I grew up in a non-Christian family and moved to the US at the age of 14 to train full-time as a competitive tennis player while my family remained in Singapore. As a curious teenager with unlimited access to the Internet without the ‘parental control filter’, it was not long before I got hooked on pornography and embraced the ‘freedom to love’ (LGBT) notion. When I was 21, I fell in love with a friend (female and a Christian) and I returned to Singapore to pursue the relationship. But one day, this friend said to me, “I’m sorry. I love you but I love God. I cannot walk down this path with you.” When I asked her why, her simple answer was, “The Bible says it’s wrong.”
Thus began my quest to disprove Christianity and the Bible in my attempt to win her back. But after a 2-year quest, I failed. I was compelled to accept that historical, archeological and empirical evidence points to the God of the Bible, Jesus, as the true and living God. Thus I became an unwilling and angry Christian in 2006. I hated God as a higher authority telling me what I could or could not do, and who I could or could not love. I began to rebel against Him and fell deeper into sin and bondage.
In 2013, I reached an all-time low and was diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder and Clinical Depression. I had become reliant on sleeping pills and was also suicidal. Finally I was so tired, I said, “God, I give up. I’m done with this life! I don’t want it. Take it! Do what you want with it.” I know it’s not exactly a model prayer but that was the first time I said something to God that I meant wholeheartedly. These words became the defining moment that marked the beginning of my amazing journey of transformation.
As I surrendered myself to God, He began to repair my life and led me through a miraculous journey of deliverance; He healed my mental illnesses. I have been medication-free for over 2 years now. When I received my healing, I fell onto my knees and declared, “Thank you Lord. I want to tell the whole world about You.” These words stirred up something in my heart!
I used to be extremely shy and introverted, speaking only when spoken to and petrified of public speaking. But after declaring those words, it was like God gave my heart a new desire. I was filled with the longing to tell everyone I met all about what Jesus has done for me. I also began to have aspirations to be an evangelist! Today, I’m so privileged to receive invitations to share my testimony. I am in awe of how God has chosen to use a once broken and suicidal Christian to be His channel of blessing to speak hope, encouragement and life to others.
I also used to hate reading and writing as I struggled with English as a language − scoring the lowest in standard for English Literature in Secondary 2 and re-taking the SAT (an entrance exam for US universities) 3 times because I failed Verbal (English) the first 2 times. But after my declaration, God worked a miracle in me. I not only treasure reading today but I have even written a book−a 240-page book called Chai, which means “new life” in Hebrew. It is my testimony of all that Jesus has done for me.
Jesus didn’t stop at healing my mental illnesses and giving me a new heart with new desires. He also set me free from the prison of sexual immorality. Almost 20 years of bondage to sexual sins broken in an instant! I have been free from pornography and have turned away from same-sex desires. I realised I had been searching for intimacy in all the wrong places! I’ve completely lost my sexual appetite for the unclean because my heart has received the pure and perfect love of Jesus.
I used to suffer from a chronic and incurable illness called Crohn’s Disease−an autoimmune disease that caused inflammation and infection to my digestive system, causing me to be bloated and have diarrhoea during or after every meal. I also used to live on daily antihistamines because I was allergic to many things–from animals to insect bites to pollen to certain foods and even fruits, especially kiwifruit. But Jesus healed the incurable disease and even some of my allergies. Today, I eat kiwifruit almost every day.
Because I had personally experienced divine healing, I began to believe that Jesus desires to heal not just me but everyone! Over time, my whole being burned with the passion to be sent by Jesus as He had sent His disciples – “And He sent them to preach the kingdom of God, and to heal the sick.” (Lk 9:2 KJV)
Seven months later, God sent me to Brazil for my first healing missions trip where I was part of a team ministering God’s supernatural power to heal the sick as the leader of our team preached the kingdom of God. My heart was filled with inexpressible joy as I watched people give their lives to Jesus and as I witnessed miraculous healings−“the blind see, the deaf hear and the lame walk.”
God has lifted me out of the place of darkness and despair and radically changed my life! My “mess” has become His “message” as I live to proclaim victory in Him and share His love message with the world.
Today, I am Co-Founder and Head Coach of Ignite Tennis Academy. I am filled with a desire to fulfill God’s vision and purpose for Ignite, which is to be a “mission-focused” tennis academy dedicated to touching hearts and impacting lives through sharing the love of Jesus. To God be all glory!
Jaime Wong is Co-Founder and Head Coach of Ignite Tennis Academy. In the past, her desire, as a coach, was to win matches, tournaments and trophies. But today, her desire is to win souls for God's Kingdom.