“You’ll be ‘like the restless sea’, the Bible says.  Have you ever looked out at the sea and watched how restless it is?  It’s coming and it’s going.  The Bible says that’s the heart of the person who doesn’t know Christ.  That’s the way his heart is: always restless.” – Billy Graham (August 18, 1976 in San Diego, CA)

My name is Lowell Edward.  I’m originally from San Diego, California.  When I was four years old, my Dad passed away.  Although I had an older brother who kept me in line, my Mom thought it best that I should have an older father figure in my life, also.  So, every year, every Christmas and summer vacation until about junior high, I lived with my maternal uncle in Hawaii.    

My uncle worked for the University of Hawaii newspaper in the print shop.  He was a kind, solitary man who liked to tell jokes under his breath.  He included me in his love for fishing and watching wrestling, and we would, every now and then, take out his contraband air guns and go shooting.   As I entered my adolescence, I became like him in some ways: I loved people, yet I was a loner; I believed in fairness, but I would also seek an advantage, given the opportunity.  This duality eventually led me to a crossroads in my life.

My parents had settled in San Diego where they raised me and my three older siblings.  My parents were very active in the Chinese community.   They were also founding members of a church which sprouted out from a 19th century mission school which served the needs of a growing Chinese immigrant population.  

I grew up going to church.  I learned all the Bible stories and knew how I was expected to behave in church.  I considered myself a pretty decent kid, following a lifestyle in the pattern that my family had set out for me. When I was around 12 years old, I agreed to go with my brother to a Billy Graham crusade.  At my brother’s suggestion, I went forward to accept Jesus as my Savior.  I knew how to act and what to say, but I don’t know whether I had any real faith at that time.

A few years later, I began leading the worship service in church.  My Mom commented, one day, that I needed to “stop performing, and start leading worship.”  At the time, I was offended by her remark.  But, she saw right through me:  I didn’t have a real relationship with Jesus whom I called my Savior, and I was just going through the motions.  Her remark made me think seriously about faith, and that’s when my faith in Jesus began to grow.  As my faith grew, I deepened my involvement at church, both spiritually and socially.

While I was in my junior year in college, this duality, which I mentioned previously, got me into some serious trouble.  Although the consequences I had to pay did not damage my future, it did make clear a choice which I needed to make once and for all: to serve God with my whole heart, or not at all.  That day, I decided to devote my life to serving God.  

Over the years, I have seen God’s goodness and faithfulness to me.  He provided many opportunities for me to share the Gospel of Jesus Christ and to encourage Christians throughout the world in their faith.   As I gave away my faith, God molded my character and gave me countless more opportunities to share the joy and hope that comes only through a relationship with Jesus.  God has also given me a special place in my heart for the homeless and for prisoners.  

Today, I am a leader of worship and outreach at a church in the San Fernando Valley, and I assist other churches in the Southern California area with media production, food services, and community development.  I also lead a ministry which addresses the needs of the homeless and prisoners.