wfn.org | Morakot victims spend Christmas encouraging each other

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

>      Taiwan Church News

>3016 Edition

>December 14~20 2009

Morakot victims spend Christmas encouraging each other

>Reported by Chen Wei-jian, Chen Yi-hsuan

>Written by Lydia Ma

In southern Taiwan, several PCT Aborigine churches severely  affected by Typhoon Morakot

decided to have a joint worship service this Christmas after  spending the past few months

working together toward recovery. Urban Aborigine churches used  Fongshan Presbyterian

Church as venue for their Christmas worship service and members  from Paiwan and South

Bunun presbyteries gathered there to praise and thank God.

This is the first time urban Aborigine churches in southern Taiwan  have a joint Christmas

worship service and the occasion seems to herald the beginning of  closer ties between

people from different tribes. As churches from different regions  gathered to worship God

together and took turns leading worship, the Holy Spirit was also  at work in them and through

>them.

Typhoon Morakot reminded Aborigines of God’s grace and their  strengths and limitations. For

Aborigines making a living in urban areas, it is especially  challenging for them to keep up their

Christian faith and roots. We must remember to support them in our  deeds, words, and

>prayers.

In related news, hundreds of Aborigine children from Alishan  region took part in a Christmas

caroling event on December 12. These children were among the  youngest victims of Typhoon

Morakot. The caroling was planned by World Vision Taiwan and took  place in local churches

and special areas set aside for Morakot victims to reside  temporarily.

Besides caroling, children were invited to write down their wishes  and hang their wish cards

on a Christmas tree. Priests and pastors from several churches  were also present at this

>event and led people in prayer.

Hsiao-ying, a little girl from Alishan, wrote on her wish card:  “I hope that mom can get better.”

Her mother has terminal cancer and is currently undergoing  treatment. Typhoon Morakot totally

>destroyed her home.

Hsiao-you, a little boy from Alishan, wrote: “Just after  Typhoon Morakot, my village lost power

and water and there wasn’t enough food for everyone. All the  roads connecting us to the

outside world were also destroyed and everything became  inconvenient from then on. So, my

wish is for every little kid to have enough food to eat and live  happily every day. The happiest

thing for me right now is that I can stay with my mom and my big  brother and we can live

>together.”

World Vision leaders commented that Christmas is supposed to be a  season of love and

hope. The organization’s goal is to use Christmas events like  this one to reignite hope in the

hearts of children who’ve lost their homes during Typhoon  Morakot and then encourage them

>to reach out to others as well.

>********************

Taiwan Church News is published weekly in Taiwan's local  languages.

You may translate and re-use our articles online only if you  acknowledge the source as

"Taiwan Church News" and list the names of the reporter and  writer.

Contact us before reprinting any of our articles for print  publications.

Direct comments and questions about this article to:  enews@pctpress.org

Visit our website for more news at: http://enews.pctpress.org/  (English)

>http://www.pctpress.org (Chinese)

>********************

> 
>