School

Back to school!!!

So, after a great nine hour trip to Pensacola, Florida with my dad, mom, Grace and James, I have finally arrived back to Pensacola Christian College to begin my Junior year. I am excited to start this new semester and I know the Lord has great things planned ahead. I will do my best to keep you all posted about my college life as I train to serve the Lord. I would covet your prayers this semester. Thank you so much for the love and support you all are in my life! May the Lord be praised!

- John

Church Internship

Internship at the Church at Katy....

Well, this past Sunday was my last Sunday at my church, the Church at Katy, and the final day of my summer internship. The Lord was so good to me in allowing me to serve my church this summer. Back in April, when I was still unsure about summer plans, He led me every step of the way until this internship opportunity was made available. This internship fulfilled all the desires of my hear for the summer - it allowed me to minister and serve the Lord, live at home all summer, take summer classes, and provided financial assistance for my college education. I cannot begin to express my gratitude to my Heavenly Father, my family, and my church family for allowing me to have this wonderful experience of ministry. I would like to share with you some of the ways I was involved at the Church at Katy this summer.

The Church at Katy was able to start up a Patch the Pirate Club for kids in June - a ministry that I had the wonderful opportunity to lead for the summer. Patch the Pirate Clubs have been a favorite childhood experience for my siblings and myself, and through previous leadership opportunities in running the program, I had an awesome time working with the 'sailors' at the Church at Katy. Our Thursday night meetings were full of fun activities including stories, skits, Bible lessons, memory verses, singing, and games. I came up with a lot of interesting and funny customs to wear for the kids including dressing up as a pirate, a cook, 'Mr. Potato Head', the color family, and the crook 'Wiggle Worm'. The sailors enjoyed learning about God and really likes when I would do skits. Some of the themes we had this summer included "Worship to the Lord", "Changing and Growing in the Lord", and "Loving the Lord with All Our Hearts". The children loved learning Bible verses and songs for the three specials we had at the church. The 'Wiggle Worm' song was definitely the favorite of all the kids. We ended our Patch the Pirate adventure with an awesome party on our last meeting where the children enjoyed water-balloon games, obstacle course relays, and team competitions. I thank the Lord for the three wonderful Co-Captains that served along side with me this summer - Mrs. Kenny, Rhonda, and Ramon. They were the best! Overall, our Patch Club this summer was a great blessing and success!

In addition to Patch Club, I also had the privilege of serving as one of the primary teachers for the Children's Church at the Church at Katy. Mrs. Rebsch, the leader of the Children's Church ministry, has had the teachers teach the Bible in chronological order to the children. The church has been doing this study for a long time, and I was able to be assigned to teach the last part of Jesus' ministry here on earth. This section covered Jesus' final entrance to Jerusalem to the Ascension. I had a wonderful time teaching and working with the elementary children. My goal was not just to relate commonly known Bible stories to the kids, but to teach the doctrine behind each story. I had many alone times with the Lord studying and researching the lessons - something that really helped my own walk with the Lord. I made sure to record the things I learned and had such a fun time figuring out ways to teach them to the kids. I used illustration, skits, games, and crafts. The children were so attentive and really blessed me with their teachable and willing hearts to learn the Word of God.

Another ministry that I was involved with this summer was the church choir. I was asked to be the director of the choir for the summer - a job that I had never had before. Although I have had a lot of musical training in both piano and cello, I have to admit that singing is not one of my strong abilities. However, with the Lords' help, I was able to use some of my musical training to work with the church choir in bringing praise to the Lord through song. We sang a number of arrangements including "Walking Through the Flames", "How Deep the Father's Love for Us", and "Be Not Afraid". These songs are all favorite of mine and I would highly recommend them to anyone. Working with the church choir was a big blessing to me and I have to say we had some wonderfully talented singers - especially in the soprano section. The church was blessed by the various specials we did and most of all I believe we brought glory to the Lord! Thank you church choir members for your faithfulness and commitment to the Lord! :) (And thank you Katrina Rebsch and Mrs. Teise for playing the piano for us. You were both a huge blessing!)

