Hokkien Testimony #46

Hokkien Testimony #46

Today we welcome you to the 46th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Each week we have different people from different churches share their stories with us. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Mr. Philip Tan. Let’s listen now to her Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below.  

Mr. Philip Tan’s testimony:

Early on I was a Taoist and then I joined my brothers and became a Buddhist. I really can’t say that I received much from my life as a Buddhist, and after becoming a Christian then I really could see the difference that Christ offers. It’s not the same at all. As Pastor Lim says, a major difference is in the life transformation for the Christian. For me, I can also say that another difference is the joy that Christ brought into my life. I can talk about happiness, but that is just a temporary feeling. Joy is something that is ongoing and long lasting. Another difference is that each day I can experience a life where I don’t worry. As Pastor Lim said, the Lord fills us with joy.

Sometimes people ask me if there really is a difference in the Christian life. Before I accepted Christ I had a bad disposition, temper and not a lot of friends. I was very young when I started working. Eventually I became a Taxi driver. I have to admit that the income of a Taxi driver isn’t all that much money. It is different from working in the business world. A taxi driver really has to be disciplined and in control of his money, since things are so tight.

I do have a family, and while I was in business my wife and I did have our conflicts. At times when I was out, she assumed that I was having an affair, but that was not true. She was also ill and caring for three small children, so things were not easy for her. Also, when I began driving a taxi, in one year I had three accidents. I had a friend, Allen, whom I would drink coffee with and share my problems. He told me that he would ask his pastor to pray for me. However, when I heard this I wasn’t really happy. Since childhood I didn’t have a very good feeling toward Christianity. However, since I had this problem with car accidents, I was willing for him to pray for me. I had to do something. On a Sunday I accepted Christ. And it was that week that I was to face some challenges regarding a car accident. And amazingly enough all was taken care of. It really was amazing. I hadn’t been baptized yet, but I attended church each week.

When I was a child I was interested in playing an instrument, but didn’t really advance and learn much. However, now as an adult I really had a desire to get better and use music to serve the Lord. During this time, my wife began to show mental issues. She would taunt me. After accepting Christ she wasn’t really positive about it; however, things got worse and it was as though she went insane. I was afraid that she might even commit suicide. She was also very strong. I just cried out to God, because I didn’t know what to do. At this time I no longer worshiped idols. As I said, I just cried out for God to help us. He is real and he did give me peace. Sometimes my wife would go to church, and at other times she wouldn’t attend. She said that she believes in Christ, but she hasn’t very passionate at all in her faith. My prayer today is that one day my wife and I will come together with one heart before the Lord. As Pastor Lim said, we must believe that in Christ one day she will be healed.

As for me, after I accepted Christ my attitude and my temper really changed. My attitude toward my wife and children was completely different. My wife could tell it, but didn’t say anything. My bad habits of smoking and gambling also changed. I had done this for years. I had the habit of smoking two packs of cigarettes a day. I know some say that giving up smoking is so difficult, but with the Lord’s help it is possible. Later, then I made the decision to follow Christ in baptism. As far as my children, early on they would go to church, but then they quit attending. I am still praying for them. As Pastor Lim reminded us, the Bible tells us that if we believe in Christ then our family can also come to Jesus. I am praying for my family to also trust Christ.

During the time that I have driven a taxi I have encountered some real challenges. However, every time God has provided an answer for me. It really is amazing. God has helped me every time that I have faced these financial challenges. God is good.

Pastor Lim shares:

Brothers and Sisters, as we have listened to Mr. Tan’s story, we know that God is very personal and comes into our lives to help us as we face challenges. Jesus opens a way for us when there seems to be no way that we can solve our problems. We need to believe that Jesus is the true Lord and God in our lives. What we need to do is to receive Jesus as our personal Lord and Savior. Jesus will live in your heart to be a blessing and help for you. If you desire to trust in Jesus, then please follow me as I pray.

Dear Jesus, I thank you. You are the genuine Lord and Savior.  I know that you want to save me. At this time I come before you and ask you to forgive my past indiscretions and sins. I want to trust in you to be my Lord and Savior.  Please come into my heart, so that I can depend on you to deal with my life issues. I want to depend on you so that my future will be brighter. Thank you, Jesus. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

May God bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #45

Hokkien Testimony #45 

Today we welcome you to the 45th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Each week we have different people from different churches share their stories with us. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Sister Le Jia. Let’s listen now to her Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below.  

Sister Le Jia’s testimony:

As Pastor Lim said, people can tell by my accent that I am not from Singapore, but from Xiamen, China. I was born there. From birth, no one knew it, but I had a heart condition. However, I really didn’t show any symptoms until I was about nine years old. When I began to have issues, you could see it in my eyes and my body and then I would faint. Then they would take me to the hospital. If no person was around to help, I would sit down and try to get my breath until I felt better. They x-rayed my chest and were able to determine my heart issue. I grew up in a Christian home, so I really didn’t think about much of anything. Life was pretty simple for me, and from childhood I was taught to trust in the Lord. However, since I had a serious heart condition I was no longer about to go to school or play as other children would play.  I had to stay at home.

From the time I was nine I was pretty introverted. When I looked at other children I knew they could go to school and were active outside, so I was pretty timid. When I was fourteen years old I experienced God in a very special way. I can say that my condition began to improve a little and my fainting spells were not as bad as they had been. I remember on one occasion that my mother was cutting up meat and I fainted. Ordinarily any person would have hit their head and been injured; however, my arm protected me in a very amazing way and I suffered no injuries. Amazingly enough, from the time I was nine and until I was twenty-four it seemed that every time I had an attack that God was with me and protected me from harm. I truly experienced the Bible verse that tells us that a joyful heart is good medicine for the soul. (Proverbs 17:22) This verse really did make a big difference in my life.

I feel that if God desires to use a person then he can also heal them and prepare them for that. The God we serve is alive and is the true God. When I was twenty-four years old I was married. The doctor knew about my heart condition of course and told me that I should not have children. It could be life threatening. However, I did get pregnant and when time came to deliver the baby I didn’t have enough strength to give birth, so they had to perform a caesarean.  This is the Lord’s grace. I now have two well behaved children. They both accepted Christ when they were young. Through all of this I discovered that the Lord actually had healed me, and I am so grateful. As Pastor Lim said, it is a blessing for me to grow up in a Christian home and to pass the Gospel along to the next generation.

