Thank you, FBCA!

1

May 15, 2012

We want to take this time to say THANK YOU to those who have donated children’s clothes for Japanese children.  If you are new to our blog, you may not know what we are talking about.  Our sending church, First Baptist Church Arlington, has sent many children’s clothes to us, and we delivered them to people in the temporary housings and churches.  A special thanks to Cheryl Turner and Linda Templin who sorted all the clothes and packed them!  Every time we received more boxes, we felt so much love from our church family!  We are sure that the people who received those clothes felt loved, too.

Here are some photos!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We also sent several boxes to children in Fukushima.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These snacks were given to Luke but he wanted to share these with babies in Fukushima.  We sent these snacks along with all the clothes.  We pray these made other babies smile!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Categories: Aid for Japan.

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Disaster Relief Update

1

May 15, 2012

Here is an update on our recent trip to the disaster area.  We went as a family and spent quality time with our friends in the temporary housings.

We took water bottles for adults and goodies for children.   We bought these gifts with the money that was donated for the Christmas Catalog that was made by our sending organization GCPN.  People donated for specific items that were listed by the missionaries in Africa and Japan.  We were blessed by many generous donors who purchased things for the Japanese people in the disaster areas.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a photo of Michael giving water bottles to each of the temporary housing units.   Visiting individual temporary housing units gives us a chance to meet the residents and to have conversations with them.  Many times, they invite us into their home!  They have a lot to share (many of them are lonely) and we spend lots of time listening to their stories.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Michael giving a box of water bottles to Miyuki.  We have become great friends and we always visit her when we go to this area.  This photo was taken in front of the house that is used as a dorm for the fishermen that work for her husband.  They own a fishing company and lost all ships except for one.   They ordered new ships right after the tsunami, but they haven’t received any.  They live in the temporary housing right now and would like to build a new house.  However, the town officials have told them that they would not be able to rebuild on the previous site.  Now they have to wait until the government finds land on higher ground.  Please pray that this process will go quickly so that people can start rebuilding their new homes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is a photo of a little boy whose mother left the family after the disaster.  They still don’t know where she is.   He was happy and smiling as usual, but we know he misses his mom.  Please continue to pray for him and his grandparents who take care of him.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Many of you have been praying for this sweet girl, Miyabi.  She lost her father and grandfather in the tsunami, and she recently lost another grandfather from cancer.   Needless to say, she has gone through more than we can imagine.  You may not know that she is hurting because she has the cutest smile and is so talkative, but when we visited her this time, I found her looking at Michael as he was holding Luke, and she looked sad.  We know she misses her dad so much and wants him back.  Her tender heart is still hurt from her loss.  There may not be much that we can do for her, but we will continue to pray for God’s comfort and we commit ourselves to do what we can to love on her and her mother.  We invited her and her mom to stay with us for a few days to spend some time with us, and they said YES! We can’t wait!  Please pray for Miyabi and also for her mom, Emi.  I gave her one of my favorite books by Ayako Miura (Japanese Christian author) and she loved the book.   She is learning more about Him!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You may have heard or seen on the news that Japan has done a great job cleaning and rebuilding in the disaster areas, and that’s true in some ways.  However, if you drive around, you see these…

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There is a LONG way to go.   That’s why we still need your prayer and support!  Thank you for remembering Japan and its people.

Categories: Aid for Japan.

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Newsletter March-April 2012

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May 5, 2012

Mar-Apr 2012 Newsletter

The past two months have been so exciting.  We’ve been very busy.  Thank you everyone who help make our ministry possible.  Your messages of encouragement, prayer, and support have sustained and energized us during our hard times, long nights of preparations, and as we continue to serve beside the Japanese and volunteer teams.

All blog and newsletter updates are distributed through Mail Chimp.  If you know anyone who would like to subscribe please be sure to tell them about us and our ministry.  We would love to meet them.  To read the newest newsletter go here:  Mar-Apr 2012 Newsletter

Categories: Hope for Japan News.

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Blessed by the Hawaii Team!

