From time to time, I recall that I have a blog.
At such times I am occasionally compelled to post in it, but normally let the fit pass.
This is not one of those times, as it's too early to sleep but too late to do anything terribly productive. (not really, but I'll get around to that after the blog, hopefully)
For the reader who may stumble upon this (probably in its incarnation on facebook as a note),
I should probably mention what things have been like lately.
In general, things have been going well. My Chinese continues to advance slowly but surely, though I am not taking classes next month due to time and money constraints. I will undoubtedly have some mornings free during which I could continue to take them, but I've already taken a month or two more than originally planned, and the issue is more that as I become increasingly involved in ministry here, I never know when I will need to have the time free for other purposes.
(I will miss my teachers, but I'm also certainly not ruling out resuming classes later if I determine that I will have enough time.)
The work here goes slowly. Frustratingly slowly, at times. In a prosperous and technologically advanced nation, its easy to forget that despite a long missions presence here, Taiwan is in some way still pretty much the front lines. There's a long history of evangelical work here, but little penetration.
Opportunities for direct evangelism are there, but are harder because of the language barrier, a pretty consistent post-modernism (Oh, you came all the way here for your faith? That's great, it's good to see that kind of dedication in a young person... etc), and the fact that most people here just don't see a need for it.
Either they're not religiously inclined (mostly younger people), or they are already following Daoism or Buddhism or the sort of amalgamated version you often get here. Taiwanese are polytheistic pragmatists; if there is a god out there that they know about, they'll add them in for luck. I've seen icons of Jesus in a temple here, and I'm told there is a shrine to the Unknown God in another city not too far from here.
So everywhere you see things like mirrors over doorways, family idol shelves, food set out with incense in front of businesses on auspicious lunar days, etc.
Compared to that sort of vague, all-inclusive mysticism, the gospel stands out in stark contrast.
Many people here are potentially willing to add Jesus to their personal pantheon, but forsaking all other gods, and to a large extent the culture that goes with them, in addition to insulting your ancestors (and by extension, your living ones too), is a hard teaching. Who can accept it?
(ref. John 6)
The answer, it seems, is that few in Taiwan can right now. Part of the problem is that the Christian community as such is still developing. In some places, churches are relatively isolated, a small band of believers meeting on Sundays. The impact on the community is not always noticeable, and outreach can be difficult for various reasons. Door to door evangelism, for example, is not suited to the culture, where a personal relationship context is generally necessary before someone will consider really letting what you say sink in (they will usually listen to be polite, or even agree with you, but 'yes' is often considered a polite and non-offensive way of saying 'no' here), but would be difficult anyway because people do not live in convenient rows of houses with accessible front doors here, but in (usually gated) apartments. There has never been a church culture here, so there is no sense that going to church on Sunday is a moral activity. "Getting my religion in" here takes the form of going down to the local temple and lighting some joss (incense) sticks, or burning fake paper money in a little pot in front of your business.
To sum it up, except in rare circumstances, no normal activity would lead to someone going to church here, if there is even a church near them.
And people don't always exactly rush to decisions. I have heard that the average Taiwanese Christian heard the gospel 11 times before they accepted it. I also know at least two Christians here who, once they started going to church, did so for 8 years before they accepted Christ.
I could go on, but I think you get the idea. In this prosperous, modernized, and traditionally polytheistic culture, the gospel has made slow progress. Please pray that God will awaken the spirit of the Taiwanese people and cause them to feel a need for Him in their lives.
There are great opportunities here, especially among students, but not enough people who can and are willing to pursue them. The number of missionaries here is also decreasing due to attrition (retirement, transfers, etc) Please pray that God will raise up people with a strong desire to make His name more greatly glorified in this place.
-Joseph
