Our Journey

Awakening

2011-07-11T12:28:00.000-07:00

Things have been fairly sleepy over here at "Our Journey" over the past five years, and far too much has transpired to catch you up dear reader. But, suffice to say that the journey has continued, in and out of new communities and new adventures, and today finds us on the precipice of yet another new beginning. We are waking up to the reality of a new life, a new ministry, a new call, and a new community here in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Over the past five years we have faced some of the hardest challenges of our life together - the ordination process and graduate school, four moves, making sense of our year in mission, and the death of Jered's father. Over the past five years we have celebrated some of the highest moments of our life together - our five year anniversary, graduating (both Jered and Erin) from grad school, two ordinations (for Jered), new amazing jobs, and most especially the birth of our son Jude! We have grown closer with our families and have experienced a deepening sense of God's abiding presence in our lives. Truly life is good because God is good! We are waking up, daily, to the sense that this journey is not entirely about us (duh), but about the One who calls us and shapes us and beckons us ever further into the mystery of life. This journey is God's and we count ourselves blessed to be fellow travelers on the way.

There is an unspeakable delight that comes from knowing and experiencing that our lives are truly and inseparably God's, that we rest in God's infinite grace. If we are awakening, then we are also waking to this reality - Christ behind us, Christ before us, Christ under our feet - we are ever and always with the God who made us, called us, and loves us.

Beginning something new, standing on the precipice, taking the leap, any and all of it, then, seems doable because we have not come this far alone and we will not venture forward on our own. For more dispatches from our various stops along the journey, check back often.

Update

2006-07-20T22:10:00.000-07:00

As of August 10th , our new address is:

175 Ninth Avenue
Box 298
New York, New York 10011

Jered will be attending The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church. I (Gan sie shang di) have a job working as the assistant to the Sub-dean and Vice-President of Academic Affairs.

We are looking forward to permanently unpacking our backpacks!

Pictures from LA

2006-06-11T07:57:00.000-07:00

We have been back for two weeks now. Last week we flew down to LA to spend a week with Jered's brother, (Chris), his wife (Jennie) and their two happy sons (Tyler- 2 yrs, Zachary-4mo). Below are pictures Jennie took from the visit. Re-connecting was wonderful!

Jered feeding Zachary

Erin and Tyler

April Newsletter

2006-05-04T19:26:00.000-07:00

Dear Friends, Loved Ones, and Supporters,

As we write this, we remain mindful that this will be the last newsletter we will write as missionaries from Taiwan. We will be returning to the United States at the end of the month and the reality of what that “returning”, or indeed any of this experience means, has yet to fully set in. We know, as we have been told by many of you who have also experienced living in another culture, that understanding this past year in mission will be a long, perhaps lifelong process. Maybe it is appropriate that we are undergoing this transition during the season of Easter. We have long associated Easter with feelings of joy and hope. However, as we have read through the disciples encounters with the resurrected Jesus, we know too that Easter is a time of doubts, fear, uncertainty, and sadness over a life lost. Our departure from Taiwan reflects all of these feelings, including the joy and the hope.

While learning new Taiwan traditions for the celebration of Easter, we also enjoyed some of our family tradions as well. Jered suprised Erin with an Easter egg hunt!

We celebrated Holy Week with the Advent Church community. Maundy Thursday, Good Friday, Saturday night’s Easter Vigil, and Easter Sunday Celebration all were experienced in fresh and new ways. Never before have we participated in each celebration of Holy Week.

Maundy Thursday was new for us, with our congregation partaking in a solemn Passover meal, followed by a foot washing service.Pictured above is burning incense for Saturday's service, our PassOver Meal, and two students taking part in the foot washing service. Xiao Wu, the student kneeling, was student leader last semester.

The bottom picture is the Student Fellowship practicing a song

Good Friday our university fellowship came together for a noon service and fasting. Saturday night we pulled out all of the stops with a high mass complete with the “smells and bells” often associated with the more Anglo-Catholic side of our tradition.
There was incense, a bonfire, candles, choir music, loud acclamation, the organ played beautifully, and there was even a baptism! Our friend Stoney (some of you may have met him on our trip to Seattle with the St. John’s students) was baptized in the middle of the service. It was an exciting moment to share with him and the rest of Advent Church.

Easter morning was a more casual affair with contemporary music, a short homily and an Easter-Egg hunt for the entire congregation.

The children are anxious to start hunting eggs. The Easter Bunny leaves neither plastic or chocholate eggs. Rather, he leaves eggs that have been hard boiled in salt and wrapped in pretty paper.

Following Easter Sunday service, we drove some three or more hours to the East part of the island with our friends Daniel and Julia.

We had yet to go to Hualien and Yilan, two of Taiwan’s most famous cities. There we experienced Taiwan as perhaps it once was before industry transformed much of the island. The eastern coastline of Taiwan is sparsely populated and is still considered home to the remaining indigenous peoples of Taiwan. Unlike Taiwan’s west coast we were able to drive through kilometer after kilometer of empty wetlands, mountain forest, vast stretches of farmland, and even through a breathtaking limestone and marble valley.

Jered and Daniel pose by the ocean in Hualien. Erin stares at the scenery in Yilan. Julia (looking like a model for a postcard!) stands in the Cultural center at Yilan.

We enjoyed our first community hot springs and did a great deal of hiking in the gorgeous scenery of both the mountains and ocean shores.

We arrived back at St. John’s University in time for Jered to pack his bags for a short four day trip to Seattle. As Jered is planning on pursuing seminary in the fall with the ultimate goal of being ordained in three years, he was required to participate in our home diocese’s nomination process. This process includes a required weekend screening interview experience with all other nominees. While the outcome of that weekend has not been made known, Jered enjoyed seeing familiar faces and reconnecting with many of our friends and family back home during the down times. We have felt so supported through the whole process of discerning by our home church St. Luke’s. Jered was back in Taiwan only one day, when Erin was sent to Singapore and Malaysia with a group of alumni to take part in the 7th World Reunion of the alumni association from St. John’s University.

Pictured above is the Taiwan St. John's University Alumni Association eating crab at a restaurant in Singapore. To the right is the famous Merlion.

Erin spent five days hobnobbing with over 400 of St. John’s brightest and best (and oldest) alumni from both our school in Taiwan, and its older incarnation at Shanghai.

On a sad note, one of the members of Jered’s English Bible study at Church of the Good Shepherd in Shilin passed away. Frank Wang was a member of this group (in one of its many and varied formats) for over the past ten years. Frank was 84 when he passed, and a committed and prominent member of the Buddhist community in Taipei. He was the publisher of a local newspaper that dealt with politics, life, and faith from a Buddhist point of view. He was also a consummate student of the Yi Ching or the Book of Changes. In the past year that we have known Frank, he has been in failing health and yet firmly committed to studying the Bible, sharing his faith, and in participating in the Bible Study at Good Shepherd. Frank is an excellent example of what is possible in a world separated by religious boundaries, and his funeral will honor him in that way. The celebration will include elements from Christianity incorporated into the Buddhist rite for honoring his passage. We will miss Frank.

Jered’s return from Seattle has sparked dialogue on our part about our time here in Taiwan. We have told loved ones that we will miss this close (at times intrusive) community here. Never before have so many people known so much about our day-to-day activities; never before have we known so much about others.

When we first came to Taiwan we wanted to know what the face of God looked like in other places. In one way we have encountered that different perspective, and seen God through the eyes of Taiwan life, culture, and tradition. We have seen a new face of Jesus reflected in the faces of those we have come to know. But, seeing our own lives in light of our existence within the larger community we have begun to realize that it is in the midst of that wider context that God’s face is made even more radiant. Each life touching ours, each relationship that we have been blessed to make becomes a piece of the larger picture. It is our hope that our mission hasn’t been just about us seeing God in Taiwan, but that somehow through the telling of our story you too have seen.

Again, our many thanks to all of you who have so graciously supported us in kind words, through prayer, and in the generous giving of financial aid, we could not have had this life-changing experience were it not for you! We look forward to reconnecting with you our sending community once returned.

Blessings,

Jered and Erin Weber-Johnson

Palm Sunday: My New Face of Jesus

2006-04-13T00:23:00.000-07:00

When asked why we originally had wanted to come to Taiwan, our common response was (and is)that our vision of God was limited by our experience. We wanted to know what God looked like in other cultures. Last Sunday, Palm Sunday, Advent Church paraded through the university with palms and then members performed a play showing the crucifixion. It struck me last week that we had indeed found Jesus alive in new ways.

Below please find more pictures from the Palm Sunday service. Again, we must credit our friend, John Chen, with taking the pictures. He has a wonderful gift. Additionally,he has designed a webpage for Advent church at www.adventepiscopal.org that is quite beautiful.

Church activites at Advent Church

2006-04-06T22:51:00.000-07:00

Here are some pictures of church activies from Advent Church over the past 2 months.

This is Father Lennon and his wife Hannah. They have taken care of us and are our "go-to" persons here in Taiwan. Additionally, they live in the same building as us and have been wonderful neighbors.

Above is Jered eating one of our class shacks: peanut butter and banana sanwiches. The other picture is a Church Deacon, Paul, and his son.

Below are pictures taken from our Saturday class with the kids.

Advent Church just got 2 new organs. "Organ" the cat has been raised to protect the new instrument from any unwelcome visitors. He lives in the church and everyone loves to play with her.

Sweeping the tombs day

2006-04-06T19:27:00.000-07:00

Wednesday (April 5th) was sweeping the tombs day. Perhaps somewhat similar to Memorial Day...although no parades with candy. People sweep the tombs of their ancestors, prepare alters, make their ancestors favorite foods, and offer sacrifices to the gods (food and money) for their loved ones safe passage in the afterlife. Its a national holiday here in Taiwan, so everyone gets the day off. After meeting with Bishop Lai at the Diocese Office, Jered and I had a free afternoon. We took advantage and went on a date! I thought I`d post some updated pics from our Wednesday excursion. Jered's hair has received feedback from our both our community here and our sending community in America. Here, I am told that I am lucky to have such a "manly/handsome" (these terms are interchangeable apparently) husband. Friends from college have said "Dude, that's dirt!" We`ll let you decide for yourselves:

Erin enjoying a treat: cappucino!

Jered in front of Chiang Kai Shek Memorial Hall, on our way to the Diocese office. Ever Wednesday afternoon Jered has to pass this monument on his way in to work for the Bishop.

Our student friend James who also is a waiter at the "Hello Kitty" Coffee Shop, a chain restaraunt based on the famous Japanese cartoon character of the same name. Many of you may have met James during our visit in Seattle.

Another student friend from our Seattle trip, AJ joins us for coffee in Hello Kitty.

Erin with "Lonely planet" in hand ready to tackle the world...or at least find where the nearest MRT station is.

March Newsletter

2006-04-03T23:02:00.000-07:00

Dear friends, family, and supporters,

March was one wet month. Now that the weather is changing from wet and mild to sunny and warm, we are finding that the campus is quite alive in the evenings. The long slow sunsets over the ocean, the warm days fading to cool evenings speak of spring. With the coming of Easter, there remains the promise of all that has yet to happen this year.

While our feet are firmly rooted in the present, we have used the month of March to begin planning for the future. We’re not quite ready to leave. However, ready or not, the end of our stay looms on the horizon, unavoidable and rapidly approaching. Our trip to Thailand last month did what it was supposed to in extending our stay for another 60 days in Taiwan. However, in granting us another 60 day visitor’s Visa, the Taiwan government decided to put the kibosh on any future Visas, marking this one “Final.” Thus, we have begun preparing for the inevitable. We will both be leaving Taiwan on short trips in April in order to extend our stay here till the end of May (anyone can leave and return to Taiwan every thirty days with or without a Visa). However, the end of May will mark our departure from Taiwan. Planning and preparing ultimately reveal just how little we know about the future, and how small our ability is to control its outcome.

At present we know we will be attending the 75th General Convention of the Episcopal Church in Columbus, Ohio in June, and that we will be spending the rest of our summer reconnecting with friends, family, and members of our sending community. Jered has applied to three different Episcopal seminaries with the hopes of enrolling in the fall. While acceptances have started coming in, we won’t be able to decide until later this spring or possibly early this summer. Be watching for the Weber-Johnson’s to be coming to a city near you!

Till then, the present currently has a lot to keep us occupied. Most notably our schedule has taken a distinct shift toward education. Whereas in the fall and winter when our time and work were spread across the entire Northern Deanery of the Taiwan Episcopal Church, this spring we have begun to focus more of our energy here at St. John’s University and at Advent Church. Tuesday evening’s we’re leading a movie forum. The group meets early in the evening at Advent Church for a light dinner and a movie; and following the showing the group discusses issues raised in the movie. The movie forum has a wider appeal than did last semesters book study, and conversation is carried on in both English and Mandarin. The turnout has been good, and the discussions are pretty lively; so far the group has tackled issues surrounding gender, culture, family relationships, sexuality, hope, deliverance, and salvation.

On Wednesday mornings Jered is teaching a Bible Study at a church in a northern part of Taipei city. The group previously met last fall and winter as an Alpha class. Currently the group is going through the Lenten lectionary texts. On Thursdays we co-teach an English conversation class for faculty. The group meets for lunch, and we’re finding that it is a great opportunity to get to know our fellow staff members. Our discussion of English idioms is particularly fun. Saturday’s we are still teaching a low-cost English class for youth. However, we’ve turned over the Keelung class to the capable hands of Fr. Richard Lee and his wife. The church in Keelung recently came into some government grant monies so they hope to hire some full-time teaching staff to offer a broader range of classes. Our current class for youth on Saturdays is offered at Advent Church, and we must admit that among other things, the commute is much nicer. Teaching here on the campus allows us greater flexibility in what we can do with our students. We’ve enjoyed introducing American snacks to the students. So far popcorn balls, Mac n Cheese, Peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, grilled cheese, and peanut butter-marshmallow-apple smiles have been a hit!

The rest of our schedule is kept full meeting with students, developing our relationships with faculty, and in all the various and sundry tasks that pop up in the course of our week. The trip to Seattle in the winter provided us with an opportunity to bond with several students outside our normal sphere of activities. We’ve been able to have them over to our home, go out to coffee and meals together, and a couple of them have even been joining us on occasion at Advent Church for Sunday worship.

Thursday evenings are still spent with students from the Christian Fellowship on campus. The group is no longer meeting as an Alpha class, but, instead meets for casual discussions of matters both practical and spiritual. One night we had a speaker talk about being financially savvy following college and during. Another night found us discussing the delicate matter of how to relate to our parents. Perhaps the greatest part of these Thursday evenings is that we always close with a time of prayer in small groups. Erin and I are touched by the intentionality and sincerity of these students as they hold one another up in prayer.

We have begun to share our plans of returning in May with the community here, and are finding that leaving will not be an easy thing. We have been moved by the community’s desire to keep us here, and its simultaneous support of where God is calling us next. Please be in prayer for us as we learn how to say good-bye. With our departure coming so quickly, we are beginning to realize just how much a part of this community we have become, and how much a part of us it has become.

In Christ,
Jered and Erin Weber-Johnson

Sundays

2006-03-18T17:54:00.000-08:00

I woke this morning to find that yesterday's sunny blue skies were whitewashed over in the night by some unhappy looking clouds. While Erin was practicing piano for the service I stepped across the campus' main avenue and slipped into my office to brew a pot of coffee. If anything, living most of my life in the gloomy weather of the Pacific Northwest has taught me that besides sunshine, coffee is the next best way to burn off the clouds.
Later I crossed back over the avenue to Advent Church for worship. Erin played piano during the Healing Service this Sunday. Once a month the congregation celebrates this service that resembles more the Assemblies of God worship of my youth than it does the rite and ritual of the Episcopal Church. Instead of coming forward for the Eucharist as we do every other week, congregants file forward to the altar rail for an annointing with oil and receive prayers for healing in body, mind, and spirit. I've heard it said that absence makes the heart grow fonder, and with worship I would have to say this is true. This monthly absence from the Eucharist reminds me of just how important the sacrament has become to my weekly existence. Ironically, I've also heard it said that variety is the spice of life. So in worship this is also true. The diversity of worship within the Church catholic, and even within our own Anglican tradition is exciting and invigorating.

On that note, I'm posting some pictures from different worship experiences we've had during our year in mission. These pictures come from Advent Church's website, www.adventepiscopal.org , and were taken by our friend and resident photographer, John (you may remember his site I posted a link to in an ealier blog entry).
Enjoy!

Healing Sunday

The above pictures are from the healing service.

One of the biggest stumbling blocks for Taiwanese converting to Christianity from any of the local religions (here Buddhism, Taoism, Confucianism, and folk traditions are most commonly blended together) is the concept of filial piety. Especially in Taoism, the veneration and even worship of ones ancestors is seen as part and parcel of the pious life. Converting to Christianity certainly puts a damper on worshipping one's ancestors, and in a culture that values allegiance to family above most anything else, this is a high price to pay. Recognizing this, the Taiwan Episcopal Church has developed a rite of Ancestor remembrance that allows for a Christian expression of ancestor veneration. The pictures above are from Ancestor Remembrance Sunday observed in the entire Taiwan Episcopal Church. An altar is set up to the side of the sanctuary. Incense and candles are lit in remembrance and prayers are offered on behalf of the departed. Two banners inked in Chinese caligraphy flank the altar reading "The good deeds of your ancestors will be visited upon you and on generations to come, in Heaven God's grace rains on us for eternity". The sanctuary is dappled in vermillion, the color most often associated with Temple worship. At the foot of the altar fruits and vegetables are set in baskets symbolizing the offering of the fruits of our labor to God. Traditionally in Taiwanese Ancestor worship food is set out for the ghosts of Ancestors.

Tucked in the back of the Church, a new Chapel of Repose is open all week for the congregation to light a candle in remebrance of a loved one. Its a quiet corner reserved for prayer and meditation, and a great addition to Advent's worship space.

