Email from Teresa

Teresa was one of the dance team members that worked with Dad in Taiwan. We met her in LA a few weeks ago and I thought I would share some of her stories...

9/12/08

Dear Guy, Michele, Kymmie, Jayme,

I just thought about a cute story that happened about 5 years ago.

You guys must have seen all the photos of Pastor on Noel's Picasa. You may notice a young girl was with Noel and Pastor with Noel's family at New Years time. She is the girl I told Jayme about that the only father she knew in her life was Pastor. Her name is Joy.

When I read Jayme's email, I was so surprised that he called Pastor Papa. You know what? All the English speaking group here called Pastor Papa too. I thought you all called him Daddy. I hope it is not offensive to you that we called him Papa, after all he was really a father to us all. And because of your sacrifice of the time you spent with him, we could have him in our lives. Thank you, thank you, thank you again and again. As Papa always said, " Thank you. My mother thanks you. My father thanks you." ( with several bows.)

Well, the story is this. After my father passed away, for some reason, I started calling Pastor Papa. When Noel came back from LA and heard me calling him this way. She started to call Pastor Papa too. Then, we all started calling Pastor Papa. As time went on, each one of us started to call Papa in our own different ways. But, Papa always wanted us to address him Pastor while we met new people. For the older girls, we had no problem to change back and forth. But, for our little Joy, MAN, it was a big problem. One day, we went to meet a couple for the second time in a restaurant. Papa reminded us not to forget to address him Pastor. We all said OK. However, when the conversation started, every time when Joy wanted to talk to Pa, she would totally forget about the word Pastor. She would directly call him PAPA ( very loud, and very a too). Papa would remind her "Pastor". It happened so many times. Eventually, Joy would started calling him "PA pa p p….. Pastor". So, Pa gave up, he said, "OK, Papa Pastor." So, now she is the only person calls Pa "Papa Pastor". Even yesterday, when Joy and I were sharing some thoughts about Papa, we still laughed so heartedly on that one. Pa really helped her a great deal. She was one the the top dancers in the entire profession I ever knew, and was in Twyla Tharp's company in New York for a year. After she came back, she went to Cloud Gate, but the artistic director treated her so badly. She almost had a nervous break down. Pa taught her how to get out of the company before the contract expired without causing any trouble. But her demon possessed mom was so angry. She started other torments she could give her. Finally, with her own obedience to God and prayers of Pa and help from us, God took her to Hong Kong, and gave her a much better job there. I have told her to think of some stories that Pa had given impact on her life to share with you.

Today, I found out that my scanner broke down. So, I have no tools to scan some photos of Papa. I guess for more detailed things from me about Pa, you guys would just have to wait for a while. I hope this story would cheer you up a little.

With much love,

T

9/13/08

Dear Guy, Michele, Kymmie, Jayme,

This is my personal story that concerns your father.

I was adopted since maybe when I was only 3 months old, and nobody ever told me, or was allowed to talk to me about anything concerning adoption. My adoptive mom wanted to make sure I thought I was from her and my adoptive dad. But when I was 6, one day, I said to myself, "I could not possibly be their child. How can they misunderstand (or misjudge) me so?" So, from that day on, I believed I was not their real child. Until 13, we studied biology. It proved to me I was not their biological child because of the blood type.

Before I met your father, I never learned unconditional love, although heard about it, and really wanted it, but didn't know the nature of it. I thought if you wanted your parents to love you, you'd better win it with your achievements. And of course, I could never be good enough, since my father had children in China, and separated from them because of the war. And I had always been a strange kid myself. Nobody understood me, and I understood nobody. I became a Christian when I was 25. As a crazy young dancer, I shocked all the pastors who met me. Who in the world with a right mind at that time (1990ish) would want to have a dancer in their church anyway. When I read "For God so love the world….", I thought it was so beautiful and wonderful. But, I could never imagine I was part of "the world". So, I had been all alone and afraid for 33 years, till I met your father.

My real mom came to me and told me who she was when I was 28. Before that, I always thought I was some bastard out of some mistakes and no one wanted me. For 4 years with my biological family, I felt really good. I really loved them. But, they wanted me to prove my love for them by telling my adoptive parents that we had acknowledged each other. I didn't want to do it, because I thought I didn't give myself away. It was not my responsibility to tell. However, under all the loving pressure, I reluctantly did what they wanted. Then, I called my real dad and said, "You can come to meet with my adoptive parents now." My dad said," Oh, good! But, I am busy right now. I will go up to meet you 2 weeks later." After I talked to him, my heart was pierced by him. I felt I was given away one more time. I almost had a nervous break down. In about less than a week, Pastor came to Taiwan.

