Overview
of projects in Asia Pacific
Members of the Family International have served in several countries of the Asia Pacific region. Through their charitable endeavors in the culturally diverse Asia Pacific region, members have endeavored to reach out to those in need, spread the message of God’s salvation and hope, and show God’s love in practical ways through projects that are specifically geared towards those in the country and area where they minister.
Projects in the region have included humanitarian relief, Bible studies, youth programs, counseling in detention centers, hosting seminars on a variety of topics, and supporting the needy and disadvantaged. We believe that even the smallest acts of kindness can have far-reaching effects.
Our mission is to manifest God’s love, not only through organized projects and activities, but in our everyday interactions and lives.
Project Highlights
Prison ministry
| Since 1996 the Family International has ministered to those in prison, offering support and counsel, as well as arranging visits for those who have no visitors. We participate in family days and special events and assist the prison chaplains by providing music and Christian counseling for inmates on a weekly basis. Family members have also assisted the chaplaincy in Kariong Juvenile Justice Centre on the Central Coast, as well as providing basketball training and bringing in young people from the community to interact with the boys.
Cyclone Larry (2006) relief
| Family volunteers working with Change the World responded to the devastation caused by Cyclone Larry by sending a team of volunteers to Innisfail, Queensland. They helped with the clean-up operations, as well as networking with the Australian Red Cross and the Adventist Development and Relief Agency, distributing aid, and counseling and encouraging those affected by the cyclone and its aftermath.
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Assistance in national disaster-relief efforts
| Family volunteers often assist in relief efforts in the event of earthquakes, typhoons, and other natural disasters. In addition to distributing physical aid, members provide assistance by offering spiritual support and encouragement through counseling, as well as organizing programs and activities for the children affected. Some of the major relief efforts that the Family contributed to were those following the Great Hanshin (Kobe) Earthquake in 1995 and the Mid Niigata Prefecture Earthquake in October 2004.
Assisting the homeless
| Some Family centers in Japan distribute food and daily necessities, donated by business organizations and individuals, to the homeless in parks and station grounds. Besides the distribution of goods, members regularly prepare food and make personal visits to the sick, and offer counseling and motivational courses to encourage individuals to become self-sufficient.
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Ministering at a pediatric cancer ward—Philippines
| For the past 10 years members of the Family International have been visiting the pediatric cancer ward of Manila's Philippine General Hospital to assist and bring hope and comfort to children suffering from terminal cancer. The majority of these children come from poor families, some having traveled with their parent from distant islands or provincial villages in order to seek medical assistance.
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Taipei and Taichung Youth Work
| Our volunteers are active in youth outreach––counseling Taiwanese youth and promoting positive and caring ideals. We regularly meet and counsel young people, helping them to face the challenges of modern society. We have set up youth programs in both Taipei City (the "English Corner") and in Taichung City, where our new youth club is named “DoZoClub.” Young people who have participated in the program have undergone noticeable improvement in their quality of life. They, in turn, are encouraged to reach out to society through constructive and helpful projects and attitudes.
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Activities at Juvenile Delinquent Centers and Detention Centers
| Since 1994, volunteers in Taiwan have participated in rehabilitation efforts for troubled youth in detention centers and prisons in Taipei City, Taichung City, Hsinchu City, and Yuanlin County. Family International volunteers offer Bible-based counseling to troubled youth, as well as English classes featuring motivational Christian material, and host organized benefit performances throughout the year. We have received recognition for our work from the Taipei Juvenile Detention Center, Taiwan After-Care Association, Shin Ju Reform High School, as well as Family Care Association Taichung.
Mountainous areas projects
| In cooperation with our local government, members transport large amounts of donated goods on an ongoing basis to villages in T’aichung County, including clothing, food, and computers. Earthquakes and landslides had previously destroyed the roads leading to these villages, isolating them from the rest of Taiwan, and this project has helped to bring hope to these people.