If my God is so great, why can't I speak their language?

So some of you may have heard about my mom's surgery like 2 days ago...well she seems fine now...she just can't talk that well.

So anyways before all this happened, I had to hear this from someone else that she needed surgery and my mom didn't tell me till the day before of surgery. She didn't want to tell me at all just because of the fact that she knew or was afraid of me not understanding if she tells me. Because I have a language barrier with my mom. She understands more Chinese and less English and vice versa for me. I didn't even know why she needed it. So I asked this person and they said she had some cancerous tissues around the thyroid area AKA throat area. Also from what I have heard, she needs to go through more tests to ensure that it is benign because in her family almost everyone has the some problem related to that thyroid thing...but theirs are benign. So may you guys join me in prayer to pray that it is benign cancer and not malignant.

Also I have been feeling very useless in terms of communicating with my mom. Because of this language barrier, we have been in many arguments and most of them are unresolved because we literally can't understand each other. I, in my mind, blamed her for not talking to me more when I was growing up. If she talked to me more in Chinese, then I would understand. But we hardly talked growing up. It wasn't till probably just 4 years ago that we started connecting and talking a little bit more. There were opportunities where I could have shared more about Jesus and the bible to her. She was asking about it but I couldn't tell her anything that she can understand. Some people may have this perception that I don't really care for her but I do. And I have always wished that I had this on/off button that I can speak any language I want and let it just be that simple and easy. I really do want to talk to her and share about my opinions and how I am doing and etc. It doesn't help that I don't favor the Chinese culture as much as I should so I was never interested in learning Chinese. This time I will lay down my pride. I will do my best to learn more Chinese but we will see how that goes.

In any bad/life threatening situations, it is then do we get a wake up call.
Mines is that my mom's life may end just like that in a blink of an eye and I never get to really share with her why am I so passionate about God, what the bible really says compare to what fake teachers portray...and all these other things I really want to tell her.
I think God gave me this language barrier just because it would have been easy if we spoke the same language. And being an open person I am, I bet it would have been easy to have a good relationship with my mom. Nope that would be too easy, God might say. Perhaps God wants to use this language barrier as a good ole character builder. I will need to work at breaking down this 300 feet wall of dense brick to communicate to my mom.

So please help me pray I would work for a better relationship with my mom, and that she lives long enough for me to show and tell her why I live for Jesus and why I do the things I do to glorify God and to really help her understand that I still won't be perfect even if I am a Christian.
Thanks for reading.

Three weeks in

Hi guys, wow, it's been a while since I've updated what's been going on (for me anyways), so I guess I'll do that :].

So it's the middle of week-2 for me. I'm starting to get used to the schoolwork and the crazy college swing-of-things, though it's been pretty difficult. I guess I'm still in that transition for the kind of work ethic I'm developing, since the readings I'm assigned are pretty dense and REALLY hard to work through.. Sometimes I get kind of stressed out through the hours of reading something like 30 pages -_-;... But I guess it's the process I'm going through.

People? Pretty much all/most of the people here are pretty nice, and they're cool/fun people. Like I've said, I've met several people who I know call themselves Christians. Sometimes though, saying you're a Christian is worlds away from living like one... and for me, it's something that I'm trying to deal with in my heart and mind: "What does it mean to be Christ-like in a world that doesn't understand Him?" Especially since I'm away from my family, whom I've gone through years of praying with & growing in Christ and now the responsibility is on me to keep up with my personal time with God.

Oh, another thing I've been doing is trying to find a church community / fellowship I could settle down with and grow with. I really feel I need some discernment about which group God would want me to stay in, and I really should be open to what God can show me there. I've been "church hopping" every week, joining a different group every week and meeting new people every week. To be honest, this effort is very wearisome at some points, especially since we're not really committing to building certain relationships. Every church/group has it's own ups & downs and I guess I need to assess where God may want me to stAY. *nod nod*

I have several (probably many if I took more time to think about it) praises, too! Thank God, I've had several opportunities to share my faith with people on my floor, and opportunities to mature in faith through cool Bible studies & what not. And simply thank God thank I'm HERE! Sometimes I forget how blessed I am to be here. yeahs. :].


so yeahs, applaud again all you who reads to the bottom x].. but right now, those are the main things that are going on right now, & you know I already thank you for prayer and support =]. Just wanted to give you an update. Thanks everyone! Keep me posted too!

