End of Year LifeGroup Outing!

2009-04-29_21.19.40
Originally uploaded by Justin Teng

LIFEGroup last week for H.1 & H.8 took the sophomore and junior brothers and sisters on a car ride 25 minutes away from Berkeley, campus, studying, books, and the looming shadow of upcoming finals. We all started our LIFEGroup on the car ride, talking about life and sharing from our week. Once we got to Lake Chabot, we hiked in about 20 minutes in the pitch black, each carrying a piece of firewood, checking the brush for lurking animals, and the lucky ones carrying marshmallows, skewers, and Evergood sausages.

While we were setting up the fire (Eddie brought a fire starter log!), Kevin D. busted out with the glow-in-the-dark frisbee and someone else magically produced neon glow bracelets and necklaces. There were our teams--necklaces vs. bracelets--and we played Ultimate Frisbee on the field. After eating bursting Evergoods with toasted buns and getting our fingers sticky with marshmallows and s'mores, we sang a couple songs, prayed for the sophomores and for the juniors, and then all committed together to love God and honor Him with all our hearts. It was fun being out in nature (I ran over a possum on the drive home) and being together... although next time, we'll need to make sure we set aside time to tell ghost stories... for more pictures, Justin's got a great set online.


Couple more things to note this week:

Mother's Day is this Sunday (5/10). Make sure to get something nice for your mother. At the very least pick up a card, write something meaningful, and drop it off in the mail. Guarantee you'll make her day!

LIFEGroup for the guys this week will be dinner at 7:30 PM at Chang Luong, Wednesday night (5/6). We'll get dinner together, talk, and pray.

Friday, there'll be dinner before GTS. And then GTS at 7:00 PM (as usual) at First Pres. Afterwards, all of Koinonia, freshmen through seniors, will gather together at the YWCA to have our informal farewell for the seniors as we start to close out the school year.

As long as we're rattling off announcements, here's a bunch:

• Worldview Camp signups are open through May 15th. The Camp will feature guest speaker Sean McDowell, and run from 6/17-20, Wednesday to Saturday.
• Signups for Impact's SummerFest have closed, but if you'd like to be a part of Joyland next year, Joyland Teacher applications are online.
• Discipleship Retreats are coming up for this summer. If you're a junior or senior-to-be, have completed SK1, will be in town this summer, and want to invite discipleship into your life, sign up online for the discipleship retreats. As always, it's a time to recapture our vision, ignite our spiritual fervor, and spend time together with other class brothers and sisters of Gracepoint Fellowship Church.
• Order your summer DT Journals by Wednesday (5/6) and you'll get the discounted price. Otherwise, pick them up at the book table starting this Sunday.
• Gracepoint Berkeley's annual tradition, Multiply Your Talents, is just around the corner for this summer. Stay tuned for signups and the cool video.

Yanking Wisdom Teeth

The night before...
Originally uploaded by Kevan & Jenny

Justin's getting his wisdom teeth pulled. All four of them. One sitting. It's happening today. When we heard, of course, we were bummed out. It means he'd probably be too anesthesized to do much of anything on Saturday when we're all heading out to Super Santa Cruz Saturday. Anyway, we went over the night before to encourage him with taffy candy, some Charleston Chew, just to let him know how we were thinking of him. Got to use those teeth before he goes into the doctor's office, after all! (We also took him some SuperFood for the days ahead!)

It's all part of life in H.1. If you're getting your wisdom teeth pulled, just let us know. We can come over and encourage you too.

And this just in: heard the H.1 girls are "Taking a Hike" on Saturday morning. Check in with Jenny with more info. Sounds like a joint effort with the H.2 girls for fun in the outdoors in a healthy, environmental-friendly, and green sort of way!

See you tonight at GTS and GLive practice! Don't forget to do your homework.

