Swenson Prayer Update - 12/1/2010

It has been a while since our last update, and we apologize for the hiatus.

We had a wonderful time October 10-11 at the 25th annual Keisen Vision Festa, at the base of Mt. Bandai in Fukushima Prefecture, overlooking the beautiful lake, Inawashiro-ko. We had a wonderful time of fellowship with fellow believers, both from Shonan as well from other chapels across the Keisen network. We were also able to gain a better grasp of the Keisen Vision of church growth and multiplication, two driving texts being Matthew 28:18-20 and Acts 1:8.

Waiting for the bullet train at Tokyo Station on our trip to KVF

The National Bandai Youth Center (Fukushima Prefecture), where we stayed for the KVF event, is a very economical place to lodge as it is government subsidized. However, one of the conditions for staying there is that all lodging guests perform certain assigned chores as well as attend the traditional flag lowering and raising ceremonies in the evening and morning, respectively.

Flag Lowering Ceremony

Flag Raising Ceremony

KVF - Main Session

Late October and much of November was a busy time for us. Micah, Jonah, and Karin enjoyed participating in the home school spelling celebration at CAJ on 10/22; Ellen participated in a story time activity for preschoolers. Then on 10/25 we had our annual field conference at JBF's headquarters next door to CAJ. We enjoyed the time of fellowship, worship, and a challenge from the Word from WorldVenture's Asia director, Marty Shaw. Prior to that event it was our pleasure to host Marty & his wife to connect about our life & ministry in Japan.

On 11/3 we participated in the annual Kanto region CB Family Festa at Midorino Chapel (which also happens to be part of the Keisen Network) in Ibaraki Prefecture. This was a joint celebration of CB churches in the Kanto region; Greg helped lead the worship time with guitar & vocals during the main sessions.

November 7th was a significant day in the church life of Shonan Grace Chapel as Tatsuki Toshida was formally installed as pastor there after completing three years of church based seminary training Keisen Christ Church (the "mother church" of the Keisen Network in Yonezawa, Yamagata Pref.). It was Tatsuki's parents, Teiichi & Akiko, who started Shonan Grace fifteen years ago as lay ministers when a job transfer brought Mr. (Teiichi) Toshida from a five-year job assignment in Yonezawa back to their hometown of Chigasaki. Tatsuki was still in junior high school at the time. So this was indeed an auspicious occasion.

Group photo at Shonan after Tatsuki's installation service

We had a wonderful time at the 3-day / 2-night CHEA Japan Christian home schooling seminar Nov. 18-20 with some 400+ attendees (including children) at a beautiful hotel nestled in the northern Japan Alps in Hakuba (Nagano Pref.). The main sessions and workshops were both encouraging and thought provoking. The keynote speakers were a couple from Maryland connected with Sovereign Grace Ministries, an attorney and his wife, along with their daughter, one of six children, all of whom were home schooled. Their presentations were very compelling, both through the stories of their journey and through their explanation and application of biblical truth, and we were challenged to rethink some of our assumptions regarding children's education. CHEA had a fantastic program of organized activities for kids from preschool through the teen years while the parents attended the sessions, including an indoor "field day" event. Of course, we also enjoyed the onsen (hot spring) baths, the 100+ choice buffet, not to mention the breathtaking view of the surrounding snowcapped mountains. We thank God for the many blessings great and small of this experience.

Snowcapped peaks of the northern Japan Alps in the distance

CHEA Kids Activities

Micah & Jonah engaged in an intense game of four square

Jonah engaged in an intense pillow fight contest

Karin & friend Manaka

Ellen enjoying herself

The shot below is of us (or half our family anyway) with the Onjoji family whom we have gotten to know in no small measure through Karin's friends with their daughter, Manaka. We got to know Manaka and her mother through the home school camp we attended up at Kinshuko back in August. This time, Karin & Manaka were like two peas in a pod. Greg's connection with the husband/father, Tetsuo, goes back some twenty years when he was still single and living in Tachikawa (western Tokyo) on a job assignment as an engineer. Greg met Tetsuo (who was also still single at the time) through a young adult group at a SEND church nearby where Greg was living. Since Tetsuo wasn't able to make it to the summer home school camp, this was their first meeting after all those years!



