Weekend 11/21-11/22

I always look forward to weekends, whether it’s planned, unplanned, busy, relaxed or just simply hanging out. I think that most of my best times are during the weekends where I get to go crazy. This weekend was nothing short of that:

1. Went to praise practice and it was a blessed time as always. We talked about building the praise team and it really struck a chord with me (haha..chord). I’m really glad that Bo decided to come out for the first time. It seems like God is always blessing us with people who are inclined to music.

2. Lunch at Light House afterwards, with Johnny and ET (and praise team members minus Grayson). Eating after praise team was always something I wanted to do more of, and it’s nice to catch up with people. Since Johnny was in town, it seemed appropriate to eat.

3. Afterwards, ET and I had a nice relaxing time at my house. It was a time of lessons learned and just realizing that the last week was quite hectic and we were both looking forward to the Thanksgiving break. Even in the simplest times, I still learn to love him more, despite whatever situations we are in. This is someone who I can imagine spending the rest of my life with….so if we are sitting on a couch doing nothing, preparing for kids worship, raking the leaves or whatever…then that is pure bliss.

4. Sister’s Night was also very encouraging and uplifting. Not only is the food great, but the lessons and words we share with each other is really what counts. This month, it was a slightly more intimate group, which is always welcome. We had a  nice time dining and talking. Then, Gina led a time of learning about overcoming sin, temptations and overall how to live more of a Godly life. I must say that Gina comes up with just the best things to share and I’m constantly encouraged by her enthusiasm to learn.

5. Sunday morning, I let myself sleep in a little longer than I should have. But it was still nice and enjoyable. And why do I always feel like I’m pestering people for something during church? This time, it was for a video I’m doing for FNL, month of December’s theme: changes! So basically, I hassled as many people as I could to answer 3 questions on video for me: 1. If you could change something about yourself, what would it be? 2. If Christ came back tomorrow, what would you do? 3. What is the biggest change in your life? I still find it quite amusing that some people just refuse to be on camera. Maybe I’m just naturally too outgoing and perhaps easily…gullible? But I, being a very non-camera shy person, just can’t sympathize. I find that camera and stage fright can be overcome if need be.

6. Singing with the kids is a different kind of experience. It’s not quite the same as praise and worship for FNL, and definitely not the Sunday congregation. It’s part patience, part trying to sing louder than my guitar because there is no mic, and part just praising God and trying to show the kids how. I’m sure they are distracted and probably wondering even why we’re singing songs. I hope they can see my passion for worship and then realize that there is something more to it. (this is why I’m putting in the effort to play on guitar rather than singing to a CD..somehow it’s just not the same as live worship with guitar!)

7. I must say that over the last few months while serving with ET during kids worship, I find a man incredibly attractive when they are doing something that God has given them talent to do. For ET, it is speaking with the kids. I don’t know how he does it, but he does it really really well. He amuses them just enough to keep their attention, but ads enough seriousness and sincerety to certain things. And somehow he just articulates everything just well enough for the kids to understand. This is probably the reason why I’m not very confident to do something similar, I feel so “not-as-gifted” when it comes to teaching kids. Not that I feel that I’m not good with kids at all, but just not in that particular setting. I’m sure that I still have lots to learn in this arena. All I can do is try to quiet the kids down and then listen awe-struck as ET does his amazing thing with teaching. And he even can wing it sometimes too (with a little reviewing that is). Haha, we are all gifted in different areas, I’m sure I can wing worship too….but hey…I should not get cocky.

8. I’ve always loved to act, it was almost a secret “guilty pleasure” talent that I wanted to try out more. This is the reason why I would do anything and everything for the past 2 gospel films we did (Forgiven and Life by Grace). Secretly, I’ve always wanted to act more, and thankfully Sam was gracious enough to let me play some of the roles in the movies. But I’m sure I’d be more than willing to help in the background too. Something about acting really appeals to me, it’s almost a challenge, but a delightful one. One that I would like to overcome. So when Caleb asked ET and I to be the main characters in his short film, I was more than willing to do it. 1) Because I love to act 2) Because my romantic interest in the movie is ET (how appropriate) 3) He gets to fake propose to me in the end. Haha, what a great scenario. I must really thank Caleb for this afterwards.

9. New Moon with Keysha and Danny (Keysha’s bf) was really fun. It was colder that night, but we haven’t had a “date” night in a long time, especially a double date. The movie itself, I will review later.

