“Hereby perceive we the love of God, because he laid down his life for us: and we ought to lay down our lives for the brethren. But whoso hath this world’s good, and seeth his brother have need, and shutteth up his bowels of compassion from him, how dwelleth the love of God in him? My little children, let us not love in word, neither in tongue; but in deed and in truth.” (1 John 3:16-18)

Perhaps a good sign of a mature christian is a consistent life; the Lord wants dependable people in his kingdom (I Tim 1:12). The last two weeks or so have been pretty steady for us here and a test for us to be consistent. Work is increasingly busy, and Mia is perpetually busy with not just being a mom, but also while learning a new language and pursuing ministry opportunities. At this point we are but continuing to acclimate to life here. There has not been much change recently, but it seems some will be coming soon.

 

It seems that Mia will be engaging in a small amount of English teaching herself. It would include teaching a young child, as well as the possibility of having a moms’ class. On top of that, she was also approached by a stranger the other day, who promptly offered her a teaching job at her school – it all seemed so sudden. While we all agree that she should not be adding so much to her plate, Mia is excited to start teaching at least a little, and for it to be both another ministry opportunity, as well as a way to bolster her own language learning. We are praying for the right timing of our schedules to make it work.

It’s kind of hard to believe that we’ve already finished a third of our company contract here in Fukui! It still feels like we just got here (which is still quite true). If you have been following this blog, you know that our length-of-stay here in Fukui has been one of the top topics of prayer for us, of which an answer seems nearly in sight. We have decided that it would be highly beneficial for us to stay in Japan for at least four years… starting from the U.S. election in November (well, it was a thought, anyway)! Even with that being the case, we do truly feel it is wise and of the Lord’s leading, at this time, for us to remain in Japan beyond our contract end in June. We do not know how long that may mean, but only that we sense that our purpose here is not just for one year. In agreeance with several areas of counsel, some steps have already been taken in the U.S. for us, and we plan on slowly making a few more decisions both there and here. Thank you so much for your fastings and prayers in this! It isn’t really for us, but for the countless in Japan that need reached for Christ.

In addition to the physical considerations that will have to be made, we also have a vision for future ways to minister. In addition to continued efforts at Tanpopoen, there is also a children’s orphanage in our prefecture called くれ愛園 (Kure-ai-en). While we continue to live our lives in relative comfort and blessings, the elderly and the young remain held within the limits of walls, with almost all of them without hope physically, or eternally. With the continual support of Hiroko, we are currently looking into what way we can reach the orphans at Kureaien. There may be a couple of possibilities, but it’s too early to say just yet. Please join us in our burden and prayer for this!

Some of you also know about a young woman (she will remain nameless) that we asked for prayer for to help in the Philippines. Thank you for praying. Her and her daughter are safely home. We will not share all of the details here, but if you have any questions, please ask us personally.

Whether it’s about homeless children in Japan, endangered family in the Philippines, or reading about suffering in the U.S., we’ve been reminded lately of our great need, as christians, to proclaim the truth of God’s love and mercy. The late Joey Feek had a song entitled, “In the Time that You Gave Me”. Part of the lyrics say this:

“In the time that you gave me, did I give all that I could I could give? Did I love all I could love? Did I live all I could live? Was my faith in your grace strong enough to save me? Did I do all I could do in the time that you gave me?… If today is the day that you should decide to take me, did I do all I could do in the time that you gave me?” 

It is the Lord’s desire to save the sheep that have gone astray, and our desire and prayer is that you will join us to reach those who are wandering their way into eternity on the wrong side of heaven. Thank you so much for all of your support, whether in encouragements, packages, financially, or by prayer. We are truly a blessed people!