lately, i've been experiencing a lot of zeal for outreaching to other students on campus. and when i was talking to one of my friends, she expressed that she thought the end times were near. she had looked into it a lot, and i began to research it some more as well. hypotheses about the pope being the antichrist, the pope establishing a new world order and world currency, and the russian president even pulling out a $1 world currency coin out of his pocket during a meeting was daunting to me. some sites that i've been looking at have even been talking about how if the pope is not the antichrist, he may be the antichrist's helper. there has been a lot of speculation on the pope and the catholic church. i've been looking a lot at youtube videos from a guy with username theforerunner777. he backs up all of his findings with scripture, and they're all based on hard facts. he has spoken a lot about the end times, and even though we don't know the minute or the hour, we should prepare ourselves for His coming. some people have predicted the second coming to be within the next 30 years, but i'm not sure. no one is supposed to know when it is, but hearing a number that is within my lifetime scares me. it scares me that there will be an antichrist, and no one will know who he is. false prophets will pop up. rfid chips, which are used in passports, merchandise purchased from stores, and fast passes for tolls.
that being said, i've been turning to my bible as well. there is nothing better than the Source to tell me the truth. so i'm beginning to read a chapter a day of revelation, rather than turning to other people to interpret it for me. knowing that the end is near, whether it's in my lifetime or not, has become really motivating for me to outreach to students on my campus this fall.
after going to NISET, and filming for some of the classes that were held about chapter building, i've learned a lot about how to effectively grow a chapter, and outreach to students on campus.
on a different note, the interns and i are making good headway on our project about stewardship, and we've come up with some good ideas, so i'm really getting excited about attending Urbana this year. for those of you reading this who haven't registered, do it now: urbana09.org. now i know what you're all thinking. "it's so expensive." "i want to be home for new year's." "it's so far away." but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity to attend a conference with 20,000 other christians, all worshipping the same God. i've heard that it's one of the closest things to heaven that you can come to on earth. and you know what? it's not about you. it's about God. so don't think of yourself when it comes to urbana, because it has less to do with you and more to do with God. don't pass this chance up, because once you're out of college, you won't want to go again with people who are younger than you, unless you have a high tolerance for embarrassment. so DO IT NOW!!
Tuesday, July 14, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
audrey and asians at ONS
today, the 2100 team went to inn on the park to have lunch with the worship and theater teams for urbana this year. we scattered ourselves throughout the tables available, and i sat next to a woman named audrey. audrey is a staff worker in san diego (coincidence? i think not!) and a staff worker named yasmine who is based in seattle. conversation was getting to a slow start, so i just kept my mouth occupied by taking bites of my lunch.
i noticed that audrey kept asking me questions, mostly about school and my sorority. and since i pretty much knew nothing about her, i started asking her how she got to be a staff worker in san diego, and she was telling me how she went from working at UCSD's successful fellowship to helping start up the chapter at southwestern, a community college located a stone's throw away from mexico and whose students are less than ambitious and predominantly from less affluent families. you can imagine how difficult it is to start up a chapter on a campus where students don't live there, and have very little interaction with their classmates outside of the classroom. not to mention, the lack of motivation of the students most likely took a major toll on her ministry. however, audrey found that hanging out in the cubicles where student organizations were located would allow her to completely change one woman's life.
she was just telling me all of these stories from her life and how she made such a big difference in her acapella group in college unknowingly, and her experience with a student who completely changed her life around, becoming willing to give up the pleasures of life to follow the Lord. she kept reinforcing how God used her in so many ways that she would never expect, and she was even telling me that He could use me to make a difference, especially in the greek scene. when audrey initially told me this, i had heard all of this before, either from my friends or myself. however, hearing it from a complete stranger had a much greater impact than i could ever expect. i understood that God really could use me to reach out not only to the girl in my sorority, but to all the other broken people on campus that are hiding their brokenness by pretending that everything is swell.
i knew that everything she was telling me were things that i already knew, but hearing it from someone who has been out there and who knew nothing about me, yet could see me being used in so many ways was extremely eye-opening. i could hear that God was using her to speak to me, and i could also see that God could use me in the same way as well! she gave me her contact info, so that i could get more in touch with greek ministry, and i can't wait to creepily friend her on facebook.
then i got to thinking, and i realized that none of this was by chance. it was no coincidence that i got an internship with 2100, it was no coincidence that i attended the luncheon with the theater and worship teams this afternoon, and it was not by chance that i sat at the table where i sat, and it was not by luck that i sat next to audrey, and it was definitely positively not coincidence that she was telling me what she was telling me. there was no way that she could've known that what she was saying would have such a large impact on me, but it did.
