Back in Balmy Palmy (NZ)

YES - I am alive and back to a more normal daily schedule. My last update was so long ago - So first let me catch up on the past few weeks...

Above: top - with Hiroko & friends in Nagoya
lower - with Kodai also in Nagoya

Since my last update I travelled to Nagoya, then Sendai Japan to visit with more of our grads. It was a wonderful time, but one that highlighted how important it is that we focus on being available to encourage our returnees, and be diligent in finding ways and make connections towards helping them grow and be established in their faith in new ways in their home countries.

My Cardiff Street girls (Kei 04, Kaori 07) in Sendai enjoying some
of my homecooked Mexican delights

I returned to the USA for a final 'tour' to meet and thank supporters, visit my official bosses at Navigator Headquarters and spend time with friends (and especially my Klein girlz shown below: Tori [3rd from rt] & Chloe [2nd from rt]).

....and it was also a blessing to be a part of the Trinity Church Missions Conference: ...and I was blessed to have quality time with dad this trip, though with all the travel and commitments I missed out on enough time with my brothers and nephews. My final day in the country was spent trolling the halls of Toyota Financial Services' corporate office and enjoying good moments with my 'family' of friends there... then onto LAX and 12 1/2 hours and skipping a day later...

...I'm BACK! I landed in Auckland at 6.10am on Saturday, March 7th (where did Friday go?)


At 12.30pm I had a long lunch meeting with our newest intern, YY (pictured above) from 'east asia'! She'll be doing her internship ministry experience in Auckland. What a delight. She's on a campus there serving with the chaplaincy and building a ministry of discipleship with international students over the coming year. Sunday I met with her tutor and supervisor, then attending Global, an international church service hosted through the Baptist Tabernacle. What an awesome ministry to 2nd language students, many of whom have never read a Bible or been in a church.

Finally after a long drive through NZ, I ended up at 11 Cardiff Street. It is good to be home. God has already answered prayers that I shared with some folks while in the states (thank you for your love!) He has provided 'brothers' to help me with some yard and home maintenance (not at my request either, my house was SHINING this morning); and He has given me a peer sister, a really kindred spirit, to spend quality time with in study, prayer and encouragement.

Thank you to all who have been praying for me. We have 5 (+1 recently joined informally until her enrolment for next semester) ministry interns this semester in Palmerston North (plus YY in Auckland). Yuki (Japan), Claudia (Mexico), and Victoria (Scottland) are all in their 2nd year. New this year are Koyo (Japan) and Allen (Vanuatu)... and Vani (Tonga). Praise God! Being their 'teacher' as well as Claudia's supervisor in addition is a delight.

I should be better about updating now that I'm back. I look forward to hearing from people... please write! And seriously - if you are encouraged by what God is doing in our ISM ministry - talk to me about opportunities to serve. NZ is not a bad place to live either. The harvest is plentiful and the nations are on our doorstep - all we need do here in NZ is open the door.

Konichiwa from Japan

The drive to Shin-Osaka Station on a Sunday evening...

Well, I've been in Japan since 21st of January, after a long flight to Seoul and a nice layover there (warm shower) before heading into Narita. By the way - ASIANA is a great airline.

I arrived into Narita and after a very short trip thru immigration and customs (like 20 minute total) I was off to pick up my cell phone and catch the bus to meet SHELLEY!!! Shelley Okamura and I went to UofR together back in the day... Holt Hall sisters, cheerleaders and Theta sisters together. But the best thing of all is that we are sisters in Christ! Our reunion was a long time in the making, considering our last time together was sometime in the late 80's in Hawaii. Since then much has happened thanks to the Lord, and now Shel' and Frank are living in Tokyo for a couple of years. It was a blessing to stay with her and fellowship, and introduce her to my Cardiff Chateau girl, Mai.

Another highlight with Shelley was attending her fellowship at Hope Chapel Tokorozawa. WOW. This is the kind of fellowship that is great for students who have studied overseas and returned to Japan. Please pray for all returnees to Japan, that the churches and various organisations (like Campus Crusade, Navigators, JCFN, OMF, etc.) would continue to grow together in reaching out and providing a place of ministry and fellowship for returnees.

My next stop has been Osaka! It feels good to be "home again" in Sakai Eiko church and staying with both the Morimoto family, and now the Imai family. Sunday was a bit of a J2 reunion, with Mai travelling from Tokyo for some 'retreat' time of fellowship, Asami (one of the girls Mai discipled in New Zealand), Yousuke (shown in photo below with Mai-chan) one of the students who became a follower of Jesus in New Zealand (his good friend is staying at my home in NZ while I am away, Mayumi - who also recently became a Christian in NZ), China (CHEE-nah) a former J2 member and of course, Nozomi-chan.

Had a blessed time at the church prayer meeting Thursday night, and then went with Yoko (Nozomi's mom) to the ladies fellowship lunch. Most of the ladies there (see photo below) were on the 'okasan-mommy cheer squad I coached during my last visit to Japan). It was a warm time of sharing, and making new friends. The ladies have a great outreach and one-by-one are discipling other women as they seek to know Jesus.

There is much more to report, but I need to take a break now so we can get set up for dinner. Tomorrow I head to Nagoya to spend a night with Hiroko-chan (one of our returnees from the South Island), and then on to Sendai the following day for a busy five days with my old flatmates and their families, with the Navigator fellowship there, and with another awesome couple I have come to know in my travels. Pray that I will continue to have health and travelling mercies (not lost yet and avoided the influenza A disease that is hitting many here in Japan).

