Field Ministry Stories

Every Wednesday afternoon, we take a break from our office jobs and do field ministry. We have the opportunity to choose from three different ministries: high school, Disney world, and campus (University of Central Florida). This week, we got a taste of the first two; we’ll be tabling at UCF on Monday!

Field Ministry at University High School

On Wednesday, we went to University High School armed with Soularium cards and pizzas, ready to engage students in conversations about spirituality and the gospel.

 Soularium Cards

It was really encouraging to see how open many of the students were to the gospel and willing to talk about spirituality and faith. Very different from back home. It was also really cool how the high schoolers very young in their faiths wanted to start Bible studies for their sports teams and share Jesus with their friends and teammates. I pray that their passions continue into the rest of their lives!

Also, if I end up doing field ministry at the high school, I would have the opportunity to tutor math! Exciting 😃

Field Ministry in Animal Kingdom

At first, I was quite skeptical about doing ministry in Disney World. Wouldn’t it just be attempting to speak to people, and then going on rides? I was sorely mistaken. Cru at Disney World is so much more than asking questions and having fleeting conversations with people. Disney World employs more than 80,000 cast members (Disney’s fancy name for its employees), and about 16,000 of those are internationals, people from all over the world. Disney hires internationals to represent and talk about their countries, and many are from countries that are closed to the gospel. While we cannot openly share on Disney grounds, the goal of the Disney field ministry is to build relationships that we can take beyond Disney ground and share the gospel or disciple the cast members we meet.

 

Animal Kingdom

Robin and I talked to Mark, a cast member from Fort Portal, Uganda (all cast members have their hometown written on their nametags). I approached him because I was there last summer! Before coming to Disney, Mark worked in the tourism industry for five years and is well acquainted with the national parks and tourist spots in his home country. After giving his usual spiel about Uganda, it finally registered that I had been there, and we connected over the places I had visited, the local food I ate, and the little Luganda I still remember. We did not have a spiritual conversation or share the gospel, but I pray that God uses this encounter to tug at his heart. When we said goodbye, he commented, “Hope to see you on the streets of Kampala.” (Kampala is the capital of Uganda) It didn’t cross his mind that we might see each other again at Animal Kingdom (if I decide to do Disney for field ministry!). But constantly saying goodbye must be painful, and it explained his detachment and distracted attitude throughout our conversation. It reminded me of the way Job said goodbye to us when we left Sipi Falls last summer.

Nevertheless, it was really special that God was able to use my obscure experiences in Uganda to connect with another of His image-bearers. Robin and I prayed for Mark on the way back to our gather point. Mark reminded me of all the Ugandans I met last summer, particularly Edgar and Bashir (more stories in Tugende Together). I miss them.

What made me even more nostalgic about Uganda was the ride Safari, which we went on at Animal Kingdom after we finished field ministry. It reminded me of the real Safari in Uganda. Disney made a nice attempt, but to be honest, it was like riding through a zoo. Not that it’s bad; it’s just fake. I was also a little frustrated with the way Disney portrayed “Asia” and “Africa,” but that’s conversation for another time.

Asia?

Don’t get me wrong, it was still a wonderful day. We saw the Festival of the Lion King, rode Dinosaur and Everest, and ended the day with Flight of Passage, the Avatar ride that usually has lines upwards of 2 hrs. We only waited for 45 minutes.

 Before Everest

More Fun!

On Friday, we spent the day airboating at Midway and hanging out at Canaveral National Shores. We rode on the St. John’s River (the only river that flows north, other than the Nile) and went gator huntin’! Just kidding, you need a very expensive license to hunt alligators. We did see one small alligator on the ride and got a glimpse of what swampy Florida looked like before civilization. It’s beautiful!

Swampy Florida

At the end of the excursion, everyone took turns holding an alligator:

It's a Small One

 After taking over a coffeeshop to spend time with the Lord, we drove to Canaveral National Shores. Walking by the ocean has a soothing effect, and reminds me of the greatness of our God. 

My Happy Place

My 5 H's

5 H’s is a tool to help us share more of our story with others. Each of the interns shared his/her heritage, hero, highlight, hardship, and hobby with the group as a gateway to know each other better. I shared mine this morning, and this is along the lines of what I said (keep in mind this is a transcription of a speech, not an essay). 

