by Coleman Ho

I’m so thankful for our loving God, who cared so much to send His Son to save a sinner like me. I grew up in a Buddhist home. I first heard of Christ my sophomore year when someone from a campus ministry evangelized to me through a booklet. It was then that I learned about the existence of God, and how I was living a selfcentered life with myself seated on the King’s throne, not God. The booklet also pointed out the importance of attending a local church. So I asked my friend to take me to church and she brought me to Lighthouse.

I vividly remember my first church service at Lighthouse. I was amazed how everyone around me sang aloud and rejoiced. It made me curious of who this God was, and what made Him so amazing that people would sing praises to Him. Pastor John gave a message that day regarding sin. Every word he spoke felt like daggers piercing my heart. God convicted me that day as He revealed how hideous my sins were. At the end of the sermon, Pastor John explained how a life without Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior is a meaningless life. If there were any non-Christians present, they needed to repent of their sins to our holy and righteous God. Soon after, I got plugged into Flocks and LBCBA. It was an encouraging time where everyone helped ease my transition to church. I eventually repented, became saved and was baptized three weeks later.

God has taught me so much during my time here at Lighthouse. One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned was to place all my faith in Him alone. God has provided for me in many instances throughout my college years. The year I was saved, I planned to study abroad in China for the summer. My biggest fear was not knowing if they even had churches in China. But God, in His sovereign plan, led me to find an international church that helped me to continue to grow in the Word. This really opened up my eyes to the omnipresence of God, how He would be with me no matter where I went. I recall another instance where I was struggling financially, to the point where I wasn’t sure if I would afford rent. I prayed and sought the help of God. The following week, I received an email from UCSD offering me a scholarship, worth enough to cover the expenses for the rest of that year. The amazing part was that I never even applied for the scholarship.

I’m so happy that God led me to San Diego. I had my plans set to go to UCI, but my brother convinced me to go to UCSD at the last minute.

I’m still uncertain on where I’ll be or what I’ll be doing after graduation, as I’m currently waiting for responses from schools for postbaccalaureate programs. But regardless of what happens in the future, I don’t have to be anxious because I can count on Christ to lead me.

Favorite place in SD: Tea n More
Memory that stands out the most: I was at College Retreat 06 and we went to Pine Valley during wintertime. It was my first time there and I didn’t bring a sleeping bag or any blankets, thinking it couldn’t be that cold. Little did I know, it was incredibly cold that night, but I tried to suck it up like a man and not complain. That night, I remember waking up every 10 minutes for the next 6 hours because my hands and feet literally froze! I got about 2 hrs of sleep that night and tried hard to stay awake for all the messages.
Advice for collegians: Please continue to evangelize to your unbelieving friends, family, classmates, coworkers, and strangers. Never give up hope and just trust in God to change people’s hearts. I’m so thankful to that person who didn’t fear man, and had to courage to come evangelize to me, or else I may have never been saved!