Loving Home and Sharing It with Others
Exclusive interview with Taiwan Streamside Care Single Parent Families Association
Photo courtesy/Beside the stream in Taiwan‧JHY
He will be like a tree planted by streams, which bears fruit in its season and its leaves do not wither. Everything he does goes well.
Psalm 1:3
"Based on the love of Jesus Christ, we comfort the wounded hearts of single parents, help them face difficulties, adapt to new lives, and rebuild their self-esteem and self-confidence."
The website of Taiwan Xishuibian Caring for Single-Parent Families Association clearly reminds: If there is love in the family, a single parent is also a complete family. And this love comes from Jesus Christ and must be shared with more people.
Since its establishment in 2007, Taiwan Creekside has been accompanying single-parent families in the love of God through reading groups, lectures, activities, and care through many phone calls and visits on the floors of apartments in the alleys of Taipei City. I saw these single fathers, mothers, and children healed from sorrow and comforted from loss; I experienced repair and renewal with them, filling their homes with love and hope.
Just like the verses for the representatives of the association:
He will be like a tree planted by streams, which bears fruit in its season and its leaves do not wither. Everything he does goes well. (Psalm 1:3)
Share God’s love with more people
The number of single-parent families in Taiwan is gradually increasing. According to the survey, the highest reached 3.2% in 2007. Although the number has decreased in recent years, this may be due to single parents moving in with their parents, or being divorced/widowed without children.1 In view of this, Dr. Jiang Haiqiong founded the Xishuipang Care Single Parent Families Association in the United States in 2004. In 2007, he also established this organization in Taiwan to serve single parents under the name "Xishuibang".
The themes of the single-parent growth camp beside the stream over the years have revolved around "love", "freedom" and "hope". The speakers include Guo Yuanpei and Liu Yongling, long-term colleagues of the Christian Association of God's Kingdom Resources. We have also held many growth lectures, including photography, holistic health, travel, parent-child relationship, self-counseling, movie appreciation... in order to make single-parent families strong physically and mentally, so they can live a rich and wonderful life.
In addition to serving single-parent families, Xishuibian also goes into the community and jointly organizes activities with district chiefs and care centers, including: spreading love to neighbors during the Mid-Autumn Festival; Carrefour Love Christmas party; sharing life stories; and hospitals presenting poems to express condolences to patients and their families. ;Co-organized visits to the Palace Museum with disadvantaged groups. These are all about sharing the love of Jesus Christ with more people.
Large-scale events are also hosted next to the stream. Since 2014, we have invited one-armed basketball player Kevin Atlas (Laue) to Taiwan for three consecutive years to hold a campus gospel motivational speech "Dreams Can Be Done" charity event. In the first year, we contacted more than 8,000 students and led more than 500 believers. The following year, the number of people we contacted reached more than 20,000.
Such public welfare activities have also entered different cities in Asia, Hong Kong and China. The reaction received from the participants was that they heard how Kevin, who grew up in a single-parent family, completely changed his life with the help of his mother and God, and was moved to accept the faith of Christ; there was also a middle-aged mother who expressed her gratitude after hearing the testimony. The child apologizes, and the parent-child relationship is healed and repaired.
The impact of the epidemic has put the single-parent families cared for by Xishuipian into financial difficulties. Thanks to the donations from many caring people, Xishuipian immediately launched a care plan, recruiting caring volunteer teachers, and brought them to the families with a phone call and a box of epidemic prevention supplies. The warmth and hope of single-parent families.
In 2023, co-workers are actively planning the Single Parent Family Happy Day in July. We hope that through carefully arranged outings and growth courses, parents and children can build a close relationship in a relaxed situation, grow in life, and experience the beauty of mutual support. Recover the passion and value of life.
Whether it is a small reading club in the association office, a large-scale gospel event held in the stadium, or even a two-day and one-night trip to the Marine Science Museum, Streamside only wants to share the love received from God with more people.
▲ The years of growth beside the stream are a process that many co-workers have put their efforts into. The picture shows (from second right) former chairman Jiang Fangzhiyi, current chairman Mu Minzhu, and association secretary-general Wang Sixia who accepted this interview.
