I haven't even started senior year yet, and already, people have started what I plan on doing next year. The answer? Well, if you'd asked me a few months ago, it would've been a definitive, "Taking a year or two off to work in industry before going back to grad (or med) school." (This for now, is still my short answer...the long answer is the rest of this post). As I was undecided about PhD vs MD/PhD, working in industry would be a good way to pursue my interest in research in the biotech/pharmaceutical industries while buying me some time to make up my mind about med school. Simple and satisfactory. But after much contemplation this summer, I'm not so sure anymore.
Two things from Summer Project spurred most of this contemplation. The first is a dessert night for the seniors with info about post-grad options with Campus Crusade (interning/STINT, full-time ministry). I was pretty adamant against going into ministry because God has given me an interest in scientific research and dreams of an advanced degree for a reason. Why would he give me these gifts and dreams and then not have me use them? Of what use is a BS in BME in ministry? Why would I let my ridiculously expensive private school education go to waste? But I listened anyway and got to hear some of the stories from the staff of how they decided to join full-time.
The second was eternal perspective. If all of eternity were represented on a timeline, how big would a human lifespan be? The 70 years would be but a microscopic speck. What's the use of working so hard for my tiny dot? I want to be a part of something bigger -- part of God's purpose and story that He wrote for the universe. When I'm 35 and I look back over the last 10 years of my life, what do I want to see? What do I want to have accomplished? Or what about when I'm 70? How do I want to have affected or influenced people or the world around me over my lifetime?
So many questions...and so few answers...
So what is my answer now, you ask? I don't know. I don't know what I'll be doing, whether I'll stay in the city, move back to Atlanta, move to a new city-- I don't even know if I'm going to be in the country, for Pete's sake. But I can tell you that I know my first post-graduation job doesn't have to be what I do for the rest of my life. I can tell you that I'm leaning "no" about MD/PhD because I don't want it badly enough (and everyone I know in med school has told me that I won't make it through unless I'm willing to fight for it). I can tell you that I am considering spending my time off for ministry, and that my change in attitude about that can only be from God. But most importantly, I can tell you that God knows best and that I will go wherever he leads me.
One day I'm going to look back on this and wonder why I worried so much. Until then, I've got some praying to do.
Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Monday, August 25, 2008
Epic Hawaii -- The final update
Dear friends and family,
Thank you all for your support, your prayers, and words of encouragement for this mission trip! After much processing and reflection, I'd like to give you a final update. It has been an incredibly challenging and stretching summer, and I'd just like to share with a little bit about what God has taught me and how he's grown me this summer. Below is the letter that I wrote.
In Christ,
Jess
PS -- If you'd like to see pictures, you can view them on facebook or here
http://picasaweb.google.com/jessica.y.lui/EpicHawaiiSummerProject08
Thank you all for your support, your prayers, and words of encouragement for this mission trip! After much processing and reflection, I'd like to give you a final update. It has been an incredibly challenging and stretching summer, and I'd just like to share with a little bit about what God has taught me and how he's grown me this summer. Below is the letter that I wrote.
This summer, I was part of a team of 29 Asian-American students and 9 staff from all over the mainland US. Within days, we became like family as we trained together, shared the gospel together, prayed together, and played together. Since Hawaii is over 50% Asian, we fit right in – in fact, if we didn't say anything, most people just assumed that we were locals. Our purpose there was twofold: first, to find our identity in Christ, and second, to launch movements on campuses.
Through several ministries, such as men's and women's time, Bible studies, and large group sharing, we learned about ourselves as Asian Americans and the ways that our culture affects our relationships with others and with God. We learned about healthy ways of dealing with conflicts and our emotions, but one of the most important lessons I learned was that the performance orientation of Asian culture had led me to believe that I had to earn God's approval by working hard at getting good grades or by serving in my fellowship. In reality, God created us to be human beings, not human doings – He loves me because of who I am, and there is absolutely nothing that I can do to make Him love me any more or any less. After years of identifying myself with my GPA, it is such a relief to know that it's not a number, but my trust in Christ that defines who I am and gives me worth.
As our second purpose was to launch movements on college campuses, we were assigned to one of three campuses: the University of Hawaii (my campus), Kapiolani Community College, and Hawaii Pacific University. We went on campus three days a week and approached people with short surveys about life experiences and thoughts on spirituality. Sometimes at UH, we held events to draw people in, such as a prayer table where passersby could write their prayer requests and a reverse confession booth (inspired by Don Miller's Blue Like Jazz) where we apologized for the ways that we've misrepresented Christianity. Overall, people were generally pretty open to talking, and they appreciated that we listened to them and that we didn't force anything on them. At KCC and HPU, where there were no ministries, God has raised leaders who had a heart for their campuses. They will begin meeting this fall and continue the work that we began there.
One of the most important things I've learned about and grown in this summer is communicating my faith in a clear and concise manner. The first week, I let my partner do all the talking because I was really uncomfortable with approaching people. Since then, I've learned that the worst thing that people can say is that they don't want to do the survey, which isn't that big of a deal. I've also learned that God is ultimately interested in my willingness to let him use me, not my words. By the end of project, I was much more confident, and I even had the chance to show the ropes to one of the locals who came outreaching with us one weekend. What had once been an annoying duty has become a joy and privilege, and I hope that sharing God's love would not be something confined to this summer and this place, but a part of my life no matter where I am.
