Hello everyone! My name is Wen. My wife, Lin, our son, Raymond, and I have been attending St Paul's Anglican Church for almost six years. 

I was brought up with an atheist education. For many years, I believed that death was simply the end of the body, consciousness, and all human awareness. As a teenager, I thought of death as entering an endless dark tunnel where everything we see, hear, and experience in this life simply disappears. Whenever I thought about death, I felt deeply unsettled and afraid. 

When I was twenty years old, my mother passed away from cancer. It was the first time I had experienced the loss of someone so close to me. I felt heartbroken and helpless, and my fear of death became even greater. 

When I was thirty-two, I was originally planning to go on a business trip with a friend. Because my schedule changed, he travelled alone instead. A few days later, the flight he was taking home crashed, and everyone on board lost their lives. The crash site was only about ten kilometres from Lin's workplace. When I heard the news, I was shocked, grieved, and deeply shaken. At the same time, I felt an overwhelming sense of awe and gratitude toward God, and I began to seriously question my atheistic beliefs. 

Lin and Raymond had been attending a church near our home for many years. About eight years ago, when Raymond was only seven years old, he sincerely asked me, "Dad, why don't you go to church?" His question struck my heart like a bolt of lightning. I had always encouraged my family to attend church, so why wasn't I going myself? Looking back now, I can see that this was the Holy Spirit working in my heart. 

After attending St Paul's Anglican Church, I am deeply thankful for Pastor Danny Au Yeung and Pastor Victor Chen faithfully preaching God's Word. I am also grateful to Kenny and Jack for patiently studying the Bible with me one-on-one, to Earnest for inviting me to my first Growth Group Bible study, and to the many brothers and sisters in Christ who have supported and encouraged me as we have grown together in our faith. 

Now I know that the One I trust and follow is Jesus Christ. We receive God's grace through faith, and therefore we can face death with peace instead of fear, knowing that we have been saved from God's judgment. 

About six months ago, I travelled to Shanghai to run a marathon. Around thirty-six hours before the race, I suddenly developed severe chest pain, with pain radiating from my shoulder down my arm—symptoms that strongly resembled a heart attack. Compared with who I was before I came to faith in Christ, I was much calmer. Instead of being overwhelmed by fear or panic, I kept praying, asking the Lord to give me wisdom and strength. I prayed that I would not let my own pride or desire for personal achievement determine my decision but would do what would honour the Lord and be pleasing to Him. About eight hours before the race, the pain completely disappeared, and by God's grace I was able to finish the marathon safely. 

Although every life on earth comes to an end, those who trust in Jesus have a hope that reaches beyond death. As the Bible says, "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith." Jesus has risen from the dead and conquered death. Therefore, death is no longer the extinguishing of life into nothingness; instead, it is the glorious doorway into our eternal home with the Lord. 

May we entrust our lives to Him, lay aside our fears, and find in His promises a lifetime of peace that surpasses all understanding and lasting joy. 

Thank you.