then tonight, we went to the evening session of ONS and helped to welcome the asian american new staff. it was great to see the great number of asians going on staff, especially when the culture emphasizes success and prosperity versus dependence on the intangible. hearing where all the different staff came from, but yet share a similar culture was especially apparent to me, and i came to see the leap of faith they took in becoming a staff worker. if their families are anything like mine, they have been taught their entire lives to work hard in school to find a good job so that they can make a good living. however, their very act of following God defies what they've learned their whole lives. not only are they sacrificing comfort and a certan standard of living, but they are really trusting God to take care of them. this reminds me that if these staff can put their lives on the line for Jesus and trust that He will take care of everything, why can't i surrender a homework assignment, a term paper, or a final test? if God will take care of even the birds and these staff workers, won't He take care of me as well?
then i got to thinking, and i realized that none of this was by chance. it was no coincidence that i got an internship with 2100, it was no coincidence that i attended the luncheon with the theater and worship teams this afternoon, and it was not by chance that i sat at the table where i sat, and it was not by luck that i sat next to audrey, and it was definitely positively not coincidence that she was telling me what she was telling me. there was no way that she could've known that what she was saying would have such a large impact on me, but it did.
then tonight, we went to the evening session of ONS and helped to welcome the asian american new staff. it was great to see the great number of asians going on staff, especially when the culture emphasizes success and prosperity versus dependence on the intangible. hearing where all the different staff came from, but yet share a similar culture was especially apparent to me, and i came to see the leap of faith they took in becoming a staff worker. if their families are anything like mine, they have been taught their entire lives to work hard in school to find a good job so that they can make a good living. however, their very act of following God defies what they've learned their whole lives. not only are they sacrificing comfort and a certan standard of living, but they are really trusting God to take care of them. this reminds me that if these staff can put their lives on the line for Jesus and trust that He will take care of everything, why can't i surrender a homework assignment, a term paper, or a final test? if God will take care of even the birds and these staff workers, won't He take care of me as well?
Wednesday, June 24, 2009
MBTI personality types
everyone at IV is obsessed with myers-briggs personality types. everytime you meet someone new, it is almost guaranteed that they will ask you what personality type you are. that being said, as i'm becoming more integrated into the IV family, i have become preoccupied with it as well. i am requiring all of my readers to take the test and post their personality type as a comment. (you really don't have to if you don't want, but i'd like to know!)
visit this site to find out what type you are!
visit this site to find out what type you are!
ONS
for the next two weeks, intervarsity is hosting ONS (orientation for new staff). 2100 staff is encouraged to help out at the conference. this year, there are about 120 new staff that are receiving training and will be serving college campuses throughout the nation. yesterday, i had the opportunity to help out with the powerpoint for ONS. the talk just so happened to be about fund development, and i realized that all of the staff that are going out into the field will be depending on God for his provision (through donors) in providing financial means for them to survive. i looked at my own life- how difficult was it for me to raise money just for an internship this summer with intervarsity, and how much did i struggle with faith and knowing that God would provide for me? i compared myself to these staff workers, who will be wholly dependent on their donors for years to put food on their table. and then i remembered my own staff worker, who generously offered to donate to my work this summer. understanding that these staff workers most likely barely make enough to get by and seeing my staff worker so willing to give to me when he needed it more is something i never thought about. the people who are reaping for the Lord have a ton of faith, and a real faith at that. i cannot imagine someone who doesn't have faith in God, yet would be willing to sacrifice a comfortable life and a "regular" job.
while the interns are working on a video about stewardship for urbana, and i am also helping my editing mentor with another video about christianity across the globe, the interns have also decided to take on a project for fun, outside of work. we've decided to create a spoof of the hit sitcom the office. it's been a long process, and we are still very far from even writing a script. for the past three days, i've been working with another intern on character development, higher arc and character arc developments. there are still two more steps to go before actually start writing the first draft of the script. i never realized how much work it was to produce something that i thought would be so simple. i definitely have a newfound appreciation for those whose work is writing TV shows and screenplays. i just hope that we have enough time to shoot and edit this project before the summer is over!
while the interns are working on a video about stewardship for urbana, and i am also helping my editing mentor with another video about christianity across the globe, the interns have also decided to take on a project for fun, outside of work. we've decided to create a spoof of the hit sitcom the office. it's been a long process, and we are still very far from even writing a script. for the past three days, i've been working with another intern on character development, higher arc and character arc developments. there are still two more steps to go before actually start writing the first draft of the script. i never realized how much work it was to produce something that i thought would be so simple. i definitely have a newfound appreciation for those whose work is writing TV shows and screenplays. i just hope that we have enough time to shoot and edit this project before the summer is over!
