If the purpose of her having cancer was for me to be saved…
At the turn of the millennium, I traveled to Massachusetts, USA for my graduate studies. Six years passed quickly, during which I participated in many Christian family gatherings and Bible studies, but because of the influence of dialectics, I was obsessed with scientific proofs. I have never been convinced that Jesus could be resurrected from death, so I was hesitant. It was extremely difficult for me to cross the threshold of believing in Christ.
After immigrating to British Columbia, I met many Christian churches in the Greater Vancouver area. During this period, I also participated in many family gatherings of the Bahai Faith² and visited Buddhist temples, but none of these things could make me deviate from the Lord’s inspiration and great love.
In 2016, I met a Christian couple while working as a medical Mandarin interpreter. They always encouraged me to embrace the life of the church. Their unwavering faith in the Lord and their tenacious fight against diseases greatly inspired me. Coincidently, I worked at the hospital as an interpreter for a pastor who was about to undergo cancer resection. Facing the ravages of the disease, she laughed about her life and dealt with it calmly. She even regarded the disease as the most beautiful gift from God and accepted the operation with joy. This was indeed a great shock to me, what a joyful heart she had! She then invited me to church to listen to her last sermon before the operation. I replied at the time saying that I don’t have time to go to church because I have to go up the mountains every Sunday to look at the sky and let the sunshine soothe my emotions; but she told me that I had to look to the true God who made the universe in order to solve the psychological impact I faced from my countless patients, and so, I promised her that I would go to church that day.
On Sunday, I went to church as promised. When she called out and said it was her desire before the operation to see those who do not know the Lord Jesus to come forward and allow her to lead them in the salvation prayer, I was finally persuaded to step forward. She was pleasantly surprised when she saw me come out, and introduced me to everyone, as if the purpose of her having cancer was for me to be saved. I was greatly touched to see her so happy.
Although I prayed the salvation prayer, I was still in the stage of exploring the Christian faith. After attending the New Beginning course at Calvary Church in Vancouver for a month and a half, I embarked on the path of exploring Christ again. In the Nujiang Gorge in Yunnan, I followed the footsteps of the missionary Funengren³, and deeply experienced the extremely joyful life of local Christians. A Lisu driver once said: “I am a Christian, I don’t smoke or drink, I go to church every week, sing hymns, listen to the pastor’s preaching, and teach my family to believe in the Lord and walk the right way. My heart is happy.” This really spoke to my wandering heart, which has been wandering for many years.
The Nujiang Gorge in Yunnan
After going to Yunnan, I went to Israel alone—in just ten days, I once again had a deeper understanding of the great salvation of Jesus Christ. From Bethlehem, the birthplace of Christ, to the Church of the Annunciation in Nazareth, and from the Sea of Galilee, I found Capernaum, where Jesus performed the miracle with five loaves and two fish. I followed along the places where Jesus preached until I arrived in Jerusalem, the place where he suffered the final crucifixion. At the 14th station of the Way of the Cross, my wandering heart finally found its destination, and there was where I deeply understood the love and sacrifice of Christ.
From now on, the resurrected Jesus will always be the salvation of this prodigal son! I will follow the Lord all my life, and I am grateful that the Lord loves to find me back through His various ways.
1. Cultural Revolution: The Great Proletarian Cultural Revolution, commonly known as the Cultural Revolution, was a nationwide political movement in the history of the People’s Republic of China.
2. Bahai Faith: A cult also known as Baha’i or Baiha.
3. Funengren (James O. Fraser): A British missionary sent by the Chinese Inland Mission to China. He preached among the Lisu people in the northwest of Yunnan Province for nearly 30 years in the first half of the 20th century.
About Author
He Zhixiong
ECA Vancouver