5 Questions with...Elder David MacRaild

1. How did you first get involved with Friendship Presbyterian? My wife, Yining (怡寧), and I moved from my home, Scotland, to her home, Taiwan, in 2010. I had visited FPC with my dad and brothers during a previous visit. So returning and quickly becoming a member here was an easy decision. I was a recent convert, although I had enough Bible knowledge to know God has called all Christians to participate in the service and community of whichever church they are committed to. After a while, I got to know people and the dynamics of the church. I then began to become more involved by welcoming newcomers as I had been welcomed.  

2. What do you do Monday through Saturday? I am a Taiwanese artist’s full-time technician. I work in his studio in Guishan (龜山). My boss, the artist Tu Wei Cheng (涂維政), is a teacher at Taipei National University of the Arts, so he needs someone to manage his studio, make new works, restore old ones, and prepare/install works for exhibition or sale. Much of the work is sculptural and mimics the aesthetic of relics or antiques. I am a mold-maker, by trade, and am experienced in casting multiple materials, which is useful for this current position. 

3. What is something people might be surprised to know about you? Although I am from Scotland, I cannot play the bagpipes. 

4. What do you find most challenging about being a Christian today? Lately, I have thought much about observing the Sabbath. With so many distractions at hand, the need to rest from our normal work is great. God has invited us into His rest and we should respond by acknowledging that we are not saved by our works and achievements but by His grace in Jesus. God has literally made time for us, so why do I find it so hard to make time for Him? 

5. What is your favorite book of the Bible? I would like to nominate two books which are both close to my heart. God used them to speak to me as I neared the point of conversion. First is the Book of Job, where I learnt that God is almighty and I am not. His plan is perfect and his promise is good, no matter what I think or say. Then, in the Gospel of Matthew, I learnt anew the truth of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection, and how the gospel is key to the fulfilling of God's promise.