In Christ,
Jess
PS -- If you'd like to see pictures, you can view them on facebook or here
http://picasaweb.google.com/
Tuesday, August 12, 2008
Graffiti shirt guy -- a random story from Project
One Saturday, we went outreaching with graffiti shirts, extra large white t-shirts with a single question like, "Who/What is God?" or "What is love?" and we asked people walking by to write their answers on the shirts. My partner was wearing a shirt that said, "What is sin?" and we randomly approached one man and asked if he'd like to take part in a one-question survey.
"What's the question, 'Do Iknow where I'm spending the rest of eternity?'"
"No, the question is 'What is sin?'"
"What church are you from?"
"We're with an organization called Campus Crusade for Christ."
"(calls to his wife) Honey, remember that time we were approached by Campus Crusaders in Santa Monica? (to us) Why did you pick me? Do I look like someone who needs saving?!"
"No...we're just asking random people. But would you like to participate in the survey?"
"We're Catholic. We go every week. We have a pretty good idea of what it is."
"Would you like to sign the shirt?"
"Sure..."
"Thanks, have a great day!"
Even though we didn't have much of a conversation with him, it was still really cool to see how God was pursuing him whether he liked it or not. One of the verses that we keep going back to is I Corinthians 3:6 "I [Paul] planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow," and it's a humble reminder that we're only one part of the process as God draws people to him.
"What's the question, 'Do Iknow where I'm spending the rest of eternity?'"
"No, the question is 'What is sin?'"
"What church are you from?"
"We're with an organization called Campus Crusade for Christ."
"(calls to his wife) Honey, remember that time we were approached by Campus Crusaders in Santa Monica? (to us) Why did you pick me? Do I look like someone who needs saving?!"
"No...we're just asking random people. But would you like to participate in the survey?"
"We're Catholic. We go every week. We have a pretty good idea of what it is."
"Would you like to sign the shirt?"
"Sure..."
"Thanks, have a great day!"
Even though we didn't have much of a conversation with him, it was still really cool to see how God was pursuing him whether he liked it or not. One of the verses that we keep going back to is I Corinthians 3:6 "I [Paul] planted the seed, Apollos watered it, but God made it grow," and it's a humble reminder that we're only one part of the process as God draws people to him.
Friday, August 1, 2008
Epic Hawaii -- Almost over
Dear friends and family,
Thank you guys so much for all your prayers and letters of encouragement through this trip. I've really appreciated hearing from you guys, even if I've been delinquent in replying. This is my last day in Hawaii, and then I'll be home in Atlanta on Sunday (hooray for red-eye flights!). I am currently in the midst of processing and reflecting on what has happened here and what God has taught me these last 6 weeks, so I will write a more complete update when I get home.
In the meantime, please pray for:
- The locals that we've met here, that God would reveal himself to those who are seeking him, and that those who already know him would be encouraged in their walks.
- The campus ministry that will be starting at Kapiolani Community College this fall -- praise God for the leaders who have stepped up and desire to see God move on this campus
- That God would continue to move in mighty ways long after we leave
-My team as we part ways, for safe travel, for transition back to life at home or school, that we might encourage each other through the post-project depression that most people experience. Please pray that we would have vision for our campuses back home and that we would apply what we've learned this summer and not return unchanged.
Thank you for your many prayers,
Jess
Thank you guys so much for all your prayers and letters of encouragement through this trip. I've really appreciated hearing from you guys, even if I've been delinquent in replying. This is my last day in Hawaii, and then I'll be home in Atlanta on Sunday (hooray for red-eye flights!). I am currently in the midst of processing and reflecting on what has happened here and what God has taught me these last 6 weeks, so I will write a more complete update when I get home.
In the meantime, please pray for:
- The locals that we've met here, that God would reveal himself to those who are seeking him, and that those who already know him would be encouraged in their walks.
- The campus ministry that will be starting at Kapiolani Community College this fall -- praise God for the leaders who have stepped up and desire to see God move on this campus
- That God would continue to move in mighty ways long after we leave
-My team as we part ways, for safe travel, for transition back to life at home or school, that we might encourage each other through the post-project depression that most people experience. Please pray that we would have vision for our campuses back home and that we would apply what we've learned this summer and not return unchanged.
Thank you for your many prayers,
Jess
Saturday, July 12, 2008
Update: Halfway through
Dear family and friends,
How are you all doing? I hope you all had a relaxing holiday weekend. Project is now officially more than halfway over, so the novelty is long gone, we are tired, and as with all CCC summer projects, the staff have handed leadership to us students and will actually be leaving Saturday morning. Each student is now in a position of leadership, whether small group leader, ministry coordinator, or project director. My partner Theo and I are the new training coordinators, so we teach the material for training twice a week. While we do have suggested curriculum, we are also encouraged to be sensitive to the students' needs and adjust the curriculum as necessary. Please pray that we we as student leaders will seek wisdom for the remainder of the Project.
