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!
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