by Moon Choi

There are more couples at Lighthouse that have been set up than one would think – Jin and Grace Lee are an example of it. A good friend of theirs, a former member of Lighthouse, set up a blind date for the two of them when Grace was in the OC. After four and a half months of dating, they got engaged.

At church, I had to pull them away as soon as second service ended because I knew that they’d get caught up chatting with other people. As I approached them, Grace said, “You caught me in the middle of Jin abusing me!” My puzzled expression must’ve prompted Grace to explain the situation: she had given away their box of Samoas. And Jin loves Samoas. Sitting in the back corner of the sanctuary of the old building, I asked them what the challenges and blessings of their marriage were. They both responded that they feel very blessed to be married. This is something that kept on coming up throughout their interview – they would just look at each other before responding to the question. However, they were quick to say that there are still struggles because they are not perfect. Grace said, “Really, it’s still two sinners coming together.” Jin quickly chimed in, “But it’s still joyful. It’s like – 95% joys.” He added that the things that they argue over stem from being selfish over small, silly things (“Like Samoas,” he said), and that though their marriage isn’t perfect, the joys and blessings far outweighed the struggles and challenges. “We’re always reminded that marriage is a gift,” said Grace.

Then when asked why they wanted to serve in College Life, they said that it was because they had always wanted to serve Christ together as a couple and that the collegians were a group that they wanted to minister to because “it’s such an impactful time,” Grace said. Jin joked, saying that they had no choice but to serve in College Life because the Single Life ministry already had enough people serving in it. Still, they said that it’s been great and that they’ve constantly been learning a lot through serving in the ministry.
“I was thinking about that!” Jin exclaimed, when Grace said that Jin dances for her. They couldn’t quite pinpoint a single favorite quirk about each other. “She laughs at my stupid jokes – and she has a cute laugh,” Jin said with a smile, looking at Grace. Then turning back to look at me, she said, “And I love his silliness. He reminds me to just have fun.”

“Well, anything else that you’d like to add?” I asked them as the interview neared its end.

Jin reiterated that though their marriage is great and it’s such a big blessing, there are still challenges. Grace, too, reiterated that it is two sinners coming together. “But I think that we’re still in our honeymoon stage,” Jin said. Grace added that it is so crucial to put Christ as the center of their marriage and that they end the day in prayer together. “You really need to love and nurture.”

by Grace Wu

Chris Lim first set foot in Lighthouse just nine months ago. Most would not be able to tell how new of a member he is by seeing his service in LBC. He is a part of the choir, the weekly running ministry, Care Ministry, and was recently selected to be a part of the Czech 2008 missions team.

The transition into LBC was not a difficult one for Chris. Many things helped him get adjusted: knowing Rob Lockwood and Jenny Chang from a previous small group, seeing what he saw as the genuineness of people in a church body, and having a small group leader who called in every week just to check in with him. Knowing that it was important to settle down and to be able to grow at a church, Chris did not think that his swift transition into the life of the church body was a hasty decision.

He got his first taste of a major LBC ministry project when he got the idea to put together four scrapbooks for the LBC elders in February. The idea came after his first members meeting in January, which was a somber experience for him. He saw the emotional fatigue of the leadership, perhaps from much criticism and discouragement.

However, instead of being disheartened by the experience, he decided to turn it into an opportunity to encourage and support LBC’s leadership at a much-needed time. “For leaders, criticism is always hard when you’re trying to do what’s right and you’re trying to fear God. Since words are powerful, they can be used to criticize and they can be used to build up,” Chris said.

It was then that the scrapby book idea blossomed into a church-wide effort in which the family ministry, single adults’ ministry, and collegians were able to all participate. Not only was coordinating a church-wide effort to encourage the elders a difficult task, but keeping it a secret was an even harder task. Even when the idea was brought before the rest of the elders as a way to encourage Pastor John, the rest of the elders thought it was exclusively for Pastor John. Ultimately, the scrapbooks turned out to be a surprise for the elders and their wives.

Chris is originally from New Jersey and spent his earlier years on the East Coast. He attended Boston University for his undergraduate education and majored in economics with a minor in business. After taking a year off, he went back to BU for graduate school. After several years of working on the East Coast, he decided to go West, mainly because his best friend from graduate school was from San Diego and he would visit out here on occasion to enjoy the sunny weather.