On campus sharing has become much easier for me to initiate conversations, but carrying them can still be difficult for content reasons. I had a very draining conversation with an atheist last week, where I felt like I had to constantly defend and represent Christianity. I spoke with one of the project directors afterwards, and he told me that nobody randomly hates the church as a historical institution for philosophical reasons, so I didn't need to feel pressured to give one, and that it was perfectly fine to admit, "I don't know." Besides atheists, we've also run into members of questionable denominations. Two of our teammates randomly met a guy from the International Christian Church (anyone know anything about them?) who ended up leading them through a Bible study that made them question their faith and our work here. In the end, they felt really challenged to know the Word better and have been eagerly studying the Bible since then.
On a much brighter note, one of my teammates and I had the incredible privilege of leading someone to Christ this week!! Neither of us have ever done that before, and it was just awesome having God use us in this way. I believe there have been 12 decisions for Christ so far since Project started, so praise the Lord for our new brothers and sisters in Christ! Please pray that He will protect them and grow them in His truth.
Please also pray for the following:
- For my teammates who are still short on support. Praise God for what He's already provided (one teammate raised $2000 in one week!)
- That my teammates and I will make quality time with God a priority and to rely on His strength every moment of every day. We are getting tired, and it is very easy to neglect quiet time because there's so much free time to drivel away doing nothing and because there are so many distractions.
- That we will be firmly rooted in the Word and keep our eyes on the big picture.
- That we will have vision for our campuses here and at home
- For post-graduation plans for the rising seniors. The staff challenged to consider interning for CCC for a year or two after graduation, and while the application isn't due until March, the first round of job offers are given around November, so we really need to pray about this soon.
In Him,
Jessica
How are you all doing? I hope you all had a relaxing holiday weekend. Project is now officially more than halfway over, so the novelty is long gone, we are tired, and as with all CCC summer projects, the staff have handed leadership to us students and will actually be leaving Saturday morning. Each student is now in a position of leadership, whether small group leader, ministry coordinator, or project director. My partner Theo and I are the new training coordinators, so we teach the material for training twice a week. While we do have suggested curriculum, we are also encouraged to be sensitive to the students' needs and adjust the curriculum as necessary. Please pray that we we as student leaders will seek wisdom for the remainder of the Project.
On campus sharing has become much easier for me to initiate conversations, but carrying them can still be difficult for content reasons. I had a very draining conversation with an atheist last week, where I felt like I had to constantly defend and represent Christianity. I spoke with one of the project directors afterwards, and he told me that nobody randomly hates the church as a historical institution for philosophical reasons, so I didn't need to feel pressured to give one, and that it was perfectly fine to admit, "I don't know." Besides atheists, we've also run into members of questionable denominations. Two of our teammates randomly met a guy from the International Christian Church (anyone know anything about them?) who ended up leading them through a Bible study that made them question their faith and our work here. In the end, they felt really challenged to know the Word better and have been eagerly studying the Bible since then.
On a much brighter note, one of my teammates and I had the incredible privilege of leading someone to Christ this week!! Neither of us have ever done that before, and it was just awesome having God use us in this way. I believe there have been 12 decisions for Christ so far since Project started, so praise the Lord for our new brothers and sisters in Christ! Please pray that He will protect them and grow them in His truth.
Please also pray for the following:
- For my teammates who are still short on support. Praise God for what He's already provided (one teammate raised $2000 in one week!)
- That my teammates and I will make quality time with God a priority and to rely on His strength every moment of every day. We are getting tired, and it is very easy to neglect quiet time because there's so much free time to drivel away doing nothing and because there are so many distractions.
- That we will be firmly rooted in the Word and keep our eyes on the big picture.
- That we will have vision for our campuses here and at home
- For post-graduation plans for the rising seniors. The staff challenged to consider interning for CCC for a year or two after graduation, and while the application isn't due until March, the first round of job offers are given around November, so we really need to pray about this soon.
In Him,
Jessica
Monday, June 30, 2008
Local lovin'
Friday and Saturday afternoons/evenings are dedicated to local lovin', or hanging out with the people that we've met over the last week. The idea of me calling some random person with whom I had one conversation and asking them if I could hang out with them really made me uncomfortable. I mean, if someone asked me to take a survey, asked for my phone number, and then called me a few days later asking to hang out, I'd be pretty creeped out. Tony (project director) says that this is because I'm from NYC...To you non NYC people out there, would you be creeped out?
Anyway, as of Friday morning I had no contacts to hang out with for the weekend, so I went with a bunch of local-less teammates to the beach. The guys met a few locals by playing a pick-up game of football, and a few girls and I were playing with a volleyball. I noticed a young girl sitting and watching us, so I invited her to come play with us. We chatted a little and found out that her name's Raven and that she's 11, has 5 older brothers and stepbrothers, is from WV, and is currently vacationing here until Tuesday, but will be moving here permanently along with her dad and his girlfriend at the end of the summer. She's a really sweet girl who seemed lonely and in need of someone to play with her and to love her. As we were leaving, she asked us if we were coming back the next day . I told her that we didn't know what our schedule would be like, but I gave her my phone number so that we could arrange a play date before she went back home.
