You and your family will be saved
【Preaching the Gospel to Parents】Family Chapter
Interviewees/Luo Shili, Luo Su Meiying
Interview compilation/Zhou Weiwei
Picture provided/Luo Shili
Rely on your own practice to eliminate disasters and avoid disasters?
Like most people in Taiwan, Luo Shili's parents, Dr. Luo Meite (hereinafter referred to as Luo's father) and Ms. Luo Su Meiying (hereinafter referred to as Luo's mother), advocate folk beliefs and chant sutras, meditate, and worship Buddha 108 times every day for several years. , the thick calluses on the knees were once jokingly called the relics of Taoists by fellow Taoists. As a Chinese medicine practitioner, Luo's father is willing to help others. On the first and fifteenth day of every month, he drives from Hukou, Hsinchu, to Puli Zhongtai Zen Temple to provide free medical treatment for monks. He also diligently participates in Taoist activities and became a monk for a short time. If you want to increase your "merit and merit" through this, you should firmly believe that following Master's teachings, you will be able to escape from life and death soon.
Luo Shili is the eldest son in the family. He went to the United States to study in 1993 and began to get in touch with the church. After he was baptized as a Christian in 1994, he began to share his experience of believing in the Lord with his parents. He also made phone calls, wrote letters, and wrote cards. Preach the gospel to your family intermittently. However, most of the responses he received were: "You believe in you and I believe in mine. Just don't go bad!" Although cold water was poured on him many times, Luo Shili was not discouraged and relied on the promise in the Bible: "Believe in Lord Jesus, you and your family will be saved!” (Acts 16:31), and insist on praying for your family’s salvation every day.
Just when Luo's father and Luo's mother were actively participating in meditation courses, practicing meditation, and enthusiastically promoting Buddhism, the test of life came to them. In June 1998, while volunteering at a Zen temple volunteer clinic, Luo's father suddenly felt severe abdominal pain and was sent to the hospital for examination. It was discovered that he had terminal liver cancer. At first, in order to get closer to the Buddha and Bodhisattva to eliminate disasters and solve problems, Luo's father even moved to a Zen temple to live permanently. The old abbot monk also vowed: "If you live here, even King Yama will not be able to find you!" In November of the same year, Luo's father's condition not only did not improve, but worsened rapidly, and he was in a state of hepatic coma. Even the doctors were helpless. In order to seek a chance of survival, Luo's father still followed Master's instructions and stood up to meditate whenever he was slightly awake, hoping that his unremitting practice during the illness would lead him through the disaster.
When Luo Shili learned that his father was critically ill, his family rushed back to Taiwan during the Thanksgiving holiday. Before leaving, my second brother kept reminding me on the phone not to preach the gospel to my parents at this time, so that my father could not be distracted and finish the last journey of his life peacefully. Luo Shili knew immediately that there was a tough battle to be fought on this trip, so he earnestly prayed to God to open a way.
▲A portrait of the loving couple Dr. Luomet and his wife when they were young.
A humble servant loves to preach the gospel
God’s works are wonderful and unfathomable. There is a Hakka church near the hospital where Luo's father is recovering. Through the introduction of a brother, the church's pastor Peng Delang and his wife came to the hospital to visit. Pastor Peng and Luo's father, who had never met before, were both Hakkas and of the same age. The two hit it off immediately.
The pastor and his wife visited twice a day and patiently led Luo's father on the sickbed to read the Bible, pray, sing and share hymns, and even knelt in front of the bed to intercede for Luo's father's condition. Such a humble and gentle attitude deeply shocked Luo's father's heart. He recalled that when he was in a Zen monastery, in order to eliminate karma, he often had to hold red envelopes in both hands, kneel three times and kowtow nine times to salute gracefully before he could see the abbot, the old monk. What a contrast compared to the simple and loving pastor in front of me, who was willing to humble himself and kneel in front of an unfamiliar patient to pray urgently!
Pastor Peng's appearance also exposed Luo's mother and two younger brothers to the gospel. From then on, listening to the pastor explain biblical truths in his father's hospital room became the Luo family's daily spiritual food. It was as if an angel had opened a skylight in the ward, and good blessings were like an unstoppable spring, pouring on everyone in the Luo family every day. The second brother, who was originally opposed to Luo Shili's preaching of the gospel to his parents, was moved one day to decide to believe in the Lord. He happily expressed to his father on the spot: "I feel so relaxed now. All the burdens in my heart have disappeared!"