“I came to San Diego on my own volition. I got tired of heading back to the cold East Coast,” Chris said.

Chris, who now works as a financial planner in Mission Valley, was raised by faithful Christian parents.

“One of things I really appreciate about my parents—they’re Chinese but my parents didn’t bring us up in a very Chinese kind of household. It was more of a Christian household. They loved us equally but treated us differently in terms of our strengths,” Chris said. After Chris moved to San Diego from living on the East Coast, his parents followed him out West to live in Carlsbad. Even though his parents are now retired, they still consistently go on missions
in China.

The missions mindset of his parents certainly had some influence in Chris’ life as well. His college years were filled with missions trips to Poland, China, Korea, Daytona Beach, and Williamsport in Pennsylvania. Even though Chris has been out of college for over ten years now, his passion to serve the Lord did not leave him when he left the college scene. Instead, the same fervor to fulfill the Great Commission is still clearly present, whether in serving in LBC domestically or internationally on missions.

by Jennifer Shin

If there are two people at our church who always wear genuine, heartfelt smiles on their faces, they are Eugene and Sallie Yang. Though they usually serve behind the scenes, those who know the couple know that they serve faithfully at church and joyfully invest in people’s lives. Sallie and Eugene have been married for over five years now, thanks to God’s sovereign plan for them and a little assistance from Sallie’s youngest brother, David, who attempted to set up a group ski trip for the two to meet. The plan didn’t go accordingly because Eugene wasn’t able to make the trip, but Sallie did get to meet him that weekend at church. The following summer, Sallie came to San Diego for an internship at Sav-On and the two got to know each other better and started dating before she left for school. Eugene and Sallie invested in this long-distance relationship and were married on September 7, 2002. Eugene stated, “When I reflect back on our initial meetings, I’m always grateful for David making the effort to introduce us. To have a guy to want to set me up with his sister – well – that was an experience I’ll always be thankful for. A few LBC folks were involved as well in the early days, like Jin and John Yi. Thanks!”

Through their marriage, they see how God has blessed them. Sallie mentioned that in being able to grow, be challenged, and learn – she now has someone to share these things with. “Eugene is such a great support, and he leads by example,” she stated, “We have a lot of fun together.” Eugene agreed, stating that it’s a tremendous blessing to have a lifelong partner by your side. “Sallie has been so supportive and encouraging,” he said, “Even when external circumstances are tough, it has been a source of great comfort knowing that I can return home to my loving wife.” Though there is a countless number of blessings that come with marriages, they admit that there are challenges that come with it as well, ranging from balancing work and playing out the role of being a wife to taking blessings in marriage for granted to fighting against focusing on themselves to reflecting on and investing in making sure their marriage is on the right track of honoring God.

It is an exciting time for this married couple as they are expecting their first child later this year. Sallie said, “I’m so very thankful and happy for this amazing opportunity to be parents. It still hasn’t fully hit me that I’m pregnant. But, I do love it. It’s exciting but also kind of scary as everything will be new for us. I know that my trust and dependence on God will greatly increase.” Eugene replied, “I’m excited too, but the reality of it hasn’t really set in yet. I still can’t quite comprehend what life is going to be like! I’m grateful though, for the example and support of the many other parents at LBC.” Let’s keep the Yangs in our prayers as they move on into the next stage in life and welcome the new addition to their family!

Fun Facts:

Sallie on Eugene: “Eugene loves golf. So, with any opportunity he gets, he’ll start practicing his golf swings with his imaginary golf club. He’ll take a few swings, and then look for a reflection somewhere so that he can see his swings. I’m thinking this is common among golfers.”

Eugene on Sallie: “In our bedroom, we have a ‘clapper’ hooked up to our lamp. You know, ‘Clap-On, Clap-Off…the Clapper!’ Well, the routine had been that right before it’s time to go to sleep, I would gaze at my lovely wife, and then clap twice to turn off the light. One day Sallie decided it would be fun to make faces at me while I was trying to turn off the light. So now, every night before the light goes out, I get to see a different funny face before it goes dark.”

by Moon Choi

Pastor John Kim. Everyone at Lighthouse knows him. He’s the guy who preaches every Sunday. Twice. Though he is often seen yelling from the pulpit, he is actually soft spoken away from the pulpit. I remember being very surprised by it when I had a casual conversation with him and his wife, Angela, my freshman year.

