Ecumenical Youth Exchange Program inspires youths to take up missions

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

      Taiwan Church News

      3052 Edition

      August 23~29, 2010

       

       

      Ecumenical Youth Exchange Program inspires youths to take up 
missions

       

      Reported by Sam Lee

      Written by Lydia Ma

       

       

      PCT held its annual Ecumenical Youth Exchange Program (EYEP) 
during mid-August 

      this year and hosted youths from Japan and Canada 
simultaneously. The program 

      lasted 2 weeks and attracted 8 Japanese youths and 9 Canadian 
youths.

       

      Youths and their leaders visited PCT headquarters in Taipei, 
participated in Typhoon 

      Morakot commemoration services, saw the much-hyped “Formosa 
Betrayed”, visited 

      228 Memorial Parks across Taiwan, attended a worship service at 
Yi-Kuang 

      Presbyterian Church (site of the Lin Family Massacre in 1980), 
and visited PCT 

      organizations such as Taiwan Church Press and Chang-Jung 
Christian University for 

      a glimpse of PCT’s commitment and involvement in Taiwanese 
society.

       

      Sato Takafumi, a United Church of Christ in Japan (UCCJ) elder 
and youth leader, 

      remarked that visiting Tsou Aborigine churches in Alishan 
Mountain left a lasting 

      impression on his youths. They were particularly moved by the 
resilient spirit, courage, 

      and multiculturalism they witnessed during a service held in 
memory of Morakot victims.

       

      EYEP also helped youths from different cultures exchange ideas 
and encourage one 

      another. Though Christians in both Japan and Taiwan are 
minorities, they’ve been 

      entrusted with the same important mission of sharing the gospel 
with their own people. 

      Japanese churches hope to emulate PCT’s passion in preaching 
the gospel and 

      reaching youths for Christ.

       

      Naomi Stright, a youth leader from Canada, was especially taken 
aback by 

      Taiwanese people’s passion and hospitality. She remarked that 
in the past 

      missionaries like Rev. George Mackay left their homes in Canada 
to preach the 

      gospel in Taiwan. Now, it’s Taiwanese people’s turn to use 
their passion and ministry 

      experiences to help Canadian churches. 

       

      Besides hosting youths from Japan and Canada, PCT also sent its 
own youths 

      abroad to countries such as India, US, Japan, Thailand, and 
South Korea through EYEP. 

       

      PCT Youth Ministry Committee Secretary Itan Pavavalong said the 
committee hoped 

      these exchanges would help other countries gain some insights 
into Taiwanese 

      culture and life, help Christians practice loving one another 
with Christ’s love, and 

      strengthen mission partnerships between churches.

       

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