寫給台灣的情書

感謝前輩劉重義教授傳來林奐均和Joel的訊息，她倆很樂意和諸君分享。左圖是奐均和Joel的全家福

親愛的朋友，

我們有種種故事要和你分享：
在25年之後看見神的計畫……

首先，昨天是2007年的復活節（4月8日）。我們在New Hope Taipei教會的晨間禮拜結束之後，匆匆趕回家準備下午另一場禮拜。那是義光教會設立25周年的感恩禮拜。

先說一點歷史。義光教會是我小時候的老家。是我唯一記得的小時候的家，是我許多快樂的童年記憶發生的所在。那兒也是27年前我被刺六刀生命垂危，兩個妹妹和阿嬤被謀殺的地方。

絕大多數的台灣人都知道，我家人被刺是出於當時統治台灣的國民黨人的命令。有很多理由支持我們的看法，特別是命案當時，我家24小時都在警方的監視之下。當時，國家在戒嚴令之下，人民沒有政治自由。

命案發生之後，我家成為兇宅，沒有人願意過來，甚至鄰居都想搬走。我家的經濟陷入慘況。父親在獄中遭到刑求，一面還為喪母喪女而哀痛。母親在沒有收入的情況下，不但要忍受喪女之痛，還要獨力負起照顧我的責任。

台灣基督長老教會的許多兄姊，熱誠的為我們家禱告。在禱告中許多人受到感動，決心買下我的老家將它改成教會。這樣既能幫助母親改善財務狀況，也使這個悲劇之地得到救贖。

有幾位勇敢的人挑起募款籌建「義光教會」的使命。這真是需要勇氣，每個人都害怕跟我家扯上關係，導致自己被政府所害。在昨天的禮拜中，當年負責募款的先生提到，有些人等到半夜才帶錢去他家，免得被看見。他也很小心不留捐款人的資料，以免被警方查獲。就在這樣的情況下，捐款源源而來，終於在25年前的復活節，義光教會設立了。

義光教會第一位牧師（許天賢牧師），自己也曾在講壇上被捕。出獄之後，他勇敢的接下義光教會首任牧師的擔子。接任的幾位牧師也都很有勇氣，他們的家人都要懂得萬一被捕該怎麼辦。昨天我們聽他們說很多故事。

這就是義光教會的一段歷史。對了，「義光」兩字見証了「公平和義理是你的寶座的地基…彼個百姓有福氣…(in)佇你的面所發出的光啲(teh)行。」（舊約聖經詩篇89篇14-15節）

那麼，這不是很有意思嗎。25年之後，當年命案中唯一倖存的我，竟會在我兒時的老家裡，和我的三個小女兒坐在一起，聽我的美國籍丈夫平生第一次用台語講道。有誰能想像神的計畫？

昨天午後三點，我們和上百人一起，紀念25年來神對義光教會的慈愛和信守。Joel能在這樣特別的場合，第一次用台語講道，真是萬分榮幸。我從來不曾看過Joel準備得那麼用功，無日無夜的練習台語。他的講辭帶來清晰的訊息：「因為既然對一人才有死，也對一人才有死人的復活。因為親像佇亞當眾人攏死；也親像按呢，佇基督眾人欲得著復活。」（新約聖經哥林多前書15章21-22節）。他的台語說得真好，我非常、非常的以他為榮。

感謝為Joel第一次台語講道祈禱的眾人。那真是困難重重而靠神的思典才能完成。有一對夫婦特別前來表示他們很喜愛Joel的講道。我們也祈禱有人受到感動，並前來信耶穌。

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Testimony from Judy Linton

Dear Friends,

We have various stories to share with you:

Seeing God's Plans after 25 years...
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First, yesterday was Easter 2007. After our service in the morning at New Hope Taipei, we rushed home to get ready to go to an afternoon service. This service was in celebration of the 25th Anniversary of Gi-Kong Church.

A little history first. The site of Gi-Kong Church was my (Judy's) old childhood home. It is actually the only home I remember as a child. It is the setting for many of my happy childhood memories. It is also the same place where I was stabbed six times and left to die and where my sisters and grandmother were murdered, 27 years ago.

Most native Taiwanese knew that the assassinations upon my family were ordered by someone in the KMT, the ruling government of Taiwan at that time. There are many reasons to substantiate our belief, especially since the assassinations took place when my home was under 24 hour government police surveillance. Back at that time, the country was under martial law and there were no political freedoms.

After the assassinations, my home became labeled a murder site. Nobody wanted to get close to the place and even neighbors wanted to move out. My family was in dire financial situation. My father was being tortured in jail at the time along with mourning for the loss of his own mother and two daughters. My mother was left all alone to deal with her grief of losing her daughters and the task of taking care of me with no source of income.

Many brothers and sisters in the Taiwanese Presbyterian Church had been praying earnestly for my family. It was during prayer that many of them were moved to purchase my old home and to turn it into a church. This would be the way to help my mom financially and to redeem what had been a place of tragedy.

So a few brave men took on the task of fundraising for the purchase and building of Gi-Kong Church. It was a brave act, because everyone was afraid of being associated with my family, lest they themselves be arrested or harmed by the government. During yesterday's service, the man who was in charge of fundraising talked about how some people would show up at his house in the middle of the night to give him contributions so they wouldn't be seen. He also was careful to not have any list of contributors in case the police were to get a hold of such a list. And it was under such conditions that the funds came in and Gi-Kong Church was established 25 years ago on Easter Sunday.

The first pastor of Gi-Kong church was a pastor who had formerly been arrested by the government in the middle of his preaching a sermon. Following his release from prison, he bravely took on the role of being the first pastor of Gi-Kong Church. All succeeding pastors also took the position with courage, instructing their family members what to do in case they were arrested or taken away. We heard some of their stories yesterday.

So that's some of the history of Gi-Kong Church. By the way, "Gi" means "Righteousness" and "Kong" means "Light", testifying to how "righteousness" and "justice" are the foundation of God's throne, and how blessed are the people who walk in the "light" of His countenance (Psalm 89:14-15).

And isn't it interesting that 25 years later, I, the sole surviving member of the assassination attempts, would be inside what used to be my childhood home, sitting in the pew with my own three little girls, listening to my American husband preaching his first Taiwanese sermon. Can anyone ever imagine the plans of God?

So, yesterday afternoon at three, we celebrated with hundreds of others God's goodness and faithfulness to Gi-Kong Church for the last 25 years. Joel had the great honor of preaching his very first Taiwanese sermon at such a special occasion. I had never seen Joel prepare so hard for a sermon before. He was practicing his Taiwanese day and night. The sermon was a clear Gospel message: Are we still in Adam or are we in Christ (I Corinthians 15: 21-22)? And his Taiwanese was very good. I was very, very, very proud of him.

Thanks to all of you who prayed for Joel's first sermon in Taiwanese. It was a major hurdle and by God's grace it was accomplished. One couple in particular came up to say they really liked what Joel said in his sermon. We pray that people will be affected by the content of the sermon, and come to believe in Jesus.