Thank you again for your support and prayers. It is a humbling honour to be here and in some small way bring encouragement to brothers and sisters in Christ in Japan. God bless you!

Catching Up

See - I am still working hard even at Disneyland. I love the old technology.

I've been away from New Zealand for one month, missing the Cardiff Chateau and my ISM family and Grace City Church. Still, the time with family, the fellowship with brothers and sisters here in the states and even a 30 year high school mini-reunion has been a really blessing and refreshment.
I've had the opportunity to reconnect with so many people - my head is spinning. God has provided encouragement to me through so many voices and it has been wonderful worshipping with the family of God in my hometown. It feels strange not 'working' hard at the church and in the office. Yet what God has me doing here is still His work, and He is with me.

I've included a few photos to give you a glimpse of my time here. One thing that has been special was having Nozomi and Shoko spend six days in California. Being able to share a little of my history and hometown and state with them, yet allowing them to experience God's presence here, was a highlight. Nozomi came mainly to visit her future campus and meet with the financial aid folks there, but so much more happened for them in our short time together (including a Ducks hockey game, meeting some Navigator students and staff, attending church and being celebrities at my gramma's church, taking a Sunday afternoon drive in my dad's 1931 Model A, visiting a mansion (my dad did the finish work on), enjoying fellowship with my cousin's Tim & Jerri, Disney adventure! Whew... good times.

Thank you all for your prayers and good wishes. I have a major praise report - THANK YOU for your financial support. God has surpassed my expectations through your year end gifts. This is the FIRST time in five years that I began a year in the black. My Navigator funds fine, and though fundraising is a neverending task of mission work, I have been able to focus on "being here" with my family and those who I need to spend time with. THANK YOU! I PRAISE GOD FOR YOUR GENEROUS LOVE!

American style portions... HUGE burgers for Nozomi and Shoko

Good times with Alicia D Garcia (right) and our new Navigator friends!

Riding in style! My dad's Model A with two beautiful Japanese models!

A backyard view of the MANSION!

A little bit of John Calvin goes a long way - Nozomi at Westminster Seminary bookstore!


A couple of wild pirates!


Wow - look who we ran into at the airport! Go Jonas brothers!
(btw - JUST KIDDING)

All history is HIStory

Today I am preparing to fly to Japan for a 3 week whirlwind visit to our Japanese graduates and other returnees, their families, churches and to reunite with my own dear friend from my University of Redlands days. I say it often, but I'll repeat it again, "I love my God, I love HIStory and HIS will for my life".

As I sit here updating this blog in Long Beach, CA, I am watching the news coverage anticipating the inauguration of Barak Obama as our 44th President. Everyone is using words like "change" and "new hope" and "unity" and "dreams". They are apportioning to Obama a heavy burden. They see him as a type of Saviour for our nation. I pray for him, because these same people have lost sight that there has only ever been ONE Man who IS the eternal Saviour... the ONE who brings true peace, true hope, and the BEST plans for the world. I pray for Obama because he is just one person, who cannot save anyone, who is not all powerful, all wise, all knowing... he is just a man. He may be a good man, but he is not a perfect man. And he most certainly is not God, nor a god. Pray for his protection, pray for God to annoint him with divine wisdom, and pray that he will walk each and every day in humility and submitted to the God he has professed as his Lord and Saviour. Pray for the 44th president of the United States and the power God has granted him for God's HIStory in this time.

Yesterday in church, I heard the question more than once, "Do you miss New Zealand?" or "Are you happy to be here?" I've realised that I am happy anywhere I am. Weird eh? Seriously - the hardest thing about leaving the USA each time is hugging my dad goodbye. I sense his 80 year old heart is anticipating that he doesn't have a lot of years left this side of eternity. And since he lives alone and is finally officially retired, his sense of purpose is a question for his heart. He would never say it - but I feel it and hear it in his sighs. Please pray for him - he has a lump on his cheek he must have removed, his athritis has really slowed him down, and he's a little shakey (whether it's Parkinson's we don't know because he won't ask the doctor). Leaving him each time is my hardest trial.

Yet, God has wired me to mission work, because everywhere He has me I am home. Whether it is serving International Students in New Zealand, or visiting our graduates and my new brothers and sisters in Japan, or being back in the states on my short furloughs doing fundraising and spending time with family, friends and the fellowship of believers God has blessed me with - I am where HE is and where HE wants me.

10 This is what the LORD says: "When seventy years are completed for Babylon, I will come to you and fulfill my gracious promise to bring you back to this place. 11 For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future. 12 Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will listen to you. 13 You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart. 14 I will be found by you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back from captivity. I will gather you from all the nations and places where I have banished you," declares the LORD, "and will bring you back to the place from which I carried you into exile." Jeremiah 29:10-14

I chose this passage to highlight today because we are in exile. Yet God's plans are to be with us through it all, and His plans for us are SET. Nothing can thwart them. Not war, not death, not terrorism, not the economy - nothing can stop HIStory from happening in our lives. If we place our trust in His love and live by FAITH in the Son of God... he DO have hope and can be excited about HIS future for us. If we see Him in our future, we will call on Him, we will come to Him, we will pray to Him and HE WILL LISTEN. By faith we seek Him and we FIND God, every single day walking beside us, having already gone before us to prayer the path.

No matter what is happening in the world, remember HE created this world. HE sustains this world and all things by the Word of His power. And this world is on a short timeline. Anticipate the new heavens and the new earth - anticipate Jesus' return and the redemption of your soul! He is alive and just one look at the middle east and all that we see in the world should make us hopeful - not despairing. HIStory which He has already revealed to us, is unfolding at a rapid pace right before our eyes. Praise God!