March Out out of the wall
See your own responsibility in the needs of others: Interview with Wu Huimei, Chairman of Ma Chao Care Association
Interview/Photo courtesy of Timothy/Machao Care Association
Preface
Taoyuan Ma Chao Care Association, located in Zhongli City, Taiwan, is a community care ministry established by the Kingdom Leader Holy Church. The vision of Su Xinxing, the founding pastor and senior pastor of Kingdom Leader Holy Church, is "from small to large." Therefore, with the mobilization efforts of all church brothers and sisters, Ma Chao Care Association grew and thrived bit by bit, helping many poor junior high school students and disadvantaged families in Taoyuan and Zhongli areas.
This time, under the recommendation of the editor of "Kingdom of God" magazine, the reporter was honored to visit the Ma Chao Care Association in person, and also met Pastor Su and the current chairman Wu Huimei (hereinafter referred to as Wu), and learned more about their vision and burden. , efforts and results. The following is the interview content:
▲Co-workers of the Ma Chao Association, the third from the left is Pastor Su Xinxing of the Holy Church, the leader of the country, and the fourth from the left is Chairman Wu Huimei of the Ma Chao Care Association.
Could you please introduce the origin of Ma Chao Care Ministry, such as when it started? What is the main purpose of caring for the disadvantaged?
Wu:The ministry of Taoyuan City Ma Chao Care Association, a corporate body, started in the winter of early 2007. At that time, the association had not yet been established, and it was just the ministry of the Holy Church, the leader of the country. At that time, many young volunteers went to the nearby Xin Ming Elementary School to help children from disadvantaged families in the school.
The guidance director of an elementary school is worried that during the winter vacation, the children will have no one to take care of them because their teachers are on vacation. The guidance director knew that the church had many college student volunteers, so he asked Pastor Su Xinxing for help. Therefore, during the winter vacation of 2007, we took up this task and held a camp.
Unexpectedly, the camp had a huge impact on us! These two dozen children come from disadvantaged families. When they came to the church on the first day, some of them clung to their older brothers and sisters. These university volunteers felt a little annoyed at first, but later they realized that some of the children had never been held in a hug! As a result, the volunteers showed compassion and frequently asked how they could help the children. They also wanted to know about each child's family situation. At that time, there was a little girl in fifth grade whose birthday happened to be on the last day of the camp, so we helped her design a simple birthday party. Unexpectedly, she was so moved that she cried because she had never celebrated a birthday before.
Too many, too many firsts made us realize that there are so many disadvantaged children and families in need of care, and it also made us "see our own responsibilities in the needs of others." Kingdom Leader Holy Church has existed in Taoyuan and Zhongli areas for nearly 60 years. What can it do for this community? What responsibilities are required? This is the origin of Ma Chao Care Association.
Ma Chao Care Ministries is an association established by a corporate body. Why did you want to establish a corporate body in the first place? What are the advantages of establishing a corporate body?
Wu:Pastor Su Xinxing believes that the church should step out of its walls and not be too introverted. It should connect with nearby schools and small and medium-sized enterprises to become a platform to attract more people to invest and participate together. Because of this belief, the Taoyuan City Ma Chao Care Association was established. Based on our belief in "Kingdom" and "Leadership", we naturally connect with schools, public departments, and enterprises. Invisibly, establishing an association can have greater influence! And through the connection, the public can have different views on the church. This is an excellent way to connect the church with society.
Children's needs can easily touch people's hearts. Through the association's charity work, we have been able to establish good relationships with many non-Christians and gain resonance. Therefore, through the unconditional charity ministry performed by the Lord Jesus, we establish relationships with non-Christians through the process of serving as volunteers, and then preach the gospel to these volunteers; and the needy students and disadvantaged students who receive the supply Families, wait and see when the time is right, and then preach the gospel to them. This is the purpose and strategy of establishing the association.
▲Christmas Charity Carnival, the association connected with local companies and donated winter clothes to students in need. (Picture taken from the website of Ma Chao Care Association)
What groups are served? Why are you particularly burdened to help them?
Wu:We often think about what kind of charity work is easier to carry out? Thinking of breakfast, I also treat Xinming Elementary School as a partner to provide breakfast for disadvantaged children. However, after providing it for a while, we found that primary school students did not seem to have that urgent need for breakfast, so we wanted to provide breakfast ministry to nearby junior high school students.
Indeed, after contacting us, we found that breakfast for students in Qinghan Junior High School is indeed easily overlooked. This is something we can do, and it is easy for the public to participate. It has been providing breakfast to junior high school students in Qinghan since 2013. Currently, a total of 450 students from 32 junior high schools receive meals regularly.
