Praise God!! 🙌✨

“Velma” (pseudonym for security) — one of our international students who arrived in the U.S. fresh from a large East Asian country in Fall 2025 and began attending our Friday dinners — has placed her faith in Christ and was baptized at one of our partner churches! 🌊✝️

On Sunday, November 30th, she was baptized and courageously shared her testimony in her native language. I was honored to attend, and afterward I asked Velma if I could share an English copy of her testimony with our community. She joyfully said yes! 🙏

Her story is so beautiful and moving that I wanted to share it here:

“Hello everyone. I came to the United States for the first time last September to begin my graduate studies. I thank the Lord for leading me into the Bible study group, where I began to follow the Holy Spirit and study God’s Word. God’s wisdom deeply moved me and stirred in me a desire to draw closer to Him and know Him more. Later, during the Labor Day Gospel Camp in September, I made the decision to follow Christ—committing my whole life into His hands and seeking His guidance and direction. 

Before coming to the U.S., the name of Jesus Christ was not unfamiliar to me. I had read fragments of biblical stories in many literary works—Adam and Eve, Noah’s Ark, allusions related to the “Matthew Effect,” and even stories about Cain. These glimpses made me curious about the Bible. I had walked past churches and encountered strangers sharing the gospel on the streets. I remember once, a sister spoke with me patiently for hours—telling me about sheep and about blood on the doorposts. But at that time, I didn’t understand. It wasn’t until I finished reading the Volume of Exodus this year that I suddenly realized she had been telling me the story of Passover—a story of redemption and grace. 

Now, when I look back, I can almost understand the excitement hidden under her calm voice—how much she hoped I would draw near to God, walk through the narrow gate of the cross, and receive salvation from the Lord. And I can also feel the earnestness behind the calls made by the speakers during the gospel camp. It was not emotion—it was the genuine desire that one more soul might taste the sweetness of God’s grace. 

Before deciding to follow Christ, I had heard many testimonies from brothers and sisters. I found them wonderful, yet I did not truly understand what “peace and joy” meant. But when the Holy Spirit came upon me, I knew that the omniscient and almighty God had heard my prayer—an unworthy person among the vast sea of people—and He answered me with His amazing grace. I have experienced too much to describe it all here. If you are now like I once was, standing before the narrow gate of the cross hesitating, I want to encourage you: do not leave. God’s hand has always been right beside you. If you are willing to reach out even just a fingertip toward Him, you will taste the sweetness of His grace. 

I still remember the first time I walked into a church, I was deeply touched by a hymn. Today, I would like to end my testimony with a passage from the Book of Psalms: 

Psalm 42 

“As the deer pants for streams of water, 
so my soul pants for you, my God. 
My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. 
When can I go and meet with God? 
My tears have been my food day and night, 
while people say to me all day long, ‘Where is your God?’ 

Deep calls to deep 
in the roar of your waterfalls; 
all your waves and breakers 
have swept over me. 
By day the Lord directs his love, 
at night his song is with me— 
a prayer to the God of my life.” 

May all glory be to the Lord. “