I was also able to act as a substitute teacher for the elementary and primary Sunday school classes. It was very exciting to see the great work that my dad and Mr. Hughes are doing in both of those classes. How wonderful it is to have men in the church working and teaching the children the Word of God! In addition, playing the cello and flute in the church orchestra was also a favorite ministry of mine. It was fun being part of a flute trio special for church, as well as a cello and guitar duet special with my good friend JB Taylor. The church also had a number of exciting and fun activities that I took part in this summer including a 4th of July picnic, a Father's Day "Heroes Night", and an ice-cream fellowship after an evening service. Another project that I was given by Pastor Taylor was to write two papers that dealt with ministry related topics. With the Lord's help, I was able to write and complete both papers - a Statement of Faith paper and a Philosophy of Ministry paper. I know that these documents will come in handy in the years to come and all the research I did for them helped me expand my knowledge of important ministry topics.

Overall, my church internship at the Church at Katy was a huge blessing to me and an experience that I will always treasure. I thank the Lord, my family, and my church family for the encouragement and support they have given me this summer. I know with a doubt that the experiences and the lessons that I learned this summer will be vital for my future ministry. May the Lord continue to bless the Church at Katy with growth and a continuing "One Accord Mind". I praise the Lord for leading me to this amazing internship this summer and I look forward to seeing what other ministry opportunities He has prepared for me in the future!

Church Internship Pictures.....

Church Internship Pictures......


I was really bad at taking pictures of the different ministries I was involved with at the Church at Katy. So, I only have a few pictures to share, but they give a little taste and visual to the long post I wrote about the internship. :)

SPECIAL MUSIC

PATCH THE PIRATE

4TH OF JULY CHURCH PICNIC

FATHER'S DAY "HEROES NIGHT"!

Quote

Quotes of the Day.......

I have come across many missions related quotes that I really like and have been an inspiration to me. I thought I would share some with you:

"God isn't looking for people of great faith, but for individuals ready to follow Him." - Hudson Taylor

"The Great Commission is not an option to be considered; it is a command to be obeyed." - Hudson Taylor

"Expect great things from God; attempt great things for God." - William Carey

"To know the will of God, we need an open Bible and an open map." - William Carey

"Not reserves. No retreats. No regrets." - William Borden

"He is no fool who gives what he cannot keep to gain that which he cannot lose." - Jim Elliot

I also like the following picture because it goes along with the quote from William Carey about having 'an open map'. People need to hear the Gospel, but WHO will go?

School

ONLY 15 DAYS LEFT!!!.....

I can't believe how fast this summer has gone by! It seems like just yesterday that I got home for a full three month summer vacation, but how time just flies by! It's been an awesome summer here at home, seeing family, working at my church, and having fun with my siblings. But, as there are only 15 days left before I go back to Pensacola, I am already beginning to pack and make lists of things I don't want to forget to take with me.

Packing for college is not one of my favorite things to do, but it is an important step in being successful in college. Just imagine that you ment to pack your toothbrush, but then you accidently forget it. Well, not only are you going to be having bad breath for a couple of days, but you are going to have to BUY a new one (well, in most cases.....unless your house is around the corner of your school. :)) And, well the average college student (me!) doesn't have extra money to be buying things that could have been packed from home in the first place, right? So, to all my friends who are packing for school........DON'T FORGET YOUR TOOTHBRUSH! No, really the main point is to start packing early. Give yourself some time to think about all the things you are going to need.

Make a list. I cannot tell you how many times making a list has helped me not forget important items. Last year, I was a freshman and I had no idea what I really needed to take with me. So, I tried to find out from various sources what to pack. My number one advice is to look at your school's website. Most colleges now a days have very helpful packing lists that share with you important things you will need, as well as any specific items your school requires. This helped my packing process a lot, but remember most of these lists are very general. I found that I still needed to make another list of items I wanted to take with me.

So, I've given you my top two recommendations when it comes to packing for college - START EARLY and MAKE A LIST. These two habbits have helped me pack each time I go to Florida for school. With only 15 days to go, I already started packing and I have already made three lists of things to do and pack before August 28th. I enjoy packing and I hope you all do too. After all, how many times do you get to pack for college? (Ok, I know, you seniors have packed a lot of times!) :)

-John

PS. - So, my good friend, Ivan Dolzhanskiy, did an awesome poster of many of our friends at PCC. Most of the people in this picture are either Russian or speak the language, thus the group is often known as the 'Russian Group'. All of them have been a huge blessing to me and I thank God for allowing me to meet them. Thanks for doing the poster Ivan!!!

Posting a comment

Posting a Comment.......

Several people have been e-mailing me asking how they can leave a comment on a post. All you have to do is click above the title of the post and it will take you to a separate page where you will be able to leave a comment. I hope this helps. Thank you for your support of this blog!

