Hey folks!
My name is Sten Ivan and I am going on The World Race July 2014 Route 2. I would like to share with you guys a little bit about me.
I was born in a little nowhere town in West Borneo, Indonesia.
Growing up in a third-world country, I experienced many things that kids shouldn’t have to. I’ve been abused, wounded, disappointed and lonely. I didn’t know what happiness felt like.
Frustrated and unhappy with the cultural pressure and an abusive family, I decided to venture out. So right out of high school, I went to the neighboring country, Malaysia, for college. I studied there for 2 years and pursued many worldly definitions of love and happiness, but they never satisfied me fully.
It was in the summer of 2010 that Jesus found me. A bunch of American college-aged students came to my campus and reached out to me. For the first time in my life, I saw what love looks like in real life. It was sincere and simple, and I couldn’t resist the offer. So I decided to follow Jesus and have been following Him ever since.
Then I came to States to finish college. I was quite involved with a campus ministry and did a lot of discipleship stuff on campus. But struggles of my old life continued even after I became a Christian, in fact it became a lot harder. I hate to admit it but I’m far from this “good Christian” stamp. Many things get into the way from following Jesus fully; addictions, struggles, frustration, bitterness, anger, and the list goes on.
I am a mess. Human.
But that doesn’t mean that I can’t hope. That doesn’t mean that I should give up. I believe that my failures don’t define my identity in Christ. I know that I’ll never be perfect, but God loves me anyway and His Son’s death on the Cross has paid it all.
And I believe that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. I will always be loved by God. Even when I fail and broken, even when I repeat the same mistakes over and over again. Even when I don’t love Him, neglect Him, God loves me anyway.
God’s love never fails.
I want to be a world changer. I want to see the unloved loved and the outcast received. I want to see streets filled with laughter and poverty no more. I want to see an end to the injustices in the world and sufferings become memory.
I want to worship God like the days of heaven start tomorrow. Most importantly, I want to discover who I am in Christ–and this is the main reason why I’m doing the World Race.
If you want to journey with me on this journey, you can. This is my invitation to you; to venture the world and witness what God can do through an ordinary man.
If you feel led to support me financially and/or prayerfully, please don’t hesitate to ask me questions and I’ll be glad to talk to you about it. You can also subscribe to my newsletter to get blog updates from me.
Come with me.
And we shall see miracles happen and questions answered in the name of Jesus.
Sincerely,
Sten
