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Chris Joyce
We want to give glory to God and say, “Thanks”, to all who prayed for us and who supported us over these last few months.
I had a hereditary heart condition - it was an enlarged / dilated aortic route. It had not affected me much in the past. In my case, the aorta had stretched over time and was bulging at a certain point. It was in danger of tearing. I needed to have an operation as soon as possible. For the first time, the urgency of my medical condition hit home. My wife, Yanina, and I were in shock.
We want to praise God and give Him lots of thanks because in every way He went before us. I want to say “Thanks” to the EEC family , from the youngest to the oldest, because we were prayed for and supported by people from all ages in the church. I don’t think I had ever been so prayed for in my life!!! The one phrase that really brought me much strength was God saying, “I am with you”. It was something which I heard again and again. It was funny how that could be enough. (I normally want more details!!!) It gave Yanina and I so much peace.
God brought me through the whole thing really smoothly. HE prepared the way ahead – in His perfect timing, HE provided the best medical professionals. (I thank God for the skills and wisdom HE gave to the medical profession.) The doctor who viewed me recently to officially discharge me said that a superb job had been done (I had a Chinese surgeon!!). I know that the real surgery was done by God who had watched over us so amazingly. HE is such a good Dad!!! More recently, HE helped us obtain Yanina’s indefinite leave to remain in the UK. I had imagined it would be a difficult process but HE paved the way.
Once again, we praise Him for all that HE has done and we thank the EEC family for all their prayers and support. HE is Emmanuel - "God with Us".
Chris Joyce
EEC Youth Worker
Joe Chan
I started coming to EEC with my mum and sister, Natalie, about three years ago. My mum attends the Chinese church (Emmanuel Chinese Church) whilst Natalie and I attend e-kidz (the children’s church). Every Sunday, we look forward to coming to church and to e-kidz. I have made many new friends. Since joining e-kidz, I am more confident and I am not so shy and quiet. I thank Jesus for giving me more confidence in myself.
I had invited Jesus Christ into my heart two years ago. Recently, Aunty Phaik Lan and Uncle Peter asked me if I would like to be baptised and I replied that I would wait until I was about 13 years old. She and Uncle Peter then explained the importance of baptism to Christians.
I subsequently agreed that as a good and obedient Christian I would like to be baptised by water and by the Holy Spirit. My mother also encouraged me.
I pray that, one day soon, my father will accept Jesus and that we can worship together in church every Sunday. This would make me very happy.
Thank you, e-kidz teachers, for praying for me and for teaching me about Jesus’ love for me, my sister and my family.
Joe Chan, 10 years
e-kidz
Edwin Huang
Although I was brought up in a Christian household and regularly attended church until my mid-teens, I was not baptised as a child as my mother was brought up as a Baptist and hence did not believe in child baptism. During those years the teachings of the Bible did not mean much to me in a spiritual sense and I had debated with preachers in a negative way about what it meant to have a relationship with God.
For quite a few years after not going to church, the pattern of my life was pretty normal: university, professional studies, progressing in my chosen profession. However, latterly, I had begun to feel that there was something missing in my life, that life should be more fulfilling but I was unsure what it was that I needed.
The door to my having a relationship with God was opened by Betty, a friend of my mother’s, who invited me to EEC. My first visit was on Easter Sunday this year. We know that this day has a special significance, and it represent a reawakening for me.
Since that day, I have been greatly encouraged and supported by the people I have met at EEC and by my cell group, especially by David and Charisse, where all the members made me feel so at home in the group.
As part of my relationship with God, I wanted to be baptised because as it says in the Scriptures:
"Or don't you know that all of us who were baptised into Christ Jesus were baptised into His death? We were therefore buried with Him through baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life." (Romans 6:3-4)
This, for me, is the start of a new life.
Now that I have accepted that Jesus is my Lord, my friends have said that I look less stressed and much happier with myself in recent weeks because I know that I can rely on the Lord to be there for me and to support and provide for me. I continue to pray that God will make me the person He wants me to be. I am also greatly comforted in the fellowship that I feel with you all.
The Scriptures say:
"God is light,..... if we walk in the light....we have fellowship with one another." (1 John 1:5, 7)
Glory be to God for His provision and guidance.
Steven Wong
I was nearly baptized when I was a teenager but for various reasons, I decided not to and remained a non-practising Buddhist.
Years later, I married a Buddhist . We had two children but after 8 years, the marriage went on rapid decline. Eventually we divorced. I believe that had we been Christians and followed Christian values, we could have saved the marriage. Eventually, I also lost the children who had been staying with me for nearly a year at the start of the separation. Losing the kids was probably the worst thing that happened in my life. I turned to Soka Gakai Buddhism but the endless hours of chanting had not done me any favours.
During this time, I befriended Gregory Chua who is wheelchair-bound. He spoke to me frequently about God but I was not interested. Around July 2008, I received a call from my friend, James Lee. He invited me to his baptism at EEC. I had known James for many years. We used to work and play golf together. To hear James being ‘religious’ was beyond my wildest comprehension. I had to see it for myself!. I was really touched by his testimony and EEC impressed me. By God’s grace, my ex-wife also became a Christian and so did my daughters. I thought to myself, “If heaven is real, I definitely want to be in the same boat as my children.” I accepted the Lord at EEC one week before Christmas 2008.
At first, I was a timid Christian and worshipped with minimal effort and enthusiasm. One Sunday, I was sitting in front of Miguel who had a friend with him at the service. They sang really loudly. I could not hear myself sing. So, I sang loudly as well. I enjoyed that service so much. I emailed Ivan (my cell leader) to request for the titles of the worship songs. I started playing the songs in my car and sang along. On January 13, 2009, I woke up thinking about God and the wonderful teachings of Jesus. I realised that I was actually smiling to myself all that time. Throughout the whole of that day, I felt an immense love for our Lord. I remember sending Ivan a text about this at 7:30am declaring this experience. People who knew me might have asked, “Whatever was the matter with him?”. Those who do not know me probably thought that I had been smoking something illegal! However, this overwhelming feeling of love only lasted for one day. I did not really know what to make of this but praise the Lord, it changed me. I began to fear God. I learnt to be forgiving. I could feel the inner peace . I felt equipped to deal with life without my children. Going to church on Sundays and the cell meetings on Friday evenings remained the highlight of my week.
Praise the Lord for showing me the way and for not forsaking me after all these years. I thank God for everyone whom the Lord has put along my way, from Gregory Chua, the invitation by James Lee to EEC for his baptism, my cell leader Ivan and all who have been helping and encouraging me in my walk with the Lord.
Candice Magwaza
I want to thank God for His mercy upon my life. I have been attending Emmanuel NorthWest for two months. Prior to that, my life was in a mess. I lost everything that I valued and held dear. My life had no meaning. Basically, it boiled down to sheer survival. I was living in a bondage of fear.
After coming to ENW, I felt encouraged by the true and incorruptible Word of God that was being preached. I had also started attending the corporate prayer session at 3.30 pm each Sunday. These prayers made a real impact on my prayer life. At ENW, I was mentored in cultivating a Time Alone with God (TAWG). TAWG is a time I set aside each day “hearing” from Him as I read His Word. Through TAWG, I developed a relationship with God.
I thank God because I have completed my training and am now looking for a job in my chosen profession.
I cannot comprehend how much my life has been transformed. I now know Jesus Christ and have developed a personal relationship with Him. I have seen the Hand of the Lord upon my life: I am delivered frm my bondage. Praise God. Hallelujah!
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