I’m a little late on this, but 2010 was a significant year for me. As an introverted thinker, processing and collecting stories helps me to remember the good times. As a Christian, doing this also helps me to understand how I’ve grown and matured in ways that are unique to my current calling as a 25 year old woman, trying to listen for God and take next steps of faith.
2009 was a hard but good year. This is the way that I described ’09 to my friends and supporters in a newsletter about staff life:
If I could describe my life in 2009 in two words, they would be “healing” and “forgiveness.” Marc, my ever-wise supervisor calls staff life a“process in which the Lord searches your soul.” That’s exactly what He did, by bringing me on a journey with Jesus in which I had to examinemyself — my areas of weakness and failure — in light of His grace and love.
This year [2010] seems to be going in a different trajectory. There is a sense of “newness” in my life and ministry– new developments in my personal life (relationships, community, discernment over calling), new changes in Koinonia (structure, leadership, new classes of freshmen), new additions to the staff team (a new team leader/supervisor, new male staff in our sister chapter), and new provision (a generous gift that wiped outall of my student loans in one shot. Praise God, my provider.)
2010 has certainly been exciting, and I have really enjoyed it. Here’s how 2010 has been a year of taking off. Highlights, fun things, teachable moments…
1) James. This is one of the most significant changes in my life this year… a new relationship! After 4 good, interesting,
healing (and sometimes hard) years of singleness, I am so happy to have him in my life. After heading out to the Bay Area for an Asian American Staff Conference in March, I reconnected with James and a few other umich alum. A few months later, we started dating. Even though we had known each other throughout college, it was really fun to “re-learn” things about each other and how, over the course of 7 years, we’ve changed (and to put it positively, how we’ve been transformed). There are so many things that I admire about him & can learn from him: his genuine heart, desire to serve in God’s Kingdom, and level of intensity (we <3 documentaries). Plus, there’s no one I’d rather play settlers and watch old episodes of the Simpsons with but him.
2) Discernment about calling and vocation. This has been one of the most helpful things ever! The whole discernment process helped me to realize what I’m really made of and to struggle through what it is I really desire. I learned a few things along the way: 1) Discernment isn’t really a one-time dealie, but it will continue to happen throughout my
Staff that.
life. My supervisor and mentors themselves continue to discern every few years if this is where God wants them to be. I think this is so freeing and refreshing and just a little counter-cultural. 2) I learned more about who I am. One interesting thing that InterVarsity (as an organization) helped me with was taking a few indicators (MBTI II, SIMA) to help me verbalize some of my giftings. Not only was it fun and more specific (with less broad categories), but I think it helped to confirm what my decision is/was about staff. Did you know that I’m a “gregarious, planful INTP”? Did you also know that I like to unearth potential in people/ideas/structures/products? It was helpful for me to realize these things. 3) Going through this discernment process helped me to seek God and to receive a renewed vision for staff. Instead of feeling listless & not knowing where I’ll be in the next year, being decisive about these next few years has given me some new energy.
3) Brian’s graduation from Columbia. In May, I flew to New York to watch my broseph graduate from Columbia University. Their traditions are hilarious! At the ceremony, the deans beg the president to award their candidates with awards using snappy wit and shameless gimmicks. While visiting, I met Brian’s friends, who typify people who are leaders and the best. There is a lively culture of leadership and striving for greater things. After all, President Bollinger was the former president at the University of Michigan…. I enjoyed some of the values of the university, like their love for students and learning, principles and ideals, and human flourishing. I also enjoyed the mounds of free food that they provided for us. Muahaha.
4) Travel. In NYC, I went running with Sheau-Yan in the East End, ate Momofuku with umich alum like gsarah. I visited the DC area multiple times to see Hannah and Theresa, traveled to Chicago to hunt for a condo for my brother. I ran a 5k with some of my favorite OSU friends and alum in Columbus, and I celebrated 2 weddings in Ann Arbor. I spent a month in the upper peninsula of Michigan to train leaders through IV Leadership Institute, and I went to the Bay Area multiple times to see James and to participate in an IV Asian American Staff Conf. All in all, I think I was in 15 different cities last year!