Heritage

As y’all know, my name is Anne. My last name is Hsia, which it means summer in Mandarin. My mom and dad are both from Taiwan, immigrated to the US, met at church, and I was born in California, which makes me a California girl. I grew up in the Silicon Valley, the area between San Francisco and San Jose, and I never realized how deeply rooted I was in my cultural background until Intern Retreat Weekend earlier this month.

My parents raised me very Asian. They wanted me to retain a lot of Chinese culture, including the language, so they only spoke Mandarin to me growing up. So I went to the first day of Kindergarten not knowing any English. This makes my first language Chinese, but my heart language has transitioned from Mandarin to English over the years.

And if you have any questions about Taiwan or life on the West Coast, please ask questions. Boba, or bubble tea, is from Taiwan. Taiwan is a tiny island off of China, and Taiwan is NOT China. (We can talk about this later.) California is snobby and has 3 kinds of trash cans everywhere.

The Asian culture that I was raised in isn’t worse or better than American culture, but I just wanted to point out the differences that make me who I am.

Asian culture of keeping your head down, working hard, not ruffling feathers. There’s

• Conformity: I was born left-handed, but my parents made me right-handed so I wouldn’t fight with people I sat next to when we ate dinner at round tables (typical at large Chinese family dinners).
• Unspoken expectations: just work hard and do what you’re told. When people find out that I graduated with three majors, everyone always asks, “Why did you do that?” My fun answer is that I was too indecisive to pick one, but part of the reality is that I got my Electrical Engineering degree for my dad, my Math major for my mom, and Music for myself.  And by God’s grace, I graduated with all three in four years, and God blessed me with an incredible experience studying all three subjects. But this goes to show that we just work hard.
• Respect for elders and those in authority: not speaking to them unless spoken to. When I was little, my family would always go out for Vietnamese noodle, which I did not like. Every time I voiced my dislike, my dad would respond, “小孩不是人。” This literally means that children aren’t people [it took me awhile to explain this concept]. But the message behind this is that children don’t have a say, and you’ve probably noticed that I don’t really voice my opinion unless asked directly.

Hero

One of my heroes is my mom, for being a very wise woman of God. I’m very blessed to have parents who raised me up in the Lord. I have a younger brother who is 2 ½ years younger, and we’re very competitive but also very close. I say I love him but don’t always like him, but it’s a blessing growing up rooted in the Lord. My mom is very no-nonsense, which I love, and she is an example of someone who pursues God and listens to the Spirit amidst outside pressure. We look very similar, and people often ask if we’re sisters, because Asians apparently don’t age.

My other hero is Jeremy Lin: a Christian Asian American NBA player, who is most famous for Linsanity back in 2012. I don’t know him in person, but his parents are also from Taiwan and his hometown is 5 minutes from mine.  

What inspires me about Jeremy is the way he uses the gifts and talents God has given to make God famous. Although he is by far not the best basketball player in the NBA, he does an Asia tour every year where he meets fans, coaches children, and gives his testimony about how God has been working in his life over the past year. God has given him such a unique platform to talk about his faith to Asian basketball fans who would otherwise not hear about the God we serve, and it's so cool seeing how he has taken full advantage of that to share the Gospel. His vulnerability and humility in sharing the raw emotions and trust in God during tough times is something that I really look up to.

Highlight

My life highlight is studying abroad in Australia. I was in Brisbane for four months my junior year of college, and it wasn’t a typical study abroad experience because I had extended family in the city who treated me like their own daughter. I experienced so much love and generosity from them. I was also on the semester system for the first time (which as super easy), went to the beach every other weekend, and hugged a koala, which was on my bucket list for a really long time.

While in Australia, I got to attend Hillsong Church on a weekend when I was missing home.  The sign above the sanctuary said “Welcome Home.” I got very confused and thought, How can I be welcomed home to a place I’ve never been to? At that moment, God spoke to me that my home is where God’s presence is, wherever in the world that may be.

Going to Uganda last summer was also a highlight; I love living in different cultures, and I’d love to talk more about it if you ask!