Friday, June 19, 2009
encouragement and blessings
i know it's been a while since i last posted, but the interns have been very busy working on a piece about stewardship. the point of the video is to remind our audience that they really do have money to spare, and that they have resources, but are they using it wisely? since most of the interns are not especially experienced in production, it's been difficult to shoot and edit. we all have such different ideas, and sometimes it's a good thing, but other times, it's difficult to decide which idea to run with and which to scrap. we had a show and tell two days ago in which we presented our script and work in progress to the rest of the 2100 team, and they respond with their feedback. while they had little to say about the filming, their issue with our script was the numbers and specifics.
on wednesday, we went to a bible study. we're going through the book of john in preparation for urbana (which is based off john). lets just say that the entire one-hour session was completely over my head, but it was good just to see people who work together gather for the common purpose of studying God's word. i can see how much the employees of intervarsity thirst to know God more, and i pray for the same thing for myself. that night, the interns were invited by scott and donna wilson (a couple who works at the top of the advancement department) to have dinner at their house. we began with cheese and crackers and moved on to have a wonderful salad/pasta dish made by donna. we chatted and it was so wonderful to see how excited the pair was to have interns at their house. hearing them talk about their past projects helped me to see how much these projects bless both their producers and its audience. hearing their stories has encouraged me to spur on in working on our project despite the bumps in the road.
the interns have gotten to know each other much better, and whenever we have free time, we spend most of our time together. we've planned most of our weekends around some kind of fun activity that will be going on in madison. we may even make trips to surrounding cities such as milwaukee and chicago. just yesterday after work, the interns ordered some food and watched "the godfather" and stayed at the office until 9:30. it was a great time of fellowship for us as we just hung out and enjoyed each others' company. i must say, that hanging out with christians 24/7 is so much different than when i'm at school, and it's been a blessing to be around such awesome people all the time.
back to work...
on wednesday, we went to a bible study. we're going through the book of john in preparation for urbana (which is based off john). lets just say that the entire one-hour session was completely over my head, but it was good just to see people who work together gather for the common purpose of studying God's word. i can see how much the employees of intervarsity thirst to know God more, and i pray for the same thing for myself. that night, the interns were invited by scott and donna wilson (a couple who works at the top of the advancement department) to have dinner at their house. we began with cheese and crackers and moved on to have a wonderful salad/pasta dish made by donna. we chatted and it was so wonderful to see how excited the pair was to have interns at their house. hearing them talk about their past projects helped me to see how much these projects bless both their producers and its audience. hearing their stories has encouraged me to spur on in working on our project despite the bumps in the road.
the interns have gotten to know each other much better, and whenever we have free time, we spend most of our time together. we've planned most of our weekends around some kind of fun activity that will be going on in madison. we may even make trips to surrounding cities such as milwaukee and chicago. just yesterday after work, the interns ordered some food and watched "the godfather" and stayed at the office until 9:30. it was a great time of fellowship for us as we just hung out and enjoyed each others' company. i must say, that hanging out with christians 24/7 is so much different than when i'm at school, and it's been a blessing to be around such awesome people all the time.
back to work...
Tuesday, June 9, 2009
intern photoshoot
on my first friday, the interns had a photoshoot. here are the ones where i don't look completely terrible:
these are all the 2100 productions interns, both summer and longer term.
from left to right starting at the back: wey, kristin, ken, me, pajkou, leann, jamari, and becky (our supervisor)
what's going on with my arm?
just the summer interns
CD cover-esque
these are all the 2100 productions interns, both summer and longer term.from left to right starting at the back: wey, kristin, ken, me, pajkou, leann, jamari, and becky (our supervisor)
what's going on with my arm?
just the summer interns
CD cover-esque
Monday, June 8, 2009
sweet surprise
yesterday, i went to a church called blackhawk church, here in madison. it's located just down the road from the hiratas' house. it's one of those mega-churches, and it really reminded me of maranatha chapel. blackhawk is home to about 4,000 christians and has many services. the hiratas attend the 6:00 PM service, so we were free all day to lounge around and do whatever.
