Joan Yap has served as a Columban lay missionary since 2011. In that role, she has worked at the Hope Workers’ Center as a pastoral coordinator, leading programs and providing seminars to migrant workers in the community. Below, Joan has written about her experience in this role.

A CALL TO SERVE

BY: JOAN YAP

God call us in unique and different ways. Before I became a Columban Lay Missionary, I was already happy working in my diocese for nine years. But somehow, I have this feeling that God calls me for something more. Through prayer, God leads me to where I am now, a Columban Lay Missionary, living in Taiwan, and working in the Migrants Ministry to witness and experience Gods love.

I met a lot of people working in the migrants Ministry. My job requires me to work together with the Filipino Volunteers. What I find challenging, is inviting & empowering lay people to be active in the church.

I want to share a story of one of the volunteers that I’ve met in the parish. Her name is Ivy Chiu, a Filipina married to a Filipino Chinese. I noticed her every Sunday with her son. They usually sit outside the church. One day, she approached me and asked me about wanting her son to receive communion. That struck me and I realized that there are people who are thirsty and hungry for God that they just don’t know where to go.

I introduced her to one of the sisters who is helping in the children’s catechism to prepare them for the sacraments. I also introduced her to the Chungli Association for Immigrant Families (CAIF), a group of Filipinos married to Taiwanese. As a loving mother, Ivy wanted to share her Catholic faith to her son. She wanted to become a good model to her son and I encouraged her to be part of the Lectors and Commentators group for the English mass. This will also help encourage her son to be active in children’s ministry of the church. Ivy Chiu was soon chosen to be the president of the CAIF. She was hesitant at first, because she was scared of the responsibility. It was too much for her, even to the point of crying, because she doesn’t know what to do. We asked her to do 3 months’ trial, and that if she still finds it difficult, she may resign. By the grace of God, she was able to finish her 3 months’ trial and served CAIF for a year. Whenever I saw Ivy Chiu, I am always reminded of Gods calling and invitation to all of us. God uses people and situation to be closer to Him. I am proud of Ms. Ivy Chiu’s courage to say “Yes” to God’s invitation. She has fears, but held on to her faith and love of God.

She was able to finish her term for one year, and for her, it was very fulfilling, that she was able to share herself to the community. It deepens her relationship with God. I was amazed how she has grown a lot spiritually. In the past, she was just attending mass, and now she is already one of the leaders in the church community. At the end of her term, she asked me to join their CAIF meeting for the election of their new president. I told the new incoming President the same thing that I’ve said to Ivy, to try it for three months and discover how God unfold His Love for her. And Ivy just laughed at me upon hearing those same words. I told Ivy that I was able to say those same words because I saw it working in her.

Just like Ivy, I also had fears when I said Yes to God’s invitation to be a missionary. I don’t know what lies ahead and if I am worthy of the call. Yet despite of it, I believe that we are all called by God to a deeper trust in His Love. The road may not be easy, but the challenges along the way help me become a better person. This is my story that I share to the people.