Get to Know a Garden City Member: Tim Kwan

Hey there Garden City! I'm Tim, and thanks for spending 5 minutes of your time reading my post while you guys are sheltering-in-place.

I was born in Los Angeles and moved up to the South Bay when I was young. It has been my home ever since (despite a short stint in Irvine for my undergraduate degree), and I love the fact that my family is in close proximity, so I don’t plan to leave here anytime soon! Fun fact: I’ve driven down with my family to visit LA almost every year since we have plenty of relatives over there, and that’s where most of my interests have developed, such as my love for Asian cuisine, the boba scene, and of course, the Los Angeles Lakers!

I’ve been with the North San Jose Men’s group for more than 2.5 years. One thing I love about the group is the culture of discipleship we have in our group. I’m inspired by their willingness to open up and be vulnerable, their desire to pursue holiness in their lives, and their intentionality in keeping each other accountable. I am grateful to be able to do life with them in our group and outside of our group!

A secret gem that I haven’t kept my eyes away from lately, is the ocean. During a time in my life, I needed some space to process life and heal, and I found that the ocean has been the best place for that. Over time I discovered that the ocean has become my grounds for adventure, a context to be able to enjoy my favorite hobbies (fishing and crabbing), a great environment to live out community, and a means to rest well and enjoy God’s creation. Some of my favorite locations to explore along the coast would be the Santa Cruz Harbor, Pigeon Point Lighthouse, Half Moon Bay Jetty, Pacifica Pier, and China Beach.

Although sheltering-in-place hasn’t been fun, I’ve been encouraged by a few things that have come from the COVID-19 pandemic. I’ve enjoyed reconnecting with friends that I haven’t talked to in a while and hearing how they’re doing with sheltering-in-place. I’ve enjoyed going on more walks around my neighborhood and getting to know a couple of my neighbors. I love how the church is seeking ways to support each other during this time and creative/fun ways to stay connected with one another. Lastly, God has revealed certain idols in my heart during this time, which has been an opportunity for me to self-reflect and reorient my heart back to God. This has been an invitation for me to be a part of God’s big story and to not waste this coronavirus moment amidst this unique time we live in. 

My prayer is that we as a church continue to grow in our dependency on God and in unity and that we would exercise wisdom and discernment as we continue to love our neighbors well during this time.