 

Hiatus Over?

Dear Blog,

I kind of want to continue to write my thoughts and be reflective. When reading old blog posts, it is kind of nostalgic…perhaps I should keep writing again.

Love,

Ann

 

Weekend again

Friday:

-went to the Baltimore Aquarium with Sokha, Caroline, Mary, Melia, Noah and Rom. Had a great time! We stuffed ourselves with dessert afterwards. 

-FNL was blessed time with Alisa leading the group and me “helping”

Saturday:

-went to Hershey Park with ET, Ho Wai, Scott, Linda and Ken. We had interesting group dynamics: Ho wai and Scott always walked pretty fast. Ken and Linda were kind of slow because Linda walks slower..haha. 

-We went on a couple rollercoasters, the last one was really good

-Ate lunch (and dinner) at Wendy’s

-went to the water park

-Overall, the lines were too long and therefore we spent a long time just waiting for things, but the day was fun nonetheless

Sunday:

-missed church because my brother was sick and I had to stay home

-had a nice time relaxing and applying to jobs

-went to the English Ministry Meeting

-went to Scott’s apartment again, with the girls and ET and their bfs, and watched and ate. Note to self: never be convinced to watch scary movies again…it’s not good for my nerves

 

Heartbroken

What really boils my heart is seeing injustice and cruelty in the world. I read about it in news stories and see it on advocacy web sites or somehow stumble upon these things randomly. Either way, it just makes me really upset/saddened for the people who are involved: people beaten/tortured for their faith, a woman being raped for all the wrong reasons or a country in genocide, etc. 

I guess it really shows that sin has a huge impact on the world and nothing is really ever perfect. In my own little sheltered world, I would want everyone to be happy, but that is of course not the case. My parents have always taught me to view the world this way: it’s full of evil and you should always watch your back. But I feel like there is more to it than that: there is hope for the hopeless, just as Jesus promised. 

How does Jesus shine in corners of the world such as where all these things are happening? It’s not like they are happening in any particular area, there is injustice, lies and hurt everywhere. I read about people being killed every day. Are we, as Americans, so desensitized to things that we don’t even care anymore? 

I guess I kind of have a new perspective on Matthew 5, where it says “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.” How can one not hunger and thirst for righteousness when the world is full of so much evil and hate? What I hope and pray for is that all these people who are spiritually, emotionally or physically broken will have God-given comfort in some way. I feel almost useless sitting around and not really doing anything. But what I can do is pray for them or share their story with others. 

Perhaps I can’t, but God can.

 

Weekend shenanigans again

Praise God for weekends…

-praise practice was amazing and encouraging as usual

-eating lunch with ET and shopping at Montg. Mall, Barnes and Nobles and Giant We have fun no matter what we do…thanks God for providing a bf like that…

-Hunter’s B-day: eating some food, talking to people including to Hunter’s grandma and mom, playing cards and scattergories..fun!!!

-My dad, grandma and brother came to church this Sunday..yippee!!

-Numbers is a surprisingly interesting book to read…upon hearing the career class’ discussion about it

-Worship was great, even though I was half deaf from water plugged in my left ear…the less I hear myself, the more I can focus on God

-Lunchtime was fun…chasing down people and chatting as usual…and free Food! It’s not manna, and it’s all dandy (and we discovered that Magruder’s sells amazing organic chocolate..)

-Worship God Conference attendees mostly set. Praise God, I’m so excited to learn more from Him….

-Hiking at Great Falls: pleasantly surprised that my brother was a lot tougher and adventurous than I thought he was, Feifei likes to go on a high rock and look below looking like the king of the hill, need to bring more water next time, don’t wear brand new shoes to go hiking (li wei)

-Showering and sleeping after a tiring hiking time is great….Zzzzzz

-Eating right afterwards is even better! And watching Matrix Reloaded and trying to explain it to my mother was interesting…

-And then it is time for a new week

 

It is true what they say

Life is a test. SATs, subjects, but most importantly God tests you. 

We talked about testing vs. tempting at FNL this week. I observe in my life that I am still rather weak when it comes to these kinds of things. I fall into temptations all too often, in thought and action. 

