Women Who Inspire: Tobey Nguyen, civil engineer to Bible study leader

This week, Christian Women Living Magazine introduces you to a young lady who will be sharing a Bible study with our readers. This young woman is definitely an exciting addition to the CWL family. Meet Tobey Nguyen, who went from civil engineer to leading women Bible studies.

Cyndi Kay: Please introduce yourself and give us a brief history of you and your family.
Tobey Nguyen: I’m currently 28 years old. I was a civil engineer until I recently got laid off about a month ago, and now I’m casually job hunting. Meanwhile, I’m spending my time preparing multiple virtual events, such as a women’s Bible study, a kids’ Bible study, a “Heart Upgrade” program for youth and young adults, a world Christian leaders’ conference, and a Bible seminar. So that’s what I’m up to these days, but to rewind a bit, I was born and raised in San Jose, California, which is known to be a tech hub, and I still reside there today. I live with my mom and younger sister. My parents divorced when I was a toddler, so I didn’t know anything at the time and wasn’t affected by the divorce, and my parents being separated was normal to me. I did get to spend a lot of time with my dad growing up though, and I still keep in touch with him regularly today. I didn’t grow up with any religion. My mom is Buddhist, but never really influenced me much, and my dad didn’t have any religion.

CK: When did you first decide to start teaching a Bible study?
TN: I have a few close friends that have also received salvation, and we were talking one day about how we were hearing of so many difficulties that people around us and online are dealing with, especially during these unprecedented times, and we wanted to give them hope. We know that we’ve received so much hope in our lives after receiving the gospel, and how even in the most dire situations in our lives, we were able to gain the most hope. So we wanted to find a way to spread this same light of hope to others, so I had the idea of doing a virtual Bible study, particularly for women at this time, and my friends were totally on board with it. We promoted through Facebook and the response turned out to be way more than we expected, and we were so grateful. So now, we meet weekly and have had a few meetings thus far. They were so great, and we plan on continuing to do this for a while.

CK: Tell us about a time that God directly answered a prayer.
TN: For a long time, I didn’t know what I should major in for college. Civil engineering was always in the back of my mind, but I was always afraid that it would be too difficult, so I never firmly chose that major. I’m sure for a lot of people, majoring in Civil Engineering is no big deal, but I lived a life of avoiding even little burdens, because I was afraid of failing. That mentality basically just resulted in me not doing much with my life, except sleeping a lot, playing games online, hanging out with friends, and gambling—those were easy things for me and they were my way of avoiding the burdens of life. I danced around the bush for a long time with Civil Engineering, trying to avoid it. So I changed my major a lot, because I really couldn’t decide what I should major in and do for the rest of my life, and I was trying to choose anything but civil engineering—from math, to business, to theater, to film, to economics. It was a struggle I had for a while of what I should major in, and I wasted a lot of years in college because I kept changing majors. How am I supposed to know what I should do for the rest of my life that would make me happy? It’s a lot of pressure. And I didn’t even think of coming to God about this or praying to Him, but one day I was just sitting there amidst my struggle of what I should do, and a certain heart suddenly arose in me: “Because civil engineering is hard, that’s how I would be able to see God help me. If it were easy, I can just do it myself and wouldn’t need God. So, because civil engineering is hard, that’s why I should do it. God is going to help me.” That heart I received made me confident. Ever since then, I firmly decided to major in civil engineering, moved forward with it, and never looked at any other major again. I didn’t even seek God about this struggle that I’ve had for a while, but God is always with me, and He knew my heart, and He gave me that heart that one day. On my own, I would never choose the harder path while being so assured about it. That heart that arose in me that day must have been influenced by me hearing 2 Corinthians 12:9 before, which says “And He said to me, ‘My grace is sufficient for you, for My strength is made perfect in weakness.’ Therefore, most gladly I will rather boast in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may rest upon me.” It’s great how the Word is timeless and doesn’t only work at the moment we hear it but continues to live on inside of us and work even after. Also, at that moment that I finally decided to major in civil engineering…while I did like civil engineering, I didn’t have to worry about whether civil engineering would really make me happy for the rest of my life or not, because I thought that I already have God, and if I have this God with me for the rest of my life, then in anything I do, I can be happy.

