TESTIMONIES

Shien Yuin

The world, indeed, was a fun playground. I learnt about it ever since high school. I was a close-to perfect student. A leader of school’s boards and societies, an avid music performer, a teacher’s pet, I got the attention I wanted. I learnt how it was like to manipulate others, to lie to cover up mistakes, and I was ready to do anything just to preserve my attention and image in school, regardless of whether it would cause harm to others or not. I didn’t care, as long as it didn’t hurt me. I knew I was selfish, but sorry I had to be, and I enjoyed what I did.

After graduated from high school, I was granted more freedom. Being away from home, I was given a lot of opportunities to try out some “fun activities. To me, morality was but a term, there was no way I would want to let it restrict my freedom. Morality? Who cares? “C’mmon, I am still young, I have to enjoy my life the way I desire. I told myself. So I did. For those who came to my dorm and wanted to share the gospel with me, I shut them outside. A bunch of annoying pests, I scorned.

But God worked in a mysterious way. In December 2003, I arrived at a peaceful town called Bemidji to study. It was located at the up north of Minnesota, the United States. A couple, who later on became so important in my spiritual life, came and picked me up at the airport. After helping me settled everything, the lady asked if I’d like to go to church with them as there was an activity that evening. I had nothing to do, so I went. That was the first time in my life being in a church. I couldn’t quite understand them because of their accent, but I could feel that I was in a place full of nice and gentle people. They had the warmest welcome I had ever seen, and there was a kind of mutual joy on their faces, they were just "different"?

Steve and Bonnie Williams, the couple who picked me up at the airport, invited me to church every Sunday. I would always go, because I decided that I loved the place. The people there were so nice to me that I felt I was accepted there. However, though I went to church every Sunday, I still kept on with my old lifestyle. I kept that as a secret from the church people, because I knew they wouldn’t accept what I was doing. But I failed to do so. One day, Bonnie happened to find out something I did. In order to make up for what I did, I called her up, trying to explain to her. I still remember, at the other end of the phone, she asked solemnly, “What would your parents think if they found out about this? I paused, and replied, "I don’t know…", she sighed, and said, “I think you know the answer…, and, she started sobbing. I was so shocked. All of a sudden it made me realize what I had been doing. It made me realize how filthy my lifestyle actually was. I started to rethink if I should keep on doing what I was doing. And for the first time, I turned to the bible that was given by Bonnie. I didn’t know why, but all of a sudden I wanted to know what was really in the bible. Well, perhaps I could find something about life that I never knew.

I started to have bible studies with people from church. I liked the Christian’s ideology about life, but I was still not willing to believe that there was a God that would save. Till something heartbreaking happened. I was so depressed that I didn’t know what to do. Out of an awkward feeling, I decided to pray the first prayer ever in my life, “If and only if there is a God, please take this away from me! Strangely enough, the next day, I felt all refreshed and renewed. But I still refused to think that had anything to do with the divine power.

A few days later, I went on a week-long mission camp with the church group. The first few days during the song services, I felt something weird going on in me. I felt like the lyrics of the songs were sung to me, but there was another voice that kept on saying, “No you can’t surrender. Don’t be a loser! I started to be afraid to go to the song services, but I still went. On the 4th night, I couldn’t handle this anymore. When I sang, “As we cry holy, holy, holy, is the lamb… I knelt down before God, and broke down completely before Him. I was so disgusted at the life that I had lived in, I wanted to do something about it. Many church group members cried that night, and they laid hands on me and prayed. The next morning when I woke up, everything was clear. There was nothing else I wanted but to have a new life. I was baptized that day, August 4, 2004, by a missionary I met at the cafeteria the day before.

God has been doing amazing things in my life, I would not be what I am right now without the decision made that morning. I don’t have much life experiences, but I would say that decision was the best decision I have ever made in my life, and will always be. “Amazing grace, how sweet the sound, that saved a wretch like me! I once was lost, but now am found, was blind but now I see… 

Patrick Hua

First and foremost, I give thanks to Jesus for giving me the courage to come out and share my testimony on discipleship, the third purpose of our life as we participate in this Purpose Driven Life campaign in our church.

I got to know Jesus since I was a young boy and was baptized about 15 years ago. Over the years, I have struggled with Christianity as I pursued my own ambition to build a career, like many of us do. But God never give up on me. I attended different churches on and off as I work in different places at different times until I walked into Church of Praise about 2 years ago. Soon after, I was encouraged to join a support group. Initially it was a struggle to attend the meetings but the group was very encouraging and as I began to attend more regularly, I realize that there were so many things to learn about our Lord, Jesus.

I have also begun to discipline myself to try my best to spend time with Jesus, even if it was just the Daily Bread. I have also begun to read more Christian Books, listen to more Christian songs. I have actually read the Purpose Driven Life Book sometime last year and best remember this message about What would Jesus do if he faces a particular situation?

Discipleship is a process of becoming Christlike. Most of the time when I am faced with a situation/problem/dilemma and I am not sure what is the best /right decision to make, this thought will come back to me. “What will Jesus do? I must confess that if I listen to the Holy Spirit prompting attentively, I am sure I would have made the right decision. Many a times, the decision I made may not have benefited me personally but I believe and trust that it was the right decision because there was a firm conviction that Jesus would have also made a similar decision.

I am not saying that I have always made the right decision in all circumstances. There are times where I still made the wrong decision, sometimes impulsive, overcome by emotions, sometimes selfish decision, for my own benefit but I am glad to say that as I got to know more about Christ, I begun to make more right decisions in my life with the help of the Holy Spirit gentle reminders. I have learnt that obedience will unlock God’s power, meaning doing the right things in spite of my fears and feelings.

I have learnt that God uses His Word(truth), people(support) and circumstances(environment we need to practice Christlike) to mould us. Character building is a slow process. Our life is a journey in character development. Every time I choose to do the right thing, I am growing in the character of Christ. I have also learnt that God’s ultimate goal for our life on earth is not comfort but character development. Character development always involves a choice and temptation provides that opportunity. We can’t claim to be good if we are never tempted to be bad. I have learnt to allow Christ to live through me through the choices I made, to do the right things in situations and trust God’s spirit to give me His power, love, faith and wisdom to carry it out.

I have also learnt that it is a long, slow process of growth, even then, it won’t be completed here on earth. But I am comforted by God’s promise that “He who began a good work in me will carry it on to completion Philippians 1:6.

Thank you once again for this opportunity to share with you and I hope that my testimony today will be an encouragement to everyone one here who may have gone through the same experience that I had.