Hardship

I had a really hard time coming up with a hardship in my life, because God has always taught me so much from the bad things. But one of the hardest seasons in life was when my

grandmother (dad’s mom) moved in with my family.  She lived in Taiwan on the second floor of an apartment with no elevators, and she was getting old, so I think we decided to bring her to the US to take care of her. She is a believer, but she also had Alzheimer’s and dementia, and when she hit a hard spot, she would stay up at night and pray, which turned into cursing the people who had hurt her in the past. As a result, my dad could not sleep well and he fell back into depression. There was a lot of tension in my family. Plus, my uncle (mom’s brother) also lived with us; there was just a lot of people and not a lot of space.

I think this also shows the Asian value of family, and how we take care of each other. People here freely say they love each other; well, my parents say they love me, but it’s quite rare for Chinese people to admit they love you. They will show it in their actions, like my family. My parents showed a lot of love: my mom for the sacrifices in caring for my grandmother (her mother-in-law), and my dad for the generosity he showed my uncle (his brother-in-law). I guess this is love, even though not everyone got along.

*Phew. Took a deep breath*

Another hardship has been moving here to Orlando. When I learned that the US is only 5% Asian, I was very surprised. The Bay Area is majority Asian, and I’ve never been in a place where I am the only Asian American. It has also been challenging relating to everyone because I was not brought up in the American culture, but God has been good and given me a lot of peace through this transition.

Hobbies

I enjoy creating, just like my Creator. I love making music with other people (I play piano) (which I think has been a hard thing for me coming here because I didn’t bring a piano from CA). The Maker Lab was my happy place in college 😊 There are a lot of really cool tools, like the laser cutter, sticker maker, and 3D printer to use and make anything and everything. I also love to bake and cook and make food for other people. I play Ultimate Frisbee! I have a disc, and if anyone wants to throw, I’m always down, and there’s so much green field here.

So that’s me. You probably haven’t heard me talk that much, but I’m happy to share more. Just ask :) 

Magic Kingdom & More

I said this post would be about orientation and field ministry, but instead it will be about Disney World, and a life lesson I learned there.

 The Famous Mouse

I’ve been to Disneyland three times, and the last time I was there with my brother and two cousins from Australia. To maximize our three-day pass, we planned each day, strategically obtaining FastPasses and taking turns waiting in line to maximize the number of rides we rode and minimize waiting in line. It was fun, but also a little stressful and VERY tiring. I distinctly remember thinking that Disney is not such a magical and happy place. Everyone else seemed to have a great time, but at the end of every day I was tired and worn out.

Disney World is composed of four different theme parks, and we went to Magic Kingdom on Friday.  All the interns get annual passes, so we took our time through the park. The second year interns kept reminding us that we have all year to enjoy everything in Disney World. To be honest, we barely did anything, by our old standards. It took a couple hours just to get everyone into the park, and we went on three rides. We did take a group picture, eat hot dogs, watch the Festival of Fantasy parade, and I ate Dole Whip for the first time. Then we took a detour at McDonald’s before heading over to Hollywood Studios for the Tower of Terror and Fantasmic, a Disney show that I’m pretty sure is exactly the same as the one in Disneyland.

On to a Magical Year

This experience of Disney World was SO different. We almost just wandered through the park, taking it in slowly and soaked up all the details of Disney. Each section of the park was uniquely decorated for a certain theme, and even the background music matched the mood immersing you in the world of Disney. Every detail is so intricately put together to give people a very enjoyable experience. Plus, it helped that many of the interns LOVE Disney.

It reminded me of life. I’ve been reading a book called “Emotionally Healthy Spirituality” by by Peter Scazzero, and it constantly reminds me that life is not meant to be a rat race. God created life and emotions, which are to be felt and enjoyed. It’s not necessarily about how much we can do for got, how we can serve Him each day, but being in His presence and being in fellowship with Him. But if I’m so busy getting through all the STUFF that He wants me to do, when will I ever stop and notice all the beautiful things He has created and orchestrated for me to know Him and love Him more? Food for thought.

On Saturday, I went to an Asian market 40 minutes away with two other interns. It was so far, but so satisfying. This had happened to me once before in Australia, but I was reminded how Asian I am haha.

