5 Questions With...Jack Coetsee

1. How did you first get involved with Friendship Presbyterian?  I came to Taiwan to teach English in 2004. My younger brother came to visit me in Taiwan in 2005 and found FPC. He suggested that I attend here, but I was reluctant until my conversion in 2006.

2. What do you do Monday through Saturday? Monday to Friday I teach English, and on Saturday I spend time with my wife and three kids.

3. What is something people might be surprised to learn about you? I grew up in a conservative Christian home in South Africa, was baptized as an infant, but only got converted at age 28 in Taiwan, 13 years ago.

4. What do you find most challenging about being a Christian today? Accepting God's pace of sanctifying me—I would like to sprint ahead in my Christian growth! But God has me at a crawling pace for now, according to what I can handle.

5. What is one of your favorite books of the Bible, and why? Genesis. It's the book of origins, it explains everything we need to know about life, it contains pre- and post-Fall history, and it contains the pronouncement of the gospel in chapter 3, verse 15. It explains where we come from and what to expect in the rest of history. Lastly, through God's working with his people, we learn about God's attributes and how the LORD is different from the pagan gods. Through the book of Genesis, we learn so much about ourselves, God, creation, sin, and humankind that it makes for one of my favorite books of the Bible.