Andy Peng and his wife June, with their 2 boys, Ethan and Ian, came to Australia in 2024. Andy worked in China with a beverage company as a Product Manager with extensive computer skills. He found a home at his neighbourhood church, Glenunga UC. And attended English classes at the churches Café 320, then Alpha and Sunday worship, soon helping with music. Glenunga translates the whole service into Mandarin and Andy sets up the computers and translates the songs and Bible Readings. Last February he gave testimony and was baptised.
Here is Andy’s story:
I’m Andy, the most handsome one in the photo is me! As you can see, I have a big family.
Today, I want to share with you why I have decided to take this step of baptism. Some of you might think, “Oh, a new believer!” But actually, my baptism journey started before I was even born.
Faith Runs in the Family
I come from a family of strong believers. My grandparents are Christians, and my great-uncle was even a pastor. My parents, too, are Christians. In fact, they did something very rare in China at that time—they got married in a church in 1990, in Huizhou. That was almost unheard of back then!
But here’s the interesting part—when my mom was 8 months pregnant with me, she got baptized! So when I told my parents that I was getting baptized in Australia, my mom laughed and said, “Well, technically, this is your second baptism because you were already baptized in my belly!”
Childhood in Church
This is the church I went to when I was a child.
Growing up, I went to church every week with my parents. They stayed downstairs for the service, while the kids went upstairs for Sunday school. Back then, I didn’t really understand much. To me, Christianity was just a religion, something my family followed.
But as I grew older and got into education, I started asking questions—BIG questions.
The Questioning Phase
I remember asking my mom:
• “Where is Jesus now?”
• “How did He come back to life?”
• “What does God look like?”
• “Why does God have to save people through Jesus?”
My mom is usually a very impatient person, but whenever I asked about faith, she would answer me patiently. My dad, on the other hand, is more humorous. He preferred using examples to explain things. At that time, I thought he was just making things up, but now, as an adult, I realize how good his explanations were!
A Lesson in Protection (Or Vanity?)
Here’s a funny but meaningful story from my teenage years.
Between 2001 and 2003, my hometown, Huizhou, had a lot of problems with students being mugged. But don’t worry, since the security improvements in 2008, the situation has greatly improved – you can even count money on the street without worrying about being mugged. Huizhou is still a well-known tourist city.
I was mugged once, so I decided to put a Bible in my schoolbag for protection. I thought, “If I carry the Bible, I’ll be safe!”
But one day, I got mugged again. And looking back, I realize God had actually warned me! That morning, when I opened the door, there was a chicken standing right there. Now, we lived in an apartment building, so there was no reason for a chicken to be there. We only ever saw cats and dogs, never farm animals. It shocked me for a second, but I ignored it.
That day, I made a bad decision—I took my video camera to school, just to show off to my classmates. And guess what? I got mugged. I was so upset, thinking, “Even with the Bible, I still got mugged?” But looking back, I realize God had already sent me a warning, and I ignored it.
Another Close Call
God has probably saved me many times. Here’s one scary moment.
In middle school, I used to ride my bike to school. There was a very steep downhill road on the way home. One day, as I was about to go downhill, my bike’s front wheel suddenly fell off.
Now, imagine if that happened while I was going down the hill, in the middle of rush hour traffic. I might not be standing here today!
Losing Touch with Church
As I got older and started working, I stopped going to church regularly. I moved to Guangzhou while my parents stayed in Huizhou. My job required a lot of traveling, and usually I had to work on weekends. Church became something I only attended occasionally when I visited home.
But during those ten years of work, I went through many experiences that only strengthened my faith.
The Visa Struggle
One of the biggest challenges in my life was applying for our Australian visa. It was supposed to be a quick process, especially since we had good records and had traveled to many countries before. We visited Australia once in 2017, but months passed, and we heard nothing. Almost half a year later, we were still waiting.
At that point, I was losing hope. I prayed, “God, do you still want us to go to Australia? If not, please give me a sign so we can start applying for New Zealand instead.”
And then, something amazing happened – I had a dream. In my dream, I saw our visa being approved. A few days later, our agent called and said, “Your visa is finally granted!” I couldn’t help but shout, “Thank you, God!”
A Personal Choice
Some might say I believe in God because of my family’s influence. That’s true to some extent. But choosing to follow Christ and being baptized is entirely my own decision.
As I grow older and gain more life experience, I am amazed to find that many things have already been hinted at in the Bible. It is a book full of wisdom – it inspires me, warns me, reminds me, and helps me to continually improve.
In August 2024, Jessica (friend) introduced me to Glenunga Church to learn English. I still remember the afternoon when I pushed Ian (son) in his pram, following the google map to this church. At the entrance, I saw the poster for English classes, and soon Eric (Densley) came out to greet me. I still remember asking Eric in my poor English: “How much is the tuition for an English class?” When I found out it was free, I showed up at the church the following Monday – especially since there was delicious coffee and cookies. That’s how this wonderful journey began.
While preparing for my baptism, Eric told me that I could choose to have the ceremony either in the church or at the beach. Without hesitation, I chose the church because it gives me a stronger sense of belonging.
Life has shown me that faith is not just about going to church, singing hymns, or even being born into a Christian family. It’s about trust, transformation, and learning from experiences—both good and bad.
So today, I choose baptism—not because I have to, but because I want to.
I am deeply grateful for God’s guidance, which has led me to Glenunga Uniting Church. Being able to fulfill this important step in my faith journey at this church is a tremendous honour. Here, I have met so many wonderful mentors and friends who have opened my eyes to a new world of wisdom and love. I have learned and grown so much in my time here.
Thank you for giving me this opportunity. I will continue to walk this path with God, and with kindness, always striving to help others and give back to the community.
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‘Forty Stories’ – Testimonies from Aboriginal saints
Have you caught up with ‘Forty Stories’; testimonies from Aboriginal saints, inspiring to show on a Sunday?
Did you know that according to Census reports the majority belief system of Aboriginal Australians is not tribal beliefs but Christian belief?
It would be wrong therefore to ignore this fact (and disrespectful) when portraying Aboriginal belief.
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Crucial matters of human dignity and freedom in this 2025 election
The Australian Christian Lobby (ACL) score out of 10 on crucial matters of human dignity and freedom for political parties.
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I hope these testimonies encourage your faith in our Lord God.
If you would like to honour Him by sharing your testimony please send in to the email address below.
It may be how you first were found by Jesus or a significant event whereby you learned more of His powerful gospel and goodness to you.
Ian, Ed.
