Family together

The year end brings the joy and tradition of family spending time together.  It's wonderful to have my daughter and her husband visiting from Atlanta, and enjoying the hospitality of my son and daughter-in-law's home in Cypress.  Our best wishes to you for a blessed New Year!

O final do ano traz a alegria e tradição da família passar o tempo juntos. É maravilhoso ter a minha filha e seu marido visitando de Atlanta, onde ambos trabalham como advogados. Nós nos encontramos juntos na casa do meu filho e sua esposa em Cypress, California. Meu filho trabalha como um pastor de tempo integral em uma Igreja Batista e minha nora é uma enfermeira de oncologia. Sua filha tem 19 meses de idade e uma segunda criança está chegando em janeiro. Nossos melhores desejos para você para um ano novo abençoado!

*  *  *

El fin de año trae la alegría y la tradición de la familia pasar tiempo juntos. Es maravilloso tener a mi hija y su marido de visita desde Atlanta, donde ambos trabajan como abogados. Nos reunimos en la casa de mi hijo y su esposa en su casa en Cypress, CA. Mi hijo trabaja como pastor a tiempo completo en una iglesia bautista y mi nuera es una enfermera de oncología. Su hija tiene 19 meses de edad y un segundo hijo está llegando en enero. Nuestros mejores deseos para usted para un Año Nuevo bendecido!

Year End and Christmas Greetings!!

As we come to the end of the year, I am so grateful for your prayers and support of my ministry with JEMS.  The year has been an incredible expression of God's faithfulness as doors were opened for ministry in Argentina and Paraguay, as well as slightly ajar for exploratory visits to Lima, Peru.  

As much as it has been my honor to serve you and the Lord in these endeavors, the year has not been without its challenges.  Recurring back problems have threatened to limit travel and ministry.  And yet, God is gracious and provides strength for each day as I was able to invest close to five months in South America in 2014.  

While I am currently recuperating from a spinal epidural procedure, and will not travel to South America as part of my January schedule, my prayer is to return to the field in July.  In the meantime, I hope to use the spring months to visit churches and to share about the wonderful opportunities God is giving to us in South America.  JEMS hopes to field at least five teams for mission service in response to national church requests that we have received for the month of July.

As the Christmas holiday rolls around, I am blessed to be able to visit with my son, Brandon and his wife, Alyssa.  Because they live locally, I am able to get together with them periodically throughout the year here in southern California.  The four of us (including my granddaughter, Kaya) will get together the days around Christmas.  These days will also be preparation for the arrival of Brandon and Alyssa's second child in January. 

Last minute schedule changes (as of Dec 22) will include the visit of my daughter, Tracey and her husband, Will who were not scheduled to come out west.  But the good news now is that my children, my granddaughter and I will be able to spend some time together around Christmas.  

They send their holiday greetings:

Merry Christmas from all of us!!

A Brazilian Christmas?

How does one celebrate Christmas in Brazil?  In a country of palm trees, beaches and tropical climes, it seems far removed from the image of reindeer, freshly fallen snow and sleigh rides.  By the same token, the landscape of Palestine doesn't lend itself very well to the Nordic scenes we in the US tend to associate with the holiday.

Many of our snow and winter-related customs can be traced to the appropriation of traditions such as Sinterklaas and St.  Nicholas, Europeans combining the holiday with the pre-Christian observance of the Winter Solstice and the Victorian celebrations in England.  Personally, I think the old Coca Cola ads probably reinforced this idea as well. In the 1930s in the US, there were no less than six ads featuring Santa and winter images.

Bing Crosby has us longing for a "White Christmas."  And one of the most popular non-religious Christmas song has us "dashing through the snow on a one-horse open sleigh." (Which interestingly enough was originally written as a celebration of Thanksgiving, not Christmas).  

So Christmas in the USA is done up in trees of spruce and pine, flocked with artificial snow and tinsel to represent the sparkle of a wintry night.  Aaand this is where we can get stuck.  We get caught up in the accouterments of the holiday.  The external, peripheral stuff.  And in so doing, we miss the heart of the celebration. 

My children were born in La Mesa, near San Diego.  When I remember their birthdays, my focus isn't on the Chargers, the Padres or Sea World.  That would be ludicrous to substitute the joy of Tracey and Brandon's births with such minor trivialities. 

