Walking on the tribal country roads

Visiting the Taoyuan Tribe in Yanping Township, Taitung

Interview/Oh Shin Hye

Photo courtesy/Pan Huating, Wu Xinhui

The train stops at Luye Township, Taitung, a small but cute train station located in eastern Taiwan. This time, the reporter and KRC art course teacher Zhou Lanhui, under the arrangement of Pan Huating, chairman of the "Taiwan Rural Disadvantaged Local Care, Development and Mutual Aid Cooperation Association", went to a tribal teaching visit in Taitung. The destination was adjacent to the southern part of Luye Township. The next destination is Yanping Township.

Experience the pastoral spirit of loving your neighbor

The young teacher Shuang Shuang drove a car to pick us up. Both of them took control of the steering wheel skillfully and headed towards Yanping Township. As she drove, she introduced the street scenes she passed by. This Bunun tribal village with the majestic mountain peaks in the background is also the hometown of the Red Leaf Little League team that brought Taiwan into the world sports world.

We parked in an open work shed, which is the "Bulagu Enterprise Cooperative" (hereinafter referred to as Bulagu, Bulagu is a tribal village) co-founded by Feng Xiu-shuang (Shuangshuang) and his husband, Pastor Wen Yuantian, in Taoyuan Tribal Village, Yanping Township. the meaning of,https://www.bulakuselect.com) workplace. It was lunch time, and both of them had asked their co-workers to prepare a table of dishes; fresh and tender chicken, fragrant and sweet pumpkin, green and nutritious stir-fried seasonal vegetables, etc. All the ingredients are fresh crops picked locally, the elegant presentation, the clean environment, the color, fragrance and flavor are amazing.

After a hearty meal, sit at a low table with the staff and experience peeling bitter tea seeds. The table full of bitter tea seeds are all sorted and peeled by hand. It is quite therapeutic for tourists to experience it easily like us, just like squeezing bubble wrap, and they can't stop. But looking at the whole bag of tea seeds waiting to be peeled, and thinking about how to complete such a large amount, I immediately realized the hard work of the staff.

Wen Yuantian and Shuangshuang are both graduates of Taipei Lingliang Church Theological Seminary, and they met on campus. Pastor Wen grew up in a tribe in Yanping Township. Both of them are Pingtung people, but they have longed for tribes since childhood. After graduating from the seminary, the two returned to Yanping Township. Pastor Wen was grateful for the companionship and cultivation of the pastor at that time, and continued to study theology after graduating from college. He is very grateful to a pastor named Wu in North America for his dedicated support, which enabled him to receive pastoral equipment without any worries, and he was even able to share with others his "sufficient" education life.

After completing my studies, I returned to my hometown, hoping to serve in the tribe and give back to the tribal community. Although he is a pastor and does not have a pastoral church, he is developing crop production and marketing in a remote village, and he is also running for township representative. Yuan Tian is not a traditional pastor, or even a pastor who "does not do his job properly" in the traditional view? !

Opening the official website of Yanping Township in Taitung, Representative Wen Yuantian has a list of political opinions. In addition to matters related to budget and economic development, they also include "deeply cultivating the tribes and listening to the voices of the tribesmen"; "making Yanping a characteristic village with plums, pineapples, and bitter tea" , combined with explanations and catering, to activate the tribal economy"; "Provide youth entrepreneurship and loan information, so that returning home is no longer a dream for young people"; "Provide tribal parent-child discussions, the future of the tribe starts at home."

Aren’t these values of listening, developing, assisting, and building families aligned with the core values of Christians, derived from “love of neighbor” in faith?

Irrigating the seeds and hoping for a good harvest

Yanping Township is located in a beautiful paradise surrounded by mountains and rivers. It once attracted attention because of the Hongye Little League team. Unfortunately, the employment rate is low, and young people can only go out to look for job opportunities. Nowadays, it is difficult to get excited when talking about Taoyuan Tribal Village in Yanping Township.

