I grew up in China, in a family with no religious beliefs. Looking back, I can see God decided to call me into His loving arms from the beginning.

As a teenager, I asked myself, ‘What is the meaning of life?’ I thought if a person lives only this life, the best way to live is to eat, drink, and have fun. If that is true, then life really is meaningless and complete vanity.

In the summer of 2002, I joined an English training course. The professor was from the United States and had a doctorate in theology. In the first lesson, he introduced himself by sharing a miracle in which God saved him from a car accident. His car was seriously damaged, but he felt as if a “big glass” covered him and left him unharmed. I was impressed by the miraculous story and shared it with my family right after class.

A Man with a Board

In October 2012, I went to Canada on vacation. Near my hotel in Vancouver, there was a church. One morning, I saw a man in a green suit at the church gate holding a sign that said, "Come home." That afternoon, I decided to visit the beach near my hotel. Later, on my way back to the city center for dinner, I saw the same man holding the same sign at the church gate.

The wind was really strong, and I was very impressed with that man, wondering why he was willing to stay in the strong wind all day and hold that sign. I decided there must be something special about their beliefs. Since then, the image of that man holding the sign has never left my memory.

Shortly after my vacation, I entered a postgraduate course at the University of Hong Kong. After a two-day lecture, one of the teachers presented each student with a book entitled Streams in the Desert (in Portuguese, Springs in the Desert), by LB Cowman. I was very impressed with the book because it partially answers the question of the meaning of life. I started reading a chapter every night.

Weeks later, I wrote an email to the teacher to thank him for the book. I expressed my desire to know more about Christianity. He introduced me to his colleague, Karen. Every Friday, Karen met with other church members at her home. The first time I went to the meeting, I felt her love and affection for me. I had never experienced anything like this before. I was looking forward to going back to the next meeting. Karen gave me a Bible, and I started reading it every night.

In January 2014, I was baptized in the church. After that, I visited churches of various denominations, listened to the preachers, participated in youth meetings, Bible study groups, and religious services, and read Christian books. However, I knew there was still something wrong with my relationship with God. I was afraid to look at the cross; I was a long way from God's standards and felt discouraged with myself.

Discovering the Hope Channel

I saw Hope Channel on TV when I traveled to New Zealand in October 2016. It was a great blessing for my spiritual life. When I came home, I searched the internet and found the Sabbath School program on the Hope Channel on YouTube.

I started watching and couldn't stop. In a few months, I saw every episode of Sabbath School 2013. I love the smiles of the team members; they make the Bible easy to understand.

Blessed by the program, I started to have a clearer picture of what our God is like. He is full of mercy, eager to save us and take us back to Him, and always willing to forgive. God is love. I no longer felt scared when I looked at the cross. I know God loves me. He has purified me and will transform me to be like Him by His power.

In early 2018, I decided to move from a Sunday-observing church to the Seventh-day Adventist Church. In 2019, I was convinced and made the decision to be baptized by immersion (I had been baptized by sprinkling in 2014). I have now finished a year of Bible studies at a local Adventist church and am awaiting rebaptism after the church opens again after the COVID-19 pandemic.

I thank God for directing me to the Hope Channel Sabbath School because it made me grow spiritually. Now I am willing to give my whole life to Jesus and want to live a life that glorifies Him. That is the true meaning of life.

This article was originally published on the South American Division’s Portuguese news site