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JONATHAN PERRY

Jon playing his Javanese
zither (celempung)

 

 

My life turned out to be much different, and yet much better, than I ever expected! 
My artistic aspirations--remember the “Most Artistic” photo in the yearbook (I’m the one with the black eye)--were fulfilled.  I studied architecture at Cornell and practiced for thirteen years.  My musical interests--I hope you don’t remember the organ marches before and after assemblies--took an unexpected turn as I studied Javanese gamelan music in Indonesia (see photo) and more recently at Cornell. 

So, what turned out to be so different?  In 1965, while serving in the Navy, the Lord got my attention!  I had been searching for purpose in my life for several years and finally found it.  Instead of giving my life to designing buildings, which will crumble, I’m investing my life in helping other people develop a personal relationship with Christ and find fulfillment in their lives.

After getting out of the Navy, I received training in the ministry at military bases in Virginia, Texas, Delaware and New Jersey.  In each location, I worked in a local architectural firm.  In 1970 I joined the staff of The Navigators, a Christian service organization.

I met my wife, Mary, at an international student conference in Bethlehem, PA.  I was pioneering a student ministry at Lehigh University; Mary brought a group of Japanese students from the University of  Pennsylvania.  We were taking the students on a tour of Bethlehem Steel, when I noticed that she looked very cute in a hard hat and goggles.  We were married six months later! 

Mary and I had always wanted to serve oversees.  She had wanted to go to France, I to Eastern Europe, so we compromised . . . and went to Indonesia. 

We fell in love with the people and the culture, and spent an unbelievable twelve years there.  We found that the traditional arts of Java--shadow puppet theater, musical drama gamelan music--were an effective key to unlock the hearts of the people.  One Christmas, we hosted a shadow puppet performance on the life of Christ.  Almost all of our eighty Muslim neighbors attended, as well as about 200 people from the surrounding area who were drawn to the performance by the gamelan music wafting through the bamboo groves.

Since returning to the States in 1991, we’ve been serving international students, especially Indonesians, at Cornell University.  We’re still with The Navigators, as well as working as part-time staff in Cornell’s Southeast Asia Progam.  We have a party-centered ministry: We attend the Indonesian community’s parties and we host parties for them, including their Independence Day celebration last August.  We counsel students in areas as diverse as dating, dealing with stress and life goals.

Our older daughter Juliana graduated from Cornell in Fine Arts and is working in Washington, DC.  Catherine, our younger daughter, married another missionary kid from Indonesia, in a traditional Javanese wedding (see photo) on a wintry day in January 1999.  Adi, our adopted Indonesian son, a natural soccer player and businessman,  just entered DeVry Institute of Technology.

I finally started on reconnect with Nyack classmates about five years ago.  I tracked down Jeff and Nancy Newhouse in Westchester County, after not seeing Jeff for about thirty years; we had a great time reminiscing about our sailing adventures.  Bob and Ruth (Sauter) Zehner had kept in touch, during occasional visits from Australia, but it took the passing of Bob’s parents to reconnect us in a meaningful way.  Then, out of the blue, Dennis Prindle called, about a month ago, with his Class of 59 Webpage brainchild.  I just visited Dennis in Delaware, Ohio and we realized that, from Upper Nyack grade school, to NHS, to Cornell,  we were in school together for sixteen years, but hadn’t seen each other for thirty-seven years!  Now, I’m really looking forward to catching up on all of your adventures!
 
 

Photo Key:  Back:  Virginia Wills             Mary             Jon 
                                       (Mary’s Mom)
        Front:  Adi                Juliana         Catherine     Andy Grindeim
                                                                        (Catherine’s Husband)

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Page last updated November 16, 2000

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