Insights from Others on the Road

Walter Woo

The sound clip below is from Walter’s testimony to the congregation at the church’s Thanksgiving service on November 20, 2016:

Charles Koo

I came from a Buddhist family. My parents were devout Buddhists, especially my mother. I first became aware of Christianity at the age of five. My second and third brothers were attending a missionary school and decided to become Christians. They were the first in our family to do this. Shocked and hurt, my parents severely chastised my brothers, forcing them to kneel before the family altar and recant their faith. They promised more punishment if my brothers did not do this. The dramatic episode left a deep impression on me. I remembered thinking there must be something in Christianity that caused my brothers to suffer for their newfound faith.

I attended the same Anglican missionary school as my older brothers. After a year of Christian study, the school Rector invited a friend and me to his catechism class. The catechism expanded my understanding of Christianity. I also got to know the Rector and other missionary teachers better, dispelling my previous myths about Christian workers. Three months into the catechism, I was invited to participate in Christmas caroling. I was not a Christian then, but I knew that caroling was about Jesus’ birth.

On Christmas Eve, while we were singing “O Little Town of Bethlehem” something wonderful happened. It felt as if a stopper had been removed from my heart. A tremendous sense of joy flooded my being! I was so happy! For the first time, the lyrics made great sense. I even remember where in the song it happened. It was at verse three, particularly the portion, “So God imparts to human hearts, the blessings of his heaven. No ear may hear his coming but in this world of sin…”, I felt like someone was standing close to me, explaining the song.

Early next year, the same Rector asked me to consider attending services, so I could experience “what Christians do on Sundays.” I walked over a mile to the church that first Sunday (and for many more Sundays to come). Everything was new and strange. As I walked home alone afterwards, I saw a vision. Before me was a wheat field that stretched to the horizon. Endless rows of densely planted grain, and every stalk bent heavy with large, golden grains ready to harvest. Only a half dozen workers were in the field. They were all busy harvesting. A voice said, “The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few.” Then I heard someone asking, “Would you like to work for me there?”

Mesmerized by what I saw, I answered, “Yes, I would if you pave the way for me.” The vision disappeared. I looked around and saw I was all alone. No one else was in sight. Although I knew I was not dreaming, I still had no idea what the vision meant.

I continued my Bible class in senior high. One day, our teacher fell ill, and a substitute took over for two weeks. We had been studying the Old Testament. He said he was going to teach from the New Testament. We turned to Matthew 9:37-38 “Then he said to his disciples, ‘The harvest is plentiful, but the workers are few. Ask the Lord of the harvest, therefore, to send out workers into his harvest field.’”

I was absolutely flabbergasted when I read these verses. Verse 37 was almost identical to the remark in the vision I had months ago. I had no idea it came from the Bible! I knew then it was the Lord Jesus who spoke to me. I felt God might be calling me to some kind of fulltime ministry, although I wasn’t sure what that meant.

A couple years later, I happened to join a choir rehearsal at a Melbourne church. When I opened their music folder, the lyrics of the first song went something like this: “The fields are white unto harvest but the workers few. Pray to the Lord of the Harvest; Christ says, Pray. Pray to the Lord for the workers which we need these days.” Part of the second song, also about going forth and evangelizing, went something like this: “Let the lower light be burning, send it out across the sea. Some such dying, struggling seamen, you may rescue, you may save.” I was dumbfounded! God had not forgotten about the vision!

My first year in college, I attended an evening service at the invitation of two friends. It was the first time I visited their church. None of us knew what the evening program was about. When the Pastor came forward to preach, he showed the congregation his sermon notes. Then he tossed them aside. He felt God was asking him to preach a different sermon. It was a sermon that he had not given in that church in 10 years. The congregation grew tense, and the air thickened with anticipation. I was merely a visitor, so I didn’t understand what was going on.

The Pastor preached what God laid on his heart. He spoke of the dire need for fulltime ministers in both churches and mission fields and the great need for Christians, especially young people, to heed God’s call to enter full-time ministry. That caught my attention. At the end of the sermon there was an altar call. 30-40 young people went up to dedicate their lives to full-time service. I was wondering if the message was for me. Sure, I was seeking divine confirmation, but I felt uncomfortable because I did not feel “moved” inside to go up. Plus, I was only visiting that church.

Dozens of decision-makers stood up front. There was little additional congregational movement. We were expecting the Pastor to close the altar call so the elders could come and pray for the people. Then the Pastor announced he was reissuing the call because God told him there was still one more yet to come forward.

I didn’t think he meant me, but a power moved me. I found myself getting up to join the others. The Pastor ended the altar call, and the elders came and prayed for me. We were strangers to each other. They asked me for specific prayer requests. I said I simply wanted to do the will of God. During prayer, I somehow knew with certainty that what I had been seeking these few years since I became a Christian was right here and now. I no longer doubted God’s will. I had such great peace and confidence within.

There are, of course, continuing lessons of discipleship that I must learn, struggles to overcome, sin to confess, and faith to deepen. Nevertheless, God proves his faithfulness again and again. It has been an enriching journey of faith. My lifelong desire is to be used by God through his church on Earth.

I love the words of John the Baptist, “He must become greater; I must become less” (John 3:30). May that ever be true of me. I am often reminded that I am a sinner, the greatest of all sinners, saved by Christ, and I still have a lot of dying and living to do. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection. I would lay down my life for Christ if that is His will, for the Good Shepherd has already died for me!