Mike Chan

I was born Catholic, but Christ was never a big part in my life. When I was about 16, I was extremely depressed, and had ongoing suicidal thoughts. It got to the extent where one day I was going to act upon those thoughts, after school I was going to find the tallest building I could get into, and not have to worry about anything else.  At this time, I met someone who changed my life drastically, my Christian school principle, Jon Borden.  At the time I didn’t know, and didn’t care who he was or what he believed in.  I was brought to the psychiatric hospital and was diagnosed with Bipolar Disorder type 2, I was put on psychotropic medications and attended psychotherapy.  Even though I didn’t know it back then, Jon’s actions were the first taste of Christian love, because of his actions, I am still here today.

But my story still goes on, upon entering college, I relapsed, and I feel into a place much like I was in back in my high school days.  I reached out to Jon for help, he tried, but there is only so much you can do when someone is on the other side of the world. With the help of people around me, I was able to save myself from committing suicide.  I was unhappy, I refused to believe that my life was an endless chain of ups and downs, where the ups would result in my reckless behavior hurting those around me, and the downs resulted in me wanting to take my own life.  At this time, a close friend of mine brought me to Ohana Seattle University caregroup. I was able to put my foot in the door of Christ.

I left Seattle for half a year, and decided to return to Asia. I took time to find out what I wanted out of myself, and what Christ wanted of me.  When I returned, I made sure that church became a priority for me.  And God has given me so many beautiful people to look up to, all whom live like Jesus.  Some people can hear God talk to them, in their times of trails; for me, God sent angels in the form of people to pick me up, dust me off, and draw me closer to God.

The past year and a half, I have been making Christ a part of my life, I was re-baptized during church camp, I’ve become a member of my church, I’ve assumed duties in a ministry.  And just last Wednesday, my psychotherapist told me that there was no need for me to see her. She had seen tremendous change in me and she knows that I have a huge support network in Christ.  I look back, and I can see all God has done for me, even when I didn’t know him, he has put me in places where I didn’t know I was capable of going, he has shown me what a Christian’s love is and he provides for me.

The passage James 1:12 is one that truly speaks to me “Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.”