in the afternoon, we went to lake wingra with the huis and rented a couple paddleboats. the kids brought their fishing poles and we all had a great time, though the kids were acting up a bit having to share the two fishing poles among four of them. we didn't have any luck with fish, though we caught a dead one. kaedon, especially had been acting up all day, defiant to his mother and doing what every younger brother does best- annoy his older sister. i know plenty about that.
then, we went home to change and we were off to church. the worship style was so much like maranatha that it was unnerving. everyone was dressed very casually, but since i'm used to a different style, i found myself to be the only one in a dress and heels. but i was ok with that since i'm a firm believer in being overdressed is better than being underdressed.
after church, we went home and amy prepared spaghetti for dinner. after dinner, the kids helped to make kaedon's birthday treats (brownies) and were off to bed. while amy was helping to put the kids to bed, i helped clean up the kitchen. it really is stressful and tiring being a mom, so i thought i'd at least help her with the dishes and clean off a couple of countertops. i have a newfound appreciation for my mom. (thanks mom!) while i was cleaning up the kitchen, kaedon came downstairs to get something, but before he went upstairs again, he approached me to give me a big bear hug. this really surprised me after his tantrums and defiance earlier in the day. even though i'm not their mother and i didn't have to put up with the attitude or the disobedience, that hug made everything worth it and i instantly forgave him and forgot about everything he had done earlier that day. a few minutes later, kyra came downstairs as well, and she gave me a hug prior to retiring for the night. she's a sweet girl, so i wasn't that surprised, but these hugs bore a significance to me. it felt as if was like their older sister now, with these hugs as a kind of initiation into the family. and i'm not just learning from the kids. from amy, i've really seen how patient and loving she is with the kids. just noticing her interaction with kyra during the service helped me to realize just how much she loved her daughter. it really reminded me of how much my parents love me, and more so, how much Jesus loved me that he was willing to endure so much pain and suffering on the cross for me.
God has really blessed me in pairing me with the hiratas. i can't believe how great everything has turned out, and it's amazing how much God provides for us. i think so many times, we're so caught up in what we can do for ourselves that we fail to forget what God, our creator and omniscient Lord, can do for us. this summer, i really want to learn how to depend on God and to place my faith in Him instead of constantly believing that I have to do everything for myself. i'm beginning to learn more about love and faith. i know these are the cornerstones to the christian faith, and i can't believe that i'm really just learning them now. but i'm starting to see why God gave me the opportunity in this internship this summer. He has so much to teach me, and i have so much to learn.
in the afternoon, we went to lake wingra with the huis and rented a couple paddleboats. the kids brought their fishing poles and we all had a great time, though the kids were acting up a bit having to share the two fishing poles among four of them. we didn't have any luck with fish, though we caught a dead one. kaedon, especially had been acting up all day, defiant to his mother and doing what every younger brother does best- annoy his older sister. i know plenty about that.
then, we went home to change and we were off to church. the worship style was so much like maranatha that it was unnerving. everyone was dressed very casually, but since i'm used to a different style, i found myself to be the only one in a dress and heels. but i was ok with that since i'm a firm believer in being overdressed is better than being underdressed.
after church, we went home and amy prepared spaghetti for dinner. after dinner, the kids helped to make kaedon's birthday treats (brownies) and were off to bed. while amy was helping to put the kids to bed, i helped clean up the kitchen. it really is stressful and tiring being a mom, so i thought i'd at least help her with the dishes and clean off a couple of countertops. i have a newfound appreciation for my mom. (thanks mom!) while i was cleaning up the kitchen, kaedon came downstairs to get something, but before he went upstairs again, he approached me to give me a big bear hug. this really surprised me after his tantrums and defiance earlier in the day. even though i'm not their mother and i didn't have to put up with the attitude or the disobedience, that hug made everything worth it and i instantly forgave him and forgot about everything he had done earlier that day. a few minutes later, kyra came downstairs as well, and she gave me a hug prior to retiring for the night. she's a sweet girl, so i wasn't that surprised, but these hugs bore a significance to me. it felt as if was like their older sister now, with these hugs as a kind of initiation into the family. and i'm not just learning from the kids. from amy, i've really seen how patient and loving she is with the kids. just noticing her interaction with kyra during the service helped me to realize just how much she loved her daughter. it really reminded me of how much my parents love me, and more so, how much Jesus loved me that he was willing to endure so much pain and suffering on the cross for me.
