I grew up in an environment steeped in traditional customs. Every festival involved rituals of worship. Elders murmured prayers while offering sacrifices, and incense smoke filled the air. As a child, I was only a bystander. I watched with confusion, unable to understand the prayers or their meaning. To me, these rituals were simply habits passed down through generations. I dismissed them as superstition, and for many years I was a firm atheist.
As I traveled, I encountered other religions, including Christianity. At first, I was drawn not by belief, but by the beauty of Gothic cathedrals with their vaulted ceilings, stained glass, and sculptures. Sitting quietly, I felt a deep sense of reverence. On another occasion, I heard a choir singing inside a church. Their voices brought joy and peace I could not explain. I loved the feeling, but I didn’t know why.
The real change came through a dear friend and colleague, Ms. Liu, who invited me to a small gathering where we studied the Bible. At first, I listened with curiosity but was still detached from the message. Over time, questions about life that once felt unclear began to come into focus. As a biology teacher, I spend my days studying the intricate structures of life. The double helix of DNA, the workings of a cell, and the balance of ecosystems all display a beauty and order that science alone cannot fully explain. I had once attributed this mystery to the limits of my knowledge. Gradually, I began to see the possibility of a Great Creator behind it all.
If exploring the world allowed me to glimpse God, then the lowest moments of my life allowed me to truly meet him. After betrayal in my marriage and struggles with my child, I found myself exhausted and hopeless. In those darkest days, I remembered Ms. Liu’s encouragement and walked into that Bible study again, this time as a lost soul seeking redemption.
Through the love of fellow believers and the comfort of God’s Word, light slowly broke through my darkness. God had heard my silent cries and had come to save me. Now, when life feels overwhelming, I turn to him in prayer and find strength, comfort, and hope. Step by step, God led me from disbelief to faith and into the light of Christ.
From Rena, a woman recently baptized by an Asia-Oceania Team missionary in East Asia (name and photo changed due to security precautions)
