In a year that was turbulent and unsettling for many, God continued his work, as proclaimed in John 4. We witnessed him at work in the Melbourne Church of Christ during one of the strictest COVID lockdowns in the world.
The first experience was Emily and Daniel, a couple who connected with the fellowship through Emily’s sister, Kelly Wells. Emily visited the church and studied the scriptures on and off for ten years. During the COVID pandemic, Emily and her fiancé Daniel found life difficult, balancing the upbringing of two young daughters along with Dan’s serious back injury. Emily sincerely wanted to seek God. However, she also hoped that Daniel would partner with her in this spiritual quest.
God answered her prayers in the most amazing way! Daniel, who did not believe in God and perhaps in his own words was “a staunch atheist”, wound up in the hospital requiring an operation to reduce his severe back pain. Couples from the church visited him, prayed and loved him despite his beliefs. After God’s continuous intervention, he began to believe. Daniel and Emily studied the Bible over Zoom and were baptized into Christ in November. Several weeks later, they got married in an intimate ceremony with their two beautiful daughters as flower girls. A fairy tale beginning to a new chapter in their lives through Jesus!
The second experience involves the Cheng family: Ray, Judy, and children Natalya and Hugh. As disciples for 20 years, Ray and Judy had been avidly praying for their family’s salvation. God answered when their daughter Natalya was converted in the Melbourne teen ministry. In early 2015, Judy’s mother Jean studied the Bible and was converted at the age of 87. Two years later, Judy’s father George was also converted at the age of 95 before going to be with our father.
God continued to work when Ray’s mother, Kwan visited Australia. She was unable to travel back home as planned due to the lockdown. Soon after she started to study the Bible and in April, on the day she was originally scheduled to fly back home, she was baptized into Christ. While this was happening Ray and Judy’s son Hugh was studying the Bible and became our brother in Christ. All seven members of the Cheng family now are united in Christ. A powerful answer to consistent, specific prayer!
We are truly humbled by the great power of God who saves in times of prosperity, and also in times of confusion and uncertainty. We are reminded in Matthew 9: 37-38, “The harvest is plentiful, but the labourers are few; therefore pray earnestly to the Lord of the harvest to send out labourers into his harvest.”