CK: Can you give us a summary on your journey with Christ — from the time you accepted Christ, to how you started in ministry.
TN: I heard the gospel and received salvation when I was 20 years old. Looking back at my life…nothing really ever worked out for me. Whenever I thought I found good friends, it either never worked out or deep down I would still feel like something is missing. I tried to find fulfillment in my heart by trying to do different things or being around certain people, but at the end of the day, I’d know deep down that I still had a void inside. Whenever I thought that I’m finally in a good place in my life or I’m doing okay, I’d eventually always go back to a state of internal emptiness, and I didn’t know why I couldn’t get out of this. One summer, when I was 20 years old, I was attending a local community college and there were a few students tabling to promote a 5-day event called “IYF World Camp” in San Diego, California. It was basically a huge leadership camp that a few thousands of young adults from all over the world would attend. They had programs such as mindset lectures (based on the Bible), leadership speakers, world-class musical performances, cultural performances, team-building challenges, special interest classes taught by industry professionals, group fellowship, and much more. It sounded great, so I decided to go and check it out. Surprisingly, the program that affected me the most was the mindset lectures, which talked about the deep world of the heart based on the bible. One thing I heard was from Genesis 1:2, which says “The earth was without form, and void; and darkness was on the face of the deep.” The speaker said that this chapter in Genesis is not just talking about the earth, but it’s talking about our heart, and in the bible, the earth is used many times to describe the human heart, since God made us from the dust of the ground. When I heard that verse in Genesis, that described my heart exactly. That’s why for all my life, no matter how hard I tried to fill the void in my heart, it would never get filled, because God already said that my heart is without form, void, and darkness was on the face of the deep. Then in Genesis 1:3, it says “Then God said, “Let there be light”; and there was light.” The only way for my heart to not be empty, void, and dark is when God speaks, or in other words, when I receive the Word of God in my heart, then light will appear. I also learned many other things about my heart at this camp that were so deep and profound that I had never heard before, but everything I heard rang true about my heart. After the camp was over, I was so confused for a few days that I got a really bad headache. It’s as if my world was flipped, because what I heard at this camp was so different than what I perceived myself and the world to be for so long. Amidst my deep confusion, I got a call from a brother of the Good News Mission Church, which is the church that hosted the World Camp. The church has many branches globally, so this brother was from a local branch in San Jose. He just called to follow up and see how I was doing, and I told him about my confusion and what I was confused over. He preached the gospel to me by giving an analogy of someone that has a 10-million-dollar debt, but someone paid that debt for him, but he didn’t know that his debt was paid. And even after the person that paid his debt showed him the receipt that it was paid, he still couldn’t and didn’t believe that it was paid. Whether he believes that his debt is paid or not, does the truth that it was paid change? No, it doesn’t. Likewise, Jesus has already paid my debt for sin, whether I know it or not, and the receipt is in the bible. Ever since then, I was so happy that I finally discovered the truth and all my confusion was gone. I was so happy that I wanted to tell everyone about this truth. Eight years have gone by since then, and I still want to spread this precious gospel that turned my darkness into light, and my wandering into purpose…whether that be through sharing my heart to others about how God has worked for me, through preaching the gospel individually to others, through preparing big events with my church, or through starting this virtual women’s Bible study that I’m doing now.

CK: What are some of the biggest challenges facing women today — and women ministries?
TN: This may not apply to only women or women ministries, but a lot of times, I see that Christians are really worked up about what’s right or wrong, what to do or what not to do, or how a problem should be solved. But first, we should receive the heart of God through His Word, and that heart would direct our paths.

