Taiwan Church News 3002 EditionSeptember 7~13, 2009
Reported by Chen Yi-hsuan, Lin Yi-ying. Written by Lydia Ma

It's been almost one month since Typhoon Morakot struck southern and eastern Taiwan. To ensure rebuilding efforts meet the needs of typhoon victims, Presbyterian Church in Taiwan (PCT) General Assembly and presbytery leaders met on September 1st at Te-Sheng Presbyterian Church in Kaohsiung to discuss how they might cooperate in rebuilding efforts. Discussion topics on that day included rebuilding plans, post-typhoon medical care and sanitation, temporary shelters, and new housing.

Leaders collected and summarized requests for help from aboriginal presbyteries in areas destroyed by the typhoon. According to PCT General Secretary Andrew Chang, the collective desire of aborigines is to return home, therefore, helping them realize their dreams will be the main goal and official position of the PCT.

The meeting headed by General Assembly Moderator Leonard Lin began with Chang giving an overview of what has happened since August 10th when PCT's rescue system was activated to help victims. Following that, presbytery leaders in charge of the 9 PCT rescue-and-rebuild stations gave updates on their respective stations. Many choked back tears as they reported what they had seen and experienced these past few weeks.

One leader from Pingtung area urged PCT General Assembly to create a committee focusing on rescue and rebuilding efforts because natural disasters of this kind will most likely recur in the future.

According to reports, aboriginal reserves most impacted by Typhoon Morakot include those belonging to Bunun, Rukai, Paiwan, and Tsou presbyteries. Residents from those reserves have now been relocated to military barracks, but volunteers are needed to visit typhoon victims regularly, tutor their children, offer counseling, and more.

Among 8 Rukai reservations damaged by the typhoon, 6 reservations are considering moving to a new location and rebuilding their new homes there.

Aborigines in Alishan area reported their tea farms have been utterly destroyed and help is needed in rebuilding these farms and planting new seeds.

Central Bunun Presbytery was not as severely affected by the typhoon this time and its members have begun helping fellow aborigine Christians in South Bunun's Namasiya Township through fundraising and having each church in Central Bunun adopt or reach out to one church from Namasiya.

PCT General Assembly has agreed to invest NT$200 million toward relocating and rebuilding efforts, in addition to other programs such as tutoring children and offering counseling. It will also apply for some funding from government agencies to finance rebuilding efforts. In addition, a "peace service" will be planned in all presbyteries in mid-September and all PCT-affiliated hospitals will also continue to help victims.

The main challenge from now onward will be advancing rebuilding efforts. According to PCT Associate General Secretary Lyim Hong-tiong, all rebuilding efforts must respect the wishes of aborigines and focus on making their new homes a permanent place to live. With this in mind, safety, preservation of aborigine cultures and employment opportunities become important aspects that must be considered when rebuilding. The meeting sought to obtain opinions from local pastors before making a list of recommendations to the General Assembly Executive Committee.

Aborigine pastors present at the meeting expressed their desire to return home and rebuild. They were also worried about how their congregations were doing spiritually and many expressed concern that without regular church gatherings, the faith of their flocks will be tested. Pastors also discussed how to reach out to children who lost their homes and give them financial and emotional guidance. As for how to rebuild every reservation, pastors hope to first have a plan on how to revive aboriginal farmland.

Chang said many charitable organizations had volunteered to build new churches for aborigines who lost their church building as a means of lending support and doing churches a favor. However, Chang's perspective is that aborigines must build their own churches because it's not merely a building, but God's temple as well. Furthermore, when members build their own churches themselves, it will help them bond with their new spiritual home.

Chang also said the PCT had declined offers for help from non-Christian religious organizations in the rebuilding process and such a response had garnered criticism as it was perceived as antagonizing government officials and refusing the good intentions of others. Chang hoped that presbytery leaders will not be swayed by outside forces or gossip as they focus on rebuilding and promised that presbyteries have PCT General Assembly's full support.

According to reports, some Buddhist organizations such as Tzu-Chi have been at the frontlines of rebuilding projects. Their eagerness and passion have been applauded by PCT leaders as truly remarkable. However, PCT Indigenous Ministry Committee Secretary Omi Wilang confided that oftentimes, these organizations fail to realize that aborigines have intimate relationships with their lands and forests and those wishing to help them rebuild their homes must first possess a good understanding of aborigine society, culture and history. Organizations such as Tzu-Chi and various government agencies didn't have intimate discussions with victims before plunging ahead with rebuilding efforts. Such a patronizing attitude is hard to swallow for many aborigines, "We are not refugees, we are flood victims!" said Omi Wilang.

It is also because of this lack of understanding that Rukai aborigines have voted against receiving help from Tzu-Chi and in favor of securing permission to move into a nearby farm and rebuild their homes there so that they can be in control of rebuilding efforts.