People Group
Taiwanese (Hoklo), Hakka, children and youth, foreign workers
Major Religions
Ethnic religions, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, Ancestor worship
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As we look around the small island nation of Taiwan, our focus is drawn to the needs of three groups: the Hakka, university students, and diaspora people from around Asia.
The Hakka are a people group who originally migrated from China to Taiwan in the 1600s, and at 4.6 million people, they comprise nearly 20% of Taiwan’s population. Currently, only a handful of missionaries are working among them and we want to take the opportunity to reach the Hakka community with the message of Jesus through hospitality, English activities, Bible studies and storytelling, and supporting the very small number of Hakka Christians as they reach out to their community. Investing in this minority group and the local Hakka believers is a powerful display of Christ’s love for them.
Taiwan’s university students highly value opportunities to connect with native English speakers. This provides an open door for ministry which includes meeting needs through English activities, building friendships, sharing the gospel, and mentoring young believers. During these pivotal years, students are willing to question the world’s expectations for them. We get to be a voice that speaks love, hope, and purpose into their lives.
SEND’s Diaspora ministry serves diverse communities of Vietnamese, Thai, and Indonesians living in Taiwan. They often come in search of work and a way to support their families at home, but sometimes find themselves in difficult situations. SEND’s desire is to reach out to these communities by offering friendship, sharing the gospel, planting churches, encouraging Christians, and caring for those who find themselves in prison. We have the opportunity to bring the love of Jesus to people who are longing for home and searching for hope.
Whether you are called to serve among the Hakka, university students, or the diaspora, Taiwan is a place where your light can shine. God can use your talents and skills, and even your weaknesses, to draw people to Himself.
In Taiwan, Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and ancestor worship are an integral part of the culture—many people adhere to a mix of them all. Idols are paraded through the streets with a loud procession. Outside the front door of homes and businesses, paper money is burned and offerings are displayed to ward off evil spirits. Ancestors are venerated as a way of caring for them in the afterlife and seeking their favor in the present. When someone is deceased, shoes are placed on their expired body in hopes of protecting their feet from the fires of hell.
Some people perform religious rituals as a way to cover their backs because they are imprisoned by fear. To others, these acts are simply tradition and they acquiesce in order to appease their families. Still, others reject the cultural demands in favor of agnosticism.
Over all of this spirituality, there exists a layer of materialism. The pursuit of wealth and education is a driving force in society, but expectations placed on the individual are difficult to bear. Students spend long hours in school trying to live up to their family’s standards. Adults are often slaves to their employers, working tirelessly while earning very little. Eventually, this fury leads to burnout and disillusionment. When neither possessions nor performance produces peace, some will begin to seek the Lord.
To thrive in Taiwan, you will need: