Taiwan Church News 3255 Edition July 14 - July 20, 2014 Headline News To Learn The Amazing Taiwan, Ecumenical Youth Receive A Wonderful "I Love Taiwan(ILT)" Campaign Reported by Simon Lin The 12th PCT youth missionary ILT (abbreviated for "I Love Taiwan")campaign, receiving the ecumenical youth from 23 countries to visit Taiwan society and church, has just successfully accomplished their wonderful three weeks' campaign from June 25 to July 12. Rev. Cheng Chun-peng, Secretary of PCT Youth Ministry Committee, said in proud about the good team work shown in this campaign of multi-parties' organization: "We should never worry if PCT youth could handle such tour campaign or not. Rather, the church should ask if enough opportunity was given to train mature our youth". Within the period of PCT ILT campaign, lots of ecumenical friends and partners come to visit and give a boost to ILT members, including the visit of youth pastors from Jesus Christ Church in Japan(JCCJ), offerings from the pastors of Presbyterian Church in Korea(PROK) and the involvement and service to local congregation from a Hungarian Protestant pastor with his wife. Members of this ecumenical ILT youth campaign come from 23 countries, including UK, Germany, Australia, USA, Japan, Korea, Canada and countries from Africa and South East Asia. Hosted by the youth from 19 PCT local churches, ILT members join many kinds of activity, visit and local services specially arranged for them, in order to understand how God's love stands together with Taiwan's society, church, homeland cultures and international situations. To exchange ideas and open up personal visions, ILT youth are invited to attend kinds of "saloon workshop" about different public issues like human rights, gender/sex, nuclear power and economics respectively. They are introduced to tour Taiwan's congress, learning to know the famous 318 Sunflower Student Movement and the protest of Cross Straight Trade And Service Agreement, which PCT are deeply involved to speak up for Taiwan society. In order to learn PCT's stance on the issue of LGBT movement, ILT youth visit Taipei's real LGBT site and exchange their thoughts afterwards. Also, ILT youth go to visit Gi-Kon Presbyterian Church, where the most hideous political assassination happened in Taiwan's modern history, to learn how PCT proceed the pastoral care toward the families of the politically inflicted victims. The special project of the holistic community buildup, integrating church lives into the local community, is a very unique tour for ILT youth to learn PCT's mission model to build Kingdom of God on earth. Alan Wei, a youth from Canada, feels very much inspired after he goes to visit the cemetery of Rev. George Leslie Mackay and learn so much about his missionary contribution to Taiwan society. Peter Mondol, from Bangladesh, feels very much impressive by the hospitality of Shu-lin Presbyterian Church of Taipei presbytery and the leadership of their church co-workers. In the past, he thought that Taiwan is a part of China. But, now he understands why Taiwan insists she is an independent and sovereign country. Translated by Peter Wolfe |