by Courtney Chow

Caroline Shin, a second year at UCSD, had become a familiar face to the Lighthouse Family before she moved to La Jolla in the fall of 2007. If you haven’t already, now is the time to meet Caroline and learn how the Lord brought her to a saving faith.

When and how did you become a Christian?

Sometime around the summer of 2006, right before my senior year in high school. I was brought up from a Christian home, but I took my sins so lightly all throughout my life. When my sister (Jen Shin) saw the rebellious life I was living, she told me that I was in need of repentance. After feeling so convicted over my sins, my sister shared the gospel w/me, and for the first time, I asked God for forgiveness & wanted to follow & submit under Christ’s lordship.

Many people might be familiar with your older sister, Jen, but who are the other members of your family?

I have a big family. I have loving parents, and an older brother (with his own family now), older sister (Jen), and younger sister (Aileen). I have to admit, we’re a pretty musical family. We go from the violins to the drums to vocals. Oh and I can’t forget my dad’s saxophone playing to wake me up in the mornings. =)

You finished your first year at UCSD in June. How would you sum it up?

Humbling. I know I’ve made a lot of mistakes this past year, and repenting from those mistakes have shown me that the focus needed to be taken away from myself and to do everything in Christ alone. The more and more my sins were revealed to me, the more I realized my need to be completely dependent on God.

What was your first impression of Lighthouse?

BIG, at least compared to my home church (we had 7 youth group members altogether). Also, how it reminded me so much of a family. I could see the genuine love people have for one another & the unity of the church body.

Why did you decide to become a member?

I wanted to be a part of this “family” and to start serving at a local church. Ever since becoming a member, I’ve been able to build relationships with other sisters at the church who’ve been a HUGE encouragement to me & have held me accountable in my walk.

How are you involved at LBC?

I’m a part of the music ministry (choir & orchestra), and I’m in the college life skit team.

What are you looking forward to for this next school year?

Continuing to build up my relationships with my sisters and brothers, and to be an encouragement to the new freshmen! I’m also excited about moving into an apartment (mainly because I get to cook and be surrounded by the other lighthouse classmates)!

Do you have any advice for the incoming freshmen?

You don’t have to experience everything in order to know what it’s like. Just trust what the Bible has to say when it is good or when it is wrong!

by Garrett Glende

How did you first come to LBC?

I had a friend that went to UCSD and he knew people at LBC and hooked me up that way.

How long have you been attending?

About two years now.

What ministries are you currently involved in?

Praise Team, Sonlight (Elementary), and Sports.

What do you enjoy most about Sonlight?

The kids are really enthusiastic about God. They’re a lot of fun to be with.

I know you were really involved with the VBS. Can you share a little bit about that?

There was a lot of work that went into it and now that it’s over, looking back, all the late night hours were worth it. It was great getting to know the staff and kids better. It was fun to see Sam doing the motions and all the other stuff, especially the ones you think are quiet getting into it. It’s really encouraging.

You’re pretty involved in the Mission Bowl. What are your expectations for this year?

(Laughs) For guys we can’t do any worse than we did last year. It’s challenging being a coach, but I’m thankful for everyone’s attitude and I look forward to continuing playing with good sportsmanship.

Well maybe if you play we’ll do better.

(Laughs) We’ll see.

What do you do in your spare time?

I’m working on a Master’s in engineering from an online program at UCLA.

That’s it? No fun?

Umm, I like movies and hanging out with church people.

What do you appreciate most about LBC?

I appreciate that the leaders and everyone here takes seriously that the Bible is the final authority. You see that in their teaching and the way they live their lives.

What’s your most memorable moment from your time at LBC?

The one year I played Mission Bowl, 2007. It was fun getting to know the guys and I love football.

Big Chargers fan right?

Yep. For sure.

Can you tell a story about how you were encouraged by the church body?

Last Sunday night when we were setting up decorations for VBS, seeing people that don’t normally come out and be willing to stay till like 4:30 in the morning. It was fun playing all the games together and serving in that way. And throughout VBS during the teaching times, seeing the teachers teaching the gospel and interacting with the kids was definitely encouraging.

What’s the funniest thing a kid has done in Children’s Ministry?

