[3116] Chiayi Presbytery and Tainan City Hall reach out to CWM international students

Chiayi Presbytery and Tainan City Hall reach out to CWM international students

Reported by Sam Lee

Written by Lydia Ma

International students studying at Tainan Theological College and Seminary (TTCS) were taken sightseeing and treated to local cuisine by Chiayi Presbytery and Tainan City Hall on November 10, 2011. Not only did the group of students got to taste traditional cuisine in Tainan, they also learned a bit of history as they visited historical sites in Taiwan’s oldest city.

These students are studying at TTCS through a collaborative program managed by PCT and Church World Mission (CWM) wherein CWM sends some students every year to TTCS to study. In the years that this program has been in existence, more than 70 students have enrolled in it and, upon graduation, have returned to their home countries to assume important positions. The program has added a boost to PCT’s ecumenical relations as it’s a tangible means help other countries.

CWM students currently studying at TTCS come from as far as Tuvalu, India, Zambia, Bangladesh, South Korea, etc. Through this local excursion, they not only got a taste of local cuisine, but also the trademark warm reception Taiwanese people are known for.

City Hall’s Bureau of Civil Affairs Secretary, Rev. Cheng Kuo-chung, welcomed these students on behalf of the Tainan city and said he understood the challenges of life as an international student for he was once an international student himself when he studied in Chicago Theological Seminary. He underscored that City Hall was more than willing to help and care for these students.

Chiayi Presbytery‘s involvement in this excursion originates from its Ecumenical Relations Committee, which sponsors individual CWM students. The presbytery’s Vice-Moderator Huang Tang-hsin, said that his presbytery has always placed a strong emphasis on ecumenical relations and church partnerships. Hence, it’s also heavily involved in all the youth exchange programs sponsored by PCT’s Youth Committee. Huang invited these students to visit Chiayi and take part in the presbytery’s Christmas parade scheduled for December 16, 2011.