Much of her life was difficult, plagued by poor health and difficult living conditions. Still, Tsai Su Juan aka. Christiana Tsai, lived a victorious life to God’s glory. She once said, “A sage sees opportunities in difficulties, but a fool finds difficulties in opportunities.” This was more than a saying to her. It was the thinking that directed her life and ministry.
Christiana was born in the Jiangsu province of China where her father was a vice-governor. Though she grew up in a wealthy family, she was unhappy. She considered becoming a Buddhist nun and following a lifestyle of self-denial. God had other plans.
She was fascinated with the English language, which helped her gain enrollment in a missionary school. She was determined to do nothing more than study and learn until a visiting preacher spoke on “Christ, the Light of the World,” a message which brought her to faith in Christ. Her family was enraged by her new-found faith. They mocked her and removed her from the school, but God gave Christiana an unquenchable inner peace and joy. She continued studying the Bible and praying on her own. In time, her parents allowed her to return to school.
Christiana had several job offers after graduation but turned them down. She wanted to return home and tell her family and friends about Christ. God was faithful! 55 of her family members, including her mother who was addicted to opium, came to know Christ through her ministry.
In 1931, Christiana’s life changed radically. She contracted a serious case of malaria that left her hearing-impaired, highly sensitive to bright light, and bedridden for long stretches. Despite her afflictions, her ministry continued. Because she couldn’t go to the people in need, they came to her. Thousands of people visited her over the years, eager to hear her preach God’s Word with clarity and conviction. Christiana carried out the work God assigned her with the same peace and joy that sustained her faith when she was younger. “My bed is not a prison but a training school; the Holy Spirit is my mentor and my visitors are my homework.”
During World War II, when Japan occupied China, things were even more difficult for Christiana. She, along with many other missionaries, became prisoners of war. She was so weak she could only crawl. She survived on what little food was provided. Even then, she continued telling others about Christ.
When the was finally over, Mary Leaman, a missionary friend from the United States, moved back to Pennsylvania and brought Christiana with her. She was then 59 years old. There she wrote her autobiography, Queen of the Dark Chambers, the name she’d been given while ministering in China. She also wrote devotionals, hoping to inspire others to live for Christ even in difficult circumstances.
Tsai Su Juan passed on to God’s presence in 1984, home with her precious Savior at last.
