彩虹小品

By:  Yvonne Lai

Translator: Sunny Tso

A senior Pastor couple visited us shortly after our wedding.  This elderly Pastor’s wife came up to me and asked me why I would choose to marry a Pastor, since, as she put it, I was such a young, pretty and capable lady.  Why on earth would I want to be a Pastor’s wife?  

At the time, I felt it strange that this elderly couple would attempt to discourage my decision rather than supporting it.  To this day, as I enter retirement, I still cannot understand their motive but I do know that I have absolutely no regrets at all.  One possible reason for their negative comment about marrying a Pastor is perhaps the tremendous pressure and difficulty a Pastor couple faces in their lifetime.  As for me, I have no regret concerning my decision even till this day.  I would often tell others how thankful I am to God for choosing this preacher named Paul to be my lifetime partner.  Even though we experienced time after time uncertainty and hardship in life, we knew there was nothing that could separate us from the love of God, and we continued to serve Him faithfully.  

Our daily hard work has produced abundant spiritual fruits both during our ministries in Ottawa from 1973-1986, and in Vancouver from 1989-1997.  Our goal was to work diligently by faith in the area of church planting and shepherding, and by faith we were able to move forward in the midst of hardship.  Praise God that through our humble lives of service, many would come to experience the great blessings from our Almighty God.

By:           Paul Lai

Translator: Agnes K Y Tai

Although God has allowed my cancer affliction, there have been hidden blessings that have been released and realized through the suffering.

The first blessing bestowed by God by the illness and suffering is that it causes me to draw closer and become even more intimate with Him.  In an acute calamity, prayers and the seeking of God’s will inevitably get more fervent.  During unceasing prayers day and night, God has let me experience His great love, joy and peace, and see the vision of His sending.  This is the best preparation from Him for my ensuing ministry.

This first blessing which lets me know God in a much deeper way is well-illustrated in the Old Testament of the Bible where a person named Job has said, “My ears had heard of you, but now my eyes have seen you.”  Did Job not previously know God?  He certainly did, but not deep enough.  Job was a good person, a righteous man, one whom God was very pleased with.  God did not hold back suffering from him.  Job would know God much better after suffering was upon him.   This was certainly not a knowing in a logical sense but rather a knowing that comes from a more in-depth experience with God.  From a hearing only to an actual experiencing turns a once objective view into a subjective one.   My illness has let me personally experience God in a deeper way.  His words are more precious and amidst suffering, God’s words become more distinct.  He has spoken with me and His words and promises are so vivid.

The second blessing from God is that due to my own physical and mental agony I am now better able to understand how cancer patients feel both physically and mentally.  This permits me to draw so much closer to them, to sincerely care about their misery and to preach the one true Gospel of Salvation so that the Hope of Glory can reach their hearts.  Personally suffering from cancer has prepared my heart to be filled with love and compassion for the afflicted and has given me a sense of increased urgency to share the Gospel message with others.

The third blessing from God is expressed in the many fruits that resulted in my life through my experiencing cancer, and there have been numerous persons that have been saved and blessed as a result.  After I had cancer, over 90% of those to whom I preached the Gospel were willing to believe in God.  Thanks to the Lord, this is God’s amazing plan.  All glory and honor to God!

Apart from this, God has used me at local and other churches and fellowships at various places for teaching and testimony.   “After Rain Comes Rainbow” testimonial records were published and reprinted and the Gospel is now propagated via the internet, writings and worship songs.  “The Songs of Rainbow” CD has gone out through media such as electronic video and WeChat, etc.   Thanks to the Lord, Who lets me not only spread the Gospel to those seriously ill, but also enables me to witness to many more of His truthfulness and love through the use of my personal experience.

