Hi, my name is Johan Nevlida. I am 24 years old and currently living in North Highlands, California. I’ve always had a hard time telling people my story. There has been so many momentous events in my life that I try to capture that would best describe myself. I am a third culture kid (TCK). A term used to refer to children raised in a culture other than their parents’ (or the culture of the country given on the child’s passport, where they are legally considered native) for a significant part of their early development years. The constant change of culture and having to adapt, and with the absence of the truth, I was blown back and forth, not knowing my true identity. Here, I’m going to attempt once again, now with the knowledge of Christ to tell you the journey the father has given me that brought me to Jesus.
I was born in Makati, Philippines and lived there for 11 years. living conditions was sub par compared to what we have here in the U.S. During my time here, I was constantly moving. My parents were not together. Growing up, I was raised by both sides of the family. On one hand, while my mom worked hard to provide for me, I lived with my aunt on my mom’s side of the family. I grew up with my cousins (above picture) which was awesome because I always had someone to play with or hangout with. Family is a very big part in our culture. multiple generations would be living under the same roof helping each other provide for the household. We lived in a small house and it’s common to have at least 4 people sleeping in the same room or sharing a bed.
This is my dad’s side of the Family. This Picture was taken when I visited them when I was 16 in 2008. The little girl on the very front is Audrey my sister on my dad’s side. This is my first time meeting her since I left 5 years from then. I have another little sister on my dad’s side that I met for the first time also when I came back to visit this past Christmas, 7 years after this picture was taken.
Both sides of the family had great influences on me as a child. Both sides showed their love for me. Though the conditions of living isn’t the same as a wealthy nation, we were always happy, being surrounded by our loved once and going through the tough times as a family.
taken in 2010
While still living in the Philippines, my mom got married to my step dad. He was on a business trip in the Philippines from the U.S. working for intel. He adopted my then 1 year old sister (jaizel, bottom right) and I. We were blessed with another side of a family (from peoria, Illinois). We moved to Shanghai, China (2004) when I was 11 years old for my dad’s work. Then, a year later, we were blessed with another little girl (Janika, bottom left). We lived there for 3 years, where I attended Shanghai American International School (all of middle school). There were a lot of changes. Coming from a poor country to all of a sudden living in a strange land. I was surrounded by people from all over the world. I barely spoke English and had to adjust to the American curriculum. .
This Picture was taken sometime a year after moving to the U.S. To the right is one of my best friends growing up while living in China. He’s from England and we lived in the same expat community. It was July 1, 2007 when we moved to Roseville, Ca from Shanghai, China. Another culture shock. Though I went to an American School in China, there was a massive difference in culture compared to the American public School. I had to adapt all over again. I was entering as a freshman in High school in a new country I never lived in. The combination of teenage hormones, wanting to fit in and be cool, language barriers, cultural barriers and well, just high school, I made a mess. I got lost. But it was during high school where I was introduced to younglife. An organization that reaches out to highschool students to tell them about Jesus. Now I was baptized catholic in the Philippines, went to church on sundays, said some prayers, but I had no idea who Jesus was. Younglife became a part of my life even after high school. I knew there was something there.
Through all the moving and changes in my life, I put up so many defense mechanisms thinking that they would protect me from hurting and would give me happiness. Pride, self-righteousness, Ego, and sprinkle it with who I thought God was or who Jesus was, I would find peace. It was only this year, 2017 a year I will always remember, when my own hypocrisies came crashing down. God ripped me out of my own thinking and understanding of who He was. Additionally, as he is currently breaking down my old self, He is creating in me a new identity in Christ Jesus. By His grace alone, I fall deeper and deeper into the love He poured out on the cross.
Our father gave me a new lens through Jesus. “Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart.” – Jeremiah 1:5 How great is our heavenly father, the grand weaver, who created all things, who hates all sin, but who loves us so much that He gave His only begotten son to die for us, and despite our disobedience to him, lead us to Christ to be called sons and daughters of the most high. Where is there room for bragging? Where is there room for pride?
