May 9, 2010
Reported by Chen Wei-chien
Written by Lydia Ma

"The old adage says you must depend on friends when you're away from home. We just want to introduce Jesus, the best friend in the world, to our friends living far away from home," said Chen Chi-yun, a staff from Gideon 300 Evangelical Association.

On May 2, Gideon 300 and other organizations staged a concert in a plaza near the rear exit of Taoyuan Train Station. The concert was especially designed to attract foreign workers living in Taiwan and drew approximately 200 people, most of them Vietnamese.

Besides listening bands perform gospel songs, the audience was also treated to an array of hot food. Gideon 300 went out of its way to ensure that the audience's spirit, soul, and body would be fed and satisfied. Vietnam General Association of Christian Churches and a few PCT youth were also involved in planning this outreach.

The concert also featured a few performances by "Psalm 23 & Douzi" band, whose members were PCT youth. Rev. Chuang Fei, an Assemblies of God minister, delivered the message followed by an altar call. Throughout the concert and message, Vietnamese subtitles or live translations were provided so that the audience would understand God's love for them and grasp the passion emanating from local churches.

Though many in the audience came from Buddhist backgrounds, they were visibly comforted when they listened to these performances. For many of them, merely seeing their native language again soothed some of their homesickness. Many Vietnamese people began enquiring about the nearest church as the concert ended.

According to Chen, this is the first time Gideon 300 has done a foreign workers' outreach. Christians from various churches helped out by providing food and giving away small gifts. But the most memorable moment of this outreach was when one Vietnamese Christian sent 30 lunchboxes to volunteers working at the concert. This lady, who remains anonymous, had once been encouraged and helped by Christian organizations.

Taiwan Church News