I do have another testimony to share. When my husband was continuing his education, I along our child moved to another city. It was during this time of transition that I developed another health issue and was also losing blood. Of course I knew there was a problem but I wouldn’t dare go to see a doctor. A lady that I knew told me that she would go with me to see her doctor. Well, the doctor was surprised and said that I had a pretty large tumor and immediately needed surgery to remove it. When I returned home I just collapsed and cried out to God. Why would God allow from childhood on into adulthood for me to have so many difficult issues like this? I kept asking, why me. My husband was away studying, and I was by myself dealing with these feelings. As I read the Bible, Isaiah 30:20-21

20 And though the Lord gives you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your teachers will not be moved into a corner anymore, but your eyes shall see your teachers. 21 Your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” Whenever you turn to the right hand or whenever you turn to the left.

As I read that scripture the Lord spoke to my heart, strengthened me and I was ready to have the surgery. However, when I arrived at the hospital they told me that they didn’t have enough of the prep resources to use before surgery, so they told me to come back in two days. Then in two days I experienced the same thing. So the third time that I arrived to have surgery, they wanted to do another exam to check on the tumor. However, they looked everywhere around the area and never could find the tumor. They didn’t know if it had burst or what happened to it. But even after four years the tumor had not returned. I know that God healed me. He not only healed my physically but also spiritually as well. At that time I was very weak, but God gave me strength. So once again I experienced that God is real and alive.

When I came to Singapore I also brought a lady with me. In just a few minutes I would also like to share her amazing testimony with you. In China she was a business lady who was a well-known boss with a lot of responsibility. Even though she was very wealthy with 5 or 6 cars and a lot of money, her marriage was really in shambles. She had money, but no matter what she did to find happiness, she never had peace. However, there was a lady who told her that what she needed was to trust in Jesus. This wealthy lady had ready every book about marriage, happiness, etc. and tried everything but Jesus. So she decided to check it out. At first she just politely listened, but the more she heard the more it touched her heart. The marriage had been so bad with many problems. After accepting Jesus, she gave up everything, took her child and left. Christ really began to change her life. Now she is able to help a lot of young people in their lives. Jesus really does change lives and gives us hope.

Pastor Lim shares:

Today we have heard two different kinds of testimonies. However, in Christ we see our lives transformed. We have hope, and we have peace. You too can receive Jesus as the Lord of your life. In order to do this, please follow me as I pray.

Dear Lord Jesus, I thank you. You are Lord and Savior, and you came to this world to save us from evil and sin. At this time, please use your precious blood to cleanse us from our sin. Please come into our hearts and be our Lord and Savior, so that we will follow you for the rest of our lives, and never leave you. We want to receive your peace, joy and your hope. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

God bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #44

Hokkien Testimony #44 

Today we welcome you to the 44th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Each week we have different people from different churches share their stories with us. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Mr. David Ho. Let’s listen now to his Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below.  

David Ho’s testimony:

To begin my story, I was 13 years old when I accepted Jesus. My teacher led me to Christ. I have three older brothers and four older sisters. So even though I was the youngest in my family, I was the first to become a Christian. My mother had to work hard taking care of the house and feeding animals like chickens or pigs as well as taking care of other jobs. It was a lot of work. After I became a Christian I really wanted my parents to also accept Christ. When I was 22 my father was diagnosed with cancer. Earlier I had bought a large Bible and was trying my best to study it. When I found out that my father had cancer, I told him about Jesus.

Earlier when I accepted Christ I didn’t let my parents know about this.  I would sneak out of the house and go to church. However, when I found out that my father had cancer I wanted to tell him about Jesus. I spoke with him and he asked me if I had a Bible. He began to read the book of John and read the entire book. At that time Billy Graham had also been to Singapore and someone shared several of his evangelistic tapes with us. My father listened to all three tapes as we translated. I asked him if he wanted to receive Jesus, but I really didn’t know how to talk with him about this. So I went to church and asked an Elder in the church if he could come and share with my father. I told him that my father was in his 70’s and had cancer. The Elder himself spoke Cantonese, but since my father only spoke Hokkien, he invited a Hokkien friend to come with him. He shared Christ with him and my father accepted Jesus.

It was interesting that after my father left the hospital he didn’t want to come inside the living room. He wanted to stay outside. Whether it was rainy or very hot and sunny, my father still remained outside. He said that he could come inside; however, we would have to remove the idols first. My mother was very angry and rebuked him and refused to do this. At this time he returned to the idol practices that he had known all his life. Since I was the youngest in the family I really couldn’t say much. He was elderly but I did believe that he had asked Jesus into his heart.

When I was about 40 years old my church asked me if I was willing to serve as a pastor. I had a family and thought about it and I felt that God was really calling me to serve in this way. Every day I would go and check on my mother. She was still living in the house. At that time she was in her 70’s. One day when I went to check on her, I found her sick. She didn’t want to go out of the house. At that point, I asked her to come live with me because since she lived alone and if something happened to her no one would know. So she agreed to come to our home. There were no idols there. I also hosted a family worship group in my home each week. The group leader would come early and use Hokkien to share with my mother. My mother was not educated so she couldn’t read or write. At first when the group came to my house, my mother would stay in the background. However, she gradually drew closer until she was invited to join the group and she willingly accepted. The group used Hokkien with her and each time encouraged her to come to church. She always said ok, but wasn’t really willingly to follow through with it. However, one day when I invited her to go with me, she agreed.

I told the Lord, even though the church had asked me to serve as a pastor and I had not yet answered that call, I made a request of God that my mother would accept Jesus. When she went to church with me one of the pastors asked for anyone who wanted to receive Jesus to raise their hands, and she did. I was so moved and agreed that I too was willing to follow Jesus and serve as a pastor.

When my mother came to live with us, we took the idols out of her house. My mother lived to be 94 years old and just passed away. At first because family members were not Christians she was not baptized. However, she later told me that she was ready and had accepted Jesus. There is one Hokkien song that was very special to my mother, “Hold My Hand’, and it was part of her funeral.

There is also more to my story. One of my brothers had a daughter who was an airline stewardess and a very beautiful sweet girl. However, she was diagnosed with cancer. I shared Christ with her and she accepted Jesus into her heart. Within three months she passed away. Before she died she told me that she has already prepared to meet Jesus and asked me to baptize her. I told her that I was willing to baptize her, but only if she had her parents’ permission. So she asked them, and they both agreed for her to be baptized.  I had two purposes in this. First of all I wanted them to give their permission and see this happen, but after the baptism I also wanted to share the gospel with my brother and sister-in-law.

