bigger than who we are.

a few hours ago, 30+ of us returned from spending the MLKJ weekend in Sacramento, CA. we had an awesome time joining with other Chi Alpha groups from NorCal, Vegas, and even Hawai'i to play together, pray together, and bring change together! collectively, there were over 300 participants in attendance, with the audience comprising of varying ages, cultures, faith backgrounds, and fields of studies. this winter retreat reminded me that this thing i'm involved in called Chi Alpha is so much bigger, and that what God is doing through it is even greater...

playing: a big part of a retreat like this is meeting people just like ourselves on sister campuses all over the west coast region. we interact, getting to know eachother, and learning about what God is doing on eachother's campuses and in eachother's lives. we play games, goof off, etc... from my perspective i love reconnecting with friends i've made over the years! it always feels like a Chi Alpha reunion when i see familiar faces. but it's also awesome making new ones.

praying: it's a Christian conference/retreat, so of course our focus is Christ. we honor Him in worship and in teaching, with the hopes of drawing closer to Him so that we can become more effective witnesses of His love. we had the privilege of engaging in some powerful worship, that transitioned into powerful messages - several of which featuring our very own Pastor Winston Bui. at the end of every session, there was also an opportunity to respond - whether it was asking for prayer or praying for eachother. in those moments, we knew that God was there with us.

bringing change: sometimes we band together to support the endeavors of our peers. and sometimes we band together for a cause. this retreat, we did both! along with praying and believing for spiritual transformations, we got together to give sacrificially to help in two big areas: 1) giving a healthy offering to our friends reaching the UNLV campus, and 2) raising funds to support disaster relief in Haiti! fortunately for us, a portion of what was given will be given to the orphanage in Fond Doux, Haiti that our UCLA ministers to regularly. esp in the wake of what happened after the earthquake, seeing our friends rise up to intercede and give to such a need was such an encouragement and testimony!

okay Bruin Chi Alphans, let's hear some highlights of this past weekend... i want others to hear about what you liked!