Japan connections

My parents went to Japan as missionaries many years ago.  I was "made in Japan".  I have a heart for the land and its' peoples.  

Here is a story with some twists and turns.  Such connections!  When I attended boarding school at CAJ (Christian Academy in Japan) in Tokyo, one room-mate I had for a semester was Mary Lou.  She was easy to get along with. 

One year Mary Lou's family was on furlough to the States.  Their family went to a church in Iowa to tell the people there about Japan.  

In that church listening to this talk was a young girl named Luann.  Luann decided that she would pray for Mary Lou's family and also for the people who lived by them in that little town.

And in that village lived my friend Chiyoko!  

Her house was only 10 minutes walk from Mary Lou's house and the church only 3 minutes away!  So, indirectly, Luann was praying for Chiyoko!  Chiyoko took English classes from Mary Lou's parents.  And she would one day come to the States as an exchange student.  Here in America she became a believer in Christ!  An answer to Luann's prayers!  She is now married and attending the church we attended when we lived in Wichita!  We met through Japan Christian fellowship.

Several years ago, we invited several people with Japan connections to our home for dinner.

My parents were still both living then.  With Aunt Belva.  3 missionaries to Japan.

 Here they are in their early years.  Aunt Belva is on the right holding baby Patty.  My mom is next to her holding my brother, baby Doug.

At this meal, I met someone new.  Sarah.

I found out that Sarah was wanting to go to Japan as a missionary.  I also heard about Luann.  So I began to pray for them.

On Sunday evening, I went with Japanese friends to a commissioning service for my friend, Mayuko, who will be going to Japan as a missionary.  She came to the States to college and became a Christian here.  Now, she is going back to Japan to serve there!

And there I met Sarah again!  And guess what?  My prayers have been answered because she is going to Japan as a missionary!  And I found out that Luann and her family are also there!  God is at work!

Mayuko and Sarah have just gotten to know eachother and being about the same age, hope to continue a friendship in Japan!

The pastor of this church just happened to have served in Japan also and knows some of my friends who are still there! 

 This is a small world!

Would you pray for Japan too?  For an explosion of His Spirit to penetrate and infiltrate and bring hope to this country?  Most of the missionaries in Japan are over 50.  Pray for a new generation to take the Gospel, the Good News, to the Land of the Rising Sun!  May it become the Land of the Rising Son!

Are you ready?

The older girls had left for school and we had said goodbye to them.  Claire had not left for school yet when we pulled out to leave for home.  It was hard to say goodbye again but we told her we would be planning to be back again!  Jill said she was crying from the get go.  So she let Claire text me.  (since she doesn't know how to write yet, she sends emojis and gifs)

Snowmobilers had been cutting around in the median.  It is against the law but I guess they are hard to catch.  Seems mighty dangerous to me!

We had just left Madison when traffic began to back up.  Must be an accident ahead.

 Media were present - must be bad!

 We later found out that dense fog caused a 29 car (including 3 semi's) pile-up.  A 53 year old woman was killed.

We never know when our time will be up.  I read the obituaries in our paper.  People's stories are so interesting.  This week I read of a man who died on his honeymoon.  They had been married 4 days.  So many who die are younger than I am.  Will I make it to my 70's?  80's?  Perhaps I might die tomorrow.

God counts our days.

"You have decided the length of our lives. You know how many months we will live, and we are not given a minute longer."  Job 14:5

How I look forward to eternity!  In the new earth, joy will be boundless.  An absence of any type of sin.  No cynicism, pride, gossip, hate, anger, abuse, mental illness, poverty, drunkenness.  No more physical or emotional suffering!  He will wipe away tears of sorrow, shame, guilt, remorse.  We live in a war zone now, but we were made for Eden - the new earth!  He will make us whole!

      "They will enter Zion with singing, 

                  everlasting joy will crown their heads.  

    Gladness and joy will overtake them, 

                          and sorrow and sighing will flee away." 

                                                  Isaiah 35:10

Are you ready?  The only way is through Jesus Christ. 

“I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me."  John 14:6

 It is not about being good enough; not a performance, but having a relationship with Jesus.  God is for you!  He loves you!  He desires you to trust Him and let Him rescue you!

"Everyone who calls on the name of the Lord will be saved."  Acts 2:21

If He can save David and Paul, murderers; Rahab, a prostitute; Matthew, a thief; Jacob a liar and swindler; He can rescue you!  

 On this trip, we rolled over to 100,000 miles on our car!  We DO love to do road trips!

 This barn is one I always look for.  Isn't it sad that the highway divided the barn from the house?  Eminent domain and such.

  Sun dog.

We saw that we'd be going through KC at rush hour so decided to take another new route that we had never tried before.  This time we left Interstate 35 and headed west on 26 toward St. Joseph.  I saw a sign that proclaimed it "Windmill Trail".  

I was expecting it to be the old-fashioned windmills, but it was the energy wind turbines.

 I did see one old-fashioned one!

I loved that we were going on almost empty roads and not having to be in the middle of heavy traffic in rush hour!

 Beautiful Kansas sky!

We were cutting it close again.  Luckily pulled into a gas station in time.

Hate to admit this, truly, but we found it rather funny.  We have NEVER in our lives done this before.  It would not have been our choice necessarily, although it wasn't bad.  But we ate at Micky D's 3 times that day!!  Seriously??  

When we stopped for a bathroom break in a small town off the highway, that was what was available.  Then, later we stopped for gas and that was the most convenient place for a late lunch.  And when we were on empty on the turnpike in Kansas, the restaurant there was a McDonald's!  We get food off the dollar menu so it saves $$.

We went a little bit out of the way to drive through Hillsboro.  It was dark by then but we saw lights on in our kids' house.  People had moved into the house that weekend!!  Yay!!  The kids had closed on the house the week we were with them.  What an answer to prayer!

Although sad too for us that instead of 30 minutes away, we have to travel 12 hours!  But like I said, we love road trips!