Let me tell you the incredible story of a sweet Chinese girl who I met at our Friday night English Corner last semester. I invited her to our more intimate Tuesday night English Corner, and began to spend lots of one-on-one time with her.
She quickly became one of my closest friends here in China.
I would sow the seed of the gospel into her life in some way every time we met. For a while she said, “I can’t have faith. I want it, but can’t have it.” I told her God’s promise: that if she seeks him with all of her heart she will find him.
And thus began her journey of seeking him!
She would attend our Saturday Discipleship Dinners, Monday girl’s Bible study, and come over to my house whenever she was free to talk about life and Jesus.
For a number of months, I got very sick here in China, and she committed herself to help me. When I was in the hospital, she sat on the end of the bed and wanted to talk about God. I had given her Josh McDowell’s book More Than a Carpenter in Mandarin, and she asked many questions trying to find out who Jesus is.
One night she wanted to watch a movie about Jesus’ birth, because she is a very visual learner. We watched the Nativity Story and she was amazed at how God allowed Elizabeth to bear a child when she was so old. We had a chance to talk about how nothing is ever impossible with God. The fact that Jesus is the Son of God and Son of Man also finally clicked. She said, “The Holy Spirit made Mary pregnant. That is why He is the Son of God.”
She also wanted to watch a movie about Jesus dying on the cross, so we watched The Passion of the Christ another night.
My health continued to decline, and at one point I was so sick that I was just lying half-conscious on the sofa. But in my lowest time, I watched God do a miracle in this girl’s life.
God always uses us in spite of us, and I confirm that the business of life transformation is completely God’s work!
God always uses us in spite of us, and I confirm that the business of life transformation is completely God’s work!
She started crying almost immediately and yelling at the screen saying, “NO! He is the Son of God!” Later, she paused the movie and said to me, “They [the Pharisees] don’t like him because he came to show them the new way of doing things, and they were really good at the old way.” I was in awe of God, watching Him reveal Himself to her. A little while later she paused the movie again and with light shining in her eyes said, “The relationship! It was broken in the garden. Jesus fixed it! That’s why he came!” We have told her this truth multiple times, but the veil was finally lifted off of her eyes. Later that night she wanted to read the Bible with me, so we did as much I physically could.
The relationship! It was broken in the garden. Jesus fixed it! That’s why he came!
A week later she came to my friend and me and said she was ready to have a relationship with Jesus. I took her to the back room and listened to her beautiful prayer to receive him. Later, she wanted to know where to go to church and how to pray for others.
Because of my health and other reasons, I had to suddenly go home to America for a short time, so I began planning people to be with her while I was away. She told me, “Don’t worry about me. Every morning I wake up and read my ‘Book’ aloud in the garden outside and my heart feels peaceful.”
It is the most exciting experience in life to watch God transform someone’s life. He is so Faithful.
We will now continue to disciple this sweet girl, raising her up to be like Jesus.