I had to leave for a conference in Australia, but the second day I received a call saying that my niece had passed away. So I immediately bought a ticket to return home. However, when I arrived at the airport I couldn’t find my passport. I was trying to think what I should do, go to the Embassy or what. However, I first called the church where I had been and asked them to search for me. Praise the Lord, they found it.

My brother told me that since his daughter was a Christian they wanted me to handle the funeral service. My brother and sister-in-law have not yet accepted Jesus; however, as Pastor Lim said, we must continue to pray for my brother and his wife that they will come to Christ. The Bible tells us that when we accept Jesus that our family can also come to Christ. So one by one we see how God opens the doors for people to know him as Lord and Savior.  

Pastor Lim shares:

 Brothers and sisters thank you for participating in our Hokkien testimony time today. As you listened or read this testimony I am sure that you realize that Jesus really is wonderful and desires to help us. Today you can also experience this by following me in prayer to ask Jesus into your heart. You can receive eternal life and experience his blessings. If you desire to do this, then follow me as I pray.

Dear Jesus, I thank you for being my Lord and Helper. At this time I admit that I have sinned. Please forgive me, come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. I ask you to lead and bless me. This is my prayer. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

May God bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #43

Hokkien Testimony #43 

Today we welcome you to the 43rd testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Each week we have different people from different churches share their stories with us. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Sisters Lin Ya Jaio. Let’s listen now to her Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below.  

Sister Lin Ya Jaio testimony:

I came to Singapore when I was very young in order to go to school. If you listen to me talk you will know that I have an accent from the Chinese province, Choan Chiu, where I was born. I was very focused on my education and later became a teacher. Some people say that teaching is the best profession for a woman. I have been a teacher now for more than 30 years. During that time I also married and started a family. I became a Christian in 1980. At that time my daughter was 7 years old and of course very precious to me. As Pastor Lim reminded us, there is a Chinese saying that it is easy to give birth to a child but not so easy to raise that child. I certainly agree with that.

When our child was born she already had a lot of physical challenges and spent a great deal of time in the hospital. She was sick for a long time, and she continually coughed. So of course we spent a lot of money on medical needs. During this time we tried everything to find a solution to our daughter’s health. We worshiped idols, drank water with ashes in it from the temple, and tried both western and Chinese medicine. However, no matter what we tried, nothing worked. It was a waste of time and money, because her health did not approve. We tried everything.

However, I have a co-worker who was like an angel to us. She knew that we had tried everything, but she told us that Jesus is the great physician and we should try him. She said that we should allow our daughter to accept Christ and that Jesus could heal her.  At the time I thought that I wouldn’t lose anything by trying. I had already tried everything else. So I allowed our daughter to go to church, but I didn’t go with her. I was afraid of losing face, since I worshiped local gods.  I had already worshiped these gods for so many years and didn’t feel that I needed to abandon these gods and worship another god. The main thing was that I wanted my daughter to be healed.

After our daughter started going to church I could see a real change in her. She had a deep understanding of the Bible and her health began to improve. She became stronger and stronger and time went on. I also noticed the smile on her face. She was different. As Pastor Lim reminded me, the Bible tells us that a joyful heart is good medicine. When we accept Christ and begin to change in our thinking, our health may also improve. As Pastor Lim said, the Christian faith has a positive outlook, full of hope. We are not abandoned or alone and are forward looking in our thinking. This kind of joy in our hearts helps us to become healthier.

Since I am a teacher I feel that I understand students pretty well, and I felt that way toward our daughter. After she started going to church, she was much more energetic and I was very happy to see this. However, about six months later she seemed to have regressed. She lost her energy and smile. I talked with my co-worker friend who had taken her to church. She said that our daughter went to church and was taught one thing; however, when she came home it was a totally different religious belief. It was like trying to grow two different flowers together. It just doesn’t work well. As a teacher I knew just what she was saying. For my daughter’s sake, I too must join her and accept Christ. That day, my friend led me to Christ.  I have never regretted making that decision. In fact, I have drawn closer and closer to the Lord.

I must say that when I accepted Christ, my husband and my mother and in-laws all disapproved of my decision. Since my husband is the oldest son, I had to think about my decision because I was very much involved in preparing things for family idol worship. Neither side of our family had any Christians in it, so this was a big challenge. I would be the first person to accept Christ and felt that I would probably run into a lot of dissention. They were very opposed. But my friend encouraged me and said that our God is all powerful and that I should pray about this so I would not experience severe persecution.  I made the decision to follow Christ. My husband traveled out of the country a lot, and during this time I was active in church. However, the day came when my husband also accepted Jesus. He saw the change in my life, and he too became a believer. He also saw that our daughter was healthy and had been healed. He also saw how my attitude and behavior toward him changed, and he too wanted Jesus.

My mother had worshiped idols all of her life, and she was very fervent about it. However, her requests were not granted. She had health issues. I didn’t want to push anything on her, but I began to share with her testimonies that I heard at church. I suggested to her that since she had tried everything else, she could go to church with me. The pastor prayed for her and her life was changed. She was transformed into a person who had more faith, peace and joy in her life. Many elderly people are afraid of death, but now that fear no longer exists for her. She is already in her 80’s. Our Lord is the overseer of life, and we don’t need to be afraid, but trust in him. All of life is in his hands.

Later my younger brother and his wife also accepted Christ and were truly blessed. My in-laws also received Jesus as well. When my mother-in-law was ill, she asked to be taken to church. So they too accepted Christ. When our entire family comes to Christ we receive an even great blessing in our lives.

Pastor Lim shares:

Today, once again through this testimony we see that Jesus is real. She, her daughter, husband, mother, younger brother’s family and her in-laws all accepted Jesus. This is a road of blessing for all of us. It is a bright road for us to travel. Life can be very dark and much like a crooked road, but in Christ we have peace and his protection as we journey through life. So if you trust Christ, your life will change. Do you want to accept the Lord Jesus? If you desire to do this, then follow me as I lead us in prayer.

Dear Jesus, you are my Lord and Savior. I thank you for coming to this earth and dying on a cross. You shed your precious blood to forgive my sin. At this time I ask you to forgive me of my sin. Please use your precious blood to cleanse my sin. I also ask you to come into my heart to be my Lord and Savior and be the master of my life forever. I know that you will never leave me. Please heal any sickness that I have and give me peace, joy and hope. Jesus, thank you for hearing my prayer. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

Brothers and Sisters, if you have made this decision today, we hope that you will find a church nearby and worship with them so that you can better understand this real and living Jesus.

