STUDENT LIFE I INTERNATIONAL I SOCIAL CLUBS I ACADEMICS I PEOPLE I LEADERSHIP I ATHLETICS I ORGANIZATIONS LIVING True TO HER NAME Freshman Hope Li found God through adversity and a family that took care of her during her time at Harding. F reshman Bible and ministry major Hope Li found God in the midst ofsickness and hard times through Agape Asia, a non-profit program that aimed to save abandoned and vulnerable children in Asia. Li's father was killed before she was born, and she was abandoned by her mother when she was two. Her grandparents and great-grandparents raised her and her sister after that time. Agape Asia found Li at an early age and provided a family to sponsor her from Greenwood, Arkansas: Kristy and Kevin Hesslen. After losing a child of their own, the Hesslens chose to sponsor Li for $35a month, greatly affecting Li's life. "It's cool how God takes unfortunate events and turns them into beautiful things," Kristy Hesslen said. "For 11 years, we prayed for Hope every night around our dinner table." At the age of 14, Li was diagnosed with aplastic anemia. She was in and out of the hospital for three years, and as the sickness worsened, so did the medical bills. "At the beginning, I took a lot of medicine, and it was so expensive,' Li aid. "I was not getting better, and I almost died. We couldn't afford the hospital anymore." Li's older sister, Chen Li, removed herself from school and found a job to support the family and their medical expenses. While in the hospital, Hope Li's great aunt brought her a Bible and introduced her to Christ. "We began to pray, and we began to read," Li said. "I started to pray, and I found our how God really works in my life." Li and her grandmother were baptized and became Christians after studying together. As the two prayed, they noticed their prayers were answered, and she began to heal. Agape Asia visited Li and gave her the opportunity to studyin America for a year once she was healthy. She was encouraged to choose an American name, and she chose Hope because God gave her hope in the midst of sickness and trials. When coming to America, shelearned about the Chineseprogram at Harding. Steve Shaner, Agape Asia board member and assistant professor ofcommunication, met with Li in Xi'an, China, and encouraged her to attend as well. "She had a compelling story of faith," Shaner said. "She is so strong and provides so much hope." Twelve years after the Hesslens began their sponsorship, Li was able to bond with the family at their home in Greenwood for a week before starting her freshman year. The Hesslens were considered her American family. "When Hope came to stay with us before she started school, we were sitting at the dinner table, and I looked at her and said, 'Hope, this is the table where we would pray for you,'" Kristy Hesslen said. Li planned to travel back to China after graduation and educate children through the Agape Asia program. story by Lexi Hoagland Freshman Hope Li, pictured on the Front Lawn on Oct. 29, 2018, attends Harding after being sponsored by Kristy and Kevin Hesslen. Li was introduced to Christ during her time in China by her great aunt and was baptized on the same day as her grandmother. I photo by Lindsey Webb 160
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NTc5NA==