I realized in therapy that I’m still upset at my parents because I wish I had better mentorship growing up. Growing up Chinese American was really hard and I felt I lacked the guidance for how to handle the challenges and obstacles I faced. I still struggle because I haven’t found good examples of being an Asian athlete in America. I’m still trying to learn what it means to be a missionary living in San Diego. My personal journey makes me passionate about mentorship. It makes me especially passionate about mentoring those who are trying to figure out their identity without the help of parents. In less than a month I will be in Budapest working with orphans from both Budapest and Shanghai. My goal will be to help them find their identity in Christ. What does your calling look like when you are disadvantaged? How does God stand up for the needs of orphans? We are finalizing plans now for our workshops and the different outings we want to have. We’ve seen from our work in Shanghai that one of the most effective ways to reach orphans is to create great experiences around good Bible study and asking the locals to be culture teachers. This way, we serving them and they feel involved in showing us their city. We are hoping to create lifelong friendships. God willing, this will be a multi-year journey for us all and we will see God raise up a new generation of people who are passionate about Jesus. May that passion also spread out to more nations in the form of new workers!
Getting on stage is what Bodybuilding is all about. I love training but there’s nothing like putting yourself to the test and challenging yourself against the best natural athletes in the world. It’s hard to prep without fat burners, testosterone or HGH but it’s something I’ve been learning my entire career and still trying to get better at. My new favorite supplement is a digestive aid from wwww.GainsinBulk.com . Their probiotic is made specifically for athletes and even contains lactase to help breakdown protein shakes. If you want to give their products a try use my promo code DavidP10 for 10% off your order! #GainsInBulk #GIB #PNBA #INBA @inbaglobal_official @gainsinbulk #teamusa #bodybuilding #weightloss #fitness #arms #shredding #contestprep #bodybuilding #worldchampionships #inbaglobal #naturalbodybuilding
Carmen and I had to discuss what our family life would look like if I continued to do bodybuilding. We agreed that it would work if I started my days at 5am and knocked out half my cardio and weights before the baby woke up at 8am. I would then take the baby to daycare that’s inside the gym. I could then do 2 more hours of cardio and do all my emails with my coworkers in Budapest and Shanghai. I would also have to juggle diapers, naps and meals but at least I had a plan for my workouts. It’s been a crazy year but now I know it’s possible. I’m definitely going to need a break after my next show (World Championships in Athens) but I’m thankful that my family has been with me through one of the hardest things I’ve ever done.
3rd Place feels pretty disappointing. I worked really hard for this show and actually got to my lowest bodyfat/highest muscle composition ever. But the placing was not what I had hoped for. I’m smiling in this picture because Jeremiah yelled “DADA” excitedly when I did my posing routine and he really loved being in the bodybuilding environment. I also got the chance to share my personal journey with my family which means everything to me. I am still learning how to be a new father and to live out my passion for bodybuilding. It feels painful to put months of work into a last place finish but tonight has taught me to keep my eyes on my loved ones. I started this whole thing because of love and I don’t want one disappointing placing to take that away.
Heavy plate machines, cables and bands has been my strategy for these last 2 years. I kept everything over 10 reps and started doing 20 minute workouts 7 days a week. Tomorrow we are going to see if my plan worked. My new favorite supplement is a digestive aid from wwww.GainsinBulk.com . Their probiotic is made specifically for athletes and even contains lactase to help breakdown protein shakes. If you want to give their products a try use my promo code DavidP10 for 10% off your order! #GainsInBulk #GIB #PNBA #INBA @inbaglobal_official @gainsinbulk #teamusa #bodybuilding #weightloss #fitness #arms #shredding #contestprep #bodybuilding #worldchampionships #inbaglobal #naturalbodybuilding
I talked with my mentee, Mary, this week because she’s been thinking about delaying family plans with her fiancee to pursue mission opportunities. Church culture can sometimes make ministry seem like the ultimate objective and that everything should bow down to the needs of evangelism and outreach. My advice to her is something I’ve been trying to live myself. We can’t serve God well if we are letting down the people who count on us the most. I have felt really guilty in my career for turning down opportunities to serve in different cities in China and I’ve passed on going to a lot of conferences to protect my family time. After 15 years of missions ministry, I’m not where I thought I would be. There are lot of places I haven’t gone as a missionary and a lot of churches that I wish I could have worked with. But I’ve given my best to my family. My conscience is at peace because I know that I’ve been faithful to the covenant of marriage. Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind. Proverbs 11:29
I’m not sure that I can finish this contest prep. For the first time in my career, I think regularly about quitting my plan to get on stage this year. I started at a reasonable 215lb. 14% bodyfat but I’ve been exhausted trying to get my normal cardio in. My strategy has always been to do 5 hours of cardio a day and I keep my diet centered around salads. Between missions planning and taking care of Jeremiah, it’s been a monster to finish out these last weeks. I’m close to my target weight and I just 🙏 that I can make it to the stage this year.