By: Yvonne Lai

 Back in 1981 when, after many doctors had checked to see what was wrong inside me, the department head of the medical clinic in Ottawa General Hospital told me after several visits that I might be suffering from post partum depression which would explain the pains I was experiencing throughout my body.   His suggestion for treatment based on this diagnosis would be to prescribe medication for depression.  I came home from that visit and asked my husband whether or not I seemed to be depressed.  But deep down, I knew that something was wrong with my body.  At first my middle finger was swollen and painful.  Then some mornings I woke up unable to walk.  My ankle was painful and noticeably warm.   From there the pains progressed from one joint to the next throughout my whole body until I became affected to a point that I was unable to move.

Later in 1981 a rheumatologist in Ottawa diagnosed me as having rheumatoid arthritis.  Sitting in his office with my husband, he was very solemn and serious as he announced to us that this disease would be with me for the rest of my life.  He took the time (about 1 hour) to explain what it meant to have rheumatoid arthritis by using very plain language: “You will be suffering all your life and no one can really help you.”   My first response to him was:  “Oh yes, He cares.  I could pray to my Lord, the Almighty God, and He would help.”  The doctor laughed and said: “You can pray a hundred times or a thousand times in vain but you won’t get better, Pussycat.”  I asked him why he called me “Pussycat” and what it meant.   He answered: “You are being too naïve.”   The world may see this trust in the Lord as ‘naïve’, but I know He cares and that’s why He asks us to come to Him just like a small child would trust a loving father – it may seem ‘naïve’ in the eyes of those who do not know Him, but oh yes, He cares!

By Paul Lai

Translated   by Sunny Tso

God gave me the task of planting and responsibility of pastoring the Ottawa church for fourteen years.  Being a Pastor is not as simple as most people may think.  The difficulties and the sense of isolation in our hearts are beyond most people’s understanding.  We have experienced all types of trials over the years including heavy workload, shortage of basic essentials, and psychological harms caused by others.  However, when we see the many lives changed because of knowing Jesus, from being unbelievers to coming to acceptance, being brought from darkness to light, going from sadness to joy, from worrying to gladness, and from bondage to freedom, all the hardship became insignificant and in fact well worth the sacrifice.  The Apostle Paul said:  “Therefore, having this ministry by the mercy of God, we do not lose heart.”  1 Corinthians 4:1

The road of a Pastor may be full of trials, but through these storms our lives will produce the glory and value God wants in us so He can use us more for His work.  Whenever I am weak, He makes me strong; whenever I suffer He comforts me.  His glorious light fills my heart.  Many people say we have received the greatest blessing through our vocation, and thank God, we have no regret as He chose us first.  There are others who commented that “his sermons are as natural as breathing, there is no great wisdom or elegant words, but the message comes from the heart making it practical just like life itself.”  I truly believe all the sufferings are meant to produce great blessings from God.  (Because through suffering, we will experience God’s comfort, healing, presence, and hence we can share with others who are experiencing the same.)  The Lord will use our suffering to bless others.

By:  Paul Lai

When the doctor diagnosed nasopharyngeal carcinoma (cancer) in me, I wanted to know to what stage it had developed.  The answer was late stage three going on stage four.  I gathered all the relevant information I could at the library and learned that 90% of stage one patients recovered, but very few were diagnosed at this early stage.  Most patients were diagnosed at stage two or three and their chances of recovery were 30% to 50%.  As for stage four patients, only a few out of a hundred had a chance of recovery.  I belonged to this latter group.

I asked, “Must life be so short?”  Death was just before me and darkness seemed to suddenly overshadow the light of God.  My usual liveliness and faith were gone and my spirit struggled in depths of gloominess and doubt.

Thanks to the Lord, the hymn came to me:  yes, I did not know about tomorrow, but I knew God held my hand while I walked through that difficult road.  I knew “today” was in the hand of God, and “tomorrow” would be in God’s grace.  He walked beside me as my partner.  Although I could not completely understand, I knew He held my tomorrow and I no longer feared or worried.   In the silence of night as I lay in bed, the tape recorder played the hymn.  My heart was filled with hope and faith.  

Hymns express our feelings and love for God.  Whether we sing them aloud or softly, hymns chase away our loneliness, sadness and worry.  Sometimes our lives seem like dying flames, but the beautiful melody and moving lyrics of the hymn can relight our flames, recharge our lives and resettle faith and joy in our hearts.

