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Dear Friends,
I hope you had a wonderful Christmas celebrating the birth of our Savior. As we look toward the New Year, I want to share a story that has been ten years in the making - a story that perfectly illustrates why we are here and why your prayers and partnership matter so much.
A couple of days before Christmas, I met with my friend Eragon Liu. In the above picture he's on the far right in the blue shirt 10 years ago when a mission team came including Ryan Miller and Brian Lee. On the right is a picture of Eragon and me this past week 10 years later.
Some of you might remember Eragon from newsletters years ago. I met him 10 years ago while I was studying Chinese at the Teacher's University. He became my language partner, but quickly became a close friend. Eragon grew up in a home deeply entrenched in traditional folk religion. Over the years, I shared the Gospel with him, gave him his first Bible, and watched him "dance" with Christianity.
He has been reading his Bible faithfully and loves Jesus, but he has hesitated to cross the line of faith. Why? Because in this culture, converting can feel like a rejection of family obligation and filial piety. He didn't know how to follow Jesus while still honoring his parents.
But God works in mysterious ways.
Eragon told me that a few months ago, he finally told his mother he intended to become a Christian. Instead of getting angry, she asked him to go with her to visit a fortune teller - a mediator often used here to resolve family tension.
What happened next was crazy!
Upon hearing Eragon’s thoughts, the fortune teller didn't curse him. Instead, she told his mother that she could see it in his future - that he was supposed to be a Christian.
That pronouncement broke the tension. It gave his mother "permission" to accept his faith without losing face. The fortune teller even took his mother and Eragon to visit a church so his mother could know it was a safe place.
The fortune teller then gave Eragon a specific instruction: "You need to carry a Bible with you everywhere you go".
While she likely views the Bible as a "lucky charm" or talisman for protection (a common view in folk religion), we know the truth: It is the living Word of God.
God used a fortune teller to open a door that had been locked for a decade. Just like he used Balaam in the Old Testament, a pagan fortune teller. I don't understand it, but I am thankful.
Eragon is not there yet. As we spoke, I was able to share with him that carrying a physical Bible is not going to protect him, only Christ can do that. The word of God has the power he needs, not the physical book. He's currently living in Malyasia and his job requires him to travel extensively. He has a potential offer to settle back in Taiwan which would give us the opportunity to connect him with one of our church partners in Taipei.
Thank you for sticking with us for the long haul. Stories like Eragon’s take time, patience, and persistent prayer. Thank you for praying for him for ten years. Please pray for him now - that 2026 will be the year he is saved and baptized into the family of God.
Happy New Year!
Todd & Crista Blackhurst
Mission Taiwan
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