After returning to Yanping Township, Yuan Tian and Shuang Shuang made various experiences and changes. They started by caring for and accompanying tribal children. The two focused on tutoring, character education, and faith growth to give children a place to go after class, so they established the "Christian Seed House Holistic Care Association" (hereinafter referred to as "Seed House").https://www.facebook.com/seedfamilytaitung).

Pastor Wen explained that it is impossible to tell how a seed sown in the soil will grow, but as long as it is irrigated carefully, the seed will eventually bear beautiful fruits. They hope that the children who come to the "Seed House" will blossom and bear fruit and become a blessing to others.

Also because of the service of "Seed House", they discovered that behind tutoring and accompanying children, there was a huge hidden concern - the children's family problems. There are few employment opportunities in the tribe, and some parents are idle or greedy for alcohol. It is common for couples to quarrel and get drunk. Shuangshuang discovered that some children had to take care of their drunken family members after returning home from get out of class, or were worried about something happening at home. At such a young age, they already shouldered more burdens than children of the same age.

Living in this tribe with beautiful scenery and natural resources, they are thinking about how to use the local crops gifted by God to help tribal parents have jobs and income. They first made handmade soaps and developed organic products such as plum vinegar, pineapple vinegar, and tea oil; this is the origin of the "Bulagu Enterprise Cooperative". With the purpose of "finding the power to live", the cooperative is committed to promoting healthy, non-toxic seasonal agricultural products produced and sold by tribal people. It hopes to increase local employment opportunities through friendly agriculture, develop the tribal economy, and provide children with something to eat. Gu, the elders have someone to accompany them.

Tearful encouragement and blessings

Easier said than done. In the 12 years since the establishment of "Seed House", Yuan Tian and Shuangshuang have experienced various difficulties. Sometimes they cry, sometimes they laugh, and sometimes they feel that the road is long and there seems to be no end in sight.

Both of them first came to the tribe to serve children, and they felt that the "tricks" they had learned at Shilin Ling Liang Hall were of no use in the tribe. Children in the mountains are different from children in the city. She needs to adapt to the pace of the tribe and the differences between urban and rural areas through learning. Over the years, I have tutored many children in the "Seed House", and I have both joy and regret in my heart. Seeing her children’s faith grow and their homework progress fills her with joy and encouragement. However, as children enter adolescence and graduate from high school, they change and choose to drink heavily. At this point, both couldn't help but choke up.

The young man said on the phone that he had a headache and could not come to work. Shuangshuang said to him, "Even if you are hungover, you still have to come to work." Shuangshuang, who was a mother at heart, wanted to say to him: "Son, you must not be too young. It’s just cirrhosis of the liver!” The advice and care for young people need to be handled appropriately, and we don’t want discipline to turn into condemnation. How to give love that can change people's hearts is a subject of training and experience accumulation. Thinking of young people who are like prodigal sons enables us to better understand the heart of our Heavenly Father, and is also a practical manifestation of "we love because God first loved us."

Yuan Tian mentioned that when "Seed House" started, they were like a two-person band that took over the entire venue and needed the help of volunteers. They prayed to God. Unexpectedly, one day when they went to Taitung University, someone came to ask them if they needed volunteers for the tutoring class. In this way, he used a dilapidated classic car to transport college students to work as a tutor every week. Later, someone donated a nine-seater multi-purpose vehicle so that he could fully load it and come to the tribe to serve the children in the remedial class.

Accompanying tribal children is like an indefinite service, and you can't see the results immediately. You even have the thought of "should you continue to do it?" But God reminds them "I am with you" through every little thing in life. With such encouragement and assurance, they continue to move forward.

Experience Taoyuan-style leisure

In the afternoon, I took a walk in the village and admired the tribal decorations of each house and courtyard. Teacher Lan Hui especially liked the open and free colors and simple and creative designs; the colorful paintings on the wall of the small post office and the resting pavilion next to the school playground were different. shaped wooden chair. The only gas station/ganzi shop in the village still uses iron barrels left over from the US military, and the barrels are lined up on the shelves. The person in charge of the store treated us to popsicles that are only available locally, which brought a refreshing and warm human touch in the slightly hot afternoon.