Since November 23rd was a Japanese holiday (the equivalent of Labor Day in the U.S. -- the American Thanksgiving Day is not a holiday here), we celebrated Thanksgiving a couple of days early with some of our fellow JBF missionaries at one of their homes on the other (northeast) side of Tokyo. Besides the traditional turkey dinner, we enjoyed singing hymns of thanks, playing some indoor games, a walk, keep-away soccer in the park, and reconnecting with each other.

Thank you for your continued prayers on our behalf regarding our future post-internship ministry assignment. It seems that things are beginning to crystallize on this front. On 10/27, we met with our Church Multiplication Team leader, Paul Sadler, and our internship mentor & supervisor, Pastor Okita, and had a good discussion that was helpful in narrowing our focus regarding our future ministry. One of the potential ministry partners that seems to be consistently bubbling to the top is Shonan Grace Chapel, which has already been serving as our primary ministry venue for our internship. More recently, this past Saturday (11/27), we met with Mr. & Mrs. Toshida and son, Pastor Tatsuki, to discuss the possibility of an ongoing partnering with Shonan. We believe this pivotal meeting was both encouraging and beneficial for all parties involved. There are a number of issues and details that have to be worked out, but we are beginning to sense that this might be the direction in which God is leading.

December is probably one of the busiest times for those involved in ministry in Japan, and it will prove to be no exception for us in the coming weeks. You can refer to the complete list of events below, but just to highlight a couple of events, we plan to host a Christmas Tea event at Shonan Grace on Saturday afternoon, Dec. 18. Several neighborhood families are being invited to this event. Besides the tea time, we hope to do some fun activities, caroling, and Greg will share a brief message about the significance of Christmas. Pray for the planning & preparation for this event as well as for the event itself, including an anointing on the message. Pray also that those invited will be able and willing to attend.

The other Christmas event we wish to highlight is a dinner party we plan to host on Christmas Day to which we are inviting Japanese "returnees" who have lived in the U.S. (mainly MN). Most of those being invited are believers, but some are not; some seem to have strayed away from the faith. Pray that this will not only be a enjoyable time of sweet fellowship, but also an occasion when hearts will be drawn to the Savior.

Swenson Calendar of Events:
Sat. 12/4, 6-9pm - TAC Christmas party: Greg plans to attend this event sponsored by his Japanese language school, and there may be opportunity for witness through song at this event.
Sun. 12/5, 3-4:30pm - Grace C.A.F.E. @ Denen Grace (Greg leading worship)
Thur. 12/9, 3-5pm - Preschool Christmas party @ Shonan Grace Chapel (Asa & Ellen attending)
Fri. 12/17, 6-8pm - Youth Christmas party @ Shonan (Micah attending)
Sat. 12/18, 1:30-3:30pm - Family Christmas Tea @ Shonan (Greg & Asa hosting)
Sun. 12/19
10:30am - 12 noon: Christmas worship service @ Shonan
Noon - 2pm: Christmas celebration @ Shonan
Wed. 12/22, 4-6pm - Kids' Christmas party @ Shonan
Fri. 12/24, 8-9pm - Candlelight service @ Shonan
Sat. 12/25 Christmas dinner @ Swenson home

Swenson Prayer Update - October 8, 2010

As we have settled down in to our autumn routine, we are thankful for the pleasant, mild weather that is typical of this time of year in Japan. This past Tuesday, October 5th, marked our one year anniversary since arriving in Japan. It is hard to believe that we have been here a year. We praise the Lord for supplying the grace and strength needed to make adjustments to living and serving here in this Land of the Rising Sun.

Thank you for praying for our outreach cookout at Shonan Grace Chapel on September 19th. We had a good group, including three unchurched couples. Greg was able to share some words from Scripture concerning relational dynamics in the context of marriage. It also opened up an opportunity for some honest discussion about some marital challenges being faced by one couple in particular. We along with the folks at Shonan are hoping to perhaps view the Japanese version of the movie Fireproof with one or more of these couples. Pray that in the context of these issues, the Gospel message may be appropriately shared and applied and that God would work in the hearts of these pre-Christians to receive the love, forgiveness and redemption freely offered in Christ.

