3197 Edition
June 3-9, 2013
Headline News
Taiwan Church News exclusive interview inspires new book authored by former President Lee Teng-hui
Reported by Lin Yi-ying
Written by Lydia Ma
Taiwan Church News published an exclusive interview with former President Lee Teng-hui and his wife Tseng Wen-hui in September 2007. During that interview, Lee took out 3 notebooks filled with notes from his wife. She had chronicled his journey from the time he assumed the presidency soon after the death of former President Chiang Ching-kuo up until the time she was accused by former legislator, Hsieh Chi-ta, for attempting to flee Taiwan with a suitcase containing money worth NT$85 million. These notes detailed how Tseng used revelations she had gained from the Bible to encourage and comfort her husband, and help him walk in accordance to God’s will.
When Lee shared these notes with then Taiwan Church News General Editor, Yeh Chi-hsiang, the latter suggested that these notes should be compiled and turned into a book. Now, 6 years after that interview, Lee and Tseng have published a book based on those notes. Lee chose to list and write about the 50 most defining moments of his life and he also included his own testimonies so as to give God glory. A book launching ceremony was held on May 31 in Taipei sponsored by Yuan-Liou Publishing Company, which published the book.
In this new book, Lee recalls that whenever he would come home with a long and weary face, his wife would sense that something had happened in the day. She would kneel down with him in prayer and then they would open the Bible to read God’s word together to find out God’s will.
Lee presented his wife with a bouquet of flowers during the ceremony to thank her for her lifelong companionship. He said that their marriage was arranged by a matchmaker and they had not dated at all before their wedding. Though he regretted that they had missed out on premarital romance, people comforted them by saying that their romance had begun after their wedding day and it had lasted to this day.
Plenty of PCT members were present at this book launching ceremony, including PCT General Assembly Moderator Hsu Jung-fong, General Secretary-elect Lyim Hong-tiong, and Taiwan Church News General Editor Fang Lan-ting, and Chungshan Presbyterian Church’s associate pastor, Rev. Yeh Chi-hsiang (former Taiwan Church News General Editor). Chungshan Church’s choir also sang at the ceremony. Lee especially thanked Yeh at the ceremony for giving birth to this idea and for his help in proofreading the book’s manuscript. The photo used for the book’s cover was one of the photos taken during that interview in 2007.
