60 – Our visit to Taiwan Division
In 1928 Colonel Yasowa Segawa of Japan pioneered the work of The Salvation Army in the then Formosa, (in Portuguese meaning ‘beautiful island’) but the work was curtailed by the Second World War. When war ended in 1945, Formosa was freed from Japan. The Allied nations agreed that the island should be returned to China. Taiwan had been ceded to Japan by China during the Qing Dynasty at the signing of the Treaty of Shimonoseki after the First Sino-Japanese War in 1895.
When the Communists took over mainland China in 1949, the Nationalist government under Generalissimo Chiang Kai Shek retreated to Formosa, set up a separate Government and called it by its original name Taiwan. He ruled the island as the President of the Republic of China until his death in 1975 when other leaders took over.
The Salvation Army did not operate during this period till the arrival of two American servicemen, Leslie Lovestead and Robert McEaneney, both Salvationists from America. The Sunday before Leslie’s departure to Taiwan, his parents, Corps Officers of Ocala Corps Florida, Major and Mrs. Lloyd Lovestead prayed and presented him with the Army flag.
Leslie befriended two former Salvationists – Liu Hsiu Huo, former Salvation Army officer during the Japanese rule in Taiwan, and the Reverend Hsieh Po Wu, pastor of a large Baptist Church in Taichung. The latter too was a former Salvation Army Officer in mainland China. Rev. Hsieh subsequently resigned from the Baptist church and became the first unofficial officer of The Salvation Army in Taiwan! One day Leslie playing a mouth organ and Liu Hsiu Huo beating the drum marched through the streets in Taichung. This parade of two witnesses of Christ attracted much attention! I wonder how many Salvationists would be brave enough do the same thing today!
Thus the Army re-commenced in Taiwan with no instruction from Headquarters, no fund to pay for expenses, no hall, no one to be responsible to except to the Lord! This Corps grew rapidly. Help later came from the Florida Division of The Salvation Army in response to Leslie Lovestead’s appeal for support. Lieut. Colonel J Clinton Eacott who had spent some twenty nine years as a missionary in China shared the vision and encouraged friends to contribute. That’s one of the great advantages of an international organization like The Salvation Army – mutual support. Let’s value and cherish this international spirit.
Before Leslie returned home to America, he wrote to International Headquarters. General Frederick Coutts sent two retired officers, Colonel and Mrs. George Lancashire, who had spent sixteen years as missionaries in China to Taiwan. They arrived on 30th September 1965 and were warmly welcomed by Leslie Lovestead and McEaneny and other civic dignitaries. They came to a thriving Corps with some forty adults ready to be enrolled as Salvationists!
Leslie Lovestead with his new bride Li Meng of Taiwan were now ready to return to the States, mission accomplished!
Fast forward to January 1983, my wife and I made our first official visit to the Division under the leadership of Captain and Mrs. James Lau Man Kin, Hong Kong officers serving in Taiwan since 1977. They and their two boys, Michael and Kenneth lived in one of the rented units in the compound of the Presbyterian Church. We were billeted with them, and enjoyed a great time of fellowship.
Divisional Headquarters and the Taipei Central Corps (church) shared the same building – the Corps occupying ground level and the DHQ located in the basement. We had our welcome meeting at the Central Corps during a weeknight meeting; then the next day went for a tour of Taipei centres.
The Army in the capital Taipei had three corps at that time– the Central corps, Nei Hu and Kuting. There was also a very large kindergarten operating in a rented building. The Central Corps ran a Day care centre and much community work under the direction of Captain and Mrs. Arthur Chen.
The same week Captain and Mrs. Lau took us for a tour of the rest of the Division, visiting first the Taichung Corps and finally ended up at Tainan Corps where we conducted the Corps anniversary. The dialect used in Tainan is Hokkien, which we speak, so we were able converse freely with the people without using an interpreter.
With the exception of Central and the newly acquired hall at Nei Hu, all the centres were using rented property. This meant constant changes of location thus causing much disruption to our work. So during our term we were able to get international support to purchase some new properties.
The Army was very small like Gideon’s army, but it had an important role to play in the community. We thank God for the dedicated leadership of Captain and Mrs. James Lau.
Colonel James Lau was promoted to Glory in 1999. Mrs. Colonel Alice Lau is retired and lives in Hong Kong. Michael and Kenneth and their wives now live in Singapore and United States respectively.
No comments:
Post a Comment