Saturday afternoon, we went to another beach to evangelize, and as we were wrapping up and getting ready to leave, I got a phone call from Raven asking "Are you guys gonna come back today?" Here I was, somewhat worried about not having any plans to meet up with any locals later that night, but God had someone call me instead and make plans! A friend and I went to meet her and we got to toss a volleyball with her and her dad and just get know them both better. They're Christians (she was baptized less than a year ago!), and just really friendly people. We ended up going to play with her again today (my free day), one last time before they left, and we asked if we could pray for them. It's been a blessing to meet her and spend time with her, even if it's only been for a few hours. My heart really goes out to her because she's been through so much brokenness in her family at such a young age. My hope and prayer is that she will find healing and security in Christ as she grows in Him.
Anyway, as of Friday morning I had no contacts to hang out with for the weekend, so I went with a bunch of local-less teammates to the beach. The guys met a few locals by playing a pick-up game of football, and a few girls and I were playing with a volleyball. I noticed a young girl sitting and watching us, so I invited her to come play with us. We chatted a little and found out that her name's Raven and that she's 11, has 5 older brothers and stepbrothers, is from WV, and is currently vacationing here until Tuesday, but will be moving here permanently along with her dad and his girlfriend at the end of the summer. She's a really sweet girl who seemed lonely and in need of someone to play with her and to love her. As we were leaving, she asked us if we were coming back the next day . I told her that we didn't know what our schedule would be like, but I gave her my phone number so that we could arrange a play date before she went back home.
Saturday afternoon, we went to another beach to evangelize, and as we were wrapping up and getting ready to leave, I got a phone call from Raven asking "Are you guys gonna come back today?" Here I was, somewhat worried about not having any plans to meet up with any locals later that night, but God had someone call me instead and make plans! A friend and I went to meet her and we got to toss a volleyball with her and her dad and just get know them both better. They're Christians (she was baptized less than a year ago!), and just really friendly people. We ended up going to play with her again today (my free day), one last time before they left, and we asked if we could pray for them. It's been a blessing to meet her and spend time with her, even if it's only been for a few hours. My heart really goes out to her because she's been through so much brokenness in her family at such a young age. My hope and prayer is that she will find healing and security in Christ as she grows in Him.
Saturday, June 28, 2008
Recap: The first two weeks
Hey everyone!
I hope you all are doing well. The first two weeks have been filled with great bonding time with my teammates and lots of training and opportunities to practice what we've learned. In the first week alone, we went evangelizing on the beach on Monday, on campus Tuesday
and Thursday, and at the mall on Friday. We had our first fun day on Saturday where we got to go to Pali lookout (a natural wind tunnel with a breathtaking view of the island), the Dole plantation, and Waimea Bay on the north shore. I've posted pictures of these and more details below.
This week was a more typical week, which looks something like this:
Monday: free day (I went to Pearl Harbor with a bunch of friends)
Tuesday-Thursday: on campus (with training on TR mornings) (midmorning
to mid-afternoon), dinner, inreach (men's/women's time, Bible study, team building)
Friday: ministry planning (morning), "local loving" -- hang out with people you met on campus (evening)
Saturday: outreach (morning), local loving (evening)
Sunday: church (morning) and ohana time (like a giant small group for the entire team)
Initiating conversations with random people definitely pushes me out of my comfort zone, but it's getting easier the more I do it. I've been really surprised at people's willingness to share with us about their lives and thoughts on spirituality. I've had some really interesting experiences, including sharing the gospel with a girl who had never heard it before, and listening to a Chinese man talk to my partner (in Mandarin) for nearly an hour and a half. Even though the fear of sharing is definitely subsiding, some days it just feels like I'm doing it because I have to, not out of any excitement about how good this news really is. I think that God has been working slowly
but surely in my heart, but please continue to pray for a passion for His name.
Finally, please also pray for the following:
- For my teammates who are still raising support, that support may come in generously.
- That we will be open, vulnerable, and accepting of each other as we learn more about ourselves and each other
- That we will have a heart for the campuses we're assigned to and for the passion to share the good news
- That we will rest and learn to depend solely on His strength (Isaiah 40:31)
In Him,
Jessica
I hope you all are doing well. The first two weeks have been filled with great bonding time with my teammates and lots of training and opportunities to practice what we've learned. In the first week alone, we went evangelizing on the beach on Monday, on campus Tuesday
and Thursday, and at the mall on Friday. We had our first fun day on Saturday where we got to go to Pali lookout (a natural wind tunnel with a breathtaking view of the island), the Dole plantation, and Waimea Bay on the north shore. I've posted pictures of these and more details below.
