We went up to Sierra Lodge for a time of drawing closer to God through listening to message, fellowship over meals, and a night bonfire while singing praise songs. Our speaker, Pastor Jonathan, presented the core gospel message, and along with testimonies from many different people, we were challenged to seek God with greater passion and fervor. We also experienced the first major snowstorm of the year, and overnight Sierra Lodge was transformed into a winter wonderland with fresh, fluffy snow. Check out the photos!

Now the weather has done a 180 and it’s freezing outside, but we’re looking forward to the snow at Sierra Lodge at the retreat this weekend. Check out the photos!

After the Bible study, Nghia briefly shared with us about his experience being the sole grad student from our church to join the week-long mission trip to UC Riverside. We are very happy to have him back with us! We also celebrated Irene Zhang’s birthday with a cake, and then many of us went over to Durant Loft to play some board games and ping-pong. The evening concluded after an epic round of “Bang!” which went on until shortly past midnight.

We had a fun time together with friends who are staying here for Christmas in the Bay Area – many of whom we haven’t seen for awhile! The classic movie was perfect for this Christmas time, even reminding us of the wonderful lives we have and that each one of us can have a great impact on others’ lives. Check out the photos. Looking forward to the New Year!

We began with a wonderful potluck dinner and many people brought festive and tasty dishes (Travis’ homemade cheesecake was a hit). Then we had a time of singing some traditional Christmas carols and came to appreciate them more deeply when Josiah explained their meaning based on the Bible’s account of the first Christmas. We ended with a rousing gift exchange with some ingenious games, including drawing cats blindfolded and competing for gifts by playing Jenga. It was pretty loud and exciting. Check out the photos. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year everyone!

This is a time when we have a chance to take a break from all the day-to-day activities, and to experience and deepen our personal relationships with God. Whether you’ve been a Christian for many years, or are simply trying to find out more about Christianity, this event should hopefully address your concerns and questions in a deep, personal, and meaningful way. This is also a chance for you to enjoy fellowship with other international students, and enjoy delicious food! See below for details and to sign up.

 

Speaker: Pastor Jonathan Lee
Dates: Jan. 20th to Jan. 22nd, 2012
Location: Sierra Lodge
What: Thought-provoking, personally relevant messages; fellowship, food, and fun

Dr. (Pastor) Jonathan Lee currently serves as a pastor at Gracepoint Fellowship Church in Berkeley, where many have experienced guidance, love, and care from Jonathan and his wife Susanna. Prior to joining the Berkeley church, Dr. Lee was the head pastor at Gracepoint Davis, where he helped build a community rooted upon the love of God.

Before serving as a pastor, Dr. Lee was a professor and a scientist, where he received his Ph.D in chemistry from UC Davis in 1994, as well as his B.S. in chemistry from UC Berkeley in 1989. Following his Ph.D, Dr. Lee served as a postdoctoral research fellow at UC Berkeley from 1994 to 1998, was a lecturer at UC Davis from 1998 to 1999, and an assistant professor in chemistry at CSU Sacramento from 1999 to 2001. Dr. Lee received numerous academic and scientific awards, and published in many high-level journals in chemistry.

Dr. Jonathan Lee will serve as the main speaker during the IGSM 2012 Winter Retreat, where he hopes to help each person come to a greater understanding of God, through insightful and thought-provoking messages.