wfn.org | TCN: Churches and Christian organizations determined to stand by flood victims

["Taiwan Church News" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>      Taiwan Church News

>3006 Edition

>October 5~11, 2009

Churches and Christian organizations determined to stand by flood  victims

>Reported by Chen Yi-hsuan, Lin Yi-ying

>Written by Lydia Ma

It’s been two months since Typhoon Morakot struck Taiwan and  left flood victims

homeless and forced them to seek temporary shelter in military  barracks. For the

time being, no one can say when these victims can finally return  home and

counseling services for victims continue to be a high priority  among churches

>involved in reconstruction efforts.

Just before Moon Festival, Tainan Theological College, World  Vision, and Chiayi

Christian Hospital recruited volunteers to visit flood victims  living in Aboriginal

reserves and military barracks. They also organized evening  parties to cheer up

victims during this holiday and shared with them what God had been  doing in

their lives to encourage victims and boost their morale.

October 1~2 at Tainan Theological College is traditionally a time  when faculty

and students go on a retreat, but the retreat took a different  form this year when

staff and students seized the occasion to serve flood victims. To  ensure their visit

would meet the needs of victims, everyone gathered at the college  the day prior

departure for a full day of training. The seminary invited  professional counselors

and psychologists to conduct seminars on understanding the  thoughts and

feelings of trauma victims and how to help them.

PCT Church and Society Committee Secretary Chang Meng-yi was also  present

during training and gave a progress report on rebuilding efforts  to staff and

students. In the evening, a Taize-style meditation was scheduled  to spiritually

prepare faculty and students for the days ahead.

After a commissioning ceremony, about 200 faculty members and  students left

campus to serve at three different military barracks currently  used to house

victims. They formed groups of two or three people to facilitate  house visitations

and counseling. Some of them showed off their skills by giving  massages,

making balloons in the shape of animals, etc. as they tried to  relieve victims’

stress. Personal skills and hobbies were put to good use during an  evening party

later on that included dancing, drama, and lottery draws. These  programs helped

victims forget their troubles momentarily and get a good laugh.

But for victims, material support may not be as urgent as  spiritual and emotional

support and guidance. One pastor serving in military barracks  confided that

some victims have begun expecting every visitor to bring material  goods or

money as proof of sincerity and such behaviors or perspectives  need to be

>rectified.

Beside efforts by seminary staff and students, Namasiya residents  also

partnered with other social service organizations to organize an  evening party

during Moon Festival. The party began with an opening prayer by  South Bunun

Presbytery Moderator Rev. Abus followed by presentations of  traditional

Aborigine songs and a documentary film directed by Mayaw Biho.

According to Mayaw Biho, he has always wanted to use film to  highlight the plight

and struggle of Aborigines in Taiwan. He feels that  Aborigines’ inclinations

toward optimism, contentment and gratefulness all emanate from  having to do

without many things and living in poverty. He hopes that through  this documentary

on Typhoon Morakot, Aborigine communities can be seen, heard,  discovered,

>and transformed.

Kimbo, also known as the father of Aborigine folk music, shared  that his

hometown of Jialan Township was also inundated by the typhoon. He

encouraged victims to get back on their feet and take encourage.

Other than Moon Festival celebrations in Kaohsiung area, Chiayi  Christian

Hospital also organized an Aborigine evening festival in Hsinmei  Village and

Chashan Village near Alishan Township and invited Aborigines to  participate.

One former village leader shared that, ever since the typhoon,  most families have

been busy rebuilding their own houses and the team-spirit and  vitality that used to

permeate Aborigine reserves have ebbed. He hoped the festival  would bring

everyone together again and restore a sense of community among  Aborigines.

For many Aborigines, attending the festival was meaningful not  because of the

good food or good atmosphere but because it would help them  reconnect with

others and find out who still lived in their area. The festival  served as a channel

for people to encourage, support, and reconnect with each other  during these

>trying times.

Besides Moon Festival events, Kaohsiung and Shou-Shan presbyteries  have

created counseling care groups that continue to reach out to flood  victims.

According to Ms. Lin Yao-fu from Kaohsiung Presbytery’s  Shan-Duo Church who

leads these care groups, though groups were formed in early  September, she

still gets calls from concerned Christians willing to help  wherever it’s needed.

Many military barracks in Kaohsiung area now have a permanent team  of

>Christians ministering to victims.

Since no one can predict when victims will be able to return home,  Lin said her

team will continue to look for Christians and churches willing to  serve and help

victims on a long-term basis. She explained that Aborigines are  still emotionally

shaken from the typhoon and remain timid around strangers. Her  team needs

committed Christians willing to reach out and visit on a regular  and pre-arranged

>basis.

In related news, PCT General Assembly Executive Committee convened  its third

meeting of the year on September 29 and confirmed that PCT would  help flood

victims by providing 500 temporary houses and rebuilding 16  churches in

>partnership with World Vision and Red Cross.

PCT’s initial budget for this project is NT$1 billion and it  has so far received

NT$150 million in donations. Many Christian entrepreneurs in  Taiwan such as

Kingston Technology founder David Sun and VIA Technologies  co-founder Cher

Wang have pledged to donate millions of dollars toward  reconstruction efforts.

All 500 temporary housing units will use high-quality and durable  materials and

each unit will cost approximately NT$800,000. Rebuilding church  buildings will be

spearheaded by local presbyteries with the General Assembly  offering NT$2

million in financial aid for each church building that needs to be  rebuilt.

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