June 9 - weekend in ChiaYi

Off we go on a bus to ChiaYi (and we didn't pay extra for this class bus ticket! Wow)!

The 4 people in the foreground, Elaine & I went from their church to ChiaYi this weekend.

This was a visioning trip for Elaine's church to learn more about the spiritual needs of the Taiwanese working class. When we arrived, we were taken to a place for lunch, dropped off our stuff at the church office where we would be staying for the weekend, then to the church to hear about how the working class people live & worship. Then we made it practical and visited the large Matzu temple just outside of ChiaYi. The OMF missionary who who was hosting us has lived here for about 10 years. He is very knowledgeable about the history and the people (and he speaks fluent Chinese, even though he's originally from England).
Here is one of the visiting gods being unloaded from a truck. Then there was a whole ceremony bringing the god down the long street toward the Matzu temple. This is how a 'smaller god' would approach the main 'bigger god' of the temple. There was lots of noise & pomp & circumstance.
"For the customs of the peoples are delusion; because it is wood cut from the forest, the work of the hands of a craftsman with a cutting tool. They decorate it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers so that it will not totter. Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field are they, and they cannot speak; they must be carried, because they cannot walk! Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, nor can they do any good." Jeremiah 10:3-5
Getting the firecrackers ready to 'announce' the arrival of the visiting god.
Perhaps he's sharing his experience as a bearer of the god with a friend on his cell phone?!?

They temple money that the people buy ...
... to burn to the gods.
The experience was very intriguing, but sad to see these people asking gods made of wood or stone for answers to life questions and burning incense & money as offerings to them.

Discussing our experience and praying for the Taiwanese working class ...
Enjoying dinner (hotpot & BBQ'ed lamb) at the night market with David Eastwood, the OMF missionary.
Squid-on-a-stick (left) and other delicacies, also on a stick ...
The park across the road from the church office. We had a time of sharing & singing under a gazebo here.