Potlucks in the Taiwan Episcopal Church, as in most churches anywhere, provide a favorite form of worship, a time to eat, celebrate good company, and eat some more. Every parish we have visited in the Taiwan Episcopal Church ends their Sunday services each week with a communal meal. Most churches cater in these meals so, while eating together is nothing new, the chance to do it potluck style brings a smile to everyones face.

This particular potluck was in celebration of the Lantern Festival. Erin and I mentioned this celebration in our last newsletter. It is the last celebration on the roster of activities traditionally associated with the Chinese New Year, so it is celebrated with much gusto. After the food we all trooped into the sanctuary (decorated here with some colorful Chinese paper lanterns) for some games, music, and entertainment. We were at the church until late in the evening.

Daniel bought an extra lantern on our trip to the mountains. We brought it to the church and members wrote their prayers on it. We let it go at the end of the evening.

Lighting the Lantern

Waiting for the lantern to fill with hot air.

And then, up, up, up...

...up, and AWAY!

Bringing the sacrament forward. On a regular Sunday service we celebrate the Eucharist. During the offeratory members of the congregation bring forward the bread and the wine with the tithes and offerings. This is a tradition we brought to Advent with us from St. Luke's in Seattle. Pictured above are good friend Daniel and his wife Julia.

Passing the Peace of Christ. This is always a free-for-all time in the service and it gives us a chance to practice our broken Mandarin. "Ping-an" means peace. We always get a few English responders, "The Peace of the Lord be always with you."

Receiving Christ and being received by Him.

The Stations of the Cross were a recent project completed by the church. Each station has its own nook in the garden surrounding Advent Church. Fr. Lennon hopes to have a traditional Chinese stone pathway connecting each station by Palm Sunday...just in time for Holy Week.

Unlike any church we've visited in the States, the parishes in the Taiwan Episcopal Church change the color of the altar candles to reflect the color of the Church season. Currently they are Lenten purple.

Flowing from the entrance at the rear of the sanctuary, the eight-sided baptismal looks as if it will spill over its sides and down the center aisle to the altar. In the center of the pool is a representation of the Holy Spirit. The constant splash and gurgle of the baptismal is a special accent to Advent's worship space.

The faux stained glass ceiling is up for an overhaul. Since coming to Taiwan, Erin and I have had the pleasure to participate in the planning of the new ceiling. Advent has hired two internationally recognized artists, one who specializes in stained glass, and the other in architectural sculpture to complete the ceiling. The new ceiling is already past the concept stage and we recently saw a model for it... we can't wait for the finished product. Advent is already a spectacular church, and with this new addition, it will be awe inspiring!

2 new classes

2006-03-09T17:50:00.000-08:00

Jered and I were asked to teach an English class to the Faculty at St. John's University on Thursdays at lunch. Many are timid, so we try to make it as fun as possible. Here are some of the pictures.

Jered teaching how to answer the phone.

Some members of the class

Erin pointing to each new Sandwich vocabulary word

We are also teaching a new class on Saturday nights. Each class is 2 hours with about 33 students between the ages of 6-12. That's a lot of energy in one room.

"Head Shoulders Knees and Toes..."

In both classes we like to introduce new foods to our students. This past Saturday, at my Grandma Weber's excellent suggestion, we made popcorn balls. Jered had the great idea of making the popcorn balls different colors which was a real hit. If you have any ideas for easy snacks: please e-mail us. So far we have had Peanut Butter Sandwiches, Popcorn balls, Apple/Peanut butter/marshmallow smiles, jello shakers, Peanut butter and banana sandwiches, grilled cheese sandwiches, and graham crackers/icing suggested to us. While not everything is available here..we can always substitute!

At this point, the students are supposed to be pointing to their eyes.

Cute, very cute.

A few more Thailand Pictures

2006-03-09T00:36:00.001-08:00

Jered and Erin in front of the Grand Palace in Bangkok. The Wat to the left is the home of one of Thailands famous Emerald Buddhas. This complex is enormous with several Wats (temples) the actual palace, coronation buildings, and extensive grounds. One could easily spend more than a day exploring the whole area.

Erin Outside of the Grand Palace. The corner of a French flag waves over her head. The French Prime Minister Jacques Chirac was making a state visit to Thailand and the flags were everywhere.

A guard in front of the temple. Statues like this one were sprinkled throughout the grounds and similarly we found them at almost each temple we visited. Each one is decorated with colorful tiles, enamel, gold leaf, and colored glass.

Here are a few more pictures from various temples we visited. Thailand was so colorful, and we tried to capture some of it on our camera for memories later. We hope you enjoy the palette as much as we did.

This Reclining Buddha is a famous destination in Bangkok. The entire length is guilded in gold and the feet are inlaid with mother of pearl.

Another view of the magnificent Buddha.

Jered in front of the hostel watching traffic.

Wat Pho: Each of the tiles on this temple is handpainted. We were captivated by the detailed workmanship that went into the construction of each of these temples.

Like Taiwan, markets pepper the alleys of Bangkok. This particular market was popular for business men and women on lunch break. Makeshift lunch rooms with metal tables and chairs were everywhere.

Open air market in Bangkok. This was a decidedly non-touristy place to visit. Commerce was the name of the game for over six city blocks. Located close to the river, this market sold mostly produce and flowers. We were overwhelmed by the intensity of colors. This gentleman on the cellphone took the prize for best coordinated. His purple button-down matched his purple shallots and garlic in purple mesh bags next to his wife in a purple blouse. Brilliant!

Beautiful Peppers in the market. Peppers and garlic are a staple in Thai cuisine. Yum!

Roses at the market

More colors from the market:

... or was that colorful characters at the market?

A touch of red paints this shop from front to back. In the foreground still ripening in the midday sun are a pile of tomatoes. Not a few feet back into the storefront is a basket of red chili peppers and behind them the red lights of the storekeeper's shrine are flickering in the shadows.

Lunchtime!

A fisherman on the beach in Phuket

Erin eating Pineapple in Phuket

Relaxing in the morning at the hostel before our flight back to Taiwan.

Dinner Cruise Boat on Valentine's Day

February Newsletter

2006-03-07T18:48:00.000-08:00

Dear Friends, Family, and Supporters,

Baozi before it is steamed

February brought with it the height of rain season, a break from our nine-to-five schedules at the university, and time to kick back and mentally process through some of our experiences in Taiwan thus far. The first two weeks of February were spent celebrating Chinese New Year. Jered and I had the pleasure of visiting many members in our local community at their homes with their extended families while balancing our office tasks for the school and the Bishop.

A typical Chinese New Year Feast

Some highlights from Chinese New Year included Jered receiving a cooking lesson on how to make yummy baozi (steamed buns filled either with vegetables, meat, cheese, or beans). Jered's teacher was Naomi, a woman who works at the university and who every week makes a batch of baozi by hand to share with us and our co-workers. I guess she figured "give a man a fish...."

Naomi's husband and daughter are in the foreground. Naomi is wearing yellow and is in the kitchen. Poca and Rebecah are behind the table. Jered is preparing the dough. Baozi making is apparently a spectator sport.

Jered and I also took part in a folk tradition known locally as the Sky Lantern Festival. We participated with our good friends Daniel and Julia. The festival takes place way out in the country side (which in Taiwan means, in the mountains). As we drove away from Taipei and higher into the hills, we began to pass vendors along the road all selling paper lanterns. We stopped in a small village, bought two and were given caligraphy brushes to write our dreams, wishes, and prayers on the sides of each. A wad of gasoline soaked temple money was afixed to the bottom of each lantern, and once lit, they inflated with hot air and began to rise. The big, multi-colored paper lanterns went up into the night sky like hot air balloons bearing our prayers and wishes into heaven. They looked like a school of glowing jellyfish swimming through the black night. It was beautiful seeing the sky dotted with points of light. When our paper lantern floated away I felt anything was possible. It will be a memory I won`t forget.

February 13th marked the end of our Visa extension. Jered and I had to leave the country in order to re-apply and return to Taiwan. Tickets from Taipei to Bangkok were the cheapest we could find and so we went to Thailand.

A lesson in patience...we were number 54.

We took advantage and spent a week and a half in Bangkok and Phuket both sight seeing and resting.

Tuk Tuk man taking all day nap

Wat Arun

While there we were also able to visit with Jered’s Uncle David and Aunt Sherrill in their home in Bangkok and later at a missionary retreat in Phuket.

Happy V-day with Uncle David and Aunt Sherrill in Bangkok

Often people ask us what we miss in Taiwan from the United States. It struck us when in Thailand, with its colorful mix of locals, foreigners, and tourists, that diversity is one aspect of the US that we have missed. In the backpacker district of Bangkok in particular we were almost overwhelmed by the diversity, with local vendors and grubby backpackers from literally every corner of the globe all in a two kilometer square.

As our placement in Taiwan is with a rural community outside of Taipei, the only diversity out here in Dansui is…us! We soaked in the bizarre familiarity of people of every color while enjoying tea time & feasting on the amazing Thai food.

Speaking of feasting...here Erin feeds a baby elephant.

While in Phuket, we were also able to see first hand the damage done by the tsunami to the island. It was hard for us to register that such a beautiful spot could have been the site of such a terrifying disaster.

Phuket truly is an island paradise. The sunsets on the beach were breathtaking and it was good to rest and rediscover ourselves again before returning to the hustle and bustle.

This semester our schedule remains roughly the same. As we've plunged back into work and rejoined the life of the community here, we have been reminded that there are many needs. Last Sunday in church, I was reminded (when looking as a woman showed me her wrists with various scars from suicide attempts) of the large problem of depression in Taiwan. I have been told countless times that it is a problem that affects many here, especially women. Some blame it on their husband’s oppression, some blame it on the food, some blame it on the rain season, and some blame it on spirits. To be honest, I don`t know the cause; yet, I can confirm that it indeed does exist. To be even more honest, I admit that at times it has been one of my greatest struggles here.

When confronted by stories from people young and old about years of abuse, helpless feelings, and loneliness, sometimes it's hard not to feel everything is insurmountable and that we as missionaries are truly ineffective. Isn`t that ironic? The lies we allow ourselves to believe. However, this is precisely why seeing the Christian community in action, giving and receiving love, brings me much hope. It is in this context that we see individuals encountering the risen Christ through his body the Church, and because of that encounter developing an awareness that this way of life isn`t a given or a birthright. We are witnessing as individuals here discover for the first time that they are loved for who they are and that they were not born the wrong gender or in the wrong circumstance. (Not to be confused with transgender issues) This remains my focus for our time here in Taiwan: that those we encounter will know they are loved by us and by God completely.

Thank-you for your e-mails and updates. We really do cherish them!
Erin and Jered

January Newsletter

2006-02-07T21:11:00.000-08:00

Dear friends, family, and supporters,

Winter in Tamshui is about like winter in Seattle—fog, wind, drizzle, mist, and mostly just plain old rain. We were given a chance to compare the two environments this month with a short but busy trip to our old stomping grounds. Through her work with the office of Technology Cooperation, Erin was put in charge of planning a service-learning trip to Seattle. St. John’s University, in an effort to expand on their approach to holistic education wanted to give a small group of students the experience of traveling abroad, while simultaneously learning about volunteerism, non profit organizations, and an opportunity to put their English into practice. Through our friends and acquaintances in Seattle and in the Episcopal Diocese of Olympia Erin was able to arrange for a great trip.

Posing for a group shot in front of the Habitat for Humanity home build.

Bishop Vincent Warner was able to meet with the group our first evening in Seattle. Bishop Warner discussed matters of faith and culture with the students and closed the time by singing some Johnny Cash and offering a prayer of blessing for the group.

Though the trip was only allotted roughly six days, Erin managed to schedule around a dozen different service-learning projects, including observing the workings of a local food shelter and a Habitat For Humanity building site, helping serve meals at a homeless shelter and packaging gifts for children and troops in Iraq, as well as experiences with a local restaurant and a local newspaper both owned and operated by area homeless men and women. In addition to the service-learning the group was able to meet with former Washington State Governor Gary Locke, the Diocesan Bishop in the Diocese of Olympia, the Rt. Rev. Vincent Warner; and through a few experiences with our home church in Renton, St. Luke’s and another in Maple Valley, St. George’s, they were able to meet many of the people responsible for sending us to Taiwan. We even managed to bump into some other random famous people like Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson at Seattle’s popular Experience the Music Project (EMP) and some Taiwanese pop star (whose name escapes me) on our flight home.

We had a chance to meet with Fr. Kevin (center) before he left on vacation. Here we pose in front of the Renton Salvation Army Food Bank.

A group photo op with former governor Gary Locke.

After filling boxes for troops and children in Iraq, our group posed for their final group shot. Most important, this picture captures Sally Cummings (second from left) who was integral in helping this trip come together. Thanks Sally!

As a surprise to both of us, I was asked about two weeks before leaving to accompany Erin as a personal escort and as an additional chaperone for the students. The chaplain with whom I do most of my daily work insisted that Erin should not be traveling alone, and offered to cover the cost of my ticket so that I might travel along in the role of defender and protector (the idea of female independence not being all that popular here in Taiwan). Not wanting to miss the opportunity to see Seattle, and of course always up for the chance to be with Erin, I accepted the incredibly generous offer (though I insisted, to much laughter, that if I went, Erin would likely spend most of her time looking out for me, and not the other way around).

This is what jet-lag looks like. Trying to act awake for our sleepy-head students.... I know, a bit of a role reversal for Jered.

As I’ve already said, the trip was a success in many different ways. Of the 7 students and 1 faculty in our group, only two claimed Christianity as their faith, and thus the trip became not only cross-cultural, but also inter-religious in nature. Through the open minds and especially open hearts of the various churches and church bodies we had experiences with in Seattle, the group was given a positive impression of Christianity, and moreover a desire to learn and dialogue further with Christians in the future. We thank God for our wonderful home church St. Luke’s, for our friends at St. George’s, our contacts within the Renton Ecumenical Association, and for the staff and leadership of the Diocese of Olympia who all testified through word and action to the reconciling love of Jesus Christ.

St. George Maple Valley arranged to do a bilingual Eucharist for the students, most of whom were not familiar with a lot of religious words in English. Here Fr. Philip Wong and Fr. Joe Mikel are celebrating the mass.

St. George recently started a sister parish relationship with Trinity Church in Keelung Taiwan. Here Fr. Joe Mikel signs the agreement along with Fr. Jerry Shigaki a representative from the Diocese of Olympia.

Of course it was a delight to reconnect with so many of our wonderful friends in Seattle. We never in a million years would have guessed that when we said we wanted to “connect our sending community with our receiving community” that we would be given such a wonderful opportunity to make it literally happen. We are truly blessed.

The icing on the cake was an opportunity for both Erin and I to see our parents on this trip. Erin’s mom and dad showed up early in the trip for a couple of days and my mom came later towards the end. It was another blessing to be able to exchange stories, hugs, and for them to be able to meet some of the students we work with on a regular basis.

Dinner our first night with Erin's folks. Not pictured is our visit with Jered's mom and Aunt Mary and Uncle Mark.

When we arrived back home, the school was closed for Chinese New Year, and so we have spent the past two weeks working on small projects, continuing to work for the various churches in the diocese through preaching, music, and teaching. It’s a Chinese New Year tradition to visit family and friends during the holiday, and so we have had the wonderful opportunity to visit several of our friends here in the diocese, and of course, have eaten way too much holiday food.

A "Year of the Dog" display in a Taipei shopping mall. The Lunar New Year is a boost to the local economy just like Christmas in the States.

Prior to our trip to Seattle, I had the opportunity to hike with a friend from the university, to the peak of Taiwan’s tallest mountain. For pictures and the full account of our heroic journey up Jade Mountain, check out our blog www.jeredanderin.blogspot.com .

Thanks again to everyone who helped make our Seattle trip a success. We wish there could have been more time. Happy Chinese New Year!!!

Blessings,
Jered and Erin Weber-Johnson

Yushan

2006-01-29T18:31:00.000-08:00

Standing with the other hikers on the cobblestone staging area on Tataka Saddle, I could make out the telltale outline of Jade Mountain’s southern ridge through the morning fog. The clouds were packed into the valley below and above us like shoppers waiting for Walmart to open the morning after Thanksgiving. Yushan, as Jade Mountain is known locally stands at an impressive 3,952 meters, or almost 13,000 feet. My friend Daniel and I had agreed to make the trip here for a weekend hike to the peak.
Our group made a late start getting on the trail some time after 9:00 AM and we began at a leisurely pace our ascent to Paiyun Lodge, our destination for the evening. So leisurely was our pace, that it took us the better part of 3 hours to hike the five kilometers to our predetermined lunch break and another 2 and a half hours from there to the completion of our day. However slow the hike may have been, it was not without reward. The views from the trail included some of the finest scenery I have ever beheld. Jagged edged mountains covered in cypress, hemlock, and arrow bamboo were so steep that they seemed to defy gravity thrusting up from their roots at almost ninety degree angles. The mountains here were formed by the colliding of the Pacific and the Asian plates and looking at the steep formidable slopes all around, I appreciated that the original collision must have been something to behold. One can stand on the trail at 10,000 feet and look at stones that once rested on the floor of the Pacific Ocean. As such, to hike the trail is in some ways to time travel; each step takes you over billions years old terrain.
To hike at any latitude above the 3,000 meter mark during the month of January is to invite an encounter with the elements. Almost any peak, from Argentina to Appalachia, is going to be covered in some amount of snow and ice in January. But, lucky for us, this January, at least during the time we were on the mountain, Yushan remained snow and ice free. In fact, the weather was so atypical that on the hike up the first day the temperatures soared into the 70’s. After about ten minutes into the hike, I had shed my thin raincoat, stocking hat, and gloves. My fellow Taiwanese hikers opted to sweat, and remained in heavy down coats for most of the rest of the day.
After reaching Paiyun Lodge, our guide prepared the best camp meal I think I’ve ever eaten. The entire meal was made from scratch out of her backpack, and was cooked over three tiny camp stoves. As the sun set the first day, the temperatures immediately plummeted to the freezing mark, and we all hustled into the lodge for warmth. The structure we slept in was called a “lodge” but for all intents and purposes, it was a simple walled structure with no fire, no heat, a cobblestone floor, and rough cut bunk. Nevertheless, we were all thankful to be inside with four walls protecting us from the bitter mountain wind. The enormous spider that crawled down the wall next to my head, as the lights were about to go out, seemed to be thankful for the enclosure as well.

