彩虹小品

By:  Rev. Paul Lai

Translated By: Stephen Li

I Love Yvonne:

Yvonne’s father was a church deacon.  In the early days when the church was constructing its building, he volunteered as construction supervisor.  As a deacon, he very much loved the Lord and loved people, and was an elderly man with spiritual depth.  He was honest and frank, having lost his wife in middle age.  For the sake of four young daughters, he insisted on not remarrying.  I admired him a lot and got along with him very well.  We often did visitation together, and I often went to his home and talked and shared about God’s word.

Every time I visited him, I chose the chair facing the front door, so that when Yvonne returned home from school she would immediately see me.  Every time she returned home, she always glanced at me with a smile.  Her pure and silent smile plucked the strings of my heart.  Sometimes I intentionally delayed my departure just to see her smile.  The moment when our eyes met, it was so romantic!  As time went on our love for one another grew, and the flame of love burned in our hearts.  It was a pity that we did not have the opportunity to be together by ourselves.  I could only silently love her in my heart, and dared not express it openly.  Firstly, her father was strict. Secondly, girls in those days were reserved and conservative, unlike young people today.  Lastly, she was still a student, and was also busy serving as a French tutor. 

Once I waited until she finished tutoring and accompanied her on her way home.  I invited her to dine at a restaurant serving Western food, but she refused, and would only accept a glass of 7-up, pointing out that I just graduated, had not found a job yet, and that I was not rich.  We rarely had the opportunity to be together by ourselves, and did not have time to talk deeply.  We could only chat a little, as she had to rush home, in order not to be reprimanded by her father for returning home late.  I remember one night I waited until Yvonne finished her English night school and accompanied her on her way home.  When we were close to her home, Yvonne suddenly realized that it was the time her father walked his beloved dog.  We immediately took another route, or else we might be discovered by her father and be scolded.  Every time we only had ten to twenty minutes of walking together.  Even though it was not under romantic circumstances, we treasured that very much. 

Chinese people in Cambodia in the sixties were quite conservative.  If a male and female walked together, or if one rode on a bicycle with someone of the opposite gender, people would think they were lovers.  People would gossip that they were dating and discussing marriage.  Therefore, parents would not casually allow their children to date. 

Met with Strong Opposition from Yvonne’s Father:

Over ten years ago, Yvonne and I went to Paris and visited some brothers and sisters whom we had grown up together with.  One of the brothers said to me: “Mr. Low (Yvonne’s father) was very strict, so no one dared to pursue his daughter.  You had the courage and were not afraid of being scolded by him.  Only you had this courage and perseverance, waiting for love to blossom over a long period of time.”  I immediately replied with humour:  “If others had the courage to pursue her, then my pursuit might not have succeeded.  It was because no one else had the courage to pursue her, while I had, so I was able to get her!” 

In fact, her father had scolded me!  As a result, I dared not visit her home for a long time.  One day her father angrily said to me: “My daughter is focusing on her studies, and this is not the right time for romance.  I have asked Yvonne about you.  She said she has no intention of taking you.  (This was because at that time Yvonne was very afraid of her father, and did not dare to admit.)  Do not continue to  unrequited love’ in  At that time I felt really bad and could only leave feeling dejected, not daring to step into her home again.  This was especially so, because just before this incident of being severely rebuked by her father, two pastors had come from the Philippines to Cambodia on a tour, and I brought them to Yvonne’s home as guests.  The two pastors asked me to serve as their tour guide for them to see the palace.  When Yvonne’s elder sister heard that, she kept saying she wanted to come along.  At that time Yvonne was at school.  During the sightseeing tour, the two pastors asked me: “Is she (Yvonne’s sister) your girlfriend?”  Immediately I denied it and said: “No, it’s her younger sister.”  Good grief – her sister also heard that and told her father after she returned home.  After he learned about that, he was furious!  He immediately tried to clarify with Yvonne, and mercilessly rebuked me,

By: Sinn Yos

I met Yvonne in Cambodia. Her father was very close to my cousin. I was invited to her home several times. She gave me a dress as a gift and I wore it for a photo taken alongside my late husband. That was before I was married. I would stay at Yvonne‘s house because she lived in Phnom Penh, which was closer than Ta Kmao to my husband who was courting me at the time. We go back a very long way. She was a very sweet person and a good Christian. She always had a smile on her very pretty face. I will never forget her. She was a very good friend.