May God bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #42

Hokkien Testimony #42

Today we welcome you to the 42nd testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Each week we have different people from different churches share their stories with us. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Sisters Kho Kim Hoe and Lim Na Hui, mother and daughter. Let’s listen now to their Hokkien stories. An English summary is also provided below.  

Sisters Kho Kim Hoe and Lim Na Hui’s testimonies:

We are so happy to welcome these two, mother and daughter, to come and share their testimonies with us today. They originally lived in a faraway place, but are now citizens of Singapore. To begin our program let me joke with you a bit. Your name, Kho, can also mean bitter. Has your life been bitter? Actually, I am teasing, because all of us have experienced difficult times in our lives, right?!

Well, Pastor Lim introduced us. From the time that I was very young, I had to work hard and take care of my family. My life was definitely difficult. We had two sons and four daughters. Pastor Lim asked me how I taught my children because they were so well behaved. Well, the truth is that I didn’t have time to really teach them. They were good kids, but I was so busy trying to provide for them that I had very little time for anything. However, whenever they would get loud or out of hand, I definitely would reprimand them. I was on to them all the time.

The children were responsible for taking care of household chores. Early on, our third daughter and our youngest son accepted Jesus Christ. I didn’t really approve of this. Our family worshiped idols and we sacrificed food to the idols, but Christians are not to eat these things. So I thought it would be a lot of trouble for me. I voiced my disapproval, but they didn’t answer me. However, I did notice that after they accepted Jesus that they were even more filial and well behaved than before. They were taught to love Jesus and to honor their parents.

Actually at this time I was afraid that the pastor would come to our house and want to talk with me. I had some wrong thoughts about Christianity. I felt, as some say, that if you are a Christian and don’t worship ancestors then when I died I would be a wandering ghost and no one would worship or honor me. Now I know that to believe in Jesus is a great thing, but I really didn’t know about Christianity at that time. I actually attended church quite a few times, but when I had heart surgery I asked Jesus to come into my life. I accepted Christ in ’91. After accepting Jesus, one of my greatest blessings was the physical healing that I received. People told me that I would be in a lot of pain, but miraculously I had no pain.

I, Lim Na Hui, had a heavy heart and spent a lot of time in prayer praying for my mother. But God indeed healed my mother very quickly. Actually, early on I opposed my mother accepted Christ and told her that she shouldn’t do it. As Chinese people, we place a lot of emphasis on honoring our parents and ancestors. However, as Pastor Lim said, honoring our ancestors is not locked into a shrine, but is an attitude that we carry in our hearts.

I, Sister Kho, also have another unique story. One day I had prepared some curry that had duck meat in it. As I took a bite, I realized that I had swallowed a duck bone. No matter what I did, I couldn’t cough it up. So I quickly went to a doctor that was conveniently located downstairs. The doctor immediately said…..”Oh no, I can’t see it.” When the doctor realized that it hadn’t been long since I had heart surgery he was careful in what he did to resolve the problem. The bone wouldn’t come out and wouldn’t go down, and I was in a lot of pain.  I was a new Christian and I really didn’t know how to pray, but my daughter prayed for me. The doctor X-rayed me so that they could see the bone. I was taken to a room and waited for a long time. I had a neighbor in the room with me and it was getting late. The doctor asked me if it still hurt. I told them that it didn’t. Then they had me drink some water, and it still didn’t hurt at all. The doctor couldn’t believe it, so they X-rayed a couple of more times, and they couldn’t find the bone. It was gone. There were a lot of people praying for me. The truth is that if they had to make an incision and take the bone out, it could have been life threatening for me. Jesus is indeed our Savior.

In my life I have had three surgeries. They had to remove my gallbladder because I had stones. Pastor Lim teased me because the word for gallbladder and the sound for courage are the same. So when a person has their gallbladder removed, people often tell them that they now have no courage or “guts.” However, Pastor Lim said that I, Sister Kho, definitely reflect a person with courage. I even prayed for God to help me today as I share my testimony. I pray about everything. Even though my daughter opposed me accepted Jesus, I believed that one day she too would trust Christ.

As Pastor Lim commented, we actually were not fervent in our worship of idols. We ran to them to beg for help in times of trouble, so that was the kind of religion that we followed before accepting Jesus. The reason that I did go to church was because my sister encouraged me to attend. Early on I had heard of Jesus, but I had never gone to a church. For me, the daughter, a co-worker shared with me about Jesus. I really loved to go to church because I loved the songs. They are beautiful. I continued to attend and the pastor encouraged us to make a decision. I raised my hand but really didn’t understand what it was all about. The pastor encouraged us to attend a class that really helped me to understand more clearly what it meant to accept Jesus.

I, the daughter, am a rather shy person; however, after I accepted Christ I began to open up more. So after a person accepts Jesus, he definitely will help us in whatever needs we have in our life. Jesus indeed transforms our life.

I, Sister Kho, also experienced something else that was unique. I was asked if I could help at the church with some cleaning. As I was cleaning, all of a sudden, my foot began to hurt and there was swelling. I had a stroke. The pastor immediately took me to the hospital. They took scans to see what was happening, but I was determined not to have surgery. The reason I didn’t want them to operate was because of my heart situation. I continually take aspirin and any surgery would be dangerous since my blood would not clot. Following a stroke there may be physical changes in our appearance, but that is okay with me. For me to be healthy and be a peace is enough. As Pastor Lim said, that no matter how we appear, in our hearts we have joy and a smile on our face. I am also grateful because I by nature am an impatient person. I could lose my temper and get angry very quickly. God has helped me to make progress in this area of my life. I ask for his forgiveness and he helps me control my temper.  I appreciate Pastor Lim’s suggestion that when a person is angry, they can pray and also listen to Christian music. It’s amazing how that can take away our anger. If we allow anger to remain in our hearts, it is very detrimental to us. God can take that away. The Bible tells us that a joyful heart is good medicine for the soul. Sadness and anger can break a person down.

Pastor Lim shares:

If we find ourselves angry because someone is late coming home or for any reason, we can pray and praise God when they arrive home safely. We are so glad to have Sister Kho and her daughter share with us today. Praise the Lord, everyone in their family has accepted Christ as their Savior, and one of her children is now a missionary. At first to have a child go out of the country to another place was somewhat difficult for her to accept. However, now she has peace and is happy about it.

Today our program has once again come to an end. We see that God has blessed this family in unique ways as they have faced problems. He has given them strength and enabled them to resolve these challenges in their lives. Their family was just an ordinary family, but God has cared for them in special ways. So the same can be true for you. Through trusting in Jesus, peace, joy, blessing and salvation can also be yours. So at this time we would also like to give each of you the opportunity to accept Jesus as your Lord and Savior. If you have the heart and desire to accept Jesus, you can follow me as I pray  asking Jesus to come into your life and give you peace, joy and salvation. Pray with me.

