Joshua Qian

In memory of my spiritual father Robert Pan, the following is my personal account of how Robert led me to Christ, and how important is Robert’s life to me as a Christian.

I am a little sad to hear that our beloved Pastor Robert Pan passed away on January 4, 2009.But I am also comforted, even with a little joy, because I know that he is now with our dear Lord Jesus, and that when I die some day, Robert will greet me in heaven.We love Robert so much that we would like to be with him.

It was June 24, 1992, the very first day I arrived at the North Carolina State University from China.I went to Robert and Jane’s house for a Bible study, with my classmates Xu Liang and Hong Xiaodong who had become Christians before me.After the Bible study during refreshments, I was asked about my opinion about the Bible study.I honestly told them that I had no idea of what they were talking about.

But things changed.My roommates (Kuishin Voo and Lian Yan) and classmates took me to the Chinese Baptist Church (then called Mainland Chinese Fellowship).They gave me a Bible and some booklets about Christianity.I read them earnestly.My thinking about Christianity changed gradually.But there were still some obstacles in my mind, especially about Noah's flood, because I am a meteorologist and at that time I felt that there were some contradictions to what I was educated before.But I liked the people in the church, who were those kind of people I had been dreamed of to be friend with.I like Robert.I like his smiling face.I like his loving kind voice.Robert’s smiling face was like sunshine to me.I also liked other brothers and sisters in the church.But I was still struggling between my feeling and reasoning.

Eventually, the Holy Spirit shined on my heart so that I realized that I am a sinner, which I had never thought before.So definitely I need a Savior.In a midnight, I quietly knelt down before my bed, confessed my sins, and accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior.So I was saved about half a year after I arrived at Raleigh.You may wonder why I believed so fast.I learned the secret later.Actually, Robert, Jane, my classmates Xu Liang, Hong Xiaodong and the church had already prayed for my salvation way before I came to the US.By the way, through these years of further study, I have solved the problem of Noah’s flood in my mind.The Bible is absolutely true in science, history, and whatsoever.

I sincerely thank those friends who preached gospel to me, especially my spiritual parents Robert and Jane.As we know, how they exhorted and comforted and charged everyone of us, as a father does his children.They were gentle among us, even as a nurse cherishes her children (1 Thessalonians, 2:11,7).

I remember those good times with Robert when we sang the song “Flowers in the wild field” together, when Robert read us salms 23, when we knelt down in a circle hand in hand and prayed in tears in a living room in the E.S.Kings village, and when Robert drove his favored old truck moving used furniture for new students, and many other occasions.

I went to North Carolina to see Robert in last November.Robert was quite weak.But he was still leading the Sunday Bible study.He mentioned his covenant with God when he was forty years old that he would serve God whole-heartedly.I was deeply moved.His teaching nourished me and will continue to nourish my spirit and soul forever.He still remembered that in that evening of June 24, 1992, when he first met me in his house, I nodded during the Bible study because of the jet lag.

It is quite strange that I have had a bad stomach pain in the past several days.This led me to think a little deep about Robert’s life and what we need to do daily in our pilgrimage.Robert kept his covenant with God, closely followed his Lord Jesus, faithfully served his generation, and slept.We should follow Robert’s footsteps.