When Junior Charmaine Ng walked onto the stage, the lights focused on her and the audience clapped as loudly as they could.
Over the summer, Ng served schools in Taichung and Taipei, Taiwan from July 13-29. During her trip, Ng and her choir group taught English to the nearby schoolchildren and shared lessons with them about Christianity.
“For most students, it was the first time they had any exposure to Christianity,” Ng said. “If they were interested, we would help them pursue it.”
Due to her intensive schedule, Ng did not have time to do other activities such as shopping, eating out or sightseeing. She had to move from school to school, not having time for rest.
“Every activity, no matter how tiring, really brought the mission team closer,” Ng said. “I’m really grateful for everything God has done.”
The First Evangelical Church of Arcadia has multiple programs for people of all ages. Ng’s church group, Vision, uses these mission trips as a way for youth to exercise their faith.
“The mission trip has showed me that there is so much that happens beyond what I can see,” Ng said. “It also showed me that God has a plan greater than what any of us can imagine. It has definitely taught me to be more grateful for what I have.”
Freshman Tania Ng also went with her sister to Taiwan, where they made several lifelong memories.
“It was my first time that Charmaine and I were alone in a different country than the rest of our family, so we really had to rely on each other for almost everything,” Ng said. “We’re used to living with each other at home, but it was still a new kind of feeling because we were just out there by ourselves.”
Aside from Ng, Senior Amanda Hsieh also participated in her church’s annual mission trip to Taichung, Taiwan from July 20.
“We act out Bible stories for the kids,” Hsieh said. “The bigger goal of this mission was to show the children God’s love and show them that church is a place where they can feel loved and welcomed.”
Hsieh also endured a rigorous schedule, leaving the airport to act as soon as she stepped off the plane.
She also did not have time to enjoy Taiwan’s tourist attractions during this time, as her schedule was compressed from a five day program into a fast paced, three day program.
“It was very tiring to keep up the energy throughout the entire day,” Hsieh said. “However, interacting with the kids was a really good way for me to recharge.”
After the program, Hsieh reflected on how her trip changed her views on her personal life.
She is grateful for having the chance to meet the children and teach them lessons from the Bible.
“We were supposed to impact the children’s lives on this mission trip,” Hsieh said. “However, the children there really impacted my life and taught me valuable lessons I won’t forget.”
TCHS School Newspaper