Hello friends! :]

yay, school started! Hooray! I’m super excited because I bought my books today and started reading! I love school!

Anyways, I’m writing to you to let you know some cool things God’s been doing in my life. Before I moved into Rieber this past September, I was reminded of my mission… to serve God by serving others and telling them about the Good News, Him! I started to reflect on my Christian walk… and how He saved me one summer in ‘02 to how He got me into UCLA. How I got into UCLA is another story (which I won’t get into), but I must say… It’s all God because I definitely did not have the ideal GPA or SAT scores to get into this university. But basically, when I got accepted into this school… I knew that God wanted me to go here… I knew that God wanted me to be a missionary for UCLA…so here I am!

It’s been on my heart to see my floormates get saved… or at least, plant the seed in them by telling them about Him and pray continuously for their salvation. God really put it on my heart today (since ive been putting it off last quarter) to ask my floormates if they want to study the bible with me. I was nervous, scared, and… sweaty… up until I asked them! I mean I shared this with some of you guys already and you know how nervous and how over analytical I can get… “What are they gonna think of me?” “What if they say no and never speak to me again!” etc… Even today, I was rehearsing with myself about HOW I would ask some of them…WHEN I would ask them… oh gosh, I was going insane. But, I just prayed about it and God just kept saying to me, “Thao, pray to me in FAITH and ask them in FAITH. have faith, and I’ll do the rest.” I got the courage to just do it! PRAISE GOD! woo hoo!

After our floor government meeting, I asked some girls on my floor if they were interested in studying the bible with me… and surprisingly… all 7 of them were interested and said YES! Dude, I was so ready for REJECTION… before I asked them, I was like preparing myself for like a bad breakup or something… haha, praise God I didn’t have to experience that yet!

So let me give you some info on these lovely ladies:
One of my little sis is… probably a “nominal” Christian? My other little sis doesn’t believe in anything, my other floormate is an atheist… but a curious atheist… I think she wants to learn more about other faiths and beliefs… Another floormate of mine is Jewish by culture and is learning more and more about the Jewish faith. However, it seems like she’s okay with learning more about the Christian faith, too. One of the girls is an adopted PK… she is so cute. I think she’s just getting interested in Christianity and wants to learn more about the faith… and the last two floormates are Christians and they seem to be pretty strong in their faith (they’re in a fellowship). But yes, they said they were all interested!! PRAISE THE LORD! …so with this, I really need your help…. if you couuld puhleas help me by praying… I would be ever so thankful!

1. Pray that tthey’ll stay interested… that God will make them curious, that they’ll have an opened mind and heart!
2. confidence!… I really need to be bold and courageous and believe that God can help me to lead these girls in a GIG, God’s Investigative Group… where I will be going through the 7 signs of Jesus with them…I need to be reminded that is it God that does the change in heart, not me. I can’t convince them or nething.. sometime I try to “prove” God to ppl and it never really works out… I just need to love them the way He’s love me.. .and just be a living testimony. OH and also that I would be faithful to Him by spending more and more time w/ Him.
3. I need a partner to help me lead this GIG. For now, it’s just me. I have two sisters that’s either led GIGs before or is leading a GIG right now to help me start it or give me pointers… I think it’s only for the first few weeks…But I’m praying for someone to help me… since I’ve never led anything before… Well I led bible study once in my life (early last school year)… but yups. ohh.. I think a girl partner would be best and I’m hoping that one of the two girls that are Christians already would be my partner… since we’re all know each other… Or just any sister.
4. I’m still trying to figure out when to start it (this week or next week), what day of the week and what time! Please pray for that! I really don’t know… but it looks like it’s going to be WED or THURS… it’s when most of them are free. *shrugs*
5. Whenever our first get together will be… Im asking God for 100% attendance.. only because that would be super cool to have everyone there… and also… It would be a fun group if all of us were together studying God’s word… since we’re all like super close friends who like do “girly” things together…like watch the OC, eat together, dye each other’s hair, come together to have sword fights with our male floormates, go shopping, etc. it’s really fun!

Fall quarter was the quarter where God allowed me to build relationships with these ladies… to get to know them, to love them, and serve them selflessly. All of these girls are first years… and since I’m one of like… 5 third years on this floor, God has really given me the challenge to be like a big sis or like a mom to these women. I’ve seen some of them struggle with their own problems and make mistakes, yet I’ve also seen each of them grow as a person… it’s amazing and beautiful! God’s been teaching me to love them despites their flaws and imperferct being. It’s soo crazy… I know that when I make mistakes or struggle, God always stands by me and is there for me… to love me unconditionally and love me despite those not-so-cool decisions I make sometimes… and in knowing that, He’s teaching me to be just like Him, stand by them… love them unconditionally and selflessly (sp). I LOVE IT and I heart them A LOT.

I’m the oldest in my family, so I’m like my own sister… being able to take up the challenge and be a big sis to these girls is such an honor and a huge blessing. I’m hoping that as a group, we’ll grow together in unity and in our faith…I’m praying for their salvation! I know that there is going to be a break through in Rieber… starting with Rieber 6S! When they accept Jesus as their Saviour, I’m hoping that theyll be leading their own GiGs…and before you know it, we’ll have many small simple churches in the dorms! HOORAYYY!

And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose. - ROMANS 8:28
^^^ I saw this verse soo many times last quarter… it’s crazy.. I would talk to different people and they would tell me this verse, and like somehow God always brings me to this verse.. either by reading something online, or just even randomly opening my bible… but man it’s oh so true.

8 The grass withers and the flowers fall,
but the word of our God stands forever.” — ISAIAH 40:8.

Amen.

okay, this email is long enough…i hope it wasnt a bore… I am oober sleepy. Good day mates.

heart,
thao