Travels with Steph: His Love is Better than Life

Reference to John Steinbeck's Travels with Charlie, which I really, really didn't like hehe. Anyway, this weekend was quite a packed one. Thankful for an opportunity to drive all over Southern California J-- LA to Irvine to Corona to LAX to USC to UCLA to K-Town back to UCLA to San Diego back to UCLA. God, in His providence, gave two opportunities to share about my upcoming missions trip with fellow brothers and sisters. They were both very different experiences.

First was to Ezra's youth group at Saenuri Korean Church: a group of roughly 30 Korean-Americans ranging from middle school to college. Becky and I made a PowerPoint, mainly sharing about how Christianity is so much more than just an activity or social construct in our lives. God has created us for eternity and He's inviting us into His eternal work! We shared about our experiences in Kyrgyzstan and Mongolia and (hopefully) exposed them to some cultural differences.

Next was Amy Lin's home church, San Diego Taiwanese Presbyterian Church (SDTPC). I first shared at the English ministry, and then the Taiwanese ministry. It was such a blessing—especially the Taiwanese side whom are comprised mostly of older Taiwanese people. It was my first time worshipping and praying with "my people" :D and it made me tear up a little bit to think about what a sight it would be to see my parents worshipping God in a congregation such as this one. Anyway, by God's grace in providing an excellent translator, I shared about how God changed my life and how He's led me to move overseas. I shared a bit about the missions field and it was so encouraging that throughout my presentation there were some people nodding and smiling in agreement. Afterwards, many people came to ask questions or to just thank me for sharing. One parent even shared Joshua 1:6-9 with me and prayed for me! Amy Lin's mom was super-supportive, too; handing out my letters to people and helping me.

All in all, I feel very blessed to have those opportunities to share—I'm not big on public speaking, but God definitely opened those doors and I'm glad for His grace to respond and share. On top of those great times, I was able to have lunch with Anne Yi on Saturday and brunch with Lei H Yap I on Sunday. Thankful for sovereign openings in schedules to catch up with those sisters and to just recall how good He has been to me to bring such great people into my life.

As I shared at Amy's church, it occurred to me that the simplest way to explain why I'm leaving is because God has continued to reveal Himself as the God whose love is better than life. There's nothing better than His love, and so I follow Him, considering my life worth nothing because really, He's given me so much better. Praise the Lord!

Answered prayers on the field

One huge blessing and challenge after leaving my job at Warner has been the abundance of time I have to go share the gospel with people on campus. My first year staffing (two years ago) was miserable-- I'd EV by myself for three hours at a time and I was so scared, as well as so guilt-ridden for any time that I passed someone by in fear or dread. Last year, I became busier and I didn't evangelize as much, but it was growing on me and I became more comfortable sharing with people on campus. This year, I didn't get opportunities to EV at all (besides STP/ETP) because I was barely on campus anyway.

That brings us to now. It's been still challenging each time I go out, and I think it takes me an average of 20 minutes to work up the courage to approach someone. Am I just not used to it anymore? Or am I just a coward in desperate need of God's grace? Perhaps both hehe. But every time God gives me the courage to talk to someone, it's a huge blessing.

So today, as I'm walking toward "the field", I lift up a prayer to God. "God, I pray that I'll meet someone who's open to talking about Jesus. God, I pray that I'll meet someone that wants to hear the gospel via the bridge illustration. In Jesus' name, Amen." I walk up to this girl next to the inverted fountain, ask her about her beliefs, and she responds, "I'm not comfortable sharing about this with people. Thanks, though." Rejection. I think I was more on a roll though because I walked up the stairs toward Schoenberg, asked the next girl on a bench, and voila! Praise the Lord, both prayers answered!! 3rd year, Japanese music major who is totally open to talking, really willing to listen to the bridge, really thankful that I shared with her, oh my, God is so good!! She was totally ripe for hearing the gospel and it was all by God's grace. It was such a blessing walking away from that conversation, knowing that my God is watching over me even as I cower in strange fear. I'm not alone out there. :) I encourage you all to join me in asking of the Lord because when He answers, we really do feel His love. He cares for me!

I stand amazed...

God is... amazing. Slightly rebuking, too? But more just amazing, gracious, patient, kind, loving, generous... I know He's getting a kick out of the fact that my last post was about lacking money. All I can do is shake my head and try to understand grace. Within the past week, I've received one anonymous cash donation, two via check, and two monthly pledges, all adding up to a big WOW. I could be a pessimist and say that I still have ~80% to go but it's hard to be a pessimist when you worship such a great God.

Testimonies:

I saw someone on campus that I hadn't seen in a while and I stopped to talk/catch up with what was going on in his life. It was brief, maybe 15-20 minutes, somehow getting on the topic of my moving overseas. Then, very unexpectedly, when he got up to leave, he gave me a check saying, "It's not much but please take this." What?? Only in God's family, in His kingdom. I barely know the guy, perhaps talking with him only a handful of times before this. Incomprehensible.

I found this in my backpack yesterday:

This picture makes me look like a drug dealer. :D sorry. But seriously, I don't even know what to say. Which is why this post is so scattered and disjointed but I figured I have to proclaim His praises.

All I could do every time financial support would come was pray and thank God. I feel so undeserving of people's money. I know, as King David says, all that we have is God's and when we give to Him, we just give back what He first gave us. But the selflessness of people's hearts to want to give of their hard-earned money with the faith that God will provide for them moves me. God bless them.

I also feel affirmed by God. I've been going through doubts as to whether God really wants me to go overseas, but if hearts are being moved to support me in prayer and finances, that must say something. I know that I don't have any "power" nor do I want to have any persuasive role in people's support of me. So yes, I praise God for showing me once again that He can do it and He will. I thank Him because I don't know what I'm doing and everyday it feels crazier that I'd move out of my comfort zone, especially feeling like I lack the gifts/skills to be successful out there-- but He's letting me know that He's leading me, and that's enough.

Sorry again that this post is so disjointed. Thank you for your prayers (ecce, God answers! What joy to know our Heavenly Father hears and answers!). I hope this post brings you to praise God and see Him at work in your own life. Down with our disbelief! :) 3 Cheers for the King!