When Wendy told me your father is coming, I thought, "So? I have met enough pastors, and none of them impressed me. Why should he be any different?" Meantime, I was totally broken inside and ready to leave everything behind, and disappear from everything that was just too familiar to me. But on the day of Pa's meeting, I was urged, coerced, lured, enticed to go to his meeting by the Holy Spirit. Very reluctantly, I went! But, when Pastor saw me from the first sight, I felt he looked into my deep down being. While worshiping, he came to me and told me something I only told God. I bursted out crying right then. When he started to give the sermon, the first thing he said was, " The Holy Spirit told me we are going to change what I planed to say. Today, we are going to talk about 'The Broken Heart'." I don't quite remember what Papa said that day, but I knew right then God knew my situation, and I was not alone. The most important part in the sermon was 'to die on the Cross', and 'to forgive', etc.. After his sermon was over, I already felt healed, and willing to die,but not just yet forgive. Than, Papa gave the altar call. Since I was one of the core group in the fellowship, I was so eager to pray for other broken hearted. So, I with all the rest of the fellowship members stood in line ready to pray for people. But, for quite a while no one approached to the poppet. Finally, your father was tired of this, he came to me and dragged me to the poppet and started praying for me. I cannot tell you how embarrassed I was, because I always thought I could be the last one to have the blessing. But, I guess that was not what God wanted, and I was ready to forgive. After I was prayed for, I turned around and looked, there was no one on their seats any more. All lined up for God's blessing behind me.

2 days later, Pastor called a meeting for all the core fellowship members. While we were listening to him, I saw the wildest vision in my life. You father was like a baggy cloth sag, and the person who was wearing this sag and talking to us was Jesus Himself. I started crying and repenting. It was the first time I came to the realization of what it meant by "To die is to gain, to live is Christ." I knew it is no longer a standard too high, but a reality all the Christians are supposed to fulfil.

All these years, I had made some mistakes. But, Papa was always loving and forgiving. Because of him, Jesus was not like what I felt before – hard bones, but with flesh and blood. It was so important to me, because it took me out of fear of making mistakes and not being loved again. Papa hated Chinese culture, because it somehow, carries hidden malice, and broke people in every way. But, because of Papa, I am no longer molded by my environment, I became one of God's own, and closer to Him each day.

So, once again, thank you, thank you, thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Thank you for your personal sacrifice, so that I and we can take a look of who God is, and grow from there.

Love, T

9/14/08

Dear guys,

Papa always thought dancers are airheads. Even I, the least airheady one, was still one among the airheads to him.

One year, he came to Taiwan, we happened to have a dance performance called Alice Fantasia. Our dancers met Pa, they really enjoyed having him, although they were not Christians and they had fun together. But since they were so airheady, Pa started to make jokes about airheads. One joke was "How do an airhead tie her shoe laces?" The answer was: She put her left foot on a stew and bend down to tie her right shoe. Another one was "How do 2 air heads put a light bulb on?" The answer was: One stands on a computer chair with light bulb in hand, and the other one spin the chair to screw the bulb in. The dancers loved the jokes. And they told each other the stories all the time with excitement, and proud of being airheads, because they knew Pa could see the beauty of being airheady. I think no one else did it before in their lives. Finally, when they were graduating from our school. They needed a title for their graduation performance. Guess what they named it? "Fools (or more like airheads in Chinese) that Spin the Air." Then, we start to see the airhead jokes currenting on the internet here. Pa started the airhead trend here without intending to do so.

Love, T

You know! Once Pa said Gy looked like Ben Eflik, the movie star. HE said both of them looked almost exactly the same. I kept wondering how handsome he must have been. And I always have a intimate feeling about Kymmie, because Pa said one time, I think I did something, but he never told me what, but only said because what I did, all of a sudden he understood Kymmie a little more. I wonder what that is. But I know one thing, Kimmie made a lot of aroma products. And he said you built a product line or something. He said you Kymmie was very gifted in that area. And I remember Pa told us the tiniest chiwawa dog you had on earth. One day, Gy came home from outside, opened the door too quickly. The door hit the dog, and made it tumbled several times. From that day on, the door became the enemy of the dog, instead of Gy. Hahahahaha!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And when your grandma from your mother's side passed away, he said Gy became a big man in the house, and was in charged of many things and took care of your mom well. He was very proud of Gy.

I am glad the stories brought you some warmth to heart. I think it is the least thing we can do for you and Papa at this very moment, since we are so far away. And I didn't mean to leave Gy out. I simply did have your (Gy's) email address. I will keep pulling stories together, funny and serious.

Love, T

10/14/08

Dear guys,

I want to thank you for letting us to pray for your father's ressurection while you were in great loss yourselves. However, it was very gracious of you all and we are very grateful that you let us do so anyway. But, we were also very humbled by the Lord to know that we were asking Him to do something we don't have enough anointing to have and not enough crediility to ask. We are all very humbled.

Guy once said Pa seperated himself from you. It was heart-breaking to hear that. While sorting through Pa's stuff for moving, I realized that your father is really an incredible man of God. I guess we never really understood how weak physically he was. I think with limited strength he had, he decided that he was going to put all he had physically to barely fulfil what God wanted him to do, and entrust the rest to the Lord to take care for him. You probably think he spent a lot of time with us. That "a lot" is about 4 weeks in one time a year or less. And that time was mostly for the ministry here. I remember he told me that no one could have him for long, because it was his destiny. He wished he could, but God didn't allow it. Nevertheless, look at you guys! You were all so beautifully made inside, and so strong and willful in your heart. I have never seen a family like this. I guess God really honored Pa's loyalty to Him and blessed his family in such a supernatural way.

After seeing you guys, we know you are the true Brauns. So sweet in the spirit and so tough in the inner man. I hope I can meet you again in the future.

Love you very much!!!!!!!!!!!!!

T