There was confusion, negativity, and a flow of unending questions. This was how I felt and acted during my days in college. I was struggling with anxiety, and within that was the fear of making mistakes. It is like a virus that messes with the heart and mind. With a mindset to avoid mistakes, I pushed myself to be perfect in everything I do which resulted in stress and depression. The feeling of uneasiness in the heart and the negativity in the mind made me want to give up. Little did I know that all this was going to turn around during my time in Taiwan.
I’m Wesley Chang, 22 years old, I graduated May 2015 from Iowa State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology Manufacturing. After graduating, I had a one year gap before I would be going into graduate school. I decided that I would not waste time and would find something meaningful to do. There were only two options, either get a job or go traveling. So I ended up choosing to travel. But the question was, where? With research, thinking, and talking with parents, I found out about VOICE Missions in Taiwan.
I then decided to apply. To my surprise, the doors kept opening towards serving in Taiwan. Upon arriving in Taiwan, I was excited and nervous. I had traveled to Taiwan before and I was happy to be back, but on the other hand I was nervous because it was my first time without my parents. To fast forward, I arrived at my designated location with my team. Monday came around and kids arrived. The first week was all about observing and learning. Then the next Monday came and that was when my fears struck me.
Teaching was foreign to me; I never had any teaching experience before. I was worried and afraid to make mistakes which led to discouragement whenever mistakes were pointed out. I felt hopeless and had the urge to give up but something in my mind kept telling me, “You came this far and now you want to give up?” With so many thoughts and so much stress on my mind, I was led to prayer and the Scripture, feeling it was the only way.
Through this experience, God taught me the importance of faith and the will of never giving up.
There is no need to be afraid because there is nothing in this world that is impossible for Him.
I feel that life is like one huge obstacle with different levels. Each level has its own difficulty which can end in the urge to give up. But we need to be reminded that there is always hope. Jesus is hope. God is in control of all things. So never give up, always push forward, and keep fighting the good fight.
I’m Wesley Chang, 22 years old, I graduated May 2015 from Iowa State University with a Bachelor’s degree in Industrial Technology Manufacturing. After graduating, I had a one year gap before I would be going into graduate school. I decided that I would not waste time and would find something meaningful to do. There were only two options, either get a job or go traveling. So I ended up choosing to travel. But the question was, where? With research, thinking, and talking with parents, I found out about VOICE Missions in Taiwan.
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| Wesley with other members of the '15-'16 VOICE Missions team. |
Teaching was foreign to me; I never had any teaching experience before. I was worried and afraid to make mistakes which led to discouragement whenever mistakes were pointed out. I felt hopeless and had the urge to give up but something in my mind kept telling me, “You came this far and now you want to give up?” With so many thoughts and so much stress on my mind, I was led to prayer and the Scripture, feeling it was the only way.
Through this experience, God taught me the importance of faith and the will of never giving up.
“Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.”
~Proverbs 3:5
There is no need to be afraid because there is nothing in this world that is impossible for Him.
“But Jesus looked at them and said, ‘With man this is impossible, but with God all things are possible."
~Matthew 18:26
I feel that life is like one huge obstacle with different levels. Each level has its own difficulty which can end in the urge to give up. But we need to be reminded that there is always hope. Jesus is hope. God is in control of all things. So never give up, always push forward, and keep fighting the good fight.
~Wesley Chang
Wesley, from Illinois, is currently serving with VOICE Mission on the Yunlin team. His hobbies include hanging out with friends, table tennis, bass guitar, music, and travel. He enjoys talking with his students about growing up in America. Being an American born Taiwanese, he hopes to learn more about his own culture during his time in Taiwan.
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