Journal: Last week

This past week was cool. At least for me it was, but also as I observe all the things that were happening around Berkeley. On Wednesday night, the guys had LIFE group where we had a chance to share what we've been getting out of our devotionals, pray for one another as we confessed our needs, and just had a chance to bond and recharge in the middle of the week. LIFE group, in case you don't know, consists of Listen, Intercede, Fellowship, and Engage. The girls also met together on Wednesday night.

Thursday, Jenny and I, Daniel and Sarah (from a2f Gold) hung out at the YWCA for three hours, sitting through audition after audition of junior guys and girls who were giving it all for GLive. And speaking of GLive, after GTS on Friday, the juniors and seniors went to NorthLoop, where we got a 20-minute acting do's and don'ts from Daniel, and then broke up into practices. Though the junior skit is secret, little parts are leaking out here and there. Well, I have to leak out this yoga girls scene... which was strange (but fun), to say the least!

On Thursday, some of us went miniature golfing. That's when I found out Andy C. is the Tiger Woods of mini-golf. He carried my team and we gave a whoopin' to Eddie and David. But in the end, we bought them frozen yogurt anyway as consolation.

The other thing that happened Thursday night was a crazy meat-eating fest at Dana House for all the Koinonia Freshman guys. Apparently, someone cooked up a big pot of meat, and all the guys just sat around eating, talking, and laughing. Most people had just finished their midterms, so it was an opportunity to decompress and just connect with one another again.

Saturday, we all went UCSF studying. The library here was very serene, overlooking the SF Financial District, Downtown, Golden Gate Park, and Golden Gate Bridge. Very conducive to studying. We took off in the morning, had a very light lunch (of Chinese barbecue pork buns), and had a scrumptious dinner to reward ourselves for time well-spent hitting the books. As you can see, the guys were knocking out faster than can say "knock-out", and the girls, to their credit, were fully awake and engaged. There's plenty more pictures of people who were knocked out on our flickr site.

And last week, we started with a birthday celebration for Steve and Suzanne, our Koinonia directors (did you know they have office hours you can signup for online?). It was a short, but meaningful time to recount what kind of role they've played in all our lives here at Koinonia as we shared some of their idiosyncrasies, habits, and stories.

In addition to the GTS classes--Gospels, Church 101, SK1, and SK2--plus our week's scripture reflection through Luke 10, God has really been alive speaking to us and in the midst of our fellowship and daily lives together!

Midterm Week news

Wondering what's happening in these parts other than midterms? Let me tell you:

Some people are still recovering from the past weekend's snow trip. We got plenty of pictures from the trip and even a snazzy video too. You can check out our extended coverage of the snow trip and get filled in.

There's GTS this Friday, as usual: Gospels, Course 101 and 101x, Survival Kit 1, and more. We'll meet all together at First Pres., 7pm, in the Gym, and then split into our classes from there. For those of you in Church 101 and SK1, make sure you do your homework!

After GTS, there's GLive practice! Not that much longer before we're on stage. We're scheduled for 3 performances on Saturday, 4/4. Anyway, time to get serious. Ongoing GLive signups are online.. It'll help the different skit directors plan for roles and make sure you have a speaking part, get on stage, and don't get missed.

These days, everyone's stressed. To combat all that stress, we're going studying this Saturday, 2/28. We're heading to another college campus, utilizing their marvelous library, and grab a delicious dinner (to reward ourselves) at the end of the day before coming back to Berkeley. If you want to get some studying done, then this Saturday's the time to do it. Join us. Let your smallgroup leader know.

Gifts Gone Wrong

Here is a story of what happens to gifts when you don't claim them right away:

My roommate, Harry Jiang, calls me one Sunday afternoon after Sunday Worship Service asking me to ask Eddie to come over to the dorms because he has a present to give to Eddie. So after service, Eddie decides to drive me home so he can stop by. When we arrived at the dorms, we couldn't find a parking spot so we called Harry to bring down what he has for Eddie. Harry responds, "Ehh... that's okay. I can just give it to him next time." When I return back to the room, I find out that Harry planned to give Eddie some Chinese pastries.