In much the same way, Christmas isn't about the where.  It's not whether we celebrate in Brazil, in southern California, in Japan or in the Netherlands.  It isn't even about the what.  Not what trees are best, not what our holiday table will include, not the best deals, not what should go beneath the tree.

Christmas is about the who.  Christmas is about Jesus. He is the focus of our celebration, the source of our joy.  I invite you to find a quiet time and place to rediscover the wonder and the heart of the Christmas season.  To find comfort and consolation in the presence of the wonderful counselor, the mighty God, the everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace.  And may we find no end in his rule, his peace and his lordship over our lives.  

Blessings to you from Pastor John.

USAF Band at the Smithsonian

I loved this expression of celebration during this holiday season!

Medical Updates: December

Spinal column xray. Not mine.

I am looking to answer your questions about the involvement of JEMS in South America this January 2015. I was awaiting some news about my health before deciding whether or not to lead a team to Buenos Aires in January.

I am hoping to receive medical treatment for my spinal column, which has been experiencing more pain. Some days it's difficult to walk or even to stand for any length of time.

It seems that my treatment process will begin with an MRI next week and continue during the beginning of 2015.

I think it best not to make any commitment to lead a team in January. This is unfortunate as there is a Brazilian team interested in serving in Argentina, however as there would be no experienced leader to provide spiritual and emotional guidance, we thought it best not to participate in January. What a shame.

I hope to be able to be back on my feet and able to serve on the field by July of 2015. In the meantime, I continue to meet with other mission partners, I will move forward with planning our short term projects for next July, recruiting and preparing teams and speaking at churches about the opportunities to serve with JEMS in South America.

(Português)

Estou querendo responder às suas perguntas sobre o envolvimento do JEMS na América do Sul em janeiro de 2015. Eu estava aguardando alguma notícia sobre a situação da minha saúde antes de tomar uma decisão ao respeito do ministério em Buenos Aires em janeiro.

Eu quero saber mais sobre o tratamento médico para a minha coluna espinal, o que tem vindo a registar mais dor. Alguns dias é difícil de andar ou até ficar de pé por muito tempo.

Parece que o meu processo de tratamento vai começar com uma ressonância magnética na semana que vem e continuar durante o mês de janeiro. Para mim, é melhor não tomar qualquer compromisso para fazer uma viagem em janeiro. Do mesmo, tendo uma equipe brasileira interessada, não há um líder com os contatos e experiência para fornecer a orientação espiritual e emocional. Então nós pensamos melhor não participar em janeiro. Que pena.

Espero ser capaz de voltar ao campo missionário em julho do próximo ano.

* * * *

(Español)
Estoy queriendo responder para su pregunta sobre la participación de la JEMS en el enero de 2015. Yo estaba esperando alguna noticia sobre mi salud antes de tomar una decisión acerca de liderar un equipo a Buenos Aires en enero.

He estado esperando para aprender más acerca de mi tratamiento médico para mi columna vertebral, que ha estado experimentando más dolor. Algunos días es difícil caminar o estar de pie durante mucho tiempo.

Parece que el proceso de mi tratamiento comezará con una resonancia magnética en la semana que viene y continuará hasta el mes de enero. Para mi, es mejor no tomar ningún compromiso para viajar en enero. Mismo que tiene un equipo brasileño interesado, no hay un líder para proporcionar orientación espiritual y emocional. Entonces pensamos mejor no participar en enero. Que lastima.

Espero que voy a ser capaz de volver al campo misionero en julio del próximo año.

Standing on shoulders

I had the opportunity to serve with a former pastoral colleague yesterday.  It was a privilege to work together and to be reminded again of God's faithfulness throughout the years. 

Introducing me to his church family, Pastor Furuyama said that we served together 30 years ago in the San Gabriel Valley.  I was incredulous!  I had to mentally calculate the years to come to the realization that his math was correct and that thirty years had indeed passed!!  I would say that "time flies," but frankly, that's what older people say all the time. I'm trying to resist the temptation to include that phrase in my vocabulary.

What was perhaps even more of a confirmation was the reminder that God has been faithful throughout the years.  That he has blessed me with ministry partners, co-pastors, who have invested their time, experience and wisdom into me through their very association.  