GIVE THANKS IN ALL CIRCUMSTANCES/IN ALL THINGS GOD WORKS FOR THE GOOD

By:                              Yvonne & Paul Lai

Translator:               Agnes K Y Tai

My youngest son (Peter) is a mentally-impaired child and was unable to speak much even by age 5 or 6.  Apart from facing my own ailment, I had to personally teach him as well.  I used picture flashcards to teach him word recognition and also taught him some English.

Whenever there was an incident involving my youngest, a verse would always surface in my heart: “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him.”  What we had received would not be counted as good news, yet I knew that God definitely had His pleasant will in it.  Thanks to the Lord, He never failed to give me an answer every single time.

When our child was 17, I recall another incident.  He really loved listening to Christmas songs and when he brought home from school a cassette that belonged to a classmate, we thought it was an exchange present.  A while later the school went so far as to demand our son be removed from the school, and it was then we learned what had really happened.  We could only accept the school’s decision at the time.  The Education Department however had a good number of meetings with us on this issue and as a result the Education Department made the decision to assign one teacher to accompany him in class and to specifically teach him only.  Given that the Government was cutting the budget at all corners, to receive this preferential treatment was indeed a miracle.  (Yvonne)

*************

We are to thank God for good times and bad times, fortune or misfortune, life or death.  The Bible tells us to give thanks in all circumstances.  Joseph learned this; he should have been disgruntled and complaining about all his mishaps but he did none of that.  Conversely, he accepted all calmly and that response was exceptionally valuable.  In the end God gave him abundant blessings and through him God bestowed grace upon millions of people as well, myself being one of them.  Thanks to the Lord, I’ve got to keep learning.  Mrs. Lai was just like Joseph in that each time something horrific happened or when things weren’t going smoothly, especially during Peter’s early years when lots of things happened to him, no matter what had occurred the first line she would utter was:  “In all things God works for the good of those who love Him.”

The house we used to live in was not as big as the present one we are in.  At the time, for a nice smaller house nearby, we offered over $510,000 but the owner was not willing to sell.  As a result, I was a little sad and yet Mrs. Lai said we were to give thanks in all things even though the purchase was not going through, since everything works for the good and therefore God surely had something better prepared for us.  Truly, three months later, the value of that old house of ours in Vancouver rose by over $100,000 which was totally unexpected.  It turned out to be such a blessing that we did not manage to buy that first house we liked after all, because God wanted to give us something better; something that also originally was completely out of our reach.  His blessing was multiplied to us in making a way for the purchase of our current home and for that we continuously proclaim our gratitude to Him.  Indeed, I have to learn that kind of pure, simple faith that Mrs. Lai possessed.  Romans 8:28: “And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who are the called according to His purpose.”  We are to trust and rely on the Lord steadfastly, believe firmly, and giving thanks in all things.  (Paul)

By :         Various

Translated by  Albert Li

Mrs. Yvonne Lai, Pastor Paul Lai’s wife, was always gentle, friendly and kind.   Her face, full of mercy, has left a deep impression on my mind to this day.   Pastor and Mrs. Lai pastored my father, Mike Mak, in his youth.   Mrs. Lai cared for me, prayed for me and gave me ample encouragement.   I am so grateful.   Mrs. Lai was an answer to our prayers.   She lived life to the fullest.   Every time I think of her smile my heart is full of fond memories.   I really wish to say to her:  “My dear Mrs. Lai, you have guided my father and nourished my heart, I will remember you forever!”    Yu Mak

Pastor Lai and Mrs. Lai, I am so thankful to have learned about love, unconditional love, from you.   At home, I practiced the way you showed your love for God, how you loved each other as husband and wife and how you loved your children.   Thankfulness is all that I can give you in return for your lessons given by your living example.    V. C.

Pastor Lai and Mrs. Lai, your teachings have taken root deep within my heart.   Looking back over the past 30 years, life has had its ups and downs.  Your teachings always gave me comfort and guidance whenever things got rough.   They helped me to get back on my feet.   Thank you for your patience and acceptance.    S. W.

