After 1 hour and 40 minutes on the HSR (it was like riding on a rocket) we arrived in Kaohsiung and Lisa and her husband Dr. Ma and their daughter Wendy picked us up from the station. (Eldest daughter Tina is studying Medicine in Shanghai so wasn’t there) Lisa came to Chch with her two Children in about 1997 and was baptised in our Church soon after that. She was part of one of the home groups that Becky and I led, and we were often in her home in Burnside. Her daughters Tina and Wendy, then about 7 and 4 were really lots of fun, mum described them as a couple of ‘little monkeys’. They have now grown up into lovely young women and look so different. (When she is not studying Tina draws cartoons, has her own website, and sells these cartoons online, and has also published a book of her cartoons. She is very gifted, and has fans in Korea, Japan, Taiwan and Hong Kong. I will find out her website address and let you know.) Lisa was a real joy in our Church, always cooking treats for the group, always so positive, and helpful. Lisa works here as a Dentist, and Dr Ma is a senior Dr. in a large hospital here.
When we entered the restuaraunt for Lunch we were surrounded by familiar faces;
it was great to catch up with Lilly and her husband and daughter Yvonne. Lilly and Yvonne were in our Church from about 1997-2000, and were part of our Church while Llly’s husband was in Taiwan. At that time he was not a Christian but has since put is faith in Jesus and been baptised and now for the past 2 years has been working full time in their Church in Administration. Lilly is also very involved in serving in their Church; an Independent, local Church. While in Chch, Lilly was one of our precious Sunday School teachers and was a real blessing to our Church. Yvonne is now at University majoring in English. If you remember her in Sunday School you will remember she was such a lovely young girl, well…… she has grown up and is now a lovely young woman. Yvonne was Baptised in our Church, along with her good friend Cathy who is now studying in Australia.
Joy and her 3 children Jenny, Jane and Mark (Mark was having an exam today so could not join us for Lunch) came to Chch in 1997. They started coming to our Church and Joy became a Christian and was baptised in our Church, as was Jenny a little later along with her father. Joy was a real blessing in our Home Group, always so honest and open and lovely. Her children were really lovely and they still are. Jenny is now in her second year studying medicine in Yang-min Medical University in Taipei. Jane and Mark are students. (Look how tall they all are!) For those of you who taught Jenny, Jane and Mark in our Sunday School you will be so pleased to see what lovely young adults they have become. Joy’s husband is a Dr. in Tainan. When Joy moved her family back to Taiwan in 2000 it was so sad to see them leave. At that time so many from our Church moved back to Asia or over to Australia…. it was really sad for me as a Pastor to see so many dear friends and brothers and sisters leave. But it is so great now to catch up with them again, and see how they still miss our Church.
Wendy and her son Charles are also in the photo above. I will tell you all about them tomorrow, along with the other big group of friends who came to visit us in the afternoon at Wendy’s home.
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