Role Model

I have recently been introduced to the history of mission work in Taiwan. It has always been something that is hard to learn more about because Taiwan is a little island and few people have come here or really even know where it is. However, one woman, Lillian Dickson, made a huge impression on the work of Christ in Taiwan.

Lillian Dickson was the wife of a missionary who decided to didn't want to be a missionary's wife but a missionary wife. She started clinics, schools, orphanages, treatment facilities for tuberculosis, black foot, and leprosy. She took in children off the streets and helped get young people out of jails and into productive jobs and homes. Any time she saw or was told of a problem among the people, she found a way to solve it. In the sixty years that she spent here she and her friends started hundreds of churches and showed many people the joy of Christ and lead them to the Savior's waiting arms. She was truly a role model for anyone who wants to serve God overseas. All this she did with a humble heart and tireless personal effort. She also raised a family of four children and supported her husband in his own mission work.

I was lent a copy of her biography Angel At Her Shoulder to read. I read the book quickly as I loved to hear all of the amazing things that she had done for the people here. When I finished the book I wanted to learn more about her and her work in Taiwan. The book was published in the 1960s and I wanted to know what has happened with her ministry, Mustard Seed Inc., in the last thirty years. There is very little information about her. She wrote a book but it is out of print. When you look her up in Wikipedia or Google, there are no results.

Eventually, I found the website for Mustard Seed Inc., now an international mission sending group who have work in every poor part of the world. They support millions of men, woman, and children. All of this came from one woman's desire to be the kind of Christian that God wants us to be; forsaking all for the gospel.

If you ever get a chance, check out Lillian Dickson. She was an amazing woman of God who should be remembered for the work she did for the Gospel.

Temples

So, in Taiwan, temples are a common part of the landscape. The folk religion is so pervasive here that store fronts, back alleys, and even people's homes have temples and alters in them. This week, another of the missionary's parents is visiting. We love when people come to visit because it gives us an excuse to be tourists again. On Saturday, we went to Beigang, a nearby city that is well-known for its temple.

The temple in Baigang is one of the oldest in Taiwan. People from all over the country to give offerings to the gods for good grades on tests, new business ventures, and approval of marriages. Other gods from the country also come to "visit" the temple. When this happens large, long, loud parades occur. We were lucky enough to get to see one of these on our visit.

First, people dressed as "unnamed gods" come through and do a dance. These gods protect the big gods and light fireworks to ward off evil spirits. Then, the big gods come. For this particular parade there were five big gods. The big gods were terrifying. They looked just like demons. They had red, gold, green, and black faces. They wore ornate robes of gold and red. They danced in circles. They come dancing down the street and into the temple flanked by people waving incense sticks and throwing ghost money at them.

The worst part of the experience was when a woman came out of the crowd. She was screaming and chanting in Chinese and she had her hands thrown into the air. There were people all around her, listening to what she was saying with rapt attention. After she carried on for some time, she passed out into the arms of some of the temple attendants and was carried into the temple. When I asked our guide (a Taiwanese friend from the area) what was going on, she said the woman had the spirit of one of the gods in her and she was being used as a voice. Anna, a missionary, said, "so she is possessed?!" and our friend said yes!

Baigang is known by the Christian community as the dark pit of Taiwan. The people there focus thier entire lives on the temple and worshipping their gods. They rely fully on burning offerings or giving food gifts. They have no hope in life or an afterlife.

Please pray for the people who flock to these temples looking for something to hope for. They are so lost, confussed, and straning to find truth while looking for it in the wrong places. Help us to reach out to them and see the truth of God's richest salvation and grace.

Photos Online

It has recently been brought to my attention that not everyone is on facebook which means these same people do not have access to my pictures. In order to remedy this situation I have posted all of my most recent pictures of web albums using Google. If you click on the link below you can access my pictures and see what I have been up to. Enjoy!

Click HERE to see my albums!