wfn.org | TCN: Christian Organization Helps Fishermen Seized Near Papua New Guinea Come Home Safe

["Lydia Ma" <enews@pctpress.org>]

>Taiwan Church News

>2962 Edition

>December 1-7, 2008

Christian Organization Helps Fishermen Seized Near Papua New Guinea Come  Home Safe

>Reported by Chen Yi-shuan

>Written by Lydia Ma

My Christian faith sustained me! God is really unlike any other  gods!” exclaimed Chen Wen-ju. This woman from Pingtung Yan Jou  Presbyterian church was married to a fisherman whose boat was seized by  the government of Papua New Guinea two months ago while fishing near the  island country. With the help of the Presbyterian Church in  Taiwan’s Seamen’s/Fishermen’s Service Center (PCTSFSC),  her husband Tsai Ruei-mao was finally able to come home after  one-and-a-half months of detention. Not only that, crew members, fish  catch, and the dog pet onboard the ship also came home with him safe and  sound. Reflecting on the whole ordeal, Mrs. Tsai said, “I thank  God, my church pastor, and all the brothers and sisters at church who  prayed for me and saw me through.”

According to reports, the fishing boat was fishing near the waters of  Papua New Guinea on August 28th when it was pursued and seized by  military vessels around 3:00 a.m. Local government officials thought  that the men were fishing illegally within Papua New Guinea's national  boundaries and arrested the crew at gunpoint. News of the arrest  circulated back to Taiwan soon afterward. At the time, Mrs. Tsai was  hospitalized due to illness. When she heard the news, she left the  hospital immediately to seek help. However, there were so many sources  and leads available that Mrs. Tsai felt confused as to what to do. She  began praying for God to reveal a clear and correct option that would  also be a legal one. When her pastor at Yan Jou Presbyterian Church  heard about what had happened, he suggested that she contact the  director of PCTSFSC Chuang Yueh-han so that the organization could help  her resolve the situation.

“I don’t know prominent people. God is my greatest backer. I  prayed that God would send angels to lead the way and He really  did,” said Mrs. Tsai. She recalled that people from her church came  to pray with her every day. Together, they sang praises, read the Bible,  prayed to God and surrendered the crisis unto His hands. When her  husband finally called home, she encouraged him to pray to God, read the  Bible, and watch the worship DVDs the church had distributed earlier  because there was nothing else he could do while on the boat.

After contacting Taiwanese businessmen in Papua New Guinea, consular  offices, and fishermen liaison offices, director Chuang was finally able  to secure the release of Mr. Tsai upon presenting documentation and  paying a fee. Mr. Tsai, his fishing boat, two other Taiwanese fishermen,  eight Indonesian employees, and even the fishing catch and the pet dog  onboard came back to Taiwan safe and sound after a forty-nine day  ordeal. Mrs. Tsai believes that everyone who helped get her husband and  his crew back home were angels sent by God. If it weren’t for them,  the situation might not have turned out so well. “A lot of people  are stranded for seven or eight months before they can come home and  they normally have to pay seven or eight million Taiwan dollars. Our God  is really one-of-a-kind!” she said. The crew was able to leave  Papua New Guinea on October 17th upon paying a fine of around five  million Taiwan dollars.

According to PCTSFSC staff, Mrs. Tsai’s ability to let go and  entrust the whole rescue operation to the organization contributed  greatly to the success of their rescue. This incident also shows the  importance and role of organizations such as PCTSFSC. Since Taiwan is  unable to be a member of most international organizations, many  fishermen must rely on themselves while at sea. If they do not know what  to do when seized while at sea, they often become victims of fraud and  manipulation. Pingtung Yan Jou Presbyterian church Pastor Ten Iau-Chong  (Jeng Yao-zong) learned from this ordeal that Taiwan’s expulsion  from the United Nations a few decades ago was a big tragedy because many  government offices are unable to do much for Taiwan's fishermen when  they are seized abroad. Under these circumstances, organizations such as  PCTSFSC become vital in helping fishermen and arranging negotiations  between conflicting parties.

Pastor Jeng shared that there are about a dozen fishermen in his  congregation. Because they are often at sea fishing for weeks at a time,  they inevitably miss out on church services. However, the hardships they  face at sea have also strengthened their faith because they must cling  ever more tightly to God. Before boats leave for fishing expeditions,  Pastor Jeng usually conducts a service and gives each fisherman some  DVDs of church worship services to bring onboard. He also encourages  them to tithe and pray at all times.

Mrs. Tsai held a thanksgiving service at PCTSFSC after her  husband’s return to express her gratitude toward God and everyone  who participated in the rescue mission. She feels at peace when her  husband needs to travel far for work because she knows that God is in  control. After cleaning up the boat, crew members left for another  fishing expedition on November 21st. They are expected to come home to  Taiwan sometime around April or May next year.

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