From Death to Life, Ching Tai

Before I give my testimony of how I began meeting with the local church and was introduced to the ministry of Watchman Nee and Witness Lee, I'd like to say something about myself. All my words are just a testimony of the exceedingly great mercy and grace of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I grew up in Taiwan, was raised up in Chinese culture and all its ethical teachings, and was top in my class from elementary school all the way through to my masters degree. Apparently, I was doing really well in my life, but inwardly the sense of emptiness and vanity was eating up my being. I believed that something called love exists, but I also believed that I did not have any capacity to love. I did not want to live past twenty-five years of age. In a real sense, I gave up my desire to live.

Then the Lord found me and reached me through the brothers and sisters meeting with the church in Taipei. They told me that there was a meeting for the graduate students somewhere near my house. I went there by myself, not knowing anyone, and they did not know that I would go. It was a really small meeting--only three other students and one couple. I went there just to check it out. I did not want to commit to anything, and I did not think that I would go back again. However, there was something real that captured my heart. Seemingly they were just normal graduate students like me, but when they shared about their daily life with the Lord Jesus Christ the reality was there, and I had never experienced it before. So I went to the meetings again and again. I couldn't describe my feeling, but after each meeting I just sensed light, life, and full satisfaction.

Since then I began to meet with the local church in Taipei and shepherded by the believers there for about two and a half years. Then the Lord opened the way for me to study at the University of California in Los Angeles and He even arranged everything for me to live with some Christian sisters there. It was not easy to be in a foreign country and try to communicate in a foreign language, especially for someone who had never left home before. I still remember the pains and pressures, and the homesickness, and the countless tears shed in the dark of night. But after two years stayin with the church in L.A. the only thing I can say is, “ I am so happy in this lovely place!” L.A. has become my other home--not because of the comfortable American life style, but because of the love and caring of the dear brothers and sisters in the local church.

Besides fellowshipping with brothers and sisters in the local church, I praise and thank the Lord, and will always be grateful that the Lord introduced me to Watchman Nee and Witness Lee's ministry. Not long after I started to meet with the local church, I started to read books from their ministry. Within six months or so, I finished the whole set of the Life-Study of Genesis. As a person particularly trained in mathematics, I could not tolerate anything that is not logical. Yet I have to testify that when I read the Life-Study of Genesis, I was not only nourished spiritually, but all the questions concerning the meaning of human existence, and even all the questions concerning the Bible itself, were made clear to me. Furthermore, by the help of the ministry I started to know and to learn the will of God concerning me, including the route He led me on. It has been more than five years since I was brought under this ministry. I have to testify that by the help of this ministry, I love our Lord Jesus Christ much more every day. His heart's desire--to gain His cooperate expression, the reality of the Body of Christ-- is more precious to me every day. I have found the meaning and the reality of my life--to do His will in this age for the accomplishment of His heart's desire.