Six years ago, Diane arrived in Chiang Mai having never heard the gospel.
She had come to Thailand to care for her child, who attends an international school here. Her first contact with WRG's Chinese ministry was at an English Corner on the Chiang Mai University grounds during the COVID season. After attending for a while, one of our team members invited her to a small gathering of Chinese women at their home. There, Diane heard the gospel for the first time. From then on, she came week after week, except during school breaks, when she would return home with her children to China.
Understanding did not come quickly. Diane grew up under communist ideals and was also facing struggles in her marriage, so the simplicity of God's grace was hard for her to accept. Again and again she said, "I cannot believe it is that simple to be saved."
Yet the seed kept being sown. Years of questions, doubts, and small steps of faith followed, and through it all, God was patiently at work in her heart.
About two years ago, a visiting team prayed over her at her cell group and compared her to Esther, a woman God would use in her generation. Diane was still early in her journey then, unsure what faith in Christ would mean for her.
Even before she called herself a believer, Diane was generous. She gave regularly to our village outreaches, especially the Christmas events, blessing others even as she wrestled with what she believed.
Last year, she accepted Jesus.
Baptism was another matter. For Diane, it was never just a ceremony. It meant publicly declaring that she belongs to Christ, and for someone from mainland China, that declaration carries a real cost. Christians there can face pressure, scrutiny, and persecution, and Diane returns home with every school break. Baptism wasn't a decision to be taken lightly. She still had questions about what it meant to fully surrender, so she waited.
This year, she went through a hard season of health problems and surgery. In the middle of it, she began to see God's hand on her life more clearly. This season deepened her understanding of God. More than a new belief, she experienced a God who is near.
Then, one late evening last week, Diane knocked on the door of one of our missionaries with a simple request: she wanted to be baptized.
She made that request fully aware of what it could mean. After years of hearing, asking, doubting, and slowly growing, she was ready to pay the cost.
Reaching someone is rarely one conversation or one moment. More often it is a seed, faithfully sown over many years. This one was planted at an English Corner, tended around a table week after week, and watered through every question and setback, while God worked patiently all along.
What began six years ago with a simple invitation has become a journey toward knowing Jesus, and now a courageous decision to publicly say that she belongs to Him, whatever it may entail.
Please pray for Diane as she prepares for baptism, and for her protection and boldness when she returns home.
A seed was sown. In God's time, it began to grow.
Editors noted: Names have been changed for security purposes.