Right now, I’m standing in the middle of what feels like the rock bottom of my life.
The weight of everything—betrayal, broken promises, financial pain, loneliness in a foreign land—is stretching me in ways I never thought I could survive. Some days, I wonder how I’m still standing. I’ve cried behind closed doors, whispered prayers through shaking lips, and held my children tighter, hoping they won’t see how much I’m breaking inside.
But even in this dark valley, one thing echoes louder than my fear:
“Laban lang.”
Just fight.
Just keep going.
Don’t give up.
Those two words—so simple, yet so full of soul—have become my anchor. My lifeline. My war cry. It’s what my family would always say to me when things got hard. And now, with life pressing on all sides, I finally understand why they said it so often.
Because “laban lang” isn’t just a phrase—it’s like an armor, a shield against this heartbreaking situation.
It’s a reminder that even when you’re breaking, you have the strength to rise above it.
That even when the dream feels distant, God is still near.
That even when you’ve lost almost everything, there’s something unshakable within you… Your grit, your faith, your fire.
This is my story—not of having it all figured out—but of standing up anyway. Of choosing to believe that if God placed a dream in my heart, He has every intention to help me fulfill it.
Even if I’m crawling, even if I’m crying, even if the world around me says it’s impossible—I’m choosing to believe that He makes all things possible.
So, if you are walking through your own valley right now, this post is for you.
If you feel like life is demanding more from you than you think you can handle…
If you feel tired, forgotten, or like your dreams are too far gone…
Let this story wrap around your heart and remind you:
“Laban lang”—you were built to rise. And God is not done with your story yet.
From Silent Tears to Silent Strength
When I first arrived in Japan, I had no one but my husband. I thought we would build a life together, hand in hand. But reality turned out to be so different. I found myself walking alone most of the time, carrying the weight of an unfamiliar world, a difficult marriage, and eventually, a growing debt I never created. Imagine the weight I had to carry and choose to live like everything’s okay though I’m crippling inside.
There were days I didn’t even recognize myself. I was exhausted, emotionally drained, and financially cornered. There were nights I held my daughters tightly and cried quietly, praying that someday, somehow, life would turn around.
But every time I wanted to collapse, I remembered my niece’s words—“Laban lang gyud ta te ha…”
That may not have been enough to pull me up. But it was enough to remind me that I am not weak, that I have the strength to overcome and rise above it—I was just in the middle of a storm, and storms always pass.
God Put a Dream in My Heart—And I Chose to Fight for It
Even when I had every reason to give up, deep down I knew this wasn’t the end of my story. I wasn’t meant just to survive—I was born to rise. To speak. To write. To share light with others walking through their own darkness.
I started dreaming again—not just for myself, but for my children, for my family. I began learning, reading, and growing. I listened to people like Joel Osteen, Terri Savelle Foy, and other mentors who reminded me that what God starts, He will finish. That no pain is wasted. I can turn my wounds into wisdom.
I launched my blog, not knowing if anyone would read it. But I knew one thing: my voice mattered. My story had purpose. And someone out there needed to know that they were not alone in their pain.
Laban lang.
Every blog I wrote was a fight against fear. Every post I published was a quiet victory against shame and self-doubt.
Why I Will Never Stop Fighting
Today, I’m still in the process. I’m still climbing, still learning, still building the future I’ve always dreamed of. But I’m no longer the woman who cries alone in silence. I’m a mother who refuses to let her children grow up watching her give up.
I may not have had the emotional and financial support I needed from my husband, but I’ve been carried by something far more powerful—my faith, my children’s love, and the voice of my family, who never stopped believing in me.
I fight because I want to show my daughters what strength looks like. I want them to grow up knowing that being a woman, a mother, and a dreamer are not separate identities—they are powerful when woven together with love and grit.
To Anyone Struggling Today: This is for You
If you’re walking through your own season of heartbreak, loneliness, or uncertainty, I want you to remember this: Laban lang.
Fight—not because life is easy, but because you are worth it.
Fight—not because you’re never afraid, but because there’s something in you that’s stronger than fear.
Fight because God didn’t put that dream in your heart to tease you. He placed it there to water it, grow it, and make it bloom—even in foreign soil.
My Heart, My Prayer
I’m still becoming the woman I’ve always dreamed of being. It’s not easy. But it will be worth it.
And as long as I breathe, I will keep showing up—for my children, for my family, for my dreams, for the calling God whispered into my heart long ago.
Laban lang—that’s the legacy I want to pass on. Not just to my daughters, but to every woman, every mother, and every dreamer who feels like giving up.
You are stronger than you think.
You are braver than you believe.
And your story is not over yet.
This Is Not the End—This Is Your Becoming
So, if you’re reading this and life has brought you to your knees—if the dreams God placed in your heart feel like distant stars, if the weight you’re carrying is bending your spirit—please know this: you are not alone.
Maybe you’re at your rock bottom, too. Maybe you’re exhausted from trying, from giving your all and seeing nothing change. But listen closely, with your heart wide open…
God has not forgotten you.
He sees every tear you cry in silence.
He knows the dreams you hide because you’re afraid to hope again.
And He promises—if He placed that dream inside you, He will equip you with everything you need to fulfill it.
You are stronger than you think.
More capable than you know.
And more deeply loved than you can ever imagine.
“Laban lang,” my friend.
Keep showing up. Keep taking one small step at a time.
Because life will never demand more from you than the strength God already placed within you.
There is a purpose behind this season. There is power in your pain.
And one day, you will look back—not with regret, but with awe—at how you rose from the rubble, with trembling hands and unshakable faith… and became everything you were meant to be.
This is not the end.
This is your becoming.
So laban lang.
Because the world needs your story, and God is not finished writing it.
