When Jun Mei was born a third daughter, her father said, “This family is cursed”! Now, her mother says, “There really is a God”!
Born into an impoverished farming family in a remote village, Jun Mei was only six weeks old when our fieldworker saved her from being “given away.”
Jun Mei is an unlucky third daughter. Like most third daughters in China, her birth did not bring joy to the family, but frustration and distress.
“Why is the third one still a girl?” Her grandmother on her father’s side asked repeatedly. This grandmother had breast cancer, but her family could not afford treatment. When Jun Mei was born, her grandma began crying all the time, saying she would die without ever seeing a grandson.
Jun Mei’s dad said the family was cursed by this third daughter, because they had reached their limit under the Three-Child Policy and had no chance to have a boy. As the only son in the family, not having a boy is the greatest disrespect to the ancestors!
Jun Mei’s mom felt helpless and hopeless about her life. Three young children, plus a sick old grandma and an unsupportive husband, Jun Mei’s mom often had nightmares due to the extreme stress.
Jun Mei’s dad thought it would be best to give a third daughter to a daughterless couple, but mom disagreed. She did not want to give away any of her daughters, but she had nowhere to turn in this desperate situation.
Our “Save a Girl” fieldworker learned about Jun Mei’s situation and met with her to offer encouragement and financial help. Jun Mei’s mom had heard of God but hadn’t had the chance to learn more. Our fieldworker, a passionate Christian, told her about Jesus. “Now it seems that there really is a God,” said Jun Mei’s mom, because people who believe in Him, have found her in her remote village and reached out to help her, without asking anything in return. Jun Mei’s mom said that she felt profound peace in her heart, something she had never experienced in this stressful time. She needs more peace, so she wants to seek God and become a Christian.
