Somehow, She Fell in Love with Jesus

By Neat Randriamialison

Qiong smiles moments after her baptism

About four years ago, Qiong Messier, a woman from China, and her son walked into Glen Bentjen’s office (Affectionately known as Mr B.), who was the Riverview Christian Academy principal at that time, hoping for a fresh start.

Quinton chatting with friends after church service

Mr B. remembers the moment clearly. “They came in, just the two of them. The father had passed away. It was hard not to feel the weight they were carrying.” That year, Quinton, the son, began his Adventist education journey as a fifth grader.

Quinton was doing really well in his studies, but more importantly, he began learning about Jesus. And when he comes home, he cannot wait to share with his mom what he learned in School. He shared about Jesus and these new beliefs he had just learned from the Bible.

Qiong, seeing the excitement of her son, started asking questions and had a conversation with Mr B. “What do Adventists believe? Why do you all seem... different?” That’s when Mr B. invited her to come and attend church with them. Glenn’s wife connected with her instantly, and the church community welcomed her.

Qiong with Pastor Deirdre Solomon in the baptistry. The Bentjens stand nearby to support.

Qiong’s curiosity grew into a desire to study the Bible, and over the course of a year, despite the challenges of biblical vocabulary, cultural differences, and language barriers, they slowly worked through 28 Bible study lessons. Mr B. downloaded a Mandarin version of the Bible app on her phone. And his wife gifted her a Chinese-English Bible from their time working in Taiwan.

After the Bible studies, Qiong made her decision to be baptized. “I like this,” she said. “I can see from the Bible that Adventists follow the Bible, and I want to keep learning more.” On October 25, 2025, Qiong was baptized.

“It’s pretty amazing,” Mr B. reflected. “You would think someone coming from her background might be more resistant to Christianity, but somehow… she fell in love with Jesus.”

“We’re just doing our day-to-day jobs, teaching, showing up, but we never know who’s walking through the door. Maybe God sent them to us. Sometimes we lose sight of that. We need to keep our eyes in line with His will.”

It’s amazing how God brings all the pieces together to give someone a chance to get to know Him and fall in love with Jesus.