Old friends, new opportunities

Recent meetings enabled me to reconnect with the Kunihiro family. Some of you may remember Hideo Kunihiro who served as the challenge speaker at Mount Hermon Main Camp in the late 1980s. His nephew, Stephen, is a friend of mine who works in an interior city in the state of São Paulo. 

PJ and Stephen meeting in June 2013

He asked me if I had been in contact with his brother, Joseph in the city of São Paulo. I acknowledged that I hadn't seen Joseph in some twenty years. 

PJ and Joseph

The result of that conversation created an opportunity for me to follow up with Joseph and to learn that, in addition to being a surgeon, he was serving on the pastoral staff of the Christian Missionary Alliance Church in the Vila Ema section of São Paulo. 

Through his kind arrangement I was invited by the senior pastor to speak at the church on Sunday, August 18. What I discovered was a church that was very eager to learn about JEMS and about the short-term mission projects that JEMS is creating for Brazilian nationals to serve in other countries. In addition to bringing the morning message, I was able to share with them about JEMS interest in reaching out to the Nikkei community in Argentina. That community being approximately 85% of Okinawan descent.

As an interesting bit of coincidence, the Vila Ema church is predominantly of Okinawan descent as well. They showed a high level of interest in the possibilities of working together with JEMS in future short-term missions.

The pastoral staff, pictured below, was warm and welcoming.  Senior Pastor Artur and his wife, as well as Pastor Joseph and his wife.

Pr Artur and esposa

Pr Joseph and Marcia

Please pray that JEMS, through their local contacts in Brazil and by the work of the Holy Spirit, can encourage the Vila Ema church to organize and put together a team to serve the Lord in Argentina for perhaps two weeks in January.