The Amoy Mission: 2018

On July 10, 2018, I received a fascinating email from Prof. Tan about his family's relationship to the Amoy Mission. The last two surviving members of the Amoy Mission, by the way, are Jack and Joann Hill (ages 96 and 94), retired in Florida. I attach Prof. Tan's email below, with personal information redacted, of course. Let me know if you have information to share with him about his family or the Amoy Mission. Enjoy Amoy! Dr. Bill

Dear Bill:

I have been following the development of your webpages on Christian History of Amoy (Xiamen) currently it contains much more missionary names who've worked in the Fukien Province & nearby Amoy towns, villages. I shed tears and am fully blessed by the photos, writings, reports especially the book of Rev. Esther, [Note from Bill: book title is "This is the Way: Walk ye in it"; read it online] his missionary journeys in and around amoy City et al Fukien Provincial towns, villages. I know Rev. Esther personally, as he spent 25 years in the Philippines and I and sister E. Tan are from Manila we were born over there. My parents Henry & Julia Tan immigrated from Amoy to the Philippines and settled there we were all born in the Philippines. My mom and an American Missionary Baptist couple Dr. Rev & Mrs. Edwin & Helen Spahr from Doystown, Penna founded the Grace Ministries: 3 churches and a large Chinese/Filipino Christian School of 5500 students (K-12, COLLEGE) of which I was School Director for 20 years. I also graduated from the school took my elementary and secondary education in said school (SEE WEBSITE under GRACE CHRISTIAN COLLEGE, METRO MANILA, QUEZON CITY, PHILIPPINES.

I plan on visiting Xiamen soon. Actually I was among a few foreign guest Lecturers invited by then Xiamen University, College of Economics, Dept of Intl Trade for one month and students from nearby Chee-Mei & lo Chiang Colleges were invited to join your college students about 200+ attended my lectures it was done in Mandarin. Initially I was instructed to do all lectures in English but after the 3rd day students unanimously request my lectures to be presented in Mandarin. It was 1985-87 when I touched base with your Xiamen University the daughter of your President just got her MBA degree from Canada and she introduced me to the student

Keep doing the good works hoping more photos, write ups will keep coming for your future book on Amoy Missions.Our Dr. Chen Tien Un (formerly very famous Surgeon of Amoy trained under Dr. Woods of Dutch Reform Church) we gave a Tan Family reunion 3 weeks ago and 160 persons came held at Seattle, WASH. Every 3 years we have this Reunion totaling 500+ family members worldwide. My grandpa was buried at Kulangsu beside his 2 mansions. He established your current Ta Tung Drugstore, and Talmage College, Chairman of Board of Xiamen YMCA, Elder of the Bamboo Church, and during his time he established many rural churches from his free medical missions to the Villages rendering free

medical diagnostic/treatments & giving free medicines many of which were his own inventions (combining western/Chinese medicines). He changed his name to Dr. Chen Tien Un (meaning Heavenly Grace when he was converted to the Christian Faith from his former Buddhist faith.

I hope to visit the Bamboo church when I come. know a few elders who were trained at a bible school in the Philippines they spent one year gaining a one year bible certificate. In 1985 I was invited to speak and play my Piano Accordion at the Bamboo church there were only 150 members then. They invited me as they found out I was the grandson of Dr. Chen Tien Un who was a very active supporter of the Bamboo Church and was their elder for many years. Dr. Chen passed away in 1956. Yo.u may be interested to know my brother Dr. Paul Lee Tan, an Author, Pastor, Bible Prophecy Scholars etc. his website "PAUL TAN BIBLE PROPHECY"

Thank you and I hope to be visiting Xiamen again hopefully very soon.

Best regards,

PROFESSOR J. L. TAN

[Contact info redacted for security purposes.

Enjoy Amoy!

Dr. Bill

School of Management, Xiamen University
Amazon eBook "Discover Xiamen"