Lord Jesus, I thank you. You are my Savior. Please forgive my sin. Please use your precious blood to wash away my sin. Lord Jesus, I invite you into my heart to be my Lord and Savior and direct the steps in my life in the future. From today forward I ask you to bless me and my family and give us peace. I pray for you to give me and my family eternal blessings. Thank you, Jesus. In Jesus name I pray, amen.

May God bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #41

Hokkien Testimony #41

Today we welcome you to the 41^st testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Each week we have different people from different churches share their stories with us. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Sister Wei Liao Ping.  Let’s listen now to her Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below.  

Sister Wei Liao Ping’s testimony:

As Pastor Lim shares, looking at Wei Liao Ping’s life, you would say that it seems much like anyone else’s life. She is married and she and her husband had two very cute children. However, embedded in the lives of her children are some exciting testimonies that she wants to share with us. A Chinese proverb tells us a parent has a special love for their children.

As a mother I feel that I genuinely love my children but didn’t spoil them. We have daughters just as Pastor Lim has daughters as well. I allowed our oldest daughter to go to church so that she would have the opportunity to learn English and be able to speak it well. So she attended an English church and they were very kind. So because we allowed her to attend this English Church ministry, we also had contact with the church. Consequently, our oldest daughter also accepted Jesus.

I also allowed our second daughter to go to church as well. She began when she was very young and grew up in the church. So her English was very good, and she was also a good student. In fact, she received a scholarship to continue her studies. I was very proud. However, I remember how I felt when she was to go to England to continue her studies. It was far away and even though I was proud, I also had my own fears since she would be overseas. However, she kept in touch by phone and would let us know how to pray for her.

I also hoped that she would be able to find a church there in England and the Lord indeed answered my simple prayers. Our daughter even said that she admired the simple prayers that I prayed for her. She felt that God always answered my prayers. So she too prayed as I prayed — very simple requests. In time, she also had a boyfriend. I didn’t object, because I felt that God would also provide a mate for her. This young man was also a Christian, but he didn’t go to church. Our daughter definitely had feelings for him, but at this time her boyfriend was not connected to church so they separated. My daughter was very distraught and I tried to comfort her. She was really hurting and daily I would find her crying in her room. I told her that we needed to pray.

Pastor Lim commented that when a girl loves a boy that she gives him her entire heart; however, the boy only gives half of his heart to her and the other half he pours into his work. The truth is that men and women are different for sure. Our daughter also had to return to England for her finals so that was not easy. For a woman this was a very emotional and difficult time; however, for a man, it was not as emotional for him. At this time my husband was also very supportive. He knew that we would need to trust God and pray about this. We would hold hands and pray together with our daughter.

When it was time for our daughter to return to England, I accompanied her. I noticed that she would often stay in her room because she was afraid that if she went out she might run into her former boyfriend. She really was so distraught that she didn’t have any real spirit or energy. She was very disturbed by all of this. While she was still in Singapore and had not yet returned to England, she even contemplated suicide. My husband held her to himself and told her that she didn’t need to be afraid because we had the Lord with us. It was imperative that she return to England because this was her third year and the final test was very important. So before we left Singapore her older sister, father and I all prayed with her. Without a doubt, we saw how the Lord Jesus helped us through this difficult time.

I stayed with her in England until she completed her tests. I tried to cook and take care of her during this time. Praise the Lord, because without Jesus we could not have made it through this difficult time. Our daughter also had a Christian friend who encouraged her. Good friends are precious and a real help to us in times of trouble. Without the Lord I don’t know what we would have done. She tested well and also was given a scholarship and the opportunity to go to America to work on a Master’s Degree. I returned to Singapore, and our daughter also met another young man who became her boyfriend. As Pastor Lim said, sometimes we feel that we run into roadblocks and as in this case, her relationship with the first young man was not successful. However, the Lord had someone in mind that was even better for her. As we look back on our journey, we see how the Lord has led us into something that is more of a blessing for us.

God not only blessed our daughter, he has also done a special work in our marriage as well. When we married we were not Christians. We actually had not experienced genuine love. As Pastor Lim shared, many wives really didn’t know how to express their emotions and love for their husband. So there was a time in our marriage when I asked my husband about our marriage and he expressed his feelings. He wasn’t very satisfied with me. So I thought that I must change, but I had no idea how to do that. So I went to church. I thought that if I trusted in Jesus that I would change. You know what, I did begin to change and my husband noticed it as well.

After I accepted Christ he also made a decision to believe in Jesus. But you know what, after I accepted Jesus my mother-in-law opposed my decision. I am the oldest daughter-in-law and in Chinese tradition should be helping prepare the things to worship idols and our ancestors. I talked with my mother-in-law to help her understand that I still loved and revered her. It was amazing. After a period of time she told me that she had observed me and that my God was the real God. So she is supportive of us. Now one of my greatest hopes and prayers is that my mother-in-law will come to Christ.

I appreciate Pastor Lim’s encouragement that he believes God will make a way for her to come to Christ someday. Our daughters are grown now, but we are not yet grandparents. As Pastor Lim shared, we believe that God will continue to bless our family and lead us. God’s promises will continue to come true to bless our family. The Bible tells us that if we believe in Jesus our entire family can be saved.

Pastor Lim shares:

Today we are so grateful to have Sister Wei Liao Ping share her testimony with us. Today you too can experience Jesus in the same way as Sister Wei and her family.  You can see that after accepting Jesus in their lives they have encouraged and supported their family through prayer. Because Sister Wei used very simple prayers, she and her family were able to face and survive many family challenges and storms in their lives. We see how their daughter during a deep emotional loss was able to continue with her studies and test well in spite of the difficult times.  We too can experience this. It is as though we are in a boat, but Jesus is the captain and he is directing and taking care of us through the storms in our lives and gives us peace. Are you willing to believe in Jesus? If you are willing, please follow me in prayer with your heart and soul.