The kids continue to enjoy their involvement with the kids' program at Shonan. Below is Micah in an intense Twister match with one of the volunteer workers:

October 2nd was Ellen's birthday -- she turned four. However, it was also a day that Asa played the koto (Japanese harp), participating in a recital in Tokyo in honor of her longtime koto teacher who is retiring at 80 years old (Asa took koto lessons from her for twelve years, beginning when she was six years old). The recital was composed of performances of an array of traditional Japanese instruments in varying numbers and combinations. Asa was glad to be able to reconnect with her teacher after many years and to receive instruction from her over the past several months in preparation for this recital. Our hope is that she will have opportunity to use her ability to play the koto in ministry in the future.

Asa Performing (center)

Of course, we could not forget that it was in fact Ellen's birthday that day. We celebrated by going to a conveyer belt sushi restaurant, and then enjoying a decorated cake in her honor.

Yummm! Salmon sushi!!


Four-year-old Birthday Girl

Ellen & Karin

This Sunday & Monday (Oct. 10-11) we plan to attend (along with a number of folks from Shonan Grace) an annual event called the Keisen Vision Festa (KVF) a couple hundred miles north of us in the mountains of Fukushima Prefecture. KVF is sponsored by the Keisen (pronounced "KAY-sen") Network of which Shonan Grace is a part ("keisen" means "grace spring [as in fountain]" or "spring of grace"). This network is a church planting movement within the Japan Conservative Baptist Association (our mission's partnering church association), and employs the concept of networking as a church multiplication strategy. Pastor Hiroshi Kawasaki, whose church in Yamagata we visited in August, presents an excellent overview of this networking strategy concept at the following link:

www.asianaccess.org/opportunities/cp-by-networking.html

We look forward with anticipation to participating in KVF, worshiping the Lord with brothers and sisters from across the Keisen Network, connecting with folks from other Keisen chapels, and learning more in depth about the Keisen vision. Micah will be going a day early -- Saturday (10/9) -- to participate in a youth event they have planned. Pray for safe travels (bus & train) and that this will be an encouraging, transforming, and significant time for all involved.

Continue to pray for God's clear leading in our post-internship ministry placement for next spring. We have been hashing through various issues related to this next step, and we will need to have discussions with various parties to discern a sense of where and how the Lord might be pleased for us to serve. One important component in this process, we believe, will be a meeting with Paul Sadler (JBF's CMT Leader) and Pastor Okita (our "Barnabas" mentor) planned for Wednesday afternoon, October 27th.

Swenson Prayer Update - September 16, 2010

After weathering the hottest summer on record in Japan (pardon the pun), it finally cooled down this week. We have also gotten much needed rain after little if any rain since late July. Thank you so much for your faithful prayers over the past month or so. The Lord has been gracious to us. Here are some of the highlights of recent weeks.

The two-night children’s camp Aug. 20-22 at Shonan Grace Chapel went well, which our three older kids (Micah, Jonah & Karin) attended. They lodged at the church, but had both organized and less structured activities at other venues. We were able to help oversee the grilling for lunch on Saturday (8/21) at a camping area along a river in the mountains about an hour or so away. Some of the group decided to play a game of Uno in a manmade fishing stream that ran through the picnic area (using waterproof cards of course).

We had a wonderful time with Greg’s niece, Lindsey, visiting us for a couple of weeks or so (8/26 – 9/8), her first time to visit Japan.

She had always wanted to see the land where her mother (Greg’s sister) grew up, so this proved to be one special college graduation gift from her parents. We enjoyed being able to introduce her to some of the folks at the fellowships where we are involved as well as to see some sights, both in the city and in the country, and just to have her in our daily routine at home.

Fellowshipping over lunch at Shonan Grace Chapel

One of the areas we were able to visit during Lindsey’s stay with us was Koriyama, one of the places where Greg grew up (during his junior high and high school years), located about160 miles north of Tokyo. Pastor Otao, the current pastor of Koriyama Bible Baptist Church (planted by Greg’s parents years ago) had previously asked us to visit to consider the possibility of a ministry partnership, so we went up for a couple of days (8/31 – 9/2). One of the first things we did was to see the house where Greg’s family lived (left photo below) as well as the old traditional Japanese style house which served as the church’s first meeting place during its fledgling years (right photo). The man with the hat in the shot of the church is Pastor Otao.

On Thursday morning (9/2), we joined the prayer meeting at Koriyama Baptist in their current building, where Greg shared a brief testimony toward the end of the meeting. Later, we had a chance to interact with Pastor & Mrs. Otao about the ministry needs in their area and what role a missionary might play in a potential ministry partnership.

