SQJ Taipei

My most excellent friend Kungyi sent me an email this AM… he wrote:

Check on the link below, they were on today’s TV news. You should know them.

Indeed we do! It is David and Noah Atkin… our coworkers in Taichung!

Here’s a link to the video

I’ve pasted the news story below… and a translation following. If anyone has suggestions to improve the translation, please leave a comment… thanks.

A couple corrections about the story… The Atkin family has been in Taiwan almost 9 years, not 2 as the article states. Also, the article makes it sound like the Atkins have moved back to the USA… they are on a summer home service… and plan to be back in the fall.

美國牧師掌鏡 記錄台灣萬象

　　有一名來台灣兩年的美國牧師張大衛，拍了一部台灣的紀錄片，除了有自然美景，特別的是，連警察巡邏執勤的狀況都入鏡了！
　　這部叫做台灣護照的紀錄片，一開始就是介紹台灣好吃的剉冰，一外國小朋友開心吃著，接著外頭兩名員警騎著摩托車，東張西望的巡邏，看見外國小朋友獨自外出，趕緊停車上前詢問。
　　員警露出關心的眼神，擔心他迷路，還好從小朋友身上找到了一本護照，確定他沒有走失，還坐下來跟著一起吃冰、話家常，營造了台灣警察貼心的好形象，而片中的主角就是陳宏浚，台中南屯所的員警。
　　美國牧師張大衛用鏡頭紀錄台點點滴滴，包括美麗的海岸線、墾丁的沙灘、甚至綿延的山巒、玉山，而牧師張大衛已經回到美國了，這部台灣護照的紀錄片，也會在國外的教會播放，讓更多外國人看到，台灣不只有漂亮的自然風景，更有濃濃的人情味。

An American Pastor’s Mirror - A record of Taiwan

American pastor, Zhang DaWei (David Atkin) has been in Taiwan for 2 years and recently made a short film about Taiwan. Besides the beautiful scenery, perhaps the most special thing about the video was when on duty police officers entered the scene!

The documentary is called “Passport of Taiwan”. During a scene which introduces Taiwan’s delicious shaved ice, a foreign child is chowing down one of the treats. Just then, out on the street, two police officers ride by on patrol. Alertly, they see the child sitting by himself and immediately park and go over to inquire about the child.

The officers are concerned about the child and worry that he might be lost. They are glad to find that the child has a passport and confirm that he is not lost. Then they sit down with the child and eat some shaved ice and talk about life… building a good image for Taiwan’s police force through the help of Chen HongJun, an officer in the Nantun precinct of Taichung.

David Atkin, the American pastor, captures several clips about Taiwan including the beautiful coastline, the beach in Kenting, mountain scenery, and Jade mountain. Pastor Atkin has already gone back to the United States, but his film, Passport of Taiwan, will be broadcast in churches in America and will let more foreigners see that Taiwan doesn’t just have beautiful natural scenery, but that it is easy to make friends here.