When I was first invited to write this testimony, I felt honored and thankful for this opportunity to share my little story, and more importantly, taking time to reflect on how amazing God’s guidance has been shaping me to whom I am today growing with HOC6 together. Over the past 25 years, God has been leading me to walk with the church as a witness and be part of a church family member.
To me, what makes HOC6 so special is that we all began as strangers, yet through God’s grace, we not only opened our hearts to the Lord, but also to one another.
Back to January 1999, I was brought to Ardenwood Elementary School to join church service in Mandarin. “Wasn’t it strange to have service at an elementary school?” Moreover, the services were in Mandarin, which was a language I did not understand back then, so, I would spend Sundays at the school playground with my cousin waiting for the adults to finish the service. Of course, the “fun” did not last long. Many brothers and sisters patiently reached out to us in different ways. In time, they gathered couple more young teens to start Sunday School in English.
Reflecting on all the things happened back in the old days during that time, I can see how God has planned a seed deep inside my heart, which guided me to walk a step towards Him following the plan that He has prepared for me. As more youth leaders started to join us from another Home of Christ Church, we eventually grew bigger and moved to Agape Center with the Chinese congregation, and the English congregation was formed. It moved again to have services in a conference room of a hotel in Union Landing. (“The name of the hotel? You can ask me in person if you’re curious.”)
Those young leaders played a very important role in my life — and I believe many others felt the same too. Their willingness of serving, reaching out across ages, welcoming newcomers, and helping others even outside the church truly reflected love in action. We have all learned to “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:31) and turned it to action. As both the Chinese and English congregations grew, we found our current building finally, where we can worship God together with peace of mind, a real Home of Christ.
The care and encouragement that I have experienced from our church has continually strengthened me. It helped me to overcome my timidity and serve God in different areas. From greeting at the door and helping with events, to painting a mural for our church upstairs, designing bulletins, flyers, the website, and even serving as a moderator — God has used each opportunity to help me grow stronger in Him, as well as shaping me to be His better follower and shine outside of church.
If someone asks when did I begin to believe in God or how my faith started, I cannot give a specific date or moment as it has been a long journey of knowing Him gradually since I was a baby — a lifelong process of learning and trusting. For a long time, I hesitated to get baptized because I was waiting for a “dramatic moment” that would make my heart race like in many others’ testimonies. I also carried doubts, troubling myself that unanswered questions meant weak in faith. Because of that, I did not get baptized for over 10 years after joining HOC6.
I am thankful, however, for our English small groups — especially Northward, which I joined and have seen its growth in both size and depth in bonding over the years. In 2012, the year I was baptized, our group was so large that it nearly needed to be split into two smaller groups! Though each of us was at a different stage of understanding the Bible, we learned and experienced God’s work together. That year, one verse from Mark 9:24 deeply moved me: “I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” This calm yet powerful reminder gave me the encouragement to be baptized, even though I didn’t feel completely “ready.”
Looking back over these 25 years, I am grateful to grow together with our church. Even during recent years when the pandemic changed how we worship God, we have grown bigger and stronger as one body in Christ. I thank God for allowing me to join the Cantonese Congregation online with my dad and continue being part of the church family in a different way. It also opened doors for more people — both believers and lost sheep — to hear God’s Word. I have faith in Him that He will open everyone’s ears and soften their heart by the Love and works which He has arranged for us to experience through our brothers and sisters.
Every small piece of care and action might seem nothing to make an impact to others, but let’s not be discouraged and look down on those small actions as these are tiny pieces of puzzles to connect to God’s bigger picture. A year ago, Minister from the Cantonese congregation randomly brought up a conversation with me about a Bible reading plan. It requires many people’s willingness to spend time in reading aloud the Bible chapters and record them for the church. You may already imagine how hard to start this project in the beginning. As there were not enough volunteers to complete the plan, I took a small step forward to be a part of this, though I have taken the least responsibility. This project turned out to be very successful and it has extended to another year. I believe many of us has adapted technology to a certain point, especially the elderly, while developing a habit of reading Bible.
May we continue to grow together as one family in Christ, and walk faithfully with Him in the years to come.