Recently my wife Ivanette and I had the privilege of visiting the campus of Taiwan Adventist College and Academy where we spent four years from 1978 to 1982. At that time we were a young family with two elementary age children adding the third – a daughter “made in Taiwan” and delivered at the Taiwan Adventist Hospital in Taipei.
At the time we moved to Yu Chih (the “Fishpond”) the campus was still new and relatively undeveloped. In fact it was after our first year that Taiwan Adventist Academy moved from southern Taiwan on to the shared campus located in the center of the island.
As the business manager for the campus, my portfolio included coordinating efforts to develop the grounds of the college and academy. What largely had been a tea plantation farmed in plots by dozens of individual farmers was to be converted into a unified campus setting.
An old picture and view of the Taiwan Adventist College campus
Initially we were a small staff of workers providing quality Christian education to Taiwan students as well as developing the property to provide an atmosphere conducive to allowing our students to develop as future leaders for the church.
One of the first colleagues we became acquainted with was Ben Liu who served as chief groundskeeper for our campus. He had originally been a part of the staff for TAC when it was located in Hsien Tien, a suburb of Taipei, and was the first individual to move on to the new campus. I recall watching “Ben” going about his work often spending long periods of time just standing as if in meditation. But then I would begin to see areas which were rough and undeveloped being converted into beautiful artistic expressions with the planting of trees, shrubs, and expanses of lawn. It was during this time that in a furlough shipment we included TAC’s first riding lawn mower as our campus became more and more park like.
On the recent trip to TAC it was my privilege to preach in the TAC church both to students coming from Taiwan as well as to nearly 70 international students most of whom were to graduate the following weekend (June 13, 2015). The theme of my sermon centered on what it means to be a missionary. Does one have to cross international boundaries or cross salt water in order to be considered a “missionary”? The answer should be obvious that all Christians are called to be missionaries reaching across every boundary which could keep people from knowing Jesus Christ.
Ken Osbron(Right), NSD Retiring Treasurer is standing with Ben Liu(Center) and his wife Mrs. Liu
It was particularly rewarding to have Ben Liu present in church for my presentation. What I realized was that he represented a living example of what it is to be a “missionary”. With his passion to develop a beautiful Garden of Eden, he was creating an opportunity to witness to the world for the values of Seventh-day Adventists’, Christian education.
Today on average of 700 tourists visit the campus each Sunday as they travel to visit the Island’s nearby premier resort of Sun Moon Lake. Many tour operators include a visit to what has been referred to as Taiwan’s “Most Beautiful Campus”. An attractive visitor’s center sharing the story of TAC as well as a glimpse of Adventist education world-wide has been developed. With clean restrooms and a small commissary selling healthy food choices, the tour operators pay a small fee for admittance to the campus where their clients experience the beauties of the campus.
The Beautiful Campus of The Taiwan Adventist College
As I walk on the campus of TAC today, I see Ben Liu’s toot prints and hand prints as the beauties of the campus unfold. TAC truly represents an expression for what we as a church stand for including our appreciation for the beauties of nature which God has provided for us to husband. Even the grounds of our educational institutions can stand as a silent witness to the goodness of God.
I’m thankful for the faithful witness of individuals such as Ben Liu who see their mission as representing God before the world using the talents He has placed in their hands.
Note: Ben Liu is the father of Billy Liu, Director of CHTV and Dan Liu, Northern Asia-Pacific Division (NSD) Associate Treasurer supervising the NSD Taiwan Branch Office located in Taipei.
Article by Ken Osborn, NSD Retiring Treasurer