09/17/2026
Kristin and I met three years ago when I had the chance to review an early draft of a book she was getting ready to pitch to publishers. I didn't know it then, but she would become a soul friend (the kind of person you meet for the first time but feel deeply connected to beyond the short time you've known them) as we shared our stories and noticed the many overlaps of our childhood and wrestling with faith and our place in church in our adulthood.
It was such a joy to celebrate the launch of "We Mend with Gold" last April and to spend the year telling my network that they've got to read this book. At the annual Abide Gathering in July, I knew this had to be my recommendation for our book gift table for attendees.
I included my book recommendation at Abide in below. Please let me know if you end up reading the book and what resonated with you! Congrats again Kristin on everything it took to get this much needed book into the world, for your courage in telling your story, and for being a prophetic voice of hope for what the Church could be when Asian Christians heal, flourish, and bring their gifts, presence, leadership, and stories.
Book review (see picture in comments!):
"I wish this book had existed during my own faith crisis a few years ago, when I was questioning the American Christianity I grew up with and wrestling with the complexities and pain of being part of a predominantly Asian church. Kristin tackles topics few people are talking about: the gifts and burdens Asian Christians bring to the Church, and what an Asian Christian theology could look like. She offers new ways of reading the Bible through our shared experiences — celebrating what we bring while challenging the parts of our culture that don’t align with God’s Kingdom. Her sharing about how growing up in a majority white culture shaped her identity, faith, and relationship with God made me feel seen and less alone in my similar experience."