This week was a more typical week, which looks something like this:
Monday: free day (I went to Pearl Harbor with a bunch of friends)
Tuesday-Thursday: on campus (with training on TR mornings) (midmorning
to mid-afternoon), dinner, inreach (men's/women's time, Bible study, team building)
Friday: ministry planning (morning), "local loving" -- hang out with people you met on campus (evening)
Saturday: outreach (morning), local loving (evening)
Sunday: church (morning) and ohana time (like a giant small group for the entire team)
Initiating conversations with random people definitely pushes me out of my comfort zone, but it's getting easier the more I do it. I've been really surprised at people's willingness to share with us about their lives and thoughts on spirituality. I've had some really interesting experiences, including sharing the gospel with a girl who had never heard it before, and listening to a Chinese man talk to my partner (in Mandarin) for nearly an hour and a half. Even though the fear of sharing is definitely subsiding, some days it just feels like I'm doing it because I have to, not out of any excitement about how good this news really is. I think that God has been working slowly
but surely in my heart, but please continue to pray for a passion for His name.
Finally, please also pray for the following:
- For my teammates who are still raising support, that support may come in generously.
- That we will be open, vulnerable, and accepting of each other as we learn more about ourselves and each other
- That we will have a heart for the campuses we're assigned to and for the passion to share the good news
- That we will rest and learn to depend solely on His strength (Isaiah 40:31)
In Him,
Jessica
Pearl Harbor
If you ever intend to visit Pearl Harbor, know that in order to see a documentary and to take the boat out to the memorial itself, you have to have a ticket. While they are free, they are also pretty limited, so come early and hang out in the museum and the other displays at the center.
The USS Arizona memorial
A piece of the hull still above water
The shrine room, where the names of the 1177 who died on the Arizona are listed.Sunday, June 22, 2008
Island tour! (Saturday, 6/21)
Pali lookout
A natural wind tunnel with a breath-taking view of the northeast coast of Oahu
The city of Kaneohe and Kaneohe Bay
The Dole Plantation:
Home of dozens, if not hundreds of varieties of pineapple
A young pineapple
Red pineapples
Dole whip, topped with crushed pineapple. It's a cross between ice cream and sorbet, and probably the most intense pineapple flavor you've ever tasted.
Waimea Bay (North Shore)
Light sand, calm, blue (extremely salty) waters that make this beach great for swimming
"Da Jump Rock," as locals call it, is about 25 feet high. I jumped off it twice :)
A rainbow on the way back from the beach. Rainbow sightings are fairly common here. In fact, the official mascot for the University of Hawaii is the Rainbow Warrior.
A natural wind tunnel with a breath-taking view of the northeast coast of Oahu
The city of Kaneohe and Kaneohe BayThe Dole Plantation:
Home of dozens, if not hundreds of varieties of pineapple
A young pineapple
Red pineapples
Dole whip, topped with crushed pineapple. It's a cross between ice cream and sorbet, and probably the most intense pineapple flavor you've ever tasted.Waimea Bay (North Shore)
Light sand, calm, blue (extremely salty) waters that make this beach great for swimming
"Da Jump Rock," as locals call it, is about 25 feet high. I jumped off it twice :)
A rainbow on the way back from the beach. Rainbow sightings are fairly common here. In fact, the official mascot for the University of Hawaii is the Rainbow Warrior.Thursday, June 19, 2008
Day 2 on campus
Today was our second day on campus, and we were supposed to start out by prayerwalking around the campus and then start talking to people to "decode" the campus (get a better sense of the campus, the student life, where people hang out, general atmosphere, etc). Today, I was in a group of four (one was a staff member), and it was really helpful to learn how to prayerwalk and to see an example of how he starts conversations). As an introvert, the thought of starting conversations with random people kind of weirds me out, and I didn't really want to do it. On top of it all, I'm still feeling like my heart is lacking in the "Love the Lord with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength" (Matt. 22:37).
He encouraged me with the story of Jonah, and the fact that God used a racist, reluctant prophet to bring about the largest revival in history simply because Jonah finally made himself available to be used. He then told me, "I'm going to encourage you to take a step of faith and start a conversation. Actually, I'm not going to encourage you as much as I'm going to force you. See that girl over there? Go talk to her." And what would you know, she ended up being an NYU student who was home for summer school. What a blessing it was to talk to someone from NY as my first person of the day!
He encouraged me with the story of Jonah, and the fact that God used a racist, reluctant prophet to bring about the largest revival in history simply because Jonah finally made himself available to be used. He then told me, "I'm going to encourage you to take a step of faith and start a conversation. Actually, I'm not going to encourage you as much as I'm going to force you. See that girl over there? Go talk to her." And what would you know, she ended up being an NYU student who was home for summer school. What a blessing it was to talk to someone from NY as my first person of the day!
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Aloha from Oahu!
Aloha everyone!