Next, dramatic signs and wonders happened one after another. Luo's father, who was gradually losing weight due to illness, saw that no matter how hard he practiced, he could not regain his health. He began to believe that life was in the hands of a master who controls all things. Not long after, at the invitation of his eldest son, Shili, Luo’s father accepted Jesus as his personal savior. The official continued his efforts, hoping that his mother would also accept this invitation to eternal life. As a traditional Hakka woman, Luo's mother has always followed her husband's lead. She will do whatever he does. Seeing that her husband, who has been praying to God and worshiping Buddha for most of his life, is willing to make a decision to believe in Jesus, what should she have to hesitate about? The second brother and his parents made the decision one after another, which greatly inspired Luo Shili, and he happily began to arrange the baptism ceremony.
When one person is saved, the whole family is saved
On December 14, 1998, the day Luo's father was baptized, a monk who had a good relationship with Luo's father actually chose to visit Luo's father in the hospital on the same day. In order to properly receive this distinguished guest, his father once wanted to cancel the baptism. The official's heart trembled, and he began to pray earnestly with his family. Miraculously, in the end the monk canceled the trip due to temporary gastrointestinal discomfort. This unexpected incident allowed the whole family to see more clearly the evidence that God accepted their father’s baptism.
Unfortunately, Luo's father, who had not had a bowel movement all day, began to fall into a deep coma in the evening. Even the doctor was not optimistic. However, God opened a way for Luo's father in the wilderness again. At seven o'clock in the evening, one hour before the baptism ceremony, Luo's father miraculously began to defecate and regained consciousness. Faced with the smelly and black excrement, Luo Shili He and his second brother shouted happily: "Hallelujah!"
The baptism ceremony began, and Father Luo's small ward was filled with people—two pastors and a group of church brothers and sisters who enthusiastically offered hymns. Luo's father had his hands clasped together from beginning to end, his face was full of energy, and he had an innocent smile like a baby. The warm atmosphere in the ward made the nurses on duty that night marvel. Under the witness of everyone, Luo's father, Luo's mother and second brother were baptized at the same time. This moment made Luo Shili extremely excited! Looking back on the past, he could not count how many nights he had lost his mind in the middle of the night. He could not sleep because of the loss of his family’s souls. He stood up and prayed earnestly to God: “You promise that if one person is saved, the whole family will be saved!” If my family cannot be like me. Believing in You, how can I be truly satisfied and happy?” Over the past few years, Shili and his wife have held tightly to God’s promises and prayed for their unbeliever family members every day with faith. The scene in front of him made Luo Shili feel infinitely grateful, knowing that this was definitely not something that could be accomplished by manpower!
Old things have passed away, life is renewed
After Luo's father was baptized, his condition improved for a while. Unexpectedly, within a few days, his health became critical again. At this time, the official was deeply disturbed by the several Buddha statues placed in his parents' home. After discussing with his parents and brothers, he decided to ask a priest to clear away the Buddha statues. From a secular perspective, these Buddha statues are expensive and it is a pity to get rid of them. But now everyone in the Luo family knows that the God who truly gives peace cannot be seen or touched, and does not live in temples made with human hands. Now that we have given over the sovereignty of our lives to God, what is the use of keeping those idols in our homes?
On the day of cleaning up the Buddha statues, the pastor and brothers and sisters went to the two Buddhist halls of the Luo family, smashed the Buddha statues into pieces and transported them away, and finally anointed every place in the house with oil to clean them. “If anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new!” (2 Corinthians 5:17) The Luo family’s determination to join Christ became even stronger from this.
After being reborn, Luo's father longed to be close to the Lord. He not only prayed silently every day according to the prayers written by the officials, but also read the Bible, prayed and sang hymns with his wife in front of the hospital bed. After Luo Mu learned her first poem "Flowers of the Field", she often sang it casually. The lively lyrics and melody echoed in the ward, adding a lot of joy and hope to the monotonous and silent atmosphere.
Not long after, Luo's father fell into a coma again. Knowing that her husband's time was running out, his mother advocated sending Luo's father back home. At this moment, Luo Shili suddenly understood that the previous process of clearing the Buddha statues was to prepare a clean spiritual environment for his father when he was dying. In the early morning of December 24, 1998, Luo Shili went to his father's bedside to check as usual. He was surprised to find that his father began to breathe through his mouth. He picked up a wet towel nearby and tried to moisten the old man's chapped lips. Unexpectedly, his father suddenly gasped. In one breath, he coughed up a lot of phlegm instantly. The official, whose hands were covered with phlegm, found that his father's face was rosy and rosy as he had never seen before, like an angel's face. After a long while, Luo's father, surrounded by his family, slowly closed his eyes and returned peacefully to his heavenly father's arms.