We rose quite early the next morning, at about 3 AM for the hike to the summit. Our guides, who had done this ascent over a hundred times (I’m not exaggerating), thought it best to get to the peak before sunrise. We were told the view was well worth the early rising. Despite the lack of coffee, I would later come to agree with their decision. Unfortunately, Daniel, upon whom I had relied for his mandarin speaking and reading ability, had neglected to inform me to bring a headlamp for the hike. Between the two of us we had one working flashlight (Daniel had left his on in his pack all night and it was deader than the spider that had crawled next to my head). All the rest of our group had brand new state of the art hikers headlamps, flashy hiking sticks, and the latest in elemental protection (puffy down mountaineering jackets, gore-tex, etc.). We huddled, after a quick breakfast, in the phosphorescent gleam of about a dozen headlamps as the guide gave us our last minute instructions on what to expect the last 4 kilometers to the peak.
The ascent, as the day before, was slow and labored. We stopped about every fifteen minutes to “catch our breath” and to wait for the stragglers to catch up. During these breaks, I tried to wake up (though the effort was futile without coffee). There is something spectacular about hiking at night. The stars were bright without the thick atmosphere and city fog to get in the way. The moon was so bright, in fact, that the headlamps became mostly unnecessary. As we climbed higher, the trees began to thin until only the dense gnarled juniper bushes remained. With the unobstructed view, we could see west to the ocean, as well as the glimmer and glow of two of Taiwan’s larger southern cities. Above us was two-thousand meters of scree; billions of years worth of accumulated avalanche debris, broken rocks, and massive boulders (some as large as a house).

As the trees thinned, so did the air around us. Soon our breaks were coming more often and lasting much longer. Standing in the dark, surrounded by little clouds of our own breath, stamping our feet to ward of the cold, we could hear the wind whistling against the fluted peak above us. Soon the whistle was a loud roar, sounding like the turbines of a jet engine as warm air from Taiwan’s west coast was sucked up and around the jagged spine of Yushan. Ironically, we were nearly at the cruising altitude for some small jets.
The last thousand meters was up a nearly vertical face. Our ascent became a series of short zigzagging switchbacks. At this point the wind was so loud that we had to shout to be heard above the wash of noise. The suction too at this altitude was incredible. Near the peak I looked up at the hiker above me just in time to see his backpack rain cover get stripped from its hold on his pack and was swept away so fast that almost instantly it became a mere speck on the horizon.

There are few feelings that compare with bagging a peak as tall and formidable as Yushan. The view, standing that morning on the top of Taiwan was breathtaking and beautiful almost to the point of painful. The western face broke away from the peak almost a sheer drop, craggy, lunar, and still cradled in the cool shade of morning. To the East, as far as the eye could see, were endless clouds. The west coast of Taiwan is almost perpetually under cloud cover and so the locals call it the “Sea of Clouds”.

Minutes after arriving at the peak hot coffee was being passed around, pictures were being snapped, and I had to chuckle as a few cell phones came out for the requisite call to loved ones as the hikers bragged about their view. Then, silently, almost without notice, the corner of the sun crested the cloudy horizon and we became the first souls in Taiwan to watch the sunrise. We spent the next half an hour bathed in the most brilliant pinks and oranges, sipping coffee, and soaking in the beauty of our view. When it came time to leave, I did so reluctantly. I was the last person off the peak, not wanting to let go of the incredible view. Stepping over the divide and back onto the western face we were submerged back into the cool palette of grays and blues. On the way up in the dark, we had been unable to appreciate the full scale of the terrain. Going down we became painfully aware of what a misstep could mean. A kicked stone could fall for almost 500 meters before coming to rest on the scree slope. Chances for starting a landslide were abundant, and now, fully awake we gripped our precarious handholds with renewed intensity.
Once back at the lodge we repacked our gear and began the leisurely hike out. Again the sun was high and soon coats and hats became unnecessary and we took our time bidding the mountain farewell.

Picture Update

2006-01-12T23:54:00.000-08:00

Below are various photos taken from the past two months.

Pictured above is Fr. St. Louis, Bishop David Lai of Taiwan, and Hilda Alcindor.

In early December we had two representates come from Universite Episcopale in Haiti. Fr. St. louis and Hilda Alcindor made the journey to discuss with Erin's department about a cooperaton to benefit both learning communities. A partnership was signed on Decemeber 6th. Following the signing we took the visitors to meet the Bishop to experience Bishop Lai's famous tea.

Alpha camp with the University students took place over three days. I believe what Jered, myself, and Daniel (The head leader of the group. He is wearing the vest with the crazed expression to the left of the picture) lacked in sleep, we made up for in quality time spent with the chaplain's group members.

At Alpha camp

On the Friday before Christmas, members of the student fellowship went caroling. Also pictures is Fr. Chang, minister at Advent Church, and Daisy, secretary to the Chaplian's department.

Xin Nian Kuai Le

2006-01-03T19:57:00.000-08:00

Happy New Years!

What a differance 1 year can make. Even just this week we received excellent news. Fr. Lennon Chang, on behalf of Advent Church and St. John's University, has agreed to send a large portion of this year's Christmas charity proceeds to the Episcopal Diocese in Peshawar, Pakistan. It is the first time proceeds have left Taiwan, and I am so grateful for the way our community members gave generously to aid both local and international needs!

Below are two sweet pictures taken during the time of Advent at a house blessing. The couple are members of Advent Church here in Tamshui. They are a sweet reminder to Jered and I that while love is a daily choice to make, it isn`t work unrewarded.

Mr. and Mrs. Tan from Advent Church demonstrating how they fell in love.

Christmas Pictures

2005-12-26T17:13:00.000-08:00

10:00 a.m. Christmas Eve Jered helped perform a wedding Ceremony at Advent Church with Reverand Chang. Erin played for the wedding. It was our first wedding working together... and our first wedding in Taiwan!

10:45 Caught the two hour bus to Kee Lung. Jered began having fever and decided to take a nap.

11:30 Passed by some Christmas surfers.

1:30 Arrived in Kee lung. Taught English class...or rather played Christmas Bingo and handed out candy to the students!

3:00 Hopped the bus back to Danshui. Jered's fever now in full swing.

5:45 Arrived home, Jered took some medicine...made Johnson Family Traditional Christmas Eve Hamburgers.

With the help of Erin's mom and dad, we decorated our Christmas tree (er... "Christmas branch") with candy canes. The poor thing makes Charlie Brown's Christmas Tree look like the Rockefeller tree.

7:00 Went Christmas Caroling with members from Advent Church in the area around St. John's University.

8:30 Children's Program. The kids performed beautifully, and we even got an encore performance.

9:30- 1:00 Midnight Mass at Advent Church.

Some of our students at mass. We've never celebrated Christmas with such fanfare.

Jered and Friend, Daniel pose before the "tanenbaum." Daniel holds the distinction of being our only Taiwanese friend who has spent time in North Dakota, Erin's old stomping grounds.

Erin hyped up after baozi and some red bean sweet soup. Note the halo. Ain't she an angel?

Christmas Day

6:30 a.m. Called Families...Skype is fantastic! Now if only we could keep track of that blasted time difference.

9:30 Worship Service at Advent Church. Erin played with the help of our friend John who translated what was happening in the service so that she could keep track.

1:00 Choir Practice

3:00 Fell Over and slept

5:00 Lit our Advent Wreath

6:00 Jered made dinner and we opened presents!

New Socks From Jered's parents (not pictured is Jered enjoying his first cup of Christmas Raven's Brew Coffee from Mom and Dad Johnson)

Jered's New Hat from Courtney

Erin's new purse made by Courtney

Tired Erin comforted by Oreos... hungry Jered tries to steal the comfort from tired Erin.

Jered reading a book from Sandy and Bill Rudolph... "hmmm, lets see, ah, now there's the recipe for stinky tofu that I've been searching for."

Tuna Helper and Kleenex from Mom and Dad Weber. Simple pleasures bring a world of smiles.

8:00 Made "Happy Birthday Jesus" Birthday Pancakes (a small modification to Weber Family Tradition)

Thank-you to all who sent e-mails, cards, prayers, and presents. We felt very connected to both our local community and our community of loved ones back home.

The 2005 Weber-Johnson Christmas Letter

2005-12-21T18:03:00.000-08:00

Dear friends, family, and supporters,

On the first Sunday in Advent, we stepped out the door of our apartment to find that the poinsettia bush that droops over our front walk had, unbeknownst to us, begun to put forth its first red petals. You might say that we were a little surprised to discover that the towering bush we had been passing under for months was in fact a poinsettia. In the weeks following that first encounter we have watched as those tentative flames grew into the blazing vermillion blooms that have come to signify the arrival of Christmas. In many ways it has been surprising to discover not just the poinsettia but also to discover Christmas in our new home. In Taiwan Christmas comes almost as an afterthought, thrown into the “Holidays” as a sort of warm-up to Chinese New Year; sort of like Thanksgiving is to Christmas in the States. Without many of the cultural cues and reminders that Christmas is upon us, we have at moments completely forgotten that the holiday was coming. Then, out of the blue something like the poinsettia happens and we are reminded anew that indeed it is Christmas.

One of the ways we have been reminded that Christmas is coming has been through our involvement with the Chaplain’s Department at St. John’s University. Rather than skip straight from Halloween into Christmas, we have invited all of the faculty and staff of St. John’s to participate in the celebration of Advent. Prior to the beginning of the season the Chaplain’s department distributed Advent wreaths to every departmental office on campus. One morning per week we go to each office to light the next Advent candle, sing songs, and pray for the individuals that work there.

Members of Advent Church at the blessing of a new home. It was a great party and a wonderful way to start the Advent season with our church.

Another reminder came to us through the generous spirit of the Student Fellowship at St. John’s University who in conjunction with members of Advent Church, and various members of the Staff Fellowship held their annual Christmas charity rummage sale. It was a fun event with the loudspeakers blaring all our favorite Christmas songs and students bundled up to ward off the fifty degree weather. We joined with the students, parishioners, and faculty who woke early, erected tents, and prepared food for the event that lasted most of the morning and into the afternoon. Judging by the smiles and the empty food booths at the end of the day, we’d say it was a success. A highlight to the day was when Jered bribed a coworker into buying a pan of chocolate-chip cookie bars he had made. A news reporter on hand to cover the charity photographed his sale and interviewed our priest about the “foreigner” and his pan of dessert. We all had a good laugh.

Students crowd the main avenue through campus to browse the many food booths and rummage sale items.

Of course, Christmas reminders can come in odd ways too. Both of us were quite sick for two or three days following some of the busiest weeks of our time in Taiwan, and we had to miss two days of work as a result. We were blown away by the generosity of the community here; the whole two days our doorbell never stopped ringing, and we are still trying to finish all of the food that was brought to our doorstep. In addition, blankets, coats, hats, scarves and even a small portable heater were brought by our concerned Taiwanese friends who thought the temperature dip into the fifties might have been the culprit for our sudden illness. Whatever the cause, the generosity of our friends, neighbors, and coworkers here became another tangible reminder of the giving spirit of Christmas.

This is what 50 degrees farenheit looks like in Taiwan. Friends Da Ma and Yu Hai (foreground) huddle over their steaming cups of soup at the recent Christmas Rummage Sale.

The season continues to rumble on ahead and we continue to try to keep up. Erin has been busy in her work with the department of International Cooperation hosting visitors from schools in Australia, Vietnam, and the University of Illinois all in the past month. Erin also arranged for 2 representatives from Haiti to visit that ended in a partnership agreement between then St. John’s University and University Episcopal of Haiti. This Saturday Jered will preach his first ever sermon at Advent Church for a wedding. It seems that every night there is another event, party, service, or program, and we revel in the opportunities to join our new community in the celebration of Christ’s birth.

Erin keeps busy as part time pianist at Advent Church.

Live in studio... We both keep busy with various projects; this time recording an english lesson for neighboring Tamkang University.

Perhaps one of the most meaningful gifts we received came from one of our students named Max. Last night he presented us with a simple nativity he had purchased at a Christian store. Max is Buddhist and has been a faithful member of our Bible study and book study. The sensitivity that he showed in finding the gift and realizing its importance to us was profoundly touching, especially as he is a student and his money is limited. He will be joining us on Christmas Eve and we look forward to celebrating with all new friends together.

Recently we joined the Student Fellowship on a spiritual retreat weekend. Here one of the students takes a reflective moment at the feet of the Holy Mother.

We are very, very grateful for all the cards, gifts, and thoughtful reminders from you our friends back in the States who continue to generously support us in our work as missionaries. Without you, we are humbly reminded, we could not be here.

All of your reminders arranged under our Advent Wreath in our apartment.
It is our sincere hope that as we celebrate the reality of the Word made flesh, that he would bloom in your lives in new and surprising ways. God’s blessings to each of you and …

Merry Christmas!

Jered and Erin Weber-Johnson

"For I have known no man..."

2005-12-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday Jered preached at Good Shepherd for the English Congregation. That day they celebrated the Christmas nativity. It was heart warming to see all the children excited for their parts.

Perhaps the highlight for me came early on in the play when an eight year old girl from Texas, US began speaking her lines as Mary, mother of Jesus. In a loud, southern drawl she announced to both the angel in her dream and the congregation, "How can I be with child...for I have known no man." It was such an odd moment infused with various cultures, it has continued to be a source of humor for Jered and I.

Last week we came down with the stomach flu. It is a testament to the kind hearted people at St. John's University and Advent Church that we never worried about food. The door bell was alive with visitors bringing blankets, a heater, and many, many meals. We felt taken care by our close knit community.

November Newsletter

2005-12-02T00:02:00.000-08:00

Greetings Friends, Family, and Supporters,

The month of November has given way to the time of Advent. While we are waiting to celebrate Jesus’ birth, (and Sen den kuai la “Happy Santa Clause”) we also live grateful for our daily joys.

This month was alive with activity:

- Thanksgiving with the student Alpha group at Advent Church. Erin and Jered made some “traditional” foods (stuffing, mashed potatoes, and jell-o salad) and the students were open minded in their tasting of new and strange foods. (We had rice and tofu as a safety net)

- Trinity Church, Keelung and St. George’s church in Maple Valley, WA. We celebrated with both communities as they entered into partnership at a signing ceremony on November 6th. Since then gifts, prayers, and e-mails have been exchanged with plans for the future for visits and lasting connections.

- The end of Alpha Course at Good Shepherd Church. Every Wednesday Jered has been leading an English Alpha course in Shilin. The group finished their course and now has opted to continue meeting together on Wednesdays for an Advent Bible study.

- A trip to Long Shan temple to taste our first snake soup. Followed by a traditional Chinese breakfast the next morning with our friend Timothy.Yum!

Chinese traditional Breakfast in Taiwan

- We attended two funerals of Advent Church members. Both were incredibly educational experiences as we participated with the community in celebrating the lives of the deceased in Taiwanese tradition.

- A celebration of the installation of Rev. Lilly Chang into Good Shepherd Church as the 2nd female rector in the Diocese of Taiwan.

- A celebration of all the students at St. John’s University who turn 20. They celebrate their young adulthood by a passing of candles, flowers to parents, and songs.

- A house blessing of a church member in Advent Church. The stinky tofu was in demand as many turned out to pray for Mama and Papa Chen. Simultaneously, we lit the first candle of Advent and sang songs to celebrate.

Jered with one of our members, Max, from book study.

- The beginning of tea and coffee times with students and staff. These weekly times of meeting one-on-one have provided us with opportunities to know our students/faculty more fully. During one of these a student spoke of his decision to claim the Christian faith, another Erin prayed with about how to honor her parents while remaining true to herself and her faith, and a faculty member spoke of manic depression and an abusive marriage. Please join us in praying for these members of our community.

- A wonderful visit from Jered’s Uncle, David Yardy. We were able to meet him in Taipei. David has been a missionary for several years and it was fun to swap stories and catch up. More than anything it was nice to show some family our new stomping grounds.

Erin with workers from St. John's University campus.

We continue to learn how to balance three congregations and the university. The experiences we are gaining from these churches are incredibly rich and diverse in nature as each community has its own identity, needs, and goals for the future.

Blessings to all of you this Advent season!

Thanksgiving

2005-11-24T19:22:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving with Good Shephard Alpha group

While Taiwan doesn`t celebrate Thanksgiving, the Good Shephard English Alpha group at Good Shephard in Shilin reached the end of their alpha course. After completing it, this Wednesday morning small group has now opted to continue meeting. To celebrate the end they threw a party...with a Thanksgiving theme.

Jered leads the class every Wednesday morning. I came along this time for the party.

Also, on Thursday we were able to prepare some "Thanksgiving foods" for our student Alpha course here on campus. The students were great- I know stuffing and mashed potatoes seemed kind of silly to them.

We had much to be thankful for this year!

What's in a name?

2005-11-23T17:51:00.000-08:00

Last night a group of student missionaries from the U.S., part of a traveling music ministry, came to perform on our campus. It was pretty good music too. They played a diverse range of styles, and I was able to confirm my theory that anything harder than Elton John doesn’t seem to jive with Taiwanese youth. More interesting than my theories about music, was the fact that I was able to confirm once and for all that I do not mispronounce my own name. I should explain. One of the bandsmen, a guitarist was named Jared, and when he spoke through an interpreter to the group of listening students, he was introduced unmistakably as “Jerry.” Upon the uttering of his name, about 20 students, all of which I have an informal acquaintance with, turned to me and exclaimed “Jerry!” in unison. Yes, there are two of us. Later I talked with Jerry… or rather Jared, and discovered that like myself he was introduced everywhere in Taiwan as Jerry. Moreover we shared the common story that even in the states, especially among the elderly, we were still “Jerry.” For years, particularly these past four months, I have doubted my own ability to pronounce my name. But, at long last, I have laid that fear to rest. However, since coming to Taiwan, where everyone’s name, in fact every-thing’s name, is specially appointed with a particular story and meaning behind it, I have begun to pay closer attention to names. In the spirit of the “Holidays” I have added two “name” related stories that have happened in conjunction with the build up toward Christmas. Enjoy!

