Journey of life

It is just about time to say goodbye to Oscoda and get back into the Moody routine. This has been one of the greatest summers ever. God has been faithful as always. There have been many accomplishments and prayers answered! I will miss Oscoda Baptist Church greatly. It has been a great privilege and blessing interning at OBC. It has been eye opening. I have had a very amazing time with Pastor David Dudenhofer! It has been a mind changing experience to see the real life of the church from a leadership perspective. I have learned so much, and I will never see the church in a shadowy way again. I couldn’t ask for any better internship than this: a great church, a great family of God, and a great youth group. It is hard to say goodbye.

I am excited to get back at Chicago to finish my senior year at Moody Bible Institute, and I am already looking forward to ministry and further study at DTS. I’ve always prayed that God would show me what the next step would be. Life doesn’t always happen the way we expected it or made sense to us, but for sure, he has always been there even when he seemed to be absent. He leads me one-step at a time. Life surely has many lessons to teach, and even when things don’t make sense, we can trust God. When I look back to how far the Lord has brought me, I am amazed and overwhelmed by his joy of gratitude, sometimes I just shake my head, and all I can say is “Praise the Lord”!
I have had the opportunity to preach from the book of Nehemiah this summer. Throughout the study of the book, Nehemiah brought me through a phase of reflection in my life. He taught me that when things seem hard and our plan seemed like they are failing to “remember the Lord (Nehemiah 4:14)”. I don’t know why but this phrase really caught my eye, “Remember the Lord who is great and awesome”. I probably can count all the struggles I’ve been through in my life, but I can never count all the blessing of God in my life. From no hope at all to hope of everlasting life, that is a big deal. What a great leader Nehemiah was! When the Jews were about to be discouraged and ready to give up, He just told them to remember the Lord. I can only imagined when they heard this, they couldn’t help but look back on the past, the crossing of the Red Sea, the fall of Jericho, and so forth. Sometimes all we need when we are going through despair or discouragement is a reminder of who the Lord is and what he has done in our lives.
I remember being in the hospital on my deathbed, not wishing anything but death. Jesus showed up, restored my life, and gave me new hope. I never hoped I would be able to write again, not to mention going to college. I never thought I would find meaning in this life again, but Jesus says, “Yes, you won’t, but I will give you meaning.” As I look back over all these things, I say, “Praise the Lord!” Did I see all this was coming? No! This taught me something in my short life span. We can only enjoy life when we enjoy God, put our complete dependence in him, and trust him to lead us for His glory. I learned never to give up through pain, suffering, hardship, or death because the Lord is great and awesome! The Great and Awesome loves me and you! What an assurance for us who are afraid of the problems in this life! God defeated our greatest enemy, which is death! What else is there for us to be afraid of, what else can take us away from God’s loving protection? Think of Paul’s words to us.
What then shall we say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son but gave him up for us all, how will he not also with him graciously give us all things? Who shall bring any charge against God’s elect? It is God who justifies. Who is to condemn? Christ Jesus is the one who died—more than that, who was raised— who is at the right hand of God, who indeed is interceding for us. Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword? As it is written, for your sake we are being killed all the daylong; we are regarded as sheep to be slaughtered.
No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord (Romans 8:31-39).
God must have a great sense of humor. When we think that this is the end, and we are about to be overtaken by our despair, he shows up. When I was in my sad moment leaving my Oscoda family, he sent me the great news that my father has given his life to Christ. I jumped up on my feet and couldn’t even contain myself. This is news that is beyond happiness or joy for me. I could not have wished for a better summer. God brought my father into the real family, my internship is successfully accomplished, I have got ministry plans figured out, and now, I am ready to finish school. It was a busy summer, but praise God! He did it all.
Please continue pray for my dad’s health! This is what led Him to the Lord, as he was going to the hospital in Port Au Prince. My dad told me he knew the Lord has called him and this was the time. My dad lives in Lagrange, a small village about 2 hours from St Marc. As he was on his way to the hospital, he had to stay in St Marc for couple of days before he would continue on to the hospital in Port au Prince. On Sunday afternoon, a man came to him and shared the gospel with him. He made the right choice to follow Jesus. For everything there is a time. This is exactly what my dad said when I ask him why he decide to follow Christ now. His response was that this was the time. His sickness helped him to see his deep hopelessness and need for the Savior. What a God we serve! My prayer for any one reading this blog is that you would let your problems lead you to God instead of leading you away from Him. Remember it’s all about His glory, not ours. If you miss that, you will blame Him when you ought to be praising Him.
“For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope” (Jeremiah 29:11).