Mrs. Lai’s teachings and examples had given me a lifelong help.   Every time I encountered uncertainties, trials and depression, your smile would somehow appear in my mind.   Mrs. Lai’s body was weak but her spirituality had surpassed her physical limitations.    S. Mo

You have lived out the life of Christ.  You have given an example to this little lamb.   You are the bountiful servant of God.    M. M.

In your lives, a witness of abundant life was given.   Pastor and Mrs. Lai, you are both my spiritual parents.   I would never forget the feeling of warmth and closeness I received from you.   I felt lost previously but Pastor Lai looked upon me with assurance.   Mrs. Lai smiled brilliantly upon me with acceptance.   Your examples of trusting and obeying along with your faithfulness and patience are what have helped me to grow up and model in my own life.  Thank you.    D. C.

Mrs. Lai, I was happy to be able to share my feelings with you because you always gave me comfort in the Lord.   You are healthier physically, mentally and spiritually than many brothers and sisters.  Seeing the love Pastor Lai and you shared together, seeing how you glorified God in your marriage, it reminded all of us sisters to treasure marriage.   Your teachings were not taken lightly nor will they be easily forgotten.  You taught by example.   This helped us to remember God’s word constantly.   T. T.

In a meeting one day in October 1973 at the Ottawa General Hospital, we received your leading and guidance and received Salvation from Christ.   We are among the first group of believers to be baptized at the Ottawa Chinese Alliance Church.   This is God’s perfect arrangement.    Praise to the Lord that you came to Ottawa to plant a church and to bring the Gospel of God’s Kingdom to this community.   This has caused many unbelievers to listen to the Gospel and to receive the Salvation of the Lord Jesus Christ.   To build up the church, you stayed in Ottawa and did your very best.   You are beloved by the Lord and honored by us.   K. Ng

Mrs. Lai, your sharing and teaching have become a lifelong lesson.   I had always asked you, “Why does Pastor Lai treat you so well?  Why is he always there for you?   How do you make a husband treat you and your sons so well?”   You always told me that it is because there is love.   It is the result of a relationship of God, husband and wife forming a triangle.   You asked me to remember 1 Cor. 13:4, 5.  It said “Love is patient, love is kind.”    J. W.

You came to visit me.   I am thankful that Pastor Lai and Mrs. Lai came to help and encourage me when I was helpless and in distress.   Pastor Lai explained to me the Gospel and led me to commit my life to Jesus Christ.   I thank both of you for teaching me how to pray, reminding me to serve the Lord and not to turn away from God.   I am indeed thankful to you and wish that God would bless you with His goodness.   Mrs. Szeto

IN YOUR LIFE, I SAW…I SMELLED…

By:                              Paul Lai
Translator:             Jimmy Chan

I Saw a Beautiful ‘Rainbow after the Rain’ Picture

You have a firm faith in God.  He raised you up from the deep valley in life.  Your life is full of energy, vitality and joy, which is truly inspiring to all who know you.  God has poured spiritual blessings to many through your life which is a rainbow after the rain.  You basked in the sunshine of God’s favour in the midst of the storms of life which, in the grace of our God, turned your tears and smiles into a beautiful rainbow.  Indeed, storms and tears are like rain which must precede the rainbow.

The late Rev. Dr. Samuel Tang, a renowned Old Testament Chinese scholar, once said:  “Finally the rainbow appears after days of rain; the storm has subsided”.  And as the English idiom goes:  “Every cloud has a silver lining”.  Difficult times are like dark clouds that pass overhead and block the sunshine.  However, when one looks more closely at the edges of every cloud, the sun can be seen shining there like a silver lining.  The cloud will eventually go away and the rainbow will come out with the sun rays.  They all speak loudly and clearly about the bountiful and abundant grace of God.  “As the appearance of the rainbow in the clouds on a rainy day, so was the appearance of the surrounding radiance.  Such was the appearance of the likeness of the glory of the Lord” (Ezekiel 1:28a&b).  The rainbow symbolizes the beauty of God who is the source of peace and consolation.  Yvonne, after going through all these hardships and with God’s unfailing promise, you are a true ‘rainbow after the rain’, manifesting an abundant life reflecting God’s radiant glory.