You can pretty much figure out Pastor John’s upbringing and life story just from his sermons. But here’s a quick rundown: Pastor John grew up at Grace Community Church. After graduating from UCLA in 1988, he attended the Master’s Seminary. Then, in 1989, he and Angela were married. He served at Grace Community Church as a pastoral intern in the youth ministries and then as youth pastor at Valley Korean Community Church. After helping to establish a number of ministries there, he, Angela, and their daughter, Jenna, moved out to Baltimore, Maryland in 1993. After four years of ministry there, the last being especially difficult, they moved back to San Diego with another member of the family, Kara. Here, he and Angela, and two other families started a Bible study, eventually leading to this church plant known as Lighthouse Bible Church. In San Diego, Pastor John and Angela had two more daughters, Alyssa and Olivia.

Though we primarily know Pastor John as the head pastor, he also has other ministry responsibilities: leadership training, shepherding the church (including the elders and deacons/deaconesses), being the Grace Life and Single Life shepherd, and international outreach. When asked what he enjoyed about serving, Pastor John replied, “The greatest joy comes when I see people growing in Christ. I would agree with the apostle Paul in 1 Thessalonians 2:19-20: For who is our hope or joy or crown of exultation? Is it not even you, in the present of our Lord Jesus at His coming? For you are our glory and joy.”

However, ministry does present a lot of difficulties. Pastor John points out his own insecurities, particularly in dealing with people. Though he says that it is a “tremendous struggle to not bow to the fear of man.” Overtime, he has learned that in the midst of ministry, he can only trust Christ and were he not laboring for His glory, “then it would indeed be a burden that would never become joy.” However,
Pastor John praises God that He has sustained him, especially during the past several months. He exclaims, “God’s grace is not only sufficient, it is super-abounding!”

There were two ministries that Pastor John wanted to highlight: Sunday services and Lighthouse’s international missions to the Czech Republic and Argentina. He is so greatly encouraged and amazed by the hunger for the Word that people at Lighthouse have. He recalls, “I still remember the time that for some reason, we had to shorten the sermon due to other elements within the service. Afterward, there were a number of people who made the comment that they got short-changed.” Pastor John is also awe-struck with how “God has given us the privilege and honor, not only to go out and take the work of the gospel to other countries, but that He would bless us with situations that have grown into partnerships with churches that we have truly come to love. Meinolf and Martina Mellwig in Ostrava and Jorge and Norma Ahualli in Tucuman have become dear friends to our church family as God has given us a kindred spirit and heart to serve Him.” He noted how the summer missions trips give a unique and wonderful chance for members to not only grow closer and to work together but also to “come alongside with our brothers and sisters… to do the work of the Great Commission.”

When asked what his opinion on the state of the church was, Pastor John reiterated what he had said during his State of the Church address: “Our church has grown…a church that really has been blessed by God to grow both in depth and in breadth. There is much to be thankful for… But we also see the signs of complacency, complaining, and at times, even falling away of members… we all need to be reminded to go back to the basics of really loving Christ with all our heart as our first love, to humbly and selflessly seek first the kingdom of God, and to really be dependent on the power of the Holy Spirit to sustain us as we face the challenges ahead.” Pastor John also mentioned his excitement for the prospect of moving into new facilities. Lord willing, there is a certain anticipation of increased numbers, but Pastor John said, “As I learned from my pastor growing up, John MacArthur, he always shared how he would just focus on building the depth through the preaching ministry of the Word, and that he would trust God to grow the breadth.”

Though there are many difficulties and responsibilities in ministry, Pastor John is still so greatly encouraged by “the generous hearts of those who are here at Lighthouse.” No matter what affinity group, he notes how “there are many who have been so sacrificial.” He also mentioned how overwhelmed he was with thanks to God while reading through the messages in the scrapbook that he and Angela received. He is also encouraged by seeing members emulating the love of Christ with one another, “especially with those that are new or those who are kind of on the fringe.”

