Yanji’s Journey of Faith: Overcoming Highs and Lows with Your Support

號角月報加拿大版 二零二五年七月

Throughout the competition, Yanji experienced moments of triumph and adversity. “I received high scores twice—when I performed Understanding （領悟）and My Heart Is Yours（心有獨鍾）—but I also faced harsh criticism and ridicule. When I sang With You （有了你）and earned five lights of approval, instead of celebration, I was met with insults about my appearance, weight, and even my voice. Having grown up in a sheltered environment, I was unprepared for such intense scrutiny on social media. It was overwhelming at first.”

In her distress, she turned to God, praying, “Lord, I joined this competition for You, but now I am facing so much negativity. How do You want me to continue?” As she prayed, she felt divine peace filling her heart, as if God were reassuring her: “You don’t need to worry about what others say. Move forward in faith, and I will walk with you.” The next day, she woke up completely at ease, as if the previous night’s turmoil had never happened. To her, this was God’s way of protecting and healing her.

This experience helped Yanji realize that she could not only touch hearts through gospel music but also use pop songs to express deep emotions, offering healing and comfort to others. However, just as she reached this high point, another challenge arose—her father fell ill and was hospitalized for two months. Frequent hospital visits left her physically and emotionally drained, making it difficult to focus on rehearsals.

“I am truly grateful to Stephanie （車婉婉） for constantly embracing and encouraging me—it moved me deeply,” Yanji shared. “Even though it was a competition, the contestants formed a strong bond, supporting and uplifting each other. I even invited them to join me in prayer and took them to evangelistic gatherings, planting seeds of faith along the way.”

Growing up in a Christian family, Yanji was baptized at 16, but her faith truly deepened later when she found a church community where she felt at home. “I followed my boyfriend to Bethel Church’s Zunli Chapel （白特利會遵理堂）, where the congregation was mostly my age, with similar academic backgrounds, discussions, and interests. It made me feel comfortable, so I stayed—and remained there for more than a decade.”

She credits her spiritual growth to service. “Since childhood, people praised my singing and encouraged me to join the choir. After moving to this church, I was invited to lead worship, later forming a praise team and taking on roles as a fellowship leader and college ministry mentor.” At first, she lacked confidence, but through prayer, deepening her relationship with God, and learning to rely on Him, she found strength.

Yanji hesitated, thinking, "How could the principal hire a student who once scored zero?" But to her surprise, the principal appointed her as the assistant to the vice principal. Perhaps winning the Character Award in school and serving as class monitor and a student leader had earned his trust. Determined to prove herself, she continued her studies while working.

This job not only provided her with stability but also helped her build valuable relationships and gain confidence in her abilities. Yet, deep down, a fire burned—her longing to serve through music never faded. She frequently prayed, asking God to use her voice as a tool to spread the gospel and bless others.

During this time, a preacher who understood her passion introduced her to the Christian musician, Pastor K. S. Chan (陳敬滫傳道). Soon after, Yanji was invited to join his band, Christian Music Club, as a singer.

"I thank God for allowing Pastor K. S. Chan to be my mentor in music. He not only accepted me but personally trained me, teaching me vocal techniques, music theory, and even discipleship training. Whenever I participated in singing competitions, he was always by my side, helping me take steps toward my musical dreams. Unfortunately, he later passed away due to liver cancer…"

Yanji deeply treasures Chan’s guidance and acknowledges the profound impact he had on her life and music journey.

Yanji also had the privilege of serving as a backing vocalist for renowned singer Jade Kwan （關心妍）."At that time, the backing vocals director, Elaine, was incredibly patient and spent a great deal of time teaching me. Through dedicated practice, I was able to fulfill the role successfully. I also learned that being part of a band isn’t just about leading vocals—I needed to adjust my voice to blend with others, expanding my perspective on music."

As Jade held concerts across Hong Kong, Mainland China, and overseas, Yanji gained valuable experience performing on large stages. This helped reduce her nervousness, boost her confidence, and refine her stage presence.

However, in the early stages of competitions, Yanji felt immense pressure singing in front of judges. Fortunately, she had “angels” sent by God who walked alongside her.

"I am grateful to TVB’s music director Donald for arranging music production for the contestants, and to EMM’s music director JasonBoy （黎嘉俊）, who has been my trusted colleague for over a decade. He taught me how to arrange songs, structure performances, interpret lyrics, and refine my singing techniques, helping me break through barriers and reach new heights."

"Reaching this point meant overcoming myself; it was the culmination of years of effort. I chose to sing Little Angel (小天使) as my final performance, marking the end of this journey with a gentle testimony. Most importantly, I have never forgotten my original intent—to share the message of love."

Yanji expressed deep gratitude to singers Kimman Wong (黃劍文) and Gary for their encouragement, support, and companionship, which gave her the courage to embark on this challenging competition journey.

To all her supporters, Yanji sincerely recommends her self-composed, self-performed short song, I Love You, My Lord. Your Love Never Changes? （我愛祢恩主，祢愛我不變？）—a refreshing and soul-cleansing piece. It is reported that EMM is preparing to record a brand-new gospel album for her.

Helena Lee