Posts
My local church family at a recent retreat
Saturday, November 27, 2004
Gored photo #1
Wu, riding pedi-cab at recent Taiwan Night Market at his church, narrowly escapes death by hordes.
GORED News
Dear “Adored of the Lord”: November 27, 2004
How are you? As we recently celebrated (in America) the Thanksgiving holiday, I hope & pray each of you are experiencing God’s best, even amidst some of the significant hardships I know some of you are facing. God has been gracious in blessing me in some pretty neat ways, so let me assure you that your support is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU!!!
“Local Citizen Gored by Hordes of Untoward Boards”
I’m glad to report to you that since I last wrote you in May, I completed my residency training. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness! In order to become certified in my specialties, I sat for the national board examinations in the last few months. Thank you for praying for these important tests. I spent a lot of time studying for them, & last month I found out that I passed the August internal medicine board. I should hear in the next few weeks about my results on the October pediatrics board. These tests have been especially important to me not only because they were very expensive, but also because they should allow me to practice more widely, including overseas.
Well…(ahem) OK, so there were only two. “Hordes” might not really be the best word to describe two things. And…even though they were painful encounters, I didn’t actually get gored by them… But they were very, very untoward, OK? “Local Citizen Takes Two Hard Tests” just doesn’t cut it as gripping headline! Maybe this one is better…
“Explored Boards Help Me Go Forward”
Medical boards aren’t the only kind of boards I’ve been dealing with in the last months. While decidedly less “untoward” than the ones mentioned above, I’ve also been exploring various mission boards for going overseas. As mentioned in my last letter, I joined the Evangelical Formosan Church’s (EFC’s) mission arm, Global Life Enrichment Center (GLEC based in Santa Ana, California). Recently I attended their annual conference and was encouraged by their work among Chinese peoples around the world. Within my own local EFC body, opportunities to expand mission awareness & involvement both locally & worldwide have also been very encouraging.
As you may remember, I was also looking for a secondary mission board with more experience with medicine & Muslim peoples. After much counsel, research, interaction, & prayer, I finally decided to go forward with Serving in Mission (SIM www.sim.org), an international, interdenominational agency, & I attended their September candidate orientation in North Carolina. I was particularly impressed by their focus on church planting, professional excellence, and member support. To no small degree, I consistently sensed their internal care for one another, especially among the many missionary veteran couples I have met along the way.
Honestly, it is a wonderful feeling to go forward in this regard, & each small step I take has served to confirm the decision to head overseas along this path. GLEC & SIM have been gracious to me in support & guidance for the road ahead. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!
“Professor Who? Professor Wu?”
Another big thing I thank God for is my job. At the writing of my last letter in May, I still wasn’t sure what job I’d have starting July. Nearly at the last minute, a part-time position was made available to me with Loma Linda University (where I completed residency). The position entails patient care but also involves a faculty appointment with the LLU School of Medicine, & as I’ve passed (at least) one of my certification exams, I’m set to be an Assistant Professor.
Weird!!! If you’d told me 5 years ago that I’d be a university professor I’d have thought you were crazy! The words “Professor Wu,” in my mind, could only be jokingly preceded by the words “nutty” or “absent-minded.” A few years ago, though, I began to think more about teaching medicine, since I felt that God might have me serve Him in a residency training program &/or medical school abroad one day, & because I have long enjoyed teaching. But honestly, I never felt “high-powered” enough to think it might come true!
Let me tell you: I really enjoy my job! I enjoy getting to know my patients & serving them & their families. I am humbled by the physical & spiritual issues shared with me & the opportunities to offer healing for these sometimes very deep & complex matters (drug abuse, history of molestation, sexual promiscuity & sexually transmitted diseases). I am further humbled to be able to teach what I know to medical students & residents, some of whom are eager to learn everything! I’m slowly getting used to the fact that I’m not only finally making my own medical decisions but helping them make wise decisions, too. Praise the Lord!
“All Aboard in One Accord!”
Indeed, God has been so good to me, & part of His goodness to me has been extended through you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support & prayer. How desperately this brother needs it! May I ask you to prayerfully join me in “one accord” (am I overdoing this rhyming thing?) for the following requests?
