Two Starkly Different Ministry ExperiencesUpon arrival, Pastor Lu found the church environment in the U.S. vastly different from what he had known in China. Pastor Lu loves to cook. Shepherding Alone During the PandemicWhen COVID-19 broke out in 2020, Pastor Lu maintained the church’s online services by himself—playing piano, leading worship, preaching, recording videos—handling everything alone. Pastor Lu recalled that although he kept preaching online, recording and uploading videos, there was hardly any response, and he felt deeply discouraged. Not Just Cultural Differences—But Spiritual AtmospheresThroughout his ministry, Pastor Lu became increasingly aware of the differences in spiritual atmosphere between Chinese and American churches.