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A Beacon of Hope: Mustard Seed Mission Makes Strides in Orchid Island Reconstruction

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A Beacon of Hope: Mustard Seed Mission Makes Strides in Orchid Island Reconstruction

"We did it..." Typhoon Koinu hit Orchid Island hard in early October, the disaster brought severe damage to the island and put the lives of disadvantaged families into further worse situation. In order to help reconstruction more effectively, The Mustard Seed Mission (MSM) had been non-stop working for 2 months to overcame various issues including insufficient repair building materials, lack of construction manpower, as well as unpredictable weather. On the 11th, a ground-breaking prayer was held next to the Langdao Presbyterian Church, notably, MSM was the first social welfare group to set up station in Orchid Island to help households repair their houses. Jeffrey Lee, CEO of MSM expressed his gratitude to all those who participated in the disaster response for their support. MSM has lived up to expectations and wish to bring blessings to Orchid Island. The reconstruction of the last mile of the road began on the 12th, and is expected to take one and a half months to allow the families to resume their lives and celebrate the New Year in a warm manner!
 

▲The building materials for the reconstruction finally arrived in Orchid Island after overcoming various difficulties. The first from the right is Wang De-chang, the master of the repair work.

The Mustard Seed Mission actively participated in the in the post-disaster reconstruction of Orchid Island, and 10 tonnes of repair materials have been delivered to Orchid Island from Fugang fishing port in Taitung last week. Bing-han Wu, director of Global Disaster Redution & Relief Div. of MSM, said that Typhoon Koinu set a new record for the largest gust in Taiwan's meteorological history in 126 years, and almost 90 per cent of the roofs of the tin roofs of the residents' houses were blown away. Due to the limited resources in the area, most of the repair materials must be transported from Taiwan, coupled with the lack of professional manpower, the current northeast monsoon has strengthened and the number of boat trips has been reduced, with priority given to the delivery of reserves, oil and food, making the road to reconstruction very difficult. After two months of hard work, the project finally entered the construction stage.

▲The 10 tonnes of construction materials were sent to Orchid Island by boat from Fugang fishing port in Taitung last week.

"It is difficult to understand the urgency of the reconstruction unless you see it for yourself." Wang De-chang, a master craftsman who led the reconstruction of the Orchid Island home, once served in MSM, but now he has taken up his engineering profession to help others. From the assessment and measurement of the house, to the preparation of the materials, he has entered Orchid Island in advance to make preparations and co-ordinate the reconstruction work. As the house has been exposed to sea winds for a long time, the iron structure of the columns has rusted and become unreliable. Wang plans to strengthen the foundation of the house, raise the wall base by 60 centimetres, and use cement to enhance the stability of the house, so that people can live there with peace of mind.

▲The team of MSM carried out a survey in October to repair the damage caused by Typhoon Koinu.

After Typhoon Koinu, the Mustard Seed Mission immediately provided care and distributed emergency relief funds through the colleagues of the Indigenous Family Service Center of Lanyu Township, as well as delivered emergency supplies by air. Then MSM carried out repair projects for 12 houses, including families of sponsored children, the Long Island Church, and community economy development properties. The manpower and materials have been gradually put in place, and a prayer ceremony was held in the afternoon of the 11th. The Global  Disaster Redution & Relief Div., led by CEO Jeffrey Lee, prayed for the 11-man team led by Wang De-Chang, for the smooth progress of the project and offering blessings for the land of Orchid Island.
 

▲A prayer ceremony for the commencement of recovery project was held in Lanyu.
Pastor Wang Ron-gji of Lanyu Langdao Church (3rd from the left) reading the scripture, and Jeffrey Lee, CEO of MSM (3rd from the right) led everyone in a blessing prayer.

The Mustard Seed Mission has been involved in disaster prevention and relief work, focusing on disaster prevention and life care in the past, and overcoming various difficulties in the implementation of "Disaster Recovery and Reconstruction". Last week, MSM was invited to share its experience and challenges in the reconstruction process of Orchid Island with the Central Government and the Taitung County Government. In the face of poverty and the crisis of climate change, MSM has established a community service network, and needs the support of more people to spread love by helping others.
 

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