It’s an oft rued fact for many in the States that Christmas comes earlier every year. One moment it’s Halloween and the next moment pumpkins are being replaced with evergreen wreaths. In Taiwan, perhaps not rued, the “holiday spirit” has started in stores and churches all around us. In fact, being somewhat a boon to the commercial success of many a business on the island, we have noticed that the Christmas decorations never get taken down in some establishments. Being introduced to Christmas in another culture, Erin and I were interested in learning the best way to pass along our Season’s Greetings in casual conversation and on the street. Our friends here have given us a few different phrases and I have forgotten all but one of them. I should mention here that it is also an “oft rued” fact, at least in more churchy circles in the States that the true meaning of Christmas has shifted over the years away from the Christ event to the more consumer friendly Santa Claus event. In Taiwan, being a country and culture almost entirely divorced from Christian influence until the last century, they have only recently started to incorporate Christmas as one of dozens of commercially beneficial holidays. Thus, the version of Christmas that took off here was logically the one that was missing any reference to the birth of Jesus. This brings me to the greeting we learned. When in passing or in casual conversation, it is completely acceptable during Christmas to wish someone a “Sun Dun kuai luh” (for you pinyin readers, this is not the correct spelling, but more phonetic) meaning quite literally “Happy Santa” or “Happy Santatime.”
Well, this year, as parts of their preparation for Christmas time… err, Santatime, our student fellowship has decided to perform a Christmas play for the benefit of our university and church community. Being in the Chaplain’s Office, Erin and I got an early look at the script and were delighted when we learned the names of the main characters. The story revolves around a Mr. Ling and his family, a son, a daughter, and his wife. The only other main character is the protagonist, a man, or I should say, a boy, and his name… well, I should just come out with it, the main character is a boy named Sue! Since learning that we would be helping out with the production of a play about a boy named Su (actual spelling), I have been unable to shake the words of Johnny Cash’s song of the same name from my head. However, thus far I have been unable to get the director to include the line “My name is SUE! HOW DO YOU DO?!!” into the body of the play. Somehow it doesn’t fit since Su is supposed to represent Jesus in the play, and well, the Johnny Cash song is about a son that wants to kill his father. Regardless, I am holding out hope that if Jered can translate to Jerry, and “Merry Christmas” to “Happy Santa”, then maybe just maybe I can fit some Johnny Cash into a Christmas play. Stranger things have happened. I’ll let you know how it works out, but until then, Sun Dun Kuai Luh… and a Happy Thanksgiving!

Unique church design: perspective on culture

2005-11-19T12:14:00.000-08:00

Art work from students

Good Shepherd Church is designed in the same manner as the traditional temple here in Taiwan. The designers were foreigners, but it remains the only Episcopal in Taiwan to incorporate this style into it's church's architecture. The buildings all open outside to a center courtyard. Opinions range from pleasure at the inclusion of culture in the building model to disgust from the mandarin speaking congregation. It is so good to know the Episcopal Church remains lovely and diverse in it's opinions here in Taiwan, too.

Front of Sanctuary. This building is where worship services are held.

During the week the other three buildings contain the kindergarten. It is a friendly place with many plants and animals for students to explore. I enjoy coming to Good Shepherd to see what new art work they will have on display. (See above as example)

Kindergarten class room

Good Shepherd Church in Shilin

2005-11-18T16:45:00.000-08:00

Last Sunday Pastor Lilly Chang was installed at Good shepherd Church. Good shepherd church has two services: one English speaking and one in mandarin. It is close to where many ex-pats live and functions more as an outreach service. The English service is constantly rotating members as some move in and many move out. The chinese service serves as the backbone of the church.

A picture of the beautiful sanctuary. The Cross is a chinese cross with a parts equal. The lighting is intentional with two shadows created.

Jered preaches and is worship leader one Sunday a month there for the English service. Good Shepherd is located in Shilin (a section of Taipei)where many of the foreigners live. The english congregation is constantly rotating members in and out.

Picture of Jered serving the cup at Good shepherd Church

This last week Pastor Lilly Chang was installed by Bishop Lai as the acting rector for the mandarin speaking congregation.

Pastor Lilly (or "Lilly Musher") is the third woman rector in the history of the Episcopal Church of Taiwan

The service was beautiful as member after member stood before her and gave her gifts to bless her for her commitment. Then, kneeling, she promised to give her life to serve in the church.

Oldest parishioners giving blessing

Pastor Lilly has served many in this congregation and has monitored many of the acting rectors as they discerned the priesthood through the years. She also has a well known gift: when people would like to have a baby, Pastor Lilly is known to have a high success rate for procreation when praying for others. Sorry Parents and Grandparents, Jered and I have not requested her miracle touch.

Pictures from Kee Lung Tour

2005-11-16T11:48:00.000-08:00

Last Saturday a family offered to take us for a short tour of Kee Lung. We had met them at the partnership ceremony and in true Taiwan form went out of their way to show us kindness.

A picture of the Kee Lung skyline with Buddha and temples.

Kee lung used to be a large base for battleships and infantry. From high above in the hills, you can view the Ocean from the North, East and West: and ideal location.

Jered and I standing in front of the remains of the fort.

Kee Lung/ Seattle Partnership

2005-11-08T11:40:00.000-08:00

Before leaving Seattle, St. George's Church in Maple Valley, WA expressed their desire to partner with a church in Taiwan. Jered and I thought this was a marvelous idea. They entrusted us with lovely gifts and the responsibility of finding a church to enter in to cooperation. We were touched by their trust.

I have written many times of Trinity Church in Kee Lung. It is a small church in the once thriving port city of Kee Lung. The last 30 years it has experienced decline. The church stands as a beautiful light (albeit neon) in its community.

Bishop Lai and children during the Eucharist

When we encountered the church in Kee Lung, we knew it was a good fit with St. George's. The idea of the two working to support each other was exciting. Trinity Church (Sanyi Tan) agreed to partner with St. George. Last Sunday we had a celebration as both churches entered into partnership with one another through a signing ceremony

Trinity Church in Kee Lung during Sunday Morning Service.

Jered and I stayed the weekend in Kee Lung to help with the preparations. It was a beautiful sight to witness. The students stayed up late the night before cleaning the church. The members made food for the celebration. The minister and Jered worked on replacing windows. The Children worked for weeks to prepare songs.

In honor of the new partnership, the students performed songs.

Both churches exchanged prayers, gifts, and earnest words of support for their communion in Christ. St. George's and Trinity have only begun communicating, but a connection has been born. St. George's has offered to send their organist (previously from Taiwan) to Kee Lung for a concert. Jered and I look forward to seeing how these communities grow together through their commonalities in Christ.

North of Kee Lung, in the mountains

2005-11-06T19:50:00.000-08:00

This past weekend we went up into the mountains to view Kee Lung from up above. There used to be gold and iron mining villiages a hundred years ago. During the time of Japanese occupation, these mines closed. Now the buildings remain and look somewhat foreign in the landscape. ( The family we were with said they looked like aliens made them)

However, some things remain in good condition. Like the deity whose statue is pictured above. He sits carefully studying the comings and goings.

The winding path up the mountain

Lan San Se (Long Shan Temple)

2005-11-06T19:14:00.000-08:00

Hwasi Night Market attached to Long Shan Temple

Two weekends ago we went to a very old temple in Taiwan On the backside of the temple is a well known street market. It is famous for Chinese Medicine. There people can dine on snake soup, venom, and blood. Also a variety of turtle treats too.

Snake Soup

The soup was quite good. Following our meal, we watched as they fed the large snakes helpess baby ducks, rabbits, and mice. Pretty much every cute Easter animal. It was educational.

The temple is hundreds of years old, but still receives many worshipers each day. Our friends Daisy and Timothy took us there...although I think they primarily wanted to see our faces when eating the new foods.

Traditional Chinese Breakfast

Timothy invited us to stay the night at his house. The next morning he took us to "Traditional Chinese Breakfast." It was a fried piece of dough with a sesame seed roasted bun (It resembled a hot dog without meat) and warmed soy milk with sugar. Extremely interesting to watch them make it.

October Newsletter

2005-10-31T18:56:00.000-08:00

October Newsletter

Dear Friends, Loved ones, and Supporters,

I write to you with a grateful heart. Jered and I both sense that a shift has taken place in our spirits. Gone are many of the feelings of desperation and fears of failing. While downer moments still occasionally move in, we feel that our anxiety is slowly being replaced by hope. Perhaps it’s the settling in and finding our place in the community that has caused this shift. Or, maybe it’s the awareness that we have failed to meet our own expectations so many times here already that self acceptance is, thankfully, starting to kick in. A wonderful pastor friend reminded us that “Just because you make a mistake, doesn’t make you a mistake.” I think the acknowledgement of our failures has made it possible to give and receive unconditional love in the light of grace.

Jered's Bar-B-Q mates at the camp-out.

This month has been a busy one, full of surprises and activities. The weekend of October 10th we took 30 students camping. It rained as it should on all camping trips and we were able to witness the resourcefulness of the Taiwanese students. They know and are willing to play a billion games for hours and hours. With the rain delay, we also had a lot of time to talk with the students about their lives. One student, Xiao Wu, is a natural leader with charisma and an earnest heart. I spoke with him about his future plans. He would like to think about ministry, but must balance his obedience to his family ( who are of a different faith) with his passion.

Early in the month, a group from the Salvation Army came to perform a concert for our students.

Student particiaption

Following the camping trip, we were given an opportunity to be part of history in the making! For 5 days we joined 18 others from the Diocese of Taiwan in a visit to Japan for the signing of a partnership agreement between our Taiwan Diocese and the Diocese of Osaka. The ceremony and service formalizing our agreement to partner with the Diocese of Osaka was interesting, but even more meaningful after Bishop Lai explained to us the history that both Dioceses share.

Japan in Autumn. It was wonderful to see the changing fall colors.

The Diocese of Osaka maintained the only Anglican Episcopal presence on the Island of Taiwan prior to and during WWII during Japanese 50 year occupation of the Island. There were then many hurt feelings toward the Diocese of Osaka for its role in condoning (as some saw it) the brutality of the occupying forces. The Osaka church only served Japanese while here, and as such was not open to Taiwanese locals. The relationship between these two dioceses is thus a sign that reconciliation is happening, and that healing has occurred from the decades of hurt and resentment

Historic Temple in Kyoto, Japan

While in Japan, we were able to visit Kyoto, Kobe, and Osaka to get a better understanding for the distinct Japanese culture. One blessing of the trip was that my travel expenses were funded by St. John’s University. Part of my job in the office of International Cooperation was to also begin laying the foundation for a partnership between Osaka’s one Episcopal university, Momoyama, and St. John’s University here in Taiwan. Jered functioned in his Public Relations role and his trip was funded by the chaplaincy department. Initially he was told he was being sent to “protect Erin”, but the Chaplaincy department erupted in laughter when he told them, “its more likely she will be protecting me.” I have chosen a very wise husband.

About a month ago a very young couple named Sylvester and Eva started attending our Bible study. They are both students here at St. John’s. Most of the students who participate in our Bible study or book study are not Applied English Majors. They are students who are looking for some free language acquisition, and most are in their first year. Many are simply looking for a community to belong to. Remarkably, Eva and Sylvester both claim Christianity as their faith, but hadn’t participated in the chaplaincy department’s Youth Fellowship at the school. Eva, an advanced Applied English major, speaks excellent English and has been a huge help in explaining concepts in the Bible in both English and Mandarin. She suffers from a debilitating condition in her feet and legs, and many times has to use a wheel chair. She often feels embarrassed and doesn’t know how to function in the student body. However, in the Bible Study community she shines.

There is another man named Max who recently has joined both the book study and the Bible study. He is Buddhist and has so much to offer our discussions by way of inter-faith dialogue between the students. He started coming to the groups because he saw a poster with our picture on it. He said we looked so happy that it made him want to give it a try. Many of the youth here place a high value on happiness. The “health stores” and products have names with the word “happy” in them. In fact a toilet paper commercial displays a model with the words, “So pretty, so happy!”

Our trips to Kee Lung have been life changing. I have written a couple times already about the small inner-city church named “Sanyi”. (Literally “three-in-one” or “Trinity”) We go there every Saturday to participate in their youth program that started this August. Already our numbers are approaching 50! We enjoy the young pastor and his wife very much; often we feel their friendship strengthens us. Every Saturday the new program provides a lunch, classes, and safe place to be for 6 hours. Most of the local churches provide English classes and tutoring, but at a cost to parents. Trinity is unique in offering it for free. With the exception of a few, most of the children who attend the program live with 1 parent. We were warned that the children’s learning rate would be slower because they were poor, with parents prone to alcoholism, and they didn’t receive the discipline at home needed to focus. What we found instead were students with huge hearts who were anxious to please…enjoying the smallest affection shown. It is a church that is poor in economics, but rich in spirit.

Presiding Bishop Griswold and Bishop Lai

The end of the month brought a delightful encounter. The Presiding Bishop Frank Griswold, his wife Phoebe, and staff visited Taiwan. Often people in leadership, for one reason or another, do not live up to our expectations. However, the opposite was true for this meeting. The Presiding Bishop and Ms. Griswold had a lovely visit with our community here. It was especially meaningful as Ms. Griswold spoke to a group of women in a discussion on their needs and concerns. It was a fantastic gift for all of us here in the Diocese of Taiwan to hear the Griswolds speaking. Both spoke on topics that were pertinent and necessary to this community. Jered and I came away with an especially powerful message: as ministers of the gospel, the Bishop said “We can not be technicians of the liturgy, but must seek to connect others to Jesus through our own daily encounters with Christ.”

Chaplain at St. John's Cathedral, Ms. Pheobe Griswold, and Erin

I want to thank you all for your continued support. We remain always grateful for your love and care.

Blessings,
Erin and Jered

There's always room

2005-10-29T15:20:00.000-07:00

The Presiding Bishop is visting on Monday. I say this to introduce my latest hilarious blunder:

Mandarin is a tonal language. Depending on the tone that is used, the meaning of the word can change drastically. We have been making plans for the "Da Zhu Zhio" all week. Unfortunately, in my conversations I had been using the wrong words. I found out yesterday that I have been calling him the "Big pig's leg" for quite some time.

Our friend Jon took the picture above. Jered had posted an earlier blog about his webcites and photography. On Sunday mornings the children all crowd in to the altar to receive a blessing or take the bread and cup. Advent church in Tamsui is brimming over with life.

I like this picture because to see the eagerness every Sunday is refreshing. Sometimes I show up all messy with daily living. Even when disgruntled, I have to giggle as I see the kids almost topple on each other- anticipating what comes next. I am relieved to see that there's room for me too.

Really Lost in Translation

2005-10-20T17:44:00.000-07:00

The city skyline at dusk in the port of Kobe.
When Erin and I were told barely over a week ago that we would be accompanying a group from the Diocese of Taiwan on a trip to Japan, we had little more than a few days to prepare. On the morning of the trip, we arrived at the airport with two small backpacks, an itinerary entirely in Mandarin, and no tickets. Not familiar with check-in flight procedure in Taiwan (and not entirely sure we were at the right airline) we attempted an early check-in. We found out much to our surprise that we were already checked in, but that our tickets were in someone elses posession. A little concerned, but completely without a means to do anything about it, we sat back down to wait with the assumption that there must certainly be others from the group on this flight, and that we would recognize at least one of them. We needn't have worried. After about twenty minutes of waiting, we spotted a priest we had met a few times in the diocese, and he was surrounded by elderly women all wearing matching white windbreakers.

Erin and a new friend sport matching outfits.
Thinking to ourselves, "that must be our group" we approached and were greated by 18 members of the Diocese of Taiwan, and one very serious tour guide. We spent the next five days in a similar state of confusion, never sure if we were getting the whole picture.

19 representatives of the Diocese of Taiwan, Bishop Lai, and wife Lilli pose in front of the Osaka Aquarium.
Our group was traveling to Japan to witness and celebrate the joining of our Diocese with the Diocese of Osaka as Companion (or Sister) Dioceses. Of course, we did our fair share of sightseeing and touring. Our trip took us to Kobe (pictured above), to the famous Japanese cultural center of Kyoto, and eventually to Osaka. Japan was very beautiful (see our pictures from a train trip outside of Kyoto), and though densely populated it seemed in comparison to our home in Taiwan to be incredibly well organized and ordered... but maybe thats just because the cars all stopped at stop lights.

Downtown Osaka's shopping district in the rain.

The touring about was great fun, and in all reality a welcome break from our busy schedule back home. We came home rested and replenished, but were most grateful that the trip afforded us an opportunity to get to know so many wonderful people from our diocese a little better. The ceremony and service formalizing our agreement to partner with the Diocese of Osaka was interesting, but even more meaningful after Bishop Lai explained to me the history that both Dioceses share. The Diocese of Osaka maintained the only Anglican Episcopal presence on the Island of Taiwan prior to and during WWII during Japanese occupation of the Island. There were then many hurt feelings toward the Diocese of Osaka for its role in condoning (as some saw it) the brutality of the occupying forces. The Osaka church only served Japanese while here, and as such was not open to Taiwanese locals. The relationship between these two dioceses is then a sign that reconciliation is happening, and that healing has occurred from the decades of hurt and resentment.

Bishop David Lai of Taiwan (foreground) and Bishop James Toru Uno of Osaka (background) finish signing the formal agreement to be Companion Dioceses.
We've posted only a few pictures here of our trip, there are over 200 on our photo album! I tried to capture a sense of the cities we visited with our camera, but realise that its hard to do with a tiny automatic digital camera. I hope you enjoy browsing.

