Leo Lin Interview

How did you come to know the Lord?

I was in graduate school getting a masters degree in EE, and I was bored of taking classes. I had taken all 8 classes for the degree in one semester, and I had just finished the second semester when I took all 8 classes needed for a masters degree in physics. I was sleeping for only four hours while studying during the rest of the day.

One day I walked by the EBCB missions team as they were handing out coffee. I walked right by wanting to go to my dorm and study. When I got to my dorm, I felt so empty and unsatisfied. I asked myself, “Why I am doing all of this? Why are those [EBCB] people so happy while I am not?” I walked back to the place where the missions team was, hoping to talk to one of them. No one was available to talk immediately so I just sat on the bench for 20 minutes by myself before Bobby came and introduced himself. It was very embarrassing, but I still sat there for 20 minutes. After talking with Bobby, I bought a Bible. That day was a big day because my thinking changed that day. I think that is when I became a Christian.

He eventually introduced me to Dennis. We had the same major so we had a lot in common. He taught me many things about Christ and connected things in the Bible with science. That stirred in me a desire to know Christ more deeply.

I brought a lot of questions to EBCB members, and they graciously answered them. God used that situation to teach me much from the Bible. I did not take as many classes for the second year and spent most of my free time reading the Bible and other Christian books.

What does your daily schedule look like?

I work from 8:00 AM to 5:30 PM, but I use spare time to read the Bible. Afterwards, I often practice guitar/piano/violin and study the Bible. Before I was very boring because I didn’t like change. I guess I still don’t like change because I always want to love Jesus.

I usually spend more than three hours everyday studying the Bible. From high school, I picked up this habit. If I have no time to read, I get upset.

How do you choose what to read?

Sometimes I just read; sometimes I pick topics; sometimes I pick a book. I usually supplement my studying and reading with other commentaries. I am typically reading 5 books in parallel as I study/read through the book.

What is the last thing you do before going to sleep?

Pray, especially for those who have left the church. I get emotional after praising God through songs, and this makes me want to pray for them.

Other future plans?

This confuses me very much because the Ph.D is still there. Right now I am a Ph.D student at NTU, but school has been postponed until I finish military service. If I go back to school, I will have a lot of time to serve and be nearby but I will not be financially secure because I support my parents. If I keep working, I will have to stay here [Hsinchu]. I want to go back to Taipei to raise a family and for my children’s education. Everyday I pray for the future plans.

Regardless of what happens, I am happy that I have my church family. Knowing this gets rid of my anxieties.

One sentence can sum up my life: I don’t want to be very fancy. I just want to be a normal person before the Lord. Because of this, I have peace and joy. In the past, I was always thinking about success. But when I think about wanting to be a normal man, I am able to rejoice.

One time, I got really sick, but I remember a lot of brothers and sisters came to Hsinchu to see me. I was moved by their actions, and that is a real thing that can satisfy me, the love of Christ.

Family and children…do you have any plans for marriage?

Yes. After military service, I plan to carry though with it, after a little more than 1 year.

Any prayer requests for EBCB people reading?

My future as it draws nearer and nearer.

Anything you wish to tell EBCB?

Thank you to God who changed my life through EBCB, because you all are obedient instruments of God, and He used you guys to change my heart. And thank you for your happy smiles because that is still ringing in my brain.

How did you learn English?

A lot was through EBCB. My English was very bad, very poor. I was the worst one in the class. Almost every day, I got beat more than 50 times because for each point below 85%, you get 10 hits. I usually got 80%.