Cameron’s screaming contest. It was pretty high pitched. I think there was one time when a girl faced a guy, and the boy was really high and the girl was low (laughs).

Alright thanks Abe.

by Ryan Chan

Greetings from Berkeley. Go Cal! Go tritons too…I guess. It’s me, Ryan Chan, you remember me, right?

So I figured I’d take this opportunity to update you guys on how life has been whilst I have been up here in Berkeley, and to encourage you with some things that I have learned so far.

It wasn’t too long ago, 8/14/07 8:45AM to be exact, that I packed up my life into two cars, and headed up the 5 Freeway towards Berkeley. I was fortunate enough to get housing with some brothers at Eastbay (the church I planned to attend) who had just graduated from Cal, which proved to be a great blessing. Living with people who already went to Eastbay allowed me a foot in the door, as I could simply tag along to church, hangouts, and events. Now I know this might surprise some of you, but I am not exactly the most outgoing of people and I don’t really enjoy change all that much; knowing this, I had a lot of apprehensions about to a new city let alone a new church with new people. I had heard bits of information from people who visited or who previously attended, but that could only quell so much of the unease. Among the first things I experienced was that the congregation made a concerted effort to welcome me and spend time with me in order to make me feel comfortable. As I became increasingly comfortable with the church and its members, I could really see the emphasis put on church hospitality, not only from how they interacted with me, but also how they spent time with other newcomers. It really challenged me because I never put much effort into this aspect of ministry, thinking that there were others more equipped to do it; in reality though, our hospitality toward newcomers of the church is ultimately a reflection of the church body’s love for people. And so, when the time came when I was no longer the “new guy,” I came to realize that I am the one that needs to be displaying a genuine love for people through hospitality, setting aside my own personal discomfort for a greater cause.

This leads directly into another thing that I have been encouraged by: loving and caring for the church body. It’s something that seems inherent, but I’ve come to realize that we attend churches with members who are more than willing to sacrifice their time and resources in order to serve and care for one another. Our love for the brethren should not be fickle, but rather a natural response towards all because we have first experienced God’s love for us. About two months ago, I had the luxury of hearing Dr. Alex Montoya speak at Eastbay’s 10-year anniversary celebration, and he spoke on how we, the members of the church, need to shepherd Christ’s sheep. He spoke from John 21:15-19, and his main points were: 1) The Call to Spiritual Ministry, 2) The Call to Sacrificial Ministry, 3) The Call to a Humble Ministry, and 4) The Call to Singular Ministry. It was a definite reminder to me that the church is its people, and so, we need keep in mind that a worthy passion is to love God and people.

“This is humbling, but it’s also an inspiring picture of what the church is supposed to be—not a place where people are jockeying for power, but where people willingly take whatever role best serves God’s purpose” -Joshua Harris

by Courtney Chow

How did you guys meet?

Chris: We met at church. She was a bit young at the time and I had to wait a couple years. I was a little bit impatient but God is gracious.

Nelly: We started talking and became friends. I was having difficult time (with other things) but being with him the first months was like an epiphany. Everything he said was so clear. He was so sound and mature and I was so lost in just trying to find my way, to determine what kind of Christian I wanted to be and be around. He was my backbone during that the time, He didn’t really make me happy and we argued a lot but he always tried to take care of me. He always tries to do the right thing, not just in a society moral kind of way but according to God’s word.

You guys have the coolest engagement story…

Nelly: I was just talking about the Loch Ness Monster because I was really into that and we were at a bookstore all about it in Scotland. I was just talking and he wasn’t really paying attention to me. He just said suddenly “Do you think I’m your best friend?” and I said “Of course”. Then he got down on one knee. But I think the coolest part was that Eugene (Park) and Albert and Sara (Lee) were on the tower of the castle above. I preferred that…because a lot of people contributed to the success of “us”. There were a lot of people who were a good influence, kept us on track and encouraged us when it was tough. I think being in a relationship when it’s just all about you two and you kind of shut yourself off is so hard.

What are some of the things you like to do together?

Chris: We’re low key people. If its just me. Nelly and Penny (our dog) going for a walk or hanging out at home together. Nelly’s been giving in a watching the Lakers with me more lately.

Nelly: With the whole dog thing, he has treated her far and above any expectations that I ever had. I’ve always thought a man that was good with dogs had a good heart.

