For as long as she could remember, Jiao* longed to have a Bible of her own. Almost everyone in her rural village was Buddhist. But Jiao’s parents and grandparents were Christian. Influenced by their faith, Jiao accepted Jesus when she was a young girl. Unfortunately, there were few Bibles available in the region.

Jiao faced many challenges growing up and even as an adult. Her husband was abusive, and she was plagued by depression. “I didn’t have joy,” she recalls. “I didn’t have peace . . . I was empty inside with no love in my heart for the Lord.”

During the worst of the COVID-19 lockdowns, Jiao finally received what she had desired for 40 years — a brand-new Bible of her own, translated into her heart language. “It was my first Bible that was entirely my own,” she beams.

During the prolonged lockdowns, she and her husband took turns reading from her Bible aloud. “I read the Bible every day. It has transformed our family and our home, leading to a happier marriage and a positive change in each of our lives.”

Because of generous friends, many of our Chinese brothers and sisters now have Bibles of their own so they can grow in their faith and share the hope of Jesus with others.

*Name changed for privacy