School is back in session here at UCLA for the winter quarter. School started back a few weeks ago, and we have had a great start to this new year! We started off the first Tuesday of the quarter year with a welcome back party with tons of food and games. It was a great opportunity for new students to come out and meet some of the existing Chi Alpha students. That Friday we went to Santa Monica to go Ice Skating outside (I was able to wear a short sleeve t shirt!). Definitely not what I was used too, but it was a great event. We had a good share of traditional and international students come out. Afterward we went out to eat and fellowshipped.

This week we had our first prayer meeting of the quarter, It was extremely powerful and God was really moved. That momentum really carried over to the next day, being our first weekly Chi Alpha service of the quarter. At the end of the service there were at least 7 rededications to the Lord so that was exciting. Additionally, I met a student yesterday while doing book table, who seemed to be searching for something, but was not really sure where the truth was. I invited him out to our service, and he took a flier but did not really seem interested in being on our mailing list (Which typically means I will never see the person again.) He actually showed up at the service and was participating in the worship! That really surprised me, and afterward after talking with him again, it turns out that he shares a lot of the same hobbies and me and other Chi Alpha members. I just wanted to praise God for awesome divine appointments like this.

This weekend everyone flies out to Sacramento for the Winter Retreat, a weekend long conference with powerful worship and Bible teaching. Chi Alpha chapters from across the west coast and Hawaii will be in attendance. The main speaker for this event is none other than Winston Bui, my neighbor, friend, mentor, and the campus pastor at UCLA.