And the one challenge that Pastor John has for Lighthouse? “Let’s fix our eyes on Jesus and run the race with endurance, enthusiasm, and unity so that we might bring maximum glory to God in fulfilling the Mission, the Vision, and the Passion!”

by Grace Wu

With a population of 1,321,851,888, China is the most populous country in the world—as well as one that is most needy of the Gospel. With a Communist and officially atheist government, Christianity is state-controlled and limited in what it can express about the Gospel. Carol Kim, a member of LBC, is currently there for a two-year extended missions trip. The Beacon was able to contact her and hear about God’s work there.

Note: Because of censorship of the Chinese government, religious terminology needs to be cryptic.

What made you decide that China was the will of the Father [God]?

Father gave me a desire to serve Him overseas since freshman year in college. Wanting to make sure that He wanted me overseas, much prayer and counsel from His Word and many [godly] individuals took place. I did not have a particular place in mind; however, I wanted to head out to a country in the 10/40 window. That’s when Father led me to a contact who shared her heart for China. With more [prayer], everything worked out smoothly for me to join a team here. Therefore, I am here!

Is there a [church] Family there where you can meet with every week?

Father graciously provided a wonderful community here. We meet each Sunday but at different times each week due to security purposes. It has been great getting to know and learn from them as we all differ in our life stages as well as ministries.

What is the most encouraging thing that has happened?

Seeing the power of [prayer] as He has already brought two wandering sheep into His fold. It has been encouraging to see how Father is working in the hearts of people and the harvest that is ready to be reaped.

What has been the most difficult?

Personally, it’s the weather. It will start snowing soon. I am excited about the snow since I’ve never lived where it snows but I do not know how well I can adjust to the cold.

How much Mandarin Chinese do you know?

Yi Dian [a little bit]. Chinese is a very hard language to learn. It seems like it will take decades before I can master the language; nonetheless, I have been thoroughly enjoying the language study. Please [pray] for a rapid language acquisition.

How often can you come home to United States to visit LBC family and blood family?

It is advised that I do not go back to the States during my term if at all possible. Therefore, I do not have any plans to go back any time soon. However, any of you can come visit me and see how Father is working in this place. You can join me in furthering His kingdom.

Any close calls happen from sharing the truth?

I was recently called into the Vice Dean’s office because he had to share some rules with my classmate and me. He shared that China has freedom of religion just like America does but it is illegal to share in public. That meeting is nothing I am worried about but I need to be more careful as they are keeping a close watch on me.

How has your relationship with Father grown from this?

My relationship with the Father has grown in various ways since I have been here. He has given me a greater love for the people here and so I have been able to understand a bit more of His heart. Living here made it evident that I needed to depend more on the Father. As I relied more on His strength rather than my own, He has been carrying me through each day with joy. Due to my need of Him, meditation upon His Word has been sweeter. His Word has been sustaining me.

by Grace Wu

How did you two first meet? When was your first date?

Jinny: We met at UCLA. I was a freshman that needed a ride to church and Peter was the church ride contact at KACF [Korean-American Christian Fellowship]. He ws the one who drove me to church. Our first official date was to a church banquet in Malibu.

For the unfamiliar, what ministries do you serve in?

Peter: I’m an elder, the church treasurer, I teach FOF, and I was a former Flock shepherd.

Jinny: I support Peter [laughs].

With Peter as an elder and serving in so many areas in church, how do you manage to spend enough time with each other and family?

Jinny: It’s been hard to balance. Something practical was when the Flocks structure changed, it freed up our Friday evenings and we made it Family Fun Night. There is no homework, no extracurricular activities, and no meetings. It actually doesn’t always happen that we get to have fun together. When Peter comes home for dinner, the kids have to go bed an hour and a half later, so it’s not that much time to spend with each other. We also have date nights.

How often?

Peter: It varies a lot.

Jinny: Sometimes even once every four months, but during the summer once a week, which is rare.

Peter: It really depends on other people’s availability.

Who are your family members at church?

Peter: Pastor John’s family; Carol [Lim] and her two girls; John and Grace [Lim]; and by marriage, Steve and Lynnie [Kim].

Peter, what is it like to go to church and serve with all of your siblings?

Peter: It’s the most wonderful blessing. Now that we’re doing this as grown-ups, it’s different from when we went to church together as children. We do it purposefully; we chose to be here, not just because our parents are making us go. There’s a duty to this because God has blessed us to be at the same church together. There’s a concerted effort to be a blessing to others because God has blessed us so much. I give credit to my mom because she always prayed that this would happen.