- wisdom in managing my time. When someone asked my colleague & me what we were going to do with our “extra” time since we were both joining on part-time, we simultaneously answered: “Find a spouse”! Silly thoughts aside, I’d really appreciate your prayer that I would know how to juggle work, family, and preparation for heading overseas, while being faithful to each of them individually. I’ve been busy reading books & looking into seminary & language classes for the future. (Incidentally, if you remember my injury from a few months ago, soccer season restarts in January, which will bring with it new opportunities to re-injure my rib & get it removed! Don’t understand? See Genesis 2:18-23.)
- faithfulness with money. In setting up my personal goals for loan repayment, I failed to factor in some necessary expenses. Please pray that I would be both wise & generous in using God’s money for His purposes. Please also pray for my discussions with Project MedSend (www.medsend.org), which helps medical missionaries with school debt repayment & may be able to help me head overseas sooner.
- continued rest & joy in the Lord. God has been faithful to remind me that true rest & joy are really only found in Him, & when I remember these truths, there indeed is great blessing in my life! To be honest though, I too often forget. Here’s a Scripture passage I’m trying to memorize: “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). Would you please pray that my heart would be captivated by the true joy of following Jesus? I especially ask this in light of continued sharing about missions & an upcoming sermon; I want people to know that following Jesus (whether it be in going overseas, praying more, or reading His word more carefully) is the best thing they can be doing.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am bound to thank God for you (2 Thess. 1:3) for your love & care. Please let me know how each of you are doing, & how I may pray for you as well.
“Outpoured for the Lord” (last one :)
Sid Steve Wu
IMPORTANT: If you’d like to be on a mailing list for updates outlining more specific needs, please let me know.
“Sid’s Kids” (don’t worry, I’ll let you know when I have my own offspring; these are my patients)
Some of my favorite answers in a recent unscientific survey while I examined some of my four-year-old patients: “Why do you have a neck?”
- One smarty-pants boy with a confident grin: “The esophagus is inside.”
- A girl with a look of innocent confusion: “Because I have a head.”
- A girl, with head cocked & a wry smile: “For my necklaces.”
How are you? As we recently celebrated (in America) the Thanksgiving holiday, I hope & pray each of you are experiencing God’s best, even amidst some of the significant hardships I know some of you are facing. God has been gracious in blessing me in some pretty neat ways, so let me assure you that your support is greatly appreciated. THANK YOU!!!
“Local Citizen Gored by Hordes of Untoward Boards”
I’m glad to report to you that since I last wrote you in May, I completed my residency training. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness! In order to become certified in my specialties, I sat for the national board examinations in the last few months. Thank you for praying for these important tests. I spent a lot of time studying for them, & last month I found out that I passed the August internal medicine board. I should hear in the next few weeks about my results on the October pediatrics board. These tests have been especially important to me not only because they were very expensive, but also because they should allow me to practice more widely, including overseas.
Well…(ahem) OK, so there were only two. “Hordes” might not really be the best word to describe two things. And…even though they were painful encounters, I didn’t actually get gored by them… But they were very, very untoward, OK? “Local Citizen Takes Two Hard Tests” just doesn’t cut it as gripping headline! Maybe this one is better…
“Explored Boards Help Me Go Forward”
Medical boards aren’t the only kind of boards I’ve been dealing with in the last months. While decidedly less “untoward” than the ones mentioned above, I’ve also been exploring various mission boards for going overseas. As mentioned in my last letter, I joined the Evangelical Formosan Church’s (EFC’s) mission arm, Global Life Enrichment Center (GLEC based in Santa Ana, California). Recently I attended their annual conference and was encouraged by their work among Chinese peoples around the world. Within my own local EFC body, opportunities to expand mission awareness & involvement both locally & worldwide have also been very encouraging.
As you may remember, I was also looking for a secondary mission board with more experience with medicine & Muslim peoples. After much counsel, research, interaction, & prayer, I finally decided to go forward with Serving in Mission (SIM www.sim.org), an international, interdenominational agency, & I attended their September candidate orientation in North Carolina. I was particularly impressed by their focus on church planting, professional excellence, and member support. To no small degree, I consistently sensed their internal care for one another, especially among the many missionary veteran couples I have met along the way.
