“Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, and he will make your paths straight.” (Proverbs 3:5–6)
As I look back over more than twenty years of faith, my heart is often filled with gratitude. Reading this passage again, I realise it is not merely a familiar verse. It describes how God has led me step by step throughout my life.
More than twenty years ago, I came to New Zealand to study. I was an ordinary international student with a simple plan: study well, find work after graduation, and build a life in an unfamiliar country through my own effort. Christian friends invited me to church. I attended a few times and always experienced the warmth and care of brothers and sisters. For someone far from home in a new environment, that kindness left a deep impression.
Yet I did not know God and had many questions. I wondered whether believing in Jesus would bring many restrictions or cost me my freedom. Whenever someone invited me, I would answer, “I am busy with study at the moment. Perhaps I will come another time.”
Looking back, I see that God never left me. Although I was not ready, He waited patiently and led me one step at a time with His love.
After graduating in 2007, life became more stable. A friend invited me again, and I began attending church and joined a small group. Gradually, I found that I increasingly enjoyed being there. What drew me was not only the genuine care among believers, but also the experience of God’s presence in worship.
Before that, I listened to Christian songs mainly because I liked the melodies. At church I began to see that worship is not simply singing; it is bringing one’s heart before God. Sometimes a song touches feelings that are difficult to express and helps us place our weakness, struggles and needs in His hands.
I still remember singing “Love, I Am Willing” during one worship service. At that moment God touched my heart. I had assumed that faith meant giving things up, but He showed me that He did not want to take away my freedom. He wanted to give me true peace, hope and life. I came before Him and received Jesus Christ as my Saviour. On 30 September 2007 I was baptised and became a member of God’s family.
After I came to faith, God gradually changed my life. I attended prayer meetings and became involved in church service. One year later I began helping lead a small group. At first I often felt inadequate and believed I had no special ability to help others. Through serving, God taught me that ministry depends not on my ability but on His grace.
Over the years, small-group ministry has not only been a way for me to accompany brothers and sisters. God has used them to accompany and change me. Many times I thought I was helping someone else, but through every conversation, sharing and prayer, God was also shaping my life.
I have witnessed God at work in many people. Lives have changed, families have been strengthened, and people in difficulty have experienced His support. I have become increasingly convinced that we do not truly change people. God Himself works in their lives.
God has also given abundant grace to my family. My wife and I met, came to know one another and fell in love through church. I thank God deeply for her. Because of work and church ministry, I have sometimes invested much of my time and energy outside the home and overlooked family needs. She has quietly carried many household responsibilities and much of the support for our children’s learning. She rarely stands at the front, but she has continually supported, reminded and prayed for me.
I know that my ability to serve with peace of mind rests on her sacrifice and patience. She has carried pressures she did not always speak about and has given much to our family. We have faced difficulties and challenges, yet through each season we have experienced God’s protection and grace. I increasingly treasure the family He has given me and thank Him for a wife willing to walk beside me. Family is not only support for ministry; it is also an important place where God shapes my character.
In 2021 God led me to EFCCA. Here I continued serving—from small-group leader, to zone leader, to deacon, and then through the opportunity to serve with the elders and deacons. Looking back, I remind myself that I do not serve because I am special, but because God has given me opportunities to learn and participate at different stages.
Many things have not been easy, and many situations have exposed my limitations. Different needs in the church can bring pressure and uncertainty about how to respond. Yet these experiences have taught me to depend more on God, listen more carefully and work together with others.
I thank God and the brothers and sisters who have walked with me. Many ministries were completed because people offered themselves, communicated and carried responsibility together while God personally led us. Through these years I have understood more clearly that the church is God’s family. Each of us is one member, learning faithfulness in a different place and learning to support one another.
I thank God for allowing me to become one participant in EFCCA’s thirty-year journey, to witness His leading, and to continue learning and growing in His hands.
Looking back, I have truly experienced Proverbs 3:5–6. We are not to depend on our own understanding, but to acknowledge God in everything. Along the way, I often did not know what lay ahead, but when I look back I can see His leading at every stage. He opened a way at unexpected times and shaped my life through many experiences.
I do not know what challenges the future will bring, but I believe that the God who has led every step will continue to watch over my family, my service and my life.
May I continue learning to trust and follow Him throughout my life. May all glory belong to God.