Lord Jesus, I thank you because you are Savior and Lord. When we are faced with storms in our lives you are our peaceful harbor, so we want to depend and trust in you.  First of all we ask you to forgive us of our past sins because we did not know that you were the true God, so we did not worship you. Please forgive us. At this time we ask you to forgive all of our wrongs and all of our mistakes, and wash them clean with your precious blood. We ask you to come into our heart and be our Lord and Savior. Lord Jesus, at this time I beseech you to fill us with your peace and joy. Allow us to continue on life’s road and not only experience your presence but also hope and a meaningful life. Thank you, Jesus. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

Brothers and sisters, if today you prayed with me to ask Jesus into your heart, then I congratulate you. I encourage you to find a church nearby so that you can grow in your faith and better understand about Jesus who loves you very much. God bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #40

Hokkien Testimony #40

Today we welcome you to the 40th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Each week we have different people from different churches share their stories with us. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Sister Lim Sui Giok.  Let’s listen now to her Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below.  

Sister Lim Sui Giok’s testimony:

Even from childhood I often thought of death. I wondered what happens to people after they die. I often wondered and worried about my elderly grandmother and would even cry about it. What would happen to her after she died? At that time I wasn’t thinking about myself. I was worried about those around me. We naturally think that those who are older will die first, and then those who are younger will die at a later time. However, we know that life doesn’t always work out that way.

My family was very much involved in worshiping local idols. Our house was filled with them. We even had Japanese idols as well. Most of these were worshiped by my mother. About 17 years ago I looked to the God of Heaven and asked for an answer to my question. With all these gods and different beliefs, what should I believe? I wanted to know which one was the true God.

As a child, I followed my mother in the traditional practices. I really didn’t know what it was all about, I just followed her and did what she did. However, later I thought that surely there should be just one true God and not all of this confusion. So that’s the reason why I prayed to the God of Heaven for an answer. About two days after I prayed that prayer, a Christian came to our house and told me that if I was going to worship, then I should worship the true God. Wow! I could hardly believe it. Just after I prayed that prayer, then this Christian appears at my house. I was so excited that I went with them to church on Sunday.

That very first time I went to church I was so thrilled and full of joy. I made the decision to accept Jesus as my Lord and Savior. One of the ladies in the church took me to buy a Bible. In fact, I bought two Bibles, one large one and one small. However, it wasn’t all that long before I quit going to church. I once again joined my family and worshiped local gods. I wore black clothing and would recite chants with my family. Otherwise, outside of the chanting rituals I would wear white clothing.

At this time I also married and had challenges. My husband drank and had bad habits that often come along with alcohol use. He just was out having a good time. For me, life was not easy, and things were not going very smoothly. I knew I was in a bad marriage and made the decision to focus on chanting to find peace. It didn’t give me peace. One day I took the Bible out and began to read it. And you know what, the Bible spoke to me. So what do I mean that the Bible spoke to me? As I read the Bible, I read truths that directly related to my problems and the questions I had asked for years. After this experience I kneeled down and told Jesus that I was a sinner.  

Just a couple of nights after that in the middle of the night I got up and began reading the Bible again. The truth that spoke to me was God telling me that Jesus came not because I am good, but because of his grace toward me. I didn’t know much, but I began to look things up and write them down. In a 14 day period God continued to speak into my life. This is so precious. God really speaks into my life through the Bible passages that I read. He told me that He was going to take me out of Egypt. As I shared with Pastor Lim, the last half of a verse in Isaiah really means a lot to me.

Isaiah 50:4b

He wakens me morning by morning,  wakens my ear to listen like one being instructed.

This verse really is my testimony. As Pastor Lim reminded me, the Lord speaks into my life each day. However, this is not just to tell me things that I have done wrong or speak of my past, he also helps me better understand the Lord and how to live life. As I experienced this, one morning I was so thrilled that I couldn’t wait and extremely early in the morning I went to my older sister. She actually accepted Christ before I did. Even though it was very early in the morning, she knew that God had spoken to me and she was very happy to see this. So from this point, I accompanied my sister to church.  It was like the angels in Heaven were rejoicing. As Pastor Lim said, God really does love me.

My mother knew I was going to church but she didn’t know that I had made the decision to be baptized. And I followed through with that and followed Christ in baptism. After my father died, my mother told me that she would go to church with me but assumed I had not yet been baptized. I couldn’t lie.  I told her that I already had received baptism, and she just howled. However, she continued eating and settled down. She also told me that she didn’t want to accept Jesus. She would follow her way, and I could go my way. I have given this to God and believe that one day my mother will also trust Christ. Even though my mother has not yet accepted Jesus, many of my family members have come to Christ.

Pastor Lim shares:

Today as we come to a close, we can see how God has changed Lim Sui Giok’s thinking and her life as she wrestled with questions about life and the hereafter. We also see how God transformed her life and in a 14 day period of time spoke into her life through the Bible, God’s Word. Today she is a passionate Christian who loves the Lord. We can clearly see that God can use all kinds of methods to speak into our lives and reveal to us that he is the true and living God.

In Acts 4:12 the Bible tells us that “Salvation is found in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given to mankind by which we must be saved.”

We are so thrilled to know that Sui Giok’s father and other family members now also joined with her and accepted the Lord as their Savior. You too can receive this same kind of blessing and eternal life. Without a doubt, when you leave this world you can be sure that you will go to Heaven where Jesus has prepared a wonderful place for you. If you desire this, you can follow me as I lead us in prayer.

Lord Jesus, I thank you because you love me. You came into this world to save me, and one day when I leave this world I will be with you in Heaven. Please come into my heart and be my Lord and Savior. Because I believe in you, my heart has peace, joy and hope. Thank you Lord. In Jesus name we pray, amen.

May the Lord bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #39

Hokkien Testimony #39

Today we welcome you to the 39th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Each week we have different people from different churches share their stories with us. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Sister Hong Sheng Quan.  Let’s listen now to her Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below.  

Sister Hong Sheng Quan’s testimony:

My name is actually a boy’s name; however, as Pastor Lim commented, when I was born my parents gave me this name in hopes that they would have sons. Actually, I did not have an easy childhood. My father died when I was very young. Since I was the oldest girl in the family I was expected to help run things around the house and consequently I did not have a chance to get an education. My mother made sure my younger brothers went to school, but I did not have that opportunity.

My mother had to do all the work to take care of us three children. When I was 21 I got married. At that time many people thought that you should be married by the time you were 21, or otherwise you were considered much like an old maid. However, my marriage really disappointed me. Yet, I worked hard to care for my children as they grew up. Without a doubt God has taken care of me, and I remarried and God blessed me with a different situation.

When my daughter was in middle school she started going to church. When she was 21 years old she told me that she wanted to be baptized. She explained that she was already 21 and old enough to make her own decisions. So she would go her way, and I could continue to believe in my religion. This was her birthday and she requested that I attend her baptismal service. However, I didn’t want to attend and told her that this was her decision but I would not attend. So after the baptismal service she came home and shared with me but I didn’t have much to say. I firmly believe that from this time forward, my daughter was praying for my salvation.

