wfn.org | Holiday Taiwan Concern: Warming to Winter

[Worldwide Faith News <wfn@igc.org>]

Taiwan Church News 2606, February 10, 2002
Reported by Ng Thai-ku,  Written by David Alexander

    With the end of the Year of the Snake upon us celebrations
heralding the arrival of the Year of the Horse are just around
the corner.  At this juncture the low income, isolated elderly
and unemployed people of many cities and towns in Taiwan
struggle with the cold of winter and the chill of their economic
situations.  The Jia-le (Jolly) Service Team, a group of
Christians from Presbyterian Churches in Taipei City, has
stepped into the breach in these peoples' walls.
    One of the many customs that accompanies the holiday is
a general household cleanup conducted a couple of weeks
before the holiday. Jia-le teamed up with staff and trainees
from the Taipei Women's Development Center, an agency
of the General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church in
Taiwan (PCT) on January 23rd to send volunteers into
homes in Taipei's Hsin-yi District. These workers helped
those who, for various reasons, were unable to do the job
themselves. Structures and contacts were also put into place
for the distribution of 1,700 hot meals for the poor between
January 28 and February 8th.
   Mr. Hwang Yuan-long, an attorney who is an elder at Yung
Ho Presbyterian Church, said, "We have joined with the
Women's Development Center to feed and care for the weak
ones among our neighbors.  Funds and labor were contributed
by team participants and some church members who had
heard about the project."
   Corporate support came from the "Eat 7 Bowls" food
company in Chia-yi, 200 kilometers away.  The company
gave 500 ready to eat meals.  The municipal government
also chipped in, sending a mobile X-ray van from its Chronic
Disease Center to offer free health screening.
    Twenty families participated in a recreational event held at
a neighborhood activity center.  Women and young people
from Ta Dao Cheng Presbyterian Church ran the activity.
Church Elder Chang Jyh-tao said, "This is hands-on ministry.
We show our concern for our neighbors in the name of our
Lord.  In the process, we develop neighborly relationships.
For instance, while helping clean homes, I met a couple in
their 70's. Through our work they have become curious
about our church, and they were at worship last Sunday."
    The Jolly Team traces its origins to a survey of Human
Resources conducted by the PCT's Taipei Presbytery (diocese)
in May of 1999.  The survey having been completed though,
action stalled.  Last September the Rev. Li Hsing-lung, head
of the presbytery's Church and Society Committee called
the survey respondents together and challenged them to do
something with their resources.
    Through participation in this year's program many have
found their understandings of social conditions deepened and
their vision for what can be done widened.  Elder Hwang
concluded, "We will grow because we do this together.  Now
we have forty people involved 'hands on' and several more
behind the scenes."

For more Information:
   Taipei Presbytery  tpepct@ms29.hinet.net
   Women's Development Center  FAX +886 2 2896 1931
   Yung Ho Church              FAX +886 2 2231 5508
   Li Hsing- lung              FAX +886 2 2555 8775

Taiwan Church News is published weekly in Chinese
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