I know that many of you may find some of the stories contained in this book difficult to believe; Western education teaches us to automatically question demon possession, spiritual warfare, and the supernatural—especially when an occurrence cannot be confirmed by empirical evidence. But Eastern society operates much differently. In fact, missionaries have found that most Taiwanese people, especially those belonging to the lesser-educated working class, unfalteringly believe in an active spirit world.
That being said, I’ve tried my best to retell these life histories just as their main characters have described them. I’ve refrained from including personal judgments about the causes of their behavior and experiences—especially in those of a more “unusual” nature. I hope that you too will refrain from making personal judgments about the men and women you are about to meet just because you may not wholly agree with their theology.
I deeply admire the people in this book—and not just because of what they’ve been through and how they’ve allowed the Lord to transform them. Over a period of two years, I had opportunities to travel with and minister alongside them. I also had the special privilege of living with Mei Chen for six months, and during this time I found her to possess a Christ-like integrity that is all too rare in the church today. The main characters in the book are among the most consistent, dedicated, self-sacrificing Christians I’ve ever met. When I’m around them, I find it easy to forget that they’ve actually gone through everything that you are about to read.
On a logistical note, I’ve used pseudonyms for all the characters within, except for missionaries and pastors, in order to protect their identities. A family tree has been included at the end of the book to help you keep track of names as you read.
I hope that the stories in this book will break your heart—as it has mine—for one of the most overlooked, spiritually hungry nations in the world.
Jennifer Su McIntyre