I remember as a young seminary student, that my dad told me that I would be privileged to build on the foundation laid by others before me, to stand on their shoulders, as it were.  It was a strange expression to me at the time, but it turned out to be one that was based on some comment by Isaac Newton.  It is also the title of a recent book by Stephen Hawking.  They both reference "standing on the shoulders of giants." (Source) 

After many years of service, I can look back and see the privilege that has been mine to learn from those with whom I have served.  Whether in the US or in South America, any "success" that I might be able to claim is the direct result of those who have unselfishly and graciously shared their wisdom and their resources with me.  

Pr Yuasa, pictured behind PJ, was a key in opening doors for JEMS in Brazil

Pr Amakawa, who personally introduced me to ministry in 
Paraguay and Argentina. Before his death, he was a wonderful 
friend and co-laborer in Brazil.

Rev Sam, who served as a missions mentor and who 
expressed much grace in enabling me to be restored 
to ministry, both as a pastor in 2005 and in my return 
to JEMS in 2007.

My prayer going forward is that I, in turn, may be able to serve as a "shoulder" to others to catch the vision and continue the ministry to communities in South America.

Activity is not achievement

As quotations go, John Wooden isn't a bad source.

There is an inherent danger in life and ministry to confuse activity for achievement.  To imagine that all that we do are the ends in themselves. 

We can't all be Wooden.  Coached UCLA to the national basketball championship ten times.  Won eighty-eight straight games during that fantastic record.  Was named national coach of the year six times.  An overachiever, that guy.

Yet for all of his success, he was a man characterized by balance. In his book, They Call Me Coach, Wooden writes, 

"I have always tried to make it clear that basketball is not the ultimate. It is of small importance in comparison to the total life we live. There is only one kind of life that truly wins, and that is the one that places faith in the hands of the Savior."

For each mission that is undertaken on behalf of JEMS, we try to make certain that amidst the certainty of activity, that there are clearly achievable standards for ministry. 

• Outline clear objectives.  
• Establish measurable goals.  
• Lay out a plan of implementation.

For each JEMS worker, for every JEMS mission team, and every time Pastor John travels to South America, JEMS must make certain that these three standards are in place in order to assure a successful result.

The song, "Let Your Kingdom Come" by Sovereign Grace, asks that God would allow us to fulfill the following:

May Jesus Christ be known
Wherever we are
We ask not for ourselves, but for Your renown
The cross has saved us so we pray
Your kingdom come

Let Your kingdom come
Let Your will be done
So that everyone might know Your Name

Celebrating God's Faithfulness

I've been back in the US for three weeks after an extended mission trip to South America that spanned the months of July to October.  It's a joy to be back home and to be able to share with friends and supporters about God's goodness during this mission which covered four countries.  

The LA Holiness Church and Pastor Seigo was kind enough to invite me to share this past Sunday.  I am also available to share with other friends, supporters and churches as well. 

 

Perhaps the most tangible expression of God's care came during pastors' meetings in Lima, Peru.  We were gathered outside a local Starbucks in a fairly upscale shopping center.  Our meetings had gone well as we met with various Nikkei leaders and pastors.  

We were in our second set of meetings when we were addressed by a young man in English.  After asking his question, he walked off.  At the same moment, I happened to look down at my feet to notice that my backpack, which had been next to me on the ground, was no longer there.  "Where's my backpack?" I asked no one in particular.  The other pastors, Lima locals, jumped up and immediately sprang into action.  One pastor had seen someone go down the stairs with a black backpack, but he didn't know it was mine until I called attention to the fact that it was missing.  

This photo was taken about five minutes before the incident

It was a gang of four.  Three of them, including a ten-year old girl, had casually seated themselves at the table next to ours.  They were well-dressed and looked like any family taking a break from shopping.  The young man who asked the question was the diversion.  While our attention was focused on him, the three who were seated behind me, casually took my backpack and walked away in the opposite direction.

God's care took the form of my notion to check for my backpack.  No reason.  I wasn't suspicious of the circumstances at all.  But as soon as I alerted the others, they reacted.  

The three pastors gave chase and caught three of the robbers about 200 yards away, walking quickly through the mall, trying to stuff my backpack into another white plastic bag.  The pastor grabbed my backpack and tenaciously held on.  The other pastor called the police who were patrolling close by.  When the policemen approached, the man holding my backpack let go and ran off.  We were left with the other male accomplice and the ten year old girl.  

We made the report with police.  Unfortunately, there were no consequences for the thieves as I could not make a court appearance the following week to press charges.  Sadly, they were free to find another victim. 

