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February 2002
Mission Report for the 2002 Missionary Retreat
in Japan
Country of Mission Field: Hualien,
Taiwan
Missionary’s Name: Rev. Choon
S. Lim, Evangelist, Aboriginal Campus Ministry, and Yen Hee Lim
RN, Community Health Worker
Year Commissioned: 1991
Prior to our assignment in Korea, I (Choon) served for four years
as associate pastor of the Hanmee Presbyterian Church in Itasca,
Illinois. I earned an undergraduate degree from Indiana University.
My major was in health sciences, and I worked for seven years
at the Indiana University Hospital. I then graduated from Louisville
Presbyterian Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. Yen
Hee worked as a registered nurse for 15 years in the United States.
With our backgrounds, Yen Hee and I decided to serve the medical
ship, Salvation, under appointment of the Presbyterian Church
of Korea.
In Korea, I was director of the Island Medical Mission, and Yen
Hee served as a charge nurse. In addition to the routine work
of treating patients and spreading the good news to the island
people every week, there were five important projects we accomplished
in the Island Medical Mission. One of our projects was to train
the island ministers through seminars that included computer training.
This occurred three times per year. Secondly, we delivered 1,100
first-aid boxes specifically designed for the churches and villages
of the islands. Since most of the islands do not have drug stores
or clinics, the program was very successful. We delivered these
first-aid boxes to most of the islands of Korea (520 inhabited
islands). Thirdly, we had an island minister’s house on the
mainland that served as a shelter during severe storms. Fourthly,
we published a seasonal newsletter called "Compass,"
which described our weekly activities as well as our newly created
programs. The newsletter included spiritual messages and medical
tips. Finally, our most important work was to reach out to non-Christians.
To spread the good news, we made colorful tracts for the islanders.
We also helped them in activities such as digging wells and gave
them support for their new church development.
Our next mission field was Taiwan. In 1997, we came to Taipei,
Taiwan. Immediately, we began the study of the Mandarin language,
the official language of Taiwan. Taiwan lies between Japan, to
the north, and the Philippines, to the south. It is leaf-shaped
and about the same size as Holland. Taiwan is also situated on
the edge of the tropics and experiences typhoons coming in from
the Pacific during the summer months. A range of mountains covers
about three-quarters of its land. Yushan (Jade Mountain) is higher
than Japan’s famous Mt. Fuji. The population of Taiwan is
over 23 million (73% Taiwanese, 12% Hakka, 13% mainlanders, and
2% is aborigines). About 400,000 are aborigines, the island’s
original inhabitants, who are divided into eleven tribes, although
the government only recognizes 10 of these. The aboriginal churches
increased rapidly so that now about 50% of the aboriginal people
profess to be Christians. About 30% of the aboriginal people are
Presbyterian. Only 3% of Taiwan’s population is Christian,
including about 1% Presbyterian (1,220 Presbyterian churches and
220,000 church members).
Taiwan’s Christian history began in 1865 with an English
Presbyterian mission that sent missionaries to Taiwan. In 1872,
the Canadian Presbyterian mission sent missionaries as well. Dutch
missionaries were actually in Taiwan three centuries ago for a
short period, but one of the reasons why their work died out so
rapidly after their withdrawal was because they left no Bible
in the hands of the people. Their labors had been confined to
the Chinese who formed the vast majority of the population. No
Christian work had been undertaken by the missionaries amongst
the tribal peoples who dwelled in the central mountain and east
coast regions. This was due to the fact that the Japanese authorities,
who ruled the island from 1895 to 1945, refused to permit the
evangelization of these aborigines. The official policy was to
leave their animistic faith undisturbed, yet the police who supervised
them did not hesitate to impose the Shinto practice upon them.
The missionaries evacuated at the end of 1930s and returned in
1946. Upon their return, the missionaries were amazed that some
7,000 of these aborigines, whose forefathers had been headhunters,
had become Christians. This had happened by God’s grace through
the unquenchable faith of two people, Chi-oang, a woman of the
Tayal (Taroko) tribe, and Du-wai, a young man also of the Tayal
(Taroko) tribe. Their work became not only the fruit of the missionary
labors of its own tribe but also of other tribes. Chi-oang and
Du-wai had to convey the good news in another language, Japanese,
since they did not know the dialect of the other tribes. They
also had to face the persecution of the Japanese policemen, but
they believed that it was only "at the name of Jesus"
that "every knee should bow." For example, Du-wai told
a Japanese policeman, "You can cut off our limbs if you like,
but our hearts will be Christian still." The two faithful
were truly used by God for a great purpose.
Currently, there are 10 tribes in Taiwan. We are continuing the
aboriginal ministry in Hualien where Chi-oang and Du-wai had spread
the gospel to the aborigines. The General Assembly of the Presbyterian
Church in Taiwan asked me (Choon) to start the Aboriginal Campus
Ministry in Hualien because there was no such ministry in existence,
even though there were six colleges: the Buddhist Nursing and
Medical School, the National Teacher’s College, the Dong-hua
National University, the Jing-chong Business College, the Ta-han
Technical College, and the Yu-shan College. My job as well as
Yen Hee’s was to begin working with the aboriginal students.
