To Taiwan and the Surrounding Nations

by Deborah Yao August 16, 2015

What would make a mild-mannered man from Malaysia serve in a far corner of the world?

For Moses W, it started with a tug on his heart from the Lord at the age of 18. “I grew up in an idol-worshipping family. By God’s grace, my eldest brother accepted Christ first and gave me a Bible. From time to time, I would pick up the Bible and try to read and understand it. I was always wondering if there was a God who existed ‘somewhere’,” he said. “When I was 18, my eldest brother invited me to a Christian youth camp. Every evening, the preacher preached on the Gospel of John, and I was touched by the Holy Spirit and the word of God. I accepted Christ during the last night of the youth camp.”

That was 26 years ago. Today, Moses and his wife, Eunice, with their kids Clement and Chloe, serve as global partners in Taipei, Taiwan. The country’s 23 million inhabitants are mostly Buddhists or Taoists. Only a small percentage identifies as Christian. The nation—or territory, as China calls it—might have the comforts of a developed economy but most people are in spiritual darkness.

The Ws were called to Taiwan in 2013. Moses was the Tenth International Fellowship director. They moved to Taipei as Moses was completing his doctorate in hermeneutics at Westminster Theological Seminary. In Taiwan, he teaches Old Testament, hermeneutics, and Hebrew at a seminary. He also preaches at Reformed church plants and the couple provides premarital counseling. Eunice teaches adult and children’s Sunday school.

“In the midst of all kinds of false teachings, I cannot stress enough the importance of sound theological training for the next generation of pastors and church leaders,” Moses wrote. Moreover, the Ws became involved in the planting of a reformed church there, and God began adding to the congregation so much that they began looking for a bigger space to rent. An additional blessing was a policy by the Taiwanese government that allows certain Christian organizations to visit schools to share the Christmas message with students, in which Moses participates.

God continues to use them mightily, not just in Taiwan but now also in surrounding nations. Eunice said, “First, since we are in Asia, we have great opportunities to serve in other Asian countries. Moses has the privilege to be invited to teach in a few places in China, and one seminary in Korea. There are also many opportunities for us to minister in Malaysia, Indonesia and Singapore.” “Second, we found that we can contribute a lot to the seminary and churches around us. Moses preaches regularly at those newly planted Reformed churches and administers communion. He is also invited to get involved in other church planting efforts in Taipei and other cities.”

Living in Taipei has its challenges. “As for our daily life, it is difficult to face a new culture, language, cuisine, weather and unfamiliar surroundings. We had hoped that coming to Taiwan would be a relatively easier adjustment for us given the fact that we are Asians, and that we speak Mandarin, the main language used in Taiwan,” Eunice said. “However, the real adjustments in Taipei have been very challenging. We have problems understanding the Taiwanese because Chinese culture is very private and not transparent. It is difficult to know how they think and what they like because what they tell us could be something totally different from what they really think or feel inside.”

The Ws request that you remember their family in prayer. Pray especially for Moses’ increased workload at the seminary as more students enroll, and also his role in church planting. They also will homeschool their children, Clement and Chloe, this fall. Also, please pray for the children’s allergies. Their reaction to dust mites, dust and the humidity causes itchiness, respiratory problems, rashes and sleep disturbances. Finally, pray for wisdom in parenting and for their children’s faith. “We want to prepare them to be able to face all the challenges and ungodliness of the world to become ambassadors of Christ to their friends,” Eunice said.

The work of Moses and Eunice W and our other global partners is funded by the Outreach budget.

 

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