Megan’s Archive

I’m a sophomore?

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

Without further ado, I will be continuing my blogging adventures throughout SOPHOMORE YEAR! (WOOOO)

Meghan, myself, and Melody. My beautiful fellow alpha leaders.

To catch you up on life (or to introduce myself if this is the first post of mine you are reading)… My name is Megan and I am a sophomore graphic design major. You can read all of my previous posts to get a good grasp on what I was involved in last year and what my life “looked like.” Basically, I was living in Trinity Hall with the most amazing hallmates (two of which are my roommates this year). I was involved in Young Life first semester and second semester I joined a D-Group and started attending meetings for a Focus International mission trip through the Office of World Missions (to Tanzania). I loved my experience with the Alpha program, and due to that I applied and was accepted to be an Alpha Leader for this semester. IT IS SUCH A BLESSING. Say hello to my incredible alphies:

So far, even though this year has already flooded me with busyness, I am LOVING this new change of pace as a sophomore. My roommates are two of the most amazing, Godly women around and it is such a blessing to be able to seek God together and know that they are always supporting me and uplifting me. My R.A. (Resident Advisor) is incredible, my D-Group is continuing into this year and is always such an encouragement, and the bond that I have formed with the other alpha leaders is indescribable. I am realizing the blessings of a small community such as APU, I am reaping the benefits of being able to pour into so many peoples lives and to be poured into by so many great people.

It is crazy to me that it has been over a year since I moved in to Azusa, California and this place became home. It became home quick, might I add. It is funny that it is such a random, little-known city yet holds so much importance in my life. This place used to hold potential, and now it holds growth, change, purpose, relationships, and passion. This place, Azusa Pacific University, and this city, holds a lot.

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A Necessary Blog Post.

Monday, October 3rd, 2011

If you want to get technical, my run as an APU blogger ‘ended’ over four(ish) months ago when our summer break began. However, after the life changing eight weeks I spent this summer in Tanzania I felt that this post was entirely necessary after talking so much about this trip in my previous blogs.

I don’t really know where to begin, that seems to always be the toughest part about talking about a trip that had as big of an impact as this one had on me. I traveled to Tanzania (South-Eastern Africa) and spent two months there with a team put together by both the Office of World Missions and more importantly, God. (He hand picked this team perfectly, might I add.)

Three of my favorite beautiful girls of Nkungi.

We spent about 5 weeks in Nkungi village where we did work assigned by the village leaders, taught at both a primary and secondary school, installed water filters, distributed food packets, built blocks for a teachers home at one of the primary schools, and loved like crazy on the beautiful kids that we spent endless time with.

The new playground we build in Singida Town, the primary (elementary) school kids were so excited. It was the first of its kind.

Then we spent about 2 weeks in Singida Town where we worked at a childrens community center where food was distributed to the children that couldn’t afford it (in exchange for them being educated). We had the blessing of constructing a playground which was unheard of there and also repainted and fixing up the entire building. The other 1 week of the trip was spent in travel time and debriefing on a safari.

Babuu. One of the amazing things we got to witness on this trip was his hatred and aggression toward us in the beginning, that in time turned to love and admiration.

I think that the most present things that God taught me during that time was that (1) fears are petty when compared to life lessons that can be learned. We think our fears are justified, until God uses those fears to bring himself glory. (2) Statistics on poverty, lack of clean water, hiv/aids, prostitution, and disease are REAL, not only are their faces behind them but there are stories and names behind them. (3) Love and grace speak infinitely louder than words. Just because you can’t speak fluently in a language doesn’t mean your impact is less valid. (4) Stepping out of your comfort zone is always worth it. (5) The Holy Spirit is as as REAL and ALIVE as God and Jesus are, pray for the Holy Spirit to work through you because He most definitely desires to and WILL. (6) We cannot be strong and we cannot spread God’s perfect love without the power of the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit. Seek it.

All of our friends that we grew to be SO close with in Nkungi village. Blessed beyond words to know these people and call them my Nkungi family.

Basically, the point of this post is not to boast about what I was blessed enough to do this summer but rather to encourage you and to point the glory to God and let you know that He has great things in store for you! A year ago I would have never imagined that going into APU God would call me to this mission trip and this mission trip would lead to so many convictions and blessings. Trust God and trust that His plan is infinitely greater then your own. Allow your life to look differently then you thought it would.

