tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-44158412009659380452024-03-08T11:05:50.683-08:00Taiwanese AngelsThese are the true stories of modern angels that I luckily encountered and collected while staying in Taiwan teaching and learning for three semesters. As my journey took a big U-turn, I hope my 'mission' would stay on track. More stories of angels are waiting to be cherished, and more smiling tears are to be treasured...Stephen Chen 陳中潔http://www.blogger.com/profile/08664147415446017783noreply@blogger.comBlogger2125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415841200965938045.post-50363877301216459992014-05-08T14:21:00.000-07:002014-05-08T14:21:52.394-07:00An Angel that brings back happiness…with tears <!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It all started
with a phone call…</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">”Hi,
remember the song that you arranged it many years ago?” Then she began to sing
a melody that sounded like a familiar folksong but I could not exactly recall.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">“It would
be sung for the coming Mother’s Day service,” she continued, ”It's from a small book
of yours. The book is called <b><i>Sing A New Song</i></b> (</span><span class="shorttext"><b><i><span lang="ZH-TW" style="font-family: PMingLiU;">新歌新唱</span></i></b></span><span class="shorttext"><b><i><span style="font-family: Arial;">.</span></i></b></span><span class="shorttext"><span style="font-family: Arial;">) Remember?”</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span class="shorttext"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Yes,
I remember that book. I have checked the publisher in Tainan two years ago but failed to locate it.
I don’t think that I still have a copy of it after years of studying, working,
moving and relocation in the States.</span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It was a
beautiful Sunday morning in May when we saw her the next time in the church.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">After
the church service that day she surprised us with that ‘old’ tiny song book that she has mentioned
before. It was a small book (with my arrangement and editing along with a few
translations) that was published by the Taiwan Church Press(</span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="zh-TW"><span class="">台灣</span><span class="">教會</span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="zh-TW"><span class=""><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="zh-TW"><span class="">公</span></span></span></span></span></span></span><span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;"><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="zh-TW"><span class=""><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="zh-TW"><span class=""><span class="short_text" id="result_box" lang="zh-TW"><span class="">報</span></span></span><span class="alt-edited">社)</span></span></span></span> in early 1975,
almost 40 years before. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">She then
wrote a few lines inside the book cover and signed, and presented to me.<span> </span>I noticed right there and then that she took
of her glasses and wiped out a few tear drops of hers with her hand.<span> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">The book
was priced at 50 cents (NT$15) each then.<span> </span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">Needless to
say, that my wife and I were so touched by her sincere act.<span> </span>We took it as if we have just found a long
lost treasure. And we surely did.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">We were
speechless and the feeling was priceless.<span>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It was
priceless not just because the book was out of print; and not just because that
we did not have a copy then and now we do. </span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">It was the
feeling that, by her simple act, she has brought us back the youth, the
memories of Taiwan
and the happiness that was so genuine and almost rare and long forgotten.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">She is our
pastor’s wife.</span></span></span></div>
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<span style="color: purple;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Arial;">And she <i><span style="color: blue;">is</span></i>
our angel.</span></span></span></div>
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</span></span>Stephen Chen 陳中潔http://www.blogger.com/profile/08664147415446017783noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4415841200965938045.post-18729085201398049672013-05-13T09:59:00.000-07:002013-05-13T09:59:02.175-07:00Taiwanese Angels<span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Along Came an Angel -</strong></span> <br />
<a href="http://ajourneyatcjcu.blogspot.com/2013/05/along-came-angel.html">http://ajourneyatcjcu.blogspot.com/2013/05/along-came-angel.html</a><br />
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<strong><span style="color: blue;">Angels, Unrecognized -</span></strong> <br />
<a href="http://ajourneyatcjcu.blogspot.com/2013/01/angels-unrecognized.html">http://ajourneyatcjcu.blogspot.com/2013/01/angels-unrecognized.html</a><br />
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<strong><span style="color: blue;">A Little Angel and a Kitten -</span></strong> <br />
<a href="http://ajourneyatcjcu.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-little-angel-and-kitten.html">http://ajourneyatcjcu.blogspot.com/2012/12/a-little-angel-and-kitten.html</a><br />
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<strong><span style="color: blue;">More than Enough? -</span></strong> <br />
<a href="http://ajourneyatcjcu.blogspot.com/2012/12/more-than-enough.html">http://ajourneyatcjcu.blogspot.com/2012/12/more-than-enough.html</a><br />
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<strong><span style="color: blue;">A Couple of Angels - </span></strong><br />
<a href="http://ajourneyatcjcu.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-couple-of-angels.html">http://ajourneyatcjcu.blogspot.com/2012/11/a-couple-of-angels.html</a><br />
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<strong><span style="color: blue;">Angels Are Everywhere -</span></strong><br />
<a href="http://ajourneyatcjcu.blogspot.com/2012/07/angels-are-everywhere.html">http://ajourneyatcjcu.blogspot.com/2012/07/angels-are-everywhere.html</a><br />
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<span style="color: blue;"><strong>Like Most Kids -</strong></span> <br />
<a href="http://ajourneyatcjcu.blogspot.com/2012/07/like-most-kids.html">http://ajourneyatcjcu.blogspot.com/2012/07/like-most-kids.html</a><br />
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<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><strong>Angels
in a Tunnel - </strong></span></span><br />
<span style="color: #134f5c; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><a href="http://ajourneyatcjcu.blogspot.com/2012/05/angels.html">http://ajourneyatcjcu.blogspot.com/2012/05/angels.html</a></span><br />
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Stephen Chen 陳中潔http://www.blogger.com/profile/08664147415446017783noreply@blogger.com0