Impact Story – Chen’s story of hope
We first met Chen (name changed) in the university canteen in Marburg in fall 2021. We approached Chinese students there at lunchtime and invited them with flyers to a welcome event organized by the Chinese Christian community and to a German reading group. One of the students was a tall, slim young man who didn’t seem very interested at first. He only briefly told us that he had just moved to Marburg from another city in Germany and had already attended a German-speaking church there several times. And he wanted to think about perhaps attending the German reading group. It’s with many students who we meet, that we don’t hear from them again after our first friendly meeting. But Chen contacted us again and became a committed participant in the German reading group, where we practiced reading, understanding and speaking German with Christian literature.
Soon Chen shared with us that he had been struggling with alcohol addiction for several years and had been hospitalized unconscious several times. He had read the Bible for the first time ten years earlier in China with American missionaries. Before moving to Marburg, he had often attended a German-speaking church – mainly because there was free food after the events. He had attended the baptism course there and decided to be baptized, but at the last moment he canceled his baptism without telling anyone his reasons. He didn’t feel worthy because he was still addicted to alcohol. After that, his interest in faith gradually disappeared.
When we met him, he gave the impression that he understood very little about the Christian faith and especially that he hadn’t internalized it. He agreed to take another baptism course to learn about the basics of the faith. We and a man from the church accompanied him and tried to help him get out of his addiction. He showed determination to leave alcohol behind and follow Jesus. This time he was baptized. As he shared his baptismal testimony, he said that this time he had come to know God. Although life had not been kind to him last winter, he noticed that he was complaining and worrying less and the feelings of loneliness that often made him fall off the wagon were dissipating.
Even after Chen’s baptism, the desire for alcohol returned. It had even gotten to the point where we feared that he was slipping completely away from faith and back into addiction and hopelessness. He was diagnosed with pancreatitis and underwent operations and further hospital stays. At one point he returned to his family in China to receive treatment and recover. In these circumstances, I was always surprised when he texted me that he continued to read the Bible and pray to God. Despite thedefeats and discouragements he experienced, he kept his faith this time. He is currently writing his master’s thesis and hopes to find a job in Germany afterwards.
Chen met Jian (name changed) at church in Marburg. Jian came into contact with the church through a welcome event for newly arrived students. Jian has suffered from depression and suicidal thoughts for years. He is impressed by the peace and hope that Christians radiate. He is particularly impressed by the change he sees in Chen, who he has become friends with. In September this year, Jian agreed to take part in a faith course. He said: “I hope that through faith I can also achieve the kind of peace that Chen is experiencing.”
