During the 2025 New Year's Eve thanksgiving and praise meeting at the church in Yaodu District, Linfen City, Shanxi Province, a Christian woman, Duan Yanjie, testified her journey of faith, describing her transformation from confusion to a steadfast belief in the Lord, leading her to serve in ministry. The following is her account in her own words.
I was born in Yichuan County, Yan'an City, Shaanxi Province. In 2001, I came to Linfen to attend nursing school, later marrying and settling in the city. I come from a Christian family with faith in the Lord, beginning with my grandfather, who became a believer at 15. Over the past 70 years, he has dedicated himself to preaching the gospel, leading nearly all of our extended family members to faith in Jesus. My mother came to the Lord at 40 and has served in the church for 26 years.
My birth was from my family’s prayers to the Lord Jesus. I was born prematurely, weighing only over 3 pounds, yet God granted me a healthy life. I first attended church because my mother "encouraged" me with pocket money. At the time, I simply knew that believing in God was a good thing. My faith was based on my mother’s teachings, but I had never truly experienced God for myself.
My mother once told me, "You can tell God anything you want and ask Him for it. God will answer you." When I was a child, I lost a beloved little item. Remembering what my mother had said, I prayed, "God, please help me find it. If I do, I will donate 20 cents (RMB) to the church" (which was a modest amount at the time, as 50 cents could buy a few tasty treats). To my surprise, I soon found the item. This was followed by several similar experiences, where whatever I prayed for was granted. I truly felt that God was with me, and I continued to grow in His grace.
After graduating from nursing school in 2003, I found Linfen Church and felt at home. There, I met several pastors and fellow believers, joined the youth fellowship, and was baptized that same year.
After getting married and having children, I became busy with daily life and gradually drifted away from God. When everything was going smoothly, I forgot about Him, only praying to Him when problems arose. Although I distanced myself from God, He always protected and cared for me, remaining by my side whenever I needed Him most.
I was like an immature child, knowing that God loves me and His love remains unchanged, yet I acted willfully. During my time away from God, I tried to handle everything on my own—the strained relationship with my mother-in-law and the struggles of raising two children alone. The tension with my mother-in-law caused me much pain and frustration, and I attempted to numb myself by reading novels all day. As a result, I developed astigmatism from prolonged reading, but my heart remained empty, lacking comfort and joy. I became increasingly withdrawn, unwilling to engage with others.
My eyes became strained, and I could no longer read novels. Instead, I became addicted to online shopping, to the point of it becoming a compulsive habit. I stayed up late every night, often going to bed at one, two, or even three in the morning. At times, I felt irritated for no reason and even developed a sense of disgust with life.
I realized something was wrong in my heart and knew I needed to seek God. I kneeled before Him and asked for His help. I began listening to hymns of praise and participating in online sermons. I started reading the Bible in the morning, noon, and evening, as a sister introduced me to the "Jacob Bible Study Group." Yet, I still struggled to find peace, so I began copying the Bible with another sister. As I quietly wrote the scriptures, it felt like I was experiencing them firsthand. This practice helped me establish a deeper connection with God, bringing me daily joy. Despite the tension between my mother-in-law and me, God kept her distance from my life. Raising two children alone was challenging, but God provided for all my needs and blessed me with a supportive husband and two lovely children.
When I stopped dwelling on the past, God continued to guide me to grow. My desire to learn His word grew stronger. During the three years of the pandemic, I couldn’t attend in-person gatherings, so I listened to online sermons, but they couldn’t fully satisfy my thirst for God. After the pandemic, Linfen Church launched a theological training program for 2024, offering an opportunity to study and equip myself systematically. I signed up for the courses where two excellent local pastors taught "Introduction to the Old Testament" and "Systematic Theology," helping me discover biblical truths I had never encountered before. One teaching, in particular, about David's forgiveness of Saul, released me from the hurt caused by my mother-in-law.
Every time I participate in the study, I try to set aside other things so I don’t miss any Saturday sessions. However, once my daughter had to attend an extracurricular activity that required her parents’ accompanying. She also wanted me to go. Since my son is still young, I haven’t been able to spend much time with my daughter in the past few years, which I felt very guilty about. Yet, I didn’t want to miss the study session on Saturday. I had no choice but to pray to God for guidance. Soon after, I was notified that the activity was temporarily canceled due to bad weather. Then, I began to worry about what would happen if the activity were scheduled for next Saturday, so I prayed to God again. Remarkably, the time was adjusted to Friday.
As long as you sincerely desire to seek Him, God’s love will never leave you. When you seek, you will find; when you knock, the door will be opened. I can spend time with my daughter while not missing any study sessions.
Although I have returned to the church, I am now middle-aged and no longer fit to join the youth group, so I joined the newcomer reception group. When I welcome newcomers, I often think of my first time in the church, and I genuinely rejoice for them as they return to God's home. Recently, I also joined the church's drum dance group. After intensive training, I staged as part of the drum performance during the Christmas celebration.
I have been guided by God throughout the faith journey, experiencing ups and downs. Though I do not know what lies ahead, I am fearless in God's love. I only knew how to ask things from God in the past, but now I am dedicated to serving Him. Through the Lord's love, I have transformed from a self-deprecating and quiet person into someone standing on stage today, bearing a beautiful testimony for the Lord. May we all experience renewed lives in the coming year and live out a glorious testimony.
(The article was originally published by the Gospel Times, the article has been edited under permission, and the author is a believer in Shanxi Province.)
- Edited by Poppy Chan and Karen Luo, translated by Poppy Chan
