SISTER CHEN CHING-WAN

         I was baptized in Taiwan in the year 1983, six months later I came to America. Previously I considered myself an intellectual atheist. Later I had a brother who was a good-for-nothing gambler, and because of him I attended a [Full Gospel Church], this church was established by a Korean pastor who was sent by Rev. Paul Chow Yong Ji. I saw signs and wonders in that church, the sick were healed and the demon-possessed got delivered. I was converted and baptized in that church.

         When I first came to America, I attended a Baptist church and other churches, where I did not see any miracles happened like what happened in Full Gospel Church. For the past two years, when I joined in Amy’s ministry, I saw how sister Amy ministers to the poor with her whole heart and soul, and again I see signs and wonders happening here in this place, and I was deeply touched.

         I thought if I want to see God’s glory, it has to be in the midst of these people who are the outcasts of society. It is very obvious to see God manifested His power in the midst of them, that is the reason why I come here every Thursday.

         Later on my brother was converted, nevertheless he was still in bondage over the past 20 years, he was not yet been delivered. As his sister, I know God allowed this thing to happen for a good purpose, He wanted us to learn spiritual lesson. When I came to this place, I saw God’s mercy and deliverance in these people who were once under the power of darkness, I urgently wanted the same thing to happen to my brother.

          Later through my joining the ministry here, God had delivered my brother from the bondage of sin this year. He was filled with the Holy Spirit powerfully and repented from his sins, finally he also decided to come and minister to the homeless people here. In the past, when he was still under the bondage of sins. All our family members thought he deserves to go to hell, no one wanted to accept him.

        Now that this prodigal son has come back, Father God had received him, put the ring upon his finger and the robe on him. I realized how great is God’s mercy and love. I see all the amazing works that God has done through Amy, although sometimes she would lose her temper, but on the whole, she still has patience in large extent in ministering to the homeless community.

        God’s love drives away all criticism and the pointing of fingers. In our family, we see how the Lord loves and accepts my brother, and so we all learn to love and accept him too. As my brother is a mirror to me, I also learn to love and accept the unlovable people that we minister to. In serving others, I found out that I am the one who derives so much benefit from the many lessons that I had learned. My relationship with God has drawn closer, and I know better what God’s desires are and knowing the things that I am doing please Him brings me immense joy and fulfillment.

        Here in this place I witness many wonders and miracles, as I had seen in the Full Gospel Church in Taiwan. I saw those people changed and transformed when the Spirit of God came upon them powerfully, how they confessed their sins and repented, and sometimes said things that really moved us. Then I realized how one suffers under the power of darkness, but once they got saved through God’s grace, they are out of darkness into the wonderful light.

         Sometimes people came to us to confess their sins and wickedness, and we were so shocked that they were capable of committing those heinous sins. For that is the reason why Father God sent His Son Jesus Christ to come down to this earth, that He might shed His blood and died on the cross to redeem us. Since people cannot save themselves when they are in darkness, the Lord opened up a living way for them.

         Those who never experienced this would not realize the impact of the forgiveness of sin. Once they had been forgiven, their love toward God is immeasurable. Where forgiveness is great, the love is greater. It is absolute God’s grace for us to have this opportunity to have a part in this ministry.

         The one thing that makes us so happy is that one or two years ago, when we did not have a place of our own to worship, we worshiped in a small church by permission. When we were not allowed to continue in that church, we co-workers came together to pray earnestly to have a church of our own. All of us, including some were former homeless people, held hands and prayed. To build a church of our own seemed impossible, because we Chinese are more conservative, plus most of us workers are sisters.

         There is an organization in L.A. who does similar ministry as we do; they also train those homeless people into pastors and ministers, and sending them out to preach the gospel and serve others.

         I was thinking we both have similar ministries, but we don’t even have our own church. However, because of our continuous earnest prayers, the Lord had given us this church which had been previously converted from a storage house.

          God wants us Chinese to partake of His worldwide ministry, if we Chinese are just interested in our own church, having an attitude of minding our own business and doing our own things, without caring for other ethnic groups. If we do not step out and reach to others, we cannot see the glory of God, nor will we have God’s blessing.

But if we do things out of love, we will see miracles unfolded before our very eyes. God can use little vessels such as we are to accomplish great things for Him.

          I was born and raised in Taiwan, and had the opportunity to visit China, seeing this atheist and idol-worshipping country, because of the generation curse from our ancestors who worship idols, was being cursed and punished by God. Nevertheless, the gospel has been preached everywhere and in all directions at present in China, the number of believers is increasingly growing at a phenomenal speed. Let us pray that the Lord will expand our horizon to spread God’s Word to all nations, whether Taiwan, China or elsewhere, may God raise up a great evangelistic army.