Why was a Hong Kong Chinese young man named Jeremiah?
Back in the year 1985 I was still quite young and was
called to serve in full-time ministry. After interviews and rejections from at least two seminaries, the China Baptist Theological College was my last and only choice. For them, I
was also the only choice of that year, since I was the only student being interviewed by Harry Ambacher, the president of
CBTC, and other faculty members. At that time I didn't realize that I would serve in Bible Translation
ministry and be called "Jeremiah".
Dr. Ambacher taught me several courses in CBTC. In Fall 1986
he was teaching me "Old Testament Prophets." He used to teach the course using his
favorite Old Testament Prophet book, Isaiah, as an example for the course. That
year he was using the book of Jeremiah. That was the only time he taught with Jeremiah in his many years of teaching that course. In the course, I was very
impressed by the book and the life of the prophet, Jeremiah. One day I was on
the ferry to Hong Kong City Hall for a concert and there was a kind of urge or
calling for me to use Jeremiah as my name. After that, I started using Jeremiah as my
name. Even though some teachers and students thought it was funny. I still recalled
Miss Sue Farley was smiling and told me that I didn't look like a Jeremiah. Until
today the ABWE missionaries still call me "Ying Shing" in the English
way, instead of Jeremiah.
Sometimes later I thought I was unqualified to be a preacher since I didn't know
how to preach. I considered myself inadequate to be a preacher/minister. I was not wrong, I still am not adequate, so I continue to rely on God daily.
One day I went to Dr. Ambacher's office and told him that I wanted to quit. I
still remembered that he told me that he loved me. That's the first time in my
life, I heard from a person that he loved me. He asked me to finish the study
no matter I would be a businessman or do something else. But I told him that I
was going to a concert that evening, then I would pack and leave the next
morning. I took the ferry to the concert at City Hall with a heavy heart. As I
got the program at the entrance of the concert hall, I was astonished that the
Hong Kong Philharmonic Orchestra was going to play the Symphony of Jeremiah. The
vocalist was singing Lamentation in Hebrew. I had studied a bit of Hebrew at
that time, and I knew that the meaning of Jeremiah was God established,
appointed, or put in a high place. I could not even wait until the end of the
performance. I left while I was still weeping. Next morning, I told Dr.
Ambacher about what happened, and I thought God still wanted me to continue my
study. Since then I kept using the name Jeremiah and started the journey with
the calling to be Jeremiah.
A Tribute to Dr. Ambacher –
a version of God’s Words in our Hearts
I posted the following message to my fellow Bible Translation
practitioners with the title: A Tribute to Dr. Harry Ambacher -- Scriptural
Engagement for Bible Translation consultants in "Modular Aggregation of Principles for Bible Translation" on Feb, 21st of 2017.
"Today from my Chinese Bible app., I found that I
completed the reading of the 66 books once in the last 365 days. I had to
confess that I forgot that practice for many years. When I was in Bible college
in the 1980s, Harry, I used to call him Mr. Ambacher, shared about his habit of
reading different versions of the English bible every year and try to finish
the reading in one year. I had been practicing reading the Chinese Bible once
every year for some years. As Bible Translation practitioners in what ways can we
value the Book that we spend years to make available in different
languages? In what ways can we translate a living version with our words and
deeds that are consistent with His words. Harry got SIL training in the 1960s and wanted to translate the language in East-Pakistan, he had never translated the Bible
in the languages there, but God's word was written in my heart through Harry.
Thus, this is a tribute to Harry.
Today I renew my commitment to read the word at least once
every year with love to God and those spending their lives making God's words
vividly available."
Today is my spiritual birthday or the day of my being born
again. Today (September 6th, 2019) by His grace, I am still reading the
Bible once in the last couple of years. On the
same day September 6th of 39 years ago, I decide to receive Jesus as my savior.
