Taiwan Church News

3306 Edition

July 6 - 12, 2015

Church Ministry

PCT Volunteers For 311 Earthquake Reconstruction Are Launched

Reported by Lin Yi-ying

On July 1, under a service of commission and assignment, the first group of 2015 PCT volunteers for the 311 Earthquake Reconstruction Project officially took off! There will be another 4 groups to be launched successively, with 8 to 10 members each, covering the project schedule from July 2 - September 10, 2015.

This is the fourth year, cooperating with United Church of Christ in Japan(UCCJ), that PCT dispatch voluntarymembers to participate in reconstruction project, after the destructive 311 earthquake and tsunami occurred at Japan in March 2011. In the meantime, PCT also plans to negotiate with UCCJ before the end of this year to evaluate whether or not this voluntary project for reconstruction should carry on in the next year.

Quoting the scripture of Matthew 7:12, "in everything do to others as you would have them do to you", Rev. Hwang Zeh-hong, Chief Director of PCT Church and Society Committee, encouraged the youth volunteers of the first group to serve the community with a constantly prayer for themselves and for their ministry to serve the traumatized in the inflicted areas.

Inspiring the youth volunteers to have an optimistic and positive attitude to engage kinds of challenges lyingahead, Rev. Hwang illuminated the teaching from the mother of US President Dwight D. Eisenhower(Ike) when he was 10 years old and could not control his temper. Ike's mother gave him an abundantly valuable advise, paraphrased from the Proverb 16:32, "he that conquereth his own soul is greater than he who taketh a city". In certain sense, these words not only changed the mind of the young Ike, but changed the destiny of the United States of America!

Translated by Peter Wolfe