Taiwan Church News 3298 Edition May 11 – 17, 2015 Church Ministry Charity Baseball Game Held For Rural Poor ChildrenReported by Simon Lin On May 9, the Mother Day, about 8,000 rural poor children from Yunlin, Chiayi and Tainan gathered to watch a charity baseball game, contested by two famous professional baseball teams: Uni-Lions and Brothers, at the baseball stadium located at the home town of renown Chiayi Agricultural High School Baseball Team which legend to enter Japan’s historical “Japanese High School Baseball Championship”(also commonly called Koshien Baseball Tournament) was made a blockbuster movie “KANO” last year. Mr Shei Kuang-hsiong, Chairman of Grace Home Church, hoped that this baseball game could be upgraded from entertainment into hope, inspiring the rural poor children live their lives with the strenuous spirit and hope inherent in baseball match. Elder Hou Hsien-min, an Elder of United Presbyterian Church from Chi-hsin Presbytery and a Director of Grace Home Church, explained how this charity baseball game was initiated. For the past years, the major ministry of Grace Home Church was always an itinerary to cater for the poor and the marginalized families, but when the children of these families were asked what were their most favorite places to go? Their answer were not strolling department store but watching baseball match at the stadium. Ad this is the seed planted for this grand baseball feast for these 8,000 children. Translated by Peter Wolfe |