Like most male youth, I started attending CBC (in 8th grade) for the friendships/fellowships, and to meet members of the opposite sex.  I did not really understand what the gospel message was about until I went to a summer retreat during my sophomore year in high school; Pastor Louis Lee was the guest speaker.  Getting to know my friends AND teachers/counselors on a more personal, authentic, and spiritual level enabled the Holy Spirit to convict me on the last night – of my need for Him, my need to repent of my sinful ways, to give my life to Christ, and to acknowledge Him as my Lord and Savior.

Being an immature teenager , I did all this privately, and did not make my profession public.  My salvation experience was not one that came with much fanfare.  I was sure that the Lord accepted me, but I was unsure if my friends would see my profession as authentic – looking back, I was also a bit scared about being held accountable to a new outlook and lifestyle.  However, as time progressed, through service opportunities in church, through understanding what faith is about - that not everything had to be mapped out and understood (like an engineer would want) – and through the support/encouragement of spiritually mature mentors (like Jimmy Woo, Billy Gor, and my then girlfriend, now wife Cathy Liu), I gained a deeper understanding as to what a Christian is all about, I eventually made a public profession, and “walked down the aisle”.

I was baptized in the global church, and was accepted as a member of CBC, circa 1987.  The rest is history, as they say.  While there certainly have been and will continue to be challenges along the way, I am 100% assured and confident that as long as I earnestly look to, seek, and follow the Holy Spirit’s guidance, I will always be acting in a way that is glorifying and pleasing to God – of course, I still succumb to wanting to do things “my way”, and that’s when I get into trouble.  Of course, the ultimate security I have with God’s grace gives me a peace and anchor point that cannot be moved, knowing that my salvation is guaranteed.