Written by Chenny Thie, Staff for International Student Ministry
If I can summarize my life in a short sentence, it would be: Only by grace. By God’s grace when I was born my mother already accepted Jesus Christ as her Lord and Saviour. My mother is a prayer person. Growing up I witnessed her faith clearly seen in her prayer life. Whether in good times or bad times, she always prays and entrusted her life, and all of our family lives, into God’s loving hand. Romans 8:28 is my mother's favourite Bible verse: “We know that for those who love God all things work together for good, for those who are called according to His purpose.” Because of this, my mother always has joy even in difficult life situation. My mother’s faith is God’s grace for me in my childhood.
By God’s grace after finishing high school in Indonesia I got a scholarship to enter university in Melbourne, Australia. I went to Australia alone. No family, no friend, and not even adequate English ability. I struggled with English language and had to take intensive English class for a while. I was afraid, but I trust my mother's word that Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour will look after me in foreign land. Her advice was, "As soon as you landed in Australia, go and find a church. You will be okay there and it will make me less worry." Of course, mother is right! Church fellowship is God’s grace for me in my early years in Australia. By God’s grace after finishing from Melbourne I had opportunity to continue post-graduate degree in Sydney. Through Campus Bible Study (similar to KGK in Japan) I was able to learn more deeply about my Christian faith and God's plan for salvation of the nations. True to its name, Campus Bible Study (CBS) is really serious about Bible and Bible study on campus. I have been a Christian since my childhood as I inherited Christian faith through my parents. The child me really trust the Lord Jesus with all my heart. But it was at CBS that I grew from childhood faith into more mature faith. In CBS we were challenged to love the Lord with our brain (as university student) and its capacity for deeper and critical thinking. God made me realize that Christian faith is not about inheriting the faith but rather about one’s personal and deliberate response to the Lord Jesus. Through constant bible study on campus God convinced me that He is the living God according to the testimonies of biblical writers. God speaks, God acts, God sees, God hears, and God saves. The God of biblical history is personal and real; therefore, my Christian faith must also be personal and real. Campus Bible Study is God’s grace for me in making me into a more mature Christian.
I enjoy living in Australia and by God’s grace I was able to become Australian citizen. I had planned to live, work, and retire happily in Australia. I had plan to be rich and become supporter for many missionaries. But God, in His grace for me, had better plan. Instead of being rich with material possessions, God called me to be rich towards Him. God challenged me to be generous in giving not only money, but to give myself for His gospel work. 10 years after I graduated from university, I became a student again at bible college in Sydney.
By God’s grace after I graduated from bible college, the process of becoming a missionary with Church Missionary Society (CMS) was quite smooth for me. People often asked me, “Why Japan?” The answer is, “Because of God”. God loves Japan and people in Japan, and God has work for me to do in Japan for Him. Because of my past experience at Campus Bible Study, God easily opens the way for me to serve with CMS Australia for KGK Japan.
Remembering my past desire to be rooted in Australia and seeing the reality now, I often told myself, “God plucked you out of the great South Land and landed you in the land of the Rising Sun!” I came to Tokyo in 2016 and began serving with KGK in 2018 after two years of Japanese language study. Now we’re halfway in 2024. How long will I be here before God calls me back to Australia, or to other country? I don’t know, only God knows. However, I’m convinced that KGK is God’s grace for me for the time being.It is only by God’s grace that I can serve Him through serving university students in Japan and I count it as great privilege. Afterall, “I have been crucified with Christ and I no longer live, but Christ lives in me. The life I now live in the body, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me” (Galatians 2:20).
Just as I grew in Christian faith through Campus Bible Study, I pray that God will use KGK to help many university students in Japan to grow mature in their Christian faith. For their own sake, for the sake of this nation, for the glory of Jesus’ name. Soli Deo Gloria. To God be the glory.
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