5) Taiwan. As a graduation gift to my brother, my parents sent the sibs to Taiwan for two weeks to see family, namely my Sophy ahyi & mother’s side of the family. I hadn’t been to Taiwan in 7 years so it was an interesting experience to re-enter the culture. We spent most of our time in Taipei, but we also traveled to Hong Kong and Singapore for short 48 hour trips. I ate so much food there that I thought I would never go hungry again. I’m being serious when I say that I actually got sick from eating too much food. But…so delicious… beef noodle soup…
6) Great year on staff. Last year was great! I love working with leaders. I worked with mostly seniors for the first half of the year, and then mostly sophomores for the second.
One of my favorite staff moments last year was when our chapter went through a discernment period to make a decisive move towards being an Asian American focused group. One of the greatest feelings was being able to hand over a folder full of resources to some of my leaders (potential staff) and tell them to just go ahead, train others, and lead us toward a decision. Other highlights were having a significant number of students come to faith, seeing people grow, and attending my first Case dance. (Hehe.) IVLI was a significant turning point in my staffing career too. I was given the opportunity to speak fairly frequently and to revamp the racial reconciliation program entirely. What would my staff experience be without my family group: The OCHO. We met every day and really got into each others lives through sharing and prayer. I’m also grateful for the many opportunities to grow in my leadership as well as in partnership with churches: speaking at my home church’s missions conference and teaching at Knox in Ann Arbor.
7) Great IV Staff Conferences. These are one of InterVarsity’s great resources to staff. 
I’ve thoroughly enjoyed every one and have made significant commitments because of them. Plus, I just love being with other staff! They are so fun. Notable conferences: Asian American Staff Conference in San Mateo, CA, Regional Staff Conference on Money/Mammon, Divisional Retreat for rest and vision casting.
8) Erasure of school loans/debt. I alluded to this above and wrote about this in another post, but through an unexpected gift, I was given the opportunity to wipe out the rest of my undergrad loans. This was huge since it really freed me up to be more flexible about the future. It feels great to be debt-free, save for the credit card bills that I pay off monthly. This was also huge because I had been experiencing some anxiety, shaking my little fist at the Lord and complaining about my portion (still underfunded and haven’t yet reached my full-time budget.) I was getting squirmy in my cognitive dissonance as I trusted Him but didn’t really see results or general support (financial, emotional, community). This was definitely a huge gift to me from Him, not just in financial freedom, but to see that He is going to cover my back no matter what.
9) Community in CLE/Ohio. I love and treasure these people around me here in CLE/Ohio, and I’m so happy to be a part of a post-college community that shares so much in fun, life, deep thoughts, and work. Highlights: Annual Thanksgiving potluck (aka cramming 45+ people into an 1100 sq ft apartment & inviting friends from all over the Midwest), Stephanie’s 90s birthday party, working alongside Julia in The Nimbus Factory studio at the “big house” as well as day-long work trips to Phoenix, cooking dinner and talking regularly with neighbors like Theresa, movie club and Chocolat at the Lovenest, jumping off of balconies at Luke and Paul’s former abode, kayaking in the Cuyahoga River, taking photos at Big Fun, running a 5k in Columbus, colliding worlds in SF at Renegade Craft Fair, watching Thursday Night NBC at the Mothership, eating with fellow Wolverines at old haunts, taking roadtrips and eating garbage plates with the Ficks, watching football games at the alumni club in enemy territory, consuming many, many pierogies, and so much more. This city is such a special place.
So yeah, 2010 was a really good, memorable year! I loved it and I’m excited for the year to come. (Including a 90s cover band on the horizon? We shall see.) Huzzah.
2011: Things (Might) Change
I don’t know what 2011 will be like, but I can see some potential changes ahead. I’ll end this post with a change that I’ve already made: After 4.5 years of making its bling in my right nostril, my nose piercing is no more.