The sanctuary of Koriyama Baptist’s current building (built in 1994).
They still use the pulpit that Greg’s dad built back in the late 1970s!

With this last visit to the Koriyama church, we believe this concludes our series of visits to churches with a view toward a possible ministry partnership after the conclusion of our internship next spring. So we move into the phase of prayerfully considering all the factors involved (including vision, burdens, giftings, ministry needs, family needs, etc.) in deciding where the Lord would have us serve, seeking counsel as needed.

The kids have begun their second year of home school and are working on getting back into a rhythm. Greg also resumed his Japanese classes last week though at a somewhat reduced load.

This Sunday evening (9/19), we are planning to have another grilling outreach gathering at Shonan Grace Chapel. Again, several unchurched neighborhood families have been invited, though some of the kids from these families attend the kids’ program at Shonan. We have been told that some of the marriages in these families are experiencing strain, so we would like to bring the message of Gospel to bear in a winsome and appropriate way in light of some the challenges being faced in these family relationships.

Swenson Prayer Update - August 19, 2010

Greetings from the Swensons in a very hot and humid Japan! The last few weeks have been busy ones for the Swenson household. Thank you for praying for us in during these summer days. Here is a summary of our praise & prayer items. Further below, some of these points are fleshed out in more detail (with some photos as well).

PRAISE:
1) We now officially own the Toyota Noah minivan we had been borrowing from another missionary couple since last December as we were able to work out a purchase arrangement with them.
2) Greg & Micah had smooth travels to L.A. and back and for a fabulous gathering at Greg's 30-year CAJ Class of '80 reunion July 23-24. Greg had a chance to share with several former classmates how God led him into his mid-life career shift into missions. Greg & Micah also spent time with missionary friends who minister to Japanese living in the L.A. area.
3) Greg was able to help lead the worship time at a debut English service on 8/1 at Denen Grace Chapel, which they plan to have the first Sunday afternoon of the month.
4) We had great family road trip up north in the Tohoku region: We visited a couple churches that have expressed an interest in partnering with us in ministry. We believe these onsite visits will prove helpful as we seek God’s leading as to our future ministry assignment. We also attended a home school camp for a couple of days which the whole family enjoyed, and we visited a dear ministry friend who was like a family member to Greg’s family of origin when he was growing up in Japan.
5) That Asa was able to get her Japanese driver’s license issued as a transfer from her MN license (and an old expired Japanese license). Summoning the courage to drive here, on the other hand, may well be a matter prayer for her.

PRAY:
1) For the children's camp at Shonan Grace Chapel this weekend (Aug. 20-22), for preparation & planning and for safety in activities and spiritual quickening in little hearts in response to messages given. Three of our kids (Micah, Jonah & Karin) will be attending, and we plan to help with the BBQ details on Saturday (8/21).
2) Greg's niece, Lindsey, recently graduated from college and plans to visit us here in Japan 8/25 - 9/8 (her first time in Japan). Pray for safe travels and that her time here with us will be both pleasant and significant at this stage in her life.
3) For continued progress on administrative tasks and a software project that Greg needs to complete. For wise & balanced time management.
4) For wisdom and discernment as we continue to explore and consider several ministry opportunities as possible ministry assignment locales after our internship concludes next spring. Besides the two churches we visited on our Tohoku road trip, one of our current (internship) ministry partners, Shonan Grace Chapel, has formally indicated their interest in having us partner with them in ministry long term.
5) For wisdom, grace, patience and stamina for Greg & Asa in the challenges of parenting, and that the Lord’s grace and peace would reign in our household as we seek to serve as instruments of His mercy in this land.

30 Year Reunion…

PRAISE that Greg & Micah had smooth travels to Southern California and back and for a fabulous gathering at Greg’s 30-year CAJ (Christian Academy in Japan) Class of ’80 reunion July 23-24. A total of 36 people from Greg’s class (plus family & friends) attended the event, 12 of whom had spent time boarding in the dorm (left photo); of this number, there were four of us (right photo) whose parents served as missionaries in Japan under C.B.F.M.S., now known as WorldVenture, the mission we are currently with. (The would-be fifth person missing from this subgroup was Greg’s childhood friend, Mark Schiefer, who went to be with the Lord when his life was cut short in a car accident in 1981.) The reunion proved to be personally significant for Greg as he was able to re-forge friendships from many years ago. He also had a chance to share with several former classmates how God led him into his mid-life career shift into missions.

