This week it’s back to classes and lab, but last week we had a very memorable trip where many of us drove down to Monterey for the weekend to take in the beautiful California coast. Although it was cloudy and rainy sometimes, we continued our tradition of rain hiking (begun at Sierra Lodge last year) at Point Lobos state park. Everyone wore ponchos, which kept us warm and dry, and since everyone was bright blue or yellow (Cal colors!) it was hard to get lost.  On Sunday we went to the Monterey Bay Aquarium where we saw some unusual and even incredible sea creatures – things that you could hardly imagine ever existed. God’s creation is truly amazing. Later in the day we had Sunday service back at the house, where we studied the life of Abraham and how he learned to trust God. On our last day we took in some breathtaking scenery along the famous 17 Mile Drive and visited the quaint ocean-side town of Carmel, ending the day with some yummy Chinese food. Check out the photos!

With the cold of winter wearing off, we invited many old and new friends to come join our annual Spring Invitation this past Friday at Barrows Hall. The evening program began with a skit that revealed the true nature of God (with a cameo from two buff Chinese-speaking Austrians, Hans and Frans). Personally, I’m just glad to be done with the skit, but I do hope that it was well-received. To cap off the evening, we had our first sports night of the year at Maxwell Family Field, playing wild turkey, ultimate frisbee, and soccer. Needless to say, many of us were sore and fatigued after the games, but that didn’t deter us from striking our Hans and Frans poses at the end of the night. YAWWW!

No flowers? No box of chocolates? No dinner reservations? No problem! IGSM spent Valentine’s Day with the Greater Richmond Interfaith Program and Safe Harbor Homeless Shelter to bring a different kind of love to the residents at these locations. We helped serve hot dinners, joined in on a few rounds of Bingo, and got to know many of the people there. For us, it was an opportunity to be bearers of love to those who are experiencing difficult seasons of life. It was a meaningful way to spend the evening in reminding people that God’s love for them is everlasting and unconditional. Please browse the photos to catch a glimpse of the night’s events.

On the Friday before Thanksgiving we had an extra-special Friday Forum event with guest speaker Prof. Luke Lee who shared his testimony with us. We also hosted students from our church plant in Hsinchu, Taiwan, who had come to visit us for the Thanksgiving Retreat the following day. And for those who missed the potluck dinner two weeks before, we had another potluck complete with traditional turkey.

In the run-up to Thanksgiving Celebration we practiced late into the night a couple of days before, and then again on Saturday and Sunday morning, and then it was showtime! We had an awesome time singing and dancing, and watching the other groups from Gracepoint perform as well. We were also deeply reminded of all the ways God has blessed us throughout the years, as many of the acts recalled all the ways he worked through our many ministries. After TC, we went back to Buffet Town and had a Thanksgiving potluck with lots and lots of delicious food – and some encore performances by some slightly reluctant brothers.