michael's Revelife

UCLA

Thu, 02 Apr 2009 16:40:40 GMT

Today I found out that I got rejected from Stanford! This means that most likely, barring any new direction from God, Amy and I will be in sunny Southern California come this Fall! This has been a stressful yet rewarding journey. I will most likely end my work here at NYCR at the end of May so that I can prepare for business school in the Fall. I would like to do heavy reading and weightlifting in the summer. I would also like to take golf lessons so that I can schmooze with future business partners. I just have to mentally ignore the fact that, indeed, playing golf oozes of elitism.

Carmine

Tue, 31 Mar 2009 16:26:44 GMT

Carmine is 71 and has a host of health problems, too numerous to name. Carmine volunteers on the bus regularly throughout the year and every time I see him, I get encouraged. If Carmine who walks with a limp and can't see clearly can do what he does for the people on the street, what excuse do I have? He's a great artist and loves doing art ministry with the kids on the street.

Carmine is also the father of Anthony, one of the staff members. Anthony invited his dad on the bus a long time ago and Carmine's been doing it ever since. I think the Lord is giving me faith that I will see my dad get saved and join with me in my ministry also. Praise God for people like Carmine.

Austin

Mon, 30 Mar 2009 18:14:58 GMT

This is Austin, the Director of the Bus Outreach at NYCR, with his wife and kids. He's a hillbilly born in Arkansas and raised in Indiana. Before he knew the Lord, he went through enormous suffering--his mom's murder, drugs and alcohol, and poverty to name a few. But God's been gracious in his life; he now has an amazing wife and 3 boys and serving the Lord faithfully at NYCR.

I have to tell the world about his amazingly strong wife, Darcy. She has been a supportive housewife, raising 3 kids while Austin has been running the show with the Relief Bus. Coming from Indiana, she's not used to the city life, let alone a tough neighborhood like Elizabeth, but she rarely complains about her living conditions. Last Friday night, she took her three kids to bus site at Newark to minister to the Newark kids. Her youngest son is about 6 weeks old. When I heard that, I told Austin that I can't see something like that happen at my church.

Amy and I have been meaning to get rid of our Acura, especially since we'd be moving and we definitely don't need the 2 cars. I have been meaning to gift it to Austin's family for some time (because I had a feeling he needed a second car) so I decided to tell him last week. When I emailed him, he told me that he and Darcy were talking about getting a second car that same day. God is good!

As a kind favor, Austin decided to help me fix something at my house (since I'm not very handy with housework). After the work, Amy and I took him to Kam Na Mool Kol to treat him to some authentic Korean food. He surprisingly liked kimchi and dolsot bibimbap. Amy and I also bought him some froyo to take home to Darcy and the kids. I thank God for people like Austin who have no pretense and genuinely love the Lord and live out the Gospel.

UCLA?

Thu, 26 Mar 2009 15:39:36 GMT

34 views on my last post? If they are not repeat views, I'm surprised, who are you people? :)

Today, UCLA notified me of their decision to accept me. Praise God! I'm glad I got into at least one of my schools but, at the same time, not ecstatic because it's my third choice. Amy and I will pray and make a decision after the Stanford decision on 4/2. If Stanford happens to waitlist me, I will probably want to wait it out.

This journey is exciting because I'm partnering with God, the Creator of Heaven and Earth! Stay tuned!

p.s. I've been listening to Pastor Francis Chan, check him out at www.cornerstonesimi.com!

11:59

Mon, 23 Mar 2009 13:45:18 GMT

It's past the 11th hour. I knew I had to have received an invitation to interview at Stanford for me to have any chance at getting admitted. Sadly, I didn't receive it. Amy and I were confident that God was leading us there so it took us by surprise. Over the weekend, we dealt with it and gave it up to the Lord. It's hard when you've been praying about something so fervently and God decides it's not right for you. Regardless, knowing that God knows what's best for us made it easy for us to come to terms with this disappointment.

To be honest, there is a glimmer of hope. I could get waitlisted on the notification date (4/2). Then I would find out if I get accepted late May. However, this is not a common occurrence with Stanford since not many people who are accepted decline. In fact, you would only consider declining Stanford if you get into Harvard.

Going to UCLA is a difficult decision but maybe that's why God is leading us there. I have reservations because I'm not sure how good of a program it really is and Amy would have to quit work. If I had been accepted at Stanford or Berkeley, she could have continued working for her current employer.

Stay tuned and pray for us!

11th Hour

Thu, 19 Mar 2009 18:45:52 GMT

Yesterday I got confirmation that I got rejected from Berkeley. Since I knew it was coming, it didn't affect me much. Now that my 2nd choice is gone, I am left with my first choice and my last choice. At least God either wants the best for me or the worst; He is either hot or cold, just like the Bible! Just kidding, of course wherever I end up, I know it will be the best for me.

So with 10 business days to go, including today, to receive an interview invite from Stanford, it is the 11th hour. Crunch time! When all hope is lost, I know God loves to show up. I am praying that He will. Would you? Thank you!

There is a lot of moving going on here at the NYCR headquarters. We are currently using two adjacent buildings--one rented and one owned. The building that we own is very big but not developed for office space yet. The leadership has decided to start building out the interior of the building that we own and leave the rented building to a partnering ministry. We are starting to take ownership of our land!

Oftentimes, doing so much manual labor and manual administrative tasks here, with no money, I wonder why God chose me to do this, at this point of my life. I don't have all the answers and I will leave it to God to show me how valuable this experience will be in my future career.

