+ Reclaiming our Inheritance: Asian Pacific American Student Conference 2010
Artists' Seminar
From February 5-7th over 120 students attended our Regional Asian Pacific American Student Conference a time for students to learn more about their ethnic identity and the intersection of their spiritual and cultural inheritances. During the weekend, students went through a “Grace Experience” in which they generously received a full Chinese banquet, and also were challenged to lay down their trophies to receive their true identity as children of Abba.
Here are some quotes from participants about their experience:
“I learned that my ethnicity is actually important and relevant in God’s kingdom. I hope to start finding out more about my ethnicity by talking to the elders in my family and learning Chinese.” (David Lai, Frosh)
“I learned that I cannot know grace through understanding, knowledge, dissecting it, calculating it. Grace must be experienced… I hope to put myself in positions where I can’t rely on myself so that I can experience Gods grace….I’m choosing to actively wait and see.” (Sarah Lee, Junior)
“God told me it’s time to let go of the past so I can open up and soften my heart, allowing myself to be vulnerable, that I may trust and depend on Him all the more… I feel that there’s an urge for me to reconcile with those I may have hurt because of my hard-heartedness, and that there’s a need for me to share and pray for those that have disappointed me.” (Joyce Lee, Frosh)
Praise God for what He’s done! Please continue to pray that these students would embrace their inheritance as Asian Pacific Americans and that God would continue to bring holistic transformation in their lives.
+ This is our Story: Asian American Staff Conference 2010
Cal staff- past, present, and future
Helping Lead Worship
From March 4th-7th, over 120 Asian-American staff from the movement gathered together in San Mateo, CA for a national staff gathering to celebrate our story by honoring the past, present, and future of Asian-American ministries. The conference was a great time for me to learn the history of Asian-American ministries and to be inspired and also challenged to continue
One of the highlights of the conference was meeting Gwen Wong, the first Asian-American staff worker in the movement, who was also a Cal grad. She became the first American-born Chinese to become a missionary to Asia, and it was amazing to meet her and hear some of her stories.
I was also challenged to think about how to truly celebrate every single Asian-American student in our fellowship while also growing a multiethnic fellowship that goes beyond merely “looking” diverse and actually develops Asian-American Christians who are aware of their identity and are advocates for racial justice and reconciliation across communities.
Please continue to pray for our staff team as we wrestle with what it means to be a multiethnic fellowship that consists primarily of Asian-American students. Pray for continued vision and inspiration in knowing how to develop world changers through our ministry.