I am so excited by how God is working in Nissi Knights. I just want to share an amazing testimony.
On Friday, a group of Nissi Knights(Wei Xiong, Leona, Xin Long, Gary and I) played basketball near Xin Long's house at Hillview. We met this Chinese national male called Tom on the court. He is 14 years old and awaiting secondary school next year, having just come to Singapore for two weeks.
We played basketball with him, introduced ourselves and tried to befriend him. However, not much conversation was exchanged and we did not share the Gospel to him. But somehow I had this courage I never had to ask a total stranger to come to church.
At first, he said he had tuition in the afternoon. After asking him when it ends, I realised he could make it for cellgroup and I invited him to come to our church. He seemed hesitant but he promised me to come. However, since we didn't have our handphones with us and neither did he, we could only tell him the directions to our church.
As we parted goodbye, I doubted that he might come after all. If I was him, I probably would not have come. I would not have blamed him if he went back on his word.
True enough, he did not appear at the side or main gate of the Church at the agreed time of 5pm. I lingered for 15 minutes or so before being utterly convinced that he was not coming.
The miraculous thing was that the leaders had changed our cellgroup meeting place from the church basement to the carpark this week. As I was listening to Xuan Wen sharing MasterLife, I was greeted by a pleasant surprise. Tom had come and found me sitting in the innermost part of the carpark at about 5:45.
If we had not changed our meeting place this week from the church basement to the carpark, Tom would have never found me. He would have been too embarrassed and lost to linger in the church. This is the first miracle.
The second miracle is how God used me to share the Gospel with him for the next 45 minutes in Chinese. He did not know a lot of English and I had to struggle to translate New Life Lesson 1 and Bible verses into the Chinese language. I felt like I was on a mission trip in China with no interpretors.
Well, I stuttered and switched a little between languages, paused at weird moments and translated the lesson using less suitable words. But I preached the Gospel like I normally would. Although he did not receive Christ, he believed in what I said, apart from the miracles I saw in Thailand.
I taught him how to say the Sinners' Prayer, in case he changed his mind. I also brought him up to the second service. The third miracle was that Brother and Pastoral Leader Tim Chin Rixiang was there sitting at the back. He helped translate what Pastor Daniel was preaching with ease. I was praying in silent tongues like crazy all the time for him.
Tom seemed to like Praise and Worship and joined us in jumping even though he could not read the words on the screen. He also stayed for dinner and agreed to further lessons on weekdays. This shows that the door to his heart is still open and receptive.
I have thought about how to help him to grow effectively in Youth Impact though he does not understand English. Since he can only come during cellgroup time every week, I will disciple him in New Life Chinese Edition while everyone does their MasterLife lessons. On Sundays, I will bring him to Chinese service at 9am.
I am really excited because I am moving into unfamiliar ground; I would never attend an adult Chinese service if I could help it. But I love to follow up on those people who may not have received Christ but agree to further lessons. This is because God speaks to them, like He spoke to Gary, and He will save them, like He saved Gary.
I believe God wants to save Tom. In the Old Testament, four groups of people have always been in a special corner of God's heart and favour, and He repeated this fact many times. He warned the Israelites to not oppress the widows, the fatherless, the poor and the foreigner.
While many people may label him 'China Boy' and look at him as if he's second class, I know that he's special in God's eyes and He wants us to care for foreigners like him. Kindly pray for him that he may accept Jesus as his Lord and Saviour and that God may speak and add on faith to him. Pray for me to be better in Chinese.
Praise the Lord of all nations!
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