LIFE IMPACTS LIFE – KEEP THE TORCH GOING

By: Rev. Paul Lai

 Translated by Stephen Li

My life was deeply impacted over 50 years ago by a missionary couple from North America who were sent to Cambodia by the Christian and Missionary Alliance. The love they manifested and the message they preached greatly encouraged and changed me.  Just as the Bible records Paul’s words to Timothy, this couple greatly influenced me and Yvonne into stepping into this way of full time ministry.

Rev. Thomson’s preaching greatly touched and moved me into experiencing salvation and new birth, into experiencing the joy that came with forgiveness from the Heavenly Father, and into tears of repentance before the Lord.  In 1960, Cambodia no longer allowed American missionaries to stay, so Rev. and Mrs. Thomson had to move to Vietnam to share the gospel, and were later martyred for the gospel, being killed by Viet Cong machine guns.  Their son, after completing his medical studies, continued the heritage of his parents, and became a missionary doctor in Africa.  Rev. Paul Ellison and Rev. Merld Graven were my spiritual counsellors and spiritual fathers, and served in Bible College.  Mrs. Thomson, Mrs. Ellison and Mrs. Graven all taught me piano.   Because of their instruction, I was able to do music evangelism on the streets of Cambodian villages and played accordion in Chinese school in Trinidad, attracting village children to come to hear the gospel.  This was very effective.  Thank the Lord, even though these 3 missionary couples have rested in the Lord, their ministry in Cambodia and among Cambodian refugees in North America bore much fruit.

Another person who impacted me deeply in my ministry is Rev. and Mrs. Gentle Lee.  Thank the Lord, I was able to pioneer and pastor in Ottawa, Canada (1973-1986), due to the fact that Rev. Gentle Lee and the Hong Kong C&MA Hebron Mission sent and supported me.  Rev. and Mrs. Lee were my life exemplars in missions and in nurturing youths toward full time ministry.  Therefore, while at the Ottawa Chinese Alliance Church, I established a Dedication Fellowship, and over time 15 youths dedicated their lives to full time ministry and missions.

Yvonne and I served in OCAC, establishing the church for the Lord with brothers and sisters for 13 years and 8 months.  There were periods of sowing in tears and there were periods of reaping with joy.  By the power of the Gospel, we witnessed so many precious souls released from the power of Satan and enter into the loving care of the Lord.  As their spiritual lives grew, many of these youths then dedicated themselves to the Lord, entered seminary, and are now serving diligently and faithfully both locally and overseas.   We watched as many of these new young believers started sharing the gospel and serving so soon after receiving Jesus as Savior and Lord.   Their vigorous lives and beautiful testimonies were most moving and brought many friends and family members to Christ.  Brothers and sisters of OCAC loved one another and fervently shared the gospel.  In addition to supporting evangelism in neighboring towns and missions overseas, the church sent short-term mission teams to France twice (1979 and 1984), as well as partially supporting the two of us for 6 months as we helped Cambodian churches in California to share the gospel with refugees. 

Because of the influence of God’s faithful servants described above, I gladly followed their footsteps and dedicated my life to the Lord.  Upon entering this life of service, I then continued to imitate them in the way.  Life impacts life.  The passing on of the ministry torch from one to another by sharing the Gospel with lost sheep and pastoring flocks is like providing the nurturing care of a loving father.  This bears much fruit, showing increases of thirty-fold, sixty-fold, or a-hundred-fold, as more and more people can both hear of and experience the sacrificial love of God.

By Yvonne Lai 

Translated by: Agnes K Y Tai 

Dear Father, 

How many times have I picked this pen up wanting to inform you, father, and yet couldn’t put even one word down, being too perturbed that it will hurt your feelings! How amazing! How God has moved me to accept Paul, and following that, He moved Samuelle (younger sister of Yvonne) in the same way to agree to our marriage. I would believe, father, you will no longer object to our marriage?! 

