A letter from John McCall in Taiwan

April 2008

The cloud of witnesses

Dear Friends,

This week is tomb-sweeping week in Taiwan, a time when everyone returns to their home towns to clean the graves of their ancestors. It is the solemn duty of each Taiwanese to properly weed around the grave and sweep the graves, which are often quite large. Non-Christians then make offerings to their ancestors. Christians give thanks to God for giving them faithful parents, grandparents, or great-grandparents.

A cloud of witnesses: Elder Samuel Jang surrounded by his children and grandchildren.

As I think of those who have helped me in the past 12 years in Taiwan, I am particularly grateful for Elder Samuel Jang. He is currently 81 years old and grew up in China. He was educated in Presbyterian mission schools in China and while studying in junior high came to know Christ. When he was in his twenties, he immigrated to Taiwan and married a Taiwanese woman. They had four children.

In the Taiwanese-speaking part of the Presbyterian Church here, it is rare to find a person from China serving as a church elder. Because worship and church meetings are conducted in Taiwanese, someone who came from China may have a difficult time understanding. So I was surprised many years ago to find out that Samuel is an elder in a Taiwanese-speaking church in the middle of Taipei. I was curious why he had been elected an elder in the East Gate Church.

It didn?t take me long to find out why. Elder Samuel served for many years as a teacher in the children?s church school. Other teachers told me that when they had a difficult child, Elder Samuel would always offer to have that student move to his class. He would then give the difficult student a job to be the assistant teacher. That student would help Elder Samuel with leading the singing, passing out Bibles, and straightening up the classroom. No one had ever given responsibility to the problem child before. They were used to being yelled at, not to being in a leadership role. Many of these children have now grown up to be elders and deacons in the church.

Elder Samuel?s wife was ill and confined to bed for 14 years. In order to help care for her, he employed a woman from the Philippines. Often, workers from the Philippines are mistreated by their Taiwanese employers. Elder Samuel discovered that this woman was a Catholic. So, he told her that they would alternate Sundays in going to church. That way, one person would be there to care for Samuel?s wife, and one person would be able to go to worship. Each morning, Samuel would kneel and pray together with the Filipina helper. Instead of treating her like a servant, he treated her like a member of his family and helped nurture her in her faith.

Elder Samuel is a dentist, and in his 80s still sees several patients a week in a clinic on the first floor of his home. Many of his patients are non-Christians, and Samuel joyfully shares his faith with them as he is working on their teeth.

I periodically share a meal with Samuel, and every time we are together my joy and faith are renewed. He truly is the light and salt of Jesus Christ. I am grateful for the way his love for God is so naturally transferred in his love for others. His life encourages me to also live a life that is transparent in sharing God?s love.

Thank you for your concern and care for the people of Taiwan.

Gratefully,