CK: What do you feel is the best method to study the Bible?
TN: There are so many great stories in the Bible, but I think a lot of those stories get overlooked, and I often see Christians speak of the same “feel good” verses. The bible is not like another motivational book. It actually has the power to change our hearts. There is so much treasure deep within the stories of the bible that may not be obvious without first understanding the background of the stories. This can be known by learning what happened in previous books of the bible and/or by learning about the environment during the time and setting of the stories, and/or by putting ourselves in the shoes of the characters and thinking of what they must have gone through or are going through. If we know that, we can understand more deeply the heart of the characters in the stories and why they say the things they say. And why is that important? Because all the characters in the stories were purposely chosen by God to represent either us or God. Of course, I don’t mean they represent us physically, but I mean, in the heart/mind, we are the same as them. All those stories in the bible are not just history, but they’re actually the living stories of us and God that are happening today. Again, I don’t mean they’re the same stories physically, but in the world of the heart/thoughts, they’re exactly the same. The Bible is universal and timeless. Once we realize the heart of the characters in each story and know that that is our personal story with God, that will automatically change us and lead the direction of our lives (in ways we could never have even imagined) without any effort from us at all. But many times, I see Christians try to change their behavior or actions without receiving the heart first. Without the heart changing first, the “change” oftentimes doesn’t last long, or it may be a struggle to maintain the “change.”

CK: What is your favorite story of the Bible?
TN: One that comes to mind is John chapter 2, where Jesus turns water into wine. In the eyes of the servants, the water is water. But to Jesus, that water is already wine. If the servants trusted what they think, they can never serve the water to the master of the feast. Someone so prestigious needs to be served wine, not plain old water. Back in those days, they’d be in trouble if they served water. But they didn’t trust what they see and feel—they only trusted what Jesus said, which is to serve the water. If they trusted what they saw and felt, it’d be an abomination to serve the master only water, and they wouldn’t proceed with what Jesus told them to do. But they denied themselves and did just as Jesus said. And that’s how they’re able to see the glory of God. Also, in my life, I go forward with a lot of things that I think don’t make any sense, or I think it’s never going to work out, or I think that it’s impossible for me to do with my capabilities, but I just deny my thoughts and I go forward anyways, and that’s how I’m able to experience how God turns the water in my life into wine each time.

CK: Tell us about a time you had a measurable impact on someone through your personal ministry or through your organized ministry.
TN: Several years ago, I went on a no-money witnessing trip for two weeks in Long Island, New York with eleven other youth and young adults, along with one minister. There were thirteen teams like this that dispersed to different cities in New York state, so my team was one of those teams. The rule is we cannot bring any money—all we can bring is one backpack, one sleeping bag, and we all share one 15-passenger van. And we had only one mission: to preach the gospel. Also, we wanted to put ourselves in this situation where we can live by faith, and we had to rely on God and pray for everything we needed, and see how God provides for us, because that’s what He said in the bible in Matthew 6:26, which says “Look at the birds of the air, for they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns; yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they?” Our pastor showed us that verse and told us that if God didn’t keep His promise, then we can rip up the bible and never have anything to do with God again (because he was that confident that God would keep His promise). So, I cannot explain all the ways that God provided for us or it would be too long, but He provided for us abundantly, from shelter to food to medical supplies, and I actually had some of the best food in my life during this time. Anyways, the reason I’m choosing to use this example even though it happened several years ago is because it’s a time where I had nothing but all I did was preach the gospel strongly to pretty much everyone I saw, and I was so happy. For some people, when I preached the gospel to them, seeing how their faces lit up and how thankful they were to realize the truth made me really thankful as well. The gospel is just the seed, and I’m happy that God used me of all people for His precious work, to plant many seeds during those two blessed weeks that God gave me. I don’t live in New York and I’m not in each of those people’s lives to see how each seed blossomed, but I’m thankful that I was able to witness how happy each of one of those people were to receive the seed of the gospel, and it’s up to God how He works afterwards to nurture those seeds. Oh my gosh, talking about it makes me want to do it again ha-ha.

CK: What positive changes have you seen at work, church, or home (all if applicable) because of this virus?
TN: Because of this virus, many people have to stay home more often. So, we can make a lot of online events, and it’d be easier for a lot of people to attend them. In May, our church had a four-day bible conference, and 1 billion people worldwide watched the conference. We were so thankful to hear the numerous salvation testimonies that resulted from this conference, and it was so great to see how happy and thankful they were as they told their testimonies.