Anyway, I managed to get a quick video using my phone to get evidence of whose stomach the pastries would end up in.

Thanksgiving Retreat & "More Than A Face"

Just wanted to send a reminder that if you're planning on heading to the Thanksgiving Retreat, please sign up online! This helps us plan for food (and rides!). The Thanksgiving Retreat is this Saturday (11/15), 10am-9pm, and the cost is $20 (lunch, dinner, facility):

• $20 is early bird, if you sign up by Wed, 11/12 (Tomorrow!)
• $25 is the cost of registration on the day of the retreat

And, in other news, Vivian and Kathy from Homegroup 8 are giving their talk, "More Than A Face," at the Norton Hall Main Lounge, Unit 3, tomorrow night (11/12) at 8pm. This talk will address the media's portrayal of women and its consequent effects on the self-image, self-perception, and even conduct. Check it out and invite your friends if you're free!

Career Fairs at UC Berkeley: Getting a jumpstart on life

If you're a junior, it's not too early to go check out a Career Fair. The Career Center puts these fairs together on the Berkeley campus as a resource for students looking for internships for the summer, students looking ahead to start interviewing for jobs following graduation... it's an invaluable resource. I'd encourage you guys to go check it out. Maybe draft a resume and see how it's received. Learn to talk to professionals.

It's all a part of growing up. Plus they usually have free stuff. There's a Career Fair Sept. 9-11 on campus.

New Student Welcome Night is here!!

New Student Welcome Night is here! Well, technically, I guess it's tonight (Wed.), beginning at 6 PM, Pauley Ballroom, right across from Sproul Hall. I'm so excited.

The past couple days have been really full though. Sophs and Juniors from our homegroup have been out helping our friends move into the dorms. We've gone to Fenton's for ice cream, SF for In-N-Out and Ghirardelli's, played basketball on the Willard Courts, so much ultimate frisbee it's coming out of our ears, shaved ice, eating at the DCs, and just meeting a lot of people-friends from previous years just returned from their summers, and new students to our Cal campus.

I guess the best part is the laughter and new friendships. It's a special time of year these first couple weeks.

I can't wait til New Student Welcome Night. Music, a short sketch, lots and lots of people, and even a free barbecue, the main event will be the funnies, and the guy who talks for a bit trying to connect with each one of us. See you there, and invite your friends!!

Brandon’s First Moving Violation

So if you guys don’t know already, before the Friday Bible Study on April 18^th, Brandon received a ticket for a traffic violation. This is the story:

Before Bible Study on April 18^th, Brandon and I were deciding on our mode of transportation. Having not skateboarded in over a week, I passionately desired to ride my longboard down to First Pres. Brandon, however, preferred the alternative labor-inducing mode of walking and was firmly against us skateboarding. After much fervor debate, I came out victorious and convinced Brandon to skateboard down. Not having ridden his skateboard for over a month, Brandon was in for an adventure.

When you don’t skateboard for over a month, I guess you get really anxious to do it again because without any hesitation, Brandon starts zooming down the hill as if he owned this territory. Unable to catch up to his pace, I leisurely went down behind him. When we reached the intersection of Channing and Bowditch (where Crossroads is),

View Larger Map
we saw an accumulation of cars lined up at the stop signs. Being as anxious and crazy as he was, Brandon decides to pass the intersection without stopping. However, Brandon didn’t realize that he cut off the car turning into his lane forcing the car to make a quick stop. Another thing that Brandon finally came to the realization to was that the car that he caught off was a cop car. Without any hesitation, the cop pulled Brandon over with his flashing lights and megaphone saying “SKATEBOARDER, STOP!” After observing this, I didn’t have the slightest bit of courage to skateboard down anymore and hid behind an apartment complex watching what was going on. I eventually walked down the sidewalk and passed them but the cop ended up talking to Brandon for about 15 minutes. The cop told Brandon that he ran the stop sign and also, that he was supposed to be skateboarding on the sidewalks when they were available. Another factor to take into account is the fact that Brandon cut the cop off which probably didn’t go to well with him.