The host of the B&B where he lives is a tribal artist. She is good at weaving cloth, and the colors are full of the joy and vitality of the indigenous people. On the long table at the door, we experienced the "fun" of weaving. To describe it as "fun", 5 is not enough to express the concentration and care required for weaving. The teacher taught patiently and carefully, but we were still confused about the order of steps and couldn't grasp what we were doing.

Holding the small strips of woven cloth, it was really hard-earned. When I saw the large pieces of handmade fabrics with various texture designs sold in the store, I realized that the fun behind it is constant practice, focus on creation, and admirable perseverance.

Teacher Lan Hui has a new understanding of inter-bank creations - I will buy them next time! What I learned from this experience is that behind every beautiful work, there is serious sweat.

In this village where "everyone knows everyone", no matter where we go, people will know that we are outsiders. The small village has a casual welcoming atmosphere, which is very suitable for a "slow life" travel experience. And this is also the cultural light travel that Taoyuan Tribe wants to promote.

Tell stories in a painter’s style

Teacher Lan Hui introduces world-renowned artists to primary school students and appreciates their works. She specially selected a number of painters whose works have a childlike interest, or whose works seem to be illogical, so that children can understand that creativity has no tradition or framework; even creations that seem "weird" can be created and appreciated author’s dialogue.

The children's creativity is boundless. They sit or lie on the ground, pick up a pen and draw, depicting various lines and states, and some even give them themes. Everyone lined up to share the story and mood in the painting with Teacher Lan Hui. At the end of the art introduction course, Teacher Lanhui asked the students to share their thoughts on the class; "I feel that painting is very free", "Painting can express my mood", "Appreciating art is very joyful", "Creation also requires using your brain"..., Everyone rushed to raise their hands to share their experiences.

Give children a chance to appreciate world-class artistic creations without going to a big city. Not all students have the opportunity to go to the museum to appreciate the original works, but I hope that one day in the future, they will recall that one afternoon they once stood on the shoulders of giants and looked at the pleasing works of art, which will arouse their love and admiration for beauty. Thumbs up.

May God bless this place

Under Wenyuantian and Shuangshuang's efforts to irrigate the tribal garden, the seeds are growing. This field may have been a barren field in the past, but they worked hard to sow the seeds and cultivate them, step by step, leaving the harvest in God's hands. Asked about their experience and challenges as gardeners, Pastor Wen thought for a moment and said: "Compared to ten years ago, the more we serve, the closer we get to each other and the more we adjust to the middle. What a challenge! I may be the biggest challenge for both of us. . As long as we are of the same mind, we can keep going. I feel that if Shuang and I can do it, many people can do it as well. "

The small Taoyuan tribe seems to lack resources in a remote rural area, and this is indeed the case. However, the serious people they meet try to use what they have and try their best to develop a simple and healthy place for local children to grow. For example, a primary school Mandarin teacher excitedly shared the students' compositions. From the text, she read the teacher's enlightenment and guidance without regrets, her heart as a teacher and a mother, and she witnessed God's love and selflessness in her life.

There is also the library director, who has spent time and effort building a comfortable reading space for children in a clean, bright, and well-organized library, and designed various games to encourage and attract reading. "Urban country people" like us who came from the bustling city realize how precious such a peaceful and rich mind and space is. We pray together for the director and the library, asking God to bless and care for it.

Walking on the tribal country roads, what you see in your eyes and in your heart are the bright colors and the vibrant life. I hope God will use this beautiful place to bless the people and things here like rain.

Editor's note:Welcome readers to the website of "Bula Valley Enterprise Cooperative"https://www.bulakuselect.com, to learn more about the cooperative’s operations and products. Please visit the website of "Taiwan Rural Disadvantaged Local Care, Development, Mutual Aid and Cooperation Association"https://www.taiwanloaf.org, watch the introductory video of Taitung Seed House.