Bobby came from a Buddhist family that immigrated from Vietnam. “I realized I was miserable and was trying to fill a void in my heart,” Bobby said. At the time, Bobby was around 18. He was in his freshman year of college at Spartanburg Methodist College when he said a prayer. “I still remember it,” Bobby said. “I said ‘God, if you’re real, I ask that you send me a mentor, someone to be a follower of Christ.’” About two weeks later, Taylor Little came into Bobby’s life and invited him to join a small group led by Ricky Wilson. “For the next two to three years, the Lord used Ricky to disciple me and lead me in my relationship with Jesus. That’s when God started tugging on my heart, and I realized God was calling me to ministry,” Bobby said.

“I actually never wanted to go into ministry,” Bobby said. “As I grew spiritually, I began to understand that it isn’t just about sharing the gospel with people but it’s about being intentional, building relationships, being kind and compassionate.” As Bobby saw life change through his small groups, he was able to see firsthand the transformation of others. “It’s so beautiful to witness that in person because I used to be in that same spot,” Bobby said. He began to disciple young men and found that it brought him true joy to watch them grow in their faith.

“About three months ago, I felt the Lord solidify that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life,” Bobby said. This summer, Bobby spent six weeks in Los Angeles through GenSend where he spent time with church planters and learned about the reality of planting churches. “We plant churches to reach the broken and the lowly,” Bobby said. “There’s no staying confined to our four walls, we are called to plant churches for everyone, in every neighborhood.”