Honestly, it is a wonderful feeling to go forward in this regard, & each small step I take has served to confirm the decision to head overseas along this path. GLEC & SIM have been gracious to me in support & guidance for the road ahead. Praise the Lord for His faithfulness!
“Professor Who? Professor Wu?”
Another big thing I thank God for is my job. At the writing of my last letter in May, I still wasn’t sure what job I’d have starting July. Nearly at the last minute, a part-time position was made available to me with Loma Linda University (where I completed residency). The position entails patient care but also involves a faculty appointment with the LLU School of Medicine, & as I’ve passed (at least) one of my certification exams, I’m set to be an Assistant Professor.
Weird!!! If you’d told me 5 years ago that I’d be a university professor I’d have thought you were crazy! The words “Professor Wu,” in my mind, could only be jokingly preceded by the words “nutty” or “absent-minded.” A few years ago, though, I began to think more about teaching medicine, since I felt that God might have me serve Him in a residency training program &/or medical school abroad one day, & because I have long enjoyed teaching. But honestly, I never felt “high-powered” enough to think it might come true!
Let me tell you: I really enjoy my job! I enjoy getting to know my patients & serving them & their families. I am humbled by the physical & spiritual issues shared with me & the opportunities to offer healing for these sometimes very deep & complex matters (drug abuse, history of molestation, sexual promiscuity & sexually transmitted diseases). I am further humbled to be able to teach what I know to medical students & residents, some of whom are eager to learn everything! I’m slowly getting used to the fact that I’m not only finally making my own medical decisions but helping them make wise decisions, too. Praise the Lord!
“All Aboard in One Accord!”
Indeed, God has been so good to me, & part of His goodness to me has been extended through you. Thank you, thank you, thank you for your support & prayer. How desperately this brother needs it! May I ask you to prayerfully join me in “one accord” (am I overdoing this rhyming thing?) for the following requests?
- wisdom in managing my time. When someone asked my colleague & me what we were going to do with our “extra” time since we were both joining on part-time, we simultaneously answered: “Find a spouse”! Silly thoughts aside, I’d really appreciate your prayer that I would know how to juggle work, family, and preparation for heading overseas, while being faithful to each of them individually. I’ve been busy reading books & looking into seminary & language classes for the future. (Incidentally, if you remember my injury from a few months ago, soccer season restarts in January, which will bring with it new opportunities to re-injure my rib & get it removed! Don’t understand? See Genesis 2:18-23.)
- faithfulness with money. In setting up my personal goals for loan repayment, I failed to factor in some necessary expenses. Please pray that I would be both wise & generous in using God’s money for His purposes. Please also pray for my discussions with Project MedSend (www.medsend.org), which helps medical missionaries with school debt repayment & may be able to help me head overseas sooner.
- continued rest & joy in the Lord. God has been faithful to remind me that true rest & joy are really only found in Him, & when I remember these truths, there indeed is great blessing in my life! To be honest though, I too often forget. Here’s a Scripture passage I’m trying to memorize: “You will show me the path of life; in Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures forevermore” (Psalm 16:11). Would you please pray that my heart would be captivated by the true joy of following Jesus? I especially ask this in light of continued sharing about missions & an upcoming sermon; I want people to know that following Jesus (whether it be in going overseas, praying more, or reading His word more carefully) is the best thing they can be doing.
Thank you, thank you, thank you. I am bound to thank God for you (2 Thess. 1:3) for your love & care. Please let me know how each of you are doing, & how I may pray for you as well.
“Outpoured for the Lord” (last one :)
Sid Steve Wu
IMPORTANT: If you’d like to be on a mailing list for updates outlining more specific needs, please let me know.
“Sid’s Kids” (don’t worry, I’ll let you know when I have my own offspring; these are my patients)
Some of my favorite answers in a recent unscientific survey while I examined some of my four-year-old patients: “Why do you have a neck?”
- One smarty-pants boy with a confident grin: “The esophagus is inside.”
- A girl with a look of innocent confusion: “Because I have a head.”
- A girl, with head cocked & a wry smile: “For my necklaces.”
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