Clear springs nourish life and bear fruit of hope
By 2023, the nearly 17 years of growth of Taiwan Streamside is a process that many co-workers have invested their efforts in extending. These include former and former chairman Jiang Fangzhiyi and Mu Minzhu who accepted this interview, as well as association secretary-general Wang Sixia. Either because they are widowed or divorced, they have experienced the ups and downs of being a single parent and can empathize with them. Because I have received help, I hope to be able to help more families after receiving the equipment.
Jiang Fangzhiyi grew up in a Christian family. In 1995, she was inspired by the Holy Spirit at Pastor Paul Shen’s sermon and committed herself to Christ again. Unexpectedly, her husband passed away due to illness in 1996, when her youngest son was only six years old. However, because of firm faith, everything in life depends on God.
Having served as the chairman of Taiwan Xishuipang for ten years, Chiang Fang Zhiyi used various platforms to introduce this ministry that brings people hope. After an interview on GoodTV's "True Love Blog" program, a young unmarried mother called the association to seek help. She was given companionship and support by the stream. She was originally engaged in nursing work. Because of her professionalism, she was recognized. With the encouragement of doctors and nurses, she worked hard to study and was admitted to the university's nursing department. Later, she met a caring partner, plucked up the courage to get married, and now has a beautiful family.
Mu Minzhu has been a public opinion representative for many years, but the difficulties she encountered in her marriage made her suffer from depression. Because of her faith, she learned to forgive, reconciled with her children, and her family experienced miraculous healing. She just took over the chairmanship of Xishuipang in March 2023. She hopes to have more connections with all parties so that single parents can receive the most appropriate resources and God’s abundant blessings.
During her many years of service in the association, Wang Sixia saw single parents one after another stepping into the stream sadly, but then walking out happily. She works together with her colleagues in the association to organize large and small activities, cares for single parents, and is dedicated to running the association's newsletter "Stream View" published quarterly. In eight pages, it reports on the latest news of the association and publishes the condensed content of the course, including civil, financial and other related legal consultations, as well as the blessings of pastors and the testimonies of single parents. The main colors of blue and green on the masthead set the tone for this exquisite print - a steady stream of fresh water, nourishing life; bearing the fruit of hope, full of the taste of the Lord's love.
By the stream, I saw that the need for single-parent families is really great, so in recent years, through 15 classes of the "Art of Caring Training Materials", friends who are interested in caring for single-parent families have been trained to become volunteers. Most of the participating lecturers were tutored and accompanied by the founder of Xishuipang, Dr. Jiang, and now serve as ministers to single-parent families. The association not only calls on single-parent friends to participate in the training, but also encourages two-parent families to participate, because children in single-parent families need to see the interaction between parents and parent-child in a two-parent family, which is helpful for character development and the establishment of interpersonal relationships.
During the course training, the lecturer encouraged the students that in addition to being humble, compassionate and empathic, a good caregiver needs to learn and practice continuously in order to effectively help the people being cared for. The best example to learn from is to Jesus is the teacher. I hope that these future caregivers can: "Be a listener, not a talker; be an acceptor, not a condemner; be a comforter, not a striker; be a confidentiality keeper, not an exaggeration." be a prayer, not a bystander."2
Fruits by the stream in Taiwan
mother apologizes to son
After hearing Kevin's life testimony, a middle-aged mother loudly announced to the audience at the stadium that she wanted to apologize to her son beside her. She is a single mother, and her relationship with her son has been very tense for a long time. He is in the rebellious period of youth. Mother and son often argue and cannot teach him well, which makes her sad and angry.
After listening to Kevin's story, I was moved by his mother and decided to learn from Kevin's mother and educate her son with love, patience, and obedience to God's truth, instead of being impulsive. She admitted that she never got to know her son well, didn't understand him, didn't respect him, and didn't accept him well. Kevin’s mother taught Kevin how to love and teach him according to God’s love, God’s words, and God’s ways. She was also willing to change her mentality.
So when she said "I'm sorry" to her son, his son and all the guests were moved to tears!
God who cares for orphans and widows
A single mother was invited to participate in the growth courses and subsequent fellowship activities of the Streamside Association and felt that she had a lot of room for learning and growth. Because of my personality, I don’t know how to express and share, so I often watch other people’s interactions quietly. From the course, I understood that I had lost my beloved little sister, mother, and husband in the past three years. That period was the most painful period in my life, so I closed myself off.