Erin and I pose in a dense bamboo forest on a mountain just outside of Kyoto.

Update

2005-10-12T16:21:00.000-07:00

This has been an exciting week. Last Friday we took about 30 students camping. It rained...as it must on camping trips.We had a great time with the students, even with 3 hours of sleep! We Bar-B-Q ued, sang songs, took a great walk in the wind on the beach and learned that our students have an amazing ability to make us feel acccepted.

A picture of our group of campers after a night of rain and a trek to the beach in gale force winds.
Monday was my Birthday (Erin) and Taiwan's National Day. We enjoyed the parades and festivities...along with a day off from school. Jered,always full of surprises, made some special plans: we ate Indian food and enjoyed relaxing together.

We just received word that we both will be going to Japan at the end of this week. Our diocese and the diocese of Osaka are partnering together. Thus, St. John's here in Taiwan would like to form a cooperation with the Episcopal University, Momoyama. I will go as their humble representative asking for partnership. Thankfully we will also be travelling with Bishop Lai whose personality lights up a room. We will update you with pictures and a summary of the trip on Tuesday.

September Newsletter

2005-09-30T01:11:00.000-07:00

Greetings again friends and loved ones; we have been here for over two months now, and it seems we have fallen into a routine. Our initial honeymoon-like fascination has now gradually transitioned to a predictable daily and weekly schedule. Occasionally, (or not so occasionally depending on the activities) this routine has left us exhausted and spent at the end of the day. Being tired, facing an endless stream of duties, meetings, and cultural/lingual boundaries has meant that we end many days not just exhausted, but overwhelmed and maybe even a bit depressed. Riding the rollercoaster of emotions and moods is part and parcel of the missionary experience (or so we were warned) and can be chalked up in part to “culture-shock.” However, being warned, and being prepared are two entirely different things.

In our last newsletter we spoke about poverty and about how in our poverty we are able to connect with others. Perhaps, this month, if we were to write about what we are experiencing and learning, we would need to talk even more about the poverty of self limitations – the emptying feeling of knowing we are doing our best, but recognizing there is so much more that can be (and often needs to be) done. We are not disillusioned (yet), but rather remain acutely aware of how much more we would like…and how much more people would like from us.

We were asked a short time ago by someone from home if, as missionaries in Taiwan, we are doing what we wanted to do here. Are we experiencing what we wanted to experience and learning what we wanted to learn? Are we sharing what it is we came to share? These are hard questions. We confess there have been many nights where, while trying to process all these questions and more, we have come up with the answer, “I just don’t know.” We may as well be asking ourselves “how is a missionary successful?” When do you know your ministry is working? Am I getting everything I want out of life? The questions about mission and ministry are hard to answer, and the questions about what we want, what we are getting out of this experience, are often incompatible with questions of the first nature.

What we do know is that in everything there is an element of pain that we had not anticipated. At moments, the decision to come to Taiwan, the decision to be missionaries seems like the best decision we could have ever made, and at others, we feel just the opposite. Most people (including ourselves) wouldn’t put discomfort or pain on their list of “things to get out of life.” While we are not living in a mud hut in the deepest wilds of a dangerous land, there is still a very real presence of pain and discomfort in much of what we do here. Part of the pain derives from the fact that we have lived cozy sheltered middle-class American lives, and part of it comes from the very stuff that is ministry. Every time we accept gifts of homemade food from Naomi, a woman who works too hard at the school, suffers from brain and breast cancer, and should be resting rather than cooking for us every morning we feel something of the pain of ministry. That same hurt is felt when we see the students struggling to help us understand what they are saying, helping us understand their lives and straining as hard as they can to understand ours. It’s as if the pain is part of the joy of being in relationship.

We remain very busy. Jered still balances his time between the Public Relations office and the Chaplains Department during the day. On Wednesdays he takes the train to Taipei to lead an Alpha course and then to help the Bishop. Erin likes working in the technology cooperation department building partnerships with other international colleges and industries. Currently she has 2 pet projects that are close to her heart:

1) Scholarship proposal for students at Cuttington University located in Liberia (Africa). The cost for one student is only $800 (U.S. dollars) to attend, but many can not afford to pay it. The University has endured the country's recent civil war and now is teaching ex-combatants. If you are interested, the website is: http://www.cuttington.org/ . Through external sources, Erin hopes to create a partnership where students seeking for schooling can enter into a partnership with St. John’s University.

2) Diocese of Peshawar: Christian Vocational Training Center in Pakistan. St. John's University has been asked to adopt this program that educates drop-outs in the Peshawar community. Bishop Mano Ramalshah has been most kind and sees this outreach as "the need of the hour for our community in Pakistan and we want to develop it as a hope for the people."

We had written on our blog (www.jeredanderin.blogspot.com) that the beautiful thing about missions is its prolific nature. One encounter creates the desire to learn more, experience more, and love more. It is our prayer and request of all of you that when you pray for us (and the communities we are blessed to be part of here in Taiwan), please also remember Cuttington University and the Diocese of Peshawar as well.

Monday and Friday night we teach class at the college. Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday nights we lead book study, bible study, and student Alpha. Saturdays we take the 2 hour bus ride to Kee Lung to help with a youth program. One Sunday a month Jered preaches in Shilin, and the other 3 Sundays Erin plays piano at the college chapel, and Jered assists in the mass and preaches occasionally. The English Bible study and Book study Jered leads on Tuesday/Wednesday nights has been doing well. About half of the students are not Christian and some have never entered a church before. Many are there primarily for free English acquisition. This is wonderful as many are freshman who are seeking a community to belong to. We can remember our own freshman years at college and are happy to provide a place where they can feel safe to be themselves.

We have now moved into our permanent home. Many people in the churches here gave us necessities to make us feel at home. It is unlike any we have had before; it even comes complete with some pets. One particular group of pets, chameleons, are our favorite, as they keep us relatively bug (our other not so favorite pets) free and provide for some exciting times.

Thank you all, for your e-mails and letters, they truly make an impact on our day. Please know we continue to keep you in our hearts and minds.

Erin and Jered

The power of partnership/prayer requests

2005-09-22T00:46:00.000-07:00

A visiting chaplain from Trinity College, Dublin, Dr. Alan McCormack (wearing the pink shirt), St. John's Univerity president Dr. Yang (right), our University Chaplain Fr. Zhong (left) and Erin discuss the possibility of partnering with Trinity.

I feel blessed (most days anyway) to have the opportunity to work with other international schools and industries to create and maintain partnerships. To be perfectly honest, it is a balancing act. I must seek schools in the US, New Zealand, and Great Britain for our students to effectively exchange with to elevate our school's standing. On the other hand, I must seek out schools in Vietnam, Africa, other parts of India to gain external funding from various sources.

Currently I have 2 pet projects that are close to my heart:

1) Scholarship proposal for students at Cuttington University located in Liberia (Africa). The cost for one student is only $800 (U.S. dollars) to attend, but many can not afford to pay it. The University has endured the country's recent civil war and now are training ex-combatants. If you are interested, the webcite is: http://www.cuttington.org/ Through external funding, I hope to create a partnership where students who want to learn there...can.

2) Diocese of Peshawar: Christian Vociational Training Center in Pakistan. St. John's University has been asked to adopt this program that educates drop-outs in the Peshawar community. Bishop Mano Ramalshah has been most kind and sees this outreach as "the need of the hour for our community in Pakistan and we want to develop it as a hope for the people."

The beautiful thing about missions is its prolific nature. One encounter creates the desire to learn more, experience more, love more. It is my prayer and my request of all of you that when you pray for us (and the communities we are blessed to be part of here in Taiwan), please also remember Cuttington University and the Diocese of Peshawar as well. It is my hope resources (both financial and otherwise) will be available to make these potential partnerships another manifestation of the good work God is doing.
-- Erin

Another Picture-fest!

2005-09-14T19:02:00.000-07:00

A view down one of Taipei's busiest streets.

This photo was taken on a pedestrian overpass near Taipei Mainstation the transportation nerve center of Taipei County (Taipei has one of the world's best mass rapid transit systems). This area of town is known for being popular with youth, specifically those interested in technology. We've all heard that Taiwan and Taipei in particular are famous for their technology and love of gadgets. Well, this is where you can come to find it all. A 10+ story building (pictured in the distance on the left) is a mall dedicated entirely to electronics and computer consumers. Erin and I were in the area seeking out a Catholic bookstore with a decidedly good selection of icons (really old technology).

A few local fishing boats sit high and dry at low tide on Tamshui (Danshui)'s waterfront.

This picture was taken about twenty minutes by bus from the University in Tamshui city center (we apologize if we keep changing the spelling of the town, everyone insists on a different way, and it really doesn't matter seeing as the town holds a Chinese name with distinctly Chinese characters). Tamshui is historically a fishing town, but with the changing times, and its close proximity to Taipei City it has become something of a suburb with a decidedly touristy flavor. Yet, the old Tamshui and the new are ever present, sitting side by side like a child with an elderly neighbor, both not quite sure what to make of the other. This picture is indicative of that reality. Old fishing boats waiting for the tide to lift them out of the mud, while across the river glittering high-rise apartments and a water park crowd the crumbling banks. I took this picture in Tamshui in the city's old waterfront night market. Here pop culture, young couples with cell phones, street vendors selling traditional foods (stinky tofu and squid on a stick), and musicians playing traditional Chinese instruments all coexist side by side. Ancient temples next to karaoke shops, and restaurateurs selling steamed baozi and fish ball soup next to Taiwan's finest in modern cuisine... this is Taiwan.

Erin poses with a statue (or bust, or beard) of Dr. George Herbert Mackay.

In a nation whose population is less than three percent Christian (last count I heard was 2.4%)it seems incredibly unlikely that one would find a statue of a prominent Christian missionary in the center of one of its cities... but there it is. Dr. Mackay was a Canadian Presbyterian and one of the first protestant missionaries to come to Formosa. Despite the fact that since the Spanish came hundreds of years ago, the population of Christians (Catholic and Protestant) has remained relatively close to 2-3 percent(and Taiwan has a large missionary population and a history of much missionary involvement), the legacy of Dr. Mackay can be seen in many places. And, like many cultures, (including my own) the Taiwanese tend to measure one's merit by the significance of their accomplishments. Dr. Mackay has a local university named after him, as well as the Mackay hospital system wich is second only to the national hospital system. He is credited for planting the early seeds of modernization in Taiwan... and he married a Taiwanese woman. All in all, he is seen as a pretty good guy here, despite that whole Christianity bit, and his statue is the only other public statue of a historic figure I have seen in Taiwan besides Chiang Kai-chek.

Korean Barbeque... HOORAY!

Of course, no JeredandErin blog would be complete without some reference to food and drink. We had heard about Korean BBQ in the States, but had never tried it. Well, we rectified that ommission from our culinary history and decided to give it a taste. We were not disappointed as Taiwan is a smorgasboard of all foods Asian. Taiwan's history is sprinkled with the migrations of Asian peoples from other countries seeking refuge on her crowded shores, and like all good immigrants, each migration brought its food from home. For those unfamiliar with Korean BBQ, it includes a grill inset in the table (a vent overhead to reduce fumes and smoke) and a buffet that looks like the meat locker at your local Asian delicatessen. Raw meats of all varieties, vegetables, grillable thick noodles, and tofu in various marinades are all up for grabs. Usually an all you can eat affair, diners take their time cooking and eating all the glorious foods. Erin's and my favorites included spicy marinated chicken hearts, kimchi (a spicy Korean side dish of pickled cabbage and chilli paste), and the candy coated sweet potato chunks that sufficed as dessert. Yum!

One man's trash, is Jered's treasure.

We are about a ten minute walk to the beach from the school. Early in our stay at St. John's (before students arrived) we had a lot of free time and would go to the beach to stave off boredom on the weekends. Admitedly the beach is not very "beach-y". Trash from all over the Pacific accumulates on the shore, and I have a great time perusing the refuse. I like to think of future found object art, or furniture projects. Erin thinks this is great as our room gets more and more "future projects" collecting in the corners and left over space. If you look at the beach you will notice large cement blockish looking things. These are a part of the beach defense system all along Taiwan's coast. They make the beach less "takeable" (for lack of a better word) and were installed at the height of Taiwan's fear of takeover from China. The whole beach in front of the school is fortified with these blocks, a cement wall, and gun turrets. Apparently there's even an old missile silo. But, after years of neglect, the great fortifications sit crumbling as a monument to fear. Now the beach is a favorite spot for locals to collect shellfish to sell at the night market (and for foreigners to collect garbage for -ahem- art projects).

The power of words unspoken

2005-09-13T00:33:00.000-07:00

Every morning there is a lovely woman who brings us breakfast named Ms. Young. She has brain cancer and has problems speaking. She brings us homemade baozi (steamed buns with various middles)and periodically a host of other goodies: organic bananas, pomelos, steamed sweet potatoes. When I thank her she just says, " God Loves me and he loves you." Everyday, the same words. I can`t tell you what it means to me to eat her homemade goodies knowing her love went into them.

There is another woman who has nicknamed herself Poca. She actually works in my office, but she also attends both the Kee Lung Church (where she attends on the weekends) and the church on campus (during the week). Everyday she seeks to find ways to make us happy. From instant packages of tea, to a shared meal, to showing where the laundry facilities are, to just smiling at me at every opportunity. I have found out from many that Poca was nervous about my coming as she speaks very little English. However, she is perhaps one of my favorite people, I wish I could be more like her.

There many who try so hard to connect with us here in Taiwan. Indeed, we feel we have already made some good friends. However, what strikes me most is the consistancy of these two women in their love.

A few blogs ago, a wonderful new friend of ours named John wrote a comment about the power of the words unspoken. It is when I come face to face with the love of God through few words, but the power of a life lived ......that I am humbled. EWJ

Newsletter #2 -- August

2005-08-30T01:36:00.000-07:00

Erin and I have gotten into the habit of reading a devotional most mornings after running, and before we head off for the day. The devotional we brought with us on this trip is a book of meditations by Henri Nouwen called Bread for the Journey. While I had enjoyed the short meditations in past readings of this book, something about this trip has made each passage seem so much more relevant to our lives. Henri’s thoughts on “Hiddenness” and “Loneliness” were brought into sharp focus when read in light of our own seeming obscurity, and against the backdrop of our own loneliness. The readings began to get so pertinent that at times they were like a slap in the face. When I was feeling irrelevant in my work, wishing I had a way of seeing some concrete measurable results, I read that I “belong to a generation that wants to see the results of our work…Often our witness for God does not lead to tangible results. Jesus himself died as a failure on a cross. There was no success there to be proud of…”
– Yikes! Morning readings like this are common and have resulted in a common response from both Erin and I. We call them “Thanks Henri” moments. When particularly convicted, we will look at each other, smile, and say “Thanks Henri! What do you know anyway?!” Such spiritual maturity, I assure you, is the first step in being a successful missionary.
Of late, the meditations have been on poverty. Two or three mornings ago the title read Our Poverty, God’s Dwelling Place. The past two months of Erin’s and my life we have been “poorer” than in the three preceding years, but we by no means fit the descriptor “poor.” We have a home, food when we want it, jobs, clothes, and even the means to entertain ourselves when so inclined. Where then is our poverty? Thanks Henri. The rest of the day I wondered “ Where indeed did our poverty exist?”
Last night a co-worker of Erin’s and two professor friends invited us out for a late dinner. I had spent the day in Taipei training for an upcoming Alpha course and helping in the Diocesan Offices. On the way home I had gotten caught in a sudden downpour while purchasing takeout for our dinner. Lacking cell phones or any means of communicating with one another during the day, Erin had been unable to tell me of the invitation. Arriving home soaked, tired, and frustrated at having to argue with my taxi driver over the fare, I was not excited to hear of our change in plans. With somewhat a reluctant attitude, I changed into dry clothes and dashed with Erin through the still pouring rain to our waiting ride.
Later, at the restaurant as we tried to order from the menu we began to repeat the same comedy of errors that has become typical of our previous ordering experiences. Ultimately we relinquished the duty of ordering to our gracious hosts and hostess. In so doing I came face to face with our poverty… or at least small a part of it. To an outside observer it probably seems silly; we struggle to order food, we lack the means to keep in touch with one another (in one of the world’s most technologically advanced cities), we get lost on the way to the grocery store or post office, and often can’t understand those in our new community. Simple pleasures, conveniences, and comforts that we once took for granted are no longer simple. At times we feel like spoiled children who have had their privileges revoked by some capricious parent. Yet, we chose the loss of comfort, the daily inconveniences.
I think that often true poverty, whether it is mental, spiritual, or physical, is not always a choice like ours was. It was only with the slow realization that I had given up my ability to choose, that I got a small glimpse at poverty.
When Erin and I were preparing to leave for Taiwan many people asked us why we wanted to go. While the reasons are many, one that we often responded with was that we wanted to broaden our understanding of who God is. Using a quote from Les Miserables, Erin would tell people about a chorus from the play that says “to love another person is to see the face of God.” And that was and is our desire: to meet and build relationships with people different from us, to get to know them and their experience of God, and ultimately (in that relationship) reflect love so that we might bear witness to the face of God in their life.
The Gospel of Matthew puts it similarly saying that “whatever you have done for the least of these, you have done to me.” These moments of poverty that Erin and I share are the exact moment when those we have met here can love us. It’s a cliché among people who have gone on mission related trips that one gets more than they receive; but it’s a cliché that we have found rings all too true. We came to do ministry and have found that we are the ones who are most often ministered to. Yet, as Henri Nouwen reminded us a few mornings ago, it is in these interactions, when we simultaneously reveal our poverty and allow someone to minister to us, that Christ is perhaps most present in our lives. And, maybe, (we pray very much) just maybe as the play said, it is in these moments that the face of God shines through just a little more clearly.
Since arriving we have been quite busy with work, travel, meeting many new people, and of course eating lots of wonderful food (you’ll notice that most of our stories include some allusion to or anecdote about food). Since many of you receiving our monthly newsletters lack the means and/or the time to read our online blog: (www.jeredanderin.blogspot.com) we thought we would include a short update here as to what we are doing.
Erin works in the University’s ever busy Office of Technology Cooperations, where she heads the International Division. In her position Erin is responsible for building cooperatives between St. John’s University and other universities across the globe. One cooperative has her attending weekly Vietnamese classes as St. John’s has partnered with another local university, and one in Vietnam. Together they provide language, nursing/homecare, and job skill training to women from Vietnam who works, underpaid, at a local factory.
I split my time between the campus chaplaincy program where I work with students in various ministries, and assist the chaplain with the Daily Office and other liturgies, and between the Office of Public Relations where I work on English related press releases for the University. One day a week I travel to Taipei to help lead an Alpha course, and to assist the bishop at his offices. One Sunday a month I also preach in the English service at Church of the Good Shepherd in Taipei.
We both travel every Saturday to a church in Kee Lung (north of Taipei) to teach a free English course for jr. high students and we also both teach 4 hours a week of English here at the University. Then of course, there is running, sightseeing, weekly Bible Studies, meetings with students and faculty, and the list goes on. It’s never a dull moment (unless you count the time we spend inside during a typhoon). Please keep the correspondences coming, we enjoy hearing from each of you.
Blessings,
Jered and Erin

More pictures -- Erin's Office and Vietnamese Class

2005-08-29T19:20:00.000-07:00

Hey everyone. Yesterday Erin posted some thoughts on what she is up to in her office and in Vietnamese classes. See below for some pictures of those experiences.