I did begin to go to church, and I also wanted my husband to go to church with me. I actually invited him for about two years to join me, but at that time he wasn’t willing to do that. He continually refused because he said that Christians were not allowed to worship their ancestors, so he didn’t want to go with me. As many Chinese people share, he said that if he became a Christian there would be no one to worship his ancestors. So he didn’t dare go. However, he did listen to the stories of Jesus, but refused to believe. As many Chinese people believe, he felt that if he accepted Jesus, his parents and ancestors would be hungry ghosts in the afterlife. There would be no person to feed and care for them. When I encouraged my husband to go to church with me, I had not yet been baptized. At this time there were a lot of church friends who were praying for him.

Pastor Lim asked how we resolved this ancestor worship issue. My husband felt that if he became a Christian it would be like throwing his parents in the trash, abandoning them. But our pastor directly talked with us about that, and assured us that this was not the case. Amazingly enough, after two years my husband said that he would trust Jesus, but he didn’t need to go to church. I told him that this was okay with me. However, in 2003 at the end of the year something happened. He didn’t feel well, and I told him to go see a doctor. The doctor examined him and told him that he immediately needed to go to the hospital. There they told him that he had a perforation and the next day they needed to do surgery. Without surgery it could be life threatening. The doctor shared the danger that he was in. My husband also knew that he had a hole in his heart and shouldn’t have any operation. However, the doctor explained that if he started to run a fever he could die. So it was urgent that they do this surgery. It was a bit humorous that he told me if he didn’t make it through this operation, that I could not remarry.  I told him that he shouldn’t be talking about things like that at such a time as this. So the time was scheduled for him to have surgery the next day at 11 am. So I contacted our pastor and church friends and asked them to pray for us.

They followed through with the surgery, but the doctor told us that we needed to prepare our hearts. He might not make it. At about 8 pm they told me that in one hour if things had not improved, he probably wouldn’t make it. I was just in tears. I began to pray and asked God for my husband not to leave this earth so early. He had already prayed to receive Jesus. I asked God to heal him so that we could continue to be partners for many years. Suddenly the doctor came out and told me that everything was “GOOD.”

However, the next day he was badly swollen and unable to urinate.  I once again was in tears and contacted our pastor and friends to pray with us. Well, the next day he was able to urinate and we were so thankful. The swelling went down and his body returned to its normal size. But once again we had complications. My husband couldn’t move and the doctor said that he had a stroke. He couldn’t move or talk and we didn’t know if this had badly affected his brain. So they did a scan. He seemingly could not move, talk or hear because he was unresponsive. We continued to pray. The doctors said that his situation was very dangerous. There seemed to be nothing they could do, but we continued to pray.

The next day he still was unable to speak and they did a tracheotomy. This enabled him to breathe better. During the next week the devil began to attack him. He couldn’t speak, but he kept staring at me so I knew something was happening. I didn’t know what to do, so I called my pastor and church friends. The pastor suggested that we pray for him and ask God to help us understand his needs. My husband was able to let me know that a demon was bothering him. So I immediately called the pastor to let him know. The pastor then came to the hospital and for three days he prayed for the demon to be removed.

Following this, my husband was unable to walk, and once again our pastor and friends prayed with us for several months. Finally, the doctor told us that he was unable to walk and would have to depend on a wheelchair for mobility. He told us to prepare our house so that my husband would be able to move around using a wheelchair. I really didn’t know what to do. How would we survive with him in a wheelchair? How could I do this?

So we went home. The pastor suggested that I bring him to church with me. I couldn’t believe this. How could I do this? However, the pastor said, just give me your address and I will have friends go and bring him to the church. So that afternoon I told him what would happen, prepared food for us and rested a bit. All of a sudden my husband was able to get out of the wheelchair and came to my bedside and woke me. I couldn’t believe it. He didn’t sit back down in the wheelchair. He was walking around. I just started crying and thanking the Lord. That evening we went to church and the pastor had him sit toward the front. He asked him if he had trusted in Jesus, and he acknowledged that he believed in Jesus. Then he walked toward the pastor. He pushed his wheelchair to the side forever. From that time until now, he has continued to stand on his feet and walk. God healed him.

As Pastor Lim said, in 2003, my husband, mother and I all came to Christ.

Pastor Lim shares:

Thank you, Sister Hong Sheng Quan, for sharing your story with us today. Through her story we can see that Jesus is real and alive. He desires to be with us and protect us. You too can experience this journey if you are willing to open your heart to Jesus and allow him to be your Lord and Savior. Follow me as I pray.

Lord Jesus, I thank you. You came into this world to save us, and at this time we beseech you to forgive our sin, and live inside of us so that we can overcome evil. We want you to be our Lord and Savior forever. Beginning today we want to experience your love and the miracles that you perform. Thank you Lord. In Jesus name we pray, Amen. The Lord bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #38

Hokkien Testimony #38

Today we welcome you to the 38th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Sister Li Ya Ai.  Let’s listen now to her Hokkien story. An English summary is also provided below.  

Sister Li Ya Ai’s testimony:

As Pastor Lim begins this interview he notices the sweet happy smile on Li Ya Ai’s face and it makes him happy as well.

Sister Li Ya Ai:

When I was young I had a very difficult life. At this time it was very common to value boys more than girls. I was the oldest granddaughter in my family. Life was not easy, but I can say that when I accepted Christ and turned my life over to him, my life really did change.

As I said, when I was a child my life was not easy and I started working at a very young age. Whether I fed the pigs or worked in the garden, whatever I did required a lot of strength. I know that the Lord watched over me. However, since I had a lot of freedom I also picked up some bad habits like smoking and gambling.

Some people say that to break these habits is very difficult; however, I think that depends on the person. For me Jesus enabled me to break free from these things. I just accepted Christ three years ago, and you my physical problems that I had have disappeared. Jesus has taken care of me. I haven’t even had to go see a doctor.

When I was a child I secretly ran off to church without my grandmother knowing it. I loved the songs and the stories. Later, as adults my husband and I both went to church and accepted Jesus. Formerly, believe it or not, my husband had been a medium in the temple. So when I talked to him about this, it was a big deal. He had to think about it, but I really encouraged him to leave worshiping idols and follow Jesus. This is definitely an unusual story for a medium or shaman to leave their religious practice and believe in Jesus. You know, I am sure that this was the Lord’s work for him to be able to do this. I was the first to believe, but then my husband followed me. As Pastor Lim said, he is a good man and a good husband.