Also, while I know that world mission trips are obviously not in God’s calling for everyone, I DO encourage you to seek out Focus International mission trips at APU and see if God is calling you to one. We are all called to be missionaries, some in their hometowns, some in Azusa, some in other states, and some globally. Seek out where God has called you as a missionary.

My amazing sisters and brothers in Christ that I got blessed to spend 2 months serving alongside.

A side note: If you are a new freshmen at APU, WELCOME. I cannot explain my excitement to see so many new faces around campus and to finally have campus filled after 3 weeks of Alpha Leader Training! I encourage you to seek out ministry opportunities at APU and pour yourself into others. One of the greatest things about APU is being handed so many options to serve others and glorify Jesus Christ.

And if you are reading this blog as a prospective student, I encourage you to do the same, except where you are at. Google away and search opportunities to serve and love on others. Trust me when I say that it is worth every second. Bringing glory to God, and purpose and joy to yourself.

God bless you all.

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Some Last Thoughts

Wednesday, April 27th, 2011

Next weeks marks finals week, and the last week of my freshmen year of college. The days keep going by faster and as much as I am excited for what next year and my entire future will look like, I find myself wishing time would somehow go by slower.

So here marks my freshmen year in a nutshell:

So excited to be moving into my new home!

Move-In day almost felt like it was straight out of a Hilary Duff movie (and I love Hilary Duff movies). Absolute madness, but one of the best days of my life. My stuff was moved in in no time and meeting my roommate was priceless.

Alpha Group 35!

My Alpha Group I met shortly after moving in and I had absolutely no idea what an alpha group even was. Come to find out, APU definitely prides itself on the whole Alpha experience, with a very good reason to. In the beginning, being with a group of 8 strangers was awkward (predictably), but by the end of Alpha I found myself wishing it would never end. Now I am going to be an Alpha Leader myself next year and could not be any more excited about it! It is one of the many ways that they help you transition easily to college life and meet new people you might not ordinarily meet.

Such a fun All-Access weekend!

Being an ambassador this year was the first commitment I made when I arrived at APU. It gave me the opportunity to host prospective students multiple times per year and be a part of All-Access weekends. It was such a blessing being able to see people fall in love with APU as I have. I cannot explain how many smiles and laughs I had during those weekends.

Young Life leaders!

Being a part of Young Life first semester was an experience I will never forget. I made priceless friendships and was able to serve God in the most amazing way. It was a new opportunity for me to put myself out there and love on high schoolers that were open to the Gospel.

Then, as God led me to no longer be a part of Young Life He led me toward being a part of the Office of World Mission’s Focus International mission teams. I found out at the beginning of second semester I would be going to Tanzania. I cannot explain how much God has been real to me through being able to be a part of this mission team. It has been without a doubt, one of the biggest blessings of being here at APU and I haven’t even left for the trip yet (it is in three weeks, crazy!). I never in a million years thought I would ever be going to Africa, it was never in my plan. But I realized that almost everything I have been changed by at APU was not originally in my plan. God’s plan is so much greater.

My hall in Trinity, Fourth South has been a huge part of my experience at APU as well. I have made so many life-long friends and I have learned so much by being able to live on my own and be a part of such a great community.

Spontaneous trip to The Hat with 4th South girls!

Last, but definitely not least, the courses that I have taken at APU so far have honestly changed my perspective on education altogether. I have had professors that changed my life because they changed my perspective on things in ways I never knew possible. Also, being a graphic design major, I am finally able to take design and art classes and it has been so much fun! I cannot explain how great it feels to finally be able to be educated in what I love. Also, words cannot do justice for how great of a blessing it is being educated by Christian professors. Each class (yes, even p.e., math, english, etc.) works faith and Christianity into its curriculum, which is amazing.

I think that everyone that knows me would know how much I would attest to APU being the greatest decision I have ever made. This year has been a crazy whirlwind of a year, but I have grown so much as a person and as a follower of Christ that I wouldn’t change it for the world.

If I were to give advice to incoming students at APU it would be to put yourself out there and do things that you never planned on doing. Enjoy living in the dorm while it lasts, because if you make the most of that experience, it will be one of the best experiences of your life. Don’t stress out, be excited for this year to come. And whatever you do, during the school year even though school can be stressful and overwhelming don’t let it get you to the point where you stop enjoying being here. Going to college is not forced, it is a privilege. Be excited, because a year from now, your life will be so different! The way that the community works here, and the way that God is present here, is enough to change your life alone.