I hope you all are doing well. I arrived safely in Honolulu Sunday afternoon and was stunned at the colors and the beauty of these islands. As we approached the island, I could see the lush green of the mountains in the middle of waters bluer than I could have ever imagined. It seems that everywhere I turn on campus there is another bush or tree with flowers of another color, but my favorite tree is the one outside my window with the violent orange flowers. (I've posted them below)
Yet in spite of all this beauty, there is much darkness on these islands, and the vision of this trip is to help push back this darkness and bring the light of the gospel. We hit the ground running
on Monday with a training session followed by beach evangelism, going out in pairs and initiating spiritual conversations with complete strangers. People were pretty friendly and open to talking, so my partner and I had some good conversations, including one with a nursing student, a young local, and a French man (in French...we managed to chat for a good 10 minutes before we reached the limits of our vocabulary). All together, our group spoke to 50-60 people on Monday, and of those, 5 people came to Christ! Praise God! Please pray for our new brothers and sisters in Christ
Today, we were assigned to one of three campuses, and we went to orient ourselves with the campus and student culture as well as to pray over it for the work that God will do while we're here and for the people we will meet. I am assigned to the campus where we're staying, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and the other two campuses are Kapiolani Community College and Hawaii Pacific University. We will be on these campuses three days a week, and after the first two weeks, the staff will no longer come on campus with us -- they have made it very clear that we, the students, will have ownership of the movements that we're launching (or rather, God is launching through us). It's a frightening thought that we're being entrusted with so
much, so please pray that we will be continually reminded that we are not doing this on our own but through Christ (Philippians 4:13), and that all the glory belongs to God.
I know this has been a long update, but I do have a few more prayer
requests before I go.
- Praise God for bringing all of our staff and team members safely to Hawaii. Several people had ridiculously long delays and reroutes, but they are finally all here.
- Praise God for the bonding that is quickly occurring within our team! It's only been three days, but I feel like I've known them for much longer.
- Pray that we would be honest with and supportive of each other.
- Some of my teammates have not yet finished raising their support and still have a long way to go. Please pray that God will bring in support like a flood and that their supporters will give generously.
- I've been feeling quite mechanical and dispassionate about the work I'm doing here. Please pray that God would restore the joy of his salvation (Psalm 51:12) and that the knowledge of the gospel would move from my head into my heart.
- Please pray for the students that we will meet and get to know this summer. Thank God for the ways that He has already worked in each of their lives and pray that He will continue to pave the way and guide us in our conversations.
Thank you for all of your support.
In Him,
Jessica
Picture time!
The view of Oahu from the airplane. The inlet on the right is Pearl Harbor.
I hope you all are doing well. I arrived safely in Honolulu Sunday afternoon and was stunned at the colors and the beauty of these islands. As we approached the island, I could see the lush green of the mountains in the middle of waters bluer than I could have ever imagined. It seems that everywhere I turn on campus there is another bush or tree with flowers of another color, but my favorite tree is the one outside my window with the violent orange flowers. (I've posted them below)
Yet in spite of all this beauty, there is much darkness on these islands, and the vision of this trip is to help push back this darkness and bring the light of the gospel. We hit the ground running
on Monday with a training session followed by beach evangelism, going out in pairs and initiating spiritual conversations with complete strangers. People were pretty friendly and open to talking, so my partner and I had some good conversations, including one with a nursing student, a young local, and a French man (in French...we managed to chat for a good 10 minutes before we reached the limits of our vocabulary). All together, our group spoke to 50-60 people on Monday, and of those, 5 people came to Christ! Praise God! Please pray for our new brothers and sisters in Christ
Today, we were assigned to one of three campuses, and we went to orient ourselves with the campus and student culture as well as to pray over it for the work that God will do while we're here and for the people we will meet. I am assigned to the campus where we're staying, the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and the other two campuses are Kapiolani Community College and Hawaii Pacific University. We will be on these campuses three days a week, and after the first two weeks, the staff will no longer come on campus with us -- they have made it very clear that we, the students, will have ownership of the movements that we're launching (or rather, God is launching through us). It's a frightening thought that we're being entrusted with so
much, so please pray that we will be continually reminded that we are not doing this on our own but through Christ (Philippians 4:13), and that all the glory belongs to God.
I know this has been a long update, but I do have a few more prayer
requests before I go.
- Praise God for bringing all of our staff and team members safely to Hawaii. Several people had ridiculously long delays and reroutes, but they are finally all here.
- Praise God for the bonding that is quickly occurring within our team! It's only been three days, but I feel like I've known them for much longer.
- Pray that we would be honest with and supportive of each other.
- Some of my teammates have not yet finished raising their support and still have a long way to go. Please pray that God will bring in support like a flood and that their supporters will give generously.
- I've been feeling quite mechanical and dispassionate about the work I'm doing here. Please pray that God would restore the joy of his salvation (Psalm 51:12) and that the knowledge of the gospel would move from my head into my heart.
- Please pray for the students that we will meet and get to know this summer. Thank God for the ways that He has already worked in each of their lives and pray that He will continue to pave the way and guide us in our conversations.
Thank you for all of your support.
In Him,
Jessica
Picture time!
The view of Oahu from the airplane. The inlet on the right is Pearl Harbor.
Another view from the plane. I couldn't believe the blue-ness of the water
The view from my room window. Downtown Honolulu is in the top left corner.
UH at sunrise as viewed from my front door. I was up early because of the jetlag (a 6 hour difference from Eastern Standard Time)
Pink clouds over downtown Honolulu at sunrise
The view from my room window. Downtown Honolulu is in the top left corner.
UH at sunrise as viewed from my front door. I was up early because of the jetlag (a 6 hour difference from Eastern Standard Time)
Pink clouds over downtown Honolulu at sunrise
My UH campus team
Thursday, June 5, 2008
10 more days!
