Taiwan Short-term Mission Testimony

Since Brother Shixing was invited by Xiangfu to Taiwan last year, I have felt a strong calling in my heart to become a part of this ministry. When Shixing and Hongda returned, they proposed that Xiangfu's summer bilingual camp needed the cooperation of the American church, which seemed to give God's calling a clearer direction.

In March and April of this year, Pastor Chan Man-yat, the General Secretary of Christian Fellowship Ministries, came to ACCCN to preach on a Sunday. That evening, over dinner at Brother Yeung Yat's home, I gained a clearer understanding of Pastor Chan's vision and immediately committed to leading this mission trip. For over a month until the registration deadline, my own faith often wavered, but I experienced God continuously strengthening me. Team members appeared one by one, and a lunch sale organized by Brother Yeung Yat facilitated the formation of this short-term mission team. The six team members, in a hurried fashion, diligently prepared themselves and, under the commissioning of the church elders in late June, departed for Taiwan in two groups.

Our work in Taiwan was divided into two phases, spanning a total of fifteen days. On Saturday, July 1st, we reported to the Dacun Christian Church in Changhua County, and for the following seven days, we resided at the church. Our worksite was Dacun Junior High School, and our target audience was the students there. Pastor Lin Feng-chuan took meticulous care of us, deeply concerned that our group, returning from America, might not be able to adapt due to being pampered. Coupled with Taiwan's particularly hot summer this year, these "little Americans" did endure some hardship, making us even more appreciative of the heartfelt hospitality shown by the pastor and his wife. We partnered with students from National Chung Hsing University, who, under the guidance of an English missionary named Angela, numbered twenty. They and our children, without adult assistance, fully demonstrated a spirit of diligent cooperation, making our four-day bilingual camp a resounding success. Although Crystal sprained her ankle and Kate injured her back during this period, the Lord's grace was sufficient for us, and they were able to continue into the second phase. During this time, I must especially mention our pastor and his wife, who, despite their own pain and illness, came from Taichung to offer comfort and appease my anxious heart. Feelings of loneliness were replaced by peace. Before we left, they insisted on giving us NT$10,000. Truly, one must marvel at God's grace and blessings, as I had only NT$600 left when I departed Taiwan.

After reluctantly bidding farewell to the students and work partners from Chung Hsing University on Saturday, July 8th, we traveled to Dongshi Township, Chiayi County. The scorching sun had hidden behind dark clouds, but the humid heat was even more oppressive. By the time we arrived, it was a dim evening. The material conditions at the Dongshi Church were poor. The children's sadness from parting, coupled with homesickness and the need to adapt to an unfamiliar environment, truly earned our respect. They still faced their new tasks with seriousness, building new friendships (with new partners from Tsinghua University). The new students were from Dongshi Elementary School, aged 7-12, with a wide range of English proficiency. However, all of this was handled appropriately. If not for a few team members feeling unwell and a typhoon passing through two days before our departure, it could have been said that we were handling it with ease. The night before leaving Dongshi Township, when I announced that the bus tickets back to Taipei were purchased, seeing the children's joyful eyes, the heavy burden in my heart suddenly disappeared, replaced by shame. This burden was incomparably lighter than the cross the Lord Jesus asks us to carry.

The homeland mission trip was successfully completed, moving from "Mission: Impossible" to "Mission: Complete." We experienced God's presence. He led us step by step, listened to the prayers of the mission workers, called out to us, brothers and sisters, and used the language abilities He granted us to sow seeds in Taiwan. The day of harvest may be as far as 30 years away, but on this land that has been bound, a ray of light can be clearly seen. We must praise our God, and we must also remember these faithful servants on the front lines. How can we cooperate with and support their needs? ACCCN has taken a successful first step, and we must continue, to step forward without stopping. May God lead and bless.

Crystal Chiu

I have always felt an obligation to the people of Taiwan. Since I have the ability to speak Chinese, I feel that I should use my gift to communicate with the people and tell them about Christ. Village Gospel Mission allowed me to combine my love for working with children with my sense of duty. The Village Gospel Mission trip to Taiwan this summer deeply impacted my life. Without realizing it, my three weeks in Taiwan had become a memory of a lifetime. It wasn’t that the towns Da Cun or Dong Shih were unique or even special. It was the people that I met. It was the friends I made, and the fellowship with the college students we created. When we started preparing for this mission trip, being the slightly neurotic girl that I am, I thought that it would be an impossible task to accomplish. We arrived in Da Cun more than slightly clueless as to what exactly we were supposed to do. Yet, what we lacked, our Taiwan counterpart from Chung Shin University made up for. This trip taught me that I did not need to manage everything, but that I should have faith.

During the two weeks, I faced more frustration than I anticipated. First off, I NEVER expected to tear a ligament and be stuck on crutches for the whole trip. My physical disability became one of the hardest things I dealt with. My stress came not only from the mental tiredness from working from morning until evening, but also physical exhaustion at the end of the day. I never had to deal with four flights of stairs with crutches before, or asking people to help me with even the simplest thing like going upstairs to help me get something I had forgotten. Also, I felt awkward with my small group, since Alice and Ashburn (my fellow counselors) were really good friends.

However, Alice and Ashburn eventually became my friends as well. When I went to the hospital, both Alice and Ashburn accompanied me! What's more, my impediment unexpectedly turned into a blessing. Since I couldn't run around and play with the other kids, I was able to use that time to create PowerPoint presentations that we hadn't realized we needed to make. sverige-ed.com. One of my strongest memories is when, after school one day, all the counselors spontaneously came over and prayed over me as a group. It was then that I realized that even though I was struggling, I wasn’t alone because everyone was there to help me. There is so much more that I want to share, but the space I have is limited. The people from Chung Shin University became my friends. The children I worked with were so excited to be there. They were there even when a typhoon was coming, and they waited outside for half an hour before class started every morning. The children I taught became my friends as well. God blessed me. I pray that God blesses you.