5 Questions With...Joanna Cheng

1. How did you first get involved with Friendship Presbyterian? I used to attend the Mandarin service in Hsin-Yi FPC in Taipei for a while but was not involved in their activities, except for attending a few sessions of Sunday school. When I met a new Christian friend from my hometown, Manila, who was looking for an English-speaking church in Taiwan, I brought her to the FPC English service. After attending for a few Sundays, since I was not yet a member at the Mandarin service, I decided to stay in the English service. I have been attending FPC for quite some time now and it is a wonderful privilege to be a member of this church.

2. What do you do Monday through Saturday? I work as an export sales secretary in a manufacturing company located in Hsinchuang district. The company specializes in producing industrial machines and spare parts. My job basically involves writing emails to foreign customers and arranging shipments. I sometimes help create an electronic catalogue of our products using software like Photoshop, Paintbrush, and Microsoft Excel. I also get to help in assembling spare parts once in a while.

3. What is something people might be surprised to know about you? People often mistake me for a pure Filipina, but I am actually half Chinese and I can understand Mandarin and a little Taiwanese language.

4. What do you find most challenging about being a Christian today? For me, the most challenging part of being a Christian is to wake up really early in the morning to spend time with God before going to work. One important truth I have learned lately about spending time with God in the morning is that when I give God the first part of my day, it is like giving Him the first fruits of my crops. I also believe morning is an ideal time to spend with God before other things invade my mind. If I spend enough time with God in the morning, I can handle whatever comes my way throughout the day with His grace.

5. What is your favorite book of the Bible? My favorite book of the Bible now is Romans because I have just finished studying this book at BSF recently, and I have also been listening to the pastor’s preaching for the past 8 months. I found that there were so many wonderful biblical truths that I have overlooked before. One of the truths I learned is from Rom. 12:3. It says that even our faith, the very thing that enables us to commune with God, is itself a gift from God. It is also written in Rom. 9:18 that God has mercy on anyone He wishes to, and He makes stubborn anyone He wishes to. This truth changed my perception of the secular world, especially when trying to share the gospel. It shows me that I have no right to judge or look down on the unbelieving world, because I am no better than them. Left to myself, I am just as capable of sin as anybody else, given the right circumstances. The only difference is that I have been saved by God’s grace, and His power enables me to overcome temptation. So instead of judging, I should learn to have compassion on those who do not know Christ.

Vern Poythress Visits FPC

We are excited to announce that this Sunday and next, June 10th and 17th, we will have a special opportunity here at FPC. Renowned theologian and teacher, Dr. Vern Poythress and his wife, Dr. Diane Poythress, are visiting Taiwan and Vern will be giving an hour-long talk at 1:15pm, both Sundays, on the 7th floor of the 261 Roosevelt Road building. He will also be delivering the Sunday message on the 17th. (Jump to the bottom of this article for a brief video clip of Dr. Poythress.)

Dr. Poythress earned a B.S. in Mathematics from California Institute of Technology, where he was class valedictorian, and a Ph.D. in mathematics from Harvard University. He completed an M.Div. at Westminster Theological Seminary as well as a Th.M. in apologetics. He has received an M.Litt. in New Testament from Cambridge University and a Th.D. in New Testament from the University of Stellenbosch in South Africa. He has also served on the Translation Oversight Committee for the ESV Bibles that sit in our pews.

We encourage you to make time to attend his Sunday, June 10th meeting. Naturally, we think you will be enriched by both talks, but Sunday afternoon schedules are often filled with activity. So, if you can carve out time for just one of the two talks, make it the one on the 10th. 

There are two good reasons for this. First, if you like what you hear on the 10th, you will still have the option of coming back for more on the 17th! Second, the topic for the meeting of the 10th will have more of a practical focus (Studying the Bible in God's Presence) and will likely be a better "starter" talk than the one scheduled for the 17th (Christ in Leviticus), though we are equally excited about both. You are welcome to bring your lunch for both of the talks. 

The chance to personally "sit at the feet" of Dr. Poythress is an enriching opportunity that few have. For those who attended any of the marvelous lectures by Dr. Sinclair Ferguson here at FPC last fall, be assured that Dr. Poythress is a "Ferguson-level" teacher (some might even say that Dr. Ferguson is a "Poythress-level" teacher!).

To whet your appetite, here is a short video of Dr. Poythress giving an introduction to one of the most challenging books of the Bible, the Book of Revelation. Hope to see you on the 10th!
 

5 Questions With...Patricia Tsai

1. How did you first get involved with Friendship Presbyterian? A “long time ago,” when I had just moved back to Taipei from Holland, I was looking for an international church where I could meet people with different cultural backgrounds and grow together in Christ. David and Linda Ludwig fed me with delicious cakes and spiritual food as well, helping me to understand the difference between "serving" and “being served.” At that time, I was involved with the greeting team, ushering, deaconship, and planning outdoor activities. Friendship felt like my home. That was all “a long time ago.” Now, in 2018, after having been away for almost 8 years (living in Germany), I have come back to Friendship because it still feels like my home. 
 
2. What do you do Monday through Saturday? I work at an IT company and am in charge of the European market. If there are no urgent issues, it is quiet and relaxing in the morning. However, in the afternoon, when the Europeans start to work, I am a bit tightly wound, talking to customers, and jumping from meeting to meeting. Very often, I look forward to the weekend and wish to go hiking right away. Saturday is my hiking day. Mountains and nature give me new strength and regenerate me. Thanks be to God for his awesome creation!
 
3. What is something people might be surprised to know about you? I am not tall, but I walk much faster than tall people! 
 
4. What do you find most challenging about being a Christian today? Working at a Christian company in which 30% of the employees are Christian, I need to work even harder to prove that my achievement is not coming from some kind of "special relationship." As the only Christian in my biological family, my behavior is my witness to Christ. Because of that, I need to pay extra attention to not losing my temper when there is an argument. 
 
5. What is your favorite book of the Bible? The Psalms and the Book of Exodus are my favorite books of the Bible. Exodus shows me God’s love and mercy. Very often, the Israelites complained and were rebellious when they cried out to God. But God was slow to anger and had mercy on them. The Psalms teach me how to pray to and praise the Lord.