How many of us have had a life-changing trial at the age of 17? Most teenagers, especially in “westernized middle class” societies, have a rather “protected life,” going to good schools, living in air-conditioned homes with ample space, and making college plans. At least that’s how adults might see it. So, it’s a surprise when something radically challenging happens. 我们中有多少人在17岁时经历过改变一生的考验?大多数青少年，尤其是在“西方化的中产阶级”社会中，这时正在过一种相当“受保护的生活”，他们上好的学校，住在有充足空间的空调房里，筹划着上大学的计划。至少成年人是这么看的。所以，当一些极具挑战性的事情发生时，我们会感到很惊讶。…

We often wonder about our mysterious ancestors. What were they thinking? Who were they? How did we come to be? We read in Genesis of the beginnings of mankind, and we are always amazed to see the dramatic display of contrasts and similarities compared with our modern lives. All life is a story, from Adam to Christ to our ancestors…

In my 10th year of the medical mission that I helped start in China, I was hoping to wind down my work. I had been traveling quite intensively for nearly 10 years, often 7 to 8 international trips per year, and usually staying away from home 2 to 3 weeks each time. So the toll on my family was quite…

One of the mottos of Hudson Taylor and the China Inland Mission was “Jehovah Jireh” - the Lord provides. This is a motto adopted by my medical mission since its founding in 1994. “耶和华以勒，在希伯来语里的意思是神必供应。这是著名的来华宣教士戴德生的座右铭之一，并且是中国内地会的使命。这也是我们的医疗服务队自1994年创办以来一直持守的ー个座右铭。 Soon after I announced to my somewhat surprised colleagues at the Medical School and Cincinnati Children's Hospital, that I was “stepping down” from my administrative positions…

Since early childhood I felt the call to be involved in some way in medical missions. As time went on, even as I became more and more involved in local ministry and the academic life, the pull continued. In 1989, just prior to the June 4 incident in China, I was privileged to lead a team of 20 from Cincinnati,…

A. Our copyright The word “plagiarism” is a heavy word, and when it gets in the news, it can even get rather ugly. I was very active in academic publications (over 400), where plagiarism was indeed a very serious topic. One of our very significant publications, at least to us, reported the positive relationship of vitamin D in the blood,…

Hong Kong’s Pearl Harbor. In 1941, six hours after “Pearl Harbor” in Hawaii, the Imperial Japanese Military began aerial bombing of the then British colony of Hong Kong. I was barely one year old at the time. One of the key invasion battles was at the famous Repulse Bay, a normally gorgeous spot where years later my wife, Esther, and…

Pride goes before what? The great adage, “Pride goes before a fall”(1) comes from the most translated book in the world. So when anyone claims to be first this or that, is that being prideful? For example, I’ve lived in academia for decades, so I’m particularly familiar with the academic desire to be the first to do this or that.…

Reggiegram: Are you a real book lover? How do you show your love? Reggiegram：你是一个真正的书籍爱好者吗？如何证明？ I tore up my books. I confess that in medical school, I tore up my textbooks. Even though I loved books, I hated the massive size of medical textbooks. I think I subconsciously loved the persona of being a scholar, always going about carrying one or…

Coffee Reggiegram: How careful are you when deciding to go to surgery? Coffee Reggiegram：你在决定做手术时有多小心？ What do you rely on to make your decision? 你依据什么来做决定？ Why not take out your (pesky) appendix? As a kid growing up in sophisticated Hong Kong, I was destined to be a doctor and likely a surgeon, so I read a lot of books that were…