Paul is presently a missionary of the Christian & Missionary Alliance Hebron Church in Hong Kong, serving in Ottawa, the capital city of Canada, where English and French are both used.  He works on thefrontier establishing churches for the Chinese people for amonthly pay of 400 Canadian dollars.  He was introduced by Pastor Philip Teng to Hebron for missionary work. Father, truly I don’t know how to explain this to you, but all I hope is that you will joyfully agree and approve of us, or else I fear I may become quite dejected and also worried! 

In the Western world, a preacher doing holy work is a vocation normally more highly regarded by people in general, the salary also being higher than in SoutheastAsia.  Hence, there is no need for you to worry about our livelihood, and I can get a job as well!   I don’t like living in Paris where everyday everyone works like a ‘donkey’from morning till night — (in Chiuchow dialect ‘donkey’means working extremely hard non-stop daily till late).  I was thinking that it is difficult for those who have never personally experienced it to understand what living in a big city is like.  So often I whole-heartedly thank and praise the Lord for you father, for your life in Phnom Penh is truly under the Grace of God and filled with God’s blessings; you don’t have to work as hard as the people here.  Last Sunday I said to Mrs. Chan that although the weakness of her physique is so evident, yet she keeps on laboring so hard each day. I was so saddenedfor her.  She answered me with a weary smile, “In this big town the living standard is high and everybody works like this, don’t you do the same?” 

Last week I went to Paris for exams and had a chance to stay for a week with Samuelle.   She said to me, “I’m so much happier while you are here!”  So many times Samuelle confided to me that she wanted to stop working as a nanny for others, as she suffered much wrong.  I often said to her, “God will prepare what you need, just stop then!  Don’t let work affect your spirit.”  I hope I can continue to help Samuelle with her living expenses here, so she might be able to finish her studies at ease, for I understand very well that it is difficult for a working student to succeed in her studies.  Although my own intellect is only so-so, I continue to thank God all the time.  I ask God only to give me a pure, clean heart so that I may always live in the Lord’s love.  Living for the Lord with a pure heart is good enough, don’t you agree?  I very much wish that you will not be angry with me when you receive this letter, but rather that you understand me and guide me, or else I may become so fretful, for I have always been a good and very obedient child!  I am also a good girl who loves you, father, the most. 

 Madame Blah (mother of Rev ? wife’s godmother) is still bed-ridden in illness, and every night I’m sleeping right next to her bed so that when she needs anything at anytime I get up to serve her.  That’s why I said I am busy from morning until late with her and caring for her.  She said I am her super-capable servant, providing nursing, cooking, and doing household chores… that’s why I have not rested since the exams are finished.  I’m a little tired, yet body and spirit are quite fine, so please don’t worry! I’ll be going to Paris to see Samuelle this coming Saturday again.  We are so happy when we meet up!  

The writing is done, and I’ll now be rushing out to post this letter – please give my regards to Uncle and Shalom to our relatives. 

Daughter Yvonne   June 10, 1973

By:  Rose Yu 

Translator: Agnes K Y Tai

We are thankful, beloved Mrs. Lai, that the passion, commitment and purpose of the great commission in sharing the gospel is again lucidly presented to the brothers and sisters at Newbern Memorial Chinese Alliance Church because of you.  You let us understand that sharing the gospel is not only a life line in His work, but it is also a battle line.  At times, it’s like gazing at a vast ocean, feeling like we can’t proceed.  Yet your courage and your persistence tell us that steps protected by our Lord are not to stop at the rim of the waters.  We must go forward, and when we courageously take that step, God responds to our faith and the ocean parts for us.  

I recall how when your physique was weakening day by day during the harsh illness, in complete trust and reliance you quietly waited with hope, and each day was more than victorious!  You replaced sighing with praise, groaning with gratitude, so that every person who was with you felt the love and act of God.  And the most touching was that during this very difficult time, you were still selflessly concerned with the mission of evangelism, with special emphasis on the younger generation’s participation in His work.  You offered money, strength, prayers, asking God to keep clearing and unblocking all the barriers that prevent their progress, to allow all that is fully offered sacrificially be pleasing to the Lord!  

