wfn.org | Changhua Christian Hospital Erlin Branch honors Dr. William Sia

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

>      Taiwan Church News

>2991 Edition

>June 22~28, 2009

Changhua Christian Hospital Erlin Branch honors Dr. William Sia

>Reported by Chen Wei-jian

>Written by Lydia Ma

To remember its founder, Rev. Dr. William Sia (also known as Hsieh  Wei), a

minister and doctor who gave his life to treating patients and  sharing the gospel

along Changhua’s coastal areas, Changhua Christian Hospital  Erlin Branch

decided in 2000 to set up a special fund to support charity  programs and cultural

activities. The hospital began planning events every year to  commemorate Sia.

On June 13th, a concert was held at a public auditorium attended  by more than 500

residents. A children’s choir and an artist who is a deacon  from Da-an Presbyterian

>Church performed during the concert.

Beside these events, a Taiwanese speech competition for elementary  school

children was also planned. In this competition, 36 children were  divided into two

levels – beginner or intermediate – and asked to perform a  speech in Taiwanese

on the topic “When I am sick”. The competition was  adjudicated by local pastors

and residents and aimed at helping children reflect on times when  they were ill so

that they could better appreciate the contributions made by Sia.

Dr. William Sia died in a car accident over 30 years ago while  traveling from Nantou to Erlin to treat patients. He was a humble doctor  with a heart for serving

people and often did so quietly. His most famous words were  “If I delay a minute to

tend to patients, it’d be that extra minute those patients  will have to suffer.” Many

residents in central Taiwan came to love and appreciate him and  were grieved by

>his sudden death.

To encourage younger generations to learn from Sia’s life and  legacy, and his heart

of service, Changhua Christian Hospital Erlin Branch set up a  “William Sia

Memorial Fund”. Hospital leaders hope that scheduled events  will help youth and

area residents to know more about Sia, as well as bridge the  distance between the

hospital and its surrounding communities. This year is also the  branch’s 45th

>anniversary.

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