About Us
No longer will they call you Deserted — you will be called My Delight.
You are not an unwanted pebble. You are a pearl in God's hand, deeply loved by His Son.
Our Mission
For women hidden in Taiwan's red-light districts to have the opportunity to hear the gospel, come to know Christ's saving grace, and be restored to a loving relationship with God. We bring the gospel to women in the sex trade, and we also mobilize the church to join us in this ministry.
We hope to partner with churches across Taiwan, establishing service locations in cities to form "a string of pearls" — so that every woman on the margins of society may be seen, accompanied, and found by love.
The Pearl Family Garden team is made up of OMF missionaries and Taiwanese co-workers. Our holistic care begins with building relationships, listening and accompaniment. We visit women in the tea houses and on the streets every week, share the gospel, and pray for those in need. We also help them look for jobs, seek medical treatment, and apply for social welfare, helping women who have long been marginalized reconnect with resources.
Our History
Thirty Years, One Pearl Necklace
- 1993
- Tera van Twillert, a missionary from Holland, arrived in Wanhua and served the homeless and marginalized at The Spring church. There she saw the many women working in tea houses and the sex trade near Longshan Temple — God placed these women on her heart.
- 2005
- Tera and two local Christians began caring for the women working in Wanhua's tea houses. Through street outreach they built friendships, bringing God's Word and love into these hard-worn, untold lives.
- 2006
- With the help of a local church, Tera and her co-workers organized their first Christmas event at a beef noodle shop. Many of the invited women came, so the team began holding monthly gatherings.
- 2008
- OMF rented an apartment on Xichang Street and officially opened the "Pearl Family Garden Women's Center." Through outings, literacy classes, art classes, health seminars, and one-to-one care, women had the chance to hear the gospel and be restored in relationship with God.
- 2018
- Pearl Family Garden marked ten years of ministry with a thanksgiving service. Pastors and leaders from across denominations and countries, along with representatives from the founding Dutch church, gathered to witness together how God has kept and cared for these marginalized women.
- 2024
- Pearl Family Garden was formally registered as the "Taiwan Christian Pearl Family Garden Association," entering a new chapter as a locally incorporated organization.
Our Logo
Pearl · Cross · Shell
Pearl Family Garden's logo is made up of three elements — the pearl, the cross, and the shell — each telling a story of faith.
Pearl
In the past, divers risked their lives to find pearls, hidden treasures of the ocean. The pearl in our logo symbolizes women living on the margins of society, in the dark corners of the city.
Cross
Jesus was born into the world and even gave His life, to save people from darkness and bring them into God's kingdom. He is the light of the world, so the cross in our logo also shines like a star in the night. We long for women to discover their true worth as God's children as they come to know Jesus.
Shell
Pearl Family Garden is a safe, warm home of acceptance and love. Through new life in Jesus, women are able to grow here in positive, life-giving ways.
“Jesus is the pearl of great price. When women know how precious Jesus is and what He has done for them, they will also know their own value.”
Video Interviews