As the Lord has now carried you back Home, your weary burden on earth is no more.  Although waves of grief fill our hearts with reluctance to part, yet your glorious contribution in Christ’s Kingdom shall be in our remembrance!  You let us understand how to appreciate valuable experiences every single day! Even though at this moment we still stay at our desire for glory rather than the cross, the want of being fragrant without the burning, we seek the Lord’s forgiveness, because of your precious testimony, we are led to see : Today’s cross is tomorrow’s crown!   In anticipation of tomorrow’s glory we must calmly and fearlessly submit to the trials and tribulations of today!  “His love is unchanging!  His grace is ever-lasting!  His mercy is endless!  To all those who call upon Him, He gives love and eternal life!”

By :  Paul Lai

Translator: Wings Yeung

One day I received an e-mail which read:

“It took me a long time to finish your book, “Rainbow after Rain,” because every time I read it, tears would come because I am so touched by it.  I would have to stop.

It is painful to read about the daily suffering that Mrs. Lai goes through.  I truly believe that it is because of the reliance the two of you have in God that the physical pain was bearable. Compared to Job in the Bible, the two of you are more blessed.  Job had to face all his suffering alone as his wife did not have the same heart as him.  She asked Job to turn his face away from God.  But you and Mrs. Lai share each others’ burden and suffering.  Though you may not have the material reward that Job received from God, He has definitely poured His blessings out upon you two.  And wherever your work has taken you, it has also become a blessing to believers and non believers alike. We cannot imagine the number of people who have accepted Christ because of it. 

Back to myself, my life is not exciting.  My father passed away before I was born. I have always been by myself ever since my birth.  I do not have a place I call home.  I never complain, nor have I felt like anything was missing.  Looking back, I know that God has prepared everything for me.  After working for 20 years, God has helped me make the decision to take an early retirement.  Whenever I am in pain, I will remember the suffering that you and Mrs. Lai have been through, it will give me strength and faith to experience God.” 

I read this letter, and have read her praises, but I felt horrible.  Why did she say we are more blessed than Job?  How can she compare us to Job!  Then I realized that what she meant was that Job’s wife and my wife are very different.  Seeing Job’s body filled with boils, Job’s wife told him to leave his God and die.  But my wife and I are able to walk together in our misery, sharing our burdens together.  This after all is what a marriage is, and so to love each other the way we did was a most natural way for us; it was not difficult.

I remember my wife always telling me that the most touching moment in a Christian wedding is when the officiator asks, and the couple replies that together they vow “for richer, for poorer, in sickness and in health, to love and to cherish…” and then saying “I do”. This part always touched her heart and tears would flow.   

She said that for two people with different personalities and different backgrounds to be united in God is truly a miracle, but for the two to hold onto the love ‘til death is even more of a miracle.  Without God’s guidance or His will that the two are united, then it would not be a marriage blessed by God.  She is right and I agree with her completely.  This is the truth

HYMNS AND THE TWO OF US

By: Paul Lai

Trainlated by John

Yvonne lived in a small town about an hour’s drive from Paris while she was a student.  Being the only Chinese person, she would feel lonely at times.  She would then speak Chinese in front of a mirror.  She loved to sing and sang gospel hymns every day.  Soon she could memorize the music and the words of a lot of hymns.  One day an elderly lady in her neighborhood heard her singing and came to see her.  She was one of the very few Christians in town and she loved the Lord.  From that moment on, the two of them became great friends.  She would invite Yvonne every Thursday afternoon to have high tea with her and her husband.

Praise the Lord!  The Word of God and the hymns became our support, particularly through the trials of sickness and pain.  The hymns became our comfort.  At times I would play the piano and Yvonne would sing.  Other times we would sing together.  We expressed our love to God through hymns.  We sang loudly; we sang softly.  We listened to hymns on tapes.  These hymns drove away our loneliness, our despair and our worries.  When we felt that our lives seemed to be totally burned out, the melodies and words of the hymns restored the spark and vitality back into our lives.  The object of our praise was the only God, the Almighty, Holy, King and loving God.  The Holy Spirit helped us, through these hymns, to get close to God, to be joyful and to grow spiritually.  All worldly things, including the pain and tears, will disappear in eternity.  Only the love of God and our love and praises to Him will never end!