God has really blessed me in pairing me with the hiratas. i can't believe how great everything has turned out, and it's amazing how much God provides for us. i think so many times, we're so caught up in what we can do for ourselves that we fail to forget what God, our creator and omniscient Lord, can do for us. this summer, i really want to learn how to depend on God and to place my faith in Him instead of constantly believing that I have to do everything for myself. i'm beginning to learn more about love and faith. i know these are the cornerstones to the christian faith, and i can't believe that i'm really just learning them now. but i'm starting to see why God gave me the opportunity in this internship this summer. He has so much to teach me, and i have so much to learn.
Saturday, June 6, 2009
farmer's market
although it was forecasted for 50% chance rain and mid-50's all day today, God was kind today and didn't rain on us as we explored the farmer's market in madison, located around the capitol building. there were numerous stands lining the streets selling vegetables, baked goods, cheese, brats, honey and other goods. it was a great time hanging out with the other interns and our supervisor. we even got to sample all kinds of different cheese (what wisconsin is most famous for) and tried the hot spicy cheese bread that's famous in the farmer's market.
after the farmer's market, we went into the capitol building, which is modeled after the capitol building in DC, and climbed a few flights of stairs (with the help of an elevator) to see the view of the square from the balcony area of the building. i noticed that downtown madison is one of the cleanest downtowns i have ever seen. madison is a quiet, clean city, with almost everyone living in the suburbs outside of the downtown area. even after the "chaotic" farmer's market, everyone cleaned up the area very nicely and if i hadn't attended the event that morning, i would be completely oblivious that it had occurred.
for lunch, we went to a japanese restaurant named takara, and then we went to see "up" with a couple other interns. i highly recommend it. then, i came home and hung out with amy and kaedon, playing scene it? and watching spiderman. what a great day that God has blessed me with, especially in terms of weather!
madison capitol building
after the farmer's market, we went into the capitol building, which is modeled after the capitol building in DC, and climbed a few flights of stairs (with the help of an elevator) to see the view of the square from the balcony area of the building. i noticed that downtown madison is one of the cleanest downtowns i have ever seen. madison is a quiet, clean city, with almost everyone living in the suburbs outside of the downtown area. even after the "chaotic" farmer's market, everyone cleaned up the area very nicely and if i hadn't attended the event that morning, i would be completely oblivious that it had occurred.
for lunch, we went to a japanese restaurant named takara, and then we went to see "up" with a couple other interns. i highly recommend it. then, i came home and hung out with amy and kaedon, playing scene it? and watching spiderman. what a great day that God has blessed me with, especially in terms of weather!
madison capitol buildingFriday, June 5, 2009
first day on the job
i'm just finishing up my first week, which consisted of two days, here at 2100 productions. so far, i've been through lots of orientations and getting acclimated to the environment. knowing me, i've already gotten lost a few times in the building, but it's nothing that time can't fix.
i met my host family yesterday after work, since they were all asleep when i got in on wednesday night and had left when i got up on thursday morning. mrs. hirata (hereby referred to as amy) is a kind-hearted woman with two children, kyra (10) and kaedon (8). the kids are really fun and it has been great getting to know them. i feel so blessed in being paired up with such a great family. i can already tell that i'm going to have a great time.
yesterday, i met the entire 2100 team, had a phone and computer orientation, reviewed the current projects that 2100 is working on, went out to lunch (delicious), had a lighting vignette in which i learned how to light a subject for an interview, and had a tour of the building.
i can't wait to see what today has in store for me!
i met my host family yesterday after work, since they were all asleep when i got in on wednesday night and had left when i got up on thursday morning. mrs. hirata (hereby referred to as amy) is a kind-hearted woman with two children, kyra (10) and kaedon (8). the kids are really fun and it has been great getting to know them. i feel so blessed in being paired up with such a great family. i can already tell that i'm going to have a great time.
yesterday, i met the entire 2100 team, had a phone and computer orientation, reviewed the current projects that 2100 is working on, went out to lunch (delicious), had a lighting vignette in which i learned how to light a subject for an interview, and had a tour of the building.
i can't wait to see what today has in store for me!
Sunday, May 31, 2009
welcome!
hi all,
this is the blog that i will be regularly updating while i'm interning with 2100 productions this summer. please check back for updates on how i'm doing, spiritual growth, and to read about all the things that i'm experiencing working with intervarsity! thank you all for both your financial and prayer support!
God bless,
valaree
this is the blog that i will be regularly updating while i'm interning with 2100 productions this summer. please check back for updates on how i'm doing, spiritual growth, and to read about all the things that i'm experiencing working with intervarsity! thank you all for both your financial and prayer support!
God bless,
valaree
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