Get to Know Tish Craig

Ministry Description

As an English teacher at SYME, my responsibilities vary .My day begins with Family Time with usually four students. The students share their thought on the scriptures read the night before and share what they feel the writer is saying and how it can be best applied to their lives. It is important to me that the students learn the English, but more importantly that they understand the verses they have read and why the verses are important. After Family Time, I may have a Bible Class or Conversation Class or Vocabulary Class. Most classes have only the four students and the students are usually eager to learn, though some need more coaxing than others to use their newly acquired English. After morning classes we go to Chapel. I have been the Coach for the Emcees. That is always fun encouraging the students to come up with clever skits of fun ways to introduce the other students. Lunch is next where we have an opportunity to laugh and share with both students and fellow teachers and enjoy delicious food prepared by a retired gourmet chef.

Last term's schedule worked out really well because I had a couple of hours between classes to practice my Chinese. Although I have been here for almost seven years now, my Chinese is still not as good as it
should be and I want to be able to share with the people God has sent me to His love for Taiwan and the Taiwanese.

Learn more about the ministry in Taiwan.

About Tish

Becoming a Christian has been an exciting adventure for me. Having been saved late in life after divorcing my husband, having abortions and creating havoc in many lives,I finally surrendered to the call to Christ at age 47. What an adventure it has been. I was called to Taiwan in 2009. I knew very little about Taiwan, however God had been bringing young Taiwanese into my life for discipleship in New York for several years.
My only child, Kelli, announced that she was pregnant around the time I received the call from God to go to Taiwan. I had no interest in going. By that time I was 64 years old, African American and spoke no Chinese. I did not want to g to Taiwan. I recalled Matthew 10:37 that says "Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me". I knew if He was calling me to Taiwan to Taiwan I must go.
I moved to Taiwan in 2011 and served in a youth home in DouLiu in the Southern part of Taiwan for six years. This youth home impacted my life as God poured His love into my heart for the motherless boys who lived there.
Upon returning to Taiwan in the summer of 2016, I felt a restlessness never experienced before, I knew this was from the Lord as he had been telling me to begin downsizing and getting rid of furniture and
other things. I attended my first missionary conference in Taichung and inquired about discipleship ministries. I was told about SYME Taiwan and immediately upon contacting them ,was given an interview for a job teaching English through the Bible. I wondered if this youthful mission would really have need of an older person like myself. I was warmly embraced and was delighted and encouraged by both the students and teachers my first term during the fall of 2016. This will be my first summer with SYME Taiwan and we are expecting close to forty students. It promises to be an exciting and different kind of term. It isn't too soon for me to seek God's wisdom for this term and the salvation of those students who do not yet know Jesus. I can gratefully now say "Thank you Lord, for sending me to Taiwan."

Thou hast done well with thy servant, O LORD, according unto thy word. Psalm 119:65 KJV

Contact Information

patriciacraig@wol.org
1091 E. 40th Street
Brooklyn, N.Y. 11210
USA
(202)744-6855 (daughter's phone)