8 Years of Ministry!

Here's my method of memorizing the beatitudes (a portion of the Sermon on the Mount found in Matthew 5:3-10).

1. When you put up one finger, you think of one dollar.  “Blessed are the poor in Spirit.”  When you put one finger up, you’re also pointing upwards.  “For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”
2. When you put two fingers up and run them over your eyes, you think of crying.  “Blessed are those who mourn for they will be comforted.”
3. When you point three fingers downwards it makes an “M.”  “Blessed are the meek.”  And it also looks like a pitchfork that you stick into the earth.  “For they will inherit the earth.”
4. When you have four fingers, it looks like an animal walking.  We eat a lot of four-legged animals.  “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness for they will be filled.”
5. You use 5 fingers to extend mercy and receive it.  “Blessed are the merciful for they will be shown mercy.”
6. With 6 fingers, use the first hand to hold your heart.  Use the other finger to point upwards.  “Blessed are those who are pure in heart for they will see God.”
7. With 7 fingers, make a peace sign with one hand.  The other hand is used to pat a son on the head.  “Blessed are the peacemakers for they will be called sons of God.”
8. With 8 fingers, use one hand to slap the air as if "persecuting someone."  The other 3 fingers represent the Trinity or the kingdom of heaven.  “Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”

7 Years - Time for Sabbattical = )

Hello All!

Time for my yearly update = )  Today marks 7 years of being in Los Angeles doing ministry.  I thank God for bringing me this far.  These days, 7 years is a long time to be in one church, let alone serving in one church.  I really give praise to God for giving me the strength to keep going. 

A few key thoughts go through my mind on this seventh anniversary of my ministry.  I want to give thanks to God for two people.  Of course, God has sent many people along my path to help me and support me, but I want to take this "xanga moment" to appreciate two.  Over the past few days or so, God brought it to my attention that two people have been serving alongside with me in the English congregation for the last 7 years.  There have been many other faithful servants, but two people have spent the duration by my side serving full-heartedly.  There have been others who have served faithfully, but for one reason or another weren't around for the full 7 years - whether it be school or travel or other circumstances.  I want to say that I'm thankful and appreciate all, but today, I want to show my special appreciation for two.

I want to take this opportunity to express my appreciation for Jonathan Chan and Evangeline Kwan.  I met Jonathan about 8 years ago when I visited VOH the year before I arrived.  Then I ran into him the night that I arrived to Los Angeles 7 years ago, when he came to the house I was living in at the time to help Joshua Chao move.  Jonathan is many things, but today I want to express my appreciation for his steadfastness and faithfulness.  Jonathan and I ministered together in that first year to the youth group.  At the time, Jonathan was 18 years old.  Can you believe it that 7 years later that little youth group is now the English congregation?!  It always amazes me when I think about that. Our ministry has been through good times and bad times, but Jonathan has always served and led through it all.  This is admirable, and I want to express my appreciation to Jonathan today.

When I first met Evangeline I didn't think she liked me much.  She was sitting at the drums at the first Friday meeting I went to.  Someone introduced me to her, and her response was something like, "Oh, so you're the new youth leader," in a sort of sarcastic, caustic tone.  But over the years, I think she warmed to me a lot more = )  What I saw in Evangeline at that time was a young girl who tried her absolute best to serve the Lord and honor the Lord even though a lot of things and circumstances surrounding her were trying to drag her down.  I saw a warrior inside of her.  I saw a steadfastness and persistance in her.  I really couldn't believe it when she was on the Sunday worship team even when she was in 8th grade.  I thought that was amazing.  Evangeline has been faithful.  She always serves others, and she reflects Christ wherever and whomever she's around.  She is a special girl/woman of the Lord.  I was young when I came to Los Angeles and into the ministry (22), and Evangeline, even as an 8th grader, taught me what it truly means to "not let anybody look down on you because you are young but set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith, and in purity" - 1 Timothy 4:12.

I want to close this entry with a thought the Lord gave to me throughout 2007.  In the beginning of the year I was watching the HBO series, Band of Brothers.  It's about a unit that fought together on D-Day and World War II.  As I was watching the series, I was like, "Man, it would have been so cool if I came on June 6, 2000 then I could have landed in Los Angeles on D-Day.  If only I came one day earlier."  But then I felt like the Lord spoke to me.  He said, "No, I purposely had you land on June 7th."  The Lord said, "I landed a day ahead of you in Los Angeles and fought the warfare for you."  I was cut to the heart when the Lord spoke that to me.  I praise the Lord, because He has and He is and He always will go before me to fight on my behalf.  Thank you Jesus for giving me the honor of serving you and allowing me to sustain through 7 years.  Here's to 7 more!

A Special Appreciation

Hello Everybody.  It's very infrequent that I update, but I wanted to put up a very special post.  I don't get enough opportunities to appreciate people in my life.  And I just wanted to take this opportunity to start doing that.  I know this is a very random selection, but I'm going to start with 2 people - Tim Cheung and Ellen Chang.

Tim, I must say that I admire your resiliency.  That really is a good word to describe you.  I really admire you going to Iraq to serve this country.  Although I should appreciate all the troops who have risked or even given their lives to serve this country, I give thanks to you as a tangible reminder of the sacrificial heart of Americans.  Thanks for being cheery and always lighening up the mood.  You really are one of a kind.  Thanks for all you do in the ministry as well.  This has been a great season as you've stepped back in!  I'm excited about that for you!

Ellen, I'm glad that you've chosen to attend and serve at VOH while you're here in L.A.  It has been a tremendous blessing for me to see you grow.  I see you as a strong woman of God who has high ambitions in life and to serve the Lord.  I see in you a "go-getter" mentality.  I really admire that, because there are a lot of passive people in this generation.  Keep up the great work in the ministry.  I think that the sky's the limit for you.