Editor’s note: This is the personal story of how God worked in the life and family of one Chinese woman, who works in full-time Christian ministry, leading her and her husband to adoption. 

In the spring of 2019, our church in [a large southeastern Chinese city] was shut down by the government. When we were worshiping, over one hundred policemen rushed in, suspended our gathering, and asked everyone to register. At the time my husband was dealing with another crisis, so he was not with us. I went straight back home with my daughter after the registration. Ten minutes later, seven or eight policemen came to our home and wanted to take me and my husband to the police station for questioning. Since I was alone with my daughter, I pleaded with them to let me be questioned at our home where our daughter would not be frightened. They questioned us for over three hours. We were very grateful that we could have a chance to share our testimonies with those officers, including why we decided to serve God. Two weeks later, our landlord asked us to move out, because the police officers put pressure on her and told her about our job.

We moved back to our previous home in southwest China. At first we just wanted to be there for a year, and then we could seek God’s guidance for our next step. In that city, we found a lot of needs we could help meet, like shepherding a small church that was started by American missionaries, and helping my former church plant a new church. Therefore, we decided to stay there.

Since COVID-19 began, I started praying every day with others. We believe a big spiritual revival will come in China through prayer! I am leading a moms’ Bible study group, and every month we do an evangelical activity to reach out to the unbelieving friends and families of the women in that group. My husband and I have been working together to give marriage talks, to counsel couples who have serious marital issues, and to do premarital counseling. The new church we helped plant has even grown from 15 to 45 in one year!

We also had a miracle in our own family! We have always wanted to have another child since our daughter was born. But for some unexplained reason, we just can’t get pregnant again. Ever since we got married, my husband and I have been asking about adoption. The first time was when we were newlyweds, and we were not ready yet. The second time, our daughter was just born. The third time we finally had agreed to adopt, but the mother could not bear the pressure from the outside world and had an abortion when her pregnancy was almost eight months along without telling us. God has always placed the burden of nurturing many for the Lord in my husband’s heart, and he was very disappointed when we could not conceive again. Every time someone asked about his prayer requests, he would say: “More children.” I always felt satisfied with just one child. With our daughter going to primary school now, that released both of us to have more time, energy, and opportunities to serve the Lord.

During a business trip, though, my husband heard that a friend had just adopted a child from his hometown orphanage. He looked up this orphanage on the Internet. Unexpectedly, he found out that his cousin was working in the bureau that is in charge of adoption. With the door for legal adoption closing for us in the past, we didn’t expect that the Lord would make a way for us now. Later, my husband went to his hometown orphanage and met in person the only two children who were available for adoption. When he told me about this, I felt very stressed, and I was totally not ready. I asked him, “Why do we have to have more than one child? Our daughter is enough!” 

Later that day, a prayer meeting I attended asked us to read Psalm 27. I read verse 10, which says, “For my father and my mother have forsaken me, but the LORD will take me in.” Meanwhile, I received pictures of the two children from my husband via text message. I was so moved, and suddenly understood the vision for adoption: we as Christians take in those who are being abandoned by their parents on behalf of God. When we started to worship in that prayer meeting, the faces of the children flashed through my mind, as if their spirit was calling out to God: “The LORD is their salvation and the stronghold of their life. They will dwell in the temple of the LORD forever.” I could not help crying, and responded to God’s calling. 

Later I heard that one of the two children was abandoned one day after his birth. He only weighed 4 pounds and 3 ounces, and had some congenital diseases due to premature birth. He was left at the entrance of the temple next to the orphanage. There was a watchdog there, but it did not harm this child: his life was protected by God to survive! My heart was completely turned over! 

The purpose of adoption is not because we need a child, nor to satisfy ourselves. It is God’s calling for our family to take this child in and bring this child to God. Many have shared with me about the challenges and difficulties of adoption. I know it is not easy. But we believe that, as God has called us to adopt, he will also provide the strength and grace we need. I also believe that this child, including our family, will become a walking witness. When people see this child, they will be reminded that we were all orphans, but now we are taken-in by God, becoming his children. When I struggle with doubts about not being a good adoptive mother, the prayer material reminded me: “When your focus is only on yourself, you immediately give God a series of reasons to explain that he has chosen the wrong person, or it is not the right time. I hope you will seek God’s will. God knows that you have no ability to do it yourself, but he is willing to lend you his ability.” 

This is our adoption story. Now our adopted son has been living with us for several months. He has adjusted very well, and we are very grateful how God made the way and provided everything—including finances!—for us to adopt him legally in only one month.