Do you ever watch those CSI type shows where the agents/scientists/detectives go to crime scenes and figure out who killed/abducted/stole something or someone?
Do you ever notice that in every one of those shows, there's a man/woman, (who is just a little bit nerdy), who stays behind in the lab to run experiments, do research, process paperwork, etc? At least once per show, the agents/scientists/detectives called the nerdy lab man/woman because they need help with finding someone or something. These lab people bring a little bit of order to the chaos of trying to solve a murder/abduction/robbery. They are incredibly important to the show - and so are the detectives. They couldn't exist in the way they do without each other.
The video below showcases The Ops team: the nerdy lab men/women of Cru. :) Enjoy!
(Double click on it to make it full screen).
Monday, October 22, 2012
Wednesday, October 17, 2012
Vision Trip #1 :: East Asia
Every fall, my coworker Pete takes a group of businessmen/women to
visit our teams in East Asia for a week long vision trip. They put
together professional resumes, and prepare 20-30 minute presentations on
topics like entrepreneurship, insurance, law, and many more. They will
weave their faith stories in to conversations with students, sharing the
truth of the Gospel with people who've never heard the name of Jesus.
The group leaves this Sunday. Here's a shot of them below, preparing for their trip at a briefing meeting that I ran last month. Please pray for safe travels, bold faith and divine appointments for this group!
The group leaves this Sunday. Here's a shot of them below, preparing for their trip at a briefing meeting that I ran last month. Please pray for safe travels, bold faith and divine appointments for this group!
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
East Asia Update.
"· “We’ve been praying for you. Will you help us reach our
campus?”
These are sweet words for any Cru staff member to hear, but when your goal is to reach 600,000 students on 67 campuses, it's got to be mind-blowing.
These are sweet words for any Cru staff member to hear, but when your goal is to reach 600,000 students on 67 campuses, it's got to be mind-blowing.
This is the goal of our partnership team in East Asia (the team I worked with this summer when I went there on project). God has given this team a great vision, to reach each one of the campuses in their area of the city - 67, to be exact. This equates to more than a half million college students to reach.
This team of 12 (9 Americans and 3 French) has been seeking to gain access to new campuses this fall. In a few weeks, 16 businessmen and women will travel to this city on a vision trip, to help this team develop more connections on more campuses. The in-country team is working hard to set up appointments in classrooms, where these men and women will present on business topics.
Throughout the team has been met with both opposition and invitation. Several campuses have denied the team entry onto campus (in this country, universities have only a few gated entrances, and are guarded by officials who may or may not allow foreigners in to the campus).
One day, a student came up to the team leader, Ben, and upon finding out he was a Christian, the student asked if Ben could help him reach his campus with the Gospel. One team member, Matt, was not allowed entrance into a university. So, he decided just to wait outside the gate and meet Asian students as they were walking in and out of the entrance.
Despite human opposition, God is using the faithfulness of the staff here to launch and grow spiritual movements all over the city. Pray that God would reward their steadfast faith and boldness in reaching Asians with the Gospel
Sunday, October 07, 2012
Country Meets City.
What a week. It was exhausting (but good) due to lots of unpacking, sorting, and organizing. I moved to a new apartment, with a new roommate, in a new neighborhood this week. She and I have spent many hours getting settled in, arranging living room furniture, hanging pictures and paintings, re-arranging the living room furniture, washing dishes...and re-re-arranging the living room furniture, just one more time.
Contrasting all the new-ness is our old, old apartment in an old, old 4plex. We've got crooked doorways and creeky floors and radiator heat. My key sticks in the lock. The pipes make noises I haven't heard since I was a kid, growing up in our old peach and white house on the farm.
These things are oddly comforting. It's here that I see country meeting the city- and I think I'm going to like it. The longer I live in Minneapolis, the more I realize I really enjoy the city. And as that feeling grows, so does my love for country living.
It's the weirdest thing, feeling at home in both the country and city, two places at once. There are so many opportunities that exist in a big city. One of my favorite things has been experiencing other cultures through the friends I've made.