Grace C.A.F.E.
Denen Grace Chapel is one of two fellowships we have been primarily involved with during our internship period (the other being Shonan Grace Chapel), and they have had a strong emphasis on welcoming internationals and Japanese returnees from abroad (whether seekers or believers) with bilingual aspects to their ministry. On Sunday afternoon, August 1st, Greg was able to help lead the worship along with Pastor Kondo at Denen Grace’s debut English worship service with a coffee house twist, dubbed Grace C.A.F.E. (Christ And Fellowship in English), with 30+ attending, including kids; fellow WorldVenture missionary Kevin Laverman (who started Denen) gave a brief message which was followed by small group discussion. For the time being, Denen is planning to have this service monthly, on the first Sunday of the month. We’re not sure what course this new ministry will take, but for now, we’re delighted to help support Grace C.A.F.E. through worship leading and relationship building as the Lord leads.

Our Journey North…
On August 2nd, less than a week after Greg & Micah’s return from L.A., our family embarked on a weeklong road trip up north into the Tohoku region (the northeast region of Japan’s main island of Honshu), where Greg grew up.

Aug. 2-4: Our first stop (for 2 nights) was at Fukushima First Bible Baptist Church, led by Pastor Akira Sato, near the Pacific coast in Fukushima Prefecture, one of the church groups that has indicated an interest in having us partner with them in ministry after we complete our current internship period next spring. This church has a thriving, diverse set of ministries and has some innovative ideas for reaching their local community for Christ. Pastor & Mrs. Sato (photo: third from left & far right, respectively) have been serving at Fukushima First for some 26 years, beginning back when Greg’s parents were still tending their church plant 50 miles east in the 1980s. The photo is of one of their periodic (thrice yearly) meetings of affiliated pastors & ministry workers serving in the same prefecture; we were able to meet, fellowship with, and be encouraged by these dear servants of the Lord.

Aug. 4-6: From there we went further north (& west) up to Kinshuko camp in Iwate Prefecture for a 3 day/2 night home school camp. There were close to forty people across eight families, with the life stages ranging from infancy to that of grandfather. Located in the heart of the mountains the camp venue afforded the kids the opportunity to explore and learn about God’s creation in nature from a biblical perspective. There were also sessions for the parents to learn and discuss some of the fundamental underlying principles of home schooling and interact about practical issues involved with this method of teaching. There was also a good deal of fun activities mixed in as well. These two shots were from our river activity (left: Karin collecting stones for a subsequent craft project; right: Micah preparing to take the plunge into the water amidst the swarming Abu horse flies).

Aug. 6-7: Following the home school camp, we headed further west into Akita Prefecture where we visited a dear friend in the city of Yokote, Greg’s childhood home. Miss Shige Sasaki dedicated her life to fulltime vocational ministry, especially in evangelism, discipleship, and church planting work, and served in a vital capacity at two church plants where Greg’s parents were involved. Though officially retired now, at seventy-something, Shige-san is still involved in ministry with a house church meeting in her home. She was always like family—a virtual aunt to Greg. So it would be an understatement to say that we had a meaningful reunion. During our stay in Yokote, we visited the site of the house where Greg’s family used to live when he was very young (age 0~5). The building was gone and the property was overgrown with vegetation, but we were able to speak the woman next door whose children used to play with Greg and his sister whom the mother clearly remembered.

Aug. 7-9: From Yokote, we headed back south to our final stop in Yamagata, where we participated in the worship service of Yamagata Christian Fellowship (YCF), a church plant started by veteran Japanese pastor, Hiroshi Kawasaki, a contemporary of Greg’s dad. This is another church that has expressed interest in partnering with us in ministry. We had a chance to learn about their vision and philosophy of ministry. YCF has a strong emphasis of not only on maintaining right biblical teaching but also on small groups and mutual accountability. They also view missionary partnership as a strategic tactic for growing this church plant. Here is a shot of Greg with Pastor Kawasaki.

