Since 2002, with the unremitting efforts of our partners year after year, “I Love Taiwan Mission” has become a significant mark in Taiwan for Taiwanese American youths and youths from ecumenical partner churches

“I Love Taiwan Mission” is one of the most important Ecumenical Youth Projects of PCT Youth Ministry Committee. Each year, this program would invite the youths from ecumenical partner churches and overseas Taiwanese churches to join the summer ministry at local churches in Taiwan. With the participation of ministry, the youths would be enabled to understand the local culture, churches, and international status of Taiwan. They would learn to share, to commit, and to promote the ecumenical movement incorporated by local and partnership ministry; meanwhile, their lives would advance in physical, psychological, and spiritual aspects.

At the early stage of “I Love Taiwan Mission”, the Christian youths of overseas Taiwanese churches (mainly North-American born Taiwanese) were invited to attend the local ministry in Taiwan through the match of PCT Youth Ministry Committee. What those Taiwanese American Youths had participated was not only the mission in Taiwan, but also a journey to their root. On the native land of their parents, they were connected with the real life of their parents in old times through the Christianity fellowship and ministry in Taiwan churches.

In 2005, PCT Youth Ministry Committee enlarged its’ scale of invitation to further promote ILT and the participation of overseas youths. Since then, apart from deepening the spiritual life of the youths, “I Love Taiwan Mission” has become the international youth communication platform due to the multinational backgrounds of participants. The previous participating nations includes the U.S.A., Canada, Japan, Korea, Hong Kong, Philippines, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Germany, England, Wales, New Zealand, India, and other countries. Taiwanese youths can apply for the camp as volunteers to serve with overseas youths at local churches.

Every year, about 20 local churches and organizations apply for ILT ministry. Among the applying churches, Indigenous churches accounts for half of the list.

Participants have to join the orientation to prepare and to have the basic understanding about this camp through project sharing, activities, and visiting. There is a sending worship on the last day of the orientation; after the sending worship, the participants will be sent to local churches to assist the summer camps with different contents and features that include ministry of Biblical message instruction, English teaching, Songs teaching, cultural experience and etc. During the local church service that lasts for about ten days, the local churches will be responsible for receiving and ministry coordinating.

The final phase of ILT is debriefing, which requires the participants to share their experience during the local church service. It is also a time for the youths to share their life stories in Taiwan, and make the stories enter each participant’s heart.