As a classical musician, AJ dreamed of going abroad to study with a virtuoso teacher. He applied to study overseas three times, but each time he was rejected. “As an achiever ever since I was young, all three times disappointed me to the point of depression,” shared AJ. But during those moments, AJ began to see God’s hand at work. He felt God calling him to equip church musicians, not only with skill but also with sound theology.

AJ heeded God’ s call and sought to equip himself with the training he needed to better equip others. “I chose Grace for my training because it’s very convenient for people like me who work a lot,” AJ said. Aside from leading the music ministry at his church, he also teaches church music in a local Bible college. AJ was also pleasantly surprised by how affordable it was to get the training he needed at Grace.

In 2018, AJ completed his Master of Ministry degree and became the first Grace graduate from the Philippines. Looking back at his journey, he is in awe of the grace of God. “This is what I realized in my studies at Grace. We cannot really worship God if we do not know Him. Grace became a springboard for me to more deeply understand this grace that surpasses all understanding,” AJ shared. “There have been times when I teared up while writing papers for my classes because I realized something new about God during my studies. And as Dr. Dave Anderson says in his class, ‘the more you know, the more you don’t know.’ True enough, the more I know, the more I am in awe of how and why God chose to love me even at my worst. Since entering Grace, everything has leveled up. I am doing things I never knew I could do. It’s a very fresh experience.”