Did you ever think that it would actually happen?

Peter: We did! We thought it would be in LA, but it turned out to be in San Diego.

How often does the entire Lim family at LBC get together as a whole?

Peter & Jinny: Not that much actually. Every three months or so for birthdays. A lot of the times the children’s birthdays are grouped together because some are just within days of each other. [Jokes] Us adults can’t do things like that anymore.

Jinny, what is it like to raise all three girls?

Jinny: They’re so sweet, they really are. With my girls, there is so much affection shown. And stereotypically, there is a lot less roughhousing than if they were boys. They can show each other tenderness and it’s heartwarming. And because they’re girls, there’s a built-in “best friends system.” They may not realize it now, but they will as they get older. There is so much to teach them, stuff I wish I had known when I was younger. It’s a heavy responsibility.

Peter, what is it like to live with four women?

Peter: I understand females a lot better now than when I was single and that girls are normal people [laughs]. I thought I would miss out on having a boy but it’s not even a second thought.

Is having Matthew [John Lim’s son] as your nephew like having a son?

Peter: No, actually. I don’t get to know my nieces and nephew as much as I would like to because we’re all so busy serving in church.

Jinny: We’re at church to minister, not to huddle in a family clan and exclude others.

by Jennifer Shin

Unlike many of us, Leah was neither born here nor was she raised in a home with godly, Christian parents. Rather, she grew up in the Philippines where she was submerged in a Catholic environment, attending a Catholic church and even studying at a Catholic school. Later, she moved to the States with her father and her brother where she began to attend a public school and, thus, wasn’t taught about God anymore, though she was still taught to be good.

When Leah was 20 years old, her father had a stroke and was forced to retire, which left her and her brother to take care of him and to support the family themselves. With this trial in addition to her parents divorcing when she was 5 years old, she turned away from going to church and blamed people and God for what had happened. From college, through dental school, and even after, she always wondered why bad things still happened to good people. Later, Leah went to Miramar where she met Tim Shen, who is now her fiancée. At the time when they were still friends and co-workers, he was concerned about her, which prompted him to share the gospel with her. Tim gave to her her first Bible and they started a Bible study in Romans.

In January 2007, Tim brought Leah to her first Sunday service at LBC where Pastor John actually answered the question that was on her mind for many years of why bad things happen to good people. He answered, “There are no good people.” This statement woke her up and opened her eyes in understanding the sinful state and depravity of mankind. Through LBC, its encouragement, times in small group, as well as Tim sharing the Word and guiding her, she learned more about the importance of salvation through faith and not through works. God led her to dedicating herself to Christ and becoming a member at LBC.

On Easter 2007, she was baptized. Leah stated how it is amazing that she was brought to San Diego and to LBC and that she undoubtedly sees God’s sovereignty in this. Whatever happens, Leah tries to rejoice in it, knowing that God has a plan and that He is in control.

Leah continues to revel in learning God’s Word as it guides her to live in a biblical and God-honoring manner, especially in the roles of being a woman and a wife. She is learning to be obedient in submission, understanding that God designed specific roles for both men and women. Leah admitted she struggled a bit with Tim at first, but she learned that there are certain roles that we fill. She learns from the examples of other sisters at our church and from that realizes that that’s the way God meant things to be. Leah stated, “We’re really blessed to have good examples in how they carry themselves. Even though I don’t interact with [the women] to that great extent, I see how they interact with each other…it’s a model I wish I had.”

In recently getting engaged to Tim, Leah desires to make sure that their marriage will still keep God in center. She stated that they are still looking to serve together, encourage each other, and eventually raise a family. The couple plans to marry sometime next year and desires to stay here in San Diego, especially because of LBC. If they do leave, they want to find a church that solidly teaches the Word. Wherever they may be, they want to serve together and be an example to others.

Leah will be deployed to the Maldives November 5th on a ship for humanitarian assistance, where she will treat dental needs. After the Maldives, though, she is uncertain where they will be shipped to, with the possibility of going to Iraq, Kuwait, or Afghanistan.

To the LBC family, Leah thanks you for all your prayers and encouragement in showing her how to live and how to rejoice in trials. She states that even now there is so much support from the church, which she never had growing up. She can’t wait to come back and share with everyone all that she’s learned and experienced.

