KUAN-YU STANLEY LIN

A young missionary, Jia-Wang sets foot in an indigenous tribe in the mountains, but finds himself rebuffed by the local culture. He struggles for a spiritual breakthrough, but there is none. The only person willing to speak with him is a naive orphan Ujan, who works on a construction site. Jia-Wang opts to lead him to Jesus if this is the only contact with the villagers. Through their friendship, he recognizes the fear and inferiority behind the barrier that the villagers have built due to the impact of acculturation. A few months later, on the very day Ujan accepts Jesus, torrential rains lash the village as a typhoon barrels toward the mountains, smashing their homes and their beloved families....

This is more than a missionary story. It is about a community losing its identity. Negative stereotypes that devalue pride in culture and individual self-worth are not new to indigenous society. What is even sadder is that they themselves start to believe that they are born less intelligent than non-indigenous people, so they consume alcohol to reduce anxiety and feelings of inferiority, generating more negative impressions. The villagers reject the missionary, whereas they are in fact the outsiders to the “modern world.” While the flood seems to destroy their last bit of pride in their culture, it offers an opportunity to rediscover their identity on this land and in Christ––through the tenderness, devotion and sacrifice of a brave heart.

This play is not only to raise awareness of these social issues, but also to deliver the message that love recognizes no barriers. The unadulterated love drives out fear and strengthens our faith, so that we can live through despair with hope.