Edwin:

This is the story of my husband, Edwin's life-change. God has authored this story and I pray it will encourage your heart.

Edwin was a free-thinker. Together we believed in the existence of a god or gods but mostly, we believed in ourselves. In 2015, Jesus came into my life but it was only in 2017 when marriage was considered, that we were forced to search our hearts and examine our diverging values.

By then, Edwin was attending church occasionally. He came with many questions but also with a hostile heart. He was tense and guarded, determined not to be swayed by the teachings. He was always ready to present an argument of why the gospel made no sense.

Christianity was nothing more than a religion to him, a set of restrictive rules that was making me more "inflexible". Even though I was joyfully seeking obedience in the Lord. We tried everything to save our relationship - agreeing to come to church, being open to explore the faith, marriage counseling. But Edwin's heart was hardened and closed to God's love.

The situation seemed hopeless but as I desperately search for a solution, God was working quietly in both our hearts through His word. Slowly, I saw how Edwin turned away from the online debates about Christianity to the word of God and how God took away the tension in his face and the hostility in his heart. Finally, Edwin accepted Jesus into his life after weeks of studying the Gospel of John.

Today, Edwin joyfully takes up the role of the spiritual leader in our family. He serves joyfully in our care group and is a dear spiritual brother to many. Although he used to carry many burdens from his family background. I've seen Christ free him from this baggage too. Although our lives are still work-in-progress, I celebrate God's goodness for His grace in bringing life-change in Edwin's life.

- Elise Ong