A mixed bag: Recovery, Bono and looking ahead

Happy February everyone! I hope this finds you well and enjoying the momentum of the new year~This has been one of the mildest winters here in Syracuse ever.

I am learning Chinese and trying to read the Bible in Chinese!!! Woo Hoo!

I have been moved by this vision that Bono has made at a Prayer Breakfast in Washington D.C. Please take a look at it, it is worth a picture of this. For those of you who don't have the patience to read, you can see it here (thanks Steph...for that)

Still recovering from this past weekend and seeing how being able to share the convictions that I have for community and faith. Here is my Reflection...

Recovering: Cornell Grace Christian Fellowship Winter Retreat Refections

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Speaking Engagements
To my great joy and pleasure...I will be speaking at Binghamton's Intervarsity Christian Fellowship Large Group meeting this coming Friday.

This was what the coordinator asked me to speak on..." Ourvision for this semester is "Students and Faculty Transformed, CampusRenewed, World Changers Developed for Christ. And I think it would beappropriate to kick off this semester with a message about prayer. Noneof these things can be accomplished without prayer and prayer is thefoundation of our faith. I would like you to speak on Ephesians 1,where Paul repeated stresses that fact he is praying for the Churchthere and for its growth. There is power in prayer and it is essentialfor the body to stay together and for us as Christians to develop aheart for the lost on campus. ...Thank you so much. We are lookingforward to hear you relay God's Word to us. May God bless you abundantly."

For President's Day I am preparing my sermons/talks for "Doing Deeper" Winter Conference for Long Island Abundant Life Church, I am going to focus on the parables of Christ.

After some dialogues with the Teen Eastern Chinese Bible Conference Chair, I have asked that I serve as a coordinator instead of being a speaker. I think that this will help with the development of the next group of committee leaders.


Fixed Eyes
This past weekend, we were able to pray and send off John and Rachel Clancey and their beautiful newborn baby Aria. They are missionaries heading off to Hyderabad, India. They expressed wonderful story of their faith and their desire to proclaim the gospel to Asia. They gave me encouragement for the funding and don't be hindered for my heart to serve God in minsitry. It was a great time with community and friends.

Please visit their website here.

Happy Chinese New Year
Jamie and I were able to go to a Chinese New Year celebration hosted by ESF Graduate Students. Despite us being there late and watching a 3 hour CCTV Chinese New Year celebration, we had good food and some confusion at trying to figure out what each program in the show was about...after about 40 minutes, we gave up and left...but it was another way for us to engage the community. This weekend, I found out there is a Bible Study for international students at Syracuse University. It is being lead by a professor at SU...Jamie and I hope to attend next Saturday.

I am enjoying Chinese class and getting to know a few of the students there. I hope to host a hang out with them sometime soon.

Jiu Jitsu and Pilates
I found a Jiu-Jitsu school here in Syracuse that is pretty reputable, I am planning on starting sometime in March or late February. I started Pilates on Thursday nights...wow, I can't believe how hard this is to just move around...ergh...I am the only guy there...but I am learning. To focus on developing a more healthy lifestyle...to my praise and joy, I haven't gotten sick since i have moved here...

Deferring Academy
I have contacted several ministry partners who were interested in working with me on the PaLM Asian American Laity Project. But due to the funding situation, I will have to wait till the Fall. I am still in the midst of developing a website, that is a glorified version of this blog...with updates on funding.

Supplications
Provision and solitude
I am in a place of wrestling through provision and how I should use my time. I am seeking to go on a guided retreat in March. I hope to spend some time alone with God and also do some deep reflection for myself. Financially, I can't afford it...Spiritually I can't afford NOT to go...I know that God sees and He is reminding me of believing...that He will provide.

I had to cut back my hours at my part-time job because of my Chinese Studies (they won't let me take a half-day there). So I am going to have to seek other options.

There may be a chance for me work at a ministry at Syracuse, pray for wisdom and not get too caught up with the "need" but rather a "calling."

Marriage
Jamie and I are still in our honeymoon stage of adoring one another, I am amazed by how we seek His heart in our moments of weakness and insecurities. I love the way we seek to not settle for anything less than what God wants for the two of us. We are finding this out...as we find ourselves to serve as one...may we reflect the Glory of God.

Praises to God for allowing Jamie and I to spend a dinner with my co-workers at my part-time position.

Speaking
Pray for a deep reflection of the why I am speaking and how to engage in a way that will bring people a

Fellowship and Mentorship
I am finding that I sometimes feel very alone here...but God is leading me back to some old friendships back in New York with an old network of youth workers...and talking more on the phone...