With her cordial spirit and thoughtful way of speaking, Emanuella Chung (Emma) seeks to inspire many with her Christian Novella this year at clay. The almost 16-year-old junior is passionate about communicating the pain and beauty of life through her writing as a way to reach others and encourage them. She believes God has graciously given her the gift of writing, and she desires to steward it well. All throughout her life, she has witnessed God’s mercy first-hand , especially since He has watched over her and her family’s health on multiple occasions. A Scripture verse that has recently impacted her is Galatians 6:2, which says, “Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ” (NIV). She is amazed at how sharing each other’s troubles deepens friendships by encouraging trust and closeness. Looking at God’s creation, especially plants and outer space, also imbues her with awe and wonder and helps her connect to God.
Even though she currently lives in Asia, being originally from the United States has nurtured her immense excitement over American History. She can spend hours happily chatting about history, and she also enjoys painting and reading. She is a huge fan of Lord of the Rings, and once managed to finish reading two entire books from the series within about a week in order to be allowed to watch the movies in the theater with her father. To continue with her love of writing, Emma will be taking college creative writing at TPS this year, along with AP Calculus AB. She is fascinated with the way God divinely communicates with us through His own writing, the Bible. He is the greatest Storyteller, after all, and the Author of our very lives.
If Emma had one piece of encouragement for her peers this school year, she would tell them that “it is important to work hard, yet at the same time to keep things in perspective.” Her main point is that even if our grades aren’t what we hoped for, we must remember that this is only a small portion of the grand and marvelous plan God has for our lives, a tiny piece in the puzzle, a stroke of paint in the picture. So, let us not get so caught up in the stress of the moment that we forget to view it in the light of eternity. How reassuring it is that God is for us and not against us, and He always has plans to prosper us, never to harm us!
Photo credit: Emanuella Chung
so excited for your novella <3