My First Days in Japan - 4/27/2010

My First Newsletter FROM Japan Includes:

• First Days in Japan
• Financial Update
• Prayer List

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Visa Update - 4/7/2010

Dear Friends & Family,

Praise God with me that all went well in Atlanta! I dropped off my visa application on Monday at the Japanese consulate and was told “it will be ready tomorrow morning” – and it was! From the consulate, I drove to Twin Lakes Conference Center just south of Jackson for the “Twin Lakes Fellowship” (pastors’ conference). It’s a good thing that I once audited a seminary class or I would feel completely out of place! (That's a joke;  I did feel completely out of place!)

Prior to arriving in Atlanta this past weekend, I had a good trip to Florida as well. I spent Thursday evening with college friends Anthony & Sally Jo Roorda in Tallahassee. We walked through an Easter “Walk-about” at an Alliance church. There were a number of vignettes of Jesus’ ministry, the Lord’s Supper, Gethsemane, the trial, crucifixion, and resurrection. It was an excellent way to renew in my own heart what Christ did for my sake and yours. On Friday, I visited my college roommate, Ron Vanderwey, and his wife Connie in the West Palm Beach area. As you may recall from my previous post, Connie has been battling cancer since November – a recurrence of the cancer she had four years ago. She looked great and is feeling pretty good as she is at home with a weekly visit from a hospice nurse. Please pray for them and their two pre-teen children.

I spent Sunday and Monday with my oldest brother’s family in Atlanta. His son, Nathan, moved there in November with his wife Stephanie, and nearly the entire family joined us there from the Pacific Northwest for Spring Break. It was great to see them before heading off to Japan next week. I also feel a little more Southern as I visited Stone Mountain for my first time!

Financial Update:
Although I have had a few additional pledges come in over the last week, I also lost some support that I thought had been committed. This brings me to $800/month from being fully funded. Please continue to pray that God will provide full funding. I am praying that this will happen by Tuesday when I depart for Japan, but am confident that God will provide in His own timing. Please consider how you might financially partner with me as well as I seek to proclaim the gospel of Jesus Christ among the Japanese people.

Six days until departure . . . !