MY STORY: FROM BIRTH TO 2008

I was born and raised as the second daughter in a Taoist and Buddhist family in Taiwan.  My parents met through work, and they had four children.  When my older sister, the first child, was born, everyone was happy because that meant mom could have children.  When I was born as the second daughter, no one was happy about it.  Grandma was furious and told mom to starve me to death, dad would not bother to hold me.  But six months later I won over his heart when I began to smile at him with dimples.   

Our family life was centered around religion and rituals. 

Growing up, my parents were very active in temples and idol worshipping.  There were fourteen idols plus an ancestor altar at home.  Once a month my mother would cook food for the idols, and twice a day we would burn incense to the idols and ancestors, in addition to annual special religious days.  I never knew if we were Buddhists, Taoists, or both, and did not understand the meaning of my family religion.  It was simply our way of life.  Our family life was centered around religion and rituals.  Dad spent most of his weekends volunteering in temples to help people and also earn some merits to have a better next life. He wondered if my allergic reaction to antibiotics in infancy had given me brain damage, affecting my ability to learn in school.  No one expected me to be able to receive a bachelor’s degree, let alone study abroad.  But my life began to change after an uncle visited us from the U.S.

My uncle suggested dad send me to an American college near his home.  Out of his love for me, dad was willing to sponsor me and let me leave from his side.  I had never heard the Gospel before, but dad told me that if the school required me to become a Christian for admission, I may do so because Jesus is a good man.  In a few months, I was on my way to America.  The day when I left home for the airport, dad disappeared from my sight after putting all my luggage into the trunk.  I was very surprised that he did not go to the airport with me.  Years later, his secretary told me that she saw dad weep when an airplane passed by his office on the day I left for America.

An International Student in the U.S.

Soon I arrived on campus as an international student, the learning enrichment center on campus was my first stop, to sign up for a free English conversation tutor.  Lisa, an American from Alaska, was assigned to be my first session tutor.  We clicked immediately and began to meet on a regular basis.  She was a very kind and gentle Christian who told me about Jesus from her words and deeds.  When she told me about the love of a heavenly father, I could easily relate because of my earthly father’s love.  I knew Lisa loved me sincerely, but I told her that I already had a family religion and did not need another one.  I was required by the college to attend the Chapel service three times a week although I could not understand what the message was about.  When I attended an English Bible study led by an International Student Office staff person, Mary, I would debate with American Christian friends about religions.  I did not know much about my family religion, I just wanted to hold on to the religious tie shared with my family.  Christianity was a good religion but to say that Jesus is the only way to heaven made it too arrogant to accept.  And I could not understand the virgin birth and why the Trinity is about one God, not three gods.  But God did not give up on me.

I could not understand the virgin birth and why the Trinity is about one God, not three gods.

A few months later, Lisa introduced her roommate, Jennifer, to me.  Jennifer had just returned from a short-term summer missions trip to Taiwan and, even though she could not speak a word of Chinese, she began to attend a Chinese church.  She invited me to attend a Chinese Bible study group with her, and kept asking for me to join her even though I kept saying no.  Finally, she told me to go with her at least once.  For my culture, I needed to honor her if we would still be friends, so I went.  She played Chinese Christian songs during our roundtrip travel to church.  After attending three times, I told her that I was very busy with studies and could not go any more. 

Conversion Through the Power of Jesus

In the following summer, for several nights I felt a black shadow come to my bedside and communicate with me through dreams.  Everything I saw in my dream would happen the next day.  A few days later, while I was asleep in the dormitory, I was attacked by the evil spirit for three nights. I was awakened from sleep by my limbs floating up, and a feeling of oppressive fear.  On the first night, I was very frightened because I had never had any spiritual encounters before.  I heard my roommate in the bathroom, but I could not call out for help because of my fear.  Before I left home for America, my sister gave me a Buddhist booklet of “The Great Compassion Mantra,” and told me to recite the whole booklet if I encountered any foreign spirits.  When my right foot was lifted up from my bed, I was awakened and recited the Mantra immediately.  The Mantra did not work, and my foot was lifted higher and higher.  Then I called out, “Jesus save me.”  As soon as I asked Jesus to save me, my right foot was back on my bed. 

