My college friends and I spent 4 days last week in Austin so that we could encourage our GFC Austin team and help out with whatever needed to be done. Little did I realize that our short time there would end up being like a mini summer mission trip.

The night before, we packed supplies for the Austin team including Welcome Table items, aluminum trays, books, and a brand new 20 cup rice cooker that they would use for TFN dinners. We landed on Wednesday... and went directly to the campus, where we got a quick tour, did a prayer walk around the campus, and began meeting students: in the cafeteria and on the basketball court. On Thursday, we did a prayer walk, met students in the cafeteria, and then hosted a 5-on-5 tournament at the UT Austin Rec Center. The finale: a Texas vs. California all-star game! On Friday, we spent time on campus and then helped with all of the setup and preparation for the Korean BBQ dinner and TFN Bible study.

Somewhere in between all of this, we helped our Austin team shop at Walmart, Target, a Mexican meat market for the BBQ, and Home Depot. Andy, Tony, and Ming built an A-frame that is not only functional and easy to use, but also aesthetically quite pleasing. Conrad redesigned the GFC Austin website, flyers, and created an A-frame painting/color scheme. Brian edited the Koinonia slideshow. Tony and Jacob became temporary members of the praise band. We helped with food prep, labeled sound equipment, and more. I even got a chance to look over the legal paperwork for Austin. One of my friends remarked, "I felt like we did more here in a day than we did in a week in Berkeley!" We all felt that way.

But at the same time, it wasn't all work. We got to see God's heart for this campus as we met many students who opened up to us, especially over basketball. We got to see the students who first came to our Bible study and Sunday service. Not just a few... but 12 people! And we also saw just how much the gospel is needed there... UT is one of the top party schools in the nation, but the partying also leaves behind a trail of victims. Pastor Manny's research revealed that drug and alcohol related issues were rampant there. We felt our hearts going out for the campus, and the friendly people that we met--seemingly at random, but with a hope that they would discover the love of God for themselves one day. I left Austin tired... but also so excited and hopeful at what God can do through our church there.

Since I've joined our CSUEB Koinonia college ministry, I've experienced the privilege of giving all my effort and energy for God. I remember we would start working on our publications stuff after prayer meeting and work all night to crank out our fliers and brochures. On Fridays I would go into work early so that afterwards I could make it on campus to setup our sound equipment for our Bible study's praise time. Before joining CSUEB Koinonia, I honestly didn't know much about Photoshop, or about the mechanics of sound equipment and setup; but now I see how my efforts are being used by God for ministry, and I'm so thankful that God can use me in these ways. I am always inspired by my leaders and the other staff in our ministry group because their hard work compels me to give the same. Ultimately, I realize that God is always at work and I can't slow down. I am thankful that I can spend my time and energy for God, and encouraged by all the faithful people I see around me giving their all as well.

When I stop to think about it, so much of the world says that I shouldn't give it all in anything that I do. The key to happiness is supposed to be in living a "balanced" life—a life dedicated to pleasing ourselves and not giving ourselves fully to anything, lest we actually end up becoming passionate and care deeply about anything that we do. Thus, in the eyes of the world, it doesn't make much sense that working professionals—at a time when we could be climbing that corporate ladder or settling down with their nuclear families—would choose to pack up their bags, leave their lives of familiarity and comfort, and plant a new church hundreds of miles away from beloved family and friends. But, that's exactly what a group of our church members have decided to do—to plant a new church in Austin, TX.

For the weeks, days, and hours leading up to the farewell, so many people stayed up late nights working on videos, creating picture frames and scrapbooks, buying and wrapping gifts, and practicing songs and dances. Why would people do such a thing? Why would we stay up late with our friends or about a hundred people wake up before the crack of dawn to send off the missionaries at the local airport? It is so we could honor the mission team members that had given it all for God and had touched so many lives through our church. Not many of them owned a home or drove eye-catching cars or became hotshots at their workplace, but their passion, their sacrifice, their generosity has left an indelible mark in the cultural fabric of our church. We give it all because of God's faithfulness in our lives and to encourage our Austin team as we send them off to be a part of a watershed moment in the history of our church—our first domestic church plant as part of Gracepoint.

