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Eros Newsletter March 2008 |
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Welcome to spring…and the sunshine. Over here we get lots of that but very cold winds blow from January through March. Much of Japan is getting ready for the cherry blossoms (sakura) to bloom which they say will be early this year. It is really an amazing sight to see! And today (March 14th) is known as “White Day”. It’s when the boys give gifts to the girls, whereas on Valentine’s Day the girls give chocolates to the boys. An interesting concept don’t you think?
I have been sharing the story of Easter with my students as I did last year, but this year is a little different as I have many new students to share with too. I have 2 gentlemen who attend a Monday evening class at Moose at 8pm. One is 28 and the other is 39. This was their first time to hear of Jesus’ sacrifice for us. Our usual 1 hour class turned into a 2 hour discussion about Jesus, Easter, and my faith. They had so many questions and Nozomi helped to translate. They want to continue this discussion in our next class so please pray for these 2 men that they will continue to thirst for the water of life!
We had another Bible study at Sato-san’s home in February. She is a helper and a student from Fujigaoka Church. 4 students attended but one of the ladies had just said 2 weeks prior to this that she didn’t need Christianity at all. She is also one of the women who bought a copy of the Purpose Driven Life and I have also given her a Bible. I love watching God work in her life…she is saying one thing, but her actions are those of someone who is really seeking something more in her life. Please pray she will continue to come to Bible study and will keep asking questions about God!
I am preparing to come home for a longer stay this summer. I will be having a garage sale on July 12th (Saturday) as I feel it is time to fully prepare for whatever God has in store for me. I’m not sure if that means remaining in the missions field or not, but I know that I have lots of ‘stuff’ that I need to get rid of. So if you’re looking for Christmas items, camping gear, dishes, etc. please keep this date in mind! I will be writing more about it in my June newsletter. There will also be another dessert night sometime in July with some snacks and things from Japan…maybe some more sushi too!
If any of your groups would like me to share about my experiences in Japan so far, please let me know. I would love to come and tell you about God’s work here in Japan. I plan to be in Abbotsford for the first 2 weeks of July and then I will go camping for a few days. In early August I will be visiting with my sister in Calgary and other relatives in BC and Alberta. If anyone has a vehicle that I might borrow during my time home (July/August), I would be very grateful. Thank you for prayerfully considering this request
I am attaching a few more photos this time and hope that you are able to open them up on your computer. I have tried to downsize the images so that it doesn’t take up so much space…hopefully it will work out okay. One is of a monkey at the Nihon (Japan) Monkey Park in Inuyama City. It is about an hour from my home. This little fellow looks so cute, doesn't he. The second is one of my children's classes at Fujigaoka. For Valentine's Day we made a door hanger saying 'Jesus Loves Me'. The third is from the Fukui Dinosaur Museum where I went on Feb. 17th. It is a huge 'statue' in the parking lot...amazingly built and very colourful.
Some items of prayer and praise:
-Please pray for all of my students, especially as I continue sharing Easter with them.
-Pray for health and safety as I travel around the Nagoya area with students and friends. I am forming some very wonderful friendships and it allows me to share God in many different ways with them.
-Pray for the news students who will be starting classes in April. We have 9 new students coming in to the Moose school which is very exciting.
-Praise for the women who help prepare everything for the classes at Fujigaoka and Komaki churches. Without them, things certainly would not run so smoothly.
-Pray for the TREK team that arrived in Toyota last week. 6 young women who will be in Japan for 4 months learning about missionary life and what God is doing in Japan.
Thank you for continuing to support me with your prayers and finances. I am truly grateful to all of you and so blessed knowing you believe in what God is doing here in Japan!
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