Andante August

At the very end of July, after a few days of rest following the busy, busy, busy Let's Start Talking season, my sister (Megan) arrived in Sendai. I was so proud of her because (in spite of some late arriving baggage and a malfunctioning payphone) she made it to Tokyo and then from there to Sendai via train all by herself, which is really impressive for her first time to Japan. She was able to stay for two weeks -- what a blessing it was! It was really fun to share with her some of the things that I have learned and experienced this year, as well as introduce her to many friends here.


We also got to celebrate her 20th birthday in Sendai, and she was so surprised and blessed by the generosity of her new Japanese friends.


During Megan's visit and after that, I had many opportunities to continue connecting with several of the people who participated in LST this summer. I also spent time preparing for fall activities. Now I have begun one-on-one LST style lessons with 13 students (and am hoping to add a couple more very soon). And I will begin a weekly small group discussion class, in which we will study the book of Mark, with three ladies that have been participating in LST for several years. Debi and I are also planning to begin a weekly devotional Bible study at our house sometime around the end of this month.

After taking a short break from my lessons during my sister's visit, I have returned to my Japanese lessons again. I am encouraged by all the things I can understand now, but I still have such a long way to go that sometimes I feel frustrated. However, God is definitely blessing me by using this language learning experience to teach me so many lessons about humility, compassion, discipline and especially about being able to ask for and accept help -- because I still need so much help for everything!

As you all probably know, my first year in Japan will be finished in less than two months and I have decided to stay in Sendai. So my request is three-fold: Please pray that that God will continue to bless this decision; please pray that the finances and other final details can be worked out according to God's plan; and please continue to be a part of this ministry -- you are so important to me as I try to follow God's call for my life. And my thank yous come in a set of three as well: Thank you for your faithful encouragement and prayers -- those are an immeasurable blessing; thank you for your physical support in the form of donations and care packages, emails and letters; thank you for the love you have shown me and enabled me to pass on to God's children in Japan.

Please pray . . .

~a praise to our faithful Father for the LST readers that came this summer, especially for those continuing to study and participate in our fall classes and activities -- pray that their hearts will be open to God's call and that they will feel hungry for God's righteousness and grace.

~a praise to God for the Sendai church -- pray that they will continue to be excited about God and sharing his message.

~for Joel -- that God will continue to bless and grow Joel as He uses him for His good work in Thailand and that God will give him a clear vision for the next phase of working in Japan.

~for Debi -- that God will continue to bless her classroom and give her opportunities to show love to her kindergartners and their families; that she have the energy and time to participate in other ministries through which she can channel her strong desire to serve the Lord and the lost.

~that I will prepare for, participate in and lead my reading sessions and other Bible studies with wisdom and dedication; that I will manage my time with balance and discernment.

~that my faith with remain solid and grow even stronger, as I learn more and more about depending on and trusting in God.