3

May 4, 2012

Last December, we stopped in Hawaii on our way from the mainland to speak at the church that sent a mission team to Japan last year.  During our stay, we were invited to meet people from another church who were interested in coming to Japan as volunteers.  When we met them, we could tell that they all had a huge heart for Japan and Japanese people.  We shared about our ministries and needs of people in the disaster areas.  We kept in touch, and they decided to come to Japan!

It was such a blessing to serve with them the last two weeks.  They did such a great job with the preparations and we were all amazed by all the things they brought for people in this area.  More than anything, we were so blessed by their willingness to serve God and His people.

Here are some highlights of our time with them:

Visiting Sendai Kita Baptist Church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Barbeque Fellowship at Yoshioka Mission Church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Distributing flyers for our event at one of the temporary housings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Visiting one of the kindergartens in the disaster area.  Out of 220 students, more than 140 of them were affected by the tsunami.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They sang some English, Hawaiian, and Japanese songs.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Giving a gift from Hawaii to all students and teachers.  Hawaiians are SO generous!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luke was a big helper!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They were so happy!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

First temporary housing we visited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Doing craft activities.  These girls were precious!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the second temporary housing we visited in Oshika Peninsula.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They loved spam musubi (Hawaiian food)!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Look at these beautiful leis they made.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We delivered fresh fruit to people in the temporary housings.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We worked with these wonderful missionaries.  We have learned so much from them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The perfect time to see cherry blossoms!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lynne’s beautiful hula at the third temporary housing we visited.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They enjoyed hula dance.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Guys talking to people outside while ladies led the craft activities.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

These ladies seemed to have a great time making all kinds of stuff!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fellowship with the community choir (non believers) at our church.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next few photos are from the Hawaiian Festival.   We decided to host a fun event for the kids (and their families) in the community.  Even though our area did not get much damage from the earthquake, many kids went through a difficult time due to continuous aftershocks and radiation threat.  All the kids seemed to have an awesome time!

In the beginning of this event, the kids in our English class did a presentation in front of their parents.  They did a great job and we are so proud of them!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Everyone enjoyed their songs!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hula time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Frog race!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Fishing game!  We were happy that Luke caught some American snacks!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Golf!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the cool prizes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoying Hawaiian food such as teri burgers and spam musubi.   The Hawaii team brought SO MANY cookies and other homemade desserts.  Of course, they were a great hit!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group photo after the worship service on Sunday.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Church-wide picnic after the morning service.  We all enjoyed singing together.  We are ready for Luke to learn how to play the Ukulele!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luke had fun playing with all the girls!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last night in Miyagi.  We had a delicious meal and shared about our experiences.  We were touched by their stories and desire to continue being involved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This photo of Masa and Luke makes us smile!  We are SO thankful that everyone loved on Luke the entire time.  It gave us some break from holding/chasing him!  Luke was thrilled that he got lots of attention.  He is blessed to have many Hawaiian grandpas and grandmas!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Last group photo.  We were so sad to see them leave.  We thank God for such a great team!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you can see, they did SO MUCH!  They touched and changed countless lives.  We have already heard lots of positive responses from the people they had met.  Many of them asked when the Hawaii team would come back!  We look forward to hosting more teams.  Not only the Hawaii team encouraged many people in the disaster area, but they also blessed us! Hawaii has become a very special place for us.  They invited us to their churches in Hawaii and we hope to visit them soon!

A big thank you to all the team members for sharing God’s love in so many amazing ways!  We miss you!

Categories: Aid for Japan, Hope for Japan News.

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New Sister in Christ

2

May 1, 2012

We are so happy to let you all know that we have a new sister in Christ!  One of the young girls, Maria (Mary in Japanese), was baptized on Easter Sunday.  After the Christmas Service last December, she told our pastor that she wanted to be baptized and she has been in the preparation class.

If you have been reading our blog for a while, you may recognize her sweet face.  After the earthquake/tsunami, we asked you all to pray for her and her family.  Her dad is in the Japanese Defense Army and was gone for a while.   It really affected her and her family, but we know God heard your prayers and protected this family.

In Japan, a person who will be baptized shares his/her testimony before being baptized.  Maria’s testimony was very touching.  Her honest desire to follow God reminded us of the importance of being like children.

