one ell, please

Testimony

My journey to God has been a long and continuing one. Of my background, to begin with, my family is not Christian–not one in the 5 or 6 family units that I know.

Born in 1986 in ShenZhen, China (right next HK), I moved with my mom to Vancouver as a “Made in China” export just before the age of 7. In China my dad was an officer in a governmental ministry and my mom was a marketing executive in an oil company. Things were smooth, but in moving to Canada we suffered from the sick currency exchange and a non-recognition of work experience. Because of this, dad worked manual labour jobs to get us by while mom learned English and accounting.

With a dim future in Canada, dad went back to China with entrepreneurial hopes. As he wound down in the shower after a long day something went awry. The then-used water-heating gas tank in the bathroom began to leak… and leak… and leak… until enough was concentrated to poison and damage his brain, leaving him barely cognitive.

In despair my mom sought supernatural aid everywhere–hopping from Buddhist temple to Buddhist temple. Yet out of tragedy God brought good: we ended up at a church. My mom told me years later that dad had proposed going to a church before but she had refused… In this small and strange seedling of sorts God led my mom and I to church. Over the years to follow, my mom sent me to Sunday school with the view of church as an institution for bringing up well-behaved people (while she remained unenthusiastic overall).

Though there were sometimes extended periods of absence, I usually went often and with eagerness to learn–curious to learn, for example, why the much celebrated Halloween is inappropriate in the Christian view. As a “youngin” making awkwardly brief excursions to English children’s Sunday school in a primarily old and Chinese church, I didn’t make much of if beyond some curious learning.

From family tragedy to meagre Christian experience, however, God was laying the foundations for deeper growth–readying me for more as I moved to the neighbouring city of Richmond at the end of grade 10. I was grounded enough to find a new church and somehow given courage enough to expose myself to much more beyond Sunday school: Sunday worship, fellowship, Vacation Bible School (VBS), youth camp, and corporate prayer. God continued to pave the way and bless me, matching and exceeding the initiative I took to invest in Him.

In this new place where I was vulnerably uncomfortable, a handful of people welcomed me and made me feel more at home. It wasn’t too long before I could see the fellowship unity, overall maturity, and loving attitude as something markedly different from what I’ve seen or come to expect of my peers. (I want to point out here that despite this, I knew and know still that Christians have many failings still.) Serving God in VBS brought me much joy and delight, especially to see the simple love and simple faith of children. Growing more and then coming to the summer youth camp I was struck with tears during worship, as God spoke to me through the unity, passion and devotion of otherwise normal people. “Here I am, Lord” became words true to my heart and not a distant hymn lyric. I found myself able only to respond in one way as God called out to ask: “whom shall I send?” It was then that I committed myself to a life following Christ.

God stirred me, taught me, brought me, showed me, involved me, and called me. This God I’ve learned of–previously impersonal–became a real and living God to me that gr. 10 summer. I wouldn’t know God if I didn’t turn to face Him. But it is God that first loved me; it is God that first pursued me.

(I know this testimony part of my committee statement is long… but as short as can be… the remaining sections will have to be more brief =p )

Spiritual Gifts

1. leadership
2. exhortation
3. generosity

Developing Fruits of the Spirit

gentleness and self-control

Recent Struggle

A great struggle of mine is that I tend to do too much. I do this not only in official roles of serving God but in unofficial serving. I do this not only in action but in attitude stressing myself with responsibilities. Perhaps I expect too much of myself and want to grow and do too much. Perhaps I have many goals and too many expectations. It becomes very stressful and often leads to strain and physical, mental, and spiritual exhaustion. It’s been a struggle to find balance. To not become exhausted doing things and helping, but neither to deceive myself in resting lazily.

In finishing an academically cruel 2B term, going to Urbana, turning 21, going to CCF Winter Retreat God has taught me a ton. Self-control and “less is more” is one of the main themes in it all. I’ve learned to really value solitude and rest. I’ve found that it has brought incredibly more fulfillment, joy, focus and efficiency to my life. I forget who said it… but an interesting thought is: “if you would know God, cultivate solitude.”

With limited space here I won’t write more. If you’d like to find out more on this, I have written it out in more detail on my earlier posts: here, and here.

Role of CCF Executive Committee

* serve God
* serve God in representing and addressing ‘needs’ of the fellowship
* visioning and planning of the direction and organization of CCF
* discern God’s will (i.e. His Word) in general and as specific CCF
* mobilize people, empowering and encouraging, coordinating ministries
* be role models
* be peers, friends, brothers and sisters, a part of the fellowship itself
* advance God’s kingdom, grow the fellowship from within and without

Me on Committee?

I run for committee in a response to God. That is the foremost ‘reason’.

I have struggled with much thought and discussion with others on where I am to serve this coming year. It’s been a long and gruelling few weeks. Before much consideration of committee I was very much anticipating serving specifically with evangelistical focus. I knew that to serve in either capacity would be good, but contemplated where I would be of ‘greater benefit’. However, my both heart and intellect were positive in both directions… as I awaited God’s leading over the weeks, it became more clear for me to run for committee.

God has given me a great love of our fellowship: as a home-away-from-home to me; as a hand of Christ on campus; as a place for great growth; as community of people — and God has made me to simply love people =p

God has given me a great vision for our fellowship and excitement of campus change. He has given me confidence to ‘dream’ big; to expect not little of Him; to take Him up on things which will require God to be involved and not just man.

God has given me many ideas for how to realize the vision. He has given my insight into the way we do things and possible ideas for improvement. He has also given me a great appreciation for the thoughts of others, not falling into naïve thoughts about ‘my own way’.

God has given me the spiritual gift of leadership: a gift which is well suited to roles such as that of a committee. He has blessed me with an ability to look ahead, analyze, and plan; an ability to balance many things and consider the interrelated effects; a sensitivity to the needs of the fellowship and the dynamics of teamwork; an ability to manage and coordinate to bring out the best of many.

I’m excited about the next term! God has called me to run for the committee, but it is for you as the fellowship to seek Him in your voting decision. I hope you will consider everyone in prayer. =]

Mar 26 addition:

what’s your vision for ccf?
x says (11:41 PM):
a beautiful community reflecting the love and glory of God. interconnected rings of intimate friendship which together form the whole of CCF. love support accountability encouragement that is so strong within that it must grow outward.
x says (11:42 PM):
it would be difficult to figure out how to do it the best
but both inward development (fellowship) and outward development (evangelism) would be needed
x says (11:43 PM):
on the 1 hand some say we have great community we can move outward
On the other hand there are many that are just short of the encouragement/equipping to move outward
and though many have support, still more don’t
x says (11:45 PM):
it can all go on and on… but that’s most pressing on my mind
at the same time, that’s also quite generic adn resembles the vision of many
but just as well, since it’s a pretty awesome thing =]

March 24th, 2007 | Tags: Leadership | Category: Reflection | Subscribe to comments | Leave a comment | Trackback URL