It's been four years since I moved to Canada. The reasons for this immigration are forgotten, save one. It was said in a magazine that Canada's policy of immigration would soon be changed, and that it would not be as lenient towards future immigrants. With that, my husband and I applied for immigration. It was a surprisingly smooth process. Within two months, a positive response was sent to us without any test or examination requirements. So we resigned our government jobs and moved to Canada. It was then that the nightmare began.

Because my husband was a technical immigrant, and these people were in need at that time in Canada, we were confident that finding a job would not be such a difficult task. Unfortunately, things did not turn out that way. Although he was a professional, he did not have Canadian working experience, nor was he a Canadian citizen. Therefore, we could only hope. We moved in to my brother's house temporarily, which I now deem unwise. Our relationships were great, but living together was just a different thing. It wasn't that they treated us badly, but we just had different customs and points of view. And, since they were older than us and deserve the respect, we kept our feelings and thoughts inside. This lasted for about half a year, then we finally moved out.

At first, I thought that this separation might be the solution to this uneasiness. But I was wrong. My husband, Joe Chan, continued to feel a sense of unjust, as he thought that I always favored my brother over him. Besides this, he wasn't able to obtain a job, and frustration struck. He felt that his talents weren't appreciated by any one. Therefore, we spent most of our time together, and the feeling was quite different from the time when we were only dating.

Finances was the first issue we encountered. Although we had savings from the past, and we had no problem in our basic needs, I despaired as the road ahead was clouded. Fortunately, my husband found a job six months later, and my heart was relieved. That didn't last long, however. After three months, he requested a position transfer, but was rejected. Thus, he resigned. I thought that his actions were inconsiderate to the well-being of the family. On the other hand, he thought that my support was feeble, which led to a dispute with neither of us content in the end. This was only one of the many conflicts between us. The crack widened and the distance between us grew. Perhaps we were even enemies in some confrontations. In the following three years, we argued fiercely - nearly everyday. We remained silent though of these ungracious events, and thought it best to keep it inside. Against all hopes, we lived on with uncertainty everyday, with sparks and hints of divorce.

God's timing couldn't have been any better. I wasn't able to see Him, but knew right then that these painful years were all part of God's salvation. He placed us in Canada; put us through four to five long years of sufferings and trials. These experiences made us evermore certain of God's existence.

There were five Chinese families living on the same crescent we do, though we rarely even communicated with each other. Of the five families, Mr. Mark was one. He's sixty-seven, and has been in Canada for roughly fifty years. Last September, he was diagnosed with throat cancer. In November of the same year, Joe and I helped him with transportation to the hospital, as well as driving Mrs. Mark to supermarkets to purchase daily supplies. At the end of the year, during one of our visits, we met Mr. Chiu, another member of the five Chinese families, for the first time! We were introduced to each other by Mr. Mark, which resulted in a long talk after I left.

When Joe came home, he told me Mr. Chiu's testimony in full. His son had been mentally ill for the past five years, and he forced his son to take medicines against his will due to his love for his son. Their relationship deteriorated and his son even cursed him.

But after going to church with his sister, Mr. Chiu's son said that he forgave him. Joe was touched by Mr. Chiu's testimony, chiefly because his relationships with others are unusually bad. He intended to help out others, but more often than not, the results were negative. Therefore, his relationships got worse, to the extent that he hated these people. Under these experiences, he began to think about how a teenager could put aside his feelings and forgive his enemies.

When Mr. Chiu invited us to the church, my husband immediately agreed, as he wanted to seek for more. I was invited too, but I only thought as far as the church can bringing peace to my husband. (I still thought Joe was the one with all the problems as well as the one who started them all. I didn't reflect and look back at myself yet.)

In the church, we felt peaceful. But when Dr. Choi spoke of a colleague who had cancer, and still continued to glorify God with joy, bearing more and more fruits, I wondered how this was possible. I had always been afraid of death, especially thinking of what would happen after I died. If only I could be like the lady that Dr. Choi spoke of, putting aside all the troubles, and facing death with a different attitude. However, I didn't relate these to God yet at that time, and the emotions from church ceased gradually after we got back home. The family problems remained and my husband and I continued to confront each other.

On a Sunday, after breakfast was over, another quarrel happened between Joe and me. We did not attend the church's service that day. However, Mr. Chiu and Mr. Kong invited us once again to the next service, and so we went. It's funny how, no matter who was the speaker or what the topic was, there were always like hints or teachings directed at me. From them, I learned about love and forgiveness, and that pride is the obstacle to a good relationship with others. Furthermore, I learned that all these are a result of sin. (I never realized that I was a sinner, and where sin came from.) Whenever I thought of my sins, and the lack of love and forgiveness, somehow, the atmosphere in our family became milder. My husband was also affected, and was better at controlling his emotions. Who else could accomplish all these save God? We are both stubborn people, and don't accept others' opinions very easily. So if it wasn't the work of people, then it must have been the work of the almighty God.

In two short months, from a person who worshiped idols in Hong Kong, I accepted Christ as my Savior and became a Christian, for I felt God's love and might. I also admitted all my wrong-doings and sins, and allowed the Holy Spirit to help me rid the sins and bring me back to the Lord.

From the moment I accepted the Lord, God has been faithful to us. He also assisted us in repairing our relationships with those whom we had problems before. We were able to communicate again with both sides of our families, and under certain circumstances, we were able to spread the gospel to them. We hope that one day, they too will become children of God, enjoying the peace and joy of eternal life.