"Class, repeat after me..."

This class is a joint venture between Mackay University and St. John's University. In this picture you will see some of Erin's co-workers and others from Mackay. In the middle of the picture is Erin's teacher.

Different classroom, same cast of characters.

Here Erin and her classmates are getting some one-on-one help with the teacher. One of the benefits of the class for Erin is that it acts as a language leveler. Everyone is a beginner in Vietnamese and is learning together. It provides a great bonding opportunity.

"Welcome to the office Erin, enjoy lunch, and tell your husband to steer clear of the coffee maker."

Erin's co-workers threw us a lovely welcome lunch at a nice restaurant overlooking Danshui and the river below. Delicious food, great chance to bond, and of course plenty of ribbing.

Duck! He's got a coffee cup!

Of course I took advantage of the coffee served at our nice welcome lunch. This prompted even more jokes. Good times, good times!

If you want to see the rest, click the link below.
Erin's Office Photo Album

A change of heart

2005-08-29T01:41:00.000-07:00

Erin: I enjoy what I do during the weekdays very much. My job is to build and maintain partnerships with universities in other countries. As missions is an ever-growing growing passion, I see any opportunity to encounter "the other" as extremely important. Currently we are involved in a project that primarily helps Vietnamese women in Taiwan. There’s a surprising large number of young Vietnamese brides who have married Taiwanese men. They relocate to Taiwan without speaking Mandarin, knowing how to cook with Taiwanese foods, or other needed life skills. (I can relate surprisingly well) Most often they find work in local factories at a much lower pay scale.

We have employed a Buddhist nun (from Vietnam)who comes and teaches our department 9along with about 15 nurses from the local nursing school) basic Vietnamese. In return, the nurses provide basic skill ( language,nursing, cooking, etc) classes for free to the “Vietnamese Brides” as they are called in our communitiy. I have been able to benefit and enjoylearning Vietnamese, even though it’s taught in mandarin.

I thought it was going to be a terrible waste of time, but have had a change of heart. Many of the friendships I have developed have been thanks to our shared time together. Additionally, I now have been slowely able to develop a friendship with a woman who comes to clean the offices. She is one of those "vietnamese brides" and we speak broken vietnamese through my attempts. ( An go kway kwong: Hey, How are you? Gam un Chie: Good, thanks)

Jered will be posting some of the pictures from class tomorrow.

New Link

2005-08-22T01:10:00.000-07:00

John, a student friend of ours hosts this photo blog. I thought I'd post a link for those interested in hearing what someone in this diocese, on this side of the planet had to say about life, love, and God. I enjoyed the site, and I hope you will too, he is a budding talented photographer, and this link will take you directly to a photo I enjoyed, but you can return to his main page from there and peruse his other pictures. Enjoy!

Photogale

The picture you will see was taken in Advent Church here on the campus of St. John's University. It was taken, I believe, during Holy Eucharist in May.

Our New Address

2005-08-20T18:26:00.000-07:00

Our current address is:

Erin and Jered Weber-Johnson
c/o St. John's University
499, Sec. 4, Tam King Road,
Tamsui, Taipei, 25135 Taiwan, R.O.C.

Please send any and all future correspondence to this address. Thanks!

The Weber-Johnson's enjoy a dinner of oolong tea and tepanyaki at the Shilin Night Market in north Taipei.

Pictures

2005-08-18T00:39:00.000-07:00

Recently we've had the opportunity to do some exploring of the Taipei Zoo, and we also were able to celebrate Chinese Valentine's Day with the citizens of Danshui. Both excursions we captured on film, and as many of you have been having trouble accessing our photo album, we thought we'd post a few here on the blog as a teaser to the larger albums.

Valentine's Day in Taiwan, like in the U.S. is a day full of pink hearts, couples on romantic dates, candelight, and all that jazz. Erin and I celebrated by joining thousands of couples as they crossed Danshui's very own Valentine's Bridge. The evening was full of couples wearing matching outfits (we discovered this local tradition a little late, note we are not matching). The sunset was gorgeous and the walk to the bridge was spectacular.

Speaking of gorgeous and spectacular, this angel met me on the Valentine's Bridge... or is that the stairs to heaven .

The Valentine's Bridge connects two parts of Danshui's Fishermans Wharf at the mouth of a large river. All along the river leading to the wharf is a breakwater/dike that one can walk along. Annnnd, all along this breakwater there is tons of debris that has washed ashore and gotten caught amongst the rocks. This idol must have slipped off of some fisherman's boat.

Old Man and the Sea

Coconut Pork anyone?

We have discovered that while pork is the most widely eaten meat in Taiwan, that pigs are frequently pets here too. This little oinker was the propperty of a local fruit vendor (yes those are coconuts in the background).

At the zoo we saw plenty of other local animals. This formosan black bear was of particular interest when we saw he was missing a leg (ouch). Strangely my home island in Alaska, and Taiwan share several similar species. Taiwan has both black bear, deer, salmon (a landlocked variety), and flying squirrels.

"Stumpy" the Formosan Blackbear goes for a dip.

A Dear in front of the Deer

Not exactly "zoo" animals, but this exhibit caught my attention. Local police had cutouts for small children to pose in uniform with a gun drawn. The scene is a bit of foreshadowing as every Taiwanese boy will one day serve in the military.

These critters were not in their cages!

Not wanting to end on a note so depressing as children with guns, I've included this shot of unexpected beauty. These three butterflies were more than happy to pose.

Enjoy the rest of the pictures at our photo album!

Caffeine Chronicles II: Postscript to a disaster

2005-08-18T00:19:00.000-07:00

Many of you have sent your regrets, condolences, words of encouragement to me via email, and to you I owe a debt of gratitude. However, as is often the case, a mishap of this magnitude rarely just disappears into the misty recesses of memory for those involved. No, this is bound to be, and has been a story that will live on for some time I am afraid.

Yesterday Erin's office mates invited the both of us out to a formal welcome luncheon. I was surprised. Surely these co-workers of hers wanted nothing to do with the man who almost single-handedly destroyed their entire workspace. But, there seemed to be no hard feelings… in fact I was beginning to believe that out of sheer courtesy, the whole incident was going to remain unmentioned. I was wrong.

Sitting down at the dinner table, I was introduced to Lawrence on my direct left. Lawrence, I was told, was the owner of the coffee pot in the office… my stomach sank. I turned and introduced myself. “Hello, my name is Jered.” “Hello, my name is Lawrence, and I’d like to invite you to the office tomorrow for a demonstration on how to properly use my coffee machine.” There was a pause, and then raucous laughter burst forth on each side of the table. Then from directly across from me “Yes, come to the demonstration, I will be wearing a rain coat!” More laughter…

The subject didn’t get dropped, indeed in this writers mind, it was downright trod into the ground. I should know, I routinely run a joke into the ground. In all seriousness, everyone was quite good about it. It was good to be laughing, in a culture that values saving face so much that most of our mishaps are never mentioned, I figured they either liked me or they actually hated me. I chose the former.

And, so, this morning, after some more ribbing, more “Don’t touch the machine,” and “Please step away from the coffee maker it’s very dangerous you know” I was finally trained in espresso making. What’s more, Erin’s co-workers graciously pooled their resources and gave me a small coffee pot, a bag of Vietnamese coffee, and my own mug. The clear message, “make coffee in your own office!”

Moment of quiet desperation

2005-08-17T01:53:00.000-07:00

Today I was told that my entire "cooperations" department would be attending a vietnamese training course for Taiwan nurses. This class would be to teach them basic Vietnamese in order that they , when going over next summer to teach free courses on medical training, would be able to use the Vietnamese language. I thought this was a great idea...a one day course that would allow me to not sound as stupid when ordering at a Vietnamese restaurant.

Until I found it that it wasn`t just a one day course. I found out that my department every Wednesday and Friday will be attending a three hour course on how to speak basic Vietnamese. This is because the department will be travelling with the nurses, so it makes sense. Only, due to my lack of knowledge of the MANDARIN language, I didn`t pick up on that part. Interestingly, the vietnamese course is taught in mandarin. They have said the course will be at least 6 weeks, maybe longer.

I have made it through the first day. I just can`t believe I am going to learn basic vietnamese while simultaneously learning mandarin. This can`t be possible.

Chronicles of a Caffeine Addict

2005-08-15T21:45:00.000-07:00

The author enjoying his last cup of real coffee some weeks ago.

How I find myself in these situations is beyond comprehension. One moment I'm craving a little pick-me-up, just a dash of spice in the afternoon, and the next finds me in the utmost of humiliating circumstances.

It all started when we first toured the campus. Erin's office is on the sixth floor of the University's library, and as we were walking amongst the cubicles, office supplies, phone chords, and potted plants I noticed that her office’s coffee station was quite impressive. Wait, impressive doesn’t do it justice. To a man with a coffee habit, having spent the larger part of four weeks drinking instant coffee and green tea, this 2-in-1 espresso/drip coffee maker was a monument to coffee consumption, it was a work of art. This office, I decided, was definitely paradise. The only hitch of course, was that it was not “my” office (and consequently not my paradise), it was Erin’s.

Being shown my office I was quick to note that the water dispenser in the corner came complete with “hot” and “cold” options demarcated with respective red and blue spouts. Then, on top of this wonderful discovery, I also noted that the office came with its own very large stash of loose leaf green tea… enough to survive a nuclear winter. Needless to say I was jealous of Erin and her coffee station. I know, I shouldn’t have been jealous. I’m a missionary, right? And, we missionaries are above such petty things as jealousy over a coffee maker... actually, we aren’t above it… at least I’m not.

I spent the following week lusting over Erin’s office coffee station. I would find myself at three in the afternoon frowning at my steaming cup of green tea whilst thoughts of Erin’s office mates dancing about giddy with coffee consumption played in my head. I was a wreck. I began to ask Erin questions about the coffee maker. Did it really make espresso? She believed so. Did it get used often? It didn’t. Wait...it didn’t get used often?!!! I was furious. How could such a coveted prize go completely un-used? She told me that the office used the perk function to boil water for green tea. They could have my handy-dandy water perk station for all I cared, it was just downright sacrilege to be making tea in a coffee maker!

Soon, I was asking Erin to sneak me a cup of coffee in the morning. Always the response was that she didn’t know how to use the machine, and besides, we were missionaries, and we don’t sneak. Then I asked if I could just go to her office and make a cup of coffee, without sneaking. This seemed to be suitable. And, so, after lunch yesterday we ventured to the sixth floor of the coffee pot… err, I mean, library, to make me a wonderful, luscious, glorious cup of joe.

The office was mostly deserted, but I indicated that I was going to go make a cup of coffee, and everyone seemed to be ok with it, if not a little disinterested. I rushed to the back of the office, and there, I beheld again the beauty that is a 2-in-1 coffee/espresso maker. Then, the urge hit me, why make coffee when I could make espresso? It’s twice the caffeine, which theoretically means that it lasts twice as long. Never mind the fact that I have never in my life used an espresso machine, and have only seen one from its rear in a cozy safe coffee shop somewhere thousands of miles from Taiwan. “But”, my booming intellect told me, “you’re from Seattle, this’ll be a piece of cake.” After all, how hard can it be? You put the grounds in the little cup thing, you pour some water into the little tank thing, you turn it on, and presto-espresso!

So, I pressed on with the thought of a triple shot floating in my head. I leveled some grounds off in the cuppy thingy, I splashed some water in the tank…ok, I splashed a lot of water in the tank, I flipped the switch, and I waited. I waited impatiently, but waited nonetheless. After 30 seconds, I was nervously tapping my foot. Had I done something wrong? Why wasn’t the beautiful brown juice foaming out the tap? What had I done to deserve a broken espresso maker??? Why does this machine hate me?!?!?! I WANT COFFEE!!

Then, ever so slowly, but gathering intensity a little brown drip formed at the spout, and it dropped into my waiting cup. This drip was followed by another, and then another, until, to my utter delight, espresso was streaming out the spout and quickly filling my cup… and streaming a bit too fast I might add. Soon my cup was nearing full, and the stream of espresso didn’t look to be even close to done. No sputtering to indicate completion. No dribble to show that it was finished, just continuous espresso flowing without stopping. So, in retrospect, maybe I “splashed” a bit much water into the tanky thingy. Whatever the case, turning off and unplugging the machine wasn’t helping, and we were at the edge of catastrophe. Two more seconds and this would become an espresso-fall. I had to act quickly!

Again, my enormous intellect came to my aid. “Remove the cuppy thingy” it suggested. Brilliant! I reached for the handle, and without thinking further yanked it toward release… and release it did! With a loud “POOMF!” the cuppy thingy blew its contents in every direction, in the process releasing the excess steam and upsetting the already full cup of espresso. Erin, who to this point had been a cheerleader and coach from the sidelines, immediately became what is referred to on the eleven o’clock news as an “innocent bystander.” I on the other hand became the mad scientist who blows himself up in a crazy experiment. We were both coated with coffee grounds. Vaporized espresso dripped from remote locales of the room onto things that were never, I'm willing to bet, meant to hold espresso. Office workers came running from every direction expecting to find, I’m sure, our bodies rent and tattered from the explosion. Instead, we stood there stricken dumb (and feeling dumb) looking like we had just completed one of those motor-bike tournaments.

After Erin stopped laughing, and after her very embarrassed-on-our-behalf coworkers helped us finish cleaning what could be cleaned, I slunk away to our room to change into some different work clothes and later returned to my office, made myself a nice hot cup of green tea, and went back to work.

Finally! What we will be doing...

2005-08-11T01:03:00.000-07:00

A group of priests has been meeting in the Diocese of Taiwan's offices in Taipei for over 2 years working on translating the Book of Common Prayer into Mandarin. They allowed us to join in the work.

Arrival in Danshui has proven to be a drastic shift in our pace of life, and in our day to day experiences. We are now far away from the traffic and constant press of bodies that came to typify our experience in Taipei. While Danshui is one of several busy towns on Taiwan's populated west coast, St. John's University is actually some 10 or more minutes outside of the main town center. As in many parts of Taiwan, where the city ends and where the country/farmland begins is hard to tell. Main roads like the one that passes in front of St. John's main gate are always well stocked with shops and restaurants, betel nut vendors, and small fruit stands all vying for the attention of passers by. But, as soon as one leaves the beaten path, one instantly enters a different place altogether. Small subsistence farms, larger commercial fields, shacks of metal and wood, goats and chickens running free, and closer to the mountains forests of banyan and bamboo. This is the setting for St. John's University. From the top floor of the library, one can see the rows of highrise apartments in Danshui to the south, the glittering expanse of ocean less than a mile to the west, and to the north and east mountains loom over the campus. But, while the pace of life at St. John's is one that doesn't include car horns, the threat of imminent death by an oncoming moped, or the constant pressence of over 2 million people, it is nonetheless a fast moving place.

We were told several times before coming to Taiwan, that the people here are hard workers. Indeed, unless the people at St. John's University are the exception, this has proven to be true. Now that we have been here for a few days our work schedule with the University is beginning to make a little more sense we thought we would bring everyone up to speed. It appears that like everyone else on the campus, we will keep quite busy in the coming months.

For the time being I (Jered) have two main responsibilities. First and foremost, I am a part of the Chaplain's Office as an Assistant Chaplain. As the Chaplain and Rector of Advent (the University's church) is in Vancouver until September, my specific duties are still a little undefined. However, co-workers within the office assure me that there is much to keep me busy. For certain I will be working with the campus Alpha program, leading a Bible Study, starting a book study, helping to lead events sponsored by the Chaplain's Office, assisting in the Daily Office and other services, and most importantly getting to know as many of the 8000+ students as is possible. My second responsibility to the University lies in the area of Public Relations. St. John's recently made the switch from Institute of Technology to University of Technology with the long-term goal of being a general University in the next 5 to 6 years. As part of the switch, the University is trying to broaden its appeal to students from outside of the Mandarin speaking population of Taiwan and mainland China. Thus, English PR is increasingly important to the school. Moreover, as a school sponsored by the Episcopal Church it is important that the rest of the communion know who we are, and what we are about. With a degree in Mass Communication, they felt I was a natural fit. While, again, duties are still being worked out, I am encouraged that this placement will put me in a position to know more of the faculty, and to deepen my experience of being a part of this campus community.