For me, I think one of the greatest blessings I have experienced is the good health that I have. I can do everything, go anywhere and I feel really good. In fact I just don’t even hardly remember the worries and difficulties that I have had in my past.

I have had a lot of problems with my foot in the past and would go to doctors for help. I couldn’t stand on my feet and work for extended periods. So I had to quit working. Actually, I haven’t worked for about 5 or 6 years, and I am fine.

It’s also important in the family for children to obey parents and to have harmony. In our family we just don’t have a lot of fighting and arguing. And speaking once again of my smoking and gambling habits, Jesus really freed me from that. I didn’t experience some of the challenges that people have with leaving addictions, but Jesus helped me. I no longer had a desire to smoke or gamble or lose my temper. Formerly I would even criticize the government and try to boss and control my husband. But Jesus changed all of that. I have friends who have enticed me to gamble again, but I told them that I don’t do that anymore.

Now I am involved around the church. I am part of the welcome team and assist in other areas as well. I am so happy in the Lord and any time the church has an event I love to attend. Trusting in Jesus and living in him is really great.

Pastor Lim shares:

This is our testimony for today. It’s easy to see that believing in Jesus is definitely something different. We see how Sister Li changed. She no longer smoked, gambled and her personality really changed. She changed from a person who had a bad temper to a person who cared for others. You too, just like Sister Li, can experience this kind of change in your life. So after you pray you will see that Jesus brings change into your life.

All you have to do is with sincerity to ask Jesus to come into your heart. If Jesus comes into your heart you will experience change. You and your family will be blessed. It is very easy to receive Jesus. Whether you are in your car or house, wherever you are, you can just follow after me as I pray and ask Jesus to come into your heart. Sentence by sentence please follow me as I pray.

Dear Jesus, I thank you because you love me. You desire to save me forever. I come before you and ask you to forgive me of the past sin in my life. At this time with great courage I come before you and ask you into my heart to be my Lord and Savior and change me. I desire for you to change me and take away my temper and bad habits. This will enable me to be a person of peace with a clean heart, and will give me hope. In Jesus name we pray, Amen.

May God bless you.

Hokkien Testimony #37

Hokkien Testimony #37

Today we welcome you to the 37th testimony in our Hokkien Harvest series. Today Pastor James Lim interviews Sister Li Wen Lan and Sister Hong Yue.  Let’s listen now to their Hokkien stories. An English summary is also provided below.  

Sister Li Wen Lan and Sister Hong Yue’s testimonies:

Pastor Lim: Today we are excited to welcome these two women to come and share with us. If you listen closely to Sister Li you will quickly discern that she is not Hokkien but she loves to hear Hokkien spoken, and when she speaks she combines Hokkien with her Teochew language. Today, Sister Li, we greet you with peace. I understand that you are 91 years old. So we know that trusting in Jesus is not just for young people but for the elderly as well. We are also privileged to have Sister Li’s younger daughter-in-law, Hong Yue, with us today. We look forward to hearing both of you share with us.

Sister Li Wen Lan: I actually came to Singapore through China and Japan. During this period of time we had almost nothing to eat and were very poor. So when we came to Singapore life was so much better for us. In Hokkien there is a saying that talks about how quickly in the blink of an eye that our children change into adults. All of my children are grown and married now. And it was my daughter-in-law who shared Jesus with me.

Sister Hong Yue: So why did I share Jesus with my mother-in-law? I saw her in need and struggling. She was not happy, and I wanted her to know Jesus. Seeing her like this brought me to tears, but I also prayed for her. As Pastor Lim mentioned, if someone is going to share Jesus with an elderly person they need to first of all pray about it, because God begins to do a work in their heart to prepare them. It’s like a farmer who first of all breaks up the soil so it is ready for planting.  My mother-in-law also told Pastor Lim that I am a good daughter-in-law, and I think it is very essential to be a good witness before people. So thankfully she had a good opinion of people who believed in Jesus. She felt that there was a difference in those who are Christians and those who are not yet believers.

Sister Li: It was my daughter-in-law who actually prayed with me to receive Jesus. Every day I was miserable and hurting so much. My bones just ached and I depended on Buddhism to help me. Some people told me not to believe in Jesus. However, Jesus came to me in a dream and I wanted to believe and be baptized.

Sister Hong: Of course when I heard that she wanted to accept Jesus, I was thrilled. She told me that she was leaving Buddhism and wanted me to contact the pastor so she could be baptized. I told her how much Jesus loved her. I also shared about baptism and the worship experience at church. She came with me to church. Then the pastor wanted to come and visit us and talk with my husband as well. When he spoke with my husband, he told the pastor that whatever made her happy was fine with him. My husband did object at all.

Sister Li: So last year on Christmas Eve I was baptized and many of our relatives attended the baptism.

Sister Hong: After trusting in Jesus her life changed. Prior to this she was so discouraged and downtrodden, but after accepting Jesus there was a definite change. Her heart was full of joy — and in every area that she struggled in there was a definite change. She even slept so much better. That was a gift from Jesus to allow her to sleep peacefully. Previously she was miserable and unable to sleep well. So this was indeed a blessing. Even her old friends commented that her appearance, her face, was not the same. She was different and had a glow about her. As Pastor Lim mentioned, God opens our heart.

Sister Li: In the beginning I had no idea how to pray, but I know a little more know. So Pastor Lim asked me to show him how I can pray now. Well, I pray . . . “Lord, help me. Thank you for my children and grandchildren. Cleanse my heart and help me. Help me also to sleep peacefully.” And I know that some day after I leave this world, I will go to Heaven. I pray for peace for my family. I know my work is not done here yet, so it’s not time for me to leave. As Pastor Lim reminded me, it is an opportunity at this time for me to share Jesus with my children and grandchildren. Then when the time is right, Jesus will take me home to Heaven.

Sister Hong: In sharing Christ with our elderly family members, it is important to pray, be patient AND to also live out a good testimony in our daily lives.  As Jesus said, we must also love one another. So LOVE is very important.

Pastor Lim shares:

Today our program has come to an end. However, after hearing today’s story I am sure you agree with me that belief in Jesus is not just for younger people, but for the elderly as well. So salvation is also for people such as our grandmothers or mother-in-law. We must fervently pray for them. I know without a doubt that we are all of value and precious in God’s sight, and he doesn’t want any of us to perish. So we need to pray more, love more and have more patience. This will enable us to share Christ even more effectively with our family and friends.

May God bless you.