Chris: We have a lot of couples time with Albert and Sara (Lee).

Nelly: That’s very important. It’s been good because they’re also very involved in ministry so its not like we have to challenge each other in that way but they keep us on track.

That’s cool to hear how you encourage each other in ministry. How has it been serving in LKC (Lighthouse Kids Club) together?

Nelly: The LKC opportunity opened up and that has really helped our marriage more because we are serving with each other in a real coordinator kind of way. We go back and forth with different ideas, talk about discipline issues and and talk about things that are going on.

What’s been some of the blessings in your marriage?

Chris: Nelly has been a blessing. Realizing what a great lady I married. She talks about her wife role but she’s been really modest because I think she’s doing a great job and she challenges herself in ways that I don’t. She really goes above and beyond what I expected.

Nelly: For me, he’s always right – there are very few times when he’s wrong. He’ll tell me something and I may protest it but eventually I realize he’s right. It’s a security but also not depending on him to have all the answers.

Are there any myths of being married that have been dispelled in the past year?

Chris: People always talk about honeymoon phase but I never felt a time when it ended – but some people may say we’re still in it.

Nelly: We’ve always been pretty real from the beginning. I’m not one to bottle up my feelings.

Chris: Which I appreciate. I don’t think things have changed too much. Maybe for a future anniversary we can talk about honeymoon phase.

by Jen Shin

How were you feeling prior to Match Day?

We were more excited, that it was finally happening, so we’d know where to go. We were praying that we would stay but at the same time, we knew there was a chance of going to LA because I put it as my second choice. We just prayed that God would be sovereign and that we’d trust in wherever we ended up. The day of, I guess the same. Things were crazy during that time. We just had Ethan at the time, too. We were excited.

What was your reaction when you opened the envelope?

I was happy and I think Tiff was ok. We weren’t so excited but we were still excited to be able to go back to LA. We knew that if we were to go back to LA, we could still go back to Grace [Community Church] or IBC. And all our college friends are still in LA. We were sad that we weren’t all staying. If we wanted to stay, we could’ve put San Diego programs as two and three. But we prayed about it and felt like Cedars [UCLA] would be a good fit for us…to be back in LA…and it’s good for fellowship placement for gastroenterology, which I’m thinking about doing.

Sorry, for what?

For gastroenterology. GI. It’s three years of internal medicine and then three years of fellowship. We love Lighthouse, but at the same time, we’re excited to try either IBC or Grace. We thought there was no church better than Grace Church coming out from college. And then we came to Lighthouse… and we love Lighthouse. Eventually we want to come back. Before med school, these days would’ve been bigger for me. But now it’s like, God’s just going to bring us wherever. We’re going to have days like these, special days. Like when Ethan was born, that was a special day. Now it’s like ok, wherever you want us to go. We don’t want being a doctor or being part of a doctor’s family to define us. It’s just another part of a job.

Anything else you want to say to the church family?

[Sees Pastor John walking by] Thank you, Pastor John. [laughs]. Well, we just want to praise God for the past five years we’ve been here. We’ve really grown to love the church. We learned the importance of the church and membership. We’ve enjoyed being in fellowship, serving with everyone. And we’re excited to see what the church will look like in three to six years. The Ho Family will be moving the first week of June. Let’s use the time that we have with them to encourage them.

by Moon Choi

Before Alex found out that he was going to be an internal medicine intern “cheerfully working at the luxurious Scripps Green Hospital” in La Jolla, he admitted to being more nervous that he had hoped to be because he did not want to his friends and family to feel disappointed “by this tangible manifestation of God’s glorious sovereignty over my life.” Though he ranked all of the residency programs for San Diego at the top of his list, he had come to accept months ago that he could end up somewhere other than San Diego. God had sovereignly led him to San Diego for medical school and landed him at Lighthouse; Alex knew that God would continue to be faithful, wherever he went.

Alex was one of the last guys to open his envelope. He had expected to be elated but rather, when he read “San Diego, CA,” he felt oddly subdued. Since he had already excepted that he may be going somewhere else for his residency, he had somewhat convinced himself that it would be good and likely for him to go elsewhere, “braving the crazy world outside, meeting exotic new people, living in yet another bachelor mega-pad.” The feeling of disappointment at missing out on an opportunity for another great adventure did not last long. Alex said that it was foolish thinking and that “I am 110% thrilled to stay” as Lighthouse is his “home away from heaven.”

