Pastor Mu Yu's journey of faith began in childhood. He was influenced by his grandmother, and his faith was later solidified in a Christian fellowship. In those days, the fellowship leader wasn't much older than him, and it was during those precious years that his faith sprouted and grew. It was especially the time that he got a special burden for the vast "Gospel vacuum" of Northwest China.
During his senior year of university, he encountered the crossroads of his life, contemplating his future and the meaning and value of life. A moment of deep prayer became the turning point. He recalls having a "total repentance" before God, inwardly resolving to live for the Lord.
Later, he began his postgraduate studies. Yet he continued to plead with God for the opportunity to serve Him full-time one day. After completing his master's program, he found an excellent job and was meanwhile searching for a seminary.
Despite his diligent efforts to apply, there was no response for a long time. In his own words, "God hadn't opened the way yet." It wasn't until a re-examination opportunity arose that he gained an offer and finally embarked on the path of theological studies.
Upon hearing that he was going for a seminary interview, his father, who worked in the chemical engineering industry, expressed bluntly, "What exactly is this for?" In the eyes of an engineer who had been pragmatic his entire life, his son's choice was fraught with unknowns and challenges.
"He is a man who spends his life doing practical things, and he felt that what I wanted to do would be difficult, exhausting, and abstract," Pastor Mu Yu recounts his father's judgment at the time. "But he also said, 'Perhaps this will lead to a different kind of life – a life I have never tried. If you don't mind the hardship, go ahead and try it.'"
His father gave a somewhat limited "permission": "If you've made achievements of yourself by the time you're 30, continue; if not, go back to a regular job."
In contrast, his mother went through mental struggles. Although she came from a Christian family, she became a "resistance." He recalls, "She felt it a pity that I was giving up such a good job for this. While she understood it from a faith perspective, she couldn't accept it realistically." Eventually, realizing she couldn't stop him, Mu Yu said, "Just let me go then."
At the age of 25, Mu went to his seminary to study. Five years later, as the age-30 "deadline" quietly approached, he had completed his studies, started a family, and entered a new stage of life.
In his 30th year, he invited his parents to a church event for newcomers. During the days they spent together, his parents experienced his ministry, met the community he ministered to, and heard their testimonies.
"From the invitation onwards, my parents approved of what I was doing," he added. "And in a true sense, I was finally able to settle down and make a home in this city."
From his university years to his thirties, and finally rooting himself in the city, Pastor Mu Yu's life trajectory reflects a microcosm of a generation during China's social transition. Walking the tightrope between faith and reason, personal calling and family expectations, he ultimately won the most precious recognition in his father's pragmatic world through his own perseverance and God's guidance – a recognition based not on secular success, but on a true understanding and respect for the path of life his son had chosen.
- Translated by Charlie Li
