How Michelle Ko Became A Missionary to Africa

How many Taiwanese young women (or men) do you know who are willing to forsake all and follow Jesus--to Africa. Now Africa is a wonderful place and every year we meet new students from Africa who enrich us in many ways. But can you imagine being a young single woman going off on your own to a far away place to care for children affected by AIDS? This is Michelle Ko whom we have supported as a missionary for many years. For the next six months she is on home assignment, and she is volunteering at the church to reach out to members, newcomers, small groups and to raise our vision for global missions. Let me introduce her to you in her own words:

How I became a Christian?

“I was a very rebellious teenager. I left home without telling my parents and ran away from my home city. I went to A Li Mountain and lived there for a year. I lived in a temple with some monks. I was ready to become a Buddhist monk.

While I was preparing to be a monk, I was travelling to the Buddhist school ready to be shaved. I met the first Christian in my life during a three hour bus journey. He shared the gospel with me. To make a long story short---it took me two years of being in and out of the church, reading the Bible and thinking about life before I became a Christian. In the end, it was the Holy Spirit who touched my heart so that I received Jesus as my personal Savior.

Since I was homeless and wandering the streets, an American missionary couple took me into their home. From their life example; I saw joy in serving the Lord. They demonstrated the love of Christ by sharing the gospel with many Taiwanese. They loved and accepted me as I was--a strong-willed, rebellious person. Instead of crushing my spirit they shaped and molded me to be used for His Glory.

How I became a missionary?

After I became a Christian I started thinking:  “What should I do with my life?” Like everyone else, I had a dream to earn big money and to live a comfortable life. As I was setting my life goals and choosing a career, I was aiming to study hotel management. I wanted to live luxurious and glamorous life--- wearing brand name clothing, staying in five-stars hotels, traveling around the world, and meeting celebrities. I had no doubt that I would achieve my goal because I knew I had a gift for business.

But there was a voice in my heart: “Michelle, you are not like everyone else. You are a very special person chosen by God to do His work.  I don’t want you to earn money.  I want you to win lost souls for my name sake.” I struggled and wrestled with God. I asked God,  “Don’t you want me to be happy? If I could have this, this and this I will be very happy!” Then God answered me in His gentle voice: The happiness you are looking for from worldly possessions and wrong relationships will only give you temporary satisfaction. If you trust me and follow my lead I can promise you that you will have the kind of happiness which is not from the world’s wealth but a joy that lasts till eternity.

Here are two verses which have helped me: Things which are seen are temporary, but the things which are not seen are eternal (2 Corinthians 4:18). Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also (Matthew 6:21).

Connecting with Michelle

Michelle worked for years in Kenya, Africa among children who were affected by the epidemic of AIDS. She also shared the gospel in various ways. The past two years she worked in Australia to recruit younger people for short and long term mission service.

If you want to contact Michele to explore what it means to be a Christian, or to be helped in your growth in Christ, feel free to contact her at michelle.ko@sim.org. Tel: 0905137552. Also Michelle raises support to be a missionary with SIM. She has never had full support. Our church is one of her main supporters. Perhaps some of you would like to help with her support. If so contact her directly to learn more on how you can be a partner her in ministry. 

Easter Hope, Andreas Lubitz, Drew Pinsky and Katrina’s Testimony

In Taiwan, the only international news programs that are accessible are CNN and BBC. A popular commentator on CNN is Dr. Drew Pinsky. He is an attractive spokesman for the medical, psychiatric community. He offers some helpful insights into people's psychological condition and reveals properly that there are frequently medical, physiological reasons for psychotic behavior that led to Andreas Lubitz downing of the Germanwings flight. These conditions frequently require medications that can be helpful, but by themselves will not solve the deeper problems.

What will never be said in these programs is the role that human sin plays in these events. There are many unanswered questions about Lubitz’ motivation. Was it simply psychotic behavior? To what degree was he frustrated, angry with aspects of Germanwings corporate culture? Seemingly he was anxious that his psychological disorder would likely never permit him to be a senior pilot for an international airline. How much did anger, anxiety, self-pity nursed over many years exacerbate the medical condition for which he was being treated? Only the Lord knows and so restraint is needed when accessing the situation.

