, our wedding was a special time as it gave us an opportunity to reflect on our lives and thank God for all of His blessings. As Pastor Ed shared during the message this past Sunday, my peers sang a song for us at the reception called �He�s Always Been Faithful� by Sara Groves. Here are the words:

Morning by morning I wake up to find
The power and comfort of God's hand in mine
Season by season I watch him amazed
In awe of the mystery of his perfect ways

All I have need of his hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me

I can't remember a trial or a pain
He did not recycle to bring me gain
I can't remember one single regret
In serving God only and trusting his hand

All I have need of his hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me

This is my anthem, this is my song
The theme of the stories I've heard for so long
God has been faithful, he will be again
His loving compassion, it knows no end

All I have need of his hand will provide
He's always been faithful to me

I�ve sung this song at least half-a-dozen times, but still, I was moved to tears as I looked at each of my peers, and remembered different struggles, trials, and times of pain we�ve gone through together. Most of us met as freshmen, eleven years ago. Back when I first met them, I had no idea the kind of friendships we would have now. Over the years, we�ve prayed for each others� salvation and we�ve fasted and prayed for each other when we were sick or struggling with a sin issue or struggling against God. When I think about my peers, I can think of different things from their past, joys and pains, but I especially see how God is at work in their lives, and I thank God for how we�ve grown up to take our place in His kingdom work. My peers and I are scattered throughout the different ministries in our church (ISM, SF Campus, Berkeley College, Praxis, and Davis). And each one of us, in our own way, is trying to share the gospel and God�s love as we received it and experienced during our undergrad days, our early post-grad days, and today. When I think about my friends, I can see how our weaknesses, our sins, our hard times, have brought us closer to God, allowed us to experience His grace, and I see that we were able to grow in our faith and trust in Him. I am so thankful that we are here, serving God together, experiencing God together, and look forward to all the ways that God will continue to work in, and through, our lives.

Raising the walls

Mon, 29 Sep 2008 05:59:17 GMT

In the book of Nehemiah, the walls of Jerusalem were broken down and its gates were destroyed by fire. Filled with anguish over the city, Nehemiah rallied the people to overcome their fears and doubts and rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in 52 short days. The process included all the people, men and women, rich and poor, nobles and peasants, working side by side, building by day and defending the city by night, in order to complete the project. And this picture of unity, shared vision, and personal sacrifice for the honor of God has been the paradigm for which the church has been called to imitate throughout history.

And while I would never claim to know exactly how the people felt when they accomplished this tremendous task, I think God gives us hints of such things when we come together as a church to work toward a single goal that requires self denial. I have felt this way when involved with reaching out to the Berkeley campus, I have tasted this through our Impact program, and I have experienced this through compassion ministries. But recently, I felt this way in an unlikely place while engaged in an unlikely task: the building of our Sierra "Barn" walls!

While we completed the construction of our Sierra lodge last year, which has hosted numerous retreats, ministry outings, fellowship times, and bible teacher training sessions, the need to build another structure that could hold 150-200 people for a retreat was clear. After much prep work had been put in by Pastor Jonathan, of our Waypoint Church in Davis, Pastor Ed, and others, the call went out for some brothers to strap on utility work belts, wield hammers, load nail guns, and handle power tools. After a few emails detailing the work, all the full-time staff at our church, some of the unemployed brothers, and guys who sacrificed vacation days at work, droved 3 hours to our beautiful land in the Sierras to build what we coined the "Barn". Not to be outdone by the brothers, an army of sisters, headed by Kelly and the full-time sister staff, went to the house to prepare meals for us and develop small group materials for our entire church!! Everyone worked 10-12 hour days, starting with DT in the morning, breaking for a delicious home-cooked lunch, and ending after dark with dinner. After each day, all the guys were a bit more tanned, a lot more sore, and a whole lot more joyful as we saw the walls going up and the floor being laid. At the end of 4 full days of work and some additional help from our praxis department, we had the entire frame of the large house erected and ready for the roofers to come in. But more than a sense of accomplishment, we experienced bonding between everyone who worked tirelessly and gave it there all with the vision that this house would one day be a place of joy, laughter, some crying, and important decisions for many people at our church.

As we hope to complete the barn by December, I'm thankful to have been part of the crew that could raise the walls on this barn. We will all have memories of how this house was built many times faster, and with a bit fewer mistakes, than our last house. It is so true that when the church comes together and people are willing to sacrifice for the sake of a shared vision, we can do great things!

Being an ImpACT helper

Fri, 26 Sep 2008 21:16:41 GMT

Excited about the idea about being a part of Impact, I applied to be a Team Lead right away. I was so set on being one that under the application I even marked that position for both my first and second choice, just so whoever reviewed them would just see how much I wanted it. However, when I received the email explaining my position as a helper, I felt it was a title
for the people they didn't have room for and I just thought to myself, how could I ever hope to change these kids behind a sign directing traffic? However, God still used me in more ways I could have imagined.

In the beginning of Impact, we started with a day of games. As a helper it was our job to set up the boundaries of cones, get supplies ready for the upcoming games and participate if needed to. Todays games happened to involve a lot of water like water balloon tosses and relay races with cups of water. Unfortunately, since one of the boys were sick, he couldn't get wet and had to sit out for all the games. I decided to talk to him and just keep him company. Somethings I found out about him surprised me. As I talked to him the subject of where he lived and the kind of people he played with had come up. He told me that all the kids in his apartment always said bad words and he didn't like it. And I was amazed. Here was this third grader who found it so wrong for other kids his age and older to be using foul language. His response reminded me that children were so pure, innocent and soft-hearted and that as they grow up in this world, their hearts were going to be subjected to hardening by what they saw around them. But in this moment I couldn't help but think that though these children are small, God is working in them and it is up to us to guide them in the right path. We continued to talk and it surprised me how he just wouldn't stop sharing more about himself to someone he just met. Later, the conversation ended with us just talking about our favorite Pokemon.

The next week I sat at the registration table while the kids lined up to be checked in. Next in line was the boy I kept company last week. He approached the table with the biggest smile ever, yelling �Hey Mr. Hugo!� While I was checking him in I noticed he looked from side to side as he reached into his pocket. Out he pulled out what seemed to be something flat. Covering it was scraps of line paper held loosely by pieces of bright lime green painters tape he probably found at home. It was probably the worst wrapping I've ever seen, but then he handed it to me. I asked him what it was and when I opened it I saw that there were two Pokemon cards. He remembered our conversation last week and so he got me those two cards as a present. I was so touched. I saw how these kids desired love and affection so easily and so much. And just in that one conversation I had in which I showed interest in him and his life, he did feel love and he felt like he could trust me. And just by looking at how this kid wanted love, I was reminded that this is the case for all of us adults as well we hide it. From his immediate response of kindness towards me, I knew that this kid along with the others in Impact were so easily molded and that was scary. However, when they came there on Sundays, it was our calling to love them and shape their hearts.

I realized that God never said that only people with certain important titles can make a difference in these kids' lives, but that we are called to love no matter what titles we hold. And in the weeks I have been a helper, I've actually seen these kids open up more and more and I've seen the opportunities that God has placed in front of me to love them. And when I notice all these opportunities, I know that these kids are just yearning for love. Though I came in with a bad attitude because I didn't get what I wanted, God said I still choose you to love these.