Alex asks if we could pray that he would be a bold witness to patients and coworkers and that God would continue to replace his fear of man with “the overwhelming desire to magnify His worth in all circumstances without compromise.” He also asks us to keep him accountable to not settling for spiritual complacency as the demands of his career increase. He also add d, “Thanks! I look forward to finally answering your medical questions (give me a couple years).”

by Moon Choi

Ted Su was in complete shock when he found out that he got admitted to Scripps Chula Vista. From a human perspective, it did not seem likely that he would get into such a competitive program but ended up giving all praise to God, saying, “… but I guess that’s why as Christians we are called to walk by faith, and not simply by our severely limited sight and reason.” He was the first to open his envelope in front of the other med school guys, Pastor John and Angela, and friends as they stood in a circle. Though he admitted to feeling pressured as the first one to reveal the location of his residency, he had gone into match day with a peace that came with the understanding that that the result was “simply a revealing of God’s sovereign will.” He pointed to applying for residency as yet another opportunity that God took to teach Ted more about Himself, as He had done when Ted was applying for college and to medical school. With having to endure more application processes than the average person would encounter, he said that he had been “growing in confidence in His sovereignty and learning to be content with whatever the result.” Ted referenced Philippians 4:6-7 when saying that he was at peace throughout the process by God’s grace.

What was initially shock soon gave way to praise and thanksgiving to God. Relief soon followed, with Ted knowing that he could finally make concrete plans and with the knowledge that he can continue to grow and serve at Lighthouse.

Ted ended with saying, “Thank you everyone at Lighthouse for your continued support and prayers. I look forward to continuing to labor with you for His kingdom here in San Diego, and wherever He might lead us.”

by Jen Shin

How were you feeling leading up to it?

I think once I decided to rank San Diego first, second, and third, I didn’t think about it too much, I wasn’t that worried, until about a week before and then Mabel reminded me that it was coming up in a week. I think that’s when I was thinking, “Ok, it’s important.” It dawned on me that we might be praying on our own but we haven’t been praying together. So the week leading up to it we prayed together. We tried to pray specifically and boldly. We prayed specifically for San Diego, being open to wherever God would take us to. I felt a conviction to be specific, knowing that God can do anything and so why not pray for the miraculous. So we prayed for the miraculous. And if it wasn’t going to happen that’s ok – we were ready to go. That put me at ease for that week. Right when we were about to open the envelopes, though, we were all a little hesitant. Because the longer we didn’t know, the longer we go to stay here. But eventually we opened it. Ted got all of them and gave it to each of us, we were sitting in a big circle. No one would go – no one would open it. We were one of the last to open it. I was last. That was a little scary. Pastor John was there, and we prayed before we opened [the envelopes].

What was your reaction when you found out you were staying?

Mabel and I were really happy, for a lot of reasons, mostly to stay near church. Also, her family’s here, her job’s here, our comfort zone is here. Again, we were ready to go somewhere else, if God wanted us to go somewhere else, not clinging onto our comfort zone, just knowing this is a place where we can be safe and learn and grow. Plus if I was a first year resident trying to get plugged into a church, it would be hard, attendance would be hard for me. It was good to stay in a place where we were already plugged in.

So, which hospital are you placed at?

Scripps Mercy, the one in Hillcrest across from the UCSD Hospital.

And you’re going into internal medicine?

It’s adult medicine – not pediatrics, not family medicine. Subspecialties are like cardiology, pulmonary, and GI. I’d like to thank the church, they were praying for us. Various ministries were praying for us. It’s a blessing to be with our church.

by Jen Shin

Soon after coming to Lighthouse Bible Church in 2006, Jeff plunged into the heart of the church family. Jocelyn came not too long after Jeff and they both started serving in various capacities and getting married during that time. You might remember seeing Jeff’s cheerful face waving you into the parking lot or both Jeff and Jocelyn serving as a part of the single staff as small group leaders. After having taken a year off of medical school to invest in the church body and in their new marriage, this year Jeff and Jocelyn had to face the big event that all med students eventually have to face: Match Day!

