FATHER'S DAY THOUGHTS

Today is Father's Day!

The Rev. Thomas Perez-Las (Chen Ah Fu)
Minister, Father, Friend

I thank God for my dad.
He chose to stand on his faith as his traditional and deeply religiously entrenched family persecuted him. He chose to be a minister and serve God rather than pursue a business he worked so hard to establish. He raised five children-- his eldest having gone ahead in glory 21 years ago, his second daughter married a minister and is a mother of two beautiful daughters, his third is living successfully in the West and a mother of three bright young adults, his son is a business and uniformed man with two young boys, his youngest a pastor. He survived his wife of 38 years.

There are many things in which my dad and I don't agree. We've had some pretty sharp disagreements and he tells me that I am the most independent-minded of all his kids. Yet, I'm the only who followed his footsteps to pursue the vocational ministry.


I remember when I was three, when, for some reason I burst out into a tantrum in the middle of a worship service in a church where he was associate minister. The missionary pastor motioned for him to take me out. He took me from my mom's lap and carried me out of the chapel and into a Sunday school room. He sat on the piano stool, placed me on his lap and he started to play "Jesus Loves me this I know." He asked me to sing with him, and we stayed in that room until after the service ended. I believe that was the time I started loving music and singing- something I have not stopped doing!


He remains to this day to be a source of wisdom and encouragement. My dad!