Lastly, I want to say THANK YOU to all my readers for taking the time to keep updated on my experience here at APU! I appreciate it more then you’ll ever know!! If you have any questions feel free to comment and I would love to answer you! God bless.

“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

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one. more. month.

Monday, April 11th, 2011

One more month of my freshmen year. The last time I will ever be a freshmen… in my life. Crazy. This year has seriously flown by faster then I ever thought it would. I feel like I just got here, move-in day seems like it was just yesterday. By far, it has been the best year of my life. I have met people that I can’t imagine living life without. I have met people that have inspired me, encouraged me, and shown me what it means to pursue Christ with all of your being. There are people that I can never repay for the way that they have poured into my life. I have grown as a person, and even more so I have grown in my relationship with God. The way I have experienced God while being here is extraordinary.

It is insane to think of how originally APU was not on my rater of colleges at all. I had a whole different plan, but this was God’s plan for me. And it is infinitely better then any other place I could have ended up. This is my home now, these people are like family. This community is like family. For some people, picking a college is all about the city your in, or the look of the campus, or how great their food is, or even how good the school name will look on your resume. While I would fare to say that there are so many schools that rank better at those things then APU, I would also fare to say that in terms of community and the people, APU ranks number one. I could never imagine myself anywhere else, surrounded by any other group of individuals.

Besides school ending next month, I have a little over one more month until I leave for my mission trip to Tanzania. It is surreal at this point. The way that God has opened doors for this trip, prepared me and equipped me personally for this trip, and bonded my team is just so amazing. It has been a true testimony to how God will get you somewhere if He really wants you there. God really wants me there. If I ended up at any other place, I would not be going on this mission trip in a month. And that in itself is just a weird thought. This mission trip IS where I am supposed to be, and APU got me here. I haven’t even been on the trip yet and I already cannot imagine my life without it.

One more month until I move out of the dorms. Oh boy, that’s going to be a sad day. I will miss spontaneous trips to ‘The Hat’ or ‘Donut Man’ or ‘In-N-Out.’ I will miss beach days with my hall and waking up at 3AM to pillow fights outside and girls screaming in the hall (I know, weird thing to miss right?). I will miss Monday night cramming into a room and watching The Bachelor. I will miss constantly having my door open and never being able to get homework done because people walk in every 2 seconds. I will miss moving my mattress into other rooms and having sleepovers. I will miss spontaneous dance parties and movie nights. I will miss getting ready for GYRAD and walking into the bathroom every morning to see the whole bathroom filled with girls getting ready. I will miss spending hours on end in the study room during finals, but never having a dull moment because there are 10 other girls studying in there too. I will miss never having to be alone, unless I choose to be. I will miss sitting out on Trinity Lawn doing homework on a beautiful sunny day. I will miss every single thing about living in the dorms, it was hands-down one of the greatest parts of my freshmen year. Some of the girls on my hall will be my friends for eternity (seriously).

But there are so many things to look forward to:

  • I am going to be an ALPHA LEADER next year, which I could not be any more excited about. I am so blessed to be able to pour into the lives of incoming freshmen. I can only hope that I influence the lives of my “alphies” as my alpha leader influenced my own.
  • Next year I will be living in an apartment with two of the girls on my hall. They are some of the most caring, encouraging, and fun girls I have ever met. I can’t wait.
  • My schedule of classes for next semester…. THREE art classes. So stoked.
  • Spring Semester I am planning on studying abroad (either South Africa, England, Italy, or London!)
  • Much far into the future… my Junior year… I am going to pursue being an R.A. for the freshmen in the dorms.

If you are going to be a freshmen at APU next year I have one piece of advice for you… GET EXCITED. Your life will be changed and will look nothing like what it does right now (in a good way). You will grow, learn, experience things you never imagined you would, and make friendships that will last a lifetime. Looking back, I enjoyed high school, but college is a new level of enjoyment.

If you are not going to be a freshmen at APU next year, GET EXCITED ANYWAYS. Be in prayer about where God is leading you, be pursuing Him, and rejoice in all that you do have right now.

