By Kevin Wang
Kevin Wang (FPC STM in Guogou and Dongshih) Feedback for VGM 8/21/08
The mission trip in Taiwan this summer was truly a different experience. I'm glad that I finally stopped being lazy for a summer and stepped out to help spread the word of God. It was only possible due to my parents urging and the churches donations that I was able to have this wonderful opportunity. I really had no idea what to expect when I signed up for this, since my first mission trip was only to demolish houses in New Orleans. I just thought and prayed to God that he may use me for whatever he needed me to do when I arrived in Taiwan.
Before I got to Taiwan, everyone kept warning me of the hot weather conditions. The weather in Taiwan was not nearly as bad as everyone said it would be. However, it wasn't the weather that was the problem. The actual difficulty was the hot conditions inside the school's auditorium. There was no air conditioning, of course, but the few electric fans that sat around didn't really provide much air unless someone actually sits next to it. There was a few designated "breaks" throughout the school activities to help cool us down and to rest from the activities. That allotted time essentially just turned to individual random game time with the kids, such as the infamous 007 game that the kids taught me. I really never thought that the activities planned there could be so physically demanding. However, it was all worth it knowing that I gave it my all while hearing the kids laugh at parts of our performance.
Morning devotionals, I thought, were one of the most amazing things that I got out of at the camp. I never really stuck to an everyday plan for reading the bible before, probably only a few verses every now and then. At the first week of camp, everyone was basically gathered together in a room to study the bible in the morning. It wasn't just a regular "quiet time" by myself, but it was a fellowship with others to discuss what we got out of each passage. Being able to bounce ideas and thoughts off of each other made passages more clear and understanding. It is just an awesome feeling to be able to wake up in the morning and see so many people seeking God in the bible together. These devotionals with others seems to be a great way to start every day off, putting God first and seeking his wisdom, love, and help.
The coworkers from Taiwan were really a blessing. It opened my eyes to just how amazing God is. It really just hit me about how great God's love is when I see that all the coworkers from Taiwan have such faith and love in God. Before, I guess I had a contained mindset where I really never thought that people outside of the United States could have such great faith in God like we did. The friendly faces in the camp also made the whole trip feel at home. It seems like no one was excluded from anything and it just felt like one big family working for the will of God together. We also had some fun times together that helped us be comfortable around each other. The friendships that were made during this mission trip are something that will not be forgotten.
During this camp, we all taught elementary school kids. It was a challenge to teach them about Jesus simply because of their age, but it was a miraculous sight when kids could answer the questions about Jesus that we presented. It is truly amazing that the word of God has already been presented to these kids and that they did not simply just throw it away. It was also amazing when me and my group visited people's homes, and before leaving, they allowed us to pray together, for their family and for the love of Christ to shine on them. It is just wonderful to see the love of God spread throughout the people everywhere to where they are able to at least listen and be presented the love of Christ.
I guess that the only thing I felt was less satisfactory or that was being pointed out was the noninvolvement of us in the actual program. Because it was of a different format than the bilingual camp, I guess there was just less things for us to contribute in. From time to time in the classroom, it really felt like there was nothing for us to do since the coworkers basically got the lesson plan down. It was overall still a great experience though, since we were still able to share with the kids during "sharing" and "break" times.
After all, I feel like my bond with God definitely grew stronger during these few days working with our church members, the kids, and the Taiwanese coworkers. I will continue to pray for the kids that we taught each day, knowing that one day God's plan will be fulfilled and that all may experience the love of Christ.