A big factor in this has been my church. Today we had another multi-cultural potluck, with Korean bulgogi, Cameroonian fried plantains, black beans and rice, African fry bread, Chicken Wings and German Potato Salad - to name just a few! My church is made up of people who grew up all over the world, who bring new perspectives to life and faith. Totally different from the hotdish and jello salads of rural church potlucks.
Yet...there's something about those rural potlucks that I love. Thick black coffee. Homemade dinner rolls, homemade pies, homemade everything.
Then there are the simple errands to the hardware store or checking fence line. Roaming gravel roads in a dust-covered truck. Taking in a sunset on a horizon of nothing but grass.
I can't get away from the country, even here in the city. I am cleaning up some old shed windows to hang in my bedroom. My duvet cover looks like it came from living room wallpaper in an old farm house. I've got a canvas photo of my dad's old orange chevy truck, and mason jars on almost every single bookcase in the apartment. I love these things. They feel like a piece of me, sitting on a shelf for everyone to see, a glimpse into country life.
These items are as much a part of me as my skinny jeans, road bike, and my affinity of Starbucks. It's a weird combo, country-meets-city, but I am learning to embrace it and enjoy it.
Contrasting all the new-ness is our old, old apartment in an old, old 4plex. We've got crooked doorways and creeky floors and radiator heat. My key sticks in the lock. The pipes make noises I haven't heard since I was a kid, growing up in our old peach and white house on the farm.
These things are oddly comforting. It's here that I see country meeting the city- and I think I'm going to like it. The longer I live in Minneapolis, the more I realize I really enjoy the city. And as that feeling grows, so does my love for country living.
It's the weirdest thing, feeling at home in both the country and city, two places at once. There are so many opportunities that exist in a big city. One of my favorite things has been experiencing other cultures through the friends I've made.
A big factor in this has been my church. Today we had another multi-cultural potluck, with Korean bulgogi, Cameroonian fried plantains, black beans and rice, African fry bread, Chicken Wings and German Potato Salad - to name just a few! My church is made up of people who grew up all over the world, who bring new perspectives to life and faith. Totally different from the hotdish and jello salads of rural church potlucks.
Yet...there's something about those rural potlucks that I love. Thick black coffee. Homemade dinner rolls, homemade pies, homemade everything.
Then there are the simple errands to the hardware store or checking fence line. Roaming gravel roads in a dust-covered truck. Taking in a sunset on a horizon of nothing but grass.
I can't get away from the country, even here in the city. I am cleaning up some old shed windows to hang in my bedroom. My duvet cover looks like it came from living room wallpaper in an old farm house. I've got a canvas photo of my dad's old orange chevy truck, and mason jars on almost every single bookcase in the apartment. I love these things. They feel like a piece of me, sitting on a shelf for everyone to see, a glimpse into country life.
These items are as much a part of me as my skinny jeans, road bike, and my affinity of Starbucks. It's a weird combo, country-meets-city, but I am learning to embrace it and enjoy it.
Monday, September 17, 2012
Humbling Homegoing.
A big brick sign, weathered and worn, welcomed us to town. We drove slowly, turning the radio off to match the peacefulness of rural life that we were observing. There were just a few lonely cars at the only hotel in town, a few cars at the library, a few at the Lutheran Church. We turned right, and into a quiet downtown with sleepy storefronts. The bank on the corner advertised the arrival of a new ATM with a hand-written, neon green poster board sign hanging in the front window.
Thanks to the addition of a new gas station and cafe, the town's only grocery store was a flurry of activity. Down a few more blocks, we hit the high school, with dusty cars and trucks in the parking lot, and a handful of bikes left haphazardly unchained on the sidewalk.
This is my town. My hometown, where I spent the first 18 years of my life. When I walked across that stage on graduation day 8 years ago, I knew I was leaving the only home I'd ever known.
I couldn't have been happier. I was nervous, sure- moving to a new city and starting college was a huge step for me, a shy, small-town kid. But I was so ready to move on and move up in the world. When I walked across that stage on graduation day, I had a desire to keep on walking out the door of the school and never look back. I felt like leaving would finally give me a chance to be who I really was. To live my life the way I wanted to, without everyone watching me.
