A letter from Jonathan and Emily Seitz serving in Taiwan
christmas 2014 - gift-giving
Dear Friends,
Christmas is rapidly approaching. It’s hard to believe that this will be our fifth Christmas in Taipei (we spent a sixth in the U.S.). (See some of our past Christmas letters: 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010.) This letter finds our oldest starting first grade and the twins in preschool. As we write this we are grateful for a recent PC(USA) and Presbyterian Church of Taiwan gathering, and for the gifts God gives us through the people we meet.
In Taiwan gift-giving is an important way of showing kindness or friendship. Of course in the U.S. we give gifts to family members, for special occasions, or sometimes just to be nice, but in Taiwan gift-giving is even more common. People often give official gifts to visitors and they also give holiday gifts (usually a red envelope given at New Year's or the Mid-Autumn Festival) to employees or friends. People sometimes give gifts if you are sick. At times the gift-giving is almost pure reciprocity; for instance, at weddings mothers keep lists of how much people give so they will know how much to give in return. Workers may also expect a financial gift twice a year for their hard work.
At other times gift-giving is spontaneous and friendly. Recently an old friend at church gave us a bag of candy. Another friend had given the gift to her and she gave it to us. In the U.S. we call this “re-gifting,” and it’s a bit of a faux pas, but in Taiwan it’s a way of showing friendship. This type of gift-giving means that many people may have the experience of happily receiving and happily giving the same gift. (We probably shortcut the circuit this time by eating the candy.) Such gift-giving is a source of joy (who doesn't like a gift?) and sometimes of consternation (how/when/should we reciprocate?).
-1_medium300.jpeg)
PC(USA) and Presbyterian Church of Taiwan Consultation 2014
I was thinking about gift-giving recently as the PC(USA) and the PCT (Presbyterian Church of Taiwan) hosted a joint consultation, the first in about a decade. The event was marked by shared meals, multilingual worship, and gift-giving. Official gifts included things like the PC(USA)’s new hymnal for the Taiwanese hosts, and a new translation of the Hakka Bible (Hakka are a Chinese ethnic minority group) for the visitors from the States. We were grateful for the chance to see friends and leaders from the PC(USA), including David Shinn (a member of the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board), the regional liaison for East Asia (Choon Lim), the Area Coordinator for Asia and the Pacific (Mienda Uriarte), the program associate from Presbyterian Women who directs global exchange (Kathy Reeves), the director of PC(USA) World Mission (Hunter Farrell), and the Associate Executive Director for Mission (Roger Dermody).
[See articles on the visit on the Presbyterian News Service, The Presbyterian Outlook and the Presbyterian Church of Taiwan sites.]
One of the great things about the gathering was the chance to share information, ideas, and experiences. We split into visitation groups that went to sites throughout Taiwan to see PCT’s ministry in action. My group was in Tainan visiting a young adult service and regular Sunday worship. When we returned, we met together and planned. One afternoon I moderated discussions on evangelism and social justice led by Roger and Mienda and also by PCT evangelism secretary Tsai Nan-Hsin and PCT social witness secretary Lin Wei-lian. A special part of the gathering was the identification of five areas for future work (mission/evangelism, social justice, women’s ministry, minority partnerships, and youth and young adult work). At the end of our time together working groups worked to plan specific future partnerships, such as exchanges between minority leaders, development of ministries related to land justice and human rights, and presbytery and other partnerships.
One of the more interesting conversations at the consultation was over the PC(USA)’s 1001 Worshipping Communities and PCT’s “101” Evangelism movement (or “1 leads 1”). There are some interesting resonances between the two movements. The PC(USA) hasn’t undertaken something like this in many years, and for PCT the outreach movement is more intentional and growth-focused than in the past. The PC(USA)’s campaign focuses on creative worship and innovation in mission, while PCT’s approach has been more on developing training and resources for individual and congregational invitation to the community. It may be possible to think of this cross-cultural exchange as a type of re-gifting. We learn from each other, share music and food and friendship, and work together to share the faith that we have.
At Christmas we remember the gift of Christ. We remember the gifts that people gave to him that sustained the family when they fled to Egypt. We remember the life of the church in many different places. We’re especially grateful for the gifts that keep us here and that allow us to serve in such a dynamic and beautiful place. Thank you for the gifts you offer to PC(USA) World Mission and thank you for including us in your prayer.
Prayer
God-with-us Emmanuel, we thank you for the gift you are to us at Christmas. All good things come from you, and we can share only because you have first given to us. We thank you for friends in Taiwan and the U.S. Bless us that we may be a blessing to others. Amen.
Jonathan, Emily, Sam, Eva, and Eli
The 2014 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 240
The 2015 Presbyterian Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 253
Read more about Jonathan and Emily Seitz' ministry
Write to Jonathan Seitz
Write to Emily Seitz
Individuals: Give online to E200383 for Jonathan and Emily Seitz' sending and support
Congregations: Give to D507519 for Jonathan and Emily Seitz' sending and support
Churches are asked to send donations through your congregation’s normal receiving site (this is usually your presbytery).
Double Your Impact!
A group of committed donors has pledged to match all gifts sent by individuals for mission personnel support now through December 31, 2014, up to $137,480. This means your gift today will be matched by a gift to support mission personnel around the world, wherever the need is greatest. We invite you to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to double the impact of your gift. Thank you!