Erin's job comes with a spiffy new title, "Director of International Technology Cooperations." Essentially, the school provides low cost or free training to immigrant populations here in Taiwan. There are a large number of Vietnamese and Phillipino workers in factories that are underpaid as they are hindered by different langugage. St. John's works with other schools in both Taiwan and other countries (namely Vietnam and Korea)to not only allow for student exchanges, but most importantly to partner in resources to help. For example, 2 weeks ago they held a training programs for vietnamese women , teaching them basic conversational taiwanese, teaching them how to cook using the food materials found here, and teaching them basic lifeskills ( how to ride bus, etc). A month ago , Erin's department sent 5 nurses over to Vietnam to train a group for healthcare. Erin's job will be 1) Maintain and furthur develop these cooperations 2) Write grants for funding 3) Find new cooperations from other schools 4)translate into english all materials necessary. She is pretty excited about it as she works in a department with about 8 other people and has been welcomed very wonderfully. In the evenings, she will join me with chaplain activities for the students.

And, of course, we will be doing all of the above along with our previously mentioned duties within the larger diocese. As you can see, we will be quite busy in the coming months. But, we believe it is going to be a "good" busy, with activities that will allow us to engage the culture, to hear the stories of those around us, and to more fully share in the life and faith of the people in the Diocese of Taiwan.

For more information on St. John's University and/or the Diocese of Taiwan, please check out the links to the left (note that a lot of it is in Mandarin -- sorry).

Corrections and retractions

2005-08-08T02:05:00.000-07:00

Its hard to process your life experiences while sitting in an internet cafe surrounded by hundreds of teenage boys all locked in an epic battle to save/destroy planet Earth. In the past three weeks Erin and I have been in several internet cafe's and the scene thus far is always the same... lots of boys and lots of noise. Explosions from a few dozen different computer games coupled with cheers and jeers from friends make this a pretty hard place to concentrate. Voices blend together into one giant sound, and we can't understand a word of it. I like to think of these moments as "Lost in Translation" moments. We've been having a lot of those moments.

Recently we posted details regarding our placements here in Taiwan for the coming year. In that post we indicated that Erin would be working as a Chaplain's Assistant, and I would be working in a ministry to factory workers... um, we were wrong. While we will still be living in Danshui and working with St. John's University, and at an urban parish in Kee Lung, it appears that the who and what were a little "lost" in the translating. In Chinese, male and female pronouns are not necessarily employed, instead of he/she, "ta" is simply employed. In telling us our placement, our bishop appeared to indicate that Erin "ta" would be doing one thing and I "ta" the other.
As Erin mentioned in our newsletter, "details are still being worked out." For sure, we will both be working at the urban parish (Trinity) in the northern port city of Keelung. The church there is starting a new outreach to youth by way of after school classes in a variety of subjects. After school education is for many Taiwanese just as important as the regular government approved curriculum. Unfortunately, it is also quite expensive, and for many youth in a poorer port city like Kee Lung, not even a possibility. Trinity sees this as an opportunity to offer affordable and often free classes to those who wouldn't otherwise afford them.

We have also recently visited a parish in north Taipei (Good Shepherd) that is half english speaking and half chinese. Erin and I will be joining both congregations (English and Chinese) one Sunday a month. During the English service I will fill in as a lay reader and preach occasionally until the church has a new English Chaplain. We have also been asked to help out if time permits in the up coming Alpha Course to be offered by the church.

As we continue to get to know our new positions at St. John's University in Danshui, we will take some time out to give you all the details. Until that time, please know that we continue to be excited about being here, and are being challenged, stretched, encouraged, and blessed by the experiences and relationships we have found.

A pagoda at the edge of St. John's University campus overlooks the China Sea at sunset.

Picture Taiwan

2005-08-03T06:51:00.000-07:00

Well, a lot of action here at the JeredandErin blog. We just wanted to make sure everyone had plenty to do when they were supposed to be working. Also, we wanted to let everyone know... if it wasn't already apparent-- THE PICTURES ARE UP!!! So, enjoy our last two weeks in photos, all 200 of them.

The first pic above is a shot of downtown Taipei, not more than two or three blocks from where we are staying at the diocesan offices. Taipei is home to over 2 million people, and I'm fairly certain at least half of them own a scooter. Traffic here can be a bit overwhelming, and as you can see in the picture, with two million plus folks living so close together, buildings tend to go up instead of out. We were so excited when looking down the street that we could see past the forest of buildings and see the mountains beyond, and so, we snapped this picture.

The second pic below is from our trip to the south of Taiwan, taken in the mountainous coffee growing region near the small rural town of Ghukan. The tall palms you see in the foreground are Betel nut palms which grow both wild and in cultivated groves, and the fruit of which is highly addictive much like tobacco. In the shade of these trees grows another quite addictive plant that is well known in our home town of Seattle. You may not be able to see it in this picture but beneath the rows of betel nut trees are rows upon rows of shade grown coffee plants.

Please enjoy the photos, and thanks again for all the amazing emails you all have been sending. Also, if you have trouble accessing our photo page, or if you want some help in using it, please let us know via email and we can give you a hand.

Taiwan Album I

Newsletter #1

2005-08-02T01:42:00.000-07:00

Greeting from Taiwan.
This is the first of what will be our monthly newsletter. The past two weeks we have spent in Tai Pei, Kee Lung, Taichung, Kaohsiung, Tainan, and Chiayi. As Taiwan is home to many who have come various regions of China, each location has its own food, culture, and identity. We found out that Taiwan is home to over 20 million people with over 20 dialects.Our receiving Bishop, David Lai, wanted us to see first hand how the Episcopal Church functions within this context. We have traveled to 10/14 parishes and missions and have been to most parts of the island. This has proved invaluable as along the way we have been educated on culture, politics, and language. It has also provided a means to meet the pastors and congregations. (One pastor even went so far as to give of his time teaching us basic Taiwanese grammar and providing us with books and articles on the history of the Christian church in Taiwan! Wow!) Last week we spent the majority of our time helping with a youth camp in Kaohsiung. Since its end we have been visiting churches in the south. Bishop Lai tells us we have seen more of Taiwan in two weeks than many people see in 2 years. With all the new experiences, new relationships, and unending hospitality, we have much to be thankful for.

After visiting and traveling, we have now been given our positions as of this morning. We are to be living in the Episcopal run University, St. John’s about 30 minutes northwest of Taipei in the seaside town of Danxue. While details are still being worked out between us, the bishop, and the school, we know that I will be working as a Chaplain’s Assistant, Jered will be helping in a ministry to factory workers, working at a nearby parish in Kee Lung that is understaffed, as well as working once a week in the Diocesan offices in Taipei.

As many of you know, we love to run and were anxious to continue this habit. We have been happy as we have been able to run most days since arriving here. It has helped with the culture shock and the feeling of complete dependence and helplessness that sometimes engulfs us. However, the heat, humidity, and traffic often keep our runs short. The past two days we had been in Chiayi, a small city (roughly 200,000) in Taiwan’s southern half, literally located on the Tropic of Cancer. Its sweaty business going for a run at this latitude and I am sure people here think we are nuts…maybe we are. Yesterday we went to run at a local elementary school’s track and someone shut and locked the gate behind us. We ended up scaling the wall and making a break for freedom. We must have appeared rather peculiar, two sweaty foreigner’s busting out of school in broad day light.

In the midst of trying to learn as much as possible there has been time for “firsts”. On Monday we traveled to the mountains to Taiwan’s only coffee growing region near Ghukan. We walked through part of a plantation for almost an hour alone, just Jered, our friend Keith and I. Later Jered drank the best cup of coffee he says he has had in months…straight from the source. Speaking of fun new experiences, today Jered ate a Szechwan dish consisting of pig’s blood and intestine. I suppose if you put the two together you would get a popular German specialty, “ Blood Sausage.”

In reflecting on what to write to you to convey our thoughts and feelings about the last 2 weeks, over and over I am reminded of our second night in Taiwan. In the midst of new smells, new sounds, new faces Jered and I heard a familiar sound. It was “ The Entertainer” played by most ice cream trucks in the United States. We looked at each other and turned to see what we thought would be a number of youth running for a treat. Instead we saw a garbage truck. Here in Taiwan the music lets people know that they can bring their garbage to be picked up. (A very helpful concept as I often, when living in Seattle, forgot to take out my garbage in time)

Sometimes my insecurities leave me feeling very much like the Garbage truck with the snazzy music. When I should be handing out frozen goodies, all I do is show up with a load of trash. Often we want to do and do and do, but our inabilities leave us feeling burdensome. We have been reminded that it is more important that we are here, wanting to learn and engage, but our expectations for ourselves often fall very short of perceived outcome. It is our hope that God uses us despite ourselves!Thank-you for all of your encouragement and continued prayers. We love you all and are so thankful for your support.

Blessings, Erin and Jered

P.S. We have noticed that everywhere here are Christmas decorations. Not that people would like to celebrate Jesus’ Birthday all year, but rather they find them pretty and don’t view them as seasonal. Our favorite was when we were in Kao Sheng walking along the Ai He (Love River) There was a Christmas tree in July with a gigantic star and the word “ KISS” on the top. We laughed and refer to it now as the “ Kissmas tree”

Language

2005-08-01T07:03:00.000-07:00

Ni hao! Hello! The past two weeks have been an on going tutorial in the importance of language. Here in Taiwan it seems that everyone speaks at least two, and sometimes three or four different languages, and everyone is interested in learning even more. The national language in Taiwan is Mandarin, or “Putonghua” – the common language. But, Taiwanese, a dialect of Mandarin is spoken just as often in most cities across the island (perhaps even more in the South), and is virtually unintelligible to a native Mandarin speaker on the mainland of China. Add to this that there are at least two more Mandarin dialects spoken by portions of the general populace, and the languages of the local aboriginal peoples are still spoken (some 20 or more of them) in coastal villages and mountain towns and you begin to see how language is of vital importance to life in Taiwan. In recent decades as English has become the common parlance of commerce across the globe, Taiwan has added English education as an established part of all levels of the local school system from kindergarten to university.
Language is also quite important when it comes to the church. Erin and I knew that in order to participate in the life and worship of the church, we would need to at least have a rudimentary grasp of Mandarin before arriving in Taiwan. In the Diocese of Taiwan, Bishop Lai encourages his clergy to use both “Zhong-wen” or “Putonghua” as well as the more local dialect of Taiwanese when celebrating mass, or in their pastoral duties. Missionary linguists and local theologians have worked for decades, and in some cases centuries to translate scripture, theological writings, hymns, and liturgical texts into the local languages. As has been the case in many other cultures, this has meant the creation of new words, new liturgy, and new ways of being Christian. This specifically Christian language is often peculiar to those new to it, and often sets the Christian community as something wholly different from the community it resides within, and simultaneously inseparable from the community it resides within.
Finally, Erin and I believe language is important, because it acts as a vehicle through which relationships can be made, and friendships strengthened. As we get to know our new friends in Taiwan, we are being made aware of just how incomplete the body of Christ would be were it not for our brothers and sisters here in this part of the world. Recently we have been reading many different theological articles and papers written by ministers and scholars here in Taiwan. These texts would be completely inaccessible (due to our relative inability to read heady theology in Mandarin) to Erin and I had it not been for the diligent work of translators. Likewise, what is happening in the western church is only accessible to those here who have been taught English, or more often if it has been translated into Chinese. All of that to say, what we know about one another, indeed how we learn from one another is all relative to how well we understand one another.

A little country in this country

2005-07-29T05:29:00.000-07:00

In the first few days after arriving here in Taiwan, Erin and I have been grateful for the gift of running. Getting up early in the morning to pound the pavement together has afforded us the opportunity to really see our new home. We pass street vendors setting up their carts, we pass business men on their mopeds, and we soak in all the sights and smells of the city waking up (though in reality the city has been awake long before sun began to rise).

One of the great things about our early runs is that we are are rarely alone in our excercise. While we haven't yet encountered an abundance of joggers or runners, each morning we do pass dozens of walkers, and even more groups of people practicing tai chi. Every park we pass (no matter how early) is packed to brimming with clusters of people standing over their mats, stretching, or forming one of a hundred different positions that I could never hope to accomplish. And, always, these groups have some sort of boom box or stereo blaring (and I mean blaring) traditinal chinese/taiwanese music. I mention all of this because on one morning, on one particular run we passed a group doing their routine, but noticed that instead of traditional music the stereo was playing the country western song "Boot Scoot'n Boogey". While this in and of itself was surreal enough to turn our heads, we were further amazed when we watched the entire group execute a perfect country line-dancing routine!

But, our time here in Taiwan has been much more than running. While we are beginning to feel much more at home, we are at the same time very much without a home. The past five days we have spent travelling from one spot to the next. Since we last posted we have stayed with a priest and his family in Taichiung, then travelled to a youth retreat in Kaohsiung. The retreat was a great chance to meet more of the people including other priests from within the diocese. The youth here are a definite minority within their individual parishes, and we were struck by their generosity as they translated and patiently endured our broken mandarin through the entire four days of activities. It is a testament to their generosity that we were never once left behind on any of the scheduled events! We are currently in Tainan the oldest city in Taiwan. Today was a whirlwind tour of culture and history in Taiwan, and tomorrow we are off to Chiayi where we will stay with another priest and his family (tonight we helped Moses age 3 celebrate his birthday with his parents the pastors here in Tainan).

There are of course an infinite number of stories and encounters that I'd like to add right now... but, suffice to say that we never have a dull moment. At the youth retreat we were introduced in mandarin as lawyers turned missionaries and have spent the past three days trying in broken mandarin (and our increasingly broken english) to debunk this rumor. After several attempts to say paralegal (a word which we cannont for the life of us find in our Chinese to English dictionary)or claims assistant, we have been tempted to just let the rumor stand. After all, if this missionary gig falls through, maybe we could start a practice here in Taiwan????

But seriously, we are incredibly happy, healthy, and continue to be blown away at the incredible hospitality we receive at every corner. Yesterday on a run we were completely and hopelessly lost (a mere three blocks from our church)and were stopped a few times by locals to ask if we needed help finding our way. As you can see by our being able to type this blog, we were indeed successful in finding our way back. God has blessed us with an incredibly rich and exciting experience already in such a short time.

Thanks for the continued emails, we like hearing from you.

Crossing the road

2005-07-21T18:08:00.000-07:00

We have been in Taiwan for four days. Thank-you for the e-mails, kind words, and prayers. They make all the differance to us. We are staying with Bishop Lai and his wife. The diocese owns a building in downtown Tai Pei. A chapel on the first floor, offices on the 2nd, our room and meeting room on the third and Bishop's residance on the 4th. We have been told that in Taiwan ministers live inside their church.

We have been very well treated. I have never seen such kindness for two total strangers. So many people have opened their hearts so quickly to us, it hurts my heart in a way as I am humbled by their giving.

The Bishop has been actively educating us about the culture, people and language. He is patient as we ask many questioｎs.　Ｈｅwould like　us first to understand　the culture and what ministry opportunities are available before we talk about our placement. It has been quite wonderful to see for ourselves all the ways that the church is working here.

Yesterday a young priest from the north part of the island came for a visit with the Bishop. It was decided that the priest, Richard, would drive us to his home in Kee Lung so we could see his church and their kindergarten. It must be said, after four days, Jered and I were beginning to reach a new level of culture shock and so our enthusiasm for another trip was not where it should have been. We had seen and experienced so much, all I wanted to do was sit in a room and think...for a long time.

But that was not the plan for the day, and I am glad I didn`t have my own way. Over lunch and in the car, Richard told us his story. At age 14 he was forced to live on his own, supporting his mother. His sister told him that he could receive financial assistance if he started attending church. After 2 years, he realized he experienced a peace and love he had never known from his faith and the community that supported him. It was then that he decided to be pastor, he told us, so others could know Jesus as he had.

When we entered Kee Lung, we were shocked. So many falling down buildings. A port town, most people travel to Tai Pei ( a 40 minute drive) for work. The church, another 4 story building, immediately welcomed us. As we walked in, the smell of warm sticky bodies greeted us as well.

Trinity church had an attendance of 20 till about a year ago when they opened the door to all neghborhood children. In Taiwan, the majority of E. parishes have schools as a way of reaching out to the community and remaining self sustaining. Trinity decided that regardless of economics, they would keep their doors open 7 days a week for all children to have a place to stay. During the shool year it funcions as a kindergarten, but now (as its summer)they have activities planned from 8-4 of all sorts for any age. The three teachers we saw were full of energy and you could see how much they loved their kids. The teachers work non-stop, pausing at 4 to eat a quick lunch.

During the afternoon a woman in her 30's came in with a small three month old baby. Vanessa is a single mom without support of her family. She explained to us that it is very hard to have a baby without a husband. A few months ago she started attending Trinity church- she had heard their singing from her apartment. No one said anything about her pregnancy, they just loved her right away. She appears to struggle with depression, but says that spending time at Trinity "helps her emotions...people listen and love here." She repeated to us over and over that it is not enough to know Jesus, you must love others like he did.

After awhile, Richard's lovely wife came down stairs and invited us to her home on the third floor. They have a precious 1 yr old. "So cute!" Richard likes to repeat. They tooks us for a progressive dinner to the very famous Kee Lung night market. I have never seen anything like it. So many local foods...so many people..lights...and it happens everynight in Kee Lung! Our new favorite food: shaved ice with fruit topping.

After Richard had driven us back to Tai Pei, Jered and I talked a long time about the day. We had made fast friends at Trinity Church and it was the first moment that we could begin to see ourselves in our new home. Every day we read from Henry Nouwen's, "Bread for the Journey". In the morning we read about crossing the road for our neighbor and finding our commonality in Christ. Yesterday, so many crossed the road for us. Our hearts were full.

We still are not sure as to our placement. We will be in the south part of the Island on a college retreat for students till next Friday, so we will be out of communication. At that time, we will be better informed as to where we will be and exactly what we will be doing by way of long term placement.

We Love you all. Erin

Arrival

2005-07-19T01:42:00.000-07:00

We'll make this short and sweet... or, at least short. We arrived yesterday morning around midnight in Taipei. Due to a particularly pesky typhoon, we had a 5 hour layover in Nagoya Japan before arriving here.

