A Typical Market Family
16/08/2011 9:00 am <>
The first time I met the three Lai girls was four years ago. They were about 3, 4 and 6 years old and came with their father, Mr.Lai, to a park carnival which we held in the market area. With his red-stained betel nut lips the father was obviously right in our target group, the simple working class people. In a talk with one of our coworkers he said, “I’ve been in this market area for 20 years, but this is the first time someone has run an event like this for our community.” He really liked the activities, the fun and the skit about creation. A few days later I met him again in the park and he told me, “If my three daughters want to become Christians, they can. For me, I can’t become a Christian, because I am a Buddhist, I need to continue the ancestor worship.” Well, at least the first half of that statement makes a missionary’s heart really happy!
In the following weeks and months we got to know them better. The father sold pineapple in the market. His wife came from Vietnam and could hardly speak Chinese. His old mother sells fruit right at the park. She speaks only Taiwanese and it always sounds as if she is yelling at me! The three girls came to our Saturday park ministry which we began after the carnival. I often noticed how dirty they were and it was quite obvious that they were not used to obeying any rules. Amazing, how sweet and yet how very naughty those little girls could be! After several months things got worse for them: the mother returned to Vietnam, taking the youngest one with her. Was it because she found her life in Taiwan too hard or because she didn’t bear any sons and was sent away? I don’t know. But my heart went out to the two remaining motherless girls. They were obviously very much in need of love and hugs. When I went on home assignment I kept the Lai girls in my heart. Whenever I spoke to groups of children I told them their story and asked them to pray for the Lai girls. And they did pray.
After I returned to Taiwan last year, the Lai girls were gone! I couldn’t find the father or grandmother and rumor had it they were in a different market in the county now. They were lost to me.
And then the most amazing thing happened! We again had a carnival in the market park, and who do I see? The grandmother with the second girl. The girl was so happy to see me, and I was, too. The grandmother is back to her former fruit stall!
The next day we took our short-term team to the park and had a house church service, right opposite the temple, next to grandmother’s fruit stall. Now all THREE girls were there, just 3 years older! It was a great reunion. As the short termers together with Wayne and Angela Chen were singing, reading the Bible and having communion, the girls sat next to me and asked many questions about what was happening. “What are they doing? What does this feel like? Where is God? How can we pray?” In a low voice I explained everything to them and I taught them how to pray to God. That truly was a holy moment.
How will this story continue? I don’t know, but I know that God is reaching out to these girls and I wouldn’t be surprised at all if they all became Christians.
Kerstin Richter - Chiayi
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