The Onesiphorus Children’s Home is home to about 80 children, kindergarten through high school. Most of the children are from troubled homes. Some are victims of abuse, and others have been referred to us by the court system after minor offenses. Roughly 85% of the children are aboriginal. At the Home, the children receive love, quality medical care, nutritious meals, and instruction in the Christian faith.

In addition to the Home’s directors, Daniel and Debbie Lu, and about two dozen other nationals serving in various capacities, Gene continues to provide computer instruction, as well as Bible teaching, and special tutoring for the Home’s children.

The Anderson Graduate Ministry is a result of much prayer and contemplation, and the reality that there exists a need to support the alumni of the Onesiphorus Children’s Home in Taiwan. Many of the young men and women who grew up at the Home find it difficult to proceed in a life of faith or involve themselves with a local church. The stress of finding a job, the grueling routine of the everyday world, and loneliness often leaves them unfulfilled and struggling. Some are in need of medical attention, further education and the sort of advice that parents provide their children. Kids Alive® Taiwan missionaries, Gene and Shelly Anderson are reaching out to support these alumni, sharing the love of Christ in a practical, “hands-on” kind of way through everyday life experiences.

Shelly shares about a recent visit with Chyou A Hwei, “A graduate of ours has been praying for a computer. Gene priced a used one...the shop owner put one together for "peanuts" and we brought it over this past week. "Lucy" (as we call her) is a 30+ year-old, severely stricken with polio, has no job and is cared for by her brothers and sisters. What a surprise for her when we showed up at her place and brought in the computer. Gene gave her a few lessons, then I gave her a haircut, shampoo, shower, cared for her aching feet, gave her some new dresses. Then we put her in the car and took her for lunch at McDonalds, then to a local church where we asked the pastor’s wife if someone would push her to services on Sunday. What a rewarding day it was! Lucy has a strong faith, a soft heart and so much love to go around. She'll be a blessing to everyone in the new church. Have I said how much we like graduate outreach!"

In the past year, so many of the young women who grew up in the children’s home have become first-time mothers. Helping these new families face childbirth and parenting has put graduate outreach into a new phase that the Andersons hadn’t given much thought or planning to…until it occurred.

“Sally and her husband, Tony, are now proud parents of a baby boy named Jya-En (or “Added Grace”) though we’ve transliterated his name to John. Sally was at first unsure she could ever even have a baby because she is paralyzed from the waist down. Shelly was a great help to her on those early visits to the OB/GYN. Sally had lots of questions for Shelly after the baby was born.”

“For Karol, whose baby was quite large, a C-section was necessary. She called in the morning before the surgery to have Gene come and pray for her, which he was glad to do. Now she and her husband are proud parents of a beautiful daughter named Mei-Fen, whom Gene promptly named “Muffin.”

Their outreach to the alumni takes on a variety of roles. Gene’s been visiting the psychiatric ward almost weekly…no, not as a patient! He’s visiting two boys who are there because of emotional and behavioral problems. They are both high school age…one has been there for a couple of years. Another graduate Gene regularly visits has been hospitalized for almost two years with muscular dystrophy and is on a respirator because of pneumonia.

The Anderson’s desire is to continue networking among current alumni to broaden the scope of their ministry to include a greater number of alumni.