A role model of Minister and Missionary
Dr. Ambacher and other missionary teachers of
CBTC did not encourage the students explicitly to be a missionary but their life
is the illustration of the role model of a servant of God and of a Godly
temperament, which students would admire. Around those years of my studies, a rather high proportion of the students became missionaries and served in
different parts of the world. In the mission class, Dr. Ambacher taught the
mission history of Robert Morrison and Hudson Taylor, along with the
story of ABWE's missionaries in Hong Kong and China.
Dr. Ambacher was a quiet person, but he taught with passion
and preached fervently. He was pounding
his chest occasionally while he preached or rather roared. I still remember that
He was shouting two terms in Hebrew which he shared in the chapels, [Goel]
'redeemer' and the other [Hesed] 'faithful kindness'. Yes, Dr. Ambacher
has interpreted that "his redeemer is still alive being kind and faithful even
today" through his kindness and integrity to his students and to those he has
been serving.
He was also a master of storytelling and illustrations. Many
of his own stories in different classes are still in our minds. His preaching,
especially those in Cantonese, become great lessons for those involved in
cross-cultural ministry. His life, his own stories, and mission class inspired
me to be a missionary and a Bible Translation practitioner. I am not the only one, as his life has inspired many of my fellow students to be commissioned to serve as missionaries.
Loretta and I were serving in Vanuatu for the Merei Language
Bible Translation and Literacy project from 1995 to 2002. On November 21st,
2000, Dr. Ambacher flew a long way from the United States to visit us in Santo
island of Vanuatu of the South Pacific. We then went to a village in Big Bay. He ate a simple dish called ‘Maji Maji' [some kind of starch wrapped within leaves], as his
Thanksgiving Day dinner.
Special June 9th – Fall of the old wheat and birth of the new
After this trip, we were not able to meet again until 10
years later. At the end of 2008, I asked
in the following email about whether we would meet again on or after June 9th,
2009. After I had received Dr. Ambacher's news, I told him that I would
like to meet him after June 9th.
Hi Dr. HA and Pat,
My family will be back from around 7th June to HK. When are you
leaving from Hong Kong, we would like to see you? I think sometime on June 9th
or after could work.
BTW, I have been involving in leadership training in Nepal,
Thailand, and the Philippines in the last few years. I have the opportunities in the
training to share the most influential person in my life. You are the most
influential person in my life. I'm so thankful that God has sent his son to
come and send you to Asia.Merry Christmas.
Blessings,
Loretta and I made it and we met him and Mrs. Pat Ambacher on
June of 2009. After that, I had the
privilege of meeting and visiting Dr. Ambacher a few times in the United States.
However, we were not able to meet him on the earth after June 9 this year, as
our beloved pastor, teacher, and friend, Dr. Ambacher, had gone to be with the
Lord and rest in peace.
June 9 is special for me, as I was born on that day.
"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you before you
were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the
nations." Jeremiah 1:5
"Very truly I tell you, unless a kernel of wheat falls
to the ground and dies, it remains only a single seed. But if it dies, it
produces many seeds." John 12:24
These two verses are special for me today, because Dr. Ambacher taught Jeremiah in his class, hence my namesake, and in the future, just as Dr. Ambacher has gone to be with the Lord, he has fully sown the fields as in John 12.
I have been living outside Hong Kong and I did not return to
preach often in Hong Kong. However, two years ago I was preaching the passage Jeremiah 1:1-10 at Wo Lok Baptist Church, the first church
planted by Dr. Ambacher. The coming
Sunday, September 8th I am going to preach Luke 9:21-27. which is a parallel passage to John 12:23-26.
In Memory of Dr Harry Ambacher – who pouring his life for Christ
Recently I came across the sermon/message about the woman of
pouring out the valuable ointment for Jesus. As Jesus taught his disciple,
"Truly I tell you, wherever this gospel is preached throughout the world,
what she has done will also be told, in memory of her." (Matthew 26:13,
Mark 14.9)
Dr. Ambacher is indeed the most influential person in my life and is a true example of pouring out one's life to honor and follow Christ. Life seems to
some people a series of coincidences, it is a providence for me. May this article
serve more than to be in memory of him but to encourage those who Dr. Ambacher had
influenced and inspired to accomplish the not yet finished Great Commission.
