November!

Didn't have wi-fi this weekend, so this post was technically on October 31st :)

So I am on my way to New Hampshire for an Intervarsity Conference! The theme is Act Justly, Love Mercy, Walk Humbly. Sounds great. I am so excited! I am also very glad to take a break from Yale for two days. It feels as if yesterday was the beginning of October! Now it’s already almost November first. I remember that date vividly from last year - it was when I submitted my Early Action Application to Yale. Oh the intense hours of agonizing over my personal statement and getting everything together for that application. I can’t believe it’s already a year later! Crazyyy! Life sure goes by fast. Goodluck to all those applying to college this year! Trust me, the stress, the sleep-deprivation, and the anxiety is all a part of the fun. :)

The fall foliage here is amazing - and that’s an understatement. I think I’ve grown a liking to the cold too! It wakes me up on my way to Arabic every morning. The crisp, fresh air does amazing things for my lungs and nostrils. I also like the rain, but only on certain days. I do miss California sunshine though, very much so. But the leaves falling from trees - it’s just like the movies. Looking around, I can’t help but feel Yale’s presence - and something much more important - God’s creations.

So, this month was filled with activity and academic work as always. But I did have fun - at times. I’ve been doing well with my morning quiet times. It’s those nights that I stay up to three that make it so hard to get up early. But God is good. so very good, and He’ll never bring me to something that He won’t get me through. Ever.

I went to the Women’s Leadership Initiative Conference at the Yale Law School and realized a lot of things about what I want and it’s that gut feeling that I love getting so much that drives me forward. Others call it go with your gut, I call it divine steering - to be the object of God’s direction is amazing and I feel like I’m on a constant adventure. With every turn and every swerve, I trust Him. I met amazing women at this conference including Liz Logie, Joanne Lipman, Valerie Tripp, and so on. They were amazing and to hear their stories and walk of life I realize that there are so many paths to success - and I just need to pave my own. It’s not about following a formula or following a set way to a destination - it’s all about finding yourself along the way. That’s most of the fun anyway.

I was also pushed by God to go a meeting about Entrepreneurship in the Middle East. What is the trend I see? A lot of the things I’ve been doing have to do with the Middle East - taking Arabic for one. Applying to go to Jordan for two. And then this meeting. I was the only freshman there I think and it was a bit intimidating to be in a room full of accomplished women and men who knew what they were talking about. I just mostly sat and observed.

So next semester, I plan to take an Economics class and see how I like that. I’ve also done a lot of soul-searching this week and realize that I also want to go back to Vietnam. My goal and dream is to build a school in the land of my parents’ home country for the children there who are deprived of a proper education. I don’t think this goal will come to pass for at least another six or seven years, at the earliest. I know one thing is for sure. I want Hoangyen to be a part of the school’s name, and I’m going to be there on site, helping to put the bricks in walls.

So. Economics and Education... sounds like a great combination to me. But what about Pre-med what about Medical School? For now, I’m going to take God’s pointers and run with them and not look back. Right now, nothing points to that track, and I don’t think I’m a science oriented person anyway. I thought I was. I like science, but the thought of following it for a lifetime is not very enticing. My main concern is to make a difference, to live to make a difference. And I realize that I can do that with countless other careers, in countless different ways. I am so excited!

Last night I had a very trying time before Real Life. Real Life is the weekly meeting I go to to worship with Yale Students for Christ. I love it and I love the people in this group. But it’s been a tough week and I had an Arabic test and a Chem Exam today, so logically, Thursday night was cram session. My Arabic session and Chem session ended up being both canceled. I was eating dinner at 6:25 PM and I was struggling with deciding whether or not I was going to go to Real Life. Sessions being canceled meant more time being able to study... but the Holy Spirit spoke to me and commanded me to be there. That may sound weird, but trust me, I know it happened. So I said back, if I am commanded to be there, let me done with dinner, errands, cleaning up, and showering by 6:50. God had me done at 6:45. Oof. I get the message :) And so I went to Real Life and left with peace and love overflowing.

At Real Life, Greg Ganssle talked about how we tend to put up a wall between Jesus and our academic lives. Being at Yale, we think we can do it on our own. Well, we can’t. And I’ve learned that lesson quickly. Greg said that we really need to truly do things for Jesus and not for ourselves. Our bodies are not our own, but a temple of the Lord - and sometimes, we fail to take care of God’s property. I fail a lot, but I’m trying.

I’m reading Kissing Dating Goodbye by Joshua Harris and am finding it very insightful and very true and matches with my values and my perception of dating. Awesome. I would recommend it wholeheartedly - and I’m only on the second chapter.

I also try to read Mere Christianity by C.S. Lewis before I go to bed. He breaks the book down into very manageable chapters and it’s a nice decompressor before I shut my eyes for sleep. I understand why people rave about him and his logic. A specific thing I really like is that he has no apologies for being the person that he is or for the way he writes his book.

I’m still struggling with the decision to go to Jordan this Spring Break. I haven’t heard back from Reach Out yet, but if I do get in, funding will be a problem. I’ve been praying about it, that I might have the heart to decide to do this program if I get in, that I might have the wisdom to make the right choices, that I might glorify God in doing this. I think it would be nice to get to know Jordan for a week before I decide to spend a summer there too for level 3 and level 4 Arabic.

Speaking of Arabic, I have a huge test on Monday... and I hope I can find pockets of time during this weekend to study for it. It’s coming along decently for me. I really like my professor, Ghassan. He’s like a big teddy bear and he’s so nice!

Today I had lunch with Sumaya and we had a nice time hanging out and talking while I packed for the conference. :) oh, Jayid :)

I’m looking forward to what God is going to teach me today, tomorrow, and Sunday at this conference.

And, SHOUT OUT to Sarah Thompson! It was her birthday yesterday! I’m sorry I called so late! I hope you got my message and I hope you had a wonderful birthday! May all your wishes come true and may God shower blessings upon you! Thank you for being a blessing to me.

And, to Teresa Pham. I miss you so much. Thank you for your random text messages that always brighten up my day. I love you this much <----- <3 -----> :)