But I have to say again that God was caring for us.  There was no particular reason for me to look for my backpack.  In fact, Akira, one of the young men with whom we were meeting said, "If you had discovered it missing thirty seconds later instead of when you did, it would have been gone for sure."  It would have been somewhat disastrous as all my money and my travel documents (passport) were in that backpack.  

We learned an important lesson about vigilance and also the need to establish a specific security protocol for work in Lima.  But more important was the lesson we learned about the faithfulness of God.

It goes without saying that I treated my backpack rescuers to lunch later that day.  

Video: JEMS Summer Mission July to October 2014 (Version 1.0)

Pastor John pictured with Pastor Daniel Abe, the superintendent of the Brazilian Free Methodist Conference (Nikkei),
and Pastor Luiz Hashimoto, the president of the Brazil Holiness Church

With much gratitude for your prayers and financial support for my ministry this past July-October.  The video below (Version 1.0) provides a peek at the various activities that were undertaken.  

Language isn't my thing.

At my age, language acquisition is a God thing.  As one who doesn't speak a lick of Japanese, I take no credit from those who suggest that I have an aptitude or facility for language learning.  May I say in the kindest way I can?  Baloney!  Someone very close to me once said, and I quote, "You're a complete idiot when it comes to languages."  

That statement was so true.  But it also served to show the incredible nature of God's provision for my ministry in South America when I began serving in Brazil some twenty-three years ago.

May I say it again for those who haven't caught up yet . . . It's a God thing.  I'm bordering on 63 years of age and have recently taken up Spanish.  Who does that?  Especially when I'm not always clear what day of the week it is without looking at my smartphone.  

I post these videos for you, not to show off.  God forbid!  I show these to you to remind you that God can do incredible things when we are willing to be used by him.

I hope to continue to grow my Spanish fluency.  But first, here is a brief excerpt of my sharing in Portuguese at the Igreja Metodista Livre de Sorocaba (Sorocaba Free Methodist Church) on September 28, 2014.

 
Translation: "(God is) opening the door to Argentina.  We are also working in Paraguay. Now I will go to Lima to investigate the possibility of doing ministry in partnership with the Nikkei churches there.  I would like to ask for your prayers for our ministry here in South America."

Switching gears. In Lima, I'm able to use my rudimentary Spanish at introductory meetings with pastors.
   

The following Sunday, I was asked to briefly preface my morning message with brief greetings in Spanish at the Misión Cristiana Holiness in Lima, Peru.  My interpreter was also at the ready in case I stumbled!



Thank the Lord because he is good!

Thank you for partnering financially with my language studies this past August!

Relationships are fundamental!

In 1966, a program called Reading Is Fundamental was created. The program was founded on the principle that reading was foundational for a literate society.

In missions we would make a very similar statement. We would say that relationships are fundamental. Relationships are the key to ministry because they provide us with the ability to interact and socialize with others. While many training and seminary programs focus on theology, missiology and other "ologies," not much focus is placed on the importance of learning how to relate to others. The result is a group of men and women who are intellectually capable, but who are unable to connect with others on day-to-day, seemingly mundane matters. 

But it is in the reality of day-to-day where most people live, not in the stratosphere of ideology.  One learns this sitting in the home of a immigrant housewife who has just lost her husband. Or counseling an adolescent unsure of his future.  Or comforting a farmer who has lost his crop to a flood or to drought. These real life situations are where the rubber meets the road, as it were.
 
I'm grateful for my recent visit to the city of Belėm, in the Amazonian rainforest of northern Brazil. To meet and talk with students about their hopes and dreams for the future.

I am grateful for the opportunity to visit a farming colony called Tomé Açu, founded by Japanese immigrants in 1926.  To meet with the first Sansei president of the Japanese Association and to listen to his plans for the colony in the years ahead.

Also in Tomé Açu, it was a blessing to see continued the rich legacy left by Hitoshi and Kathy Yamada, UFM (MICEB) missionaries. I was invited to share a Bible study, where I selected the theme of righteousness using 1 Peter 1 and the illustrations of a Japanese kanji.



As much as Tomé Açu seemed like the end of the earth, we had the opportunity to go 40 kilometers even closer to the ends of the earth to a very remote farming colony called Jamic. There we met immigrant families whose closest neighbors were three kilometers away, and for whom grocery shopping means a two-hour drive on dirt roads when dry, and impassable when raining.  