After her baptism, we all had a celebration lunch with her.  It was such a sweet time of fellowship.

Please pray for our new sister in Christ.  Also, pray for others in our church that may be thinking about becoming a Christ follower!

Here are some photos:

Maria sharing her testimony

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Her baptism

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Maria and her mom

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

All the kids at our church

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Celebration Feast

Categories: Hope for Japan News.

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English Classes and Worship

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April 21, 2012

We have a very special prayer request to be lifted up.  We have been approached by one of the local pastors to help begin a new ministry for his church.  The church is working to start English classes and English worship for their church.  The ministry would be teaching English to its members and the local students.  Then after English class, we will have a time of worship.  The worship service would be in Japanese and English.

Many church members are willing to help (which is an answer to our prayers!) and some of them are the ones we had met at the youth retreat last month.  We are very excited as this is an opportunity to meet many of the college and high school students in the area.  There are a lot of logistics to smooth out as we work to hammer out the details.  Please pray for unity within the team as we help coordinate this new task and also pray for the people who will be attending the English classes and worship worship as many of them may be unbelievers.  Thank you all for your prayers and support.  We could not be here serving if not for your help and God’s grace.

Categories: Hope for Japan News, Prayer Needs.

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Youth Retreat

1

April 20, 2012

This has been an exciting year.  This year’s youth retreat included.  Last year the youth retreat was canceled for obvious reasons.  It was a real let down for Michael because of the chance to meet the youth in our area.  This year we had 25 attending the retreat.  Many of the youth participated in the worship services by playing instruments.  I was a good time of fellowship and for many a breath of fresh air.  This being spring break, many of the students were exhausted from the winter semester.  It doesn’t matter where you are, students studying to be doctors and engineers have a lot on their plate.  We are thankful they were able to unwind and share their hearts with us.  Many have a sincere heart for their fellow youth.  Thank you to everyone that continues to pray for our ministry.  We are glad that many of those who attended are no believers but are eager to get to know the Jesus Way.  As we continue our efforts please pray for them while we reach out to them.

Worship:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Sharing Time:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Breakfast:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

New Friends:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We look forward to keeping in touch with everyone.  Thank you for your continued prayers for these precious young people in Japan!

Categories: Hope for Japan News, Prayer Needs.

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Tohoku Ministers’ Retreat

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April 2, 2012

Last week, we went to Iwate prefecture for the Tohoku Ministers’ Retreat.  The ministers in Tohoku area have been having this retreat every spring, but they were not able to meet last year due to the earthquake.  When we had a disaster relief meeting back in January, we realized that the earthquake and tsunami had affected many of the ministers emotionally, physically, spiritually, and financially.  They have been working so hard to meet the needs of the people in the disaster areas and also their church members.  They haven’t had any time to get away and rest.  But we also knew that it would be difficult for many of them to pay for the retreat.  This retreat is not only for the ministers but also for their families.  It means they would have to pay for the whole family.

Then, we remembered the sweet faces of the BGCT (Baptist General Convention of Texas) leaders that we had met back in November.  They were concerned about the ministers who were working in the disaster areas and shared their desire to help them. We wrote them and asked if they would be able to help by covering some of the cost of the retreat.  They wrote back immediately saying “YES”.

Thanks to their huge help, we were able to host the ministers’ retreat and everyone had a blessed time together.  We had plenty of time to worship, to pray, to share, and to rest.  As one of the newest families in the area, it was great getting to know all the ministers and their families.  We were encouraged to feel their love for God and for people in Tohoku area.  Everyone shared about his/her experiences with disaster relief work, and it was evident that God has been using each one of them in many ways.  Even though it has not been an easy journey, we all agreed that we want to continue loving and helping those in need.

We took the kids to the nearby snow mountain and we all had a blast! One of the kids was from Fukushima and it was good to see him have fun outside.  Please pray for him and all the other kids in Fukushima.  Even though they live outside of the evacuation zone, the radiation level is still high and they can’t play outside.  Many moms have left Fukushima with their kids, but there are still many more that cannot leave due to different reasons.  Please pray for God’s protection and guidance.  Also, pray for parents as they make important decisions for their families.   We are in the process of planning a new program for the kids that go to churches in Fukushima.  We want to invite them to places outside of Fukushima for a week or two during their breaks and give them a chance to be away from high radiation level.  It will require lots of planing and money.  Please pray for God’s wisdom for us and also for His provision as we work on this.

