Stories from the Field

November 2004

Christ-Sighting in Taiwan

By Sydney Venable
University of Nevada Reno

When I first met Ai (Tawianese for “auntie”) in the extremely poor village of Ang Mng Kang, Taiwan, she could not stand up on her own strength. We had to lend the arms and muscle of three missionaries to just get her into the cab that was to take her to the hospital. She was suffering from stomach infections and sclerosis of the liver. Every day her life literally hung in the balance. Ai was a believer, but struggling in her faith.

Ai was the Mary Magdeline with a touch of alcoholism in her village. And just as with Mary, Jesus came down, touched Ai, and saved her by His grace. He drove out her alcoholism and took a harlot as His perfect bride. Ai was the first believer to be baptized in Ang Mng Kang, a village of roughly 5,000.

Now, however, Ai was in the hospital, fighting off her illnesses. My supervisor, Terrie, asked me if I wanted to go with her to visit Ai one afternoon. When we arrived at the hospital, Terrie and Ai talked for a while before Terrie pulled cleaning wipes and massage oil out of her bag. “Sydney, would you like to help me?” I didn’t know exactly what to do, but Terrie reassured me and told me to just follow her lead.

We proceeded to wipe Ai’s legs and feet with the cloth to clean them. Then we massaged them with oil to increase her circulation while praying for God to heal her. All of a sudden the Lord gave me His eyes and began to whisper into my heart. This woman who was considered untouchable by even her Christian brothers and sisters, was Christ (Galatians 2:20). I was washing and anointing Christ’s feet with precious oil, just like Martha’s sister, Mary in the Bible! Then I realized that I was Christ to her as well. I was a stranger to her, but I was granted the privilege of serving her...Christ’s bride (Matthew 20:28). I could not help but cry right there in the hospital. God’s Spirit rose up inside of me to pray for healing in a faith that I had never touched before. A few weeks later Ai was walking around Ang Mng Kang again and decided for the first time in a few months to attend the small Bible study that the Hokkien Harvet ministry team had started there.

Currently, Ai is still battling with her health, but God provides for her through His word, His Spirit, missionaries like Terrie, and the Hokkien Harvest team. Please pray for her healing trusting that it is the Lord’s desire to make her well. God is holding His hand over the unreached nations of the world just waiting to pour out his grace upon their inhabitants. All we have to do is be faithful to ask for His glory’s sake.