Taiwan: Anderson Graduate Ministry

TAIWAN HOME

LOCATION
Taiwan is a small island about 100 miles off the southeast coast of Mainland China. It is less than half the size of the state of Indiana. The island was formerly known as Formosa, and its government refers to itself as the Republic of China.

HISTORY
This ministry is a result of the fact that there exists a need to support the alumni of the Taitung Onesiphorus Children’s Home in Taiwan.

In 1971, the Onesiphorus Polio Home was founded in southeastern Taiwan in the town of Taitung. A serious polio epidemic had affected many aboriginal children in the mountains. As the polio vaccine became more prevalent, the number of polio cases declined. Disabled children with other diseases and children who had been in accidents were admitted. In the year 2000 the last of the polio handicapped children graduated from high school.

In 1979 the name was changed to Onesiphorus Children’s Home. Children were admitted who had no physical handicaps, but who came from dysfunctional backgrounds and whose relatives could not take care of them.

In the year 2001, Gene and Shelly Anderson were encouraged to start this new outreach to the alumni of Onesiphorus. Their ministry is part-time, since they are also still involved in ministry toward the children currently residing at Onesiphorus as well. The Andersons’ Graduate Ministry is not a part of Taitung Onesiphorus Children’s Home, but is a ministry accountable directly to Kids Alive International, USA.

FACILITIES
There are no official facilities for the alumni ministry. The Anderson home is something of an unofficial headquarters of the ministry and a place where much of the ministry is conducted. But their home is rented and is not the property of KAI or the Taitung Onesiphorus Children’s Home.

PROGRAM
Most of our ministry focuses on the alumni living in the greater Taitung area. Time and resources do not permit us to have an extensive ministry directed toward those alumni outside of Taitung County, though several trips a year are made to various locations on the island, and attempts are made on these trips to get together with as many alumni as possible.

The most important aim of the graduate ministry is to assist the alumni of the home to become followers of Jesus Christ. Because there are many churches already established which are capable of doing this work, we see our role to be directing the alumni to suitable, trustworthy churches. We introduce the alumni to the churches near them, and whenever we can, we attend church with them, especially the first few times, until they feel comfortable in the church. We attempt to provide the alumni with a friend already established in an existing church to welcome them and make them feel comfortable about returning. A majority of the alumni are not believers, and even a fewer percentage attend church regularly. We also look to evangelize the alumni in our personal contacts with them.

Every young adult will face circumstances they have never encountered before, and many will seek direction and support in making big decisions in their lives. Though neither of the Andersons has received academic training in counseling, we aim to be effective counselors by use of good listening skills and common sense. Some common topics of conversation include: relationships, marriage, family life, occupation, substance abuse, and education. We also visit the alumni who are hospitalized and try to provide comfort and encouragement to them.

We provide some practical assistance to the alumni as well. This would include providing needed goods to those of low income, assisting with transportation for alumni with special needs due to physical handicaps, minor repairs of residences or vehicles, accompaniment on trips to the doctor, etc. Whatever the need, we will consider assisting, but with attention given to the need to avoid a relationship of dependence.

Our ministry provides a social function as well. We attempt to host several gatherings a year for alumni in the Taitung area. This gives the alumni a chance to maintain strong friendships and unity.

FUTURE
Our desire is to continue networking among current alumni to broaden the scope of our ministry to a greater number of alumni. Plans are also in place to provide alumni who are married and have or expect children with the Chinese publication of Focus on the Family to assist them in this area of their lives. We seek to keep in close contact with each new year’s alumni as they start off into society on their own, assisting them with this transition.