(See feb pictures including stuff from this post) This has been a weird couple of weeks for us. It started last week with me having to be in Phoenix for some important meetings for the National ISI ministry about discipleship and preparing students for returning home as leaders in Christ and it ends with our family stuck at home on Superbowl weekend (in N Texas) with my parents visiting because of the weather. Here are some of the details…

• Last week I had the special privilege of being in Phoenix for a bunch of meetings to figure out how to improve ISI’s national strategy for discipling students so they can be better difference makers when they go home. While this is a huge value for ISI for all our years, we have felt the need to refine that strategy to make it more of a reality for every student who God moves to follow Him that we have contact with. It was good. We had great progress as we clarified assumptions with each other and put ourselves on the same page of the next steps. Praise the Lord for His Spirit to bring unity.
• Before and during the meetings, I had to manage the registration and the Dallas side for Houston Space weekend trip that Jeff Newpher, our Houston colleague, hosts for our Dallas team three times a year. I did not personally go, but our TCU, UTD and UT Tyler campuses sent 30+ students with other volunteers on this trip to Space Center Houston and to home stays nearby NASA. They even got to meet a astronaut who shared his story with Jesus as it relates to his space experience. All reports indicate a great experience had by all with terrific conversations about spiritual and heart things. Prayers were important as the weather coming back was bad but everything turned out okay. The difficulty was in the many last minute changes and moving pieces. Praise God for the outcome of it all.
• The all three of the kids were sick last and this week and missed some school but all are better now.
• This last week was unusual as my parents arrived on Saturday, the weather took a turn for the worse and so the kids stayed home Tuesday through Friday because of the ice and snow. We had much cabin fever. Still what a blessing for grandparents to have total access for a whole week during what is normally a school week. I love Texas. But the one thing I miss the most of California and the thing that makes me sad is not having my parents near by during this stage of theirs and our kids lives.  So this was special. Praise the Lord for His planning. Dad also turned 75 during this time but he insisted on cleaning up and building shelving for my garage during much of this time in the cold. He is awesome and he makes me so proud and appreciative on so many levels.
• This is Chinese/Vietnamese lunar New Year and it has been incredible connecting with students this week on facebook, QQ (A chinese messaging service… facebook is blocked in China), and other media. We have been able to really connect.