林淑美牧師信主、蒙召見證 - Pastor Amy Lin's Conversion Experience

林淑美牧師台灣省台北市人,生長在每逢初一,十五都要燒香拜佛的家庭,父母生育五男三女,在家中排行第六.來美之前,從未接觸過福音.

1981年12月在美國中部坎薩斯州就讀時,遇到一位基督徒室友,見她吃飯前都低頭禱告,感到好奇.那時淑美牧師甚至常捉弄她,趁著她禱告時就藏她的餐具.1983年12月畢業後,憑著一張企業管理碩士文憑找到工作,但很快就發現工作無法滿足內心的空虛, 於是想起那位基督徒室友的勸告,開始走進教會,但只是為尋找朋友作伴,學英文聊天.直到在教會中認識了一對美國夫婦 (Rev. Ed & Evelyn Murphey) 終於成為淑美牧師生命的轉捩點.

1985年夏天隨著這對夫婦來到加州後,工作生涯逐步高升,父母相繼來美,由於父母語言障礙,開始尋找華人教會.在聖達台福基督教會慶祝一週年時,開始參與聚會.當時聖達社青團契在淑美傳道家中成立,常有查經,禱告等聚會.聖達教會牧師, 長執也是頻頻探訪.誠如耶和華如何使埃及法老心硬,將近十年的光陰,淑美牧師也始終不願意接受有人提起受洗歸主名下的事.直到1993年2月,因工作關係,搬遷到爾灣, 神差派祂的忠僕吳德聖牧師,在一夜個人談道中,終於使頑石點頭.

1993年復活節神國多了一個蒙恩的罪人.雖然從前是褻瀆神的 (拜偶像),逼迫人的(捉弄基督徒室友),侮慢人的 (不理聖達教會牧師,長執與社青團契的關切),然而還蒙了憐憫, 因是不信不明白的時候作的.主恩格外豐盛,使淑美牧師在基督裏漸有信心和愛心.

自悔改歸主名下後,1994年春天,蒙神呼召進入Talbot神學院造就.1999年五月神學院畢業後,即在愛恩台福基督教會由主任牧師劉瑞義牧師帶領與眾同工配搭,負責基督徒教育,文教中心和兒童主日學等事工,擔任青年輔導,學習討

神喜悅與服事眾人.

這一生中最大的事就是認識主,最有價值的投資是獻身服事祂,但願憑主豐盛的慈愛,專心仰賴耶和華,常存敬畏的心, 能像一棵樹栽在溪水旁,按時候結果子,葉子也不枯乾,凡所作的盡都順利,成為眾人的祝福.願一切榮耀都歸主名!

Pastor Amy Lin's Conversion Experience

I come from a Buddhist family. My parents have eight children and I am number six. I never went to church in Taiwan and I didn't have any Christian friends and relatives.

The first time I met a Christian in my life was back in 1982 while I studied at Emporia State University in Kansas. Patty Kong, my ex-roommate, who prayed before every meal, drew my attention. After receiving an MBA degree, I began to look for a job. Very soon, I found that a job could not satisfy me, and I remembered Patty’s advice. Then I walked into a church to look for friendship. I found friendship immediately, but it took me 10 years to find the Lord.

Even this is a slow process; God shows me in many different ways how He confirms His call. He had my first Christian friend, Patty Kong, suggest I attend a church in Udall, Kansas in 1984 and He had Ed & Evelyn Murphey to show me the Christian walk since 1985. I became a Christian on Easter of 1993 and I joined a short-term mission to Southern Taiwan in the summer of 1993. I was sick during the whole trip, but when I returned to the United States I strongly felt the need to equip myself to serve the Lord, so I enrolled in Talbot School of Theology in the spring of 1994.

I started my part-time Seminary studies and I took evening and weekend classes. After more than eight hours of intensive work and meetings, my brain no longer functioned properly. Most of the time I fell asleep while driving to school. I know it was God who protected me to glorify HIS name; otherwise, I would have become "dead meat" a long time ago. My parents didn't stop me when I quit my job and planned to sell my house, but instead they encouraged me to sell the house. I quit my job in August 1997 and my father accepted Jesus in the same month.

When I was looking for a place to stay close to school, I found this nice couple, Stan & Helen Muci. They are my landlord and become my 2^nd American family, because I was “officially adopted” by them at Stan’s 70^th birthday party last year. I can't express enough praise to the Lord. HE declares: “For I know the plans I have for you, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” (Jeremiah 29:11)