First Week at UCSD

Thanks for starting this blog, Tim. And thanks to those who shared their prayer requests. I guess I'll do the same. I'll try to be brief since I'm trying to get into the habit of going to bed earlier (one aspect in my life for which you can pray).

Having spent a week at UCSD, I can say that it is a different environment from the one at home. Most notably, I'm living in a suite with people whose priorities and sense of morality differ from mine. Accordingly, there are many temptations (bad ones): going over to the girls' suite after certain hours; not following the housing rules when living right across from our R.A.; things of that nature. But, to me, worst of all is that some guys in my suite, without my consent, lined the suite (the living room, a BATHROOM STALL, closet) with inappropriate posters of women in erotic poses. I want to be bold; I want to tell my suite that I don't agree with what they did, and why I don't agree. I want to tell them why I am a Christian.

Another thing, brief context: I went to a Large Group meeting for InterVarsity. Please pray that I will be open to multitudes of opportunities for experiencing and serving God on campus, that I will recognize and embrace them. Pray that I will be open to what God wants to do with me here on this campus.

Please also pray for my diligence in school. I do sometimes feel that I am incapable of doing what I had been able to do previously, academically at least. Yeah. Please pray that I will manage my time wisely-- there is FAR TOO MUCH time in college.

Okay, I'm sleepy. Please pray that I can regulate my sleep schedule as well. I should go to bed. Good night.

Edit (tired, but just remembered): Pray that I can get settled in a fellowship and church.

Transparency

Hey theree...
hm...Hope you won't mind if I blog a little prayer request....
I hope that you can pray for transparency in the fellowship...I would say that is the one thing that most of us struggle with. I don't see a true family fellowship without being transparent with each other...without sharing deep meaningful struggles or praises together...if we can't be transparent with each other, then I think that just makes us a bunch of superficial brothers and sisters that don't truly care for each other. Bryan's told us over and over to be transparent with each other...and we still haven't reached that deep of a level yet...it's kind of sad really..and I know some people prefer to just share with one or two people, but isn't that still favoritism? We should be able to be transparent with anyone. Esp with people in the fellowship....correct me if I am wrong?

prayer blog, on a whim

Hi people from home! This is Tim Young, trying to get by on his first few days at college. I made this blog because some people from home asked me to let them know if/when I had any prayer requests while I was down here at SD. And I even though I know I'm making this blog on a whim, I'm really hoping that it's a good whim, because I think over these next few months a lot of crazy things are going to happen... over here, and over where you are. I'd really like it if I could be able to share my troubles and my praises down here, and likewise vice-versa! I'm gonna miss my family from home... thank you in advance for all your support and prayers that I know have already reached our wonderful God.


So shall I start this whim off? A couple of praises first: my transition for me (at least for these past 4 days) has been surprisingly smooth. I've been meeting the people on my floor and the floor above me, and have been enjoying my time here. Oh, and I've been a handful of Christians who are also going to be looking for fellowships & churchs around. Prayer request? Really to remember this grace that God has given me... I don't want to become complacent and be sung to sleep in this college setting. So please pray for my faith, that it'd grow and not be stagnant. Also, classes start in two days, and i'm not sure how my homework load will be.. i'll get back to you in this. =]. Thank you everyone!



actually, more importantly about this blog, i would really like it if any/all of you (yes, YOU) would share your prayer requests so i could support you as well! & everyone else who reads this xD! please contact me at tdy223@yahoo.com if you would like to be a part of this mysterious "whim". maybe God will do something with this, maybe not. it's in His hands. but i hope that we could continue to support each other by lifting each other up to an all-powerful, all-loving God. thanks for reading all the way through, God bless all of you!