Week 1: Dec. 25 - Jan. 2

George Vasilyev
Jan 3
3 min read

Updated: Mar 3

Our first arrival in Taiwan:

We went from Taipei airport to New Taipei, Tamsui (a small town feel from the big city.) Our first day was Christmas together: a group of then-strangers, now missionaries, far from our homes, exchanging gifts and laughs. We spent these precious first days in picturesque and narrow streets, learning more about the local people and culture. I'm glad we did!

In addition to our culture shock, we went through an earthquake, and an apartment flood! Yet, this did not dampen our spirits (only our carpet) as we spent a lot of time getting our presentations ready and helping one another. As we spent time in the city, we "hit the ground running" with two salvations from our taxi drivers. It was touching hearing their life stories and praying the "salvation prayer" together through our interpreter.

My friend and fellow missionary, Adrian, posing in a university park in Tamsui.

Navigating through the town was overwhelming with 13 people, but we made it work by learning to split into small groups and read the street signs. We enjoyed such incredible food, with such a low cost of living. We were hosted by YWAM in Taipei and got ready to meet with TKC, Tamkung Church. This group would be our primary connection to minister to the rest of Taiwan.

Below are the beautiful streets of this rainy city, and a very cramped elevator!

Still, I felt like a fish out of water. Despite the nice experiences, I wondered what God was planning for our stay. Then, during our first Sunday service at TKC Tamsui, we were thanked by the local church members for coming to help their people. It was very emotional; feeling their hearts and catching a glimpse of what God was already working in our willingness to serve.

Below are pictures of our first Sunday together before moving on.

Our teamwork was tested when one of the staff at YWAM's Taipei base led us through some team building exercises. Initially, I was discouraged to see how poor communication affected our goals, but as the day passed we learned to meet challenges with greater compassion and insight. By the end of the day, God had transformed our approach to not just gain victory over trials, but ultimately in managing troubles we might face in carrying the banner of His glory!

The final moment of this week was taking a train to the Taipei 101. Amazingly enough, on the train we met Zoei, a YWAM expat and bible teacher, who'd schooled the very same people that had recommended me to YWAM in the first place. With over 2 million people in Taipei, this was not a coincidence! God's providence gave me goosebumps! We all did a prayer walk around the 89th floor, where the directions of the city are labeled: North, West, East, and South. It was such a serene and unbelievable experience. There were kids, teens, and adults of all ages and all races in the stillness of God's presence. No crying or loud noises - just peace. Having prayed over the entire city, we were not ready to head out for our first official mission: to help start the TKC branch in Taichung.