But will I stand the test of waiting for something in my life to happen? I hope so….It feels so much like a test to me right now. My uncertain future…

 

Encouragements from the weekend

1. Saturyday morning praise practice was quite fun. We had a healthy debate about which songs to keep in our 50 set for praise and worship and also about which songs should be sang at our church. I also felt like everything went pretty smoothly and we communicated exactly what was to be done the next day so there is no confusion. 

2, Lunch with the praise team, and Karina? was fun…

3. The movie Up was quite touching. 

4. Having the alone time with ET that was much needed We ate a light house and had a great meal. 

5. I enjoy coming to church early Sunday morning and talking to peeps before Sunday school starts…

6. A good lesson in Numbers and working in a group was fun, especially when the guest speaker is in your group.

7. Worship went amazing…..all the timing and the quiet downs and building up was great…I didn’t drop a pick, Fei played the electric riff for Desert Song really well, Steven wasn’t off key (that’s the only way I’ll know if the bass is wrong), and Hunter was great. And Grayson did great with sound…Georgia helped a lot with singing and Jarren knows exactly what’s doing on the piano…amazing! Praise God!

8. Brian’s brother Sean was an encouragement on and off the pulpit. haha. His testimonies of working in China and having the business approach to missions was great. And Samuel, his son, was really cute. Love mixed kids!!

9. More alone time with ET? <3

10. There were lots of people at the shepherding training and it was a great refresher on what we should do as caregivers. And I’m so thankful that people are always providing food for meetings…food+meetings=great!

11. After I picked up my mom from Target, we picked up a Sally Hansen french manicure set. We are going to do our nails together!!!

 

My Perfect/Dream Job

If there was a job that can be more perfect than this one, or similar to it, please let me know.

This is a Christian organization, it requires lots of organization and the mission, I fully agree with. 

Learn more about the organization: http://www.ijm.org/whoweare

 Administrative Assistant, President’s Office

The Mission

The mission of International Justice Mission is to protect people from violent forces of injustice by securing rescue and restoration for victims and ensuring public justice systems work for the poor.

The Need

IJM’s founder, Gary Haugen, serves as President & Chief Executive Officer (CEO), and is a frequent presenter and speaker to government forums, various media outlets, conferences, associations and churches around the world. The ever increasing, complex demands on the President’s time require the highest level executive support. Accordingly, IJM seeks an experienced and energetic professional to assist the Executive Assistant to the President & CEO with scheduling, research, event preparation, and administrative support to strategically maximize the productivity of the President’s Office.

Responsibilities

• Following agreed upon priorities, schedule the President’s day to accommodate internal and external meetings, travel and desk time; adjust appointments as necessary to facilitate conflicting priorities;
• Under supervision from the Executive Assistant to the President & CEO (EA), maintain the President’s calendar and all meeting requests; prepare and secure advance briefings for upcoming meetings, including liaising with internal colleagues and conducting primary research, as needed;
• Ensure appropriate follow-up from President’s meetings, including drafting of correspondence, documentation of event information into the IJM database, and compiling of finance and expense reports;
• Handle advance work for the President, including travel arrangements and coordination of event logistics, (Note: this occasionally requires availability during evenings and weekends);
• Serve as a liaison and point of contact between the President’s office and the public or other members of IJM, regarding the President’s schedule;
• Assist the EA in scheduling and preparing logistics for staff-wide events such as staff and leadership retreats, and board meetings;
• Assist the EA with the execution of general office priorities, including email communication, scheduling of internal meetings, overall office management and administration;
• Compile and organize documentation for meetings, projects, reports and office archives; and
• Perform other related duties as assigned.

Required Skills and Experience

• Minimum of two years experience providing direct administrative support to a senior executive in a fast-paced professional environment, responsible for managing a large number of projects and tasks simultaneously, while completing them with minimal oversight;
• Exemplary written and oral communication, including experience with editing executive correspondence;
• Proven success in managing complex internal and external relationships where tact, discretion, and diplomacy are essential;
• Proven ability to function as a highly collaborative and contributing team member;
• Extensive experience managing the schedule and conducting advance work for a frequently traveling executive;
• Demonstrated ability to earn and maintain trust with regard to confidential and sensitive information;
• High level of proficiency with Microsoft Office.

Critical Qualities

• Mature orthodox Christian faith as defined by the Apostles’ Creed;
• Poised, confident demeanor, appropriate in a professional setting;
• Extraordinary organization skills;
• Patience and calm resolve during high-pressure situations;
• Strong initiative and self-disciplined work habits; and
• Creative, results-oriented problem solving skills.

