Rejoice, rejoice! Emmanuel has come to ransom Israel...

Today was one of the many Christmas events we have this year--Nisshin Christ Church has grown in both number and maturity, and it was so encouraging to see many of our dear Japanese ladies working so hard for the Ladies Brunch.  It was a great gathering of women from a variety of circles--English students, Mom and Kids Club, Gospel Choir, random friends--about 1/3 of the 50 women were Christians, the rest were seekers.  Some of the church ladies spent the better part of the day before with preparations, and a few of them worked all day even though they weren't able to participate in the event!

I did nothing to help with the prep.  I just came today and had the privilege of speaking to the women.  (I told them I would be willing ANYTIME to be the speaker at an event with such delicious food, beautiful decorations, and nice program that I had NO responsibilities for!!)  I shared the Gospel in the context of being lost and Jesus not just coming to show us the way, but to actually be the way for us.  One illustration I used was such a great story, it deserves to be repeated.  Our new teammates Jake and Anna Claire came for a site visit in September of this year.  After a great visit with us, and then touring in Tokyo some,  they were heading back to the airport outside of Tokyo.  I don't know if they got lost, confused or were just running late, but they missed the train to the airport, and there wasn't another one in time for them to make their flight.  As they were standing there at the station, looking and feeling distraught, a Japanese couple came up and asked if they could help.  Jake and AC explained their situation, and this couple said that sure enough, there wouldn't be another train in time for them to make it.  After a whispered conversation between husband and wife, they came back to Jack and AC and offered to drive them to the airport.  I don't know exactly, but I think it was about a 3 hour round-trip for them.  But they gave of their time and effort for these foreign strangers...how amazing!

Isn't that a great picture of us and Jesus?  We are lost, confused and distraught, and we have missed the mark.  There is nothing we can do to save ourselves.  At at that point, Jesus came and had great compassion on us, foreign strangers--at unimaginable personal cost, he gave himself to get us where we needed to go--into the arms of His Father.

After the brunch, I talked to several women who said they needed to hear that message, and wanted to hear more about Christ.  I pray that this Christmas, we have many lost and distraught Japanese hear or see something that points them to Jesus as the way--the way to the Father who loves them.

God's mercy poured out

We've had a long day.  Michiyo's surgery that could take from 1-3 hours ended up being a 9:00-5:30 marathon. Of course it's hard not to become fearful and full of doubts while waiting so long, not knowing.  Wayne was able to remind me not to borrow trouble, but to stay focused on the here and now.

Michiyo's tumor was malignant.  But thankfully, it was very small, the very earliest stage, and there are no signs that it had spread.  It was as good of a result as we could ask for with cancer.  The doctors successfully removed 1/3 of her lung, and we left her in the recovery room, conscious, but very out of it.

My phone rang continuously all day.  It is so heart-warming to see the love and concern people feel for Michiyo.  It's because they've all been on the receiving end of her love and concern.  Today was really a beautiful picture of the body of Christ working together to love, serve and pray for one another.  May her husband and everyone else 'know we are Christians by our love', and be drawn to Christ as a result!

For me to live is Christ, to die is gain

Michiyo Sakai is a precious sister in Christ.  We've been friends a long time.  We've seen her come to Christ, raised our children together, worked together in service, seen our kids make professions of faith together, and shared many pieces of our lives.  This fall, we are walking through a valley with Michiyo.  She has a tumor on her lung; tomorrow morning at 9:30 a.m. it will be removed, and if it is cancer, they will also remove 1/3 of her right lung.  She is 45 years old.  She is a shining testimony of God's grace.  She is a leader of women and a servant of all in our church.  And so on this night before her surgery, my heart is filled with the question, "WHY, LORD??" Michiyo's asked the same question, of course.  But she doesn't linger there.  She moves on to truth:  "God tells us he makes us more like Jesus through suffering."  "I know that all things work together for good for those who love him and are called according to his purpose."  "If God is for me, who can be against me?"  etc...

People have been moved by her faith--they've praised her for her courage and strength.  Michiyo responds with a firm, "NO--it is Christ in me, nothing of myself."  Really, it's been a beautiful thing to see.  Oh, she's had tears.  We've cried some of those together, others she's shed in the dark when nobody else can see.  But in the end, the smile wins out.  She's been a living testimony of God's strength being perfected in weakness.

I hope you will pray for my friend and sister.  Pray for her husband Toshi to meet Jesus face to face through this journey.  Pray for her daughter Noel--far away in the States--and her son Leo.  Pray for us.  We love Michiyo.  And we pray for God's grace to rejoice in whatever tomorrow holds...

So far away...

I think the last few years have brought us to a new place in our life in Japan...the stage where part of our family (and therefore, part of our heart), is no longer right here with us, but far away.  Katelyn's just starting her sophomore year at Covenant College, and we are thrilled with all she is learning and doing there.  BUT!  It's hard to miss out on special moments.  The first ever sporting event held under lights is one example--the women's soccer team inaugurated the new lights, and I'm sure many parents and families traveled to be there to share in the excitement with their girls.  It pains me to NOT get to be a part of special moments like that in Katelyn's life.  It forces me to keep an eternal perspective, summed up well in something Katelyn posted on  facebook:

'This world is where I breathe, let it never be called home'

Katelyn, #13, celebrates a goal scored by her friend and teammate Amy Dykstra.

Pray and Plan

We are spending today and tomorrow as a team praying and planning for the fall.  It's never enough time to talk about all the things we want to discuss!  But I am thankful for each of the dear people God has put together on the Nagoya Church Planting Team--Bakelaars, Wilsons, Linda, Darlene and Jane.  Today I was struck by something Wayne said.  He mentioned that about one year ago, when we had just returned to Japan from the States, we decided as a team to focus on praying for God to add new workers to our team.  Since that time, we have gone from one family intinerating to join us, to FIVE families and singles who are now raising support to join church planting in Nagoya.  God has answered that prayer abundantly!  We can't wait to have the Carters, Sinks, Cravens, Gees and Kendrick join us.  And this year, we need to pray that God will add Japanese co-workers to our number, so that each of us can partner with Japanese to see God's kingdom expand in this place.      More than numbers, though, we need to be like Jesus in all we do:  "Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom and healing every disease and sickness. ³⁶When he saw the crowds, he had compassion on them, because they were harassed and helpless, like sheep without a shepherd.