The mother on the side began to sing the poem "Flowers of the Field" that she had just learned. Luo's mother, who had been baptized only ten days ago, could not hide her sadness, but she knew for sure that she would be reunited with her significant other in heaven. With this hope as comfort, she cheered up and continued humming poems to bid her husband the last of his life. Along the way, the children and relatives who were accompanying her felt incredible at Luo's mother's calmness and relief.
▲A group photo of the Luo family who have returned to the Lord and are blessed. In June 2014, Luo Su Meiying graduated from the University for the Elderly. Her three sons and their families attended the ceremony to celebrate. From the left, they are the eldest son Luo Shili and his wife, the second eldest son Luo Shixi and his wife, and the youngest Luo Shigan and his wife.
A grain of wheat, fruitful
Living in a Hakka family with many relatives, how to deal with her husband's death poses another challenge to Luo's mother. The clan members all insisted on using traditional folk customs to organize Luo's father's funeral. How to hold a Christian farewell service that even she was not familiar with against the crowd's opinions made Luo's mother feel helpless in fighting alone.
But God’s grace is sufficient! Just when the relatives were boycotting Christianity and attacking Luo's mother, the care and help from the church promptly made up for Luo's mother's inner loss. From the pastor presiding over the farewell ceremony, cremation into the pagoda, purchasing the cemetery, decorating the mourning hall, emcee's translation, to the choir singing and other details, the rich manpower and material resources provided by the church made Luo's father's farewell ceremony not only solemn, but also grand. Warm.
On the day of Luo's father's funeral, the sun shone surprisingly brightly on Jacob's Hill Cemetery in Zhudong. It was a rare good weather after several days of haze. Among the spectators were many relatives, friends and patients who had visited Buddha with Luo’s father in the past. Everyone was curious and confused about Luo’s father’s change in faith during his lifetime, and there were many discussions: “What kind of power can make a person who once worshiped Buddha devoutly, How about resolutely giving up the practice and worship in the monastery, even breaking the Bodhisattva statue enshrined at home, to believe in an invisible god?" Luo Shili saw that although his father's body had disappeared, the testimony of his life was still present to many people. It left a shock in my heart. As the Bible says: “Unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it abides alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.” (John 12:24) Two days after his father’s death, Luo Shi The official’s younger brother also decided to believe in the Lord, fulfilling God’s promise to the official that “all his family will be saved.”
▲Due to the persistent prayers of his eldest son Luo Shili, Dr. Romet and his beloved wife were baptized into the name of Christ before his death.
Heavenly Father loves people and prepares eternal life
In just one month after returning to Taiwan, Luo Shili experienced the ups and downs of his father's illness, the transformation of his faith, and the successive conversion of his family to the Lord. He deeply understood God's faithfulness. He raised his hands in constant thanksgiving and praise for the abundant grace that fell from the sky. On the flight back to the United States, Luo Shili accidentally cast his gaze out the window and saw white clouds hanging in the vast blue sky, like an open sky carpet, dancing in the wind. Looking down at the thousands of mountains and rivers on the earth and the bustling countryside, he felt as if he were sitting on the heavenly carpet and soaring with his Heavenly Father, enjoying the heavenly peace and tranquility. In his ears, his mother's favorite poem could faintly be heard - "Flowers of the Field" , wearing beautiful clothes, the birds in the sky are never busy with life; the loving Heavenly Father takes care of them every day, He loves the people in the world even more, and prepares the way to eternal life for them; Heavenly Father already knows all the needs, if you are in your heart Let Him take away your troubles; the loving Heavenly Father takes care of you every day, He is the Almighty Lord, and those who believe in Him are truly blessed!”
Interviewee profile
Luo Shili, from Taiwan, once worked for a well-known pharmaceutical company in the United States and was engaged in biochemical research. In April 2015, I responded to God’s call and entered the seminary to receive equipment and start a new page in my life of full-time ministry. He became a Christian while studying in the United States. Based on the promise from God, Luo Li successfully spread the gospel to his father, mother and two younger brothers when he returned to Taiwan to visit his critically ill father.
Luo Su Meiying is a typical Hakka woman. Throughout her life, she has followed her husband's lead and is diligent and thrifty in running the house. Together with my late husband, I worshiped Buddha, meditated, and promoted Buddhism. Through his eldest son, Luo Shili, he accepted Jesus as his personal Savior. After his husband passed away, he overcame all objections and held his funeral with Christian rites. He has pure faith and is eager to learn. In 2014, he obtained a degree from the University of the Elderly with the honor of being a senior citizen.
Journalist profile
Zhou Weiwei, from Taiwan, is a public high school teacher in New York State. She loves education and devotes herself to the ministry of literature. He is obsessed with describing human nature with stories and capturing divine inspiration with words. She has a son and a daughter with her husband Xie Yongping.