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Manny and Sunny Farewell Video

 

When we arrived, we took a picture at the airport, christening the arrival of our presence in the city of Austin, and then we hit the ground running. A few friends came along to help out with the move, and over the next three days, we took time off from our normal schedules and unloaded, assembled, and moved in furniture from two gigantic shipping containers, went shopping at over five different locations, cleaned and settled into four different houses, had memorable times of fellowship around good Texas food, and visited the sites for our Friday night Bible studies and Sunday Worship Service, and had our very first team prayer for the UT-Austin campus. In the eyes of the world, not much of what happened over those days made much sense, for people could have easily went through a life of just work or school and come home to plop down in their favorite spot and enjoy their favorite activity after a long day and repeat the same cycle over again. But, from the eyes of God, it was a beautiful sight of the church in action, of stepping out of our comfort zone and for the team, to take these steps of faith and obedience to God so that more people could come to know the saving grace of Jesus. For the team, perhaps the setting may have changed, and the weather definitely changed, but the one thing that did not change was their passion for God and their desire to serve God, wherever He may lead.

During our Taiwan Winter Mission Trip I learned what giving God my "five loaves and two fish" meant.

My prayer request was to be shown how I could contribute as a member of the body of Christ. I went in thinking I couldn’t do much. Being a fairly new Christian, I thought I still had much to learn and so wasn't ready to offer anything meaningful, but God showed me otherwise. During a time for basketball outreach, I decided to play tennis instead. Ben joined me, and we met a few students from the physics department playing tennis. Even though our conversations went well, we later learned that they'd probably be too busy to come out for Christmas Celebration. When the conversation started to die, and people began to leave, I began playing against one of their players. Meanwhile, Ben struck up a conversation with another player, named Larry (name changed to protect identity of the student). Apparently Larry was waiting and watching us play, and Ben seemed to be building a connection with him. Only when I finished playing did I actually meet Larry, but soon after meeting and chatting with him our group had to leave. When I walked away from the tennis courts, I was dejected. It seemed like everyone was too busy to come out.

During the Christmas Celebration I was apprehensive about who would show up. I couldn't help but search the crowds for a familiar face from outreach, but no one seemed to be there. Furthermore, after halfway through the show I became saddened by the people who turned to leave. When the show was over, we all headed out for snacks and discussion. Thinking I would just join some random group, I walked towards the snacks table when Larry saw and greeted me. I didn't really think he'd show up, let alone remember my name. But he was excited, stayed for the entire show, and willingly joined a discussion group afterwards. During the discussion group, I asked about how they felt about the skits. Larry opened up about how he connected because his parents went through a tough divorce, and he found sanctuary in computer gaming. When I heard this story, I was shocked because the story he just revealed to me seemed to echo my own personal background. I didn't think anyone would understand my background, but instead now was the opportunity for me to share a little of my testimony. We were both taken aback, and it really rung within me just how as humans, we have similar problems.

God took what I didn't even know I could use and used it. He took my background, my testimony, tennis fanaticism, and my moderate level of Chinese and used it to connect with others. He showed me what it really meant to present my “five loaves and two fishes”.

Joyland Christmas Celebration (JCC) was such a busy time and not just for Joyland teachers. Out of the woodworks came members from all different ministries to lend their hands for prop-making, kid control, actor coaching and all sorts of technical behind-the-scenes activity that was essential to the celebration. People turned out for our all day Saturday dress rehearsal and the following day’s rehearsals, last minute run-throughs, costume touch-ups, beautification, not to mention all of the food that sustained the kids and crews! And the crews seemed to keep growing as the days progressed. Wherever I took kids, there were all of these aunties and uncles that just appeared out of nowhere to keep the kids in line, quiet and entertained; all done lovingly, cheerfully and with fresh smiles! Life at Gracepoint is never dull and JCC is one event that takes the whole church to pull it off.