MY FIRST TIME
"I will never leave you, nor forsake you." (Hebrews 13:5)
This is how I happened to attend the Evergreen Fellowship for the first time.
Ever since I attended the Grace Baptist Church, Taipei on May 28, 2006 , I know about the youth fellowship called Evergreen Fellowship from the programme sheets or bulletin. But since Saturday is the only off day (apart from Sunday) of the week, I would go out to the NTU Sports Centre and play football (soccer) with friends (mostly new friends), I would be playing the whole evening and got so tired that I would retires early in the night. Life in Taipei for the first 4 months apart from my ongoing research was to play football.
But it happened one Saturday evening in September, 2006 that I twisted my ankle and rushed to the NTU Hospital to get medication attention, etc. and the physician promptly told me that it would take three months to get for full fitness. I got a long holiday, huh! I was sad at the news thinking I will miss the ground, the smell of grass and my teammates, the joy and excitement at every goal scored….. etc. etc.
Now, not able to play and not wanting to spent time at the laboratory on off days, I look for a place where time could be best spent. I went into the evening Evergreen Fellowship at 6:00 P.M one day. The lovely smiles and warm welcome at the reception makes me feel so homely (thank you); and they asked me what my name is, CHIN, I told without hesitation. Unable to find my name in the list, they enroll me in the register book as 'New Friend' and tagged me with my name before I proceed inside to join the worship time. The worship time, the sharing from (if I remember correctly) Miss Ocean about her experience at the previous Retreat, and a Welcome Song at the end of the fellowships are so warm that one can hardly belief the truth that the next fellowship is now 7-days away!
From then on, there is no looking back. And no time wasted, I was familiar with the sequence and type of fellowship here and fully began to enjoy the bliss of a warm and friendly Christian environment in a new place, my only 'home away from home'. Can I call it a foretaste of paradise?
May God bless everyone, He is our Immanuel.
-Chin (Hau Za Chin Suante)