Also while in Yamagata, we were able to view the Hanagasa (“flower hat”) festival parade of national fame in downtown Yamagata on Saturday evening (8/7). On Sunday afternoon (8/8), we took a drive up to the hot springs of Mt. Zao, also well known in Japan. The shots below are of the parade and of some of us enjoying a hot spring foot bath.

Thank you so much for your prayers! They are vital to our life and ministry!

Your partners in ministry in Japan,

Greg & Asa Swenson
Micah, Jonah, Karin, Ellen

Swenson Prayer Update - 7/14/2010

This is a follow-up to our Swenson prayer update earlier this month.

God is good! Thank you for praying with us for our 4th of July outreach cookout at Shonan Grace Chapel. We had a wonderful time getting to know some new people who came, and everyone seemed to enjoy their time there. A couple of neighborhood families came who were invited through personal contacts with church member. Also, an unsaved husband of one of the church members came—in fact, he arrived early and was a huge help with the grilling. Greg was able to share some reflections about his own life story and how God led us back to Japan. He also shared briefly from John 8:32 & 10:10. Some parts of what he shared seemed to strike a chord with people as it opened up some interaction about some heart issues. Again, thanks for praying and please continue to pray that relationships of eternal significance will blossom from these contacts.

GREAT SCOTT!! THERE'S A TEENAGER IN THE HOUSE! Yes, it's true. We have indeed been initiated into the set of households (is there some sort of club?) with (or who have had) one or more teenagers. Our son, Micah, turned 13 on July 8th. We celebrated this milestone as a family by, among other things, going to Hakkeijima Sea Paradise in Yokohama, which has an amusement park and a fabulous aquarium. We would greatly appreciate your prayers for Micah, that he will mature well in every facet of his life, especially that he will grow in the grace and knowledge of our Lord.

Redeeming the time… Greg completed his spring term of language classes on July 7th, and is now on a "summer break" of sorts until fall classes resume in September. We have several things scheduled this summer (see below), but Greg also has some catch-up work to do on some mission related administrative tasks as well as a software project to complete. Pray that he will be able to catch up on these details over the next few weeks.

A 30 year reunion… As you probably know, Greg grew up on the mission field in Japan. What some of you may not know is that he graduated from high school at CAJ (Christian Academy in Japan), a K-12 Christian boarding school in Tokyo, in June of 1980. His graduating class is hosting its 30 year reunion July 23-25 in the Los Angeles area, and by His grace, the Lord has made provision, both financial and otherwise, for Greg & Micah to attend this event of personal significance. Their itinerary will be brief--they depart from Japan on 7/22 and arrive back home on 7/27 (departing LAX on 7/26). Pray for safe travels and meaningful times of connecting with people (fellow MKs/TCKs as well as some MN friends & supporters) and for encouraging bonding times as father & son as Greg & Micah spend this extended time together away from the rest of the family. Pray also for Asa as she holds down the fort back home with Jonah, Karin and Ellen.

Looking ahead… We're thankful that we have been able to schedule some appointments to visit a couple of churches up north in early August, as we seek to discern the Lord's leading regarding our future ministry assignment after our internship concludes next spring. God willing, we hope to have a clear sense of which church we will be partnering with by the end of the year. Pray for both good camaraderie as well as clear discernment as we meet with the pastors and other leaders in these churches:
· Aug. 3-4: Fukushima First Baptist Bible Church in Fukushima Prefecture (near the Pacific coast)
· Aug. 7-8: Yamagata Christian Fellowship in Yamagata City
Between these two visits we plan to attend a home school camp August 4-6 at Kinshuko Bible Camp even further north (where Greg attended the Teamwork Meeting), and then visit a dear friend.. But more on that later…

Again, thank you for your prayers! They are vital to our life and ministry. Also, let us know how we can be praying for you!

Swenson Prayer Update - 6/7/2010

Thank you for your faithful prayers for us here in Japan! Here are some of the highlights of the Swensons over the past month or so.

• We very much enjoyed having the Tebow family, missionary friends from MN, visit us last month (May 9-12) on their way back to the States from Thailand where they have been serving in Bible translation ministry. Their kids and ours seemed to hit it off well.


• We had a wonderful time fellowshipping and worshiping the Lord together in song at the tonkatsu (pork cutlet) party we hosted on May 15 for the folks at Shonan Grace Chapel. We had fewer numbers due to some scheduling conflicts, but we were able to get to better acquainted with those who did come. We are hoping to help with an outreach event at Shonan early next month (see below under "Prayer Points").


