We kicked off our second semester at Acts2Fellowship (one of the college fellowship groups here at Gracepoint) with our first ever Spring Welcome Night. Thousands of flyers were handed out, college students met and rehearsed on multiple nights to perfect the “Race of a Lifetime” skit, and our praise band put together a rocking music set, all of which segued into a message regarding the purpose for our lives. Several staff members and students came early to transform an empty lecture hall into a welcoming auditorium. We all labored to set up everything with quickness and precision. It was not until I looked up after taping down the last video cable to the ground that I saw with amazement that the hall was packed. I stood up in nervous anticipation as I saw students streaming in. I was hoping that each element that had been prepared would resonate personally with each student, especially for the newcomers. After the message, each class separated for a fun-filled time of games and bonding. I was on hand to help the seniors host a game night for the freshmen. This proved to be the exclamation to an already memory-filled night as we saw a wide range of talents on display, from girls singing hymns in Korean to others unabashedly climbing on stage to imitate wild primates. As the night ended, I was once again thankful and delighted with how God really multiplied our efforts and answered our prayers by bringing so many students such that the hall was filled to full capacity. As we launch into only our second semester as A2F, I am eager and excited to see how the momentum generated by this welcome night will translate into piqued interest, spiritual breakthroughs, and decisions made for Christ in the coming semester.

After a long, winter break, students were back on Berkeley campus and we, Kairos 3, organized a “Welcome (Back) BBQ” event. After we stuffed ourselves with some Korean BBQ, we brought out the old-time favorite “line charades” game then an intense Jenga match.

Amazingly, we had a turnout of 19 students! Some were returnees to our group and others were checking out Kairos for the first time, and as I looked around the room it was good to see all of them. But I was even more encouraged to see our students who had just started attending our Bible Studies last semester taking the initiative to invite their friends to not only this BBQ but also to our Bible Studies and church services. I’m very excited to think where God may lead our group in this coming semester.

Tonight after our Thursday Night Talk, Leeanne and I took two of the students from Cal State East Bay to a tapioca drink place nearby to celebrate one student’s birthday. We met these girls at the start of the school year. They are international students who’ve been regularly coming to our TNTs and have shown a lot of hunger to know God and study the bible; we’ve been able to build up good relationships with them so far. On the way to Tapioca Express, one of the girls asked me if I think she has more knowledge about God than before; I told her that I did because she had no Christian background before coming to America. Then in turn I asked her, "Now that you have learned about God a little bit, what do you think of him?” She thought a moment and answered, "He is good, kind and loving." Surprised but thankful, I asked, “How did you come to that conclusion?” And she answered, “Through studying the Bible,” and the other girl added, "We learned that God is a loving God through you guys at Koinonia!"

Their responses blew me away! I can’t believe they are the same people who couldn't even grasp the concept of sin or the existence of God just a couple of months ago. Truly, this is the work of the Holy Spirit. Thank God that he first loved me through Jesus on the cross, and that he is zealous to love the students at Cal State East Bay by revealing himself through the bible and through our fellowship.

1 John 4.11-12, 19 Dear friends, since God so loved us, we also ought to love one another. No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God lives in us and his love is made complete in us. We love because he first loved us.

UCSF ministry has really challenged me this past year. Never in my wildest dreams did I expect it to grow and change so fast in just one year. We moved into Mission Bay Housing at the end of February, which I didn’t even want to do. But as I prayed, I found my heart was changing. God was reminding me, “Hey, this is what you signed up to do when you came to UCSF.”

We moved into Mission Bay and shortly thereafter, one brother got the grand idea of starting a community organization. I didn't expect people to show up in droves, but they did. God again convicted me that he can do immeasurably more than anything I ask or imagine. It’s really incredible that this place has gone from a cold monolithic block of housing units where people complained that they couldn’t meet anybody to a thriving place where it’s hard to walk through the courtyard or go into the laundry room without seeing someone I know. This spirit has spread so much that it’s getting hard to reserve the community room for our weekly bible studies because so many residents are holding their own community events.

Although we expected to reach the UCSF community by living at Mission Bay, it’s turned out that we’ve reached a far more diverse crowd--students from Hastings, Golden Gate University, and several local arts campuses in addition to UCSF. The Thursday night bible study isn’t just a taste of San Francisco but of the world, as we have students and postdocs from China, Taiwan, Mozambique, Singapore, and Korea. It’s amazing to think that although we might not be able to physically go to those countries right now, perhaps the seeds that we sow here in Mission Bay might make their way back there and beyond because that is the way God works. God has been faithful, repeatedly reminding me that he is able to do far more than I have ever asked or imagined.

I can't believe it's almost been a year since we first visited those convalescent homes and shelters a year ago on Valentine's Day. I remember it was a good but also sobering experience for me. So many of them were bedridden, too weak and sick to even sit up, just lying there all day, and who knows what’s going on in their minds throughout the day. I was reminded of what’s ultimately the most important at the very end—whether we know Jesus and have eternal life. Going from room to room, visiting the patients, was a sobering reminder to me that ultimately (bedridden with illness or not), that’s going to be me one day—death is a reality. I saw once again that the thing that matters in the end is whether I have laid up for myself heavenly treasures…because that’s what I will be able to take with me when I go to heaven. We made little frames with the Zeph 3:17 verse on it—such small, simple gifts, and yet, as we were giving these out, I felt like that these frames held such greater value because of the words that were written on them. To let them know that God loves them (sometimes shouting that into their ear at times because they were hard of hearing), that was the best thing we could offer them.

I was also surprised at my heart’s reaction towards these elderly patients. I am not someone who particularly likes touch; I’m very awkward when it comes to something like that—just ask my peers. But I found myself reaching out to grab their frail, gaunt hands…squeeze their arms…use both of my hands to hold their hand tight. I felt awkward doing that with the first person I met (her name was Cheryl), but while I was talking with her (and she loved the company, kept on talking), I was thinking how it’s just wrong of me to stand there and not reach out to her with touch. That picture just didn’t seem right—me, a Christian, being so stiff like that. So I reached out to hold her hand and I squeezed it a little. And something about my heart melted a little. And the next patient that I met, and the next, it just became easier, almost natural... As I went around handing out the frames, pointing them to the verse, singing the song, telling them that God loves them very much... I felt a sense of growing confidence in the Gospel. It heightened the value of the treasure that I have. Truly I hold the keys of such good news.