overdue

wow. i haven't posted in an extremely sadly long time. a whole month! i guess it's mostly because life has been quite busy and so many things have been happening that posting it on a public weblog just hasn't been one of my priorities. sorry guys. i do want to post more, though, and it looks like i'll have plenty of time to do that this summer.

man, i don't know where to start! there's so many things to talk about.
well, i guess i can first sum up my spring semester.
i'd say it was a good semester generally. academically, i know i could've done so much better. i didn't really work as hard as i did during the fall semester, and my grades weren't that much lower, but i really didn't put my 100% in, and i feel really guilty for that. i'm going to try to do better next semester and bring my GPA up! hopefully i'll have less reading. spring semester's reading load was really intense. i couldn't keep up!
character-wise, i didn't really think i changed much, until i was talking with sam chang and boaz about it during my last few days @ bing. they said i changed a LOT. and then they started pointing out ways i did: i was more talkative, more outgoing, i went up to choconut to hang out more, etc. etc. and it's true i guess. but i think it was kind of natural since it usually takes me a while to get used to new environments and new people. it actually took me a lot less time to open up more. in high school, it took me the first three years :P josh and gary also said i seemed more flexible, a more go-with-the-flow attitude and less up-tight. i guess that's good. this "go-with-the-flow" attitude also caused me to lose more sleep. remember how during fall semester i went to bed no later than 1am and usually went to sleep @ 11 or 12? well, spring semester i think i went to bed no EARLIER than 1am :[
spiritually, i'm not sure what was going on, but i think basileia really shook things up for me and brought my world back down to reality.

i guess now's a good time to talk about basileia:
so pre-basileia i was kind of mellow-excited for it because i didn't know what to expect. at the same time i was a little worried because everyone had pumped it up so much and i didn't want to expect so much and then be disappointed. but i was excited. and then it came. and it started off not so well. we made the bus leave a half-an-hour late because of stupid traffic. ugh. i felt really bad, even i know i know, it wasn't necessarily that big of a deal. STILL. it didn't make me feel good at all. and i was coughing left and right, interrupting my sentences and definitely making everyone around me feel uncomfortable. and then it was rainy and the beginning of my track wasn't very fruitful. i was having a hard time falling asleep every night because of my cough. i was aware that my attitude wasn't good at all. so i made an extra effort to keep and open mind and an open heart. and alas, i'm glad i did! my track starting making so much more sense on the third day, i was riveted by all of greg jao's messages, i wasn't as tired as i thought i'd be, and i was really enjoying the bonding time i had with our binghamton chapter. the track i was in was really opening my eyes to a bigger picture. it was getting me really excited to go back to school and start fresh in making new friends outside of IV and sharing God's love and His word through our friendship. i was concerned that the summer would cause me to lose my fervor and enthusiasm, but God helped me see that the summer was just another huge opportunity to encounter God and share His word. i haven't really gotten a job, and i have friends i really need to meet with and spend time with.
i also know God's been asking me to reach into my own church youth group and see where they are and try to spend more time with them as well, helping them grow in their faith as they walk with God.

so, i may not be doing much this summer in regards to vacations or jobs, and i may not be going anywhere outside this state or country for missions trip, but there is a mission field right in my neighborhood and the harvest is plentiful.

there is plenty to do. hopefully i'll keep you guys updated often throughout this summer.