• Greg had an encouraging and enriching time at the Teamwork Meeting at Kinshuko Bible Camp (up north in Iwate Prefecture) May 17-19, fellowshipping with and learning from missionary colleagues and national pastors. It was Greg’s first time back at Kinshuko in 27 years with many nostalgic memories from the many times he went there while growing up in Japan. Praise also that Greg’s devotional message went well, receiving positive feedback. The T.M. also offered a chance to connect with pastors about potential ministry partnership opportunities in the future.


• The CHEA (Church & Home Education Association) Japan home schooling convention we attended in Tokyo May 28-29 was fantastic. We were simply amazed to see how many Japanese families are home schooling these days. They brought in several of the speakers from the U.S., including keynote speakers, Phil & Suzy Downer. It was encouraging to hear the biblical principles fleshed out in practical ways to help parents understand that home schooling is not merely about educating your children, but about discipling them to become more Christ like.On a related note, we have more or less decided to continue home schooling our kids into the next school year. Thank you for praying with us in this regard.
• While at the CHEA conference we met a man, Phil Broman, who has been instrumental in the growth of CHEA Japan. Having arrived in Japan from Duluth, MN 57 years ago as a teenager with a call to bring the Gospel to the Japanese, He and his brothers faithfully for served for many years in their evangelistic endeavors, including establishing a highly reputable yochien (preschool/kindergarten) in Sendai. May God cause the sown seed of their labors to bear much fruit. Here is a shot of Greg with Phil.
• We mentioned in our last update the need for Greg to obtain a Japanese driver's license as his international one expires in October, and we are happy to report that the local driver's license test center issued me one just this past Friday (6/4) without requiring him to take either a written or driving test (the only test they required was an eye exam which he passed). We had heard reports that the Japanese authorities were clamping down on waiving exam requirements for foreign license holders, so Greg was fully prepared to have to take (& retake) tests repeatedly ever the course of perhaps several weeks (virtually no one passes the driving test the first time), but they were apparently satisfied with the documentation provided (which included every MN license he was issued since 1981 plus an expired Japanese license from when he was working in Tokyo in the early 1990s). PTL!! Thanks so much for praying!

Prayer Points:

• Pray that Jonah & Micah will have enjoyable, spiritually enriching times as they attend Joy Bible Camp at SEND's Okutama Bible Chalet June 18-22 (Jonah) and June 23-28 (Micah).


• The people at Shonan Grace are tentatively planning an "American style" family barbeque outreach event on July 4, inviting several neighborhood families, and I've been asked to share a brief message from the Bible at the event. Pray for the preparation and planning process and that God would prepare the hearts of the unbelievers who come.


• Please continue to pray for our future ministry assignment.. Some pastors I connected with at the Teamwork Meeting expressed sincere interest in partnering with us in ministry. We're hoping to schedule some visits to churches over the summer, perhaps into the fall, to explore more in-depth potential ministry opportunities. Since we hope to begin as early as next April (2011), we would like to have this matter decided by the end of the year.


• Finally, we would appreciate your prayers regarding our financial situation. Due to several factors -- namely, support attrition, increased support costs, and a weaker dollar -- presently we are significantly under funded. Our current support level is at about 81% which translates into a shortfall of about $1670 per month. The field's leadership team has temporarily granted Greg permission to engage in consulting work on a limited basis for a past Stateside client of his to help shore up some of the shortfall, but it has been difficult to work this into our schedule.

Thank you so much for praying!!

Together with you for the Gospel of Christ in Japan,

Greg & Asa Swenson
Micah, Jonah, Karin, Ellen

Mk from Thiland and Mk from Japan

Mk from Thailand and Mk from Japan, what they have common? They love each other`s company:) Their mom and dad have been long time Friend, now they belong to some church in the states, both of them are serving as missionaries in Asia. They are all home schooled in English, so if there is a chance to spend time together, that is the best thing you can imagine.

well, the Tebows stopped by Japan for several days on their way back to the states for the home assignment. We had fun!!!!!! Visiting old castle, stopping by Mr, doughnuts for the snack, riding express train, playing `Risk` late at night.

That was the wonderful memories MKs can have.

Thank Tebows to make an effort to stop by. And come again!!!