Koinonia Christian Campus Fellowship – UC Berkeley Club

My body is sore and exhausted. Why is such a youthful man like yourself in bodily discomfort, you ask? Well, let me tell you: it’s because this past weekend, the freshmen and juniors and staff drove over to our wonderful Sierra Lodge to enjoy good old-fashioned nature and de-stress from pulling off all-nighters for those devastating midterms. I think most people (maybe all) will agree that our short but sweet time at Sierra Lodge was a much needed break from the stresses of school! Look at our pictures and see for yourself! (Pun intended).

Steve, affectionately known as our “Pastor of Leisure and Recreation,” made sure that we had fun icebreakers!

Ah, the Human Knot! A deviously difficult game, but one that makes you bond with your fellow teammates like no other. The sisters ended up barely beating the brothers, but I usually like to say we lost because we’re being chivalrous. After playing some other rigorous team building activities, we decided to hit the sack early so that we could head to Lake Tahoe with full energy the next day!

I don’t know about you, but you don’t see pretty lakes like this in Berkeley. This beats People’s Park any day!

While we had a diverse range of sports to play, ranging from volleyball to ultimate frisbee to tackle football, the kayaks were definitely one of the most popular events at the lake!

Real men aren’t afraid to wear life vests!

Sisters giving their thumb of approval of how fun the trip is!

Enjoying the amazing pulled pork sandwiches that our sisters prepared!

And of course, how could we leave beautiful and pristine Lake Tahoe without playing some vicious, physical British Bulldog? By far, the most satisfying tackle game for both genders because you have the liberty of picking out your target and tackling them ruthlessly in the sand!

Sometimes, the best games are the most chaotic ones!

Of course, we also had to take a group picture in front of the vividly colored foliage! For SURE you don’t see trees like that in Berkeley!

Though we were tired from playing so well at Lake Tahoe, that didn’t deter us from playing more fun sports back at the Sierra Lodge grounds!

The power of youth knows no bounds!

Us? Tired? Get out of here!

One of the team building games we had at the end of the night involved linking arms and falling backwards. While the sisters seemed to have accomplished the task well, the brothers had a particularly hard time…some guys claimed that it was because our large muscles prevented us from properly supporting each other…

And of course, we had a rowdy time singing praise songs around a roaring fire. It was also a precious time when we reflected on how fast the semester was passing by, but how we already developed so many close relationships with one another.

Anyways, for those who weren’t able to join us this time around, fear not! We’ll probably have another trip to our Sierra Lodge during the winter, when the heavy snow gracefully drapes the grounds and makes Sierra Lodge look like a Winter Wonderland! Make sure to come to that trip, no matter the cost!!! Ok, not necessarily at all costs, but you get the idea. Looking forward to more memory-making moments in the future!

Taking a break from the flood of midterms we’ve been having, this past weekend the sophomore class journeyed to one of the wonders of the world, the absolutely BEAUTIFUL and breathtaking Yosemite!!!!!

Throughout the whole trip we found ourselves continuing to repeat “Whooaaaaa.” It was was a sense of just being struck down with AWESOMENESS to the point where we ran out of words to say and that was the only one that would come out.

Case in point #1: The Food. Whoaaa…

Steak. ‘Nuff said.  

Here is wise old master Steve teaching his young grasshopper the ancient and mythical secrets of meat-grilling.

Yummy yum yum. A big, hearty “Thank you!” to everyone who worked so hard to plan and prepare our meals! We ate like kings!

Case in point #2: Yosemite House. Whhhhoooooooooaaaaaaa…..

Since we arrived, the house was always brimming with activity. From prepping late night brownies in the kitchen…

…to stuffing the living room and laughing together as we played games and told embarassing stories.

Even after just two nights it started to feel like home, and a bunch of us fondly dubbed it “Yo House.” We were so thankful to have this place to go and to create amazing memories…even those we’d rather forget, like when the girls lost the couch game. We want a rematch!

Final case: The Nature. WHHHOOOOOOOOAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!!!
We hit the ground running as we conquered two hikes. The first, we called “Lord the Rings country.” Going out there made us all want to grab a sword and battle some orcs!

Seriously, Lord of the Rings, anyone? Now is the hour! Riders of Rohan! Oaths you have taken, now fulfill them all, to lord and land!

Raaaarrrhhhh!!

Waiting in anticipation to start the hike as we received safety instructions. Safety first!

Fellowship of the Koin Soph Bros.

Some of us got confused though and thought this was a scene from Sound of Music instead. “The hills are aliivvee…”

The second hike was aptly named “Peaceful River.” Here, we had a chance to quiet our hearts, read through Psalm 23, and pray a prayer of blessing for each other for the rest of the year.

Of course, we couldn’t pass up a gangsta photo while at the peaceful river. See what I mean? Struck down by AWESOMENESS.

