Mercy Moment
Physical and Spiritual Care for Students in Taiwan
In the wake of Typhoon Danas, LCMS Disaster Response partnered with the Lutheran Heritage Foundation to assist with recovery at Concordia Middle School, Taiwan.
Last July, Typhoon Danas made landfall over Chiayi, Taiwan — the location of The Lutheran Church—Missouri Synod’s (LCMS) Asia regional headquarters. Thankfully, the Synod’s missionaries weathered the storm safely. However, nearby Concordia Middle School (CMS) sustained significant damage. The 75 mph winds brought towering trees to the ground, blocking roads and sidewalks. Metal roofing was ripped clean off the school building, and fences bordering the school grounds were crushed.
Apart from the property damage at CMS, estimated at around $200,000, the storm left over half a million households without power, injured more than 600 people and took two lives. Although typhoons are not uncommon in Taiwan, the path Danas took was a rarity — typically, storms batter the less-populated eastern side of the island. Danas was the first typhoon to make landfall in Chiayi County since Taiwan began keeping records in 1958.
In the center of this region stands Concordia Middle School, serving about 2,500 students in grades 7–12, a beacon of Christ’s light in a largely Buddhist/Taoist community. Over 100 LCMS missionaries have served at the school since its founding in 1967 in one of the least-evangelized areas of Taiwan.
To witness the Christian faith to its largely unchurched student population, CMS seeks to incorporate the Gospel message into many aspects of school life: Bible stories are used to teach English, students can attend Gospel lectures each Friday, youth groups hold regular Bible studies, and school-wide celebrations of Christmas and Easter strive to make a lasting impression on all who attend.
The school also reaches out to the greater community through Concordia Kindergarten, which now serves over 500 little ones, and Concordia English Language Academy, an after-school learning program that teaches English (incorporating the Bible) to another 500 students. Both efforts bring the Word to those who may not otherwise hear it.
Even though not all students participate in voluntary Christian activities during their time at the school, many hearts are still being prepared “to become good soil.” Sarah Chang, the chair of the CMS religion and counseling department, reports that CMS staff often hear that alumni retain a basic understanding of Christianity, and some find their way into the church years after graduating.
Following the typhoon, LCMS Disaster Response provided grants totaling $35,000 to help CMS rebuild and recover. “After a disaster, many of the most easily forgotten people are children and students living with fear, disruption and loss. Our calling is not only to help restore buildings, but also to support the church’s care for distressed souls through Christian presence, mercy, prayer and the promises of Christ,” said the Rev. Dr. Ross Johnson, director of LCMS Disaster Response.
As students were confronted with the question of where God was in the storm, Disaster Response partnered with CMS and the Lutheran Heritage Foundation (LHF), a Recognized Service Organization of the LCMS, to get more confessional resources into their hands. LHF donated over 4,000 books, in both Mandarin and English, including Luther’s Small Catechism, A Child’s Garden of Bible Stories, Lutheranism 101, God’s Word for You and more.
“The Lutheran Heritage Foundation understands that people everywhere face life’s storms,” said the Rev. Dr. Matthew Heise, executive director of LHF. “Our books, in more than 185 languages, are available at no cost in the United States for churches, evangelism teams and individuals to share the Good News with their neighbors who don’t speak English as a first language.”
Today, recovery at CMS is nearly complete, yet the work of preparing hearts to become good soil continues. Chang requested continued prayers for the students and mission of CMS, “that the Gospel seeds sown [at CMS] will bear much fruit in eternity.”
Learn More
- Learn more about the LCMS Asia region
- Make a gift to support the work of LCMS Disaster Response
Mary Henrichs
Staff writer and editor for LCMS Communications.
