Not Creative Title of January Blog

Hello dear friends!!

It's blog time again, and January was full of wonderful things to tell you all about.

Joel, one of my supervisors, was with us for about three weeks in January on his way between furlough and his time in Singapore. We had time to talk about how things were going so far and how things will look over the next three months. It was a wonderful time of encouragement! He also had an opportunity to show me many new places around Sendai and help me get my bearings, I am excited to be able to drive to more and more places.

On the 14th, Debi, Joel and I went to Mito to attend a church meeting on Christian leadership. Since I still know very little Japanese, I was unable to understand most of the message, but it was a good time for meeting and renewing acquaintances with Japanese Christians and many foreigners that are working for the Lord in Japan.

The 21st was Haruna's birthday -- she is a member of our cell group so we had a wonderful time celebrating her with a special dinner.

Our January LST activity was a Soup 'n' Games party; however, the party ended up being more of a Soup 'n' Chatting party -- none of our board games seemed to hold much interest. But everyone enjoyed the food and really enjoyed spending time together, so the party was definitely a success!

At the beginning of January, I resumed my one on one English/Bible classes after the Christmas/New Year break. They have all been going well, and I still enjoy each and every one of my students. God has certainly been blessing those times that I have to build friendship and share his love.

I want to share with you about something one of my readers told me. She has a great deal of interest in the Bible and a strong desire to experience the power of God. One of her great obstacles is the memory of her father -- he was a devout Buddhist, and since he passed away she has been able to believe that he is in Buddhist paradise. However, she shared with me that if she believes in God, then she knows she can no longer believe that her father is in paradise. Please join me in praying for Akiko, that she will be able to see God's truth and to feel his power in such a way that any obstacle to her faith in him will seem small, however painful it may be to overcome.

In March I will be spending about three weeks in Singapore, Malaysia and Cambodia. During that time our group will be observing and serving many churches and missionaries. In Cambodia we will be joining a bigger group of young Christains and seekers from many parts of Asia that will be part of the Angkor of Faith camp. I am looking forward to seeing the ways that God is working in Southeast Asia -- please join me in praying that God will use that time to stretch my faith, and also that he will use me to bless the people I will come in contact with, especially when we will be serving and loving the street children in Cambodia.

Please pray . . .

~that God will continue to pursue the people of Japan, that he will work in mighty ways in the hearts of Akiko, Kayoko, Haruna, Marina and Michiaki.

~that God will comfort Debi and her family as they are feeling the loss of her grandmother, and that God will bring Debi safely back to Japan.

~that God will continue to strengthen my heart and grow my faith and use me for his mighty work in Sendai.

~that God will protect those seeking him from the distraction and deceit of Satan.

~that God will bless the preparations being made for the Angkor of Faith camp in Cambodia.

~that God will begin to guide me in what I should prepare for after this first year in Japan is finished.

~that God will continue to bless my language study.