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John McCall in Taiwan |
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Care Packages Sent To John McCall (Thank You From John Is Below)
Spring 2008
The mission's committee sent John a few care packages over the last several months to let him know he is in our thoughts and prayers. We sent him crosses made by our Sunday School classes, a CD from our friend Jim Whitaker (Country/Christian music artist), a few movies, candy, snacks (a little taste of home), Duke hat, Duke t-shirt (he is a Duke alum), ACC basketball preview magazine and a copy of our 07 mission trip DVD. John sent us a few thank you notes below, so we wanted to share them with the congregation. We are really excited about our continued support of John and his faithful work in Taiwan. His last visit to the USA & to Matthews was in early 2005. He comes home every 4-5 years. We certainly look forward to his next visit with us in 2009.
May 2008
Dear members of mission committee and Sunday School children,
Thank you so much for your thoughtfulness in making the crosses and sending them to Taiwan. Everytime I head to the mountains with the gifts you make, they bring smiles to the faces of young and old. They are a tangible symbol of our connection in Christ. Thank you for being partners in mission.
Gratefully,
John
From: John McCall [mailto:john@taitheo.org.tw]
Sent: Sunday, January 06, 2008 9:35 PM
To: Steve Moser
Subject: Thanks!
Dear MPC Mission's Committee,
Your care package arrived today. Thank you for your thoughtfulness!
I will really enjoy reading the ACC magazine and wearing the Duke shirt and hat. Thanks too for the candy and crackers. I?ll enjoy watching the DVD of your mission trip.
I plan to be back in the US next year on interpretation assignment, so I want to arrange a weekend to visit you all at Matthews PC.
I just flew back last night from preaching at an aboriginal church on the southeast coast. This is our last week of classes and then next week we start final exams. This weekend a Taiwanese baseball player who played 2A for the Rockies will be coming with me to tell his faith journey at another aboriginal church.
I hope all is going well with you. Please give my greetings to the church. Thanks again for brightening my day.
Sincerely,
John
About John McCall
Born in Flint, Michigan
Bachelor's degree from Duke University in Durham, North Carolina
Master's of Divinity from Princeton Theological Seminary in Princeton, New Jersey
Doctor of Ministry from Columbia Seminary in Decatur, Georgia
About Taipei
Capital City of Taiwan. Taiwan is a small island one hundred miles off the southern coast of China. Christians there make up only 3 percent of the total population. Presbyterians account for 1 percent of that figure. There are nine tribes in Taiwan with nine different tribal languages.
About John's Work
Since March of 2001, John has been teaching at the Taiwan Theological Seminary in the capital city of Taipei. He instructs students in the areas of spiritual formation, preaching and worship, and the theology of ministry. The seminary has about 60 graduate students preparing to be pastors and about 100 undergraduates studying music, social work, or Christian education "The seminary also runs an academy for lay folks who are interested in studying the Bible and theology," writes John. "I teach in this academy on Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 9:30. These are mostly working people who ride their motorcycles or take the subway from their places of work to the eighth floor of a high-rise church in downtown Taipei. There are 65 people in the class studying how to be God's people in their daily lives. After a long day at work, I am always inspired by the energy and interest they bring to class. Their energy gives me energy. And it thrills me to think that they leave the class to be Christ's light in their families, jobs, and in the world."
John fondly remembers the lively worship of the aboriginal peoples in his previous appointment. "God has truly given these people a wonderful gift of song," he writes. "They are warm and welcoming people and love to laugh. Currently there are several needs for the aboriginal church. One is for members to have a deeper understanding of the Bible and how it relates to daily life. Another pressing need is to find ways to reach the young adults who are often not involved in the church."
What We At MPC Do For John
We support John financially. We also look for opportunities for our youth and congregation to create meaningful projects to send to John for his mission work, including letters and crafts. Another thing we do for John is send him care packages. Letters from John are posted on the website & in the newsletter.
John McCall
Taiwan Seminary
Number 20, Lane 2, Sec. 2
Yang-The-Ta Road, Shihlin
Taipei 11106
Taiwan
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