$300+ of Food

On the way back, Song (one of the interns. He’s an international student from Beijing) was playing “One Day” by Amy Sands. I never thought that I would need to hear the lyrics, but the combination of the Asian market and Chinese worship songs had a some impact on me, that God knows me. Of course He does, but it was very touching in the moment.

"有一天， 你若感覺沒人愛你

有一天， 好像走到谷底。

那一天， 不要忘記有人愛你

那一天， 不要輕易說放棄。

這個世界真有一位上帝

祂愛你， 他願意幫助你。

茫茫人海雖然寂寞，

祂愛能溫暖一切冷漠。"

I visited First Orlando Church this weekend with Logan and Josh, and we all really loved the production and worship service. It reminded me a little bit of Venture Church in Los Gatos – after all, both are American megachurches. The really special part of the service was that the pastor met us: shook our hands at the start of service and asked where we were from and what we were doing in Orlando (Cru internship).  Little did we know that he would call us out during the sermon, which was about evangelism and the community. What a cool experience, so personal and intimate, even though the church is giant!

And then we made pineapple fried rice for Song’s housemates! Shhh, don’t tell the other interns. They’ll get good homemade Asian food soon :) 

Technically Thai Food

That's all for now. I'll be sharing my 5H's on Wednesday and posting the contents of that soon after. Until then~

Fall Intern Retreat

This past weekend, we had a retreat at Daytona Beach, on the Atlantic Ocean side of Florida. It is not as beautiful as the Gold Coast in Australia, but the retreat was still a wonderful time being in the beautiful open. God created both, after all.

Daytona Beach

Unlike most traditional retreats back home, we had very few formal sessions. Instead, most events were social activities that allowed us to get to know each other better: mini-golfing, s'mores around the campfire (when it’s 85 degrees at night), paddle boarding, and of course time at the beach – just floating in the Atlantic Ocean <3 We did have worship, devotionals, time in the Word, and heartfelt sharing, but that was only a small portion of the weekend. The most intense activity was creating a list of norms for our community as HQ (Headquarter) Interns:

1. We seek to welcome and intentionally include others.
2. We seek to honor and exhort one another through grace, truth, and love.
3. We seek to know each other and be known as individuals.
4. We seek to prioritize growth and humility by walking with the Spirit.
5. Have FUN and eat food together!

It was a difficult 2-hour session, as the 17 of us created expectations we had for our community while simultaneously learning to function as a team, composed of unique individuals with different ways of thinking and processing information. We had a limit of five statements, so we decided to make the last one. And we did that last night! Monica and Emily (two other interns) hosted a potluck dinner, and we all had good food and laughed over all the crazy answers people submitted for Quiplash (a group game writing quips for prompts). But I am getting ahead of myself.

17 Interns

On Sunday, we watched the sunrise, symbolizing the beginning of our year together. The staff said that we also watch the sunset together at the end of the year, symbolizing the end of our time together (and everyone cries). But either way, I’m really excited to spend this “day” with everyone here!

 Atlantic Sunrise

While this retreat was very refreshing and enjoyable, it was my first time being in a position where I was in a place where American majority culture was so dominant. I’ve never felt so out of place, which has been a very different experience. I felt so comfortable in Australia and Uganda, but perhaps only because I knew I was a visitor, and my differences could be tolerated. But I’m in my own country, standing out as a minority and representing my culture (or the culture of an entire continent?) because of my heritage. It was the first time I realized how deeply rooted I am in my cultural background, and it will be interesting as I learn to navigate representing and owning my ethnic identity here in Florida and at Cru. At certain moments during the weekend, I also felt left out and forgotten, but that’s probably more of my introverted personality than ethnicity.

I’ll be honest, coming back from the retreat, I felt a little lonely. My housemate was right; the hardest thing for Jennifer last year (she’s a 2^nd year intern) was the fact that no one knew her right away. I felt like nobody here really understood or knew me, and I was unknown and forgotten.

These were the thoughts running through my mind as I looked through the group pictures. I was wearing the dress that Aunty Jenny (my Australian aunt) had given me, and sent her pictures, thanking her for the dress and partnership. She instantly replied:

“So amazing, I was just thinking and praying for you this morning. Then you line me! [blowing kisses sticker]” (Line is a messaging app, also used as a verb. Stickers are like emojis but WAY cuter)

This was such a God moment. He gently reminded me that I am fully known and loved, that people remember me and pray for me. Tears rolled down my cheeks as the truths sank deep into my heart.