The next morning, I took out the Mantra to double check if I had missed a word or messed up the sequence that caused the Mantra to become powerless.  When I saw Jennifer on campus, I told her about my experience, and she said she would pray for me.  On the second night, I was awakened during my sleep again because my right leg was lifted up from my bed.  I recited the Mantra again and it did not work, so I quickly called out, “Jesus save me,” and then my leg was back on my bed.  When I woke up in the morning, I was more frightened and asked a Chinese Christian friend to pray for me.  On the third night, I was awakened again and this time my whole body was floating in the air.  A power was pushing me and attempting to throw me out from the window.  I kept resisting the power and pushing myself back to my bed, but I could not.  Without any hesitation, I immediately called out to Jesus and was back on my bed right away.

My “family gods” could not save me, but every time I asked Jesus to save me, the attack would stop immediately.  After the attacks, I recalled the Bible verse of Mark 5:7 that I learned from the Chinese Bible study when I went with Jennifer.  In this verse, even demons recognized Jesus as the Son of Most High God.  Demons did flee when I called the name of Jesus.  These attacks made me realize that there are evil spirits in the spiritual realms, the Holy Spirit is real and active, and Jesus is God, the Son of God. I also recalled the Bible verse of John 3:16, and the Trinity began to make sense to me.  Then I believed the Bible is the Word of God.  After that I became a sincere seeker.

I recalled the Bible verse of Mark 5:7 that I learned from the Chinese Bible study.

When the fall semester began, I met Patrick who was a new dormitory neighbor.  Patrick was a devoted and charismatic Christian.  He would spend a lot of time in prayer and shared with me about his spiritual experience.  Several times he stopped me and prayed for me when he met me on campus.  One day he knocked on my door and said that there was something unclean in my room that God wanted him to get rid of, but I told him about my fears of possible revenge from my family gods, to me and my family, and sent him away.  Patrick did not give up on this and kept coming back to me.  Finally, I gave him the Mantra and a protective talisman given to me by my father from a well-known temple in Taiwan. 

The next spring, I was very sick one day.  I could not keep medicine down, and I asked my roommate to take me to the emergency room if I did not feel better after resting in bed. I had a severe stomachache and was not able to fall to sleep.  Lying on the bed, I heard people sing the songs we sang in the school chapel.  There was no one around me, but I heard the singing and began to sing along, and the peace of God came upon me immediately.  It was very peaceful, and I put my hand over my stomach and asked Jesus to heal me.  After saying that, with my eyes closed, I saw a small light approach me, and the light grew brighter and bigger as it came closer to me.  It was a very bright light, no light in this world can describe it, and it did not cause any discomfort when I looked at it.  Then I felt like the center of my forehead was open, and the light came into my body.  As soon as the light came into me, I felt something was torn off and jumped out from my body, and I was well right away.  After experiencing the miracle-working power of Jesus twice, I believed His physical resurrection from the dead must be true.  Jesus IS the only way to heaven.  Therefore, I decided to become a Christian and was baptized on Father’s Day.

After experiencing the miracle-working power of Jesus twice, I believed His physical resurrection from the dead must be true.

During my graduate study, through Psalm 27:4, I felt strongly that I should serve the Lord.  After graduation, I began to serve at a Chinese mission organization under the leadership of Rev. Dr. Thomas Wang.  When Rev. Wang retired in 2008, I felt that I had reached a milestone and should look after my mother, who was a widow and lived alone while my siblings were scattered around the world. 

Because of re-entry culture shock, I asked God to open a door for me to minister among foreign inmates in Taiwan.  God answered that prayer and I was introduced to a German missionary who had been ministering among foreign inmates in Taiwan.  

Reflection

Without my two dimples, I would not have had my father’s love, which means I would not have had the opportunity to come to the U.S. to study and hear about Jesus.  God knows the plan He has had for me from before I was even born, and He uses every turn of my life as connecting points with the multi-ethnic diasporas who are yet to know Him.  I am very grateful He called me to be His servant.  I was once a ministry, but now I am a minister.  There are many multi-ethnic diasporas living among us who could be future ministers wherever God will use them for His Kingdom expansion.  We must trust and obey God and share the Gospel through our vertical relationship with God first, then horizontal relationships with others.  

May the stories I share in this blog encourage you in reaching out to people like me who come to this new land from different cultural, religious, and linguistic backgrounds. I look forward to worshipping our Triune God with many multi-ethnic diasporas among the Great Multitudes before His throne. 

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