Boarding a balsa ferry to cross the river on the road to Tomé Açu.



Crossing a curiously engineered bridge traveling from Tomé Açu to Jamic




Home visit in Jamic





What does a home visit look like?






And forget wifi or 3G! Even telephonic communication required a super tall antenna! 



The art of relationship begins here. Listening, comforting, encouraging.  This is what people yearn to experience before opening their hearts to the gospel. Relationship-building is fundamental! 

 .    

I love small groups!

Click to enlarge photo

Questions and answers. Reflection and laughter. The intimacy of a small group. 

I enjoy teaching the Bible. While preaching is generally the medium for reaching larger groups, I enjoy the dynamics of discussing scripture around the table, in a circle of chairs or in the comfort of a living room.  

Jesus used both environments, speaking to thousands on a mountain or to hundreds along the shore of a lake. He also met people in their homes, reclining at table over a meal, or simply instructing the twelve disciples. 

I'm grateful for the flexibility of a format best suited to the needs of the groups to whom I serve. 

Because preaching doesn't generally encourage interaction, frankly, you get the most interesting comments and questions in the context of small group study.  Like the question I received last week about the practice of bigamy.  Sometimes the conversation can go off the rails here, but it provides a good opportunity to be stretched and to test my understanding of God's Word, his nature and his purpose for our lives.

September 15 - mid-term update

It's my privilege and honor to be able to convey the message of God's word. In Argentina, Paraguay or Brazil; whether to adults or to youth and children; in English, Spanish or Portuguese, it is a great joy for me. None of this would be possible without the partnership of local churches and pastors who make their pulpits and classrooms available for me to share. 

Today marks the month and a half point in my ministry in South America. I'm grateful for your ongoing prayers and financial support of my ministry. I still have a ways to go before I can begin to turn my heart toward home.

Tomorrow I leave for Brazil's northernmost state in the Amazon River basin. I will be serving in two cities: the capital city of Belém in Pará state, and a Japanese colony about six hours distant called Tomé Açu. I will be in that region for about a week.

Your gifts make this possible! Please make a gift this week! http://JEMS.org/onlinegiving

Post-COPANI Get-together in Buenos Aires

It's super amazing that in just two short years, through the support of organizations like Centro Nikkei Argentino and COPANI, we've been able to develop friendships with young people from the Nikkei community here in Argentina. I love these guys!! 

 

Es una cosa muy impresionante como nosotros nos volvimos amigos tan rápido! Agradezco mucho el apoyo del Centro Nikkei Argentino y los organizadores de COPANI por su colaboración en ayudar en el conocimiento de los jóvenes de la colectividad Nikkei em BAires. Gracias!

Woohoo!

 

Terminé mi curso intensivo de español ayer y recibí un certificado de terminación. Muchas gracias para sus oraciones!  

I completed my Spanish-language intensive yesterday, and received a certificate of completion. Thank you for your prayers!

Ahora yo voy a Buenos Aires para encontrar con amigos de la comunidad Nikkei. Yo también voy a predicar en dos iglesias Nikkei: la Iglesia Metodista Libre de Buenos Aires y la Iglesia Evangélica Japonés (LaFuente).

Now I will go to Buenos Aires to meet with friends from the Nikkei community there. I will also preach in two churches. First in the Free Methodist Church, and second in the Japanese Evangelical Church of LaFuente.

A response to questions and concerns

Some have asked about the length of time that I am on the field. Why does Pastor John have to stay so long in South America? The other question that arises is most often about the state of my health.

To answer the first question, you would need to pull out a map of South America. Have you done it?  

As you can see, it's really a large continent. Travel times themselves are quite long as distances between cities require bus travel or if we are fortunate, air travel. It's often easy to compare or imagine that travel in South America is equivalent to scooting around Southern California. This is simply not so. At home in LA, I have the luxury of hopping in my car and going wherever I need to go. However in South America I have to rely on the bus schedule or the available flight schedule. I also have to determine whether the travel dates and times are the most economical for the budget that's been set up for me by JEMS.

Compound that with the question of actually meeting people. In South America as anywhere, people aren't always sitting at home or in their office waiting for me to show up. Many times schedules must be juggled in order to make certain that meetings can be made. My month-long stay in Paraguay will probably be the most calm of the time I spend in South America this trip. I am daily committed to studies in the Spanish language, meeting with my professor for a four hour daily intensive. As I arrive at the end of August my schedule will markedly become more agitated.