This week I found myself back in town for a few hours. Some of my coworkers were putting on outreach event at the high school. Familiar things met me at every turn - the band room, the gym, the auditorium. At one point, we walked through the drama department storage room. Senior year, my friends and I had painted our names on the back of an old prop desk. Sure enough, the desk was still there, along with my nickname and the names of the other '04 seniors in blue paint.
We set up for the even for an hour or two in the morning, during which I ran into a couple of the teachers I had during my high school years. We enjoyed a homemade lunch in the basement of one of the churches in town: hot dish, buttered buns and pickles, among other items. My high school librarian was there pouring milk and kool-aid for each of the guests. I got to chat with her and some of the church ladies after the meal for awhile. I sat next to Ed, an 85 year old man who has spent his whole life on the same farm site. His dad grew up on it, too. He runs sound at the church, and visits the county prison each week to tell others about Jesus.
It was pretty surreal being back. Humbling, too. I see things differently now when I look back on my years there. Our past is our past, and we can't change it. It's part of us, even when we try to ignore it, wish it away or pretend like it didn't happen. Even if we didn't have the best experiences, they still had a hand in shaping us into who we are.
It was a privilege to grow up in that small town. There are kids there growing up and having the same experiences I had. So many of them are growing up without spiritual input in any way. Those that do go to church still may not know or understand a relationship with God is available. Someone needs to tell them. I could. Or will I let my pride stand in the way?
Thanks to the addition of a new gas station and cafe, the town's only grocery store was a flurry of activity. Down a few more blocks, we hit the high school, with dusty cars and trucks in the parking lot, and a handful of bikes left haphazardly unchained on the sidewalk.
This is my town. My hometown, where I spent the first 18 years of my life. When I walked across that stage on graduation day 8 years ago, I knew I was leaving the only home I'd ever known.
I couldn't have been happier. I was nervous, sure- moving to a new city and starting college was a huge step for me, a shy, small-town kid. But I was so ready to move on and move up in the world. When I walked across that stage on graduation day, I had a desire to keep on walking out the door of the school and never look back. I felt like leaving would finally give me a chance to be who I really was. To live my life the way I wanted to, without everyone watching me.
This week I found myself back in town for a few hours. Some of my coworkers were putting on outreach event at the high school. Familiar things met me at every turn - the band room, the gym, the auditorium. At one point, we walked through the drama department storage room. Senior year, my friends and I had painted our names on the back of an old prop desk. Sure enough, the desk was still there, along with my nickname and the names of the other '04 seniors in blue paint.
We set up for the even for an hour or two in the morning, during which I ran into a couple of the teachers I had during my high school years. We enjoyed a homemade lunch in the basement of one of the churches in town: hot dish, buttered buns and pickles, among other items. My high school librarian was there pouring milk and kool-aid for each of the guests. I got to chat with her and some of the church ladies after the meal for awhile. I sat next to Ed, an 85 year old man who has spent his whole life on the same farm site. His dad grew up on it, too. He runs sound at the church, and visits the county prison each week to tell others about Jesus.
It was pretty surreal being back. Humbling, too. I see things differently now when I look back on my years there. Our past is our past, and we can't change it. It's part of us, even when we try to ignore it, wish it away or pretend like it didn't happen. Even if we didn't have the best experiences, they still had a hand in shaping us into who we are.
It was a privilege to grow up in that small town. There are kids there growing up and having the same experiences I had. So many of them are growing up without spiritual input in any way. Those that do go to church still may not know or understand a relationship with God is available. Someone needs to tell them. I could. Or will I let my pride stand in the way?
Friday, August 31, 2012
An Unbroken Chain.
Do you ever look back on your life and think, how did I get here???
I'm sure you have. I think it's natural to reflect on the things that have led you to where you are today, and the things that have shaped you to be who you are.
