One only needs to step away from their passion...
One only needs to step away from their passion for a minute and feel the loss.
Whilst caring for my dad this semester in Virginia, I attended Korean church with my mom. Korean church actually has a name, but from the beginning of time all Korean/American kids call it Korean church.
To accommodate students and young adults in the room, the pastor reads a short sermon in broken English and then dismisses them until lunch time. Whilst trying to listen to the Korean sermon, my mind would wander to those high school/college students and I would ponder what they were doing. I assumed they were studying the Bible somewhere else which was my consolation for the sermonette that they probably ignored.
Fast forward to lunch, every kid’s reason or prize for attending Korean church. A table full of all the banchan “side dishes” you could imagine, a huge pot of steaming bap “white rice” and guk “soup” that the adjummas “middle-aged ladies” had painstakingly prepared for us. Talk about heaven!
Whilst stuffing my face sitting with the halmonis “grandmas” and my mom, I would glimpse over at the students sitting together speaking English and yearn to sit with them knowing how odd it would be for an adjumma like me to go and sit down with them.
One Sunday the pastor stopped me while I was waiting for my mother outside the bathroom. “You sit…read Bible with kids…one chapter” Excuses and nos are not an option in our culture. An elder’s request (especially the pastor’s) is to be obeyed. I bowed, said yes, and followed the pastor to the table I had been eyeing for weeks.
I started chatting with the two girls across from me, trying to break through their closed expressions, but I was still delighted like I was home again after a long time away. I quite literally felt myself come alive.
One of the young men stood up and stated the chapter we would read. He expertly divided it into the number of verses we would each read out loud, and we started reading in turn from the provided paper Bibles. When we came to the last verse, I was excited for what would happen next. This was Romans and there was much to discuss…historical context…proper exegesis…application to one’s life…
We closed our Bibles and to my shock, the students started standing up and handing their not well-worn paper Bibles in. That was it. My heart fell. I pondered how they would ever become who they were meant to be by attending Korean church, listening to a sermonette in broken English, looking at their phones while the Korean sermon was being preached, eating lunch, and reading one chapter of the Bible together with no discussion. My heart hurt…
Fast forward to two weeks later and 2329 miles away in Pine Valley, Utah. At a cabin in a small valley enclosed by mountains, my activities included…
Relaxing on a big rock in the woods by a reservoir that quite literally was sparkling like tiny diamonds were being sprinkled upon it by the Creator.
Reclining in the same woods surrounded by African international students that were figuring out how to function with no cell reception and just each other, water, mountains and trees to look at.
Hanging out on the huge front porch chatting with students and staff invested in me and my sorrow and grief.
Sitting in the huge living room listening to sermons about suffering and how to choose Jesus even still.
Worshiping amongst students with hands raised all around me declaring their love for Jesus.
Shivering bundled in a blanket, coat, and mittens and then sweating and shedding a blanket, coat, and mittens…around a fire pit playing ridiculous games and laughing so hard my stomach hurt.
Praying down heaven for healing and miracles with tears streaming down our faces.
Cooking bacon, pancakes, eggs, and more to fill the bellies of these super appreciative students who rarely get a home cooked meal.
Watching our Chinese international student get dunked under the previously mentioned sparkling, frigid water to declare he is dead to himself and alive in Christ.
I told many people afterwards that it was as if I was on a dream vacation because it was all the things I love with people that I love after a long drought of not having those things.
When comparing the two experiences, the contrast is stark, and my soul is even more grateful for what I do and how these students and staff fill my cup as I fill theirs.
We want this for every student, not just on the two campuses we are on, and I am sure you do too.
This effort has always taken an army of supporters both praying and giving, and we have been thoroughly blessed each year. In between semesters, we raise support for the upcoming semester. We would love for you to pray about joining our support team.
So how much and what for?
Our goal is to raise an additional $600 monthly ($3,600 for the semester) in support and a cash budget of $5240 by January 7, 2024 so we can start the semester strong!
100% of our monthly increase is for medical expenses (We had a major increase in insurance costs for the year. Daran is Type 1 diabetic, so this is critical. Insurance and medical bills feel like a part-time job sometimes for a diabetic.)
50% of our cash budget is for Noreen’s Salary (Currently Noreen receives a stipend of $1000 a month.)
25% of our cash budget is for Mileage "If we give them a ride, they will come!" and so we do, a lot.
25% of our cash budget is for Meals “ if you feed them, they will come!” and we do, a lot.
What can YOU do:
Monthly Support: This is how we stay on campus. Would you consider giving monthly? Our average monthly gifts range from $25 to $350 per month and any amount is a blessing. If you already give monthly, would you consider an increase in your monthly giving? An increase of 10% by all of our supporters would get us to our goal.
Annual support: This is very much like a monthly gift, but given in one sum annually. Would you consider an annual gift? Our annual gifts range from $250 to $7500 a year.
One-time gift: Would you consider giving a one-time gift? These gifts typically range from $100 to $8000
Scroll to bottom for Giving Instructions.
Your giving will be receipted through Assemblies of God U.S. Missions, which provides our accounting and covering for Chi Alpha Utah. It is a tax-deductible gift.
In closing…
We realize your financial gifts come at a price - not just monetarily, but in what it represents: skill, talent, time, energy, and those gifts could be spent on your own pursuits and loved ones. For that, we thank you. We do not take lightly your current and past support. Because of you, we are reaching students on 2 incredible campuses! And with your continued help we will see 6 healthy Chi Alpha fellowships in Utah discipling students and forever changing the culture of Utah!
With love,
The Lemons
Utah Chi Alpha Directors
Detailed Instructions on how to increase or start giving:
Give a RECURRING GIFT ONLINE.
Enter your gift amount in the box with "$0"
Click on the blue button ADD GIFT TO CART.
Scroll down a little and Click the box by MAKE THIS A RECURRING MONTHLY GIFT.
Leave the PLEASE CONSIDER THIS A FAITH PROMISE checked.
Make sure to click the box next to the red words that say “I AUTHORIZE THE ASSEMBLIES OF GOD…”
Enter payment info and billing info.
Scroll to the bottom right and Click on the blue SUBMIT DONATION.
All done! You have set up your monthly recurring giving. THANK YOU!!!
INCREASE YOUR GIVING ONLINE.
Go to giving.ag.org.
Click on the red LOGIN box at the top right of your screen.
Enter your username and password and click the blue LOGIN button at the bottom of the screen.
Under “Next Contribution,” click on the blue date i.e. “01/20/2024”
Scroll to the middle of the page.
Under the "Designations" heading, click on the little blue pencil to the far right of our name Lemon, Daran Chi Alpha.
Change the dollar amount to the new amount you want to give monthly.
Click on the little green button to the right of the amount. It looks like an old-fashioned floppy disk.
Click on the red OK button in the pop up window.
You have officially increased your giving amount! Thank you!
Give a ONE TIME GIFT ONLINE.
Enter your gift amount in the box with "$0"
Click on the blue button"ADD GIFT TO CART.
Enter payment info and billing info.
Click on the blue SUBMIT DONATION at the bottom right.
All done! You have given your one time gift.
Set up monthly, annual, or one time gifts BY PHONE:
Call Contributor Services at 877-840-4800. They will walk you through it.
Give BY MAIL:
Write check to Assemblies of God.
Put "Daran Lemon 262553" in the memo line.
Mail to:
Assemblies of God
Contributor Services
1445 N. Boonville Ave.
Springfield, MO 65802
Your giving will be receipted through Assemblies of God U.S. Missions, which provides our accounting and covering for Chi Alpha Utah. It is a tax-deductible gift.