Here in Kaohsiung we have been staying in a 5 star homestay with Dr. Chang and Wendy and their son Charles. Wendy and Charles were in our Church from 1997 to 2001. Dr. Chang continued to work in Taiwan and would come to visit from time to time.
Wendy was invited to our Church by Joseph and Susan Chang who worked for an Immigration company which helped Wendy immigrate. (Joseph is now a Pastor in Melbourne.) She started coming to our Church because life in Chch was a bit quiet, (you know… nothing to do…) and so that young Charles could find some friends. She was a sincere Buddhist, and in the beginning would not come into the Sunday Worship service, instead she sat at the back of the Sunday School reading her Buddhist Scriptures. But slowly, gradually, Wendy became more and more open to the Gospel and after a few months was Baptised in our Church. (It is a long story so if you meet Wendy you can ask her to tell you.) Wendy joined the Home Group that Becky and I led and we got to know her really well. Wendy has the spiritual gift of teaching… as well as other gifts, and after returning to Kaohsiung she got a Masters Degree in counselling from the Theological College here. She is a member of the Bread of Life Church and leads a Home Group in her home. Wendy has been a wonderful hostess to Becky and I, very warm, and very joyful.
Charles was a lot of fun when he was in our Church, very talkative, and a little ‘tiao-pi’. All the Sunday School teachers will remember him well!! Meeting him again now as an 18 year old has been great. He is a warm, friendly, confident ,nice young man. He is in High School, and is also involved in the Bread of Life Church. He plays the guitar well and sings really nicely, and is a really clever well balanced young man.
Dr. Chang is a specialist Dr here in the area of Hyper-baric Medicine, and he has been working in the Navel General Hospital for the past 26 years since he graduated from Medical School. We have really appreciated his kindness in hosting us, in his beautiful home.
I must tell you about their home. Next, next door they have a very famous neighbor; guess who?
Chen Sui-bin the ex President of Taiwan.!!! (No one is more loved AND more hated in Taiwan than Chen Sui-bin.) Guess what number his house is???? Here is a photo of the front door of his building; (Charles wondered where all that gold on the doors had come from…..haha)
This is a view from the top of Wendy’s building;
Tonight we went to Gaang-saan (half an hour from Kaohsiung) to see more friends there. Here in Wang Lao-shi’s living room you will see; Eric Wang’s parents Spencer Wang (Wang Lao-shi) and his wife Liao Lao-shi. Wang Lao-shi and his wife have been part of our Church for many years, but not always in Chch. Wang lao-shi led our Cantonese Congregation Choir for a couple of years, and they all miss him very much. His elderly mother is not well, and they are taking care of her now. You will also see Amber’s parents Mr. and Mrs. Hsu and Amber’s Grandfather. They wee in Chch for Amber and Adrian’s wedding a few years ago. You will also see Su Lao-shi and her daughter Candy.
Here is Su Lao-shi, Candy and son William. (Older sister Cindy who is doing her masters degree was in class, so could not join us for the lovely dinner.) William (Bill) is now working as an apprentice technician for an orthodontist. Candy has not been so well but looked really good tonight. She is taking a break from school, but will be back into her studies soon. Su Lao-shi is a teacher here in Taiwan. Su Lao-shi and her husband moved their family to NZ in about 1997. Su lao-shi was not always in Chch as she continued her work in Taiwan, but all the Children went to school in NZ and they and their father were part of our Church. Sadly her husband got very ill and passed away in 2001. Su Lao-shi then moved her family back to Taiwan, but she has kept in very close contact with our Church. (She is Amber’s Auntie.) When our Church was building and decorating our new Church Building, Su Lao-shi was a tremendous help, she was our “purchasing agent” here in Taiwan. She helped us get so many things we needed for our new building, spending a lot of time and energy to help, as well as being very generous to our Church. We shipped all her purchases over in a container. So next time in our Church you hold a bowl or chopsticks in your hands, remember Su lao-shi and her family.
We had a very lovely Japanese dinner, but there was one dish……… well I have never seen it before. Su Lau-shi said it had been brought in from Africa……….. do you believe that?
Have a look; A “Black Boned Chicken”. Yum!!!!
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