A Different Kind of Linking

By Wang Yu-feng

It wasn't Overseas Campus that made me believe in the Lord, but it played a role in linking and guidance.

About three years ago, one of my colleagues showed me an internet site, saying that this site contained a good many links to Chinese newspapers and magazines. At that time, I had not read Chinese magazines for a long time because I had been very disappointed by contemporary Chinese literature. When I browsed the site that day, I became excited when my computer screen was suddenly full of Chinese characters. Long time no see! After all, Chinese language was special to me! After a while, however, I lost interest again because, other than just a few insignificant discoveries, I found nothing that was new. Most of the articles were still bland; they were either weird replicas of Western literature or they were filled with nationalist sentiments.

As I sat there, opening and closing one site after another and just about to lose interest I happened to come to the site of Overseas Campus. I was immediately attracted to the simple honest statements: Seeking for the truth overseas, Life is our campus. I opened the magazine online and discovered that it was a Christian magazine.

I had always been a die-hard atheist. I knew very little about Christianity and I had never thought much about it either. I thought I would give it a try. So I started to read some of the articles. Before I knew it, I realized that this was a site I wouldn't be able to get away from! The testimonies were especially touching to me. In my opinion, truthfulness and simplicity are exactly what contemporary Chinese literature fails to offer. Some of the discussions about evolutionism versus creationism were also of great interest to me and I wanted to join in the discussion. Most important of all, these articles often contained quotations from the Bible and I was especially interested in finding out the context of those verses. Exactly how did the Bible describe God's creation of the world? How... These questions prompted me to read the Bible myself.

In the past some of my friends had given me copies of the Bible, but after a number of relocations I couldn't remember where they were. I did remember reading a small portion of the Bible but I hadn't continued because that section was talking about a wife's obedience to her husband. I decided that the Bible was not the Word of God because God couldn't possibly discriminate against women. That wouldn't be justice, would it?

Having read some of the articles in Overseas Campus, I discovered that the  Scriptures quoted were both beautifully expressed and convincing. So I rushed into a bookstore after work and bought an English Bible. That night, having attended to my husband and child, I opened the Bible and began to read eagerly.

To my great astonishment, I found myself wanting to read more and I couldn't stop! I was an English major. When I was in college I had planned to read this famous Western literary work just to be more acquainted with Western literature. However, I had never been able to finish it even though I was just skimming. Besides, I couldn't understand it. But that evening, I was able to read through with much better understanding. The Word echoed in my heart (and, of course, it also raised a lot of questions in my mind).

At about three in the morning, I flicked over to the New Testament and began to read the four Gospels. While I sensed the existence of God as I cruised through the Old Testament, although not without some skepticism about God's acts, as I read through the New Testament I irresistibly surrendered myself to the love of Jesus. Tears fell down my cheeks onto the Bible. The Lord's prayer deeply touched me. His blood, His Cross and His wounds softened my heart. They enabled me to overcome my intellectual skepticism and to love Him and they aroused a strong desire to live according to His holy Word.

Since that time (and, I believe, for the future too), I know that I have only one favourite book. And that is the Book of books and the only book under the heavens-the Bible!

Six months later, I had found answers to many of my questions. With deep thankfulness I was baptized. It wasn't Overseas Campus that made me believe in the Lord, but it had played a role of linking and guidance. It aroused my interest and my desire to want to read the Bible and to ponder upon issues of eternity. I believe this is how the Lord uses this magazine.

This article was written as a memoriam on the occasion of the tenth anniversary of Overseas Campus.

The author lives in Northern California.


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