By Chen Qiuxuan

Besides good teaching, my interaction with YFC volunteers and staff during my teens shaped my perspectives and decision-making.

At my first SYFC camp while in junior college first year, my group leader, a volunteer, wrote these few words on my camp file “Expect great things from God; Attempt great things for God.” Somehow, God used what she had written to strengthen my resolve to know Him and serve Him. At that point, I was very impressed that she could write something so awe-inspiring. Many years later, I came to know this was a quote by William Carey. Even though it was a few days only in the camp, my group leader left an imprint in my life. Her care and concern for our group, her playing with us and leading us in group discussions showed me that that was one possible way to serve God – befriending juniors and helping them to grow in the Lord.

Further down, while waiting to enter university, I came into Project Serve and heard the staff shared how they came into fulltime service. One particular staff, a university graduate then, explained why she chose to enter full-time ministry instead of going out for a good-paying job. The illustration she gave was that if the guys were expected to give two years of their time to serve the nation, why should the girls not be prepared to commit a couple of years to serve the kingdom of God? Prior to that, my way of thinking was to get a good degree, then to find a good job. But now, someone was showing me that it was possible to take a different path. It was not the usual way, but it might be the way God had called me to.

Qiuxuan joined the staff team in 1995. Today, she serves in the Teaching Ministry.