my story

When I was seven, I told my mother she could no longer love me. I told her I was a bad girl and that I was too bad to be loved again. Together, my mom and dad, took this opportunity to tell me of God's redeeming sacrifice through Jesus Christ.  I then trusted Jesus as my personal Lord and Savior.  My dad baptized me on Feb 1, 1986; ten years to the day after he was baptized.  I have since sought to know and make known my incredible living God.

The summer after my 15th birthday, I recommitted my life to the Lordship of Jesus Christ at a summer camp.  At the time I believed that meant I was to enter career ministry.  Surrendering to a career in ministry was not easy because I am a pastor's daughter and I know how draining and difficult being in the ministry can be.  Nonetheless, after I made the decision, I began to think about my future.

At the time, I thought that my career in ministry would be with apartment ministry and apartment churches in an urban area in America.  I spent a summer ministering in inner-city Houston in 1995.  Then in college, I spent two years ministering in downtown Dallas with an after-school program and an apartment church.  I didn't want to be in "churchy" ministry.  I longed to meet people's practical and felt needs in order to meet their real need. However, in 1997 a month long trip to Taiwan through my university changed everything.  Although I experienced immense culture shock, I began to fall in love with the Taiwanese.  I returned to the States and became active in making relationships with international students.  Again, I was devoted to meeting practical and felt needs in order to meet their real need. 

However, this time instead of loafs of bread and after-school tutoring, I offered friendship and help with academic essays.

I then spent my senior year in college as an exchange student in Taiwan.  I loved it.

When returning to finish my last semester of college, I struggled with how to return to Asia to live and serve my Lord and pay off my school loans as well.  After much prayer and consultation with people I trusted, I decided to attend graduate school and work on my master's degree in teaching English as a foreign language.

Now, I have graduated from UT Austin and live in Taiwan.  I again hope to meet people's practical and felt needs in order to have the opportunity to meet their real need, which is why I am using the English language as a ministry tool.

I serve an incredible God who has shaped my hopes, dreams, and experiences to give me joy and bring Him glory.  What a wonderful combination!! Praise Him!!

(See more on why I want to live in Taiwan.)

(To read many more testimonies see the bloggy tour over at Lauren's blog.)

Comments

[Heather]

Wonderful. Thank you for sharing ths beautiful story.

[Kilikina]

What a WONDERFUL testimony. I loved reading that. I am enjoying reading all these!!

I posted mine today.

[Erna]

I appreciated your testimony today. How great it is that the Lord is now using you in a practical place serving the Lord in Taiwan.

[Tabetha]

Wow! I would like to talk with you some about this. My husband and I are interested in becoming tentmaker missionaries, which is what it sounds like you are doing. I would love to know more about how you, with God's help of course, made it work.