The Beacon was able to catch up to Jeff and Jocelyn while they were on their vacation in Paris before their baby arrives! They were kind enough to give their brief thoughts on Match Day while relaxing in Europe.

How did you feel throughout the process?

Actually, Jocelyn and I were at peace with wherever we would end up, because we trusted in God’s sovereignty throughout the entire process. We knew that if we matched somewhere other than San Diego that it was for a good purpose.

Where will you be next year?

UCSD Internal Medicine

What was your reaction?

We were really happy that we matched in San Diego, because we definitely didn’t expect it.

What are some things you learned throughout the process?

I learned that worrying about where I would end up was wasting my time, because God knew and had a perfect place for Jocelyn and I. I also learned to be more thankful for God’s provision and LBC.

What were some challenges/blessings that you faced?

On the day that I was supposed to submit my rank list, I procrastinated to the very last second and realized that my rank list was not submitted in time. I tried calling the company to explain that I accidentally missed the deadline but they were closed that night. However, the next morning I was able to reach someone who graciously said they would process my rank list.

How were things different because you are married from the other med students?

I had to consider the interests of my wife as well as places where we could raise a family. We also applied to places where we knew of good churches like LBC, but of course, nothing beats Lighthouse!

Any prayer requests?

That we would remain thankful for allowing us to stay in San Diego and that we would continue to trust in Him during these challenging years of residency.

by Kevin Au

There’s a good chance you may know Nate Kwak, as you can often seeing him making his rounds, greeting almost everybody at church on any given Sunday. We may not be seeing as much of him in the near future, as he will be graduating UCSD this June, and heading home to La Palma, California to be a part of his home church and family. But before that time comes, I got the chance to pull Nate aside, and find out some things you may not know.

“I was a troublemaker growing up,” admits Nate. “A lot of the older people in the church had known me as ‘the demon child.’” But with Taekwondo as an outlet, some of that energy was funneled elsewhere, and by the time he reached 4th or 5th grade, Nate fit the “quiet and obedient kid” mold better.

Though he grew up in a Christian household, with an older sister who persistently pushed him to examine himself beyond his outward personality, Nate did not come to understand the gospel or acknowledge Christ as Lord until the summer before he came to college. “I’d say my experience of college was my experience of the Christian life,” says Nate. “I didn’t hear the gospel in its entirety until I transitioned out of youth group.”

After this, Nate found himself in San Diego, coming to LBC on Sundays as Ju-im faithfully called him and picked up the collegians. He has been coming ever since. “I really have been influenced a lot by Pastor John,” says Nate, when asked who has influenced his faith. “His unwavering example, boldness, and his messages spoken with the authority of Scripture have changed the way that I share the gospel. I struggled a lot with making sure people felt comfortable, but by coming to LBC, I’ve really learned the importance of the Bible, and whatever the Bible says is what matters. It has changed my perspective on where authority comes from, and I’m not as swayed by men as I was before.”

Nate will be finishing up his Urban Studies and Planning major this year, having switched to it from Structural Engineering his first two years. “I’m hoping to do something with housing and development, hopefully something that can help immigrant families find housing.”

As he looks back on his college career, several moments stand out in particular: “My second year,” Nate reminisces, “Andy Shin, Chris Katsura, Paul Molina and I were playing with fire with a lighter and an aerosol can. We lit it and the fire started coming back up towards the can. I jerked my head back in reaction, but at the same time Andy put his head forward. The back of my head collided with his and I blacked out for about 10 seconds. When I came back, I remember that the last thing I heard was a crack, so I thought I had broken Andy’s glasses. I looked up and his glasses were fine, but he was holding his nose, saying ‘This isn’t good, guys.’ I had broken his nose…that memory stands out the most.”

Nate’s words of wisdom to the younger collegians: “Talk to everyone you can. Wherever you are, just talk to people. Encourage Christians, evangelize to non-Christians. For the guys, talk to the older guys at church, don’t spend all your conversation on video games and sports, talk about God…and don’t make it a weird thing to pray with others. Pray honestly. Pray genuinely.”

“I love LBC,” Nate concludes, “I’m going to miss it a lot, but God can use His children wherever they go, and right now, I think its time to go. Don’t be afraid to go and do.”