Meet the Women at NAOBC – Yilin Lin
On Mondays, we’ll take time to meet the women of NAOBC. Five questions followed by how you can connect with the NAOBC women on social media. Today’s interview is with Yilin Lin
Q: Tell us about yourself
A: I came from China and now study in worship at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. I was born in a Christian family and have a younger brother, Yinuo. I never had the passion to know God actively, just obeyed my parents going to church, until a summer camp in the first year of high school. It was my first time to think that God’s Word was so interesting and that captured my heart. Since then, I started to read the Bible and listen to the sermon carefully and participate church activities actively.
Q: Tell us about your time at NAOBC
A: I have been at NAOBC for almost two and a half years. I’m in the singles group and serve in the worship ministry.
Q: What is a fun fact that most people wouldn’t know about you?
A: I started to learn piano when I was 6, but I hated it very much in the beginning! I thought I could not take it any more when I was 13, so I told my parents and they didn’t let me learn piano any more. And I told myself I would not play the piano again in my whole life! However, “fate” always tricks people. In the second year of high school, my church welcomed students to join adult choir’s rehearsal, and my friend was interested but she didn’t want to go alone. So we came to the choir together. One night, before rehearsal, the leader played a piano piece from a music app. I forgot why he did that, but I changed my mind that night, I loved piano! So I played the piano again! I am shy and don’t like to be in front of many people, but piano is the only thing I would love to show up in front of people. One reason is l love piano, and another reason is I don’t need to face people when I play it.
Q: What woman has made the most impact in your life?
A: Of course my mom! She is always my supporter in every milestone of my life. I graduated in summer of 2020 and planed to come here for studying in the Fall, but it was interrupted by Covid. So, I waited for the lifting of travel restrictions for a year. However, before the week I would leave, my grandparents knew and stopped me as well as other families because Covid still scared them. Also, my grandpa is an elder at church and knows the darkness of ministry, so he didn’t want ministry to hurt me. I know my family loves me and protects me very well all the time, but this pressure made me overwhelmed. I thought studying at seminary was good, but why didn’t God make this way straight. I cried and asked my mom, who was the only person supporting me, for what to do. My mom said to me, “let’s pray and see how God will lead you”. Now, here I am. On Chinese New Year Eve last year, I had a video call with my family, and my grandpa said he prayed for my study here every single day, which encouraged me so much that God is always good and faithful! My mom may not always say “let’s pray”, but she has the wisdom knowing what to do at every important moment.
Q: What is something the Lord has taught you in the last year?
A: God called me into worship ministry, and I thought worship was only about music before. But God taught me what it was through studying at Southern and seeing what pastors did at church. Ministry is about people. God let me realize how to love people. So I thought if I didn’t know people how could I love them. In the last year, God provided me with many opportunities. But after participating in several parties, I was exhausted because I didn’t like such occasions, like in a big group, because of my personality. I realized loving people was hard if I just depended on myself because my love was limited. But God is love and the source of love, so I need his help! Even though I still struggle every time before going to such big events, I know it is God’s teaching and He will help me. Also, I went back to China last summer, and God changed my mind that I wanted to continue my job as a piano teacher after graduating because I found a comfortable way to love people in a private class. God always lets me do what challenges me as well as what I like.
You can follow Yilin on Instagram @ylin176.
