If you had told me two years ago that I would be serving in the college ministry at Cal State East Bay AND reading the Bible with two international students from China, I would have thought you were crazy and that I was crazy for doing that. But here I am, going through the gospel of John with two Chinese girls who had never opened a bible before and yet are now so spiritually hungry. They ask questions like, "What is this temple that Jesus said he was going to raise again in three days?" or "Why did John the Baptist say that Jesus must become greater and that he must become less?" Each time they ask a question, I get nervous and pray that I could give the answer. At the same time, I become aware of how much more I still need to learn, and how I need to brush up on my Chinese in order to explain the bible well. On top of my shortcomings, it's amazing God is using me to help these girls get to know Jesus because, like them, I had never opened a bible before coming to college! I don't know what the future will be for these girls, whether they'll go back to China or pursue their careers elsewhere; for now, God has included me in his good work to introduce the gospel to their hearts. And I could not think of a more meaningful way to spend my time than to be part of these precious moments of their lives.

As we headed towards our ImpACT Thanksgiving Lunch and the table that was soon to be ours, I was struck by the look of awe on the kids’ faces. One of the kids looked up at me with a big grin and commented how the napkins were ‘so fancy’ – each had been folded in half into a triangular shape – and many of the other kids noted the same. I could tell they were very appreciative of all the helpers and the great preparation for this special occasion, and they thoroughly enjoyed their turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, and more! Seeing their joy almost made me cry; I had forgotten that our ImpACT kids don’t often get to experience something as special as this. Hearing their compliments on the food and settings made me realize how often I am so unaware of the little details … such as triangular-folded napkins.

I'm so encouraged that our Impact kids notice even the ‘little things’; I'm certain that if they are grateful for the little things, then they are grateful for things like food and rides, large group times and small group times. Sometimes during our Sunday mornings together, I wonder if the kids are paying attention to everything we are doing for them; but after sharing our Thanksgiving Lunch together, I’m heartened to know that what we do does not go unnoticed by our kids, that their gratitude increases as they recognize more and more the ‘little things’ we lovingly do for them. I'm so thankful to God that he started ImpACT, for the lesson they’ve taught me about being grateful for the often unnoticed details of my life, and for this privilege to serve as a team lead for our ImpACT kids.

During the Thanksgiving weekend, ISM took our international students on our annual trip to Yosemite National Park. First and foremost, the weather couldn’t have been better! Usually by this time of the year, most roads to famous Yosemite landmarks are closed due to snow. But snow hadn’t fallen this season! In fact, snow started falling the next day that we left the park, and the roads were closed for the winter season. Thank God for no snow falling during the trip!

Our first major stop was at the famous Tunnel View, we marveled at Yosemite Valley below us and at El Capitan, which is a 3000 feet vertical cliff that is part of the mountain ranges that formed the valley. At a distance, we barely recognized Half Dome and wondered how it got its shape. At our next destination, we got to see Half Dome at a much closer distance at Glacier Point. It was a breathtaking outlook towards this granite dome! The light from the sunset was receding up Half Dome just as we arrived. In the midst of taking pictures, we admired the grandeur of Half Dome and vastness of Yosemite Valley. Half Dome rises 4700 feet above the valley floor, and compared to me, at about 5 foot 6 inches, I realized how small I was.

The next day, we went to Lambert Dome in Tuolumne Meadows. Thank God the roads to get there were still open! It wasn’t an easy hike, especially in the freezing cold. Some parts of the trail were covered in ice and snow, so we had to be careful not to slip. When we finally got to the top, the view was even more rewarding. We just couldn't believe our eyes. Up on top of Lambert Dome, we were surrounded by mountain ranges carpeted with pine trees all the way to the base of the dome. It was just a timeless moment. Ask anyone on this trip, Yosemite is just amazing. In particular this trip, I thought it was well worth it to bring our international students to get a glimpse of God’s creation of nature and be awed by it.

Thanksgiving Thursday, we snooze past the early morning NPR show a couple times, then trundle out of bed and plod down to the Avondale kitchen. With the morning lingering in our mouths and on our moods, we start taking out fresh vegetables and eggs, cutting boards, knives and clean pans. There's breakfast to be made. Dice the ham, the onions, and the red and yellow peppers. Beat the eggs and add a little milk to fluff. Fire up the stove, start soaking the French toast. And as we start, the morning wears off and things start to move.

We're out of shredded cheese – just use the sliced provolone, it's all we got. The recipe calls for French bread – we only have wheat. Anything sweet to dip the raspberries – powdered sugar, it's all we have.

At the end of two hours, the whole family gathers around the table, and by the whole family I mean Pastor Ed, his wife Kelly, and four of six guys who call their place home. The kids are still in bed – teenagers, you know.

Pastor Ed is still getting over the flu, so Kelly says grace thanking God for the food, and for the opportunity we have to share our lives together. And she asks God to help us in this time of Thanksgiving to appreciate what we have instead of focusing on what we don't have, which too often comes more naturally. And as we say amen in agreement, we open up our eyes to take in what we have. Pastor Ed, Kelly, Daniel, Andrew and Joseph. Of all the other things we have, it's the people that are most important – though our relationships are intangible they provide much of the substance of our lives. And the food before us – it's a modern day memorial of sorts, as much a remembrance as a pile of rocks at the gate of the Promised Land. You see, these people around the dining table are people who have prayed for me, who bring the word of God to me, who have been on mission trips with me, and who call themselves my friends even though they know exactly who I am. And as I remember all the life that we've shared together, I'm thankful to God who gave us all this to be thankful for. It's all I have. And it reminds me that all of this is possible because God gave all he had for me.

After coming home from work, my 2-year-old son and I went out from our garage to ride our bikes along the adjacent backroad. When we got to the end of the road, he realized all of a sudden that it was getting dark, and without any warning, he raced down the road back into the garage. With his back turned to me, he shouted to me to bring his bike back. I had never seen him run so fast. When I finally caught up to him, he was in the back of the garage waiting for me. I asked him if he was scared of the dark and he replied that he was, which was why he took off like that. I tried reassuring him that everything was okay since I was here but he wouldn't take his eyes off of the dark. He was so gripped by this fear of the dark. I was sad as it told me that I wasn't enough of a presence to provide some comfort to him. This incident provided me a window into the way I operate before God. I'm not all that different as I see how I'm gripped by and driven by the fear of not measuring up with others and having to live in such a way that would earn the respect of those around me.

God, the Father, is right there with his promises of love and his victory over death. He isn't interested in any of my accomplishments or accolades but in my trust in him. This is the only thing that I desire from my son and it is only thing that God desires from me. There is no need to live in my fears. All I need to be is the child that trusts in his love for me and to believe that he is greater than all of my fears.