“The Lord is my Song” is a beautiful testimony of the poets.  Let us proclaim: God is His songs; He is the source of inspiration; we get strength through hymns; and only God is our never ending and beautiful song of life!

HE SETS THE TIME AND OPPORTUNITY TO SERVE

By:  Paul Lai

 Translator: Agnes K Y Tai

Mrs. Lai and I took a flight to France over ten years ago.  The outbound trip was very smooth, but due to a hurricane on the return leg, we had to stop at a place near Portland, USA to wait out the storm before getting a connection to Vancouver. The flight we’d arrived on was a small US airline and they provided us with accommodation and a simple meal.  We waited for quite a long time without any certainty of when the next flight connection would be able to be scheduled and so we ended up having to stay at Portland for one to two days, awaiting a smaller airplane to take us back to Vancouver.  

As we were waiting the first evening, we thought of a young brother from Portland by the last name of Leung that we were previously acquainted with and so we attempted to look him up in the local Yellow Pages.  Since this stopover was not in our plans, we didn’t carry too much hope.  But amazingly we found brother Leung’s phone number!  When we called him, he himself picked the phone up!  I thought it would simply be a greeting between friends within the Body of Christ but to my surprise brother Leung told me that he was also trying to contact me through various means, including seeking out Truth Monthly to no avail.  Since the Pastor of brother Leung’s church had to go to China for a short mission that would span several months, he hoped that I could stand in for three months.  I was convinced this was no coincidence but the loving arrangement of Father God.   Father God let our trip be hindered, but by so doing He led me to have the opportunity to work and serve Him.  

(Due to the condition of Mrs. Lai’s health, we could not be away for a continuous three month period, so I went for a month first and then went back to Vancouver to bring my wife to Portland again.  Compared to others, we needed several more hours to drive from Vancouver to Portland, because my wife required stopping on the way for some rest.)

Brother Leung was working for an organization that served overseas Chinese at Portland and helped a good number of people.  By God’s plan, during my three months’ service at Portland, I had a chance to preach the Gospel to a cancer patient by the last name Choy (Choi).  When he heard the Good News he believed right away and accepted Jesus Christ as his Savior and Lord.  

After leaving Portland, I learned that brother Choy requested his wife to read the Bible to him, and this brother Choy passed away around half a year later.  I learned that his son is now preparing to be a Pastor and studying theology, thanks to the Lord!  Mrs. Choy is ministering at the church zealously as well.  While my wife and I were in Portland, brother Choy allowed us to stay at his deceased mother’s home.  At that time I was visiting patients frequently and preaching the Gospel to them.

This interruption of our plans turned out to be a Divine arrangement by Our Lord:  He ordered the circumstances into place by His timing, allowing me the opportunity to serve!

A BEAUTIFUL PICTURE OF GODLINESS

By:   Paul Lai

Translators: Floy Wan/ Stephen Lai

Earlier this year, our little granddaughter invited us to her school, Richmond Christian Elementary, for a preschool Easter presentation in which she was taking part.  More than 17 children were involved, singing and performing actions to go with the songs.  During the performance, many young parents hurried to get photos of their children with their iPhone cameras.  The 10 minute program was well arranged.  It started with a prayer and then was followed by choral songs and a short but clear Gospel presentation – the birth of Christ, His completeness for our incompleteness, His dying on the cross for us, His wonderful Salvation and His forgiveness of our sins.

At the close of the presentation, the teacher led the children in a prayer.  During this solemn moment I saw mothers continuing to photograph their children.  Among all the children there were few who truly bowed and prayed.  Other children were looking around or towards their mothers’ cameras.  Then I saw another most touching and beautiful picture: my granddaughter with her head bowed and hands folded together.  Because of her long hair covering her face I didn’t have a completely clear view of her, but that image of her total devotion to God made a great impression upon my heart.  