It is more than appropriate to say that God is so good and so sovereign. Like what we, singles, have been studying in Ecclesiastes, there is a time for everything. Though Leah didn’t understand why things happened, especially in the midst of many tribulations, God was working away at her heart and was perfectly orchestrating each event, each thought, and each struggle to display His grace and His lovingkindness to her. As it is written in Ecclesiastes 3:11, “He has made everything beautiful in its time.”

by Jennifer Shin

How did they meet?

Kent and Romi were first introduced to each other at a BBQ that a mutual friend (Kent’s co-worker at his previous company and a fellow member at the church Romi attended prior to coming to LBC) was hosting. Romi stated that she and Kent didn’t get to talk because the guys went outside to play poker while the ladies stayed inside the house.

Romi enjoys watching and playing tennis so Kent bought tickets to the Acura Classic Cup for the week after the BBQ and invited her to go with him. There, they were able to get to know each other. The two dated for about six months and were married another six months later on July 29, 2005.

Challenges as a Married Couple

Even during the few years that they’ve been married, both Kent and Romi agree that one of the challenges they constantly face is communication.

Another challenge that they face together is being purposeful in growing spiritually and taking concrete steps in respect to that.

“It goes beyond doing disciplines,” Kent said.

Blessings as a Married Couple

Kent replied that though he knew Romi to be a strong Christian, it’s been a blessing for him to watch her grow.

Romi said that it’s a blessing to have a partner who knows your flaws but still loves and accepts you. She said that it’s not about trying to change the other person. Rather, there is someone who is coaching and encouraging you. She said that it’s a blessing to be with each other. They pray that they can encourage and bless others at church and their family members, placing their focus on others and not on themselves.

Fun Facts

Quirks that they notice about each other:

Romi – Kent takes longer than her to get ready; spontaneous dancing and puts on dancing shows

Kent – Everything always has to be put in Ziplocs.

Favorite Foods

Romi – Seafood, Gummy Bears

Kent – PB on Toast, Ice Cream

Favorite Verses

Kent – 1 Corinthians 10:31

Romi – Philippians 3:8

One Word That Describes the Other Person

Kent about Romi – Giving

Romi about Kent – Trustworthy

by Kevin Au

So I’m sure most people already know you are a college student at UCSD. What are you studying?

My major officially is Molecular Bio, but I’m following the track for Human Bio. I initially came in as Bioengineering. It was one of those subjects that I really liked in high school, and I figured, since I was coming to UCSD, I might as well do Bio. I made the switch to Human Biology because I know that being in Bio E wouldn’t really help my GPA, might as well just do Human Bio because it’s more applicable in going to Med School anyways.

Has Med School always been your ambition?

Always? No, I’m still not really completely sure. There are a lot of things you can do with a degree in medicine, and considering other fields like business or law, I felt like I would be less in a position of moral compromise with medicine…Plus, I have Asian parents, you know?

Yeah, I figured…Any siblings?

Yeah, I have 2 brothers. One, my older brother is 3 years older in Med School on the East Coast. My younger brother is going into his second year at UC Davis.

Ah, I see. So where are you from?

Its kinda complicated. I was born in New Jersey, then moved to Taiwan when I was five, then back to New Jersey when I was twelve, then back to Taiwan. I finished my junior and senior years of high school in San Jose, and came to San Diego for college.

Wow, so is Taiwanese your first language?

I actually don’t know Taiwanese. My first languages were concurrently Mandarin and English. I also have more recently been learning Japanese. Taking a class helps. I would really like to study abroad in Japan, but I just don’t really have the time. It wouldn’t help me fulfill my major, it wouldn’t help my grades; it would be just for language.

I think you should go. Anyways, what about your hobbies? What do you enjoy doing?

Well, back when I had a life….Video games, anime, manga, board games. I still keep up with manga, I don’t play video games because I don’t have a TV, anime takes too much time. I stopped mostly because I need to study.

So how has God been teaching you lately?

I have been learning much in terms of trusting God with my future, and having faith that God is in control. I had always known it in my head, but as things have gotten difficult, it has really forced me to re-evaluate what I stand for. He was able to strengthen me in terms of my place in His plan. Different circumstances and books have taught me and stressed the importance of humility, godly character, and God-centered focus.

