More than 10 years ago, Youth for Christ in Taiwan asked themselves the simple question, “What will young people of the future be doing?”
As a result, they have long been at the forefront of presenting the Gospel through the internet. As Google was just coming onto the scene and Facebook had not even been thought of, Walei was already attracting thousands of young people.
Over 200,000 young people interact with their “Walei” website each year, of which 70% have had no previous encounter with Christianity.
Walei is no ordinary website. It’s a virtual universe with a wide variety of opportunities and features for the visitor. A host of Angels are available to counsel, chat and share the Good News. There is a secret letterbox for those who have questions they have never dared to ask, and each year the team sends out more than 5,000 replies.
The virtual universe of Walei offers plenty of “stars” for people to visit. For example, the “Love Star” links to an area for love-struck teenagers; information on issues of attraction, dating, cheating and break-ups can be found on this star.
The “Life Star” addresses friendship, families, school work and emotions. In a high achieving society, Walei provides an “Academic Star” helping with studies and reaching goals. For those who visit “Church Star” there is an opportunity to learn about Christ through animation, and other tools. Church Star has seen thousands of young people come to faith in Christ.
However, Walei is not entirely virtual. There are also live meetings for teenagers to attend, giving Taiwan’s staff an opportunity to build relationships and minister to young people in person.