The Financial Genius
October 2007
“Do you remember me? My name is so and so (I’ll call him brother H in the story).” Brother H continued, “I was one of your guests 20 years ago, having dinner every week treated by you and Joy.”
I thought to myself “That makes sense. Twenty years ago, I was a newly born again Christian and a Penn State student. We opened our house every week to students.”
Joy and I had been married for about two years, and we treated our single friends to dinner, which was a big deal for them because they were all far away from home. They studied day and night and were still adjusting to American food.
It was two years ago that brother H called while I was prayer walking in Taiwan. We met later in Taipei and he told me his story. Twenty years ago, bro. H came to Penn State and studied in the Math Department for a PhD. While he was here, he got saved and was baptized in the student bible study group. After two years of study, he felt that he couldn’t complete the program so he went back home. The only thing he knew to do was teaching. He wasn’t able to earn enough to raise a family, but fortunately his wife who made more money than he did. Because of the stress in life, he forgot that he was a Christian. His life was full of struggle and he felt very unfulfilled.
He started thinking, “I am a Mathematician, and I am good at it. What I’ve learned must be useful in some way!” He started to research and read again, with a new sense of purpose, confident that what he learned he would be able to apply in the business world. A student he tutored introduced Brother H to his uncle. When the student’s uncle me him he said, “You know math, and you read books about investments. Why don’t you research for me and help me invest the money I just made recently?”
This conversation turned his life and career around. In 10 years, he helped the man made 100 times more cash in his business. He himself half retired while he was forty.
One day two Jehovah’s Witness knocked his door and tried to persuade him. Suddenly he remembered that he was a Christian. He sent them away, went into his closet, and found a small box he’d never opened since he came back from the States. In the box was a Bible given to him on his baptism, and a printed contact list for the Bible study group.
The only people on the list he remembered vividly were me and Joy because he came to our house for dinner every week. It was always the highlight of the week for him during those difficult times, eight thousand miles away from home.
The contact number obviously was out dated, so he typed my name into Google (in Chinese). From some news reports, he found out I come to Taiwan every year for a prayer walk event. So he contacted one of the host churches and learned the time that I will be there.
It was two years ago that we met again in Taiwan. He told me that after he remembered he was a Christian, he became very passionate for Christ. He shared Gospel with a changed life and attitude. His own family first got saved, then his sister, then his in-laws, and his parents… He started seeing that what he learned is not only useful in the business world, but also able lines up with Biblical principles. “I found the answers!” he kept telling me with excitement. I had little comprehension about what he was trying to say about ‘the answer.’
Last year when we met again, he showed me on a sheet of paper how he found that personal character and attitude determined the way the person becomes successful and prosperous. With the financial knowledge he had, he could help a Christian become prosperous in a Godly way. I asked him, “Why don’t you pick five disciples and devote your time to mentor them with your financial knowledge with Godly principles. You need to also teach me about it.”
A few weeks ago when I called him, he was so excited. He couldn’t wait to share with me. He created three introductory courses out of what he’d researched and practiced for the past fifteen years. He also found five students to mentor and each student is in the stage of growing his own business. He began to teach them and help them to practice what he had learned in the real world.
I signed up for the three courses with him and finally tasted what he is so passionate about. He shared with me his dream to form a team that can grow a healthy company in a godly way, with every person involved growing in love and trust.
We were on the way driving to have dinner together with his wife and two daughters. A phone call came in and a person on the other side of the line said, “I would like to buy you a Mercedes Benz, which kind would you like?” This was one of the clients bro. H just helped made big fortune. Brother H said, “Why would I need a fancy car like that? Save it for better use and let me know your plan.” Brother H said, while driving a 10 year old minivan, “I am taking you to a good place for good food. Twenty years ago, you treated me to food I couldn’t buy; now I am taking you to places I know with the best food. I can afford it now.”