“Ye are the light of the world. A city that is set on an hill cannot be hid. Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. (Matthew 5:14-16)
Student Stories
Lee Ping Ping
My testimony stems from the age-old great controversy between Satan and God, between darkness and light. I was born into a Buddhist family. I first came to know God through the Seventh-day Adventist’s Pathfinder programme when I was 16 years old.
Along the way, a friend later introduced me to the Aenon Training Centre and I enrolled in just after I graduated from high school.
Although I knew of God before from the Pathfinders, I discovered that I did not know Him enough to desire a personal relationship with Him.
At Aenon, from the experiential learning through intensive bible studies and the power of prayers, I learned how God met us in Jesus Christ. How the light of the knowledge of the glory of God is revealed in Jesus. And how Jesus is the “true light, which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.”
This profound knowledge assured me deeply and moved me to yearn for a personal relationship with Christ. I desired to understand further the lessons of God’s love in His created works, one of which is me.
It was a life-changing discovery in the warmth and love of the wonderful Aenon staff and family whom I have come to embrace and appreciate. I felt a perfect harmony with Christ as I surrendered to Him working through His channels at Aenon.
But my happiness was soon thwarted by Satan, the one who perverted the perfect freedom that God had given to His beings. It came in the form of his dark influence on my father’s strong and heated objections to my being at Aenon whenever he saw me.
Father gave me no peace as he tried to break down my resistance at choosing to remain at Aenon. How can a course of learning about true love through God, kind service of doing good to others and saving perishing souls be so objectionable to the one who loved and raised me? I was thoroughly confused.
Father was to present one of the most heart-rending episodes of my Christian walk as he threatened to forcibly and physically remove me from Aenon. I was fearful of father’s prohibitive anger and the possible outcome should he act on this. At the same time I was outraged that this interference came from someone I love dearly, my own father. What was I to do? Disobey father and war with him by remaining true to God and staying put at Aenon? Or obey father and sever the spiritual high journey to know my God and Saviour in a new life of service to Him? It was a dilemma as I was torn between two powerful forces, my earthly father and my heavenly father.
Yet faith in Christ took a hold on me and through persistent prayers and claiming His promise in Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ”, I faithfully continued on my studies at Aenon where the Word began to change me to conform with the healing teachings of Jesus in character and form.
Miraculously, father saw that too, and eventually, he yielded and I was allowed to remain at Aenon. Never once did he force me to leave Aenon again when he saw my positive development.
God is merciful and faithful. I believe that if you honour God, He will honour you.
This experience helped me understand how much our parents love us, even though in this case my father was in darkness about his love for me, then how much more love than our heavenly father who sent His only begotten Son to die on our behalf?
My decision to be baptized in March 2008 sparked off another crisis as father resumed his angry objection to this. With great help from the comfort of God’s words and promises, encouraging bible studies from my teacher, Canny Tay, heartwarming prayers and kind support from understanding friends at Aenon, I did not feel alone, afraid nor powerless.
God was with me as the final phone call to my father was received with no protestations or anger when he humbly, finally agreed to my baptism. I shed tears of happy joy for a God who changes hearts, mine and my father’s.
On 8 June 2008, I was baptised at the Agape Youth Conference (AYC) camp meeting held in Melaka. God gave me the greatest gift that day when my whole family traveled all the way from Klang to be present at my baptism. What joy, peace, and assurance!
The journey has begun. Trials and temptations will be present because of the great controversy. Encouraging me, 1 Cor 9:26 says, “I therefore so run, not as uncertainly; so fight I, not as one that beateth the air: but I keep under my body, and bring it into subjection….” My hope and faith is in Jesus Christ, my Lord and Saviour.
