wfn.org | Minister and Wife Die in Taiwan Landslide

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Title: Aboriginal Pastor and Wife Die Together in Taiwan Landslide
Taiwan Church News 2740 & 2741, 30 August - 5 September , 6 -12 September 2004
Reported by Yang Shu-hao.  Translated and Rewritten by David Alexander

The Rev. Hsieh Chin-chiang and his wife, retired ministers of the Presbyterian
Church in Taiwan, died together in a landslide that followed Typhoon Aere
which hit Taiwan late in August.  The couple had ministered among Taiwan's
Tayal tribal for decades.  Mrs. Hsieh was blind and bedridden with severe
disabilities. When evacuation was offered in advance of the storm, Rev. Hsieh
declined to move himself or his wife from their retirement home in Song-ying
village of Taiwan's central Taichung County.
Their passing can be seen as a tragic result of natural disaster and as a
testimony of the faithfulness of a man to his wife.  Rev. Hsieh said he was
satisfied that his life had been lived to its full and committed himself to
the embrace of the God whom he had long served.
Following Typhoon Mindulle that also struck Song-ying village in July, Rev.
Hsieh wrote a letter leaving clear instructions.  Over the past 5 years he and
his wife had endured damage from an earthquake in September of 1999 and the
floods from Mindulle. Mr. Hsieh noted that both Christian and Buddhist
preachers had begun to predict the end of the world. It was his personal
opinion that the 4.5 billion people of the world had disobeyed biblical
commands, turned their back on God and rejected God's love. He saw the 21st
century as the time of judgment.
During and after Typhoon Mindulle Mr. Hsieh went 4 days without sleep. The
floods filled the ground floor of his house to a depth of 4 feet and destroyed
all the furniture there.
Over the course of his wife's ailments they had exhausted most of their
resources on medical care, and current therapies were not helping her. He,
himself, was no longer hale nor hearty. For the help and support of many,
including missionaries from Canada, Mr. Hsieh expressed his thanks.
The Rev. Lin Cheng, another retired Tayal minister who had been Rev. Hsieh's
friend and colleague for decades said, "he was confident of God's love for his
wife and himself, I used to see them out walking in the fields singing
together and enjoying music."
A memorial service was held by the Tayal Presbytery on 4th September. It
brought hundreds of people from distant mountain villages to one spot.
Tayal Presbytery Moderator Antok Kenu said that natural disasters have
steadily damaged Taiwan's Aboriginal peoples. "We do not know the will of God,
but we can be sure that we must learn from what has happened so that we can
meet things with deeper faith."

For More Information: Tayal Presbytery  tayal.batu@msa.hinet.net
                                  www.tayal.disciple.com.tw
				  Antok Kenu  antok.lawa@msa.hinet.net
Taiwan Church News is published weekly in Taiwan's local languages.
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