Isaac and Jacob

Tue, 17 Mar 2009 13:30:52 GMT

My morning QT has been good, not great. It's cold enough in the morning still that I don't want to get out of bed so I try to read and pray right where I'm laying--bad idea. I'm trying to go through Bible in a year but I'm about 3 months behind. God looks at the heart though!

This morning I read about how Jacob and Rebekah conspired to steal Isaac's blessing for Esau. I've always been confused about this story. Why did God bless Jacob i.e. Israel if the blessing came from an act of cheating? Why couldn't Isaac bless them both?

Then I started to think about my post yesterday. I was feeling selfish and greedy about asking God for too much. For asking God to bless me too desperately. When I read this story this morning though, I think God was speaking to me. Rebekah and Jacob were greedy and selfish to receive Isaac's blessing, even to the point of lying to him. God obviously knew Jacob had received the blessing through a ruse but blessed him and his descendants anyway. In fact, humanity's redemptive history was told through Jacob's descendants, the nation of Israel. Through this illustrations, I think God was saying to me that He loves it when his children are greedy to receive His blessings. Look not to other people, organizations, and governments to bless you, look to the Maker of Heaven and Earth. He shall bless you handsomely!

Greed

Mon, 16 Mar 2009 16:13:19 GMT

I haven't received an invitation from Berkeley to interview and considering the notification date is this Wednesday, it's probably either a rejection or a waitlist. Frankly, I don't know which is worse--knowing for sure you're rejected or agonizing for another few months unsure whether you're rejected. Amy and I are not taking this setback too hard b/c we didn't want to go to Berkeley anyway but it sure beats UCLA or not getting accepted anywhere.

Amy and I are praying hard about Stanford. There are 2.5 weeks left until the notification date and we haven't heard anything yet. Sometimes I think about it so much I think I feel like I am idolizing the school. Then I have to repent. Yesterday, during service, Steve Seibert, our long-term missionary to the Phillippines gave us his missions report. He shared about variious heart-wrenching stories of the homeless, orphans, and the poor finding hope and joy in Jesus Christ. Listening to these stories made me realize how fortunate and blessed I am in the Lord. What did I do to deserve all these luxuries, God? Why do you favor me? I may be wanting Stanford over UCLA for my own selfish desires. It helped me to give more of my life up to God. You know what's best for me Lord, not me. Do with me as you please!

March 4, 2009

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 14:52:25 GMT

Today is my 30th birthday! Praise God for his love and guidance upon my life thus far. I cannot live without your sonship.

As I've mentioned in my previous post, I've been helping out with more administrative duties here at NYCR. Our bookkeeper Anne has been in the hospital and home receiving treatment for cancer so I've been picking up some of the slack. Please pray for her, she has been a faithful servant since the inception of NYCR.

This week I committed myself, hopefully for the rest of my life, to worshipping God in the morning. To my flesh, this is an unwelcomed disturbance but I simply could not deny, from my reading of the Word of God, that it is biblical to seek God in the morning. It's been fruitful so far but it's only been three days. Please pray for me that I can continue to be disciplined in this endeavor.

I just finished teaching a course entitled "Compassion by Command" at my church. It is a course that imparts God's heart for the inner city poor. I hope that those who took the course were blessed. If they are moved to have compassion for the homeless people they see everyday in Manhattan, I will have done my job!

If you remember, my time at NYCR is only a part of my journey to fulfill my vision to use business to minister to the inner city poor. I've applied to 3 business schools in California to meet future business partners and receive proper training in entrepreneurship. So far, I've received an interview invite from my third choice, UCLA, but still awaiting to hear from Berkeley and Stanford, my second and first choices respectively. Would you pray for more interviews, especially to Stanford? Thank you.

The current sermons series at my church is focusing on the life of Abraham. God spoke promises over him and Abraham had faith to obey despite much uncertainty and confusion. These sermons are encouraging me to obey God more during such an uncertain season in my life. Would you pray against the doubt and anxiety that creep into Amy and my heart?

Who is there like you?
Who else would give their life for me?
Even suffering, in my place?

2009

Fri, 09 Jan 2009 15:20:27 GMT

I apologize for not posting more frequently. I truly do want to update you on what's going on in my life and my ministry.

I have been incredibly busy with finishing up my business school applications. I am now done with all three schools I want to go to--Stanford, Berkeley, and UCLA. If I think about the profile of the applicant pool, I lose hope because my grades, scores, and work experiences is not on par with theirs. Then when I start claiming my destiny in the Lord, I gain much hope and confidence. Please lift up a prayer that the admissions committee will have favor upon my application!

At NYCR, I am starting to get more involved with the administrative things, helping out the President and the Executive Director with various projects. If you remember, when I first joined NYCR, I was mainly doing the street outreach. My strongest gift is in administration so I am happy and excited about this next phase of my work at NYCR.

God is also telling me to impart His heart for the poor to the Joy community. In response, I decided to teach a class called "Compassion by Command" developed by Campus Crusade for Christ. We, as a staff at NYCR, have been going through the course and I thought it would be good to facilitate it at Joy. If you want to join in God's ministry to the poor in your local communities, please contact me to take this course!

My aunt has been diagnosed with terminal lung cancer. It is an uncertain time for my family but I know God has bigger plans than what I can see. My dad, who is unsaved, is very close to my aunt and I am, somewhat selfishly, praying that this trial will tenderize his heart to give his life to the Lord. Please pray for him.

Until next time, be joyful in the Lord!