I am

We have orientation this week! Today was the first day in the office, and we learned a lot of different things about Cru from the staff of different departments. In addition to sessions with lots of information, we interns also have the opportunity to share our 5 H’s: Heritage, Hero, Hobby, Highlight, and Hardship. It is a tool that helps us share our stories and open with one another. It helps us with our 3^rd norm: We seek to know each other and be known as individuals.

Cru Headquarters

This is the building I'll be working in. More about orientation and field ministry opportunities coming up! Not gonna lie, but Florida storms make very beautiful clouds.

Settling In

I can’t believe I’ve been in Orlando for four days already – everything has gone by so fast.

I’ve settled into my apartment, and I have two roommates (we share an apartment, not room): Keren and Jennifer. They’re both lovely ladies, and I’m looking forward to living with them this year.

The Swamp/Lake/Pond by Our Apartment

If you’ve never been to Florida, it’s very green and flat. It’s also quite humid and warm in the summer (but not as bad as Taiwan a few weeks ago), which many interns are not used to. I had been forewarned about the heat and humidity, but what caught me off-guard weather-wise were the afternoon storms. They are nothing like Taiwanese showers. NO: there is lightning and thunder, and the sky literally opens up and water pours out. This has happened EVERY DAY, sometimes multiple times a day. There’s nothing quite like it in California. My first experience was a little traumatizing, to be honest. I was sitting on our balcony (we live on the third floor) reading and tolerating the humidity, when all of a sudden, I heard a distant rumble. It started to sprinkle, and two minutes later, it turned into a downpour. There was enough water to take a shower, ten times. And then the thunder grew louder and closer, until I could see lightning, followed by ear-splitting thunder. Thankfully, there was a screen that shielded me from the rain. But wow, a witness of God’s power and might, very much to be feared.

Ominous Skies

Last night, all the interns ate dinner together and shared their MPD journeys this summer. There were tears and laughter as we recounted the ways God met us where we were and revealed our hearts and attitudes as we raised support this summer. Our unique stories and experiences testified to God’s intimate involvement in our lives, shaping us as we answered His call to serve with Cru this year. It was so encouraging and touching to hear all the ways God moved this summer, for the seventeen of us interns. 

[Insert more thunder and rain as I type]

After the sharing, our Intern Coordinator, Ann, reminded us that this will be a year filled with growth. And just like plants that need water, sunlight, and air, we also need three ingredients to grow, modelled by this equation:

"We all need grace, truth, and time to grow."

I’m sure there will be a lot more memorable lines, and I’ll keep y’all updated.

We’re going to Daytona Beach for our intern retreat this weekend, and rumor has it that our hotel will be right next to the beach! SO EXCITED. It will be the first time I'll be at an Atlantic Ocean Beach! Will post pictures in the next post. 

In the meantime, I’m worried about shipping my car (our family’s Toyota Camry) here. I’ve never done it before, and after I signed up for a quote with one company, six others sent me emails with similar prices and promises that they are the best. Please pray for wisdom and discernment in choosing a good company and the process will be glitch-free!

Hello from Orlando!

August 6, 2019, 3:15 PM (EDT)

Hi Everyone!

I am happy to share that I landed in Orlando, Florida last night! I am settling into my apartment, and we have a retreat this weekend before all the interns start work later this month. Thank you for all your prayers and financial support  -- I am 100% funded for this coming year and am amazed by all of your love, support, and generosity. 

I'm excited to be able to partner with you this year as I work at Cru and will be sending out monthly updates. Thank you for being part of this journey; I look forward to sharing all that God is doing here in Orlando!

Blessings,

Anne

This was the email I sent my ministry partners two days ago. While I have the blessing of sending monthly ministry/prayer updates, I believe that God will work more frequently than that, and I want to remember and share those moments with all who care to read. Yes, I want this blog to be a collection of God's fingerprints in my life this year. Of course, I also want to share a glimpse of my daily life with you, too! Thanks for reading!