Wei Ling (not her real name) could be in trouble with her government for the commitment she has made to Christ but she has nothing but praise for the ministry that found her in Sydney's vast vertical mission field.
The Asian Bible Ministry (ABM) based in St Andrew's Cathedral seeks out students and workers like Wei Ling who call Sydney's high rise apartment buildings home.
"I met Maggie (another ABM girl) during orientation day at uni," Wei Ling says. "After coming to ABM the first time, I found it interesting and I've learnt a lot of things."
A 23-year-old Chinese commerce student, Wei Ling says ABM quickly took the place of the family she was missing.
"People are really friendly, they keep in touch. If I couldn’t come one Sunday, they ring me up. I feel I’m important to them," she says.
ABM ministry worker Andrew Lim says the number of Asian workers and students like Wei Ling who are new to Sydney and ready to hear the gospel is staggering.
"We have roughly four new people joining our Bible study every Sunday," he says.
ABM is particularly aware of its ministry to Asians who are planning only a short stay in Australia before returning to their home countries to continue their business or studies.
They congregate in the inner city because they are used to living in high-density accommodation.
Mr Lim says this group comes to the Cathedral because they are more interested in mixing with other cultures than people from their own ethnic backgrounds.
"We pick them up during the day. We have one guy who just looks in Sydney Square for people at a loose end, and then invites them to lunch," he says.
Wei Ling had first heard about Jesus while studying in Malaysia but she says her relationship with him was very limited because she wasn't introduced to the Jesus of the Bible.
"Before I came here, Jesus was just a man in a storybook to me, he was "magical'," she explains.
"But [at ABM] we go through the New Testament and look at who Jesus is. It helps me to understand more about his situation. He's no longer magical to me."
The weekly studies in St Andrew's chapter house led by eight catechists from Moore College, are transforming this fledgling believer into an evangelist to other Asian expatriates.
"I'm being trained to share the gospel. I'm still learning a lot, I've been trained to use Two Ways To Live, but haven't used it yet," Wei Ling says.
Mr Lim says many members of the group will return to countries where Christianity is tolerated at best, at worst punished with imprisonment.
But Wei Ling says she her growing relationship with God has given her more confidence in her Christian life.
"I think it's good to share the gospel " I believe it's the truth and want others to know as well."
