May 16, 2007

Spring in Japan's Alps and News Update


Well, Spring may have long ago arrived where you are, but it has just decided to show up here in the Japanese Alps... and I have to admit that it was worth the wait.

First came the plum trees, and then the cherry blossoms along with daffodils and, yes, dandelions. Then, just as the cherry blossoms started to fade, the apple orchards started, and the pear and lots of others. The parks, roadways and private gardens are full of cherry trees and the mountain valleys full of orchards and vineyards-- I can safely say that I've never seen so many flowering trees.

Since trading our seaside house in Kyushu for Nagano's mountain-ringed valleys, we're really enjoying the beautiful snow and winter sports, as well as the warm fellowship and activities.

We're continuing our normal teaching and missionary outreach, but other activities have included seeing one family of five off to Africa and welcoming a missionary couple from Thailand, with their sweet baby.

One focus has been preparation for our summer witnessing music and drama programs, including upgrading our home to prepare for hosting even more missionaries. Our 17-room plus kitchen and dining room building is slowly being purged, reorganized, and renewed-- including the little music studio, which has nevertheless been actively producing original music and other needed recordings.

We're happy to be contributing to all that's happening here, excited with what the future holds and very thankful for the part you, our friends, have played in making it all possible.

May 12, 2007

Big White Dog


Andrew [age 10]


One day was really hot. It was summer. I didn’t want to go out, but we went anyway. I was a little sad because it was so hot. When we got to the park, I saw a big white dog, and I started to cheer up a little.
I asked the man if the dog bites, and if I could pet it. He said, ‘yes’. So I started witnessing to him and I gave him a tract. He said he had a flower shop and where it was.

The next day, we went to the flower shop, told him about Jesus and he prayed to ask Jesus into his heart. We also met his wife. He and his wife just retired from the Air Force. She was in ‘intelligence’- a spy! And he gave us a picture of himself flying a fighter jet.

We went back to visit them and they told us they really liked the Activated Magizine that we gave them. We kept going back to visit them, play with their dog and give them more Activated mags. They told us that they really appreciated them.

I’m happy I went out that day, even though I didn’t want to. Today we got a letter from them and a photo of their dog, so I wanted to write about them.