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Carelinks | China
B
rother Donald reports the baptism of
brother HE; and our new brother wrote an
interesting testimony:
“I was born in a Christian family, in the moun-
tains of the Zhejiang rural area, our family
comprising my father, mother, sister and me.
I grew up with the great support of my
parents; my sister and I would often listen to
the Bible on our father and mother's knee. My
parents guided me to know the existence of
God, telling me God loved the world, taught
me to pray and to rely on the Lord. I
accepted all they taught me, and at times it
moved me even to tears. However, not many
people in our village believed, most people
laughed at my parents' beliefs, my sister and
I tried to keep our faith private, because with
China's atheistic educational background,
people don't believe in the existence of God,
they consider such faith to be superstitious,
faith is seen as a shameful thing, and so
without faith, there is left for the people just
the pursuit of money, fame and wealth,
status.
When I was 6 years old I began to go to
school, elementary school. I had good grades,
my parents hoped I could be admitted to the
university in the future, they wanted me to
get on in life and get out of the mountains.
So in 2001, I was sent to a boarding school,
only coming home at the weekends. But
there, with a new learning environment,
campus, teachers and friends, my heart
began to gradually change; “The heart is
deceitful above all things, and desperately
wicked: who can know?”
In high school, I became a materialist, I chose
to aim for money, fame and wealth, status. I
moved away from God, I couldn't withstand
the temptation of material things and enter-
tainment, I began to slip, began skipping
classes, having friends who do not love
learning, bad friends; my academic perform-
ance began falling, often I told my parents at
the weekends false results to deceive them.
But finally my parents learnt of my bad
grades and I was in disgrace. I fell into
extremely low self-esteem and self-pity, I
lived every day in the melancholy, finally I
quit school, the dream of entering university
shattered, and I fell very low. But when I was
at rock bottom, then God could begin again
with me. Truly “In his heart a man plans his
course, but the Lord directs his steps”
Proverbs 16:9.
The year before last I experienced the pain of
having both my parents die in a car accident.
So after a lot of pain, I concluded that maybe
God is letting me return to Him as the
prodigal son. I now believe that Jesus is the
only truth in my life, he is innocent, and the
only way to forgiveness because He was of
our nature!
Thank God that He let me know my own
smallness, weakness and sin. He wants to
make me to be a child of God, to enjoy true
peace and joy, I felt the truth set me free, it
let me rediscover myself, I face life no longer
confused, for the future road I face full of
confidence. Regardless of what happens now
in life, our loving heavenly Father will be
faithful to His promise to me, and his right-
eousness and mercy help to build my confi-
dence. I feel humble before the Lord, the
leadership of my life is with him, I want only
to proclaim him and serve him! I would like to
feel as Paul who pressed towards the prize
before him (Phil. 3:13-14). I hope I end my
race like Paul at the end of his life, with a
clear conscience, feeling I have run a good
race (2 Tim. 4:7).
Brother Donald, left, with our new Brother HE