Hello friends!
God has been so good to me since I've been home! I am recovering quickly from oral surgery, with no complications so far, and I finally had solid food again today! A week of congee, yogurt, and smoothies has given me a new appreciation for solid food. Please pray for continued healing before I leave for Hawaii in a little under 2 weeks.
In addition to healing, God has been so faithful in providing support -- He has provided the full amount I needed and more! Thank you all for being part of that support, and please pray for my teammates who have not yet finished raising support. Please pray that:
- They will have full confidence that God will provide all of their needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
- We would not become spiritually tired in this last week and a half, but continue to spend time with the Lord, not just out of habit, but out of a desire to grow in our relationship with Him.
- We would not become complacent, but continue to thirst for God
- Our staff will arrive safely in Hawaii this week and that God would give them the wisdom to guide and lead us
- God would pave the way for us logistically (paperwork, arrangements with the campuses where we will be living and serving and the churches we will be working with, transportation shuttling from the airport, etc)
- God will be glorified
In Christ,
Jess
God has been so good to me since I've been home! I am recovering quickly from oral surgery, with no complications so far, and I finally had solid food again today! A week of congee, yogurt, and smoothies has given me a new appreciation for solid food. Please pray for continued healing before I leave for Hawaii in a little under 2 weeks.
In addition to healing, God has been so faithful in providing support -- He has provided the full amount I needed and more! Thank you all for being part of that support, and please pray for my teammates who have not yet finished raising support. Please pray that:
- They will have full confidence that God will provide all of their needs according to His glorious riches in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19).
- We would not become spiritually tired in this last week and a half, but continue to spend time with the Lord, not just out of habit, but out of a desire to grow in our relationship with Him.
- We would not become complacent, but continue to thirst for God
- Our staff will arrive safely in Hawaii this week and that God would give them the wisdom to guide and lead us
- God would pave the way for us logistically (paperwork, arrangements with the campuses where we will be living and serving and the churches we will be working with, transportation shuttling from the airport, etc)
- God will be glorified
In Christ,
Jess
Tuesday, May 27, 2008
Retreat recap
Hello friends,
I hope you all enjoyed the gorgeous weather over the Memorial Day holiday! I was on a church retreat over the weekend, and I can see that God is moving in this church and in my own heart. In the last few years, both the English and Chinese congregations have been growing tremendously; there are always new faces every time I come back. There was a time of sharing during the retreat, and it was really encouraging to hear how God has been working in others' lives.
Personally speaking, this was the first church retreat I had been on in several years, mostly because until recently, the English retreat was little more than baby-sitting. This year, our youth pastor intern spoke and several of his seminary classmates came to give workshops. It was really good, and I definitely learned a lot. In addition to what I learned, God also broke my heart for the youth. The youth pastor was pleading with them one night to stop being so superficial in their relationships with God and to look deeper, and as I looked at the youth, I saw in them a bit of me five or six years ago, and I saw how far God had brought me since then. I realized with great sadness that they didn't even know what they were missing out on in this journey with Christ, and it is my hope and prayer that they would "[be] rooted and established in love, [and] may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge" (Ephesians 3:17-19).
Thank you all for your faithfulness in prayer, and please continue to join me in prayer for the following:
- Praise God for one of the youth who received Christ this weekend!
- Pray that the youth would continue to wrestle with what they have learned this weekend and they would not remain complacent in their walks with Christ
- During the retreat, God confronted me with some of the bitterness in my heart and told me it was time to let go. Please pray for me through this process, that I will open my heart and let him heal me
- Pray for my wisdom teeth removal on Thursday, that God would guide the oral surgeon's hands and that I would heal quickly without complications
- Praise God for calling all of my teammates to this project and the amazing things that He has done in all of their lives.
- Pray for my teammates to trust in God's provision for the support that they have left to raise. Pray that their supporters will give generously for His name.
- Pray that we would all be empty vessels for God to work through us this summer.
In Christ,
Jess
I hope you all enjoyed the gorgeous weather over the Memorial Day holiday! I was on a church retreat over the weekend, and I can see that God is moving in this church and in my own heart. In the last few years, both the English and Chinese congregations have been growing tremendously; there are always new faces every time I come back. There was a time of sharing during the retreat, and it was really encouraging to hear how God has been working in others' lives.
Personally speaking, this was the first church retreat I had been on in several years, mostly because until recently, the English retreat was little more than baby-sitting. This year, our youth pastor intern spoke and several of his seminary classmates came to give workshops. It was really good, and I definitely learned a lot. In addition to what I learned, God also broke my heart for the youth. The youth pastor was pleading with them one night to stop being so superficial in their relationships with God and to look deeper, and as I looked at the youth, I saw in them a bit of me five or six years ago, and I saw how far God had brought me since then. I realized with great sadness that they didn't even know what they were missing out on in this journey with Christ, and it is my hope and prayer that they would "[be] rooted and established in love, [and] may have power, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge" (Ephesians 3:17-19).
