"Someone Pinch Me!" (January 2012 Newsletter)

NEWSLETTER for JANUARY 2012

CLICK HERE FOR NEWSLETTER

Me with the Philadelphia
SV+Cru team members!

{BONUS NOTE:}
"Someone Pinch Me!"

Today, I talked on the phone with my first potential recruit (yay!) over the phone and was humbled all over again by everything.

Me with the Pittsburgh area
SV alums & staff

It's been a whirlwind these past 8 weeks since I tearfully left Syracuse on a chilly morning (Dec 7th) and trekked down through several cities to arrive in sunny Orlando (Dec 14th). Since then, God has blown me away by accelerating so much of this transition time - He got me plugged into a church and worship team the FIRST weekend I was in town, I've a beautiful house and phenomenal housemates, amazing co-workers...and best of all, I have finally started doing what I know I was made to do "for such a time as this." 

With our Student Venture Leadership Development team at headquarters having dwindled down to only 3 full-time staff (myself included), transitioning into my new role has been a challenge--but I've embraced it all head-on with the understanding that God knows what He's doing!

Nathan & Kendra McNutt:
amazing SV workers in Pittsburgh
(he's the dairy farmer!)

Please pray for our team and the potential recruits that we (and me specifically!) will be handling this upcoming year as we regroup, restructure, and re-energize recruiting efforts...there are so many teenagers out there whose eternal lives are depending upon our prayers and efforts.

I'm SO excited for what's yet to come - and believe me, YOU are always on my mind and in my prayers...THANK YOU for your prayers and partnership - all for His glory!

                                  In His service,

                                  Kar-Lai

Here are a few more photos from the "epic NY to FL trip" :)

Jared & Dominique Dawson,
SV Atlanta staff who happened to
be in Indy the same time as I was!

SV staffers CJ & Anika Neal treat me to
"famous" breakfast at their
home in Indianapolis

SV Chattanooga based friends

SV Atlanta teens gather for their
final meeting of the year

Orlando's Crosspointe church:
Christmas eve worship team! :)

Much to be Thankful for! (Sept-Nov2011 newsletter)

Exciting times are ahead - praise God! 

This newsletter is very special as it covers the past few months of exciting family updates (weddings, travels to Korea & Hong Kong, etc.), travels, and ministry updates...i.e. if you're in the Syracuse area, it's time to make room on your calendars for my "send off" party next Sunday!! More details inside...So, right click on this link to download the PDF of my latest newsletter "Arrivals & Departures" (Sept-Nov 2011 newsletter) or view the attachment to this e-mail above.

I can't thank you enough for your prayers, friendship, support and love - - truly, you are a blessing and I think of and pray for you daily, dear friend :) Please do write back even a few sentences to let me know how I can be praying for you. 

For His glory,

Kar-Lai

P.S. if you think you can make it to the send-off party (Sun the 27th, 2-6pm at 650 James Street), please let me know. It'll be informal, come & go as needed, photo-booth/scrapbook memory making time...I'd love to see you one last time!! :)

"The Brains Behind The Training" (June2011 Newsletter)

June-July 2011 Newsletter
CLICK HERE 
(not on image)

As you read this, I'm in sunny Ft. Collins, CO for the annual U.S. Campus Crusade for Christ all-staff training conference. Wahoo!

The past two days have been dedicated solely to gathering the Student Venture (SV) staff together. There've been really encouraging presentations about different ministries like the SV Ethnic Field Ministries, Global Venture (International Projects), and the direction of SV overall.

Tomorrow will be crazy as over 8,000 CCC staff kick off off the start to our 2 week long conference - wow! I'm looking forward to sharing more with you about all this next time...and till then, check out my latest newsletter HERE (June-July 2011 Newsletter) and go to the SV Stories tab for a Bonus story about Caleb, the 7th grader who impressed me in Utica... :)
                                        
                                           Blessings to you!
                                           Kar-Lai  :)

"A Little 'Hello' Goes A Long Way" - (April 2011 Newsletter)

Spring is FINALLY in full bloom here in Syracuse - with rainstorms, sunny days, flowers, and clear starry nights...oh, how glorious the change in seasons can be! And change is not just in the seasons, as even my home in Syracuse is different now that my brother Wai has moved to Colorado for his job. It's very strange to have all my siblings elsewhere (Wai in Colorado, sister Kar-Man in Korea, & youngest sister Kar-Kate in Boston) and our house so quiet - and know my dear parents will have to deal with having an empty nest once I move to Orlando. But such is life! Though I'm soaking up time with my friends and loved ones here in Syracuse while I can, I'm also SO ready to be in Orlando soon to start serving with Student Venture headquarters.


God is so good and I've been seeing my time in Syracuse getting shorter as my support team is almost complete. (More details in this newsletter.) May this newsletter story be encouraging to you as you read about how even one little action can ripple out to impact many...

Click here for April 2011 NEWSLETTER: http://db.tt/3GuQgxB

(*FB Page Bonus = Photos from ministry times...check them out at www.facebook.com/goinggahlai!)

For His glory,

Kar-Lai

2011 Feb - March newsletter up!

Click HERE ON THIS TEXT 
(not the image above) 
to access Newsletter!

Hello friend!

I'm so excited for you to read this newsletter and hear how God's been stirring up the hearts of young people to think of themselves as missionaries to their schools here in Central NY. 

This past Feb and March brought me into Utica multiple times, both for music and sharing with young adults and teenagers about Student Venture. Read all about it here in my Feb-March 2011 Newsletter: "Who Will Reach Me?"  (Note: this PDF is large, so for text only, go to Newsletter tab)

Thank you for your prayers, partnership, and support. I'm still in Syracuse sharing with people and completing my support team - and God has been adding to my team. For more details about my Ministry Partnership Team, visit the "Partner/Give" tab in my blog.

Love, Kar-Lai :)

Feb/March 2010 Newsletter & Update

Living the Dream: Returning to Syracuse (?!)
"I close my eyes and can still see the minty green and bright yellow shades of El Caribe - the hotel in Daytona Beach where I spent an intensive 35 days with about 100 people during our New Staff Training for Campus Crusade for Christ. Now, I open my eyes each morning to a field of snow and ice, heavy snowflakes falling like raindrops wherever I look...and I feel like it was all a dream."

Fortunately, things have warmed up since I last wrote these words. Syracuse is finally showing signs of Spring as the 55 degree weather has revealed the grass again and the air smells like new. I've been plugging away at my MPD (minsitry partnership development) and meeting with wonderful friends to share about my ministry with Student Venture and seek their support through prayers, finances, and other ways.

How amazing to know that God has enabled me to share over and over again about how He's called me into full-time ministry. And, with every time I share my story, I also end up sharing about my past and how God helped me go from a lukewarm Christian in high school up through the struggles in college into the joy of having a strong and growing relationship with Christ today.

Times are good, and I'm learning how to adjust to change. I subletted my apartment near campus and have moved in with my parents. True, I've cluttered up their entire basement with my oodles of stuff and taken over their last spare room, but it also has meant more time to see them. My brother and youngest sister are also living at home - although they're so busy, I hardly see them! But, nonetheless, it's been wonderful being with family again...and it doesn't hurt that I get to enjoy mom's home cooking! Wahoo! (mmm...Chinese soups, stews, and more!)

I've got my Feb/March 2010 Newsletter available here, and would love for you to read it for a fun story and my prayer requests.

Thanks again for your encouragement, support, and prayers. Till next time, God bless!
Gahlai

*~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~*
"I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which
God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus." ~ Phil 3:14