Merry Christmas 2008!

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With
o a fond
wish to you,
my friends, o
family and support
o team for a warm and
blessed Christmas and a
o New Year filled with God's
presence, joy and grace! o
o Arigato gozaimasu!
Muito obrigado!
Thank you!
!! !! !!
!! !!

***Pastoral Ministry***

(Just above) Calabasas Home Fellowship Christmas get-together hosted by the Lees

God blessed the ministry of Celebration in 2008. Our English worship service continues to grow and thrive. As a result, the church leadership has begun researching possibilities of finding a larger worship facility for our attendance needs.

Note: We have just received word (December 18) that the building owner has agreed to enlarge and remodel our current facility to accommodate seating for 100+. They have also agreed to a financial proposal that would enable us to move forward with the project. Praise the Lord!

***JEMS***

This was a year in which I was privileged to travel and minister overseas. The photo above, taken in Asunción, Paraguay, represents brothers and sisters in Christ from the countries of Brazil, Paraguay, Japan and the USA. The gospel is able to cross borders! It was possible because of your prayers and support.

Based on an article I wrote about my Paraguay trip, I was invited to be a series contributor for Discover Nikkei, a multi-lingual and multi-national site that shares the stories of Nikkei living around the world. I will be sharing my more humorous experiences working over the years in South America. Go to this link for more information.

***Family***

My daughter, Tracey and her husband Will, vacationing in Colorado (May 08).

My son, Brandon and his wife Alyssa, on a visit to Tracey and Will in Atlanta (Oct 08).

God has been faithful. I am so appreciative of your friendship in the past year.

Merry Christmas and a blessed New Year!

John

Paraguay with Eyes Open

PJ is published in webforum, Discover Nikkei:

September 2008 marked my first opportunity to visit the capital city of Asunción, Paraguay. I had been looking forward to my study trip, and was hoping that I hadn't lost my sense of adventure and the flexibility that would be needed for a two week stay, bookended by two twenty-four hour travel days.

Prior to embarking on my study trip to Paraguay, I dutifully read all I could find (thanks, Google!) on the history of the country. I would learn about the disastrous impact of . . .

To Continue reading: http://www.discovernikkei.org/forum/en/node/2968

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