By: Sr. Adoracion de los Santos, DC

Sr. Adoracion de los Santos, a Daughter of Charity has been missioned in Taiwan for more than 12 years. Her first assignment was in a small Parish in Southern Taiwan. She did nit stay long in this parish because she was then preparing for her language studies. However short the time was, she still learned many good things from the simple people whom she worked with.

Mandarin
I studied Mandarin in the language school for eight months. In the start I found it very difficult to learn this language. The manner of writing the strokes and symbols is very complicated and confusing. But then, as time went by, I learned to get interested in it, especially that time when I started learning how to read and write Chinese characters.

Pescadores Island
After my language studies I was then missioned in a far away island called Penghu or Pescadores Island. The people in this island area are very simple. Buddhism is the pre- dominant religion. In every village you will find two or three big and sophisticated Buddhist Temples. The main source of livelihood is fishing. The people are very religious. Before they go out fishing they go to the temple to pray for a good catch and at the same time they burn paper money and light ling rolls of firecrackers as an offering. They believe that there is a powerful living God who is always ready to help them in many ways. So we try to explain to then in a very simple way that this living God is the same living God that we missionaries know and believe in. And that our presence among them speaks on behalf of this living and faithful God.

Mysterious Work
We do not have converts in terms of Baptisms, however, we do establish good relationships with the people through our weekly clinic home visits. We do believe that we begin to clear the ground for evangelization and that our Lord who is already present in the midst of these people will continue His mysterious work.

Eight Years
I worked fir eight years in this mission and in those eight years I have done different types of apostolate. I worked in the center for handicapped children as a part time staff therapist. I was asked by my superior to collaborate in the Parish Pastoral Outreach Program visiting the prisoners in the Provincial Jail every weekend. We then organized a catechetical program for theses poor prisoners.

Home for the Aged
After eight years in this mission I was sent back to the Philippines for study leave. After I finished my Social Worked Degree, I took the board exam. Thanks God I passed the exam. I then returned back to Taiwan and was assigned in the Home for the Aged in Northeastern Taiwan. I love this apostolate and I enjoy serving the old folks.

The Children
However after almost two years working with them, I was again assigned in Taipei City to serve the poor children in Lourdes Home, this is a child-caring institution designed to serve deprived children. Here we have orphans and children from broken families and a few children of “single parents”. I find this apostolate very difficult and challenging because most of these children have deep seared behavioral problems. I think it is good to be challenged once in a while so that I will not always feel comfortable with my own self, but trust in God’s help.

Precious Gift
This assignment with the children brings insights. The call to serve God in the countryside is the same as the call to serve God in the needy poor in the urban area. The wisdom of the old people and the naïve beliefs of the children plus the hopeful faced of the prisoners and the total trust of the handicapped children that I serve in the past twelve years all make a precious gift from God to me.