In the early 80's, my boss, Dr. Paul Skiles and General Superintendent Dr. Jerold Johnson, played an incredibly important role in the release of the Yeh family (father, wife, daughter and mother) after a trip to Chína. Timothy had been a well known acupuncture doctor while wife Pearl had been a renown concert pianist highly regarded (and to some extent protected) by the country's Premier at the time. But because of their Christian Faith during the terrible years of the Gang of Four they were incarcerated, stripped of everything they owned and forgotten. Their complete story is book or movie worthy.
The US government granted them asylum. They were brought to Kansas City, resided with the Skiles while they made the language and cultural adjustments. Since they did not yet have legal status allowing them to work, we put them to work writing scripts for our new Chinese radio ministry.
Timothy was a great writer, soft spoken, gentle and very accommodating, but probably not a good radio voice. Pearl, on the other hand, had an attractive tone to her voice. So, Timothy wrote the scripts, Pearl recorded the messages, and I would take or send them to the Chinese offices of Trans World Radio in Hong Kong. Once edited, music and announcer tags added, they were then aired all over China from a very powerful station on the island of Guam.
I used to sit by the hour talking to Timothy about his years of isolation, hunger, incarceration, terrible treatment and dashed hopes. He would tell me of the many shed tears brought on by pain, missing wife and daughter, no friends and his near death experiences. But what I would ask Timothy to retell over and over were the times that he said, Jesus himself would appear in my cell, sit down, talk and give me the assurance that in time, all would be fine and that God would be glorified. All pain would disappear, loneliness would go away, comfort and rest would last for days after each visit, and the assurance of a brighter day ahead is the only thing that kept me alive.
The Yeh family story is a classic example of what happens when the seeds of previous years of missionary endeavors blossom, in time, into remarkable and totally surprising results. If you were at College Church in the early 80's you will recall Timothy's testimony in the Uphaus sanctuary. And when Pearl played the piano for the first time in years, well; words cannot explain the electric feeling that flowed through the standing room only congregation. And today, years later, they have a successful practice and ministry in California.
Why don't we hear of visions of Jesus in our culture? Are we too sophisticated? Too educated? Are we sufficiently spiritually mature to need such a vision? Or, is it that we have not yet been tested? Have we been cheated by not experiencing persecution?
I don't know, but, I would welcome, no, cherish, a vision of Jesus.
