Dying Chinese man brings nanny to Jesus

About a year ago, we began praying for a young man named Hao with two children in China. He had recently become a follower of Jesus after being diagnosed with lung cancer. Hao cared about his relationship with God and sought God with all his heart. He confessed his sins and was baptized, devoting his life to the Lord. Even through his suffering, Hao and his wife Dongmei followed the Lord faithfully and taught their children about the Lord’s salvation. As we continued to pray for Hao, we began to see that his condition was worsening, not improving. After a year of struggle, we committed to pray for his healing but opened our hearts to the idea that perhaps the Lord was calling Hao home. Our hearts felt a deep burden for our friend, but we prayed that no matter how the Lord answered our prayers, whether Hao lived or passed on to the Lord, that Jesus would be glorified.

As Dongmei began facing her own challenges raising two children and taking care of a sick husband, she reached out for help and hired a nanny named Mei. What Mei was expecting and what she saw was very different. Here was a family struck by “bad fortune,” and yet they demonstrated a peace and trust in the Lord. Their grief was overshadowed by the hope and joy they found in Jesus, knowing that no matter what, Hao would one day be with Jesus and live eternally in heaven and peace. Mei saw that this family had no fear of death! Dongmei and Hao shared with Mei the hope they had in Jesus, and their children too began sharing the Gospel with Mei. As Mei watched a family facing such deep trouble with such great faith and hope, Mei decided to put her faith in Jesus!

Hao and his family, even his children, are such beautiful examples of how to face suffering, stress, trouble, and death as a follower of Jesus and how to bring hope to others, despite our circumstances. While the struggles of this family are real and difficult, they’ve continued to pray with faith for Hao’s healing and yet held tightly to their joy. Their hope is not in the physical results of their prayers but in their secure reality that God through Jesus’s sacrifice has forgiven Hao of his sins and that he will be welcomed into heaven and eternal life with Jesus if he passes away. In all this our prayers were answered: Jesus is being glorified through Hao’s life and death! Since Hao is still alive, and yet has only a third of his lung capacity, he’s been able to experience this incredible joy of seeing Mei come to know Jesus, even as Hao struggles for his life.

How will we face sickness, struggles, and death? Will we bring hope to a dying world? Let’s learn from Hao, Dongmei, and their children about how to remain in Jesus faithfully to the end and to allow our struggles and sadness to bring seeds of life to the people around us.