By Marin Murray.

On October 5, senior Paul Nguyen shared his testimony during Fields of Faith, an event organized by the Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) of the Big Country, at Shotwell Stadium.

“It was a feeling that I do not know how to explain,” Paul said. “I feel like my testimony is my own story. But at the same time, I also felt like I just had a desire to share it because it just felt like people could relate.”

Fields of Faith was Paul’s first time sharing his testimony in front of a large audience, but the nerves leading up to the night didn’t prevent him from sharing the message he felt he was supposed to deliver.

“During the summer, I had an opportunity to give my testimony to 700 people at a camp, but it got canceled,” Paul said. “And I was okay with that. And then one month later, I got this opportunity, and I just felt like there was a reason for that.”

What seemed as a missed opportunity eventually turned into something Paul never saw himself doing, with the help of athletic trainer Billy Abbe and mentors Grant Zeller and J.D. Duggar.

“I believe that I got to help others, by just helping them know that they’re not by themselves,” Paul said. “I know quite a few people who have similar really similar stories and mine is not too special, because everyone else has a story of redemption like mine.”

In front of hundreds of people, Paul shared about some of the things he’s experienced recently and what he has learned about who God is because of those circumstances.

“I’ve gone through a lot of harsh stuff in my life, like, really, really harsh stuff has happened, “ Paul said. “And I just needed someone to follow, or I needed someone to lean on. And I  just talked about how God was always there for me. Even in my darkest times, he was there for me. And he just always loved me.”

The most important thing he took away from his experience at Fields of Faith and the lessons he’s learned over the past few months is that nothing he does can separate him from God.

“I learned that no matter how good or bad I do, it’s not something that sways me from God” Paul said.