ONE YEAR OF CHURCH PLANTING, GRACE THROUGH THE JOURNEY

He began restoring me through education, through people who taught and challenged me, and through the slow transformation of my heart. I had much to learn about humility. I had to learn how to sit with people experiencing homelessness, listen to the oppressed, walk alongside those struggling with addiction, and love the poor and the lost without looking down on anyone. I had to remember that I, too, was a lost sheep whom Jesus came to find.

This year also brought physical suffering. Gout made ordinary days difficult. There were moments when I wanted to move forward in ministry, but my body forced me to slow down. In that pain, God taught me to depend on Him and to receive help with gratitude.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for My power is made perfect in weakness.”

— 2 Corinthians 12:9

The rejection was harder to talk about. Some people, especially within the Vietnamese Christian community, questioned my calling and asked for credentials. Some doubted that God’s grace could work through my life.

I understand why people want to know who is leading them. But being judged before being known hurt deeply. I brought that hurt to Jesus, again and again, because I did not want it to turn my heart bitter.

I was not born into a Christian family. I am not the son of a pastor. I was lost, and when Jesus called me, I answered. Everything I have today began with His mercy.

As I look at these faces from the past year, I see more than a church plant. I see meals shared, prayers prayed, friendships formed, and people learning to walk together. I see God patiently building something in us, even as He continues to work in me.

I am still learning. I still have days of pain and questions. But I no longer need to spend my life proving to others that Jesus has changed me. I want to keep my eyes on Him, love the people He places before me, and serve faithfully with the strength He gives.

Today, I can say that I have found joy even in suffering. I am grateful to serve the living God and to see fruit from this first year. Most of all, I am grateful for the freedom Christ has given me.