From August 29 I will spend three very quick days in Buenos Aires, Argentina. In that brief time I will be meeting with community leaders as well as preaching in two different Nikkei churches in that city. From Buenos Aires I go to Sao Paulo Brazil. There in the first week I will attend a regional denominational conference. My second week will involve traveling in the state of São Paulo, visiting pastors and churches. My third week will take me to the northern part of Brazil, to the Amazon region, to the city of Belem. There I will meet with one of the larger Nikkei churches in that region. The fourth week of September will take me to the city of Sorocaba, where our JEMS short-term worker will be placed. I will meet with the pastor and our worker for about four days. The end of September and the first days of October will return me to the city of São Paulo where I will meet with pastors, leaders and churches in the greater Sao Paulo region. The second week in October, I will meet Pastor Rick Chuman in the city of Lima Peru for a week of meetings. By mid October I will be on my way home to Los Angeles.

Why such a long time? I refer you again to the map of South America. Although it's difficult at times to get a sense of scale, Brazil is about the size of the continental United States. If you were to turn the US on its side, you would get a sense of equivalency in terms of distances. From Sao Paulo to Belem for example, the equivalent distance would be from LA to Miami. São Paulo to Sorocaba might be compared to the distance from Los Angeles to San Diego. But imagine going to San Diego on the train, or a bus. You know that your time really is not your own when you're subjected to non-personal forms of transportation. Add the travel time from homestay to bus station and you realize that a 2 1/2 hour bus ride could easily become a four hour trip.

It's easy to imagine when you're in Los Angeles that visiting friends in other cities could probably be done in a week. However when overseas, another set of rules seem to apply, whether we want them to or not.

I am very grateful to God for his provision during this trip. Perhaps some of you are concerned about matters related to my health. I've been very open about my health situation. But at the same time I'm convinced that this is an important calling for me to fulfill. The opportunity to serve the Lord here brings such joy to my heart. It's something that you cannot imagine. I had the chance today to share with my Spanish-language professor that serving as I do in South America has been perhaps one of the most fulfilling and joyous times my life. Scripture tells us that a joyful heart will take us many more miles than a heart that is unhappy (Proverbs 17:22). Without seeming to be preachy, I think it's important for all of us to discover that place where God gives us a sense of fulfillment or joy.

To those that have expressed concern for JEMS' wisdom in permitting me to serve for such an extended period of time overseas, I would thank you for your concern. But also invite you to pray! It's certainly good to know that there are concerns, but it's even better to know that you are undergirding me with your prayer support. I suppose that it's in the nature of our culture and perhaps even a characteristic of my age group that we are less prone to take risks. Perhaps it's easier or more comfortable to remain at home. But if I were to do so knowing the work that remains to be done, and the opportunities that God has set before us, I think I would find myself seriously unsettled.

Two of the songs that have meant so much to me in the last year come out of different ministries. One is called "Oceans." http://youtu.be/dy9nwe9_xzw  The other is called "You Make Me Brave." http://youtu.be/6Hi-VMxT6fc  Both of these songs challenge us as followers of Jesus to step out in faith and to take risks for the sake of God's calling in our lives. I've taken the words of these songs to heart. Perhaps you might say that risk taking is a job for the young, for the healthy. But I believe that God will use whoever has a willingness of heart to serve him. It is a place for now that God is enabling me to be and I thank him for that.  Zechariah 4:6 reminds us, "Not by might nor by power, but by my spirit,' says the Lord Almighty."

Thank you again for your concerns.
Pastor John
JEMS

Closing second, opening third

My second week in Paraguay is coming to an end, and as I began my third week it was a delight to join the Sunday School program of the Free Methodist Church two days ago here in Asuncion, Paraguay. 

From the fun of picking kids up at their homes . . .

       

To see the joy and friendships of the children . . .

           



            

To watch their hands-on participation in the kitchen . . .

          

To my own tiny contributions n their class with my very rudimentary Spanish. Fue una gran alegría participar con los niños hoy en Escuela Dominical. Yo hable' un poquitito en español.

           


As I enter my final week of language study, I am grateful for the opportunity to be here, to learn as well as to serve.  Pray with me that God will continue to bless the young lives that are being cared for here under the ministry of Pastor Koki and Mari.