Phew, this was a long post! But it really was a packed trip. All in all, we were so, so, so thankful for this opportunity to bond with each other and have fellowship in the midst of God’s amazing nature. I don’t think it’s an exaggeration to say that we all had the time of our lives and a BLAST on this trip. Can’t wait until next time!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

This past Saturday, the juniors hit Pacifica for a short-but-very-sweet time in the sun. Without exaggeration, it was the best beach weather I’ve ever experienced in Northern California! It was a wonderful break from the hustle and bustle of school as we grilled, ate, chilled, ran around (and tackled each other) in the midst of God’s beautiful creation.

Wilson dominating in frisbee.

No one can stop Matt.

Hope you can all join us next time!

It’s late August, and you know what that means. School is back in session, and a Sophomore Welcome Back Dinner is in full order! Hosted by the staff, last Friday a whole bunch of us feasted on an incredible banquet of 12-hour slow cooked pork roast smoothed down by Sheri’s secret strawberry lemonade.

Look at that meat! Mmmmm…..

Nom nom nom nom nom.

Sheri’s strawberry lemonade. (Only 2 ingredients! Amazing!)

With bellies reeeeaaaaally full, we then headed off to chilly SF! In fact, it was so chilly and foggy that we decided to cancel the trip to Battery Park and fight off the cold weather instead with nice ice cream from Ghiradelli’s.

Oh yeah, that earthquake got owned.

There are no photos to document this, but let me just say for the record that there was a face off between sophomore brothers and sophomore sisters to see who can down an earthquake the fastest. Let’s just say that the sophomore brothers need some work Yay-yuh! Sisters 1: Brothers 0.

All in all, it was great seeing old and new faces after a whole summer away. As we shared our prayer requests with each other and were reminded of God’s faithfulness the past year, we were excited to look forward to another year together. Woohoo, bring it on!!

Welcome back sophomores! We missed you guys

Instead of just celebrating a holiday typically characterized by chocolate, roses, and romance, Koinonia students and staff set out on Valentine’s Day with a bigger idea of love in mind: eternal love. For our Valentine’s Day of Compassion, we divided up into smaller groups and headed out to nursing and homes and rehabilitation centers for the elderly in nearby cities. This touching experience gave us a chance to reach out to those otherwise forgotten on this special day.

We took some time to communicate with the residents in these centers, getting to meet them and listen one-on-one to their stories. We led them in a time of praise songs, drawing from both more recent material and also traditional hymns like “Amazing Grace.” A number of students were also chosen to deliver a short message on an aspect of the gospel’s great power.

To bring a smile to the faces of the residents, we also brought a craft (tissue paper flowers!) which were left at the care centers for them to enjoy. They were a lot of fun to make and even more fun to share.

Once again this Gracepoint tradition was powerful in sharing God’s love. Join us next year when we do it again!

Last Saturday, while the junior class when to an awesome looking Pacifica Beach, the sophomore class hit the mountains at Sierra Lodge. And let me tell you, it was AWESOME! So if you missed out, I’m sorry to tell you that you probably missed the best Sierra Lodge trip yet and possibly…ever to come. So please, if you are unable to handle extreme fun don’t finish reading this post because you will be too jealous to look us in the eyes

So moving onto the good stuff! First thing after we got to SL, we went straight for the warmth and comfort of the gazebo. What better way to start the weekend than with toasted soft marshmallows, flamed evergoods, fun singing, and Eric & Martin’s LOTR reenactment.

Mmmmm Evergoods...

Look at those awed faces :O

For those of you who were expecting an Eric and Martin production, you won’t find it here. It’s actually highly confidential, but they are open for private showings. Please see manager Josh A for details.

After our fun time at the gazebo we went back to the lodge for even more food (aka. evergoods again <yay!> in ramen mmmmm…) and the name game.

Sorry but these aren't for sale.

Can you guess Alan's name while Jenny's face is like that? I don't think so!

After staying up late playing, we happily crashed with full tummys and smiley faces knowing what would come in just a few hours. Next morning, we started the day off with breakfast and even better food called DTs. After that came a glorious IRON CHEF competition between the bros and the sisters. Let me show you the food and you decide which one won.

Pan-fried noodles (missing is tofu stew and other goodness)

Yummy Appetizers with Two Different Dips

Compliment to the Appetizers, a Nice Side

Braised Pork, Chicken Delight, and Kick'n Asian Noodles

Did you pick your winner? If you guessed that last one, you were absolutely right! This wonderful and professional looking meal was prepared by yours truly, the BROTHERS team! And you thought we couldn’t cook. HAH! The sisters, took a glorious second, but if their cookies were in the race, they would’ve won for sure. Those cookies were better than Chips Ahoy, CREAM, and Mrs. Fields COMBINED!! Best cookies ever. yum.

Anyhow, this is a snow trip but where’s all the snow? Well it’s now the time you’ve all been waiting for…SNOW MADNESS!

Wanted: ultimate jacker who preys on the weak

These guys are the hounds we sent out to catch the criminal named Dan

Of course, we had to pile on the staff guys

The previous photo was a precursor to this bigger pile

Some people were eventually left for dead

Turns out the sisters were a bit too vicious and their photos could not be uploaded because it would no longer be rated G or even PG…maybe not even PG-13.

WEEEEE! See how much fun we had? For those of you who missed out, we really missed you guys so come next time okay?

Come next time...so we can cream you too!!