Timeless Transformation

With faith in God, transformation can happen right away, or it may take many years.

An illustration

Esther Chan came to Hong Kong from China. She had lived an unhappy childhood: her father was abusive and alcoholic, driving her mother to several suicidal attempts. Esther was expelled from her high school due to her compulsive stealing and her drug abuse and addiction.

At age 19, Esther married her first husband and had her baby girl. But her life was meaningless and worthless, giving her hopelessness, when she broke up with her husband who took custody of their daughter. Esther’s adult life began to spiral out of control when she became involved in drug trafficking and was subsequently sentenced to prison four times.     

In the prison, Ester heard for the first time from the pastor about the love of Jesus and His forgiveness. But Esther was unable to express her faith in the hope of unconditional love and forgiveness from God.

Then, Esther was reconnected with the family of a boyfriend she had grown up with. His mother took Esther to church. At one time, Esther even made a public stand to declare her belief in Christ. But Esther had no true repentance or genuine obedience to Jesus as her Savior and Lord.

So, Esther continued for years her life of addiction and indulgence in sins and wrongdoings.

However, one day, a miracle happened in her life that ultimately turned her around completely.

Esther was renting a room in an apartment lived by scoundrels and prostitutes. One evening, after taking her drugs, she took to the street where she countered a man, and they talked for a while. Later, she awoke in her bed and found that she was naked. She had no recollection of what had happened to her. Then, to her surprise, Esther found a hundred-dollar bill lying beside her.

At that very moment, Esther suddenly recalled a companion of her youth who broke her addiction through a gospel program. At that very moment, Esther, too, somehow wanted to use her hundred-dollar bill to turn herself to God to break her addiction.

After more than three decades of addiction, Esther finally went to Barnabas Christian Love Service for drug addicts in Hong Kong. She became a “born-again” Christian, who forgave her father, her ex-husband, and all those who had abused her in the past.

At Barnabas Christian Love Service, Esther met her future husband, Andy, who was also an addict but a believer. Later, they got married. After her rehabilitation, Esther was recruited as a “Sharing Minster” at Barnabas Christian Love Service. With the blessings from God, Esther continued with her theology studies, graduated in 2020 with a bachelor’s degree in pastoral ministry. In 2021, she began her full-time ministry at Barnabas Christian Love Service.

Esther Chan’s long and winding belief journey is a strong testament to the miracle of hope from God that might take years, if not decades, to become a reality.

Living by faith: Believe in God with hope that demands patience and perseverance. Yes, God can and will transform any believer with trust and obedience.

Stephen Lau