Yuqi grew up in the Wanhua district of Taipei, a place filled with temples to Chinese gods. As a boy, he absorbed the faith in these gods that surrounded him. At the same time, his family was of limited means, and he envied the things his classmates could afford. This lead him to steal. One day a shopkeeper saw that he was about to steal and threatened to tell his parents and school. Yuqi ran home terrified and prayed to every god he had ever heard of to protect him from the shame of being exposed. Yet he received no comfort.
Chinese people turn to their gods because they want good luck, health, success in business, or other material blessings. None of these gods are known for dealing with the problem of sin, or taking our guilt and shame away.
Then one day a friend took Yuqi to the fellowship for high school students at his church. There Yuqi heard for the first time that Jesus died to save sinners, including thieves like him. He turned to the Lord Jesus Christ in faith and has never looked back.
From there Yuqi became an engineer. In Taiwan, engineers are highly respected and earn good money. So, after growing up in poor circumstances, he “made it” in worldly terms. But now, in the middle of his life, he has chosen to give this up to have a far less lucrative second career as a pastor.
MCN mission partners Pastor Michael Lockwood and Pastor Steve Oliver met Yuqi when he applied to China Lutheran Seminary in Hsinchu, Taiwan – the only all-Mandarin-speaking Lutheran seminary in the world and the school where they are both professors. Yuqi has decided he wants to preach the Good News and study pastoral ministry so that he can share with as many people as he can the grace, forgiveness, and hope we have in Jesus.
Please pray for Yuqi and his wife Wanping and for their fellow students at China Lutheran Seminary as they seek to bring the Good News to the people of Taiwan.