In addition, we also provide food packages to disadvantaged families. We cooperate with the China Christian Aid Association, and the aid association provides more than 20 food package places. But seeing that there was a real need in this area, we also independently cared for 42 families. Including the quota of the relief association, a total of 65 vulnerable families are cared for and supplies are sent to them every two months.
We organize camps for elementary school children from disadvantaged families during the winter and summer vacations by young volunteers to help these children have a fulfilling and meaningful winter and summer vacation.
▲To raise funds for nutritious breakfast for children in cold weather, Ma Chao Association invites businesses, schools and community members to participate in the annual parent-child charity garden party.
In the process of engaging in Ma Chao Care ministry, what are some unforgettable and touching scenes or events for you?
Wu:The ministry of providing breakfast is not that we personally make breakfast, but that a school is paired with a breakfast shop, and the breakfast shop serves the students. In fact, the breakfast shop owners are very caring and will add more food to the breakfast provided to satisfy the students. Some bosses also feel that they cannot let their children eat the same breakfast every day, so they will spend more time preparing their children's breakfast than ordinary customers. Many children who dropped out of school came back to school because of the breakfast provided, which moved us very much!
In addition, the winter of 2016 was very cold. Pastor Su Xinxing was moved to give a down jacket to Qinghan junior high school students in Taoyuan City. The total cost was more than NT$2 million. This fee was included in the routine meals, The additional expenditure on caring for vulnerable families is a challenge for us! Later, we contacted a local company in Taoyuan, the online clothing brand Lativ. God made a way for us. They were willing to provide down jackets at cost price. The pastor was moved to hold a press conference to invite the public to participate in the grand event.
So, we went to the Taipei area to consult some advertising and public relations companies, but the advice they gave us was not to hold it and save the money to buy down jackets. However, Pastor Su felt that he could organize it himself, including the host, lighting and sound, stage, and backboard, which saved a lot of money, but he needed to find a topic for the press conference. So, we contacted the Lamigo Peach Monkeys team of the Chinese Professional Baseball League at that time. Thank God, they are willing to send two baseball stars to support, and Taoyuan Mayor Mr. Zheng Wencan is also willing to come and participate! With the Lord’s leading and paving the way, and the concerted efforts of everyone, many local and national media came to the press conference on the day of the press conference. Even the staff of the Taoyuan City Government felt God’s influence through us. After the press conference, more than two million yuan in donations were received in less than a week. Thank God for His provision!
▲The association invites baseball team players to participate in the down jacket donation event to encourage young students.
Could you please talk about why you feel burdened to serve as a ministry leader?
Wu:The founding chairman is Pastor Su Xinxing. His vision is that the church should exert influence and go out, so that the public sector and all walks of life can participate in the church's ministry, so we started working hard. He believed that the ministry of Ma Chao Care Association should start from small to large. As long as we are determined, we can keep thinking about how to make breakthroughs, and so slowly, we have achieved the results we have today.
Pastor Su actually started it, and once the association is on track, we will continue to pass it on. In fact, Ma Chao Care Association is the fruit of the joint efforts of everyone in the church. Now three administrative staff are handling some daily affairs, such as finance, fund-raising, etc.; there are also many student leaders and social youth leaders participating together. It can be said that the entire Kingdom Leader Holy Church is mobilized, and brothers and sisters are involved together. As a responsible co-worker, I mainly carry out some integration and distribution work, or sometimes contact with public departments.
▲The winter and summer vacation activities provided by Ma Chao Care Association allow community primary school students and church youth to establish a friendly relationship as big brothers and big sisters.
If there are other church leaders or brothers and sisters who also want to engage in ministry of caring for the disadvantaged in the local community, what advice can you give them based on your experience?
Wu:We must be mentally prepared for a long-term war of resistance, instead of just doing it when we are moved, and not doing it when we encounter difficulties. In fact, you really have to start from small to large, do it bit by bit, and you will gradually get results. For example, our connections with the Taoyuan City Government and small and medium-sized enterprises are slowly being established. We need to "learn by doing". Through the process of implementation, we will develop sensitivity to some matters and understand how to contact and build relationships with all walks of life.
Additionally, ministry needs to be localized. Because ministry takes time, if it can be cultivated on the ground, the nearby community will invisibly know about this ministry.
The last thing is selfless giving. As long as we follow Jesus' example of helping others on earth, in the long run, nearby residents will know that we are sincerely engaged in charity work. Although there will be times when we cannot see results and become discouraged, if we continue to work hard, God will miraculously open doors for us and break through bottlenecks.
Timothy, now works as a translator, once served as editor of a missionary magazine, and has interviewed many missionaries. I hope that through the report, more brothers and sisters in Christ will care about the needs of missionaries.