-John Loo

Family

My Family....

"Other things may change us, but we start and end with family." -Anthony Brandt

This year, between my mission trip to Mexico and being at school in Pensacola, I have been away from home the longest time ever. And although I was often told by others to "cherish my family while I was still at home", I have to say that after being gone for over a year I know really know how much of a blessing family truly is. Being home this summer has given me the 'taste' of home that I have been missing while in college. It's been so much fun to sleep in my room, cook in our kitchen, play with my siblings, and just relax around the house - a house full of memories from a wonderful childhood that I have had, thanks to my dad and mom!!!

My family is so unique and we all 'LOOve' each other! If I had to describe us in one word, I don't know if I could do it. We are made up of seven members that each have special attributes we bring to the family. To imagine how our family would be without one of us is truly impossible. Each of us complement each other; we all have unique relationships with one another and the 'LOOve' is always there.

My Dad and Mom are simply the best!!!! I cannot express how much I love them, but most of all, how grateful I am to the Lord for giving me such godly parents. Both of them have been by my side through the good times and the bad.....they've laughed with me and they've cried.......they've rejoiced with me and they've prayed with me......they've supported me every step of the way and their love is always unconditional. My dad has always loved missions and his heart to give the Gospel to others is so evident. My mom loves children and is such a powerful prayer warrior. Thus, God used them to spark the interest of becoming a missionary in my life. Through my time at home these past 11 years, I witnessed the powerful testimonies of a man and woman following the heart of God. The love they share as a couple is very inspiring and truly has set a strong foundation for our family. My prayer and hope is that God would allow me to follow in their steps as I move ahead in life. I want to be the godly, faithful man my dad is and have to love and commitment that my mom has in her life. God has blessed me with a the best parents in the world!!! And for the record, I not sure how they do it, but they are managing to be parents of three adult kids, while still working on the ABCs and multiplication tables with James and Grace! They definately were made for parenthood and have a lot of talent!!! (Thank you dad and mom!)

My brother Mark is in the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets and he looks very sharp in uniform. Mark and I share a special bond as older brothers in our family and we have a lot of fun memories growing up. Between Boy Scouts, swimming, school, and other activities, we have a lot in common. Nonetheless, I have always appreciated Mark's unique generosity and his adventurous spirit. We both enjoy watching movies and recently we have had a blast playing Super Mario Bros. on the Wii. I thank God for giving me such a great brother who loves me and cares about me. I am very blessed to have Mark in my life.

My sister Hannah is currently working at the IBLP Headquaters up in Chicago. She and I have always shared a special bond that I cherish greatly. We have had the priviledge of working together as leaders for various Bible clubs and conferences, directing handbell choirs, and participating in numerous school activities. Lately, with her work with ATI, she has been able to add Peru to her list of foreign countries visited for missionary work, which alrealy included Mexico and China! Hannah has a great passion for the Lord and I know that God is going to use her greatly for His service! This summer, I got to see her up in Michigan on our family vacation and we had a blast remembering all the crazy things we did as little kids. (Just so that you know - we weren't 'angels' all our lives: we kept Mom busy trying to get 'foolishness' away from our systems, but even now, I think we still have our moments! :) )

Gracie is my precious little princess! Ever since she was born, Grace has been my baby girl. This summer, I have realized how much we accually have in common, including our love for music, talking, and noodles!! :) She is such a smart young lady and she always acts so many years older than her age of seven. I have enjoyed teaching her Sunday Children's Church class and she always participated with so much enthusiasm. She has a great love for the Lord and her passion to share about Him to others is very challenging. Grace and I have a special 'scrapbook' that we have been working on for a few years now, and just yesterday, we had a special time working on another page together. I love her very much and know she is going to be a powerful vessel for the Lord.

Little James is the baby of the family. He definately gets spoiled by all of us cause that's what the baby of the family gets, right? :) Well, even with all the spoiling, James is growing both physically and mentally. His vocabulary gets bigger each day and sometime I'm impressed with what he is able to think and say as a four year old. He loves to play outdoors and is becoming an awesome baseball player. This summer, he is learning how to swim and just loves the water. I've enjoyed reading books to him and using him as an excuse to watch 'little kid movies' that I actually love (don't tell anybody! :)) like Madagascar and Toy Story. He loves to color and does an outstanding job! James loves to read the Bible and knows a lot of Bible stories by heart. His prayers are very inspiring! I love James!