Thank you all for your faithfulness in prayer, and please continue to join me in prayer for the following:
- Praise God for one of the youth who received Christ this weekend!
- Pray that the youth would continue to wrestle with what they have learned this weekend and they would not remain complacent in their walks with Christ
- During the retreat, God confronted me with some of the bitterness in my heart and told me it was time to let go. Please pray for me through this process, that I will open my heart and let him heal me
- Pray for my wisdom teeth removal on Thursday, that God would guide the oral surgeon's hands and that I would heal quickly without complications
- Praise God for calling all of my teammates to this project and the amazing things that He has done in all of their lives.
- Pray for my teammates to trust in God's provision for the support that they have left to raise. Pray that their supporters will give generously for His name.
- Pray that we would all be empty vessels for God to work through us this summer.
In Christ,
Jess
Friday, May 16, 2008
It's summer!
Hello friends!
Thank you for all your prayers through an incredibly stressful finals week last week! God has been so gracious not only in carrying me through finals, but also in overwhelmingly providing financial support and encouragement. Over the last few days, I've had a chance to relax and spend time with the seniors who graduated yesterday. I have one more day in the city tomorrow as I wrap things up in lab, and then I will fly home to Atlanta on Saturday and help out with my home church's youth retreat this weekend, where we will be exploring the person of Jesus Christ. After the retreat, I will be getting my wisdom teeth removed, and then I'll have two weeks to recover before I leave for missions.
So as you can see, the next few days are going to be quite busy, so would you please join me in praying for the following:
- Thank God for his enormous provision that is beyond what I dare to ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) and for the generosity of all my supporters
- Pray that the retreat would be refreshing and challenging for the youth as they consider who Jesus is and what they will do about Him
- Because so much of my Christian growth and experience is deeply tied to my fellowship at Columbia, being at home away from that support is always spiritually challenging for me. Please pray that I would learn to rely on God regardless of where I am or who I am with.
- Pray for safe travel home and to Hawaii, and smooth healing from oral surgery.
- Pray for my teammates and I as we prepare for the trip, that we would wholly surrender ourselves to God and that we would not be obstacles to His purpose and work.
- Pray for cohesion, unity, and love as we serve each other and the local people in Hawaii.
- Pray that in all things, God would be glorified.
In Him,
Jess
Thank you for all your prayers through an incredibly stressful finals week last week! God has been so gracious not only in carrying me through finals, but also in overwhelmingly providing financial support and encouragement. Over the last few days, I've had a chance to relax and spend time with the seniors who graduated yesterday. I have one more day in the city tomorrow as I wrap things up in lab, and then I will fly home to Atlanta on Saturday and help out with my home church's youth retreat this weekend, where we will be exploring the person of Jesus Christ. After the retreat, I will be getting my wisdom teeth removed, and then I'll have two weeks to recover before I leave for missions.
So as you can see, the next few days are going to be quite busy, so would you please join me in praying for the following:
- Thank God for his enormous provision that is beyond what I dare to ask or imagine (Ephesians 3:20) and for the generosity of all my supporters
- Pray that the retreat would be refreshing and challenging for the youth as they consider who Jesus is and what they will do about Him
- Because so much of my Christian growth and experience is deeply tied to my fellowship at Columbia, being at home away from that support is always spiritually challenging for me. Please pray that I would learn to rely on God regardless of where I am or who I am with.
- Pray for safe travel home and to Hawaii, and smooth healing from oral surgery.
- Pray for my teammates and I as we prepare for the trip, that we would wholly surrender ourselves to God and that we would not be obstacles to His purpose and work.
- Pray for cohesion, unity, and love as we serve each other and the local people in Hawaii.
- Pray that in all things, God would be glorified.
In Him,
Jess
Wednesday, May 7, 2008
Hello friends!
Hello friends!
Welcome to my new blog! I will be posting updates, stories, and prayer requests here throughout the summer. If you would like to receive updates via email, email me at JYL2121 (at) columbia.edu.
In the meantime, I am currently in the middle of study week before finals next week, so please pray that
1. I will keep my eyes fixed on Jesus and to keep my relationship with Him my first priority, even in the midst of busyness and stress.
2. My motivation for studying and working would be to glorify God, not for myself (Colossians 3:23)
3. As I raise support for this mission trip, I will not get bogged down by the details and lose sight of the bigger picture of why I am going on missions in the first place
4. I will trust God wholeheartedly in all circumstances (Proverbs 3:5)
In Christ,
Jessica
Welcome to my new blog! I will be posting updates, stories, and prayer requests here throughout the summer. If you would like to receive updates via email, email me at JYL2121 (at) columbia.edu.
In the meantime, I am currently in the middle of study week before finals next week, so please pray that
1. I will keep my eyes fixed on Jesus and to keep my relationship with Him my first priority, even in the midst of busyness and stress.
2. My motivation for studying and working would be to glorify God, not for myself (Colossians 3:23)
3. As I raise support for this mission trip, I will not get bogged down by the details and lose sight of the bigger picture of why I am going on missions in the first place
4. I will trust God wholeheartedly in all circumstances (Proverbs 3:5)
In Christ,
Jessica
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