But there is a problem when a culture lacks a doctrine of sin. It can lead to a naive diagnosis of the problem of our humanity (“it’s simply a medical condition”),  and leaves us without the Biblical resources to deal with the deepest cause of our problems which is our rebellion toward God and insistence on making life work on our own terms. Without the diagnosis and remedy for sin, things just happen. It also leaves people ultimately without hope. We wander through life aimlessly and blind. People need more than a medical diagnosis and a medication. They need a sense that life has meaning--now and forever, and a hope that we can be saved from the sins and weaknesses that all of us struggle with.

Two Sundays ago, Katrina Shen shared her testimony of how she came to Christ. She is a brilliant Taiwanese woman who graduated from a prestigious university in England. She grew up in a traditional religious home in Taiwan that offered her no meaning for life. She decided to go into psychology thinking that perhaps if she could understand human personality better it would provide insight into the meaning of life. It did not. She realized that while she better understood human personality, it did not answer the larger questions of who made us, and why are we here on this earth. She was in despair.

At the same time, she was meeting intelligent Christians who began to shatter her image of Christianity. And then she went to Nice, France and met a brilliant young woman who was a Christian. This young woman (as in Pascal's wager) said,  "Why don't you try Jesus." So she did. She said immediately there came a new peace into her life. When she came to Taiwan she said nature itself seemed more beautiful and alive. She met Christians who grounded her in the faith both in England and Taiwan, and today she is a bright and shining witness of the power of the resurrection.

This is something that Dr. Drew will never be able to offer his patients and it saddens me. But on the last two Sundays, we were able to celebrate the resurrection which tells us that while we are sinners we have the hope of being rescued and healed through the cross and the resurrection of Jesus. The famous painting above shows Peter and John rushing with anticipation to the tomb to see if the rumor that Jesus is alive is true. May all of us rush to the empty tomb to find real and lasting hope for our lives, and our culture.

Before You Make Your Next Big Move

One of my most important jobs as a pastor is to help people find a good church when they move. Here’s why:

These are some of my recent conversations. One couple was going to move to Europe. He was going first, and she was going to follow later. They said, “Can you recommend a good church?”  I told them they needed to find an evangelical church (ideally reformed) that was welcoming, focused on outreach (a key indicator of health), and able to ground people in the gospel.

I asked them if they had found housing yet.  He said they had something temporary. We agreed that was good because the church shouldn’t be too far away (otherwise their participation would be limited). So we came up with a game plan. We agreed to look for good churches together and then they would look for more permanent housing.

Then I had this conversation with my brother-in-law. He mentioned that his daughter and son-in-law lived in Boston. It’s been a terrible winter—one of the worst ever. It’s also incredibly expensive. They thought of moving because of the cold and expense. But they had decided to stay because they had found a warm, energetic, evangelical church where they had gotten connected with friends, and were able to serve and grow in Christ.

And then I remembered  a young couple in another church years ago. They were building their young family on Jesus, and the Word in a vibrant community of faith. They were fairly young believers. He was offered a job with more money in a city a couple of hours away. Two years later they came back. They said they missed the church, hadn’t been able to connect well, and it was more valuable for them to have a good church, take a pay cut then to become spiritually apathetic.

This week I saw a news story in NPR News. The article was how often high achieving students from  low income families living in small towns often don’t apply to elite colleges.  However, the article focused on an exception to the rule. It mentioned Kristen Perez who grew up in the small town of Celina, Texas. Most of the community were migrant workers.

The family actually hosted a small Pentecostal church out of their home. It was Spanish language Pentecostal. Kristen’s father would lead worship on his red electric guitar. Kristen played bass and her sister played the drums. Her mother, Sandy, sat on the front row.

While many low-income families would never think of applying to an elite college, Kristen was an exception. She applied to and was accepted at Dartmouth College. With scholarships, she will only pay around $5,000. But here is the last line of the article, “The first thing Sandy Perez did when she heard her daughter had been accepted was to look up churches in the area for Kristen to attend. She found one!”

Three cheers for Sandy. She knows over the long haul what will be more important than going to a prestigious school is continuing to  grow in Christ and making him lord of every aspect of your life. The Lord never intended for us to “go it alone.”  He died partly to create a community of people focused on Himself and His Word. It’s one of God’s gifts to help us keep first things first in our lives. When you think you might make a move, stop by my office or call and let’s help you find a good church first.