CK: During this tumultuous time, where do you find your peace of mind?
TN: Sometimes, I get thoughts that bring me down or thoughts that I get stuck in that I cannot get out of on my own. In those times, I call up people I can talk to, such as my pastor, my close friends that I talked about earlier who started the virtual women’s bible study with me, or anyone in my church really. After I share my heart with them or share what’s on my mind, they can give me another outside perspective on what I’m thinking that I wouldn’t have been able to think of on my own. Especially during these times, it’s easy to become isolated and stuck in our own thoughts, or our own one-sided perspective. But if I don’t have peace or hope, it’s not that I have to try to be peaceful and hopeful on my own, but I can talk to people that have peace and hope, and they can share their heart with me, and I can gain their peace and hope as well, and change my heart. I’m always happier after I express my heart and receive a new heart.

CK: What inspires you?
TN: Sometimes, when I begin to prepare a new event for the gospel, I’m kind of pessimistic and think little of it, as in I don’t think much will come of it and I don’t think the attendees will think much of it. But I just put aside my thoughts and move forward with it anyway, because ultimately, I do believe that these events are God’s will, so it’s up to Him to work, and I’m just going to proceed and go forward in preparing these events. Then once we actually hold the events, I’m able to discover people’s back stories and realize how much people are suffering and really need this gospel, and then I see how much they’re able to change and become so joyful at our events. They become free from addiction, fears, trauma, resentment, their thoughts, and other things that were tying them down. When I see this, I become so happy and thankful. Then, I realize I was wrong to think little of these events. So many people need God. Seeing just one person change their heart is really one of the best things in the world to experience, and if just one life can change from what we’re doing, then this is a huge work that we’re doing. But to see not just one, but multiple people change, it’s just unbelievable to see. And when our events are over, people would be asking when the next event is and how they can keep in touch with us, and they want to bring more people with them next time. It makes me want to cry inside seeing this sometimes, because that’s how wrong my thoughts are from the beginning, and this is how precious the works we are doing really are, but I didn’t know anything and belittled it, but God has prepared these people. These are such precious, great works that God gave us to change so many lives.

CK: Best piece of advice you’ve ever received.
TN: This may be contrary to common opinion, because usually, we try to be right, but I’ve heard that I’ll be the most happy when I’m wrong. And I’ve personally found that to be true. When I think I’m right, it’s harder for me to listen to others with a truly open heart, and I think that I don’t have a real need to listen to others because I already know, which may lead me to be disconnected from others internally. When I’m wrong, I don’t have anything to hold up or defend or protect. I can be free, and I find that I’m able to listen and perceive with an open heart and connect, not only to others, but to the Word of God as well. That’s why I’m thankful not only for the times that God helps me to succeed, but also, when He allows me to fail, so that my rightness and my trust in my ability can be crumbled.

CK: Is there anything else you would like to say? Take this opportunity to promote your own ministry, project, business or share what God has put on your heart recently.
TN: I’ve said this before, but especially during these times, it’s easy to become isolated. But Christians need constant fellowship and are collectively one body. Any part of the human body that is cut off and on its own has no function. I truly believe that we are stronger together. Through talking with different people, God has used them to show me many things that shed new light onto my perspective and ultimately direct my path. And other times, God may use me to share something helpful with others as well. It can go both ways, so I’m always open to meeting and talking with new people. That’s also a big part of the reason I really believe in the virtual events that I’m preparing currently, because they all give us a chance to connect, whether it be the women’s Bible study, the kids’ Bible study, the “Heart Upgrade” program for youth and young adults, the world Christian leaders’ conference, or the Bible seminar. Oh, and if any of these events sound of interest to anyone, please feel free to reach out to me on Facebook, or even if you just simply want to connect!

On behalf of Christian Women Living Magazine, I would like to welcome Tobey to the CWL family and thank her for allow me to introduce her to our readers.