December 7, 2008
Reported by Chen Yi-shuan
Written by Lydia Ma

My Christian faith sustained me! God is really unlike any other gods!" exclaimed Chen Wen-ju. This woman from Pingtung Yan Jou Presbyterian church was married to a fisherman whose boat was seized by the government of Papua New Guinea two months ago while fishing near the island country. With the help of the Presbyterian Church in Taiwan's Seamen's/Fishermen's Service Center (PCTSFSC), her husband Tsai Ruei-mao was finally able to come home after one-and-a-half months of detention. Not only that, crew members, fish catch, and the dog pet onboard the ship also came home with him safe and sound. Reflecting on the whole ordeal, Mrs. Tsai said, "I thank God, my church pastor, and all the brothers and sisters at church who prayed for me and saw me through."

According to reports, the fishing boat was fishing near the waters of Papua New Guinea on August 28th when it was pursued and seized by military vessels around 3:00 a.m. Local government officials thought that the men were fishing illegally within Papua New Guinea's national boundaries and arrested the crew at gunpoint. News of the arrest circulated back to Taiwan soon afterward. At the time, Mrs. Tsai was hospitalized due to illness. When she heard the news, she left the hospital immediately to seek help. However, there were so many sources and leads available that Mrs. Tsai felt confused as to what to do. She began praying for God to reveal a clear and correct option that would also be a legal one. When her pastor at Yan Jou Presbyterian Church heard about what had happened, he suggested that she contact the director of PCTSFSC Chuang Yueh-han so that the organization could help her resolve the situation.

"I don't know prominent people. God is my greatest backer. I prayed that God would send angels to lead the way and He really did," said Mrs. Tsai. She recalled that people from her church came to pray with her every day. Together, they sang praises, read the Bible, prayed to God and surrendered the crisis unto His hands. When her husband finally called home, she encouraged him to pray to God, read the Bible, and watch the worship DVDs the church had distributed earlier because there was nothing else he could do while on the boat.

After contacting Taiwanese businessmen in Papua New Guinea, consular offices, and fishermen liaison offices, director Chuang was finally able to secure the release of Mr. Tsai upon presenting documentation and paying a fee. Mr. Tsai, his fishing boat, two other Taiwanese fishermen, eight Indonesian employees, and even the fishing catch and the pet dog onboard came back to Taiwan safe and sound after a forty-nine day ordeal. Mrs. Tsai believes that everyone who helped get her husband and his crew back home were angels sent by God. If it weren't for them, the situation might not have turned out so well. "A lot of people are stranded for seven or eight months before they can come home and they normally have to pay seven or eight million Taiwan dollars. Our God is really one-of-a-kind!" she said. The crew was able to leave Papua New Guinea on October 17th upon paying a fine of around five million Taiwan dollars.

According to PCTSFSC staff, Mrs. Tsai's ability to let go and entrust the whole rescue operation to the organization contributed greatly to the success of their rescue. This incident also shows the importance and role of organizations such as PCTSFSC. Since Taiwan is unable to be a member of most international organizations, many fishermen must rely on themselves while at sea. If they do not know what to do when seized while at sea, they often become victims of fraud and manipulation. Pingtung Yan Jou Presbyterian church Pastor Ten Iau-Chong (Jeng Yao-zong) learned from this ordeal that Taiwan's expulsion from the United Nations a few decades ago was a big tragedy because many government offices are unable to do much for Taiwan's fishermen when they are seized abroad. Under these circumstances, organizations such as PCTSFSC become vital in helping fishermen and arranging negotiations between conflicting parties.

Pastor Jeng shared that there are about a dozen fishermen in his congregation. Because they are often at sea fishing for weeks at a time, they inevitably miss out on church services. However, the hardships they face at sea have also strengthened their faith because they must cling ever more tightly to God. Before boats leave for fishing expeditions, Pastor Jeng usually conducts a service and gives each fisherman some DVDs of church worship services to bring onboard. He also encourages them to tithe and pray at all times.

Mrs. Tsai held a thanksgiving service at PCTSFSC after her husband's return to express her gratitude toward God and everyone who participated in the rescue mission. She feels at peace when her husband needs to travel far for work because she knows that God is in control. After cleaning up the boat, crew members left for another fishing expedition on November 21st. They are expected to come home to Taiwan sometime around April or May next year.

Taiwan Church News