The last few hours have already been quite eventful. We have been on a short foot tour of parts of downtown Taipei. We have met several wonderful people within the diocese, and we have of course dined on some fine local cuisine (always a highlight for the Weber-Johnson).

For the time being we are staying with the Rt. Rev. David J. H. Lai and his wife Lili. Our address here is (until we have a permanent address):

Jered and Erin Weber-Johnson
c/o Bishop David Lai
280, Fuhsing S. Rid.
Sec.2
Taipei, Taiwan

For the time being we don't have a permanent phone but can be reached in an emergency at (02)2736-5372. If its not an emergency, please continue to correspond with us via email. Remember that we are 14 hours ahead of the west coast (where did July 18th go?) so we won't be responding immediately to most emails.

Love to you all. We'll touch base later when we have a bit more down time.

Until then...

Peace,
Jered and Erin

Standing on the edge

2005-07-16T14:41:00.000-07:00

Never have our Saturn doors felt so thin as they did while taking this picture.

Since we last posted a lot has happened. We've covered hundreds of miles leaving the sun drenched fields and prairie of the midwest behind us. Our little Saturn has carried us out of the US and into Canada for the return leg of our epic roadtrip. Its hard to believe this huge trip is behind us. From Rush Lake, we traveled west, pausing back in New Rockford for an evening, just long enough to say our good byes. From there, we forged due north to the Canadian border passing through the "Geographic Center of North America" and crossed into Canada at the International Peace Garden. We swept past the golden canola fields of Manitoba and over the grasslands and sloughs of Saskatchewan staying one night in the sleepy town of Mooseomin. We followed the marching hills covered in sagebrush as we proceeded into Alberta, and spent another night in Calgary. Then it was off to the towering peaks of the Canadian Rockies and a night in Banff National Park. The rest of our journey out of Alberta, through British Columbia and back into Washington is chronicled in picture on our Ofoto page. Just log into our photo albums and have a look.

Posing in Osoyoos Provincial Park. We paused here for a late afternoon run and a picinic dinner of pancakes and scrambled eggs.

Right now we're in Kennewick, gathering our wits, packing our things, and praying for a safe trip. Its amazing to be here, standing at the edge of whatever lies on the other side of our Sunday plane trip, ready to take the plunge feeling scared and excited at the same time. We'll check back in with everyone once we have our feet back under us in Taiwan. Until then, this blog might be a little dead. Thanks again to everyone who has contributed to us getting here, in your prayers, gifts, and encouragement. Thanks also to all our friends and family that helped to make our last six weeks an amazing, exciting adventure! Remember, our home (wherever it is) will always be open to any of you that want to come visit us during our time in Taiwan.

News from Lake Wobegon

2005-07-09T14:01:00.000-07:00

The one that got away? Erin takes a break from her sunbathing/reading/fishing schedule to smooch this larger than life bluegill near Rush Lake Minnesota.

Our last two weeks have been everything we wanted and needed them to be. Grandma and Grandpa Weber did a great job of taking care of us during our first week in New Rockford. We had coffee with the local ladies, played lots of cards, read plenty, soaked in the beauty of the North Dakota prairie, and of course never missed a meal. Lucky for us the flat prairie, dirt country roads (laid out in perfect one mile squares), and cooler temperatures afforded us the perfect opportunity to match our regular meals with regular runs. The only hazards it turns out, to North Dakota running, are the strong winds (which on occasion threatened to carry us away), and the abundance of enormous mosquitoes (which also on occasion threatened to carry us away). Life was pretty darn near perfect during our time in ND, and we came away feeling rested up for our next leg of the vacation. We even managed to fit in some visiting with Erin's great aunt Lillie, as well as aunt Patty and cousin Jada.

As mentioned in our previous blog, our second week in the northland was spent at Rush Lake near Detroit Lakes, Minnesota. Every year the Broschat family gathers for some fun in the sun at Elm Haven Resort on little Rush Lake. Craig, Erin, and Bev taught me some of the finer points of crappie, blue gill, and walleye fishing (apparently I didn't master those finer points as we came away with nothing but sunburn for our troubles). Again, this week afforded us plenty of running, eating, and reading. We were joined at the resort by Erin's aunt Sandy and Uncle Duane. along with Erin's Grandma and Grandpa Broschat. Of course, the week's highlight came when Sandy and I whooped up on everyone else in the All Broschat First Annual Hexathalon. I won't brag too much here, but, the six event race was a test to both the wit and the strength of everyone involved. Erin's grandparents Emery and Mary Ann made fine judges, and I think everyone had a good time... I know I did.

The stained glass windows of Grandma and Grandpa Weber's Methodist Church in New Rockford glow in the waning light of sunset.

If you'd like to see some pictures from our time in North Dakota and Minnesota, again, check out our photo album link on the left side of your screen.

More Midwest Fun

2005-07-05T09:53:00.000-07:00

After St. Louis we embarked on a week long tour de force of the greater Central Illinois region, with stops in Highland, Greenville, Champaign-Urbana, a brief return to St. Louis, Alton, and Litchfield. Seeing so many familiar faces and places was worth all the driving. We visited in Highland with our old church family at Highland First Baptist for Sunday morning worship. And, after services we were able to briefly visit with Tom and Pam Davis our former pastors. In Greenville we spent time with college friends Stacey and Michael Ritter, and shared a meal and stories with Jered's former boss and friend Pastor Jim Howie. We looked in on our first apartment, checked out the Greenville College campus, slaked our thirst at Java Jo's and participated in Greenville's rip roarin' Dairy Day's down on the square. We even managed to slip in a short shopping trip to Greenville's Thrift Store to check out the summer fashions. It was surreal to be in the 'ville during summer with the campus deserted, and all the professors out of town. We managed to bump into a few acquaintances, friends, and profs, and then we skidaddled for Champaign-Urbana.

In Urbana we spent a few lovely days reconnecting with Grandma Yardy. Staying in her home allowed plenty of time to peruse back over old family pictures, read up on the life of Grandpa Yardy, and explore family history. We shared stories, laughed, ate, and laughed some more. We even fit in a trip out to visit Aunt Donna, Uncle Bob, and Nathan Yardy for an afternoon. My cousin Nathan schooled me in a few games of ping-pong before dinner (See Midwest -- Part II for a photo essay on the games).

If you log onto our photo Album mentioned above, you will see that after Champaign we stayed pretty busy. We bounced down to St. Louis for dinner with friend Dick Schmidt at Blueberry Hill. Dick was the chaplain for our missionary orientation in January in Austin, and it was a delight to reconnect.

From St. Louis Erin and I were off to Alton and Litchfield Illinois, respectively, for more reunions with friends. For Erin, it was a chance to connect with good friends Anna and Alison. In Litchfield several friends (Jason and Sam Fisher, Jonathan Miller, and Brian Weiss) had converged on Shane and Karen Cress's home for a few days of relaxation and shenanigans.

Then, just like that, rip-rap-rippity-do and we were back on a plane bound for Bismark, North Dakota. Sitting in the Minneapolis airport on a layover, we were struck by just how much ground we had covered, all we had seen, all we had done, and all the connecting and reconnecting that had happened with those most important people in our lives, all in such a short amount of time. All that traveling had us wishing for a little R&R, and we knew just where to find it. First we stopped for a week-long prairie getaway courtesy of Grandma and Grandpa Weber in their home town New Rockford North Dakota. Then it was another week of fun in the sun at Rush Lake, Minnesota for the annual Broschat family reunion. If you need us, we'll be at the end of the dock dangling our toes, or on a lawn chair catching up on some z's.

Sitting exhausted in the Minneapolis airport "reflecting" on what a great trip this has been thus far (and missing some of you already).

Get your kicks on Route 66!

2005-06-27T15:09:00.000-07:00

Round two of our whirl-wind tour of the Midwest brought us out of the north land and into the sultry climes of the "Show Me" state. Arriving in St. Louis we were whisked away by our host and hostess Courtney and Istvan Veszi. The next four lovely days we had the chance to unwind, take long runs in Forest Park, visit wineries, browse the farmer's market, eat delicious meals, and take in the sights like celebrities in the back of the Veszi's old Saab convertible.

We had forgotten what a great city St. Louis is, and we were reminded again what a blessing it can be to share experiences and adventures with close friends like Courtney and Istvan. I can't remember a time when I have laughed so hard or been so completely at ease.

If you would like to see more pictures of our St. Louis adventures, click on our photo album link under "links" on the left hand side of our your screen. Once logged on, you can stop the slide show and choose the album labeled "Midwest I" to see what we've been up to. Hope you enjoy...

Home on the Range...

2005-06-27T13:41:00.000-07:00

... Or, more accurately, "homeless" on the range. Since leaving Seattle in early June, Erin and I have been living out of our backpacks and out of the back of our car. After returning from our Alaska expedition on June 11th, we spent one more night in Seattle, rose early the 12th, and hit the road. From Seattle to Kennewick Washington the going was a bit slow. But after a short layover (enough time to say hello to Bev, goodbye to Craig, off-load 65 pounds of wild caught Alaskan fish, and exchange cold weather Alaska clothes in favor of warm weather midwest clothes) we were off on our Roadtrip Extravaganza -- it was Bismark or Bust!! Our little Saturn made good time out of Washington, zipped across the narrow neck of Idaho, and tackled Montana just in time for sunset... all FOUR HOURS of it!!! What a spectacular drive. As we drove east, the setting sun behind us splattered its oranges and reds across the mountains in front of us and we drove a long way in silence just soaking in the beauty of it all. We rolled out of the mountains just as night was settling in, and coasted to a stop at a great campground just outside of Bozeman Montana.

Day two we rose early, broke camp, and headed for North Dakota. The morning proved to be just as beautiful as the evening in Montana (after a strong cup of coffee that is). Fog, that had covered the landscape the night before was stretching its long arms to meet the rising sun. We passed small groups of grazing antelope and the occasional mule deer as we hurried toward our destination. When the rolling green hills began to give way to bluffs and rocks, we knew we were getting closer. We cruised into North Dakota not long after lunch, paused to be "welcomed" and then we were off again. We stopped again for photos of the Badlands, and finally arrived in Bismark just before dinner and a late evening run. For more pictures of our life on the road, click the link below and refer to the instructions I posted earlier in "Commissioning" if you need help pulling up the albums. Once you are logged into our photo page, a slide show will start. If you wish to stop it and select individual pictures or skip ones you've seen already, either end the slide show by clicking the above right tab, or use the navigation buttons to skip ahead through the slideshow.

Midwest Album I -- Roadtrip and St.Louis

Of course the road trip was just the beginning. The next morning we departed by plane for St. Louis, and the beginning of our Midwest adventure. All along the way we have been so blessed by peoples generosity. To say that we've been living out of our back packs and the back of our car really isn't entirely accurate. We've really been living off of the goodness of all our friends and family. From Seattle to Alaska and back again, and all the way out to North Dakota, Missouri and Illinois, friends and family have opened their homes, fed us, and reminded us again of how essential community is to life. We are grateful and yet humbled at the same time. Relying on others makes us painfully aware that we aren't as self sufficient or independent as we would like to think we are. What a blessing it is to know that we truly do need others.

North to Alaska!

2005-06-10T13:49:00.000-07:00

After months of anticipation and a short jet ride, we arrived in Alaska. By "we" I am refering to Erin, Erin's dad Craig, and I. This was Craig's first trip to the "Last Frontier" and we were on hand to make sure he had a great time!

Stepping out of the airport and boarding the ferry across the narrow channel to Ketchikan, we were greeted by Southeast Alaska's finest weather, clouds and drizzel. Feeling the first drops of rain, I turned to Craig to reassure him. "Don't worry Craig, it always sprinkles here in Southeast, but it never pours." The words had hardly left my mouth when the skies opened up and dumped torrents on my foolish head.

Luckily for us after boarding the ferry with my mom (who joined us on the main island in Ketchikan) for Prince of Wales Island, the clouds began to clear, and we were left with blue skies for the next three days.

While in Alaska we have seen whales, deer, bears, sea lions, sea otters, eagles galore, and even managed to catch a few fish. Go to our photo album link under "links"(see directions under "Commissioning" on how to access them if you haven't made an account) to see more beach picinics, hiking, and Alaska wildlife pics.

Commissioning

2005-06-08T10:58:00.000-07:00

On our last Sunday with St. Luke's of Renton, the church along with Bishop Warner commissioned us for missionary service. It was a beautiful service, and now that we have the photos online, we thought we'd share them with you.

For more pictures from our commissioning service, please click on the album link. Your browser will be directed to our Ofoto page, click on the "join now" in the upper right-hand corner of the page, and then just type in your email address under "email", create a login name, and password, and you'll have access to our albums whenever you'd like. You can even order prints from that page. Enjoy!

Commissioning Album

Blessings

2005-06-05T22:47:00.000-07:00

The past few weeks have been an excercise in learning how to receive blessings. One after another, they have continued to roll in like waves to the shore. When we moved out of our house, it was friends and family who were on hand to help out. When we were homeless, it was friends and family who gave us a place to stay. And, when we were hungry (and, when are we not hungry?) it was again our wonderful community of friends and family that gave us a bite to eat.

A Good-bye meal with Fr. Tom our previous minister.

Some blessings have been more literal. Sunday, May 29th we participated in a liturgy at St. Luke's in which we were commissioned for missionary service by our home (sending) church. It was fitting that the commissioning was a part of the Sunday service, in which new members were confirmed in the Episcopal church, and/or received into membership at St. Luke's of Renton. It was a beautiful occasion and a reminder that while we are the two heading to Taiwan, it is St. Luke's of Renton and our greater sending community that is carrying out this mission. As that was our last Sunday with St. Luke's until we return from Taiwan, we were able to leave with the knowledge that we have been and truly are blessed.

For more pictures of Seattle Good-byes, click on the "Our Photo Albums" link.

It is finished

2005-05-28T10:43:00.001-07:00

As our previous post indicated, Wednesday was the day of reckoning. A call went out to any and all who were willing and brave enough to hazard a haul up our treacherous path. To those of you who showed up (and you know who you are) we send our sincerest thanks.

Thursday we departed Seattle with our Uhaul loaded to the brim. Taking it slow, we negotiated Snoqualmie Pass and coasted into Kennewick (home of Bev and Craig Weber) late in the afternoon. We were running on fumes by that point.

Unloading the van into a storage proved to be a much easier enterprise than was the loading. Perhaps it had something to do with the lack of a hill, though I think it had more to do with Craig's (Erin's dad) expert van unloading advice. Craig had ideas of ways to store stuff that were both daring and innovative... he's an artist. Note the picture below, is that Erin floating in a zero "G" environment, or is that couch really standing on its side? Genius.

Of course, once we were finished we found a right comfy spot on Bev and Craig's livingroom floor... and collapsed. Hooray for being done!

Thanks again to everyone who helped us out in this process. We're in Seattle until the 3rd and then its off to Alaska followed by a trip to the midwest.

Boxes

2005-05-20T16:14:00.000-07:00

Seattle rain is splattering on my office window. From where I sit, I can see a cloud break over the docks and train tracks south of my building. It seems like an eternity has passed since Erin and I moved here. Time moves slow like a raindrop sliding down a pane of glass.

All of our belongings are in boxes now. Three years of memories wrapped in newspaper and bubble wrap and tucked away for safe keeping. Over the past weeks as we have slowly packed and sifted through our stuff, I have been stumbling across some really great finds. There was a paper written hastily for a sociology course, notes written to Erin on Chapel Cards, pictures of a concert we attended with friends, a ticket stub from a Prairie Home Companion, and a booklet of Calvin and Hobbes comics compiled by a friend as a Christmas gift. I even came across a zip-lock baggie of old receipts and other bits of paper rescued from my wallet after a tragic laundry washing episode. It was strangely satisfying to look at receipts from Greenville’s IGA and to note which ones were for personal purchases, and which ones might have been a date with Erin. “Bakery item” and “2 frappucino” most likely means a coffee and bagel date… Erin really liked IGA bagels. I saved the receipts. I take comfort knowing that some day when I reopen that box I’ll be able to peruse back over the relics of my recent past.

As a sidenote….

We’re moving soon. Next week to be exact. We’ll load up everything into a van, drive three hours and deposit it all in storage. If you want to help us move… and I know you do, we’ll be supplying pizza and beer for anyone willing to sacrifice their Wednesday afternoon (May 25th) to carry heavy objects up a hill.

We’re moving!!!

2005-05-10T08:31:00.000-07:00

The Weber-Johnsons are taking their show on the road. More accurately, we are moving to Taiwan in July to work as missionaries through the Episcopal Church. As you are important to us, we wanted to write all of you to give a brief update as to what we will be doing, how long we will be gone, and future contact information.

We will be working outside of Tai Pei offering help as chaplain assistant, administrative assistant, teaching music and English, and providing assistance to a small church that has been without leadership for quite some time. Its congregation is part Filipino and part Taiwanese. It definitely will make for an interesting cultural exchange.

At this time, we will be returning in June 2006 to attend the Episcopal Church’s General Convention in Ohio. At that point we’ll have the option to stay or go back for another 2 years. (Completing a 3 year term) While uncertain as to the length of time we will remain, we look forward to seeing God and the manifestation of his love in new ways through the relationships made there.

We hope to still stay in contact with all of you. Your presence in our lives remains extremely important and your letters and prayers are always blessings. After May 31st all mail can be sent to Erin’s parents to be forwarded on.

Jered and Erin Weber-Johnson
c/o Craig and Beverly Weber
235 West 52nd
Kennewick, WA 99337

We will be keeping a weekly updated webpage as well as sending out monthly letters. If you would like to be included on our updates, please let us know. Our phone number till May 31st is (206)725-8709. Below please find our e-mail addresses or you can respond to our current or future addresses.
Our Love,

Jered and Erin

Eweber1080@hotmail.com
jered_weberjohnson@yahoo.com