Mom & Dad took the family out to the Szechuan Restaurant. When I was just an infant myDad was trained by Wycliff in language study before being sent with Mom and I to Taiwan to create a written language for the mountain people. The Atayal or mountain people had been headhunters up until WWII when they were largely converted by a frail and elderly Chinese woman who had to be carried up into the mountains. The Atayal religion taught that when a man dies he climbs up the rainbow and must show God that he has blood on his hands in order to enter heaven. So each man would hunt heads with their long hunting knives. There are old national geographic photos that show stacks of skulls in tiny huts. The old woman explained to them that blood had already been shed with the atonement of Christ. The mountain people became Christian almost overnight and head hunting ceased. But they had no written language and so no Bible.
'
There is a tale of Dutch missionaries who first came to Taiwan (formerly known as Formosa). The story includes the missionary's beautiful daughter and a ruthless Chinese warlord but that is another story .... okay ... I'll get Dad to write it down for us. Above he speaks Chinese for his grand kids.
My sister Melissa, who was born in Taiwan, was there with her husband Bryce Craig, and children, Charles, Cherith, Julia & Sam.
Dave & I were also there with Jon and Gabs. Caelen & Samantha were Christmas visiting with the Walsh Family.
0 comments:
Post a Comment