What’s the purpose of life? Ming* thought she knew the answer: academics. She was going to college in China, working hard, and almost finished with her undergrad. But God soon orchestrated events in her life that led her down an unexpected path.
Ming suddenly grew very sick and was forced to drop her classwork.
“I had been studying so hard… I thought working hard was the whole meaning of my life,” she remembers.
Fortunately, Ming recovered and was able to come to the University of Florida in 2016 to study international business and statistics. “After I started studying in the US, I still felt so empty.”
One day she ran into a friend on campus who happened to be a follower of Jesus. He invited her to his church where Ming met Craig, a staff member of IFI through Global Connections. A year later, through friendships with Craig and his wife and others from church, Ming started following Jesus!
“Craig and his family were like my mentors. They helped me so much when I needed friends when I needed people to mentor me, and when I was in situations where I needed consultants. I see them as my family in Florida and in Christ.”
Since following Jesus, Ming has been able to share Christ with others, saying, “I experienced how joyful it is when people get to hear about God, His love, and His plan for us.”
She is now finishing her doctorate in Economics. “I don’t know where God is leading me. But I am convinced that whatever education or talents I have, I am going to use them for God’s glory.”
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*Name changed for safety reasons.