wfn.org | Taiwan Churches Feed Street People

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Taiwan Church News 2752, 22 to 281 November 2004
Reported by Chen Yi-shiuan.  Trans. & rewritten by David Alexander

The weather has turned cool (if not cold) in Taipei.  Who has given a thought
to the warmth of the city's street people? Fifty of their number turned out
on
November 21st for a meal hosted by Fountain of Living Waters Church, a
non-denominational ministry aimed at the homeless in Taipei's Wanhwa
district.
Volunteers provided free haircuts and meals after a simple and raucous
service
of Christian worship.

The church grew out of work begun by missionaries Christine Hartley and
Deborah Glick of the Overseas Missionary Fellowship in 1991. They reached out
to the district's homeless, drug addicted, mentally ill and commercial sex
worker populations with the gospel, incarnating the presence of Taiwan's
Christians among them.	They encouraged their charges to come to the light of
Jesus Christ.  These two missionary pioneers have returned to their homes in
the UK, but their work continues under the sponsorship of women's mission
groups in Taipei.  The church now also receives aid and assistance through
the
Church and Society Committee of 7 Stars Presbytery of the Presbyterian Church
in Taiwan (PCT).

Last Sunday 10 members of Zion Presbyterian Church, including their pastor
Lim
Eng-jim, helped. It was their first experience in this sort of ministry.  It
was also a first for the Church and Society Committee.	The Rev. Chuang
Chin-jaan, head of the committee, said, "Since Rev. Lim is a committee
member,
and he and his church have this kind of mission, they went first. In the
future we plan to extend this meaningful opportunity for service to all 79
congregations in the presbytery. We hope that church members can break
through
the church walls and serve the least of Christ's brothers and sisters."

The Presbyterians who came to help included young people to some in their
50's
and 60's.  Older women cut hair, and younger people ladled out food and
drink.
Expressions of thanks were heard from street people who found large portions
of meat and vegetables in the lunches.

Rev. Lim said, "Our church is ready to formulate a plan to ask members to
give
a monthly tithe of what they spend on food for this ministry.  This will
support the continuing work of Fountain of Living Waters Church in Wanhwa."
He
invites other churches to make similar plans.

Fountain of Living Waters is currently led by two women missionaries,
Kinoshita Rieko from Japan and Tera van Twillert from the Netherlands.	They
are assisted by evangelist Wu Der-li, a graduate of China Evangelical
Theological Seminary.  The church's members are street people from the
district.  Every Tuesday and Thursday evening they gather with their
ministers
to worship.  The church also offers meals, simple medicines, clothing
exchange, bathing facilities and telephone services. Every Sunday afternoon
they gather from 3 to 5 PM.

The ministers say that preaching the gospel to street people and helping them
to live as part of the body of Christ is a step out of darkness. Training
street people in service to one another is the purpose and goal of their
church. They ask for continued prayers for their congregation and its members
by Christians in Taiwan and around the world.

For More Information: Zion Presbyterian Church zion.church@msa.hinet.net
		      Chuang Chin-jaan chuang@jou.com.tw
		      Lim Eng-jim rong1025@ms38.hinet.net
Taiwan Church News is published weekly in Taiwan's local languages.
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