Another inspiring story showing how love never fails – the Christians from Hong Kong Church of Christ remain faithful to God during time of challenges and he keeps adding the number to the church of those who are being saved. A teenage girl, Jamela, was baptized on February 1, 2020 Jamela is a present candidate of The Hong Kong Diploma of Secondary Education (HKDSE). She grew up in church. As her parents needed to work, she has been responsible for doing household chores and taking care of her sister. This experience trained her to be a highly responsible and pragmatic person. She voices her disagreement to unfairness. She is very straightforward and does not speak in circles. However, tensions and conflicts gradually built up between her and her friends and classmates. Jamela did not understand the misunderstanding and grievances shown by her classmates. At home, though she behaved responsibly, she discovered in studying the Bible that it was all because of fulfilling responsibility, not from her heart. She exercised no love and sympathy towards her family and had no idea how to be grateful. Last year, it was discovered that her grandma, who used to live with her family, developed a poor mental state after moving out from her home. Jamela then realized that she indeed loves her grandma profoundly, but in the past she was indifferent about her grandma’s moving out. She started to reflect on her indifference towards others and worked hard to repent and learned how to express love.
Together with the encouragement from brothers and sisters in church and friends, Jamela overcame her struggles again and again. She took the initiative to mend the relationships with family, friends and classmates. Because of her repentance, Jamela now experiences freedom and joy deep in her heart for the very first time. Though facing the pressure from the public examination at HKDSE, the social upheavals and the her family’s needs, Jamela remains confident towards God. Jamela is also very thankful to the church for providing her with love and support. Though confronted with societal moral values, she is confirmed that she is worth being loved. Jamela, who is filled with gratitude now, experiences not only love in the world, but deeply understands how she is loved and honored by God, and from whom she receives a great sense of security and strength.