I Also Saw the Treasure in Your Earthen Vessel

Our life is just as fragile as a clay pottery vessel, easily broken when hit or dropped.  Yet the Apostle Paul said: “But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, so that the surpassing greatness of the power will be of God and not from ourselves” (2 Corinthians 4:7).  The value of the pottery depends on what is inside.  As for us Christians, we are earthen vessels filled with Christ our Lord, not gold or jewelry, as our treasure.  What we can show the world is that Christ lives in us, and so we are not defeated by our afflictions but have victory over them.  Yvonne, you are “afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing” (2 Corinthians 4:8), because our Lord Jesus is with you.  One of the original Greek words for “suffering” also refers to the childbearing pain of women which alludes to a temporary birth pain accompanied by the hope for the newborn and followed by an overwhelming joy when the child is born.  In the same way, our pain on earth is only temporary as we have glory of God afterwards.  Yvonne, I recall the other day you told me:  “Last year, when Sister ‘L’ from our church returned to Hong Kong to visit her mother, she was diagnosed with terminal cancer.  We gave her a call hoping to give her some comfort, but in the call she soon told us:  “Now I know believing in Jesus was really having a treasure inside.”  We were touched by what she said, as she was a young believer and yet realized the treasure of having Jesus in her life.  In contrast, some believers have accepted Jesus for a long time and yet often take Him for granted; only when there is a need or prayer ‘request’ do they call upon Jesus’ name.  When there is nothing they lack, they simply ignore Him or put Him at the back of their minds.  Indeed Yvonne, I saw you have put Jesus Christ at the very centre of your life and respected Him as the Lord and King.  Consequently, people recognized that your life is actively revealing the image of our Lord Jesus Christ.

I Smelled the Aroma of Christ

Yvonne, to you to live is Christ, and you have manifested the sweet aroma of the knowledge of Him in every place. (cf. Philippians 1: 21; 2 Corinthians 2:14, NASB)

Indeed, the good disposition and qualities of Christ are revealed in you and shared with others like a sweet aroma.

The following is an excerpt from an article written by our family dentist Dr. Nicky Leung in memory of Yvonne (written in Chinese and translated to English): “Yvonne was always amiable; her smile has impressed and impacted us in a miraculous way, for it leads each of the staff in our clinic into God’s abundant blessings to enjoy His joy and peace despite our stressful working environment.  Even in times of distress from your sickness, you two still bear spiritual fruit and reflect godly characters.  Your teaching has influenced and nurtured countless disciples of Christ, including pastors and their wives and missionaries.  Your lives have truly reflected God’s love, peace and joy”.

Dear Yvonne, you and I are indeed sometimes like Paul who was “afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not despairing”.

YOUR LIFE IS A HEARTFELT SONG — — TO MY BELOVED, ONE AND ONLY YVONNE

By: Paul Lai

Translator: Jimmy Chan

The Lord is my strength and song,

And He has become my salvation;

This is my God, and I will praise Him;

My father’s God, and I will extol Him.” (Exodus 15:2; NASB)

Last year in June we received a greeting card on which these words were written (translated from the original Chinese content):

 “When we visited you last time, Yvonne, you appeared to be so strong, with your face always wearing a smile that fills the air with joy. We were shocked to hear that you were actually quite sick. Dear Paul and Yvonne, despite life’s challenges that you have been facing, you have been faithful witnesses for God, as time and again you have demonstrated how to preserve through every spiritual battle and hardship and experience victory in Christ by relying totally upon His power. God has recognized your in Him and delivered you from the dark abyss in life; He has not only guided you in every circumstance but also brought your faith to a higher ground. Your exemplary spiritual life has touched my life. Praise God for His amazing works and abundant blessings in your life.”

