Adriel’s journey from miracles to the military – and back again
Adriel Tan was 10-years old and sitting in his school bus when he felt a clear impression that God would use him. He knew he heard God’s voice. What follows is the story of a young person full of proof that God is unconcerned about a person’s age and will write history with the one willing to follow Him. Adriel is now in his mid-twenties and is serving his mandatory military service. Here he shares an almost unbelievable faith journey – yet so relatable.
Half Crown Media (HCM): Adriel, when was the first time you encountered God?
Adriel Tan (AT): I grew up in Singapore in a Christian family. One of my first memories of encountering God was when I was about nine years old. A year before that we were at a church retreat. When they made an altar call, I saw older men, including my dad, crying. Such an open display of emotion is usually frowned upon in Singapore and I realized that something was very real about it. I got curious.
A few months later, they made another altar call to respond to the God who could bring grown men to tears. That turned into me crying and being completely overwhelmed with his love. Eventually, I looked around and realized that hours had passed without me realizing the entire child’s ministry group was gone. Just my mom was waiting there for me.
HCM: Then what happened?
AT: I changed schools. When I reached 15, my friend Jonathan was talking about the book of Acts in the Bible and how he felt like his own group of Christian friends was far from that. We started a new small group and honestly, I just went because I was friends with him. (He laughs a bit.) We met in a classroom after school and our new small group consisted of people from different churches. I’d never seen this before.
When I was around 16, the group was growing. We wanted to invite more people but heard of seniors who got reprimanded for holding religious meetings in a secular school. So, we knew we couldn’t do it there.
HCM: How did you face that challenge?
AT: We knew we wanted to invite people to a worship night but couldn’t do it there. We thought through our options. Eventually, we found two places. One was a Catholic church we didn’t know and the other place cost $100. That was a lot of money for teenagers! We decided that we’d vote during lunch break.
As we were getting ready to vote we suddenly got an e-mail from an elder at the church that we’d have to pay for. He wrote that they wanted to pay for it, and offered to provide refreshments, speakers, and anything else we needed. It turned out they had been praying for several years for ways to reach out to students in our school! Their senior pastor had a heart for our school because he had graduated from there. They were not allowed to reach out to students directly but since we came knocking on their door it was ok for our event to be held there.
HCM: The timing sounds so much like a God-thing. Sometimes I assume He does this with a grin on His face as if He’s saying, “Got you!” But back to your story – what happened next?
AT: At 17, I felt God telling me to do an open invitation for another worship night to encounter God…. make it official, and post it on social media to get the word out. The resulting worship night was a really significant event with students from our high school and middle school.
Even 60-year-old people who had seen a charismatic revival when they were younger came and were blessed. After that worship night, prayer groups started to pop up everywhere, not just at our high school but at other schools as well – all voluntary and student-run. It came to a point where there would be a different group meeting every single day of the week!
HCM: That must’ve been quite the experience!
AT: Absolutely. It’s the reason I can’t run from God. It has grounded me in faith so much.
HCM: Did life after high school continue like that? What did you do?
AT: God’s work persisted there. It was kind of funny. During high school, I was so busy with those prayer groups that I hadn’t done many other things. My resume was quite empty. I just applied for everything. Suddenly, I got a national scholarship. The funny part is, my school didn’t invite me to the achievements and awards ceremony because I hadn’t gotten any, but my country gifted me with a scholarship! For me, that was a sign. I applied to so many different schools.
Eventually, I got accepted by my dream American university where I got my bachelor’s degree. I never imagined that I could go abroad to study.
HCM: Was college like high school in terms of your faith journey?
AT: No, it was different. It was more answering the question of how far I was willing to walk with God. Of course, there have also been moments and puzzle pieces perfectly orchestrated by God.
In my first year, I accidentally signed up for a class without knowing it was taught by the only professor who has a lab in Singapore! As a result, I could do research at home in Singapore during Covid. That was critical for getting into my Master’s program.
I’m saying this now, looking back in hindsight. During that time, many things felt quite hard. But His promise helped me through tough times: “I am with you and will watch over you wherever you go, and I will bring you back to this land. I will not leave you until I have done what I have promised you” (Genesis 28:15).
HCM: It’s usually easier to look back on what God has done than when you’re in the middle of life’s events. Before discussing your current life, let’s talk about life after university. Where did you go?
AT: I furthered my studies in Switzerland, gained new friends and experienced God in fresh ways.
HCM: And now you’re in the Singaporean military for National Service. It must have been quite tough to go from full independence in another country to very set structures while adjusting to life back in Singapore.
AT: Ha! Yes. It has been quite a challenge. In the beginning, I really freaked out. Not only was it physically difficult, but also it challenged me in my faith. I’ve argued a lot with God and even tried to make deals. (He grins.) At the same time, it also furthered my ability to trust God.
Much of military life is out of my control and in the hands of my superiors. I’m thankful that now I get to be in a department that I had prayed for, with good commanders. It’s a big deal because the chances of that happening are very rare.
HCM: Your story is such a testimony! I know we can only share part of it – there are so many more details that we can’t go into that are proof of God’s doing. Have other people’s stories influenced you a lot?
AT: Absolutely! I think sharing our testimonies is incredibly important. It’s a great way for those around us to see how a real God could positively impact our lives. And I think movies are a great way to showcase these stories. Several movies and plays impacted and encouraged me so much in many areas of life. As a kid, I wanted to be like the characters in the movies I had just seen. And I’ve always loved playing in theater plays and still do.
HCM: How about now? Are movies still impactful in your life?
AT: Yes, definitely. The Hudson Taylor movie project makes a lot of sense to me. Visualizing his story would make it easier to talk about his testimony with other people.
HCM: And you are into photography, right?
AT: I love the visual arts. One of my big passions is the photography of landscapes and cities. I’ve recently gotten into filming which is fascinating. It’s a beautiful cross between the movements and storytelling of theater and the aesthetic control of photography. So, I’m excited to see the Hudson Taylor movie, in that way too.
HCM: That is very poetic and beautiful. Is there something you have learned about life with God in this?
AT: Actually, yes. The story of our lives is like a projector lens showing who God is. No matter how dirty or cracked we are, when the light is bright enough, He shines through all the same.
Thank you, Adriel, for sharing your story. It’s inspiring and encouraging to us – no matter our age – to follow the one God who doesn’t change even when life keeps changing. We hope and pray that you will keep on walking towards him and will have many more testimonies of his great love.
It’s a reminder of Hudson Taylor’s words: “There is no change in His love; He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. To us He promises, ‘I will never leave you, never fail you, nor forsake you’; and His earnest exhortation and command is, ‘Abide in Me, and I in you.’”
If you’d like to be involved in being part of bringing the Hudson Taylor movie project to life, you can make a huge difference by offering your prayers, spreading the word, or contributing financially. Together, we can share the inspiring story of Hudson Taylor with the world. Yes, I’m interested! Tell me more.
Photos courtesy of Adriel Tan.