I've always been interested in the Holocaust era of history. During my junior year, Holocaust survivor and Minnesotan Henry Oertelt came to my high school and shared some of his incredible life experiences. I remember being so enthralled with his story that I bummed $10 from someone (which I probably never paid back, now that I think about it), to purchase his book: An Unbroken Chain: My journey through the Nazi Holocaust. He even signed the inside cover.
It was an obviously sad story, but still I was attracted to the idea that there were these links in the chain of his life that were imperative to his survival of Auschwitz and other concentration camps. Growing up, I loved the concept of fate/destiny/serendipity. I just knew in my heart of hearts that there was this mysterious...something that linked seemingly random events together into meaningful and significant moments.
Lately I've been a bit reflective on my own journey to where I am today. In a way, I'm living a life I never dreamed of; yet, it's exactly what I wanted.
Some links in my chain that I'm grateful for:
I'm sure you have. I think it's natural to reflect on the things that have led you to where you are today, and the things that have shaped you to be who you are.
I've always been interested in the Holocaust era of history. During my junior year, Holocaust survivor and Minnesotan Henry Oertelt came to my high school and shared some of his incredible life experiences. I remember being so enthralled with his story that I bummed $10 from someone (which I probably never paid back, now that I think about it), to purchase his book: An Unbroken Chain: My journey through the Nazi Holocaust. He even signed the inside cover.
It was an obviously sad story, but still I was attracted to the idea that there were these links in the chain of his life that were imperative to his survival of Auschwitz and other concentration camps. Growing up, I loved the concept of fate/destiny/serendipity. I just knew in my heart of hearts that there was this mysterious...something that linked seemingly random events together into meaningful and significant moments.
Lately I've been a bit reflective on my own journey to where I am today. In a way, I'm living a life I never dreamed of; yet, it's exactly what I wanted.
Some links in my chain that I'm grateful for:
- Growing up on a farm with a hard-working family. While I didn't always (often) enjoy it at the time, I'm so grateful for learning how to put in an honest day's work. I've learned a lot of life lessons from tough days on the farm, like seeing the tangible benefits of discipline.
- My parents. Along with teaching me about hard work, they taught me how to save and spend appropriately. I hated saving the birthday and Christmas money I received every year, unable to spend any of it. But when freshman year of college rolled around, and I had to pay for expensive textbooks, tuition, and a dorm room, I was incredibly grateful.
- Uncommon experiences with other cultures:
- My family hosted a Brazilian foreign exchange student while in high school (something I still wonder about to this day - we were definitely not the type of family to sign up for something like this!) This created a new interest for me - learning about other countries.
- When I joined staff, I was in a core group of 7 other women to connect with. Five of these woman had just returned from STINT, all over the world. For six weeks I got to hear story after story of God at work all over the world. I think that is a huge reason I said yes to doing the WSN Ops role at work.
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
Finishings.
In about two weeks, I will hit one of my favorite times of the year.
The first week back in the office will be over, and I'll have learned everyone's name and new cubical placements, caught up on everyone's summers, and settled in for another year of ministry. Football seasons will be just getting underway, and the hope of a decent season is still intact. Cooler weather settles in (I hope), along with changing leaves and beautiful landscapes to capture with my lens.
...And a certain pumpkin-flavored drink will appear at one of my favorite coffee shops down the road.
I have another simple reason for enjoying this time of year: time is on my side. The new (school) year is just beginning. I only have a small number of very important things to work on, that don't take too much brain power. Meaning I can spend a majority of my time and energy mentally and physically preparing for the craziness that is ahead. I can reorganize my desk and filing system, clean out my e-mail folders, and update files and processes.
I love this stuff. Taking time to reorganize, realign and reformat things at the beginning will make me more effective when I get to my busy work seasons (TCX, SPDT, KC...all the important times of the year are apparently represented by acronyms).