Well, know you know a little more about my family and how blessed I am to be a part of it. My family is very special to me and with only 2 and 1/2 weeks remaining before I go back to Pensacola, I am cherishing every moment spent at home. I like what Psalm 127 has to say about the home:

1. "Except the Lord build the house, they labour in vain that build it: except the Lord keep the city, the watchman walketh but in vain."

2. "It is vain for you to rise up early, to sit up late, to eat the bread of sorrows: for so he giveth his beloved sheep."

3. "Lo, children are an heritage of the LORD: and the fruit of the womb is his reward."

4. "As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man; so are children of the youth."

5. "Happy is the man that hath his quiver full of them: they shall not be ashamed, but they shall speak with the enemies in the gate."

I thank the Lord for blessing me with wonderful parents, awesome siblings, and a family that will always be there for me!

Quote Of The Day......

Quote of the Day.....

"Never be afraid to trust an unknown future to a known God" -Cori Ten Boom

I really like this quote and I think many of us young people that are beginning to get ready for another school year can associate with it. We may not know what is ahead of us, but our Heavenly Father does! How wonderful it is to know that!

"In The Beginning......"

"In The Beginning...."

Genesis 1:1 "In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth."

Throughout my life, I really have enjoyed reading this verse over and over. Every time, I can't help but realize how blessed I am to have such a powerful Creator who watches over me. He created everything I see around me in nature - the sky, oceans, sun, moon, mountains, and trees. He also created all animals including birds, fish, insects, and mammals. But best of all, "God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him..." (Gen. 1:27). To think that God created all of us in His own image is truly amazing. David states in Psalm 139:14, "I will praise thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made: marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well." God made all of us exactly as He wanted us to be created. In fact, "God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold it was VERY GOOD" (Gen. 1:31).

As you probably realized, this is the first post on my blog. I have been praying for a long time in regards to creating a blog, and in truth, I never did start one before now because I wanted to do it in the Lord's timing. Throughout the years, I have enjoyed reading and keeping up with blogs of close friends - blogs that have been an encouragement and blessing to me. So, when I finally had peace to go ahead create a blog, I was faced with numerous challenges that have delayed its creation. The main challenge was attempting to learn how to create a blog. It looks easier than it really is! However, thanks to the support of my parents and the help of my dear friend (and sister in Christ) Katrina Rebsch, I finally created this blog. I have spent hours and days playing around with various templates and designs trying to find the perfect one. The funny thing is that I chose the one I first started out with! Nonetheless, creating this blog reminded me of Genesis 1:1 and how God created the world. I was very indecisive when it came to choosing the various details of this blog, but how wonderful it is to know that God knew exactly how to create me. He made me perfect and capable of accomplishing the purpose He has for my life here on earth.

I often ask myself what purpose God has for me in life. And, although at times I feel like I know what I'm doing and where I'm going, I realize that it is better just to trust God and ask Him for guidance every step of the way. Jeremiah 33:3 says "Call unto me, and I will answer thee, and show thee great and mighty things, which thou knowest not." All I have to do is 'ask' and He will show me the way in His timing. And like in Proverbs 25:2, "It is the glory of God to conceal a thing: but the honour of kings is to search out a matter." I really like this verse a lot because it helps me realize that it is an honor to search the will of God in my life. What a wonderful God and King I serve!

Since this is the first time I am writing, I figured I would share a little about my life these days. I am a Junior at Pensacola Christian College, studying to earn a degree in Missions. I am from Houston, Texas, where I live with my family of seven - my dad, Jim, my mom, Patty, and my siblings, Mark, Hannah, Grace and James. I love the outdoors including activities such as rock-climbing, surfing, running, camping, and backpacking. I also enjoy music and play the piano, cello, and flute. I also like to cook and teach children. I know God has called me to mission work in the future, and I am seeking His guidence of where he will have me go. I have an interest in working with orphans, but time will tell what will be my ministry for the Lord. Currently, I am an intern at The Church at Katy for the 2010 summer and taking some summer classes at Lone Star College. I go back to PCC in about 3 weeks, so my summer is quickly coming to a end. However, the Lord has done a fabulous work in my life and through my internship at The Church at Katy this summer.

Well, I trust this blog will be a blessing to you as it is to me. I want to share everything that the Lord does in my life as I am a "Missionary in Training". This post is only "THE BEGINNING" of many to come Lord-willing, but most of all, may this blog be glorifying to God always!

His Servant,

John Daniel Loo