Awesome. So how did you end up here at Lighthouse anyways?

Some people from my home church have come to Lighthouse. When I first got here, Cindy Tsau offered to take me and some friends to visit different churches, and at the end we stuck with Lighthouse. I decided to stay because of Pastor John’s sermons. They were very different from what I’ve heard, and maybe more than anything else, my curiosity kept me coming back.

How long have you been a Christian?

I’d say I became a Christian sometime between the second half of my first year and the first half of my second year. That’s when I really came to an understanding of the gospel. I was baptized in high school, but I really want to be baptized again. I put it off for a while because I was unsure of my salvation, but after I really understood the gospel, and was assured that Jesus is Lord, things got busier, but I don’t want to put it off much longer.

Cool, so tell me something interesting or weird about yourself that not a whole lot of people know.

Umm…well, when I was in 3rd grade I was skating down a hill. I fell, face planted, and ground my teeth into the asphalt. So a portion of my front two teeth are fake (smiles).

by Grace Wu

Collegians at LBC already know how difficult it is to be a full-time student. But what about adding full-time work on top of it? Singles Ministry member Sung Bae experiences firsthand the incredible time crunch under which he orders his daily activities.

Also known as “Mr. Megabyte” around LBC for his expertise in fixing computers, Sung is originally from Torrance, CA. He graduated from UCLA in 2004 majoring in Computer Science. Currently, he works at Kyocera as a phone engineer and is also an MBA student at University of San Diego at the same time. His usual schedule starts with waking up at 9 a.m., arriving at work at 10 and getting off at 5. From work, he heads straight to USD and attends class until 9 p.m. At around 10 p.m., he finally has time to sit down and spend time with the Lord in his quiet times. At home, his time is spent usually fixing a computer, playing video games, or improving somebody’s resume.

According to his housemate Ji Lee, Sung is the “tech guy” of the Diane house. However, Sung does have other responsibilities other than fixing computers and setting up networks. As a graduate student, academics are also an important part of his schedule. Taking advantage of the late hours, Sung can also be found at his favorite study spot— on the second floor of Geisel Library at UCSD until closing time at 2 a.m.

“[The second floor is] where it’s the noisiest. Noisy environments help me concentrate and studying with other LBCers definitely keeps me going,” Sung stated.

Studying, working, classes, and everything in between—how does Sung manage it all within 24 hours?

“I don’t know how I juggle both,” Sung stated. “There are numerous days where I wake up and contemplate how I’m going to get to the end. I know without God I would fall apart.”

As someone who works and goes to school, is easy to view classes with a dreadful attitude and think of it as just another obstacle to overcome during the day after a long day of work is over. However, for Sung, it is important to keep a good attitude about class. “While I’m at work I can look forward to class. If anything, the fact that I get to listen to a good lecture keeps me going,” Sung stated. Being a student is also an opportunity to shine the light in the classroom. According to Sung, the MBA culture and environment is very focused on success and wealth. Classmates usually ask one another what field of study they want to go into, and the questions and comments that circulate are “Why do you want to do that? It doesn’t make that much money.”

“It sounds silly, but it’s hard to not be caught up in that,” Sung said. As a Christian at USD, which is a private Catholic school, Sung is the minority there with only a handful of fellow Christian classmates with him. A large portion of his classmates is either Catholic or atheist that have a mentality of pursuing wealth.

“I deal with it by choosing not to participate in those conversations. My way of shining the light at school is to uphold my integrity with my classmates. Also, knowing that I can be judged at any moment of being Christian, I have to be prepared to make the right decisions and more importantly to watch what I say.” Outside the classroom and into the church doors, Sung is in training to shine the light at LBC as well. Pastor Steve is currently coaching Sung and preparing him for teaching preschool. “As much as I like playing with kids, I want to put it to better use. Rather than chasing them in the parking lot, I want to put it into something more meaningful,” Sung said. Even though Sung’s schedule where he needs to study and work simultaneously would be considered as too busy, he does not use that as an excuse to not serve in church. It is a challenge to not complain, but he does not use those excuses to not attend church activities.

“Anyone can say that they’re busy, but just manage your time better and take responsibility,” Sung said.