One of the constant reminders of ACMNP’s mission statement was practicing for our Sunday worship services. I always practiced the guitar parts in my room before practicing with the team, and my Taiwanese roommate loved to sit and listen while I played. She would ask questions about the song lyrics, usually to make sure she heard the English well, but our conversations always led to the meanings behind the lyrics.

One time I was practicing “Amazing Grace” and she wanted to know what “grace” meant, so we had a two-hour long conversation about the meaning of grace and forgiveness.

The timing couldn’t have been better. The day before I had found that someone had been taking my snack food without my knowing. I was also reading MLK’s “Strength to Love” at the time, and my roommate had recognized his face on the cover of the book as a famous person she knew.

Our conversation covered Dr. King’s forgiveness of and love for his enemies, how she didn’t understand why I would forgive the thief who had stolen from me, and how it all stemmed from God’s grace, forgiveness, and love for us. The conversation challenged both her and me in a good way, and I believe that we both grew from it.

Ashley H., Olympic National Park, 2017