On Saturday September 11, 1999, we began with a worship service.
Fifteen Ami and Tayal ministers came to our mission center for
the opening ceremony. The general secretary of the Presbyterian
Church of Taiwan (PCT), the Rev. Ro, preached. The Ami tribe choir
members came to praise God as well. The center is our residence,
but we were willing to offer the campus ministry as the aboriginal
minister’s overnight motel (as we did for the island ministers
in Korea), and also as a short-term mission souse. We thanked
God for His providence. Since then, we began to organize Bible
study-groups in our center as well as at the school. We first
started the aboriginal Christian group in the National Teacher’s
College and then in the Buddhist Nursing College in 1999. In 2000,
we started the other groups in Yu-shan College and then in the
Jingchong Business College. In 2001, a Christian group was also
formed, with the help of Professor Tong of the Bunun tribe, at
the Donghua National University, the biggest university in Taiwan.
With the help of the Rev. Chang, a Christian group also began
at the Tahan Technical College.
After establishing all the Christian groups in the six schools,
we established the Hualien Aboriginal College Student Body in
our mission center on January 6, 2002. This was a historical event
in the PCT. Each college sent two representatives to our center,
and then a student body board election took place. Once the board
was created, they began to plan their activities with the support
and guidance of the mission center. We are very excited to do
this year’s programs with the student body board. This year,
one of the big events will be our third anniversary thanksgiving
worship service on October 4, 2002. The former principal of Yu-shan
College and Seminary and the PCT’s former General Secretary,
Rev. C. M. Kao, will preach. All the Amis and Tayal (Taroko) ministers
will be invited. After the service, the six colleges will perform
songs, dances, and theatrical skits. We would like to thank God
for the establishment of these six Christian groups in each college.
Last year when our campus ministry center invited all six colleges,
151 students came, including the adult workers. It was a Taiwan
aboriginal Christian college record to have that many aboriginal
college students get together to praise God. This year we hope
more students participate in this upcoming special event. Other
events this year will be to train the officers of the student
body board, to have two retreats, and to publish the first newsletter.
Besides helping the campus ministry, Yen Hee works as a volunteer
at the Mennonite Christian Hospital and Bethesda Handicap Center.
With the Mennonite Christian Hospital’s medical team, she
goes to Huping ("Peace") village every week to help
treat patients. Since the village is located in the mountains,
it is a very dangerous one-hour drive through these mountainous
roads. Last time Taiwan had a big typhoon, she could not go to
Huping for two weeks because of the mudslides and falling stones.
Prayers are always needed for her safe travels to and from Huping.
This year, her new position is with the Bethesda Handicap Center.
There are 97 disabled children who are 16 years or younger. In
Hualien, there are five missionaries, and once a week we have
a prayer meeting. One of the missionaries is working for the Bethesda
Handicap Center. Yen Hee had been continually asked to help the
Bethesda Handicap Center, but because Yen Hee works at both the
mission center and the Mennonite Christian Hospital, I thought
adding another mission would be too difficult. But Yen Hee decided
to do the work. She enjoys helping the disabled children. Her
assistance includes activities such as feeding and cleaning them,
taking them out and spending time with them, and helping to shift
the positions of children restricted to their beds, etc.
While preparing this report, we questioned ourselves on how we
have been able to accomplish all these things with the shortcomings
we possess. One in particular is our level of fluency in the Mandarin
language. I still have some apprehension when I need to lead Bible
study groups or any other type of activities. I have had many
embarrassing situations in public. For example, one day I was
asked to pray using Mandarin, but Korean/English would, at times,
come out instead during the prayer. Therefore, the listener could
not understand my prayer. Some thought I was speaking in tongues.
In the midst of problems such as these, I learned one thing. These
shortcomings made me humble, as well as created the desire to
seek God’s power and mercy. Therefore, we rely on this verse,
the Word of God, daily, "With men this is impossible, but
with God all things are possible." Amen.
Population of the Aborigines (1997 data from the Aboriginal Committee
in the Executive Yuan) and the Aboriginal Churches in the PCT:
- Tayal/Taroko: 91,360 people
- Tayal (115 churches)
- Taroko: (37 churches)
- Bunun: 41,150 (78 churches)
- Amis: 146,796 (139 churches)
- Tsou: 7,541 (9 churches)
- Rukai: 12,304 (16 churches),
- Puyuma: 10,571(6 churches)
- Paiwan: 69,446 (95 churches)
- Saisiat: 7,025 (12 churches)
- Yami: 4,051 (6 churches)
- Total aboriginal population in Taiwan: 390,244.
- Total aboriginal churches in the PCT: 486
The 2002 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 187
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