Update

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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!