Typhoon Morakot

On August 8th, Typhoon Morakot came through Taiwan, causing flooding and damage to many parts of the island. The worst of it was on the eastside of the island.

I was in America when the typhoon hit, but several of my American co-workers were here in Taiwan. The following comes from a newsletter written by Ben and Amy Riley, and provides their perspective on the typhoon.



This month hundreds were stranded as the water poured down from above. The rivers rose over their banks, causing the water levels to creep over car hoods on the streets and up to the second floor in some homes.

The first reports claimed a thousand people were missing. The death toll began to rise. There seemed to be little hope for many people. At times like these, when the waters are rising, hope is hard to find. But God never abandons His people.

In a community about one kilometer away from where we live, massive flooding occurred. Water reached all the way up to the second floor of some buildings: homes. After the water receded, affected families began putting their water-logged first-floor belongings onto the streets to be thrown away. Men and women cleaned their plastic items salvaging anything that could be salvaged.

Our church went into this community to help. We had to either dig the mud out of people’s homes or push it out using squeegees (since it was very liquidy). There was so much mud, but in the mud was God’s grace.

Natural disasters all over the world are miserable, but God uses these situations to further His kingdom. The tsunami in Indonesia allowed Christians to enter a place previously hostile to the faith. Christians were able to help in China when an earthquake destroyed countless homes, schools and villages. I’m sure you have seen God using a bad time in your life to show His grace and mercy.

This situation in Taiwan was another chance to spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ through actions. As we worked, we were able to meet other Taiwanese Christians that had come from the far reaches of Taipei (far north of Taiwan) and Kao Hsiung (the far south of Taiwan) to help. People in mud-filled houses were seeing the love of God through the work of the Church. God opened doors that may not have been opened if the Typhoon had not come.

One boy we worked with was named Frank. He was not a Christian, but was there with a church group (he has family in the area). We entered a conversation and he said he really thinks the Christians are helpful. He said, “A lot of people I know just go out and party every weekend, but you are different. I can see that Christians really like to help people.” I was able to respond that we help others because we know what Christ did for us. The Holy Spirit is working on his heart. It never ceases to amaze me how hard God pursues His creation.