Statement Of Purpose

I was born in Saigon, Vietnam in 1970. When I was four years old, my mother and two younger sisters died during the Vietnam War. My older sister and I were then sent to be raised by my grandmother, a devoted Buddhist in her 70s, while my father continued his military service. In obedience to my grandmother, I engaged in Buddhist worship. I grew up not only in poverty but also in ignorance of Christianity. In 1987, I escaped the country with my father and we came to the United States as refugees. I then went to Dordt College and studied engineering. During my college years, I discovered God and became a Christian. After I graduated in 1994, I began to work as an engineer in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. A year later, I got married to Katie. For many years in my early adulthood, I would regularly attend church, but I was not a committed member of the church body. I did not even pay attention to my spiritual development because I …show more content…
Since I began the doctoral program, my schedule has been overwhelming. I fight for time between the demands of a full time job, a family, ministry at local church, and doctoral studies. My full schedule has drawn me away from God. My relationship with God is currently not as close as I would like to it to be. Even though, I know that God is always open to receive me and wants to hear my prayers. I hope I will be able to adjust my time management and overcome this challenge after the first semester. I want to pray to God that I need strength and wisdom from God to manage my priorities and carry out my responsibilities properly. My prayer life needs a revitalization. Fortunately, God is merciful and graceful. His incredible patience and loving kindness draws me to Him whenever I face struggles. I would like to say to God that I am grateful for His kindness and His forgiveness. I have no doubt that I am worthy for His love and I may certainly come back to