Nurturing Those In Our Community
posted by Navigators on February 27th, 2019 in Discipleship | Evangelism | Grow | Spiritual Transformation
A story from one of our Melbourne Communities, first published in Compass, Autumn 2019
Cheny* (not her real name) first joined our group two and a half years ago. Reading Scripture was a first for her. She said, “If God exists, I’m afraid of Him and so I’ll ignore Him.” But Cheny loved the group gatherings and began to discover a God of love.
She was struggling with homesickness, depression and anxiety. She felt very insecure, unsafe and she worried all the time.”
She had experienced emotional and verbal abuse from school mates. This caused her to resort to gothic style dress and makeup in order to protect herself by intimidating others.
In need of housing, she came to stay in our home. What a wonderful opportunity! We read and discussed Scriptural truths simply and often. She came to see herself as a much-loved child made in God’s image. She forgave her abusers. Cheny no longer needed her gothic image shield. The wigs and makeup disappeared.
However, change did not occur overnight.
In need of housing, she came to stay in our home. What a wonderful opportunity!
Long held addictions and unhealthy habits remained. Later, Cheny made a decision to be baptised. After this decision to be publicly identified with Christ, those addictions and habits began to loosen their hold on her life!
Cheny shares: “I learned that Jesus died for all my sins… so I can be forgiven and can start fresh . . . My life changed drastically. It was like watching a mess get detangled.”
“My life changed drastically. It was like watching a mess get detangled. . . . I’m [now] calm, confident, peaceful and fully functional.”
She now says, “I’m calm, confident, peaceful and fully functional… A living proof that God has been working . . . and making my life better.”
Cheny returned home to Asia for the summer break and began to read and discuss Scripture with her mother.
When Cheny’s mother arrived in Australia recently for Cheny’s graduation, she brought us gifts expressing gratitude for the many changes she has seen in her daughter.
Please pray for Cheny who has returned home as a new graduate and young believer. Her mother is open to discover God herself but remains fearful to do so at this time. Please pray for her also.
Some prayer points for Cheny:
– regular spiritual fellowship & mentoring,
– personal development of spiritual disciplines,
– healthy habits and hobbies to fill her spare time,
– one person that she can love and lead to the Lord and disciple herself.