My beloved, one and only Yvonne, some years ago we went to France together. We enjoyed strolling along the beaches on the Mediterranean coast and hearing the rhythmic, soothing sounds of waves crashing on the beach. Our eyes were dazzled by the glow of the blue sky colliding with the blue waves. They seemed to be telling us in silence, “Life is so beautiful!” With the agitated waves still resounding, I thought to myself, “Why is my life constantly stricken by unexpected setbacksandadversities?”

My heart was sad and burdened. I pondered over these things and suddenly I had an insight: Life is like a song, with its score containing seven possible music notes. Some songs sound beautiful, while some songs are mediocre and monotonous. The mood and style of songs depends on how the composer perceives the world and responds to the changes he or she experiences. Likewise, each of us responds to life’s adversities differently and thus manifests a different kind of life. Life is also like a piano with white and black keys. If the composer only composes music with a piano that has only white keys and no black ones, the resulting musical piece would be not as rich in mood and style as the one composed with an intact piano containing both white and black keys. The pianist can play beautiful melodies only on such an intact piano, just as a person can live a rich life only with its ups and downs, joyful and sad moments. It is like the biblical character Job, without his suffering, how could he say: “I have heard of You by the hearing of the ear; But now my eye sees You” (Job 42:5, NASB)? Another example isJoseph from the Book of Genesis in the Old Testament. He experienced personal sufferings including betrayal, deceit and humiliations, and yet with a persistent submission to our Lord in humility, he receives rich blessings at the end, and his example is a blessing from those who reads life story from the Bible. My beloved Yvonne, your life is a beautiful song. You have experienced storms and dark nights, but in every difficult moment, God has used His words and songs to comfort you and restore your faith in Him, so that your life becomes a heartfelt song in the dark night, so pleasantly beautiful and utmost enjoyable. (Those who have not gone through the dark night would not be able to sing such a beautiful song of life.) Yvonne, your song has touched people who hear you (many times moving them to tears), giving them joy and peace and inspiring them to love God and one another in all circumstances.

TRANSLATION AFTERTHOUGHT

By: Agnes K Y Tai

Rev Paul Lai and I have never met, yet the Lord gave me an invaluable opportunity to serve Him by helping in the translation of Chinese-English essays written about his late wife Mrs. Yvonne Lai.  Rev Lai read my first piece of translation done for brother Larry Leung and asked if I could do two more, and it turned out to be quite a few over the past 6 months, for which I am grateful.

Writers of all the essays praised Mrs.  Lai for her sweet smile, gentleness, amicable demeanor, unwavering faith, generosity, great deeds (not to mention her wonderful French cooking) and especially in encouraging believers and supporting Rev Lai in his ministry, despite the hardships she suffered tremendously due to deteriorating health and a difficult family situation over the span of nearly four decades.  A great number of lives were dramatically changed by her living testimony.  It is amazing how she submitted to the Lord and was so blessed by being His marvelous vessel in gathering His beloved children in Canada and beyond.  Romans 8:28, which Mrs.  Lai kept on her lips is a scripture close to my heart as well.

My work in investment and risk management often leads me to ask questions that others aren’t bold enough to raise.  The essays sound too perfect.  Some questions that surfaced are :

1. There had to be times when Mrs. Lai found it too much to bear; did she cry a lot?  Were there weak moments?  Were there moments she lost faith?  Did she ask the Lord to forgive her for the temporary loss of faith or submissiveness? 

2. How did the Holy Spirit comfort and strengthen her day in and day out?  How did she hear the Lord each day?  What assured her of His presence through all the suffering?  

3. Did Rev Lai and Mrs. Lai quarrel because they got frustrated about the trials and tribulations?  How did they forgive each other and ask the Lord for forgiveness? How often?

I may never know the answers.  Indeed, there is no need to.  The reality is that many came to Christ, many people are helped, many are empowered and many have their spirituality strengthened because Mrs. Lai was an angel on earth to them.   She was a faithful and victorious servant of the Lord, all the while wearing the most beautiful attire –– her tender sweet smile.