Founder
Susan Chen
Founder’s testimony
Since the inception of Spring of Water International Ministries (SOWIM) in 2009, churches and mission fields in 38 countries around the world are using the multimedia Bible study materials and films published by SOWIM. Starting from 2021, we released all the published Bible study films on the official YouTube channel of SOWIM (youtube.com/@sowim) for open access, so that God’s words can be spread farther and wider across borders.
Our production team visited Jerusalem in 2022 once again to shoot the film that is to be published alongside with thebook of Chronicles Discipleship Life Bible Study. Before we set off, I had already started writing the Bible studywhilethe director, Ivy Lin, had also spent about two years preparing for the making of the film. Although we could not escape the blazingly cold wind and heavy rain falls at the beginning of filming, day by day the sun became more dazzling, and the flowers in the wild were brightly blooming. To every one’s surprise the production team and I even received free upgrade from the Israeli government, and we were arranged to lodge in the most historical and prestigious hotel in Jerusalem. It was God’s favor showering upon us with His eyes watching over us and leading us with mighty hands all the way. There was grace more than enough for everyone, and every step bore a testimonythroughout the filming. Just as Psalms 122: 6 says “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: May they prosper who love you!”
I anticipate in excitement to share with you the book of Chronicles Discipleship Life Bible Studyresources in 2023. For the past 12 years, I and SOWIM’s co-workers have walked step by step faithfully treading on this path that Lord had called us to sow the seeds of His words. Whether in good times or bad times, God’s presence, faithful guidance and sufficient provision have always been with us. In the completion of every Bible study book and the accompanied films, there are footprints of God’s wonderful work and marks of grace. In my heart, I am deeply grateful for God’s grace and His powerful support.
I still remember the morning on December 12, 2009 when God called me to found this ministry. I was about to read the Bible after praying in my daily devotion. As I was just seated on a chair, I suddenly received a voice from above as if penetrating through the ceiling, coming vertically down to impress upon my mind. The voice said: “Susan, get up and continue to produce multimedia Bible study materials!” My husband Raymond and I were troubled by such a sudden calling in a never-experienced ‘experience’. That night, after lengthy discussion and debates, our response to God was: “There are so many ways that we can serve you.Please do not call us into producing multimedia Bible study materials!”
In reality, what can I do for God that God Himself cannot do? What can I offer to God that God does not already have? How can my service add anything to God? A mighty God extends His invitation to a person as minute as I am to participate in His work. What a grace it is! Yet, at that point, the fear in my heart caused me to foolishly run away from God’s calling. Thank God, because of His kindness and mercy, He did not give up on me.
In reality, what can I do for God that God Himself cannot do? What can I offer to God that God does not already have? How can my service add anything to God? A mighty God extends His invitation to a person as minute as I am to participate in His work. What a grace it is! Yet, at that point, the fear in my heart caused me to foolishly run away from God’s calling. Thank God, because of His kindness and mercy, He did not give up on me.The following week, on 16 December, as I was about to meditate on the devotional scriptures, suddenly a gentle whisper surfaced from within my chest, asking me: “Susan, do you love me?” I was stunned. I did not know how to answer even a simple question like this. Because I knew I had decided not to be in the service of producing multimedia Bible study materials. But that gentle whisper prompted me again: “Susan, do you love me?” This time the Holy Spirit continued to say:” You sang loudly during worship and told me that your every breath was for me, and your every step was for me. Then, do you really love me?” When I was asked three times by the Holy Spirit “Do you love me?”, my heart was filled with guilt and shame. I could not stop crying, because I realized that I was truly a sinner.
I thought I loved the Lord wholeheartedly and committed myself to full-time service, but when the Lord’s calling came, the fear of people, and the fear of the environmentovercame me. I offered a sufficiently good excuse to hide my disobedience. In that moment, my weaknesses, unworthiness, and little faith were all exposed. I repented in tears to the Lord, and I humbly begged for His forgiveness. I said to the Lord: “Lord! You know I love you, please help me to love you deeper. Since this is Your calling, I am willing to follow you, but I am afraid I only have little strength.” “Little strength” was not an excuse, but a true confession of who I am before the Lord.
Little did I expect that on the next day, Revelation Chapter 3 would be included in that Thursday morning devotional. When I read Chapter 3 verse 8, the scripture says” I know that you have little strength.” I could not believe what Jesus told the Philadelphia church was exactly what I prayed the day before while confessing and repenting of my sin to Him. So unbelievable! It was only yesterday that I confessed “I only have little strength”, today the Lord Jesus told me that He knew. Before all these happenings, the Lord already knew all about the deepest pain in my heart and my limitations. This phrase “I know that you have little strength” convey the comfort of fatherly love of God’s omniscient and incomparable gentleness. He was telling me: He knows me. He understands. He has completely accepted inadequacy. I was totally movedby the fact that Jesus understood the state of my heart so delicately, and I burst out crying. He did not ask for anything from me, because He knew I only had little strength; but what He cared for was that I “have kept His word and have not denied His name”. Now I understand, Jesus treasures a heart that perseveres to keep His word and stays faithful to the end.