Organization Information

• Competitive salary, with medical, dental and retirement benefits;
• Position reports to the Executive Assistant to the President & CEO; and
• Applications accepted until the position is filled.

 

Sap at Midnight

Dear blog,

I am feeling rather sappy right now and am perhaps in a surreal mood because I am about to see my BF again tomorrow, and we haven’t seen each other in almost 2 weeks! Boy, that may not seem like a long time for some people, but for us, who see each other at least 3 times a week at church, that’s quite a long time!!!

Thank God I get to see him tomorrow! Just to make the mood even more sappier, I have a love poem to share (one of my favorites);

Love’s Philosophy by Percy Shelley

The fountains mingle with the river

And the rivers with the Ocean;

The winds of Heaven mix for ever

With a sweet emotion;

Nothing in the world is single;

All things by a law divine

In one spirit meet and mingle.

Why not I with thine?

See the mountains kiss high Heaven

And the waves clasp one another;

No sister-flower would be forgiven

If it disdained its brother;

And the sunlight clasps the earth

And the moonbeams kiss the sea –

What is all this sweet work worth

If thou kiss not me?

Oh boy…….don’t you just love the sap? I DOOO

 

NYSC Take Home Messages

#1 Conferences are a bunch of baloney. Really what struck me first and foremost is “why am I here?” I’m ready to learn more, thirst for God and find out what He wants to say to me. What I forget so easily is that He’s probably trying to tell me things all the time and then I have to go to a conference for it really to sink into my thick skull. I HEAR YOU NOW GOD!

#2 Encouragement can come in different shape and forms, but through people really hits me. I talked to some people who just started with their church building because they finally raised enough funds. Sure, their church is near the middle of nowhere, but still I feel like even though I knew all along that God can give us a building in His own timing, it’s still nice to hear when others have gone through the experience. 

#3 There are probably less than six degrees of separation in the Chinese community. How many people knew someone who knew someone that I met? A lot, after facebook confirms all our mutual friends, it’s quite clear. Still, it’s really nice to meet new people. 

#4 Guitars still bring people together (music in general). What I noticed about our late night singing sessions is that when we brought up different songs to sing, we struck a chord with different people or the same people and realize we are all “90s kids” or saw the same movies. It’s funny how we all grew up with the same shows and movies, and how amazing some people’s memories are with remembering the songs…

#5 Preachers/speakers have different ways of reaching us. And they are all unique and different, created by God in different ways. I really appreciate this difference because it just shows how God can really speak through different people. Joseph Tsang and Ken Fong are both very different speakers. Joseph Tsang is more blunt, to the point and “let me tell you like it is” and then does things straight from the Bible. Ken Fong loves stories and telling them in the most hilarious ways. His accents are great and he tells us from experience how things are. Both are great speakers…

#6 I found out another pet peeve of mine. Which is complainers. A lot of people didn’t like the food at Hofstra and openly complained about this. And perhaps I even complained a couple of times as well. But that doesn’t give us the right to really have that kind of attitude. It kind of annoys me now. So along with fake people, I am adding complainers/haters to my list as well. Get over it, you are not liked! (but I will still show you the love of Christ regardless )

#7 Change can happen, but only in God’s way and timing. I feel like through all of these Asian American workshops we are constantly wondering how and when and where this change is going to occur. Mulling over all the details and issues is only half the story, but in the end I thought to myself, so now what? But really, what should be the attitude of us 2nd gens is to respect the elder and wait for change….while making baby steps at the same time. 

#8 Praise team connections run deep. I find it extremely comfortable to talk to other praise team members, and almost a sharing of the same woes and laughs. I had a chance to talk to some of the Rhode Island band members because they play really well, and it’s funny how we have the same experiences with playing in the band. The drummer is really good and I think he’s a music major, but man, just talking to them is really encouraging and listening to how they all pour themselves out in their music. Just tells us that we need more practice, haha! But I am really thankful for REM’s worship team, we have a unique group as well. 

#9 Testimonies in all shapes and forms are great, as long as they bring about their purposes, which is to praise our God above. Our small group shared testimonies on the last night and although some were very different, and others were “plain” and others were “dramatic” I can’t help but think that we were all brought together to share these things for a purpose. I’m really happy with my small group and glad that I got to know these girls a bit more. But we were so different too! Funny..