LOOKING FORWARD TO JAPAN!

A MISSION OF ENCOURAGEMENT

The mission & vision of ISMNZ is “helping international students in New Zealand become life-long followers of Jesus Christ, equipping and enabling to reach their communities and nations for Him.”

With this in mind, we not only seek to prepare international students in New Zealand to return to their home nations, but we purpose to continue encouraging them long after they return home.

Since my first ‘returnee’ encouragement mission trip in late 2006, God has given me the joy of ministering in Japan five times.
This year, I will spend one month in Japan, with four objectives:
#1 - Returnee encouragement
#2 - Returnee Family visits
#3 - Building further on relationships with churches and missions organisations in Japan.
#4 - Relief ministry in the Tohoku (Sendai) area

GOD’S WAYS ARE NOT OUR WAYS

When I was first planning this mission trip, it was centred around a very joyful occasion. Two of our graduate returnees, Nozomi Imai and Masayoshi Kusunoki, are getting married in Osaka on 2nd July.

This is such a great opportunity for dozens of graduates who have returned to Japan over the past decade to get together to celebrate.
Nozomi & Masa's big day is 2 July in Osaka!

There are also several of their friends and ‘family’ from New Zealand who will travel to Japan to attend.

But now one of the most important returnee & family visits will be for Kei and the Yasuda family in Sendai.

Kei and her family went for nearly one month without gas to heat their water, or cook their meals. That means no bath. In the winter especially baths are an important blessing at the end of every day. In addition, they went for weeks on very little supply of food - especially lack of meat and vegetable.

As residents of Christchurch can attest, the continuing barrage of aftershocks has left everyone in a state of anxiety and a bit paralyzed. My heart is to go and bring some joy to them, and perhaps even give them a hope to overcome their anxiety.

THERE TO SERVE

In my previous trips to Sendai I got to know several members of the Reformed Church of Japan (RCJ). Kei’s family are members of the RCJ in Sendai. One of the couples that I am happy to visit whenever in Sendai are Murray and Tsuruko Uomoto. Murray pastors an RCJ church, and their church/home has become a hub for the OPC relief work in the area.

Between the relief ministry they are doing, and my friends with Calvary Chapel, and the Navigators Japan, we will be busy helping distribute care packs and going into areas impacted by the Tsunami to help in anyway they need. I also want to bring Kei and her mum along with me on a Saturday, so they can experience the hope that comes from seeing God bless people in the midst of tragedy.

PRAYING FOR THIS TRIP:
· For God’s plans to guide my every move.
· For divine appointments and opportunities to encourage and serve.
· For traveling mercies.
· For rich times of encouragement and returnee mentoring.
· For God to guide me to more churches and caring mentors that will care for our Japanese graduates.
· For financial provision for in-country transport and living, and extra for the relief work in Sendai.

I'M A PROUD MUM!

Nozomi just completed her Master's Degree
from Westminster Seminary in California!

Enid stopped through Auckland (from Samoa) en route to Singapore
where she did more aviation training. While there she got to FLY again...
albeit in a simulator. Pray she will get back in the cockpit again
and realise her dream to become a pilot one day.