T14 - a remarkable day

Having escaped the morning prayers at 6, I wandered over for breakfast in the manse at 8. There I got to know Rev. Chuang a bit more. He has been at this church for twenty years or so, and, when he arrived there was just a congregation of 10-20. During those twenty years the church has grown to around 100 on a Sunday, they run a school, and support other work such as homes for disabled kids. In keeping with Rev. Chuang’s work at the church he is also a part-time lecturer in Tainan Theological Seminary in Missiology, and a representative for CWM. So he’s a little busy!

After breakfast we headed for a tour of the school. It was interesting getting know such a place after listening to Hsinte talk about education in Taipei. Elementary school in Taiwan runs from age 7-13 (I think!), Junior High from (14-16), Senior High (17-19) and then university. At each stage you have to pass exams and studies to be able to progress from one to the next. So, some kids may finish their formal education at 13, if they fail the Elementary school exams. The school that the church runs caters for kids who drop out at elementary school, but still want to learn. The timetable can help the kids pass the elementary exams so they can move onto the next stage, or, give them a vocational root into a profession. There are two full-time teachers, a placement student, and the minister’s nephew (who is also at theological college). There are about 20 kids, all but one of whom are girls (the boys who drop out can go to another single sex school in town). We will return to the school later, because I was then quickly bundled into the car for a trip through the country to visit some of parts of the church work.

All the places we visited are part of the ‘Joyce Agape Group‘; named after a missionary from America who gave her life to work with firstly children with polio and then after the introduction of the polio virus, the work shifted to helping children with any physical or mental disability.

The first place we stopped at was a print factory where all of the employers have physical disabilities, mostly caused by polio. It was amazing to see everyone working together, despite there physical restraints. The factory produces envelopes, gambling slips, printed mugs, t-shirts, packaging for tea - you name it they print on it! The place is designed to be able to give guys with polio an income and salary in which they can support themselves. If people travel from a distance to get work here, then there is accomodation on the first floor. It was a fantastic place…

After a tour of the place we headed to the two branches of ‘Erhlin Happy Christian Homes’. These places are also part of the Joyce-Agape group, and are residential homes and schools for children with physical (and some mental) disabilities. The first place looked after 120 children under 15. We visited the kids as they were having excercise in the park, having physio, having speach classes, and playing games. It was a difficult place to be as some of the disabilities were very severe, but it was a joy to see their happy faces when you communicated with them. Strangely language wasn’t a problem here! The second place was much bigger, and catered for another 120 people, this time aged 15-20. Here, not only do they have the same physio and excercise facilities but there are also vocational jobs. There is an on site bakery which produces mooncakes and cookies, and a dumpling restaurant. It was phenomenal to see the work here.

We headed back to the church for lunch and I was asked if I would join in the classes each afternoon. This afternoon was music, and piano practice. I led a two hour class to help some of the kids learn a simple tune. It’s still going round in my head, but it is quite nameless and anonymous! Afterwards, because it was national teachers day, the kids performed a dance in the park for the teachers. Then after a half hour break it was tea time, and the arrival of more children. In the evening the school runs an evening homework class for those still in mainstream school. I enjoyed a few games of table-tennis with some teenage guys, who seemed impressed that a Westerner could hit a ball! After some grocery shopping, my first trip on a scooter (someone else was driving, mum, and we only had one puncture!) it was time for bed to rise for the 6am prayers tomorrow. What an amazing church and work, God has really blessed me today by being able to be involved in the work here in some small way. I pray that as he has blessed me, he will continue to bless all those that I have met today, and the work of this church and community.

This entry was posted on 29/09/2009 at 05:39 am and is filed under Paul's diary. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response or trackback from your own site.