Like many of the little children in the performance, we often want others to look and see us only:  “I am so important, so rich, so good and so talented.  Look at me, not Jesus.”  But if we were to really let Christ live in our heart and transform us to His Character and Godliness, our lives would not be centered around this ‘me only’ thinking.   Rather, our lives would demonstrate a living out of renewed ‘Jesus only’ thinking.  Whereas people tend to put most importance upon outer appearance, God looks upon and values the inner being.  His desire is to begin on the inside to beautify the soul.    Believing and allowing Him to do what only He can do within us will make us truly beautiful from the inside out.   This is essential, especially if we desire to live child-like before God, possessing the inner beauty of a child’s soul.  This is made possible through the Love from our Lord, Who is preparing a place for those that love Him. 

Comments:

Bon Chan :A camera is near to impossible to capture the spiritual fellowship with our LORD.

Holden: Thank you for sharing ‘A beautiful picture of Godliness’, men can only see the exterior but God values the inner being.

Emma: Thank you Pastor Lai! I believe both the exterior and the inner soul are beautiful, especially, the beauty of a child’s soul.  They are from our loving Lord, whose preparing a place for those that love Him.

Stephen Lai

 French Teacher, Grades 1-5

 Richmond Christian Elementary Campus

[email protected]

By:                  Rev. David Tam

Translator:   Agnes K Y Tai

Whenever we think about you: the gentle look in your eyes, the smile full of joy, the fearless perseverance amidst physical disability, your words filled with encouragement and hope… all made us feel so sweet and warm within!  There was never an ounce of pressure or a touch of boredom when we spent time together.  We could only feel that life is ever full of continuous vitality!  You are gone now!  Yet left behind in our memory are not tears but a delightful smiling face.  What comes to mind is not the haggard look of sickness, but the joy of life lived with hope.   All of this, yes all of this will remain as beautiful memories throughout my life.

Mrs. Lai, we are grateful that you and Rev. Lai cared for us throughout these many years.  Juliana and I both enjoyed your intimate warmth because of the care and prayers of you both; the feeling is still so fresh as we think about it now!  In the past, although there was a definite distance in terms of geography and time, yet, there was often that heart connection between us, Canada and Hong Kong!  Even though we didn’t speak frequently, yet the love forever dwells in our hearts!

Over 30 years ago, because of the approval from you and Rev. Lai, Juliana finally agreed to my courtship.  Her respect for you two was clearly evident from this!  Without the encouragement and support from you and Rev. Lai, the dream of 30 years of our growing together in marriage would never have become a reality.  Juliana and I both grew up in less than wholesome families and as we came together there were just too much baggage that we would have to shoulder, shed and accommodate together, and yet you both were always attentive to our love for each other in a marital life that is pleasing to each other.  Whether you were far or near, you unreservedly were there for us providing encouragement and support!  The lives of you and Rev. Lai are exactly a living manual of luscious marriage that everybody could witness!  In a family so affected by unfortunate changes, you never forsook or left the other, walking alongside each other without complaints or regrets, which have already given us a strikingly powerful testimony without the need for words!  What could we have to complain about in our own marriage?  Juliana and I are truly deeply grateful for the ever-available bits of support given by you both!

Over 20 years ago, you told me that once in your dream you saw that I came to minister in Vancouver and bought a house close to your place as well.  At the time, I didn’t think much of it as I was pastoring a church in Hong Kong and so it seemed something quite impossible.   But, much to my surprise, in the past year your dream had come true!  This dream became a reality in your lifetime!  Indeed, I moved to Vancouver to minister last year and in May this year I actually bought a house near where you live.  In the past year, the distance between us has shrunk!  Having dinner together, praying together……. Juliana and I have already regarded you both no different than our own parents!  It’s just like being at our parents’ home when we were at yours.  What a warm feeling!

There is still plenty I want to say, Mrs. Lai, your life and Rev. Lai’s have undoubtedly been a source of great blessings to us!  Devotion and love, joy amidst trials and tribulations, faith in the midst of suffering, let all that joy pour forth!  Your smile is all I see each time I think of you!  Even during times of anguish you still splendidly displayed that beautiful and joyful smile!  We will always remember you fondly!