Fifteen Years

An update from Jonathan and Emily Seitz, mission co-workers serving in Taiwan

Fall 2024

Subscribe to our co-worker letters

Dear friends,

July 1 marked 15 years of service with PC(USA)’s World Mission. We’re really grateful for these years. The twins were born about a year and a half into our time in Taiwan and life in Taiwan has formed who we are. I’ve taught many classes, preached many sermons, visited many churches, and met many people. In June, we decided to return to the U.S. In this letter, I want to share some major updates, including my (Jonathan’s) decision to end mission service.

Goodbye

Our daughter was diagnosed with cystic fibrosis (CF) in December. After years of misdiagnoses, Emily figured it out by googling symptoms and pursuing testing. On December 21, we received the results of the DNA test. CF is a rare genetic disease that primarily affects the lungs and pancreas. Because most cases are among those of European descent, it is very hard to diagnose or treat in Asia. In Taiwan, we found two doctors who had had patients, but neither had seen good outcomes and the main specialist encouraged us to work with a U.S. center. In January and May, I went to the U.S. to seek treatment and medicine. A social worker told me that in coming back, “you’re doing the right thing,” and that felt like God’s voice.

April Conference

In the backdrop, I felt like my work in Taiwan was also perhaps at a natural concluding point. One of my former students, Yobaw Taru, is coming back and can teach in my field. I published a book in April, Protestant Missionaries in China, with Notre Dame University Press, and we did a small conference in April with the series editor, Dr. Alex Chow, and two other authors in the series, Drs. Christie Chow and Chris Payk. That was an encouragement. Taiwan Seminary is relatively strong now, with great faculty. The boys are doing well, but we also felt like they would benefit from U.S. time. Sam has two years of high school left, and Eli always struggled theologically with the missionary school where we had him. Taken together, it seems like this is a natural pivot point. I wrote my first MDP profile (ministry job search profile) in late February. Zooming with congregations, I realized this is also a time when the U.S. church needs pastors. In June, I candidate preached at Liberty Presbyterian Church in Delaware, Ohio, and they unanimously voted to call me as their associate pastor.

With other mission co-workers at GA

Before I left Taiwan, I was able to do a number of gatherings with students and say goodbye at chapel. I am very grateful for these memories. I was a Missionary Advisory Delegate (MAD) at General Assembly (GA) this year. I really enjoyed being with other mission co-workers, and I got time together with leaders from my new presbytery, Scioto Valley. At GA, when they did a vote on the floor of languages that people spoke, I was surprised to find I was the only Mandarin speaker in the group. I loved being with the other mission co-workers also, who sometimes interpreted in Korean, Spanish or Arabic. In working to conclude service, I am also grateful for some church visits and conversations. In June, I preached at the church I attended through high school, Christ Presbyterian in Toledo.

Liberty photo

We are grateful that World Mission is allowing Emily to continue to work with the Taiwan Ecumenical Forum for the near future. We have had so many changes in these months—major illness, concluding my position, school conclusions, an international move, U.S. travel, cleaning out an apartment, and buying a house, all with five very distinct people.

I am so grateful to those of you who have accompanied us through the years. It is a great act of faith to support and encourage the cross-cultural work of which we have been a part. We pray that God will continue to mutually encourage us and bless us in the years ahead. While we feel a real sense of loss in this change, we also know it has formed our ministry and we hope to continue to have strong relationships in Taiwan and to encourage U.S. churches in their cross-cultural ministries.

Jonathan and Emily