wfn.org | TCN: Christian Aborigines stay at local shrine during recent emergency evacuation

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

>      Taiwan Church News

>3007 Edition

>October 12~18, 2009

Christian Aborigines stay at local shrine during recent emergency  evacuation

>Reported by Chen Wei-jian

>Written by Lydia Ma

During an emergency evacuation on October 4 due to an impending  typhoon, about 200 Tsou

Aborigines from the town of Laiji in Alishan Mountain were  directed by Chiayi County to take

shelter at a nearby shrine. More than 300 people were evacuated in  total and some were sent

to a nearby barrack while others were sent to a nearby Buddhist  shrine.

About 20 Christians from Putzu Presbyterian Church, a church  located just five minutes away

by foot from the shrine, came by to help residents who were  staying there and invited them to

attend an evening church service. Residents were allowed to go  back to their homes a few

>days later.

According to Laiji Presbyterian Church’s Rev. Voe Peongsi,  because of bitter lessons learned

from Typhoon Morakot two months earlier, evacuation of the whole  town was completed swiftly

this time. However, residents received evacuation notices only one  day prior the evacuation.

Because some Christian residents had been ordered to seek shelter  at a nearby shrine, they

asked Chiayi Presbytery to talk to Chiayi County concerning other  options. The county replied

that food and lodging had already been arranged and it would be  impossible to change them

>at the last minute.

To facilitate evacuation efforts, Christian residents didn’t  insist on their preference much

longer. However, Chiayi Presbytery’s General Secretary Huang  Shih-wei and other local

pastors generously offered Meishan Presbyterian Church as a  temporary shelter during future

evacuations because Meishan can accommodate up to 100 residents.

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