Here are some pictures from the retreat!

Opening worship service.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Prayer time.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Dinner time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Getting ready to ski!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Little kids enjoyed sledding.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Don’t you love his smile?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

BINGO time!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Please pray for this family from Fukushima.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Luke loved playing with him!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Snowball fight!  All the adults had fun, too!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Group photo.  There were more people who came after this photo was taken.  We all had such a great time together.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thank you, BGCT, for making this retreat possible!  We are so thankful that we were able to be a part of this time of fellowship.  Thank you for touching our lives in such a special way!  Please continue to pray for the ministers and their families in Tohoku area as we keep ministering to those in the disaster areas.

Categories: Hope for Japan News.

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One Year and Counting…

1

March 18, 2012

Last weekend marked the one year anniversary of the March 11, 2011 earthquake.  Many of you have seen our tribute video.  Thank you for your emails of encouragement and support.  It was a long year but your prayers made our work a lot easier.  Last Saturday we made a trip to the temporary housings to hand out food.  This time we gave a small bouquet of flowers with a word of encouragement attached.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Like all the other times we have visited, everyone was so kind and thankful.  But this time there was a lot of emotion.  Some of the people just smiled and said thank you. However many just bowed in thanks and had tears running down their face.  An outward display of emotion is hardly ever seen here.  Understandably this was hard for many.

I would like to share about one of the young boys we met during one of our visits.  He is two years old and living with his grandparents.  His father works full time so is not around during the day.  After the earthquake the family fled from the tsunami together but a few days later his mother fled never to be heard or seen since.  The boy’s father has made attempts to contact her family but they deny she has ever contacted them.  It’s been especially hard on the child.  He misses his mother but is hurt even more by the fact that his mom abandoned him.  Luke got to play with him during our visit.  He was such a sweet boy and had a lot of joy in his heart.  Please remember to pray for him and his family.  Also, pray for his mother to return.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Most importantly please pray that people we have been ministering to will continue to heal and learn about the God we serve.

Categories: Aid for Japan, Prayer Needs.

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Helping Hands

0

March 18, 2012

The past year has brought a lot of people into our lives.  We were surrounded by many Christians who took great care of us in South Korea.  We were also blessed by those who came to Japan to help with the cleaning, rebuilding, and rehabilitation of this country.  We are truly thankful for each and every person that God has placed along our path during this long and often difficult process.  One particular courageous soul is Naomi who helped us last weekend.  Naomi lives in Hawaii whose grandparents were originally from Japan. We first met her last December when we were in Hawaii to share with Olivet Baptist Church about our work.  Prior to this trip, she had taken several trips to Japan to learn the culture and get to know people here.  This trip was very special for her because this was her first time to help with the disaster relief work in the tsunami-hit areas.

Saturday morning we set out to Oshika Peninsula to visit about 80 temporary housing units that would be receiving food, flowers, and time with us and church members from Sendai.  Naomi had been planing on this trip for a few months.  She prepared gifts for every household and homemade cookies.  We had a great time sharing with each other about our lives as we made the two hour trip to the peninsula.

Thank you for coming all the way to Sendai to love and encourage those in need.  We enjoyed our time together!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We hope many of you will pray about coming to Japan.  There are many ways to serve- visiting the temporary housings to meet people, delivering food, playing with children, teaching English, encouraging Japanese Christians, sharing your testimonies, and spending time with us! We love having guests!  Even though we love this country and people, we do get homesick and miss our family and friends in the US.  So having our friends here means so much to us.  Thank you in advance for praying about coming here in the future.  We understand some of you may not be able to come physically.  There are other ways to help with the ministries here.  Just contact us and we will find a way for you to be involved.  We LOVE getting e-mails, letters, phone calls, and packages!!!

Categories: Aid for Japan, Hope for Japan News, Prayer Needs.

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