Small . . . belly. Lose . . . weight. Small . . . belly. Get . . . stronger,” I hear being huffed and puffed as we jog.

As much as I want to laugh at my running buddy’s mantra to motivate herself, I am too out of breath myself.

A few weeks prior, I had been complaining to God about how hard it was for me to remain motivated to exercise. Within a few days of those thoughts, a former student in our language center, Linh Anh (see Lily River’s article about Linh Anh in the September AF issue), messaged me.

“Sister! Do you want to run with me? I think we can help each other exercise,” she wrote.

I hate running. It is not for lack of trying—I have tried it in nature, at parks and on tracks. I have joined a 5k. But ever since I had an asthma attack as a youth, I have had negative associations with a tight, stabbing pain in my side while running. And I have yet to experience what seems to be the elusive runner’s high. During my time in Sinim, every so often, a team member or co-worker will suggest a weekly meet-up, and I will join. Then my participation tapers off, and I eventually stop.

“Let’s run every day. We will meet at 5:30. Okay?” Linh Anh texted. While I gave her muted responses and warned her how terrible of a runner I am, I knew I could not deny that it certainly felt like an answer to prayer.

“Maybe not every day. I need to rest on Friday and Saturday,” I responded.

Yes, I had agreed, very reluctantly. Though I may not be motivated by fellow team members to wake up at 6:30 a.m. and run twice a week, five days with Linh Anh seemed different.

She had formerly been a student in Lewis River’s advanced English class and would also join our weekly English club. My housemate and fellow English teacher, Val, mentioned that during one of the club sessions, Linh Anh had said, “I believe the most important thing is money.” Lewis had previously shared that she had expressed, “I believe in myself.”

But last Christmas, our center had a small gathering to celebrate with songs, games and food. Despite COVID-19 fears, Linh Anh was one of the few students that accepted our invitation. We played music and sang carols, had some group games and enjoyed a simple vegetarian meal. A highlight was a scavenger hunt for Christmas items, each tied to the Bethlehem story. I explained that God sent His Son as a gift to show us the way to heaven.

During Linh Anh’s next class session with Lewis, she shared how impressed she was with the atmosphere at the party and everyone’s belief in God and how that caused her to reflect on her life and what she believes in.

During Lunar New Year, Linh Anh invited me and our friend, Val, to her home to celebrate. Despite its size, she organized it to make the space efficient to fit the typical queen-sized bed, table for two, cage for a sugar-glider, desk, small bookshelf and wardrobe. On the floor in the middle of the room, she had put together a simple spread of New Year’s sticky rice cake, salads, braised mushrooms and vegetables, knowing we were vegetarian and vegan. From above her small studio came the deafening sound of festive karaoke music.

Typically, Sinim will go to their hometowns to be with family for the holiday, the equivalent of Christmas, Thanksgiving and New Year’s Eve combined. Linh Anh opted to stay in the city to work. During our meal, she opened up about her impoverished childhood and enduring the challenges of growing up in a single-mother home. She shared how their extended family did nothing to help her mother and sister, so she had to learn to believe in herself to survive. As single women of older age, she asked us what we thought of love and marriage and then told us about her former fiancé, who broke up with her because of his family’s disapproval. Val and I shared our relationship experiences, but ultimately, we felt content and not lonely because we had God as our Father and Friend and trusted His plan for our lives.

Since then, our team, Val, and I have been intentional about inviting her to other hangouts, vespers, and online Bible studies; our friendship has slowly been growing. However, her work takes up a lot of her schedule and often conflicts with some of our events. She is fiercely independent, yet it is unmistakable that she is yearning for community and relationships.

And Ling Ahn and my morning run? It has been about a month, and we have been meeting almost daily. Most times, we jog, but I have noticed that she more frequently mentions how she would rather walk than jog, which incidentally allows us time to talk. Family, relationships, culture, weddings, health, morals and even politics—we share, laugh, disagree, and at the end of every session, we say, “See you tomorrow.” The farewell subtly doubles as accountability, and by God’s grace, I wake up and arrive on time at 5:30 a.m.

One morning, as we were about to part, Linh Anh shared, “You know, it was such a good idea that I asked you to run. If I did not run with you, I would make many excuses not to run. But each morning, I think, ‘Oh no, she is waiting for me outside! I need to go!’ And now, I feel I am stronger than before.”

If she only knew that she is the one keeping me accountable. I am just as surprised as my teammates and co-workers that I have not quit running yet. But God knew that what I would not do for myself, He could give me the motivation to do for Him.

Please pray for Linh Anh and our friendship with her, that she may be drawn to His love and faithfulness.

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