However, when she felt at a loss, God personally comforted her, wiped away her tears, and brought her to this warm home beside the stream. Everyone always cares for and prays for each other. Although we don’t understand why these things happen to us one after another, looking back on this period of time, all the needs in life are still protected, cared for and provided by God. Now she is willing to serve as a volunteer in a fellowship by the stream to respond to God’s love for her.
Turn mourning into dancing
A single mother who had been married to her ex-husband for 20 years cried to God: Why did I devote all my efforts to my family? Now, while I am successful in my career and raising my children, I received a cruel confession from my ex-husband: He had given up on marriage when his daughter was two years old. ?
She couldn't bear the blow for a while, and after 20 years of hard work, she ended up with the tragedy of divorce. She collapsed to the point of wanting to commit suicide and leave God. After the divorce, God prepared many angels to help her, so she mustered up the courage to call the stream for help and participate in the "Single Parents Are Not Lonely" online reading group. Through the company of association colleagues and sisters who are in the same situation as myself, I continue to experience restoration and healing in the course. She found that she had been chained in the valley of sorrow and tears for 20 years and had never loved herself properly. She realized God's healing and restoration, which allowed her to find herself again. She had the courage to learn new things again, and was unexpectedly able to serve many members in need.
Let there be love in your home and make it a complete home
Single parent care continues to be cultivated beside the stream, but there are still challenges.
First, the church needs to encourage and guide brothers and sisters who are single parents to seek or accept help, letting them know that there is no shame in accepting help. Accept help first, and then you can help other members who have the same experience and become a blessing to them.
When encountering difficulties, whether the church itself provides resources or professional organizations that provide referrals for medical or psychological counseling, they are good channels. If there are fellowships, groups, and growth courses for single parents in church life, single parents can effectively accept their new identities, build self-esteem, build self-confidence, and build a new life.
No matter how many of the believers sitting in the pews during Sunday worship need to support their own families, it is conceivable that outside the church door, there are still many single parents who have never known God’s saving grace and healing power. When the government and society begin to provide them with various services, are more followers of Christ willing to take the initiative to approach these sad people with the love of God?
The co-workers were not discouraged; they were willing to wait for God’s timing. Caring is an attitude towards life. I hope that the chief pastor can provide appropriate teachings and give believers the correct tools so that you and I can be sensitive to the needs of others and care for those in need.
Secondly, co-workers have been thinking about how to expand the scope of service to the whole Taiwan so that single parents in central and southern China can also benefit from the stream. The online "Single Parents Are Not Lonely" reading club allows many people to participate regardless of geographical restrictions. Interaction may not be as good as physical gatherings, but once the Holy Spirit moves, time and space cannot stop it.
A sister from the south had been separated from her husband for many years when she started attending. Being in marital disharmony for a long time not only drained one's mental strength, but also affected the mood of the child, and the daughter dropped out of school because of this. With her company by the stream, her physical and mental state is getting better and better; as her own condition improves, she has the power to encourage her children. Now both sons and daughters are excellent college students.
Volunteer training courses are currently limited to the Greater Taipei Area. Volunteers from other places who were interested in receiving equipment requested that the event be held online by the stream. However, this course is not only the transfer of knowledge, but also includes up to 60 real cases, group discussion exercises and interactive seminars. If students can only participate online, the effect will be limited.
The Association continues to explore the possibility of packaging and replicating courses. Perhaps we can train seed teachers, and then bring them to counties and cities, and work with churches and even communities to spread resources to places in need.
"The Association for Caring for Single-Parent Families by the Creek responds to God's call and takes care of single-parent families as its mission. The purpose is to bring love, healing and hope from God to single parents and their children, and to encourage them to build a complete family."
The mission statement on the website of the Taiwan Xishuipang Single Parent Families Association is the focus and goal of co-workers and volunteers’ services over the years. They firmly believe that with God’s love in their home, there is hope and a complete home.
And this love and hope from God needs to be shared with more people.
To learn more about and participate in Taiwan’s Streamside, please visit the website:https://bystreamsofwater.org/.
Note:
1. Taiwan single-parent family survey:https://cfrc.ntu.edu.tw/index.php?menu=Research Results&title=Single-parent Families in Taiwan.
2. Refer to the 46th issue of "Xiwang" Newsletter, published on December 25, 2022.