Women's Ministry Department
United Christians Liberty Evangelical Church
"Since God had planned something better for us so that only together with us would they be made perfect." Hebrews 11:45 NIV
God is worthy of our love and the only One deserving of our life's commitment.
March 20, 2018 | Macie Chervunkong
As a teenager, I had promised the Lord Jesus Christ, my Savior that I would serve Him with all that I am. This was not a difficult promise to make but not an easy one to keep because all that I am was not complete in Him, yet. It was at my heart’s content that I participated in all activities that I thought would bring glory to God. This included participating in the church choir, being the lead worship singer, playing instruments for His glory, and being a youth mentor and role model. Despite the many trials and challenges I faced over the past 30 years of service for the Lord, I can most definitely say that it has been the most rewarding and best decision I have ever made. You see, sometimes our promises we make to the Lord subconsciously keep us from making the wrong choices that would otherwise lead us to a path directly to destruction.
At one time we too were foolish, disobedient, deceived and enslaved by all kinds of passions and pleasures. We lived in malice and envy, being hated and hating one another. But when the kindness and love of God our Savior appeared, he saved us, not because of righteous things we had done, but because of his mercy. He saved us through the washing of rebirth and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:3-5 (NIV)
My commitment to God’s work must be preceded by devoting myself to the Lord Jesus, His plans and purposes. It was in the mid-1970 and early 1980s, when the early waves of Hmong refugee immigrants arrived in the United States from the aftermath of the Vietnam War. In 1976, I was only 10 months old when my family arrived in the United States. At that time, Hmong people did not know the one true God and being a born again Christian was against all odds and traditional Hmong ways. While most Hmong people sought ways to adjust to living in a new country, my father, Chervang K. Vang, sought a deeper spiritual connection with God, receiving the Holy Spirit and God’s calling. Being that my father was the first known born again Hmong Christian and evangelist really jumpstarted my own search and relationship with Jesus Christ. As a child, I thought that I was “saved” because my parents are saved and all I had to do was attend church services regularly, recite Bible verses and lessons taught in my Sabbath school classes, and most importantly, obey every instruction and teaching given by my father and mother. As I got older, I began to want to know more about God on personal and spiritual level. To have a personal relationship with God meant I needed to be completely in Him
and Him in me.
In a household of two Christian parent with six children, three boys and three girls, and me being the second oldest of the six children and oldest girl, I really had a calling of my own. It meant I had more responsibilities than my younger siblings and more household responsibility as the oldest girl. It was the role bestowed upon me and I gracefully accepted without rebellious attempts, although I have to admit that on rare occasions, feelings of resentment seeped in but that did not stop me from being the “good girl”. Despite the unjustified criticism of being a good girl, I was devoting myself to God and accepted Jesus Christ, my Lord Savior into my heart when I was eleven years old. My journey with God began in baby small steps.
Over the past 30 years of my life, I have dedicated my life to serving God, leading church worship, going on evangelism crusades that my father led throughout the United States, and allowing myself to be used in God’s service. It was during my early years of service for the Lord that I met my husband, Vann Herrvun, who was one of the lead singer for my father’s crusades to the eastern parts of the United States. Shortly after getting married in 1996, my husband committed to being a pastor and calling to do the Lord’s work. I took on the role as a pastor’s wife. Since 1999, my husband has been serving as senior pastor to the United Christians Liberty Evangelical Church in Sacramento, California. As a pastor’s wife, I finally realized that the promise I made to God to use me for His purpose has been fulfilled. I could have not survived this far without personal commitment and discipline in my spiritual life. My spiritual walk with Him continues until I finish my race.