November 2004

The world church comes to Lower Beetle Nut Village

Dear Friends,

One of the aboriginal church districts here has only six churches, two pastors, and four evangelists. Last year the two pastors, who are in their early fifties, both discovered that they had cancer. Earlier this year one of the pastors died. The second pastor is still undergoing chemotherapy and radiation. We are praying for his recovery.

People in the tribal villages began to ask if something was wrong with the faith of the two pastors because they both became ill. Other non-Christians also began to ask if the God of the Christians was not strong enough to heal these two men. These questions led some of the tribal Christians to pray with fervor that God would heal their pastors. When the first pastor died, it was a crisis of faith for many of the Christians. Taiwanese, both aboriginal and non-aboriginal, tend to look at which god is the strongest and then follow that god.

When I lived on the southeast coast of Taiwan, I worked closely with these six churches and visited the second pastor in the hospital during his surgery. So I was concerned about the theology of the members.

So, this past Sunday I brought folks from Tanzania, India, South Africa, Germany, Madagascar, Malaysia, Malawi, Singapore, Switzerland, Wales, the tiny Pacific island of Kiribati, and North America to the tribal church in Lower Beetle Nut Village. I wanted this group of international Christians to represent the body of Christ to the folks in these six churches. I wanted the presence of the world church to represent the presence of Christ in their midst.

It was a wonderful day of worship. The wind was gentle and cool as folks arrived on their motor scooters. The churches have a drum and flute group of young people who play traditional aboriginal music. They began the service with wonderful praise to our Creator. The African and Pacific island pastors especially enjoyed the lively music. Then the foreign guests formed a choir and sang two anthems for the worship. The aboriginal Christians joined in to sing with the second anthem.

I then preached a sermon entitled “God in Suffering.” I tried to help them picture a God who does not lead us away from suffering, but who leads us through suffering to new life. When I preach in the aboriginal churches I try to use concrete language to help the worshipers see the truth in the gospel.

After the sermon the different foreign guests shared how to say “peace” in their languages. Christians in Taiwan have a wonderful custom of sharing the peace of Christ with other Christians wherever you meet them. So, if you see a fellow Christian in the grocery store or at the market you greet them with the greeting of peace.

It was a wonderfully rich Sunday. To be in this small village on the east coast of Taiwan with Christians from around the world was a rare experience. The aboriginal Christians saw a visible sign of God’s grace in their midst. The international guests received the grace of God from their aboriginal hosts.

I will be back in the United States on interpretation assignment beginning next February (2005) through late August. I will be available to preach/speak in churches during this time. If you would be interested in having me come to your church, please email me at the above address. I will look forward to seeing many of you in person during this time, and will thank you in person for your faithful and generous support, which allows me to serve in Taiwan.

Grace and peace,

John McCall
Taipei

The 2004 Mission Yearbook for Prayer & Study, p. 96