The Amazing Flying April

It felt like April flew by here, maybe because it was a very full month. I have, of course, continued in my language study. And I am encouraged by how much I am able to understand, but frustrated that my listening skills are improving disproportionate to my speaking skills. I still struggle to have confidence to speak and find it very difficult to shape my thoughts into the Japanese grammar that I can remember. I know that it will eventually come, but I am having trouble being patient with the learning process. So thank you for your prayers about this and please continue to pray for me in this matter. I know that even the process of learning is a blessing to me and hopefully through it I can be a blessing to all of the people who are helping me to learn.

The April Birthday Sunday at church was also Easter Sunday. Joel and I prepared a delicious lunch, which facilitated an enjoyable time of fellowship and celebration.



Also, Joel and I traveled north to Hachinohe and on the weekend of the 26th. We were able to spend Saturday afternoon and evening with one of the church members, and help a little bit with some of their preparations for the Hachinohe Let's Start Talking project. On Sunday, after Joel preached in worship time, we had a meeting to discuss the three church retreat that the churches in Sendai, Morioka and Hachinohe are planning for September. (These are the three Japanese churches of Christ in this northern region of Japan.) It was decided that the theme will be Family, and we are excited to be designing this camp to be especially welcoming to all ages and all family members and friends, whether they are Christian or not.

Near the end of April we started hosting a cell group Bible study and worship time at our house on Monday evenings. We eat dinner together, then we have a short game, praise time, brief Bible study and discussion time. The idea of this gathering is to work together to find out more about God and what it means to have faith in him. The agenda is set up so that we can all take turns planning different parts of the evening. We have only met a couple of times, but I am hopeful that God will work in great ways through this.

Also this month, we said goodbye to one of the members of the Bible study that Debi and I attend on Tuesday evenings. Stephanie, who has been teaching English in Japan for several years, is back in Texas now. Her goodbye dinner was a fun opportunity to see old friends and make a couple new ones; since we are usually spread all over the city at different churches it was a rare blessing. We will miss her!


On the 29th (a national holiday), 7 adults from Sendai traveled down to Ibaraki for the annual all-Japan worship time on the campus of Ibaraki Christian University. In the morning we had a worship time and sermon. Then we all ate lunch together outside, enjoying fellowship and the blessing of a very beautiful day. In the afternoon there were a couple of choices of activities -- I attended the presentation about the March "Angkor of Faith" mission to Cambodia (the same mission that I went with last March). My favorite part of that day was at the end of the Cambodia presentation -- in small groups we prayed for the children in Cambodia and for the people of Asia. I was moved deeply by realizing once again that God has the power to bring all the people of Asia into relationship with him; and as I work in Japan, I must always place my faith in God's faithfulness, desire and power to restore his children.

Coming up in May, we will be continuing our preparation for the upcoming Let's Start Talking summer program. The team will be arriving on the 20th of June; we opened the registration in April and we already have over 35 people signed up to participate in one-on-one English Bible study for 5 weeks.

Also, in May we will attend the annual Young Adult Camp in Ibaraki prefecture. Please pray that God will make a way for some of the young people from Sendai to go to that event. It is an excellent opportunity to gather people together in a time of worship, fellowship and learning.

Please pray with me . . .

~that God will reveal himself to us in our cell group; that he will touch and stretch our hearts.

~that God will work through me as I continue to study the Bible one-on-one with two people this spring.

~that God will bless the LST program in Sendai this year, that he will bring people to the church who have hearts that are ready to hear the good news of Jesus' love.

~a prayer of thanksgiving for the ways that God has encouraged me and lifted me up this past month. I am less discouraged and am feeling God's peace and joy grow stronger in my heart. He is so faithful and patient!

~a praise for the improvements in my funding situation -- I am still in need of more funds, but God is slowly opening the way for me to continue working in Sendai.