When we move forward with faith, worship and surrender, the Lord turned our mourning into joy.
“Sing, O barren one, who did not bear; break forth into singing and cry aloud, you who have not been in labor! For the children of the desolate one will be more than the children of her who is married,” says the Lord. “Enlarge the place of your tent, and let the curtains of your habitations be stretched out; do not hold back; lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes.” (Isaiah 54:1-2)
Rebekah and I got married on July 2, 2016, in the presence of our families and friends from Taiwan, Malaysia, and Singapore. It was one of the most memorable milestones of our lives as we embarked on the journey of building a family together. Little did we know how the next eight years would challenge and deepen our understanding of surrender, love, and resilience through life’s ups and downs.
Amid the storm, we felt led to worship.
Worshiping Amid the Storm
On our second anniversary, July 2, 2018, we found ourselves at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, grieving the loss of our first pregnancy at seven weeks. Our hearts were shattered. Amid the storm, we felt led to worship. We sang “10,000 Reasons” as a song of surrender, offering our pain to the Lord, knowing that this precious life had always belonged to Him. For He alone is the giver of life.
Both Rebekah and I love children. We cherish time with our nieces and nephews, and we have always longed to be parents—to raise a family with a kingdom-minded purpose. However, after experiencing the heartbreak of miscarriage and subsequent medical challenges, we grew increasingly concerned about whether we would ever conceive again.
Time passed quickly. Between 2018 and 2020, just as we felt ready to try again, the world was shaken by the COVID-19 pandemic. Uncertainty weighed heavily on every aspect of our lives, including my career. What started as a two-year wait stretched into four, then six. We began to feel a deep sense of helplessness regarding our desire for children.
As we sang, our hearts were reignited with hope, joy, and intimacy with the Lord.
Encountering God’s Nature
During this waiting period, we sought various treatments, including traditional Chinese medicine and nutritional supplements. In 2022 and 2023, we attempted three rounds of intrauterine insemination (IUI), but each one ended in disappointment. The process was emotionally and physically exhausting. Each time we discovered that Rebekah was not pregnant, our hearts grew weary.
At the end of 2023, we had a pivotal realization: Did we get married just to have children? Where had we placed our hope and fulfillment? We knew we had to address the condition of our hearts.
At the start of 2024, while participating in Awaken Generation’s worship school, we encountered the song “Your Nature” by Kari Jobe during a revival night.
“You bring life to the barren places,
Light to the darkest spaces,
God, it’s Your nature.
You bring joy to the brokenhearted,
Hope to the ones who’ve lost it,
God, it’s Your nature.”
“Sing out, O barren woman! Sing out, O broken man!
Stretch out your hands, believing this is your promised
land.
Break out of disappointment, break out of hopelessness.
Stretch out your hands, believing this is your promised
land.”
As we sang, our hearts were reignited with hope, joy, and intimacy with the Lord. We were reminded that our source of life must be rooted in God’s living Word and in the finished work of the cross completed by Jesus Christ.
We came to a revelation: our marriage is not defined by whether we have children. Our purpose is to build a strong marriage that honors and glorifies Jesus Christ. We chose to trust that God could work through both supernatural miracles and medical interventions. With renewed faith, we took a step forward and embarked on the journey of IVF—not out of desperation, but from a place of wholeness, praise, and surrender.
We surrendered our expectations to the Lord, learning to rest in Him as His children and dedicating our hearts to seeking His presence.
Shifting from Worry to Worship
Rebekah felt convicted to shift her focus from worrying about conceiving to worshiping wholeheartedly. She dedicated herself to worshiping the Lord, expanding her discipleship groups at our home church, Centre of New Life, and serving as a dance student mentor at Awaken Generation, the worship school. As we began the IVF journey, we shared it with our mentors, leaders, family, and life group community, inviting them to pray with us. We are deeply grateful for their support, as they stood by our side, offering help physically, spiritually, and emotionally. We surrendered our expectations to the Lord, learning to rest in Him as His children and dedicating our hearts to seeking His presence.
One evening, while having dinner with a dear brother in Christ, he shared his testimony of God’s faithfulness. He and his wife had also gone through IVF, and four years ago, they welcomed their firstborn. His words encouraged us: ‘Do not feel ashamed of seeking medical help, for God can
work through any means. Life is ultimately sparked and given by Him alone.’
His testimony affirmed what God had already been speaking to us: He is the Giver of life. He turns wastelands into fertile ground. He uses the barren woman and the broken man to dwell in His presence.
We were carrying a beautiful miracle child.
Turning Mourning into Joy
Encouraged by this, we continued to move forward in faith. Three weeks later, we went through the final stage of IVF. While waiting for the outcome, we experienced the Lord’s grace, love, and faithfulness. One month later, Rebekah conceived! We were carrying a beautiful miracle child.
We were reminded of the verses that marked our wedding:
“You have turned my mourning into joyful dancing. You have taken away my clothes of mourning and clothed me with joy, that I might sing praises to You and not be silent. O Lord my God, I will give You thanks forever!” (Psalm 30:11-12)
We are deeply grateful for the testimonies of others that encouraged us along the way, and now we share our own, believing that those who hear it may also find encouragement and renewed faith in God.
The Hebrew word Aydooth (עֵדוּת), meaning “testimony” or “witness,” carries the idea of “do it again”—a reminder of God’s power to restore and fulfill His promises.
For it is truly in our Heavenly Father’s nature to bring life to barren places, light to the darkest spaces, and joy to the brokenhearted. We close with this verse, which has marked our journey of receiving a son, sharing it with joy:
“For the Lord has chosen Zion; He has desired it for His dwelling place.” (Psalm 132:13)
