by Diana Le

Even though I’ve been walking with Jesus for over four and a half years, it often feels like it’s been more than ten years—sometimes even twenty years—because of the trials and hardships I’ve faced along the way. To put a long story short, I am a Vietnamese young woman who is not from a Hispanic lineage, not fluent in Spanish, and yet I attend a predominantly Spanish-speaking church.  I experienced a powerful encounter with Jesus Christ at a New Year’s Eve service in 2019 as a visitor, and I was baptized at that same church on September 20, 2020. Exactly three weeks later, I received the Holy Spirit. The Spirit of Jesus living in me is the only reason I’m still walking with Him today. It’s not because of anything I’ve done—it’s all because of Him.

As I reflect on my journey, I can honestly say there were times I was tempted to give up.The first time I was tempted to give up was within the first few months I started attending my church. I felt like I didn’t belong because I was the only Vietnamese person among a congregation of  Hispanic believers.  The language barrier and cultural differences made integration difficult. I struggled with doubt, even though the Lord was very adamant that I stay at my church. But over time, after I received the Holy Spirit, He gave me a strong sense of resolve and kept me there. The Lord reassured me time and time again that I was in the right church-through words spoken by men and women of God, and through the faithful friends who translated entire Spanish-language services for me, week after week, for over three years.

In 2022, I experienced a major “faith crisis” that the Lord used to demonstrate how the Holy Spirit can truly keep us in this walk.  That year, I endured intense spiritual warfare, including demonic nightmares. When a promise from God I was contending for looked like it fell apart,the spiritual attacks increased, and I was overwhelmed with a flood of negative thoughts for many months. I became so angry at God and accused Him for not protecting me.I said things I deeply regret. But in the midst of that trial, His Spirit continued to move within me—to sing, to dance in His presence, to pray even when all I could do was cry, to read His Word even when I struggled to believe it, and to go to church even when my heart felt as if it was bleeding every day. I was being spiritually crucified, but His resurrection power within me influenced me to keep living and move forward. I felt like I was dying, but  it was as if Jesus Himself was living through my body, supplying me with His faith and supernatural perseverance.

In the years that followed, there would be times when I struggled to get out of bed to go to church because I would feel so depressed, but His Spirit within me would move me to get up and go. There would be times I felt too exhausted to speak to anyone, yet His Spirit would move me to witness and preach the Gospel to a coworker. There would be times when my heart would be filled with so much sorrow, but His Spirit within me would influence me to laugh and smile with the joy of the Lord. Even  when my body felt too heavy to praise and dance in His Presence, His Spirit would pull me to the altar.

If there’s anything I’ve learned in this walk with God, it’s this: the single moment of getting baptized by the Holy Spirit is not enough to keep us going in our journey with Jesus. I’ve seen young people, even those filled with the Holy Spirit, walk away from the faith. We must be continuously filled-daily- with the Holy Spirit through our relationship with Jesus, by spending time in the Secret Place and living on the altar. I’ve learned that we need to be so filled with the Spirit of Jesus, so that God can live through us, even overriding our physical strength and willpower. We need to be filled to the point where the Holy Spirit can take dominion of us, so that “it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20).

I believe that it’s difficult for many of us to completely fathom how significant it is and what it truly means to have the Spirit of Jesus Christ live within us. That’s why  I know that God desires young people to obtain the revelation of this reality- especially in these last days—so they can be empowered by His Spirit to live for Him and carry out His will until the very end.

About the Author

Diana Le is an active member of Verdad y Vida Church in Garden Grove, California. She serves locally as the Vice President of the youth ministry, a Sunday school teacher, and part of the intercession team. Additionally, she serves on the consecration team for the East Los Angeles MOP.