 Travelogue
Taiwan
Our
Hosts in Taiwan
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Connie and I were treated like a King and Queen on this trip to Taiwan. I can
not say how much we were blessed by the generosity, open hearts, and warmth and
caring we received from Robert and Sally Chang. Their staff, family and
professional colleagues were also more than generous in providing travel, tours,
meals, and moral and physical support in accomplishing our goals in
Taiwan.
 Not
only did their welcome sign and warm smiles greet us at the airport in Taipei,
but the Changs had fruit and flower welcoming us in our room at the Alumni
Center at Tunghai University in Taichung.
Robert and Sally Chang are both ordained Presbyterian
Ministers. They were trained in a Seminary in Kentucky. They are the directors
of the Family Wellness Center at Tunghai University in Taichung. They also are
the founders and co-directors of the National Council for Family Relations
Development in Taiwan. Both of these organizations were instrumental in
arranging for our training programs in Taiwan.
 Sally
Chang is the "go to" person. She is the driving force behind all
of the good works which she and Robert are doing for their people. She is the
organizer, scheduler, manager, and administrator of the day to day operations.
She keeps things going efficiently at all times. She was the spark plug to keep
all of our energy going during those work-filled two weeks.
Robert and Sally were pastors of a church in a town north of Taichung
for nine years and then about 12 years ago were encouraged to join the Tunghai
University staff and to manage the Family Wellness Center. Their goal is to
assist organizations and couples to enrich the marriages of Taiwan.
Robert
Chang is the translator of all of the Tools for Coping Books, despite the
fact that he is legally blind. He needs a magnifying glass in order to
read. He is a real example of courage and strength despite adversity. It
has not
been an easy life and yet he maintains a great peace and sense of humor
 Left:
The welcome dinner was a feast. It was sponsored by the
Board of Directors of the National Council for Family Relations Development
which is headed by Sally and Robert.
The Changs have two sons: Simon (age 25) who is soon to go to graduate school
at Shiller International University in Dunedin, Florida and Ernie (age 17) who
is a junior in high school. Currently they not only have Sally's mother living
with then while she gets kidney dialysis at the hospital in Taichung but they
also have Sally's niece Eva Chen (age 22), who is a newly graduated nurse and
who is helping Sally care for her grandmother..
Connie gets into the family photo with Robert and Sally
sitting and Eva and Ernie standing.
Ernie Chang is a computer whiz and he plans on making the
computer field his profession. He lived with his parents in the states for a
year, when in middle school. He got along well in the schools there. He writes and speaks
English very well. He also has a great sense of humor. He reminded us a lot of
our son Steven.
Right:  Ernie Chang a computer force in his family. He has a great
sweet and loving spirit about him which will serve him well as an adult.
Left: Eva Chen is a young nurse who is filled with optimism and a
willingness to pitch in and help. She assist her grandmother who is getting
dialysis and living in the Chang's household with them.
 Right:
The Changs inspire loyalty from their staff. While in
Taipei they had a small reunion with two of their former staffers who have gone
on to successful careers in social services.
 Left:
Sharon
handled all of the book sales and other logistic on our two week travels around
Taiwan. She is planning on beginning her graduate degree in Social Work next
year. Sharon lives on the 18th floor of an apartment building in Taichung
and told us how she was thrown out of bed by 921 earthquake. She used the music
from "God with Us" to sooth herself that next few weeks so as to
overcome the fear and panic that such an experience co uld result in.
Right: LeLing is married and has a young child. She was in charge of all of the
registrations and workshop logistics. She has a great sense of
humor. She has been with the Changs at Tunghai, the longest and is
extremely faithful and loyal in all that she does for their organization.
The work of being "Prophets in their own Land" has not always been
an easy one for the Changs. They must be creative in ways to make their budgets
and to sustain the help that they currently have. They at one time had had more
staff but due to budgetary constraints have had to cut back. It is hard
for us to understand how such needed work can be so poorly supported by the
"powers to be." However, one only has to think of the Chang's role
model-Christ and realize that they are truly carrying on His work in their
country.
 At the end of our last workshop in Kaohsiung
we were given
a fond farewell by the staff of the Christian Family Counseling Center which had
hosted our workshop in their city.
Robert and Sally Chang can be reached by email at either:
rtzchg@mail.thu.edu.tw
or at center00@ms18.hinet.net
or at work Phone: 011.8864.359.6050 or work FAX: 011.8864.359.2551.
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