In the same scripture, the Lord Jesus gives me a key promise. He says: “Look! I have set before you an open door that no one is able to shut.” No one can deter the will of God, and no one can shut the door that God opens! The Great Commission is commanded to every Christian to bring the truth and salvation of Jesus Christ to all nations and all peoples, even to the end of the earth. Although I hadonly little strength, my husband and I did not know what the future might hold, we knew this ministry was called to existence by God. The only proper way we would respond was to put down our worries and fear andsubmit wholeheartedly to God’s calling. Wherever God opens the door, we move forward with courage and faithfulness. When I saw the young people in Israel, regardless of male or female, each had to receive military training with live ammunition in the battlefields. Should we Christians not honour Christ as our chief commander, and put on our spiritual armor daily to win the spiritual battle triumphantly with Jesus Christ?
My husband and I had no resources nor special connections, we could only turn to our Lord for every need of the ministry. Even when I had no idea what to name this ministry, the Holy Spirit immediately inspired me with the conversation between Jesus and a Samaritan woman in John 4: 14. Jesus says: “Everyone who drinks of this water will be thirsty again, but those who drink of the water that I will give them will never be thirsty. The water that I will give will become in them a spring of water gushing up to eternal life.” Suddenly it became clear to me this ministry of multimedia Bible study resourceswas to share the words of God with peoples to quench their thirst, as aspring of water offered by Jesus Christ. Regardless of culture, ethnicity, language, and national boundary, the grace that God wants to give to the world is that everyone can receive the power of life like an endless flow of spring water, gushing till eternity. Hence, the name of this multimedia ministry is called Spring of Water International Ministries (SOWIM).
As I am a Chinese residing in America, and the footprints of Chinese are all over the world, I continued to pray and asked the Lord to give a Chinese name for this ministry. The Holy Spirit enlightened me by letting me write down these three words on a piece of paper – Spring of Water and asked me what I saw in these three words. I replied that the first alphabet of each word was S, O, W. Immediately I saw an English word ‘sow’ and it means 播種in Chinese. My heart was filled with excitement and surprise! God gave me the Chinese name of SOWIM as「播種國際事工」. In fact, God’s words are not only the living water, but they are also seeds to be planted in the hearts of people. God’s truth and kindness will fill the hearts of people which are empty and hungry. Jesus did declare that “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never be hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty.” (John 6: 35). Through the name of the ministry, God has wonderfully revealed His will to me that God’s heart is to bless the multitudes of nations with His words and His salvation through thebiblical resources produced by SOWIM.
Subsequently, twice in prayers, God showed me the Holy Spirit was hovering around the globe like a blanket of atmosphere. The flow of Holy spirit carriesthese book and films of SOWIM to every part of the world, like seeds planted into the hearts of people. Isaiah 55: 10 – 11 says ”For as the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return there until they have watered the earth, making it bring forth and sprout, giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater, so shall my word be that goes out from my mouth; it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and succeed in the thing for which I sent it.” This is the blessings God gives to people which will never change. God establishes SOWIM to work together with Him, calling SOWIM to join the Great Commission, hand in hand with God’s children to accomplish His eternal purpose.
Just as Jerusalem bears many tears, battles, bloodshed, conflicts, yet she records a history of divine greatness. Christian’s lives are testimonies of the battles between flesh and spirit. In the chaos of the world, God continued His eternal and unchanging plan of salvation. I invite you to stand with God and support SOWIM to produce more of the multimedia biblical resources. Together we are sowing the seeds of salvation of Jesus Christ to every corner of the world. God does not mind our “little strength,” so long as we “kept His word and have not denied His name.” According to His promise in the Bible, God will answer our faithful prayers and multiply ourgenerous offerings with hundreds of folds of blessings. Join us! May you and SOWIM become God’s blessings to this generation.
God has opened a door for SOWIM to spread His words to the multitudes of nations and peoples. I sincerely invite you to “SOW” generously with SOWIMwith your prayers and financial support– giving seed to the sower and bread to the eater! (Isaiah 55:10). For you and me to serve this eternally living, loving, honorable and almightyGod is a glorious mission. It will also be the most gracious blessing of God andthe wisest choice in our life!
Reverend Susan Chen
California, U.S.A.
美國加州 2022-04-27
