On September 23, 2025, heavy rain from the outer circulation of Typhoon Ragasa caused the upper reaches of the Mataian River in Hualien to overflow. The massive flow destroyed the Mataian River Bridge and carried a large amount of mud and sand downstream into Guangfu Town, causing severe damage. A few days later, Taiwan Adventist Community Services Ministries and volunteers quickly entered the disaster area to provide relief. They began phased work, praying that affected families would soon be able to restore their homes and daily lives.
Adventist volunteers march forward — deploying machinery to expedite cleanup
From Hualien to Guangfu train station, the scenery outside the window shifted from lush greenery to ash-covered land and drifting dust. Upon arrival, enthusiastic people from across the country disembarked, donned rain boots, picked up shovels, and rushed to the scene to help. Adventist volunteers did likewise, heading to the site as soon as Sabbath ended.
Pastor Noah Lai, Director of Community Services Ministries, Pastor Jason Feng, Associate Director, and more than one hundred Adventist volunteers joined the disaster relief efforts over several days. Adventist volunteers also deployed excavators, Bobcats, and other machinery to significantly increase work efficiency. They did not stop there; they continued searching for victims in need of assistance and allocated manpower and equipment wherever it was needed.
“Our homes are gone, but God spared our lives”
Pastor Noah Lai expressed deep gratitude and pledged to continue assisting with recovery efforts. He also thanked non-SDA volunteers who joined the work, ensuring the safe completion of the first phase. Pastor Clark Ke, President of the Taiwan Conference, joined the cleanup in person. He said that church members have relocated to various places. Although they lost their homes, they continue to thank God for sparing their lives.
The Taiwan Conference will continue to support reconstruction. Supplies from across Taiwan have already arrived at Futian Church near Guangfu Town. Pastor Daniel Feng, senior pastor of the Futian and Guangfu churches, said that after the cleanup phase concludes, the team will continue monitoring conditions and reporting to Community Services Ministries. The church will distribute supplies once members’ homes are cleaned.
Mudslides and floods loomed — pastor rushed to the church to check on trapped members
Recalling the day the Mataian River overflowed, Pastor Daniel Feng wiped away tears. As the rain intensified, he drove from Futian to Guangfu to check on the church and visit members. Suddenly, floodwaters from the breached levee rushed toward him. Within minutes, water rose to half the height of a car tire. He ran for his life, worrying about his wife and children at home. The surging water continued to rise, trapping him overnight. When he returned safely the next day, he embraced his wife and broke into tears.
He had to process his own emotions, ensure the safety of incoming volunteers, and listen to the grief of affected church members. Yet the memory of massive mudslides and life-threatening floods kept him awake at night. He said he would continue to pray and entrust everything to God, knowing that rebuilding the village and healing the victims’ trauma would take a long time.
The Taiwan Conference has fully mobilized manpower and equipment and has launched the “Hualien Guangfu Town Mataian River Landslide Lake Overflow Major Disaster Fundraising Campaign.” They are calling on all to unite and contribute so that affected households can restore their homes as soon as possible.