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I love APU because…

Friday, March 11th, 2011
  • The other day I walked into my Psychology class a little early, finding the previous professor that was teaching in that class talking to a student about personal issues it seemed. She was venting about a broken friendship and he gave her advice like a friend, or even a dad would. It made me smile because professors here truly and honestly care for us as people, not just as students that need a grade and a diploma.
  • Today (Thursday), the band Jars of Clay played in the Amphitheater in the afternoon. Finishing a midterm and then sitting and watching a wonderful band play next to great friends of mine was awesome and a great end to my school week.
  • Today I was walking to class and a guy was opening the door to class and didn’t realize I was behind him, therefore not opening the door for me. He turned around and apologized. It made my day. How many guys care enough about something as small as opening a door that they apologize when they forget to? Makes me love going to a school surrounded by people that care about their faith and being Christ-like.
  • It is in Southern California. And being born and raised only an hour away I will never lose my love for clear skies, warm weather, and being able to sit outside in the grass outside my dorm and do homework. It was the most beautiful day today.
  • Sunday I found out that I got the position as Alpha Leader for next year and I could not be any more excited to be able to share my love of people, APU, and more then anything, Jesus. I love that we have so many opportunities to use the gifts we have to benefit others and glorify God.
  • I get to worship God through music at Chapel alongside people I go to class with, serve with, eat with, and live with 3+ times a week.
  • People here are genuine. I have never met such passionate, God-fearing individuals in my life. But at the same time I love that you don’t have to profess to believe in Jesus to be educated here. We learn from people at all walks in their life, with all backgrounds, and with various beliefs. We have opportunities to reach out, show the love of Christ, and simultaneously look up to others.
  • I walk around campus and see our president (John Wallace) socializing, teachers having lunch with students, and students praying. Call me crazy but this would have NEVER happened in high school.
  • I love APU because it seems that everyone that goes here loves APU. There is almost a general consensus that our school rules, and it makes it rule that much more.

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APU Dictionary

Wednesday, March 9th, 2011

Alpha: A group you will be placed in the day you move in that includes a sophomore (sometimes a junior) alpha leader and about 8-12 other freshmen. You will all be in the same beginnings class (its a 350 person class that usually just has people speak about current issues) and you will meet one other time during the week to get to know each other and have fun. Its a great way to meet people and as awkward as it may feel as first everyone really does end up loving the program.

Biola: ……..

Communiversity: Community + Diversity, a program that plans events and makes the school fun (simply said).

Cookie Mill: One of our popular off-campus food options. They have amazing ice cream sandwiches with your choice of ice cream and cookies for cheap. It is right by the Mods (next to Stater Brothers), so it is in easy walking distance.

Crazy 8: A team of 8 extremely school spirited students that hype up the crowd and the athletes at sporting events.

Donut Man: A donut shop down the street (a car ride away, not really walk-able distance) that has the GREATEST donuts on the planet. It is basically legendary here at APU. Its open 24/7 and usually anytime you go there you will see other APU students.

D-Group “Discipleship Group:” A group that you can choose to be placed in that meets one time per week for 1-2 hours and talks about life. Some have Bible studies, some just hang out, some read a book together, it all depends on the group. Usually its 4-6ish people and they always have an upperclassman as a leader. It’s always same-sex groups. I am in one currently (I just started it this semester) and it is an amazing way to feel connected to the community here and feel as if you always have people to go to if you need anything. I always look forward to hanging out with my girls.

“Freddy” Cougar: The lovely school mascot!

GYRAD: “Get your roommate a date.” Self explanatory?

High Sierra: A “study abroad” opportunity in Yosemite for all majors that is mainly done by freshmen and sophomores (but juniors still do it sometimes!). It creates a very tight knit family and provides so many opportunities to do anything and everything in nature you could ever desire! I have many friends that have done it or are there now and they ALL claim it to be one of the greatest experiences of their lives.

Intermurals: Sports teams set up by us students! Currently, a lot of the girls on my hall are on a soccer team together and they love it.

Kaleo: A Wednesday night option for Chapel that is LOVED on this campus. It is a more intimate setting, less people, and the sermons usually relate and build off each other. I would highly recommend going when you start attending APU because if not when you do end up going to Kaleo you will wish you went from the very beginning (my roommate made that mistake haha).

Liturgical: Another Chapel option some Thursday nights that provides a service similar to Mass (lots of hymns) where it is very personal. I have never been, but many of my friends go and LOVE it.

Mods: A (mainly) sophomore living area that looks like little houses all around the area behind Trinity and Engstrom and the Baseball field.

My Tie: Often done in Freshmen living areas, all the guys will put a tie in a hat and the girls will pick one. Whatever tie you pick is your date for the night.

Resident Advisor: An upperclassman that lives on each hall (and mod or apartment complex) and regulates all their residents and plans events to bond the living communities. They also have a roommate (the RAR, Resident Advisor Roommate).

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