Japan Part II

This website is here to share with you my life and God's moving here in western Japan.  Many of you are faithful prayer supporters.  I hope the inclusion of dates and details, as well as pictures and stories, will help spark and guide your prayers.  Those prayers are a very welcome and treasured gift - full of strength, light, and power.  Thank you!

My hope is also to simply share a glimpse into Japan.  The more you know the more I hope you will develop a love and interest for the people of Japan.  God sure loves them a lot!

Many conversations (and admittedly a lot of struggles and frustrations) have brought us to an exciting place in ministry at the church.  On November 21st we will have a Thanksgiving Party.  That isn't so revolutionary, but what is different is that we aren't just encouraging the church members to come or delegating them roles to fill.  Instead, it is a joint event that will be primarily in Japanese.  The opening explanation of the history of Thanksgiving won't even be presented by an American!  The pastor and church president are going to work together to do a short, interesting presentation.  They were even talking about hats with feathers, etc. at the Church Council Meeting where we were planning.  The president's wife (who speaks very little English) gave a very heartfelt and convincing plea to the ladies' group to participate - assuring them that it was "NOT an English Event" and they didn't have to worry about language.  The 80 year old ladies were talking about it when I came down to join their conversation.  Our main goal is to do ministry together: to love and welcome people together.  The flyer said something about "traditional" food and the one 80 year old woman said "Can I bring traditional Japanese pickled vegetables?"  Yes, yes, and ABSOLUTELY YES!  What a praise and a joy.  Older men and women have so much wisdom, experience, love, and patience to offer the younger generations who are tired, overworked, and uncertain about the future.  So many single people in their 20s, 30s, and 40s complain about loneliness...when there is such a rich supply of older people with the same plight and all the time in the world.  Please pray for good connections and relationships to be established and deepened at this dinner.  May people experience God's love directly and through the love of others there!

NEW: Beginning July 2009 we will be teaching in the Commercial High School close to the church (about 11 hours a week for 1st year students).  Please join us in thanking God for this wonderful (unexpected!) blessing.  Please also pray for good relationships with the staff and students there.  We were received very warmly and look forward to a great partnership.

Even if you don't have Picasa you can view these pictures.  You can select automatic update and it will email you every time I update my photo albums.

 http://picasaweb.google.com/cinderlee
*updated 9/18/09*

Interested in mission happenings around the world?  LCMS has a Missions Blog where you can a taste for the global picture.  Check it out!
http://blog.lcmsworldmission.org

Asia Ablaze! Newsletter - Brief highlights of the mission work and light of God's love shining around Asia.  Follow the link to view or subscribe to this free online newsletter.

http://www.asiaablaze.org/