In the end, we were late for Bible Study and Brandon received his first ticket ever of an amount that we are still not sure of. The cop never had to deal with such an issue that he didn’t know how much the violation cost. He told Brandon to call the police department to figure out how much his ticket is going to be. Now, Brandon is determined to NEVER longboard again and plans to sell his skateboard soon. So, if you guys are looking into buying a used longboard that is in good condition still, you know who to contact! This story is a fair warning to all skateboarders out there to never cut off police cars even when you are late to Bible Study because a cop will pull you over and you’ll be late anyway.

Summer Internships @ Bayer

If you're interested, there's summer internships at Bayer, which is located about 15 minutes away on Shattuck. Follow the link and find a wide variety of internships, ranging from accounting to IT to biochemistry and product development. Figured this would be helpful. Thanks to Carol for calling it out.

Studying @ the Office

If you want to study after service on Sunday (12/16), I have to go to the office to do some work. There's a nice conference room, drinks, and a quiet place to study if you need it. I work a stone's throw away from Willard, where we meet for Sunday Service, and you can join me.

On another note: Early Bird registration for the winter retreat ends 12/20. Checks can be brought to the Willard courtyard after Sunday Service. There'll be a table to receive Early Bird registration checks.

411 on this week, 9/17

The funny thing is that the seniors (together with the freshmen) are taking Chem 1a. Their midterm's tonight, and I'm sure John and Steve are looking forward to it. Anyway, here's info on what's happening this week:

• freshman smallgroup's meeting on Wed., at 6 PM @ the Anna Head West parking lot, on Channing across the street from Crossroads. We'll eat dinner up in the Berkeley hills and be back to the dorms by 8. Kind of a longer smallgroup evening than usual, but figured it was a nice change of pace
• the sophomore smallgroups are meeting in different places on Wed. night. Kevan & Eddie's group is meeting at 8:30 in 204 Dwinelle. And Ben and Tim's group is meeting a little earlier at 8 in 125 Dwinelle.
• H.1 has setup this week for bible study (which is Friday, 7 PM @ Lipman room), and we'll probably start at 5. Kevin D. is the point man, so if you'd like to help, give him a ring.
• for the frosh, Angel Island trip is coming up. More info on that later, but if you'd like to go, it's Saturday, 9/29, and you can sign up online at our Koinonia site.

Totally unrelated, all you skaters, please be careful. There's been a bunch of falls in the past couple weeks: Justin, Howard, Brandon, Mike, Stephan, and last night Steve took a bad spill on Bancroft. He passed out from the fall and the police called the paramedics. Thankfully, he's okay (no doctor's note to get out of that chem midterm), but please be careful. Don't try to be cool and fast on busy streets. You can be safe and cool.

Jenny wanted to get you guys helmets and kneepads but I told her to just calm down.

Got Safety?

What is up with our campus lately? Nine robberies in between Sept. 1 to Sept 10 doesn't make for a very safe campus environment. Anyway, watch out. UC Police has this to say about the recent spate of robberies, as well as some safety advice at the bottom of the article.

Don't try to be tough. Better to be safe.

NSWN 2007

Every year, Koinonia teams up w/ acts2fellowship to put on New Student Welcome Night. We do it with the help of a lot of volunteers, as well as some guidance from the good folks over at Gracepoint Fellowship Church in Berkeley and Pastor Ed Kang and Kelly Kang, who all play a huge role, helping us craft the program, and figuring out what should go in and what should get left out.

Anyway, it's THE event of Welcome Week and we had a huge turnout once again. There's always a chance to read more about it if you're so inclined at the New Student Welcome Night blog.