Taiwan Church News
3728 Edition
August 7 ~ 13, 2023
Weekly Topics
PCT Responds with First Aid to Distant Villages Devastated by Typhoon Khanun
Reported by Lin Yi-ying from Nantou County
Translated by Peter Wolfe
Due to the destructive impacts of Typhoon Khanun, which caused serious landslides in Ren-Ai Township of Nantou County, the PCT Church and Society Committee promptly established a first-responder office in the William Shia Memorial Camp, cooperating with NGO groups, like the Sediq Youth Association, Taiwan Jeep Rescue Alliance and etc. On August 7, nine Tayal youths went to the Meishi tribe to clean up the mud from their homes, and other youths from various places carried equipment and tools to offer first-aid relief.
In the afternoon of August 7th, accompanied by indigenous legislator Mrs Saidhai Tahovecahe and others, President Tsai Ing-wen visited the William Shia Memorial Camp and listened to the briefing submitted by Rev Lin Wei-lian, secretary of the PCT Church and Society Committee. In the briefing, Rev Lin Wei-lian reported that due to the severe collapse of the Li-Hsing main route, four villages and six tribes could not be reached from outside.
Renai Township of Nantou County is mainly composed of three indigenous peoples: Sediq, Bunun, and Tayal. Fa-Hsiang , Li-Hsing, and Chui-Hua Villages, scattered in the basin running across by Bei-Gang River, are Tayal villages; De-Lu-Ku, Du-Da, Jing-Ying, Chun-Yang, and Chin-Ai villages in the northern bank of Musha Brooke belong to Sediq; Wan-Feng and Fa-Chi villages in the southern bank of Musha Brooke belong to Bunun.
In the evening of August 7th, Rev Peto Ukan (director of the PCT Indigenous Mission Committee), Rev Omi Wilang (secretary of the PCT Indigenous Mission Committee), Rev Umas Tanapima (general secretary of Bunun Ciubu Presbytery) and other pastors assembled and decided to recruit 16 jeeps and pickups to move forward into the Snuwil Church of Chun-Yang tribe to deliver the relief resources and materials to the traumatized residents on August 8th.
This first-aid action has become a heroic story praised and affirmed amid the two indigenous groups of Bunun and Sediq. Accompanied by Rev Awi Tadaw, general secretary of the Sediq District Assembly, Rev Peng Chi-hong, moderator of the PCT General Assembly visited the most devastated tribes in Renai Township of Nantou County in the morning on August 8th. Rev Peng expressed his thanksgiving and paid tribute to the first-aid responders and the PCT pastors offering relief and comfort at site.
Rev Lin Wei-lian said that, after the landslides caused by typhoon, what’s the most needed job is household cleaning, and first-aid volunteers will also be in demand for offering these cleaning service in the next 14 days. This time, the PCT affiliated institutes, including the Indigenous Mission Committee, the Church and Society Committee and various indigenous churches worked together to set up a first-aid responder office with NGO groups in the William Shia Memorial Camp. However, each NGO operates independently, and the Presbyterian Church has no engagement in their administration or operation. Diverse and multi-dimensional first-aid cooperation has made the mission of disaster relief more effective.
Rev Lin gave his thanksgiving to various charity organizations, including Taiwan Christian Service, the Church and Society Committee of Taichung Presbytery, the Taipei Youshi Care Association, the Ailan Church of Taichung Presbytery, and especially to the William Shai Memorial Camp for providing free accommodation for first-aid volunteers. In addition, he paid tribute to the Smangus tribe, who sent a truck(11 ton) and a small bobcat to join the ranks of cleaning the households.
If you are interested in going to Nantou County to serve as a first-aid provider, please contact Ms Liu Chia-fen, secretary assistant of the PCT Church and Society Committee, via Tel: 02-2362-5282#255.