The "beginning" stage is typically the most fun stage for me (diving into why that is true would take another post altogether). But lately I've been finishing things, and that's been fun, too. Here are a couple huge things I've been working on that will be finished soon, or have recently finished:
1. Preaching my first sermon.
Last week my pastor was out of town and I stepped in for him to preach a sermon on Evangelism. I had a 3 month lead time on this project, which included 6 weeks in East Asia where I didn't give one thought to the sermon, so I needed the lead time. I feel a huge sense of accomplishment for this project, which included a ton of prep work I didn't anticipate.
2. Closing the Books on Our Summer Projects.
From Nov 1 to Sept 1, my schedule is packed with summer project planning and prep. We're just 2 weeks away from wrapping up our finances and student accounts. I love our SP's, but I can't wait for the books to be closed on this season. Luckily I've had some awesome help throughout the summer to ensure the books will in fact get closed in a proper way.
3. Finding an apartment.
The hunt for a new place to live has been arduous, to say the least. It started in March with trying to find a new roommate. Now two weeks before I get kicked out of my apartment, I have a roommate... but still working on that place to live. We're still figuring things out, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I think. I'm growing in areas of patience and perseverance with this one.
4. Reading.
It seems a little weird to include this one, but I'm notorious for reading 7 books at one time and finishing none of them. I started and finished two books during my 6 weeks in East Asia, and have recently finished 2 more that I began before I left. Now, on to the other 3 I'm in the middle of...
For someone who loves to start new projects, but struggles to finish them, putting the cover on the box that contains these major tasks, and putting the box on a shelf in a closet and closing the door, feels really good. Here's to a new year, complete with many startings and finishings!
The first week back in the office will be over, and I'll have learned everyone's name and new cubical placements, caught up on everyone's summers, and settled in for another year of ministry. Football seasons will be just getting underway, and the hope of a decent season is still intact. Cooler weather settles in (I hope), along with changing leaves and beautiful landscapes to capture with my lens.
...And a certain pumpkin-flavored drink will appear at one of my favorite coffee shops down the road.
I have another simple reason for enjoying this time of year: time is on my side. The new (school) year is just beginning. I only have a small number of very important things to work on, that don't take too much brain power. Meaning I can spend a majority of my time and energy mentally and physically preparing for the craziness that is ahead. I can reorganize my desk and filing system, clean out my e-mail folders, and update files and processes.
I love this stuff. Taking time to reorganize, realign and reformat things at the beginning will make me more effective when I get to my busy work seasons (TCX, SPDT, KC...all the important times of the year are apparently represented by acronyms).
The "beginning" stage is typically the most fun stage for me (diving into why that is true would take another post altogether). But lately I've been finishing things, and that's been fun, too. Here are a couple huge things I've been working on that will be finished soon, or have recently finished:
1. Preaching my first sermon.
Last week my pastor was out of town and I stepped in for him to preach a sermon on Evangelism. I had a 3 month lead time on this project, which included 6 weeks in East Asia where I didn't give one thought to the sermon, so I needed the lead time. I feel a huge sense of accomplishment for this project, which included a ton of prep work I didn't anticipate.
2. Closing the Books on Our Summer Projects.
From Nov 1 to Sept 1, my schedule is packed with summer project planning and prep. We're just 2 weeks away from wrapping up our finances and student accounts. I love our SP's, but I can't wait for the books to be closed on this season. Luckily I've had some awesome help throughout the summer to ensure the books will in fact get closed in a proper way.
3. Finding an apartment.
The hunt for a new place to live has been arduous, to say the least. It started in March with trying to find a new roommate. Now two weeks before I get kicked out of my apartment, I have a roommate... but still working on that place to live. We're still figuring things out, but there's a light at the end of the tunnel. I think. I'm growing in areas of patience and perseverance with this one.
4. Reading.
It seems a little weird to include this one, but I'm notorious for reading 7 books at one time and finishing none of them. I started and finished two books during my 6 weeks in East Asia, and have recently finished 2 more that I began before I left. Now, on to the other 3 I'm in the middle of...
For someone who loves to start new projects, but struggles to finish them, putting the cover on the box that contains these major tasks, and putting the box on a shelf in a closet and closing the door, feels really good. Here's to a new year, complete with many startings and finishings!