|
Changing course..........
When our missionary visas were initially denied due to the Japanese government's judgment of our monetary backing, God granted me peace. It seems to be an ongoing theme with satan to discourage those who are focused on the Lord. Are we going to shout of our calling to our friends and family, appearing enthusiastic and troubled by nothing and then once the anticipated path disappears before us, tuck our tails and back out? While we can't get rid of satan's presence, we can tell him what to do. We can choose to bend but not break. We can choose to remain unmoved. We can choose to remain joyful and encouraged.
-"I have set the Lord always before me: because he is at my right hand, I shall not be moved." Psalm 16:8
The week after we came, Will and I began diligently searching for a job. God blessed me rather quickly with 3 job interviews to teach English. No job was alike, nor anywhere near each other in the Tokyo Metropolitan. It was obvious which job I wanted, so when I heard that I wasn't hired I was a little bummed out but I chose to accept it. Then as I was getting ready to accept another job something truly amazing happened, I ended up getting the first job! God deserves the praise for this! I work in the Yokohama area now as an English teacher for kids. However, I'm not allowed to be paid at this time because I'm visa-less. All train and food costs come from my own pocket which become very expensive fast! Nothing is cheap in Japan. We are waiting on word from the Japanese government if they approve of my visa application. You may be wondering, "why did you have to get a job?" It's complicated and wouldn't be my first choice, but due to the fact that we are still underfunded, we needed a visa to stay in the country and supplement the missing support. We appreciate every penny, every dime and hard earned dollar donated! You mean the world to us for your sacrifice!
Emmaly began Japanese school ! We weren't sure if not having a visa was really going to keep her out of school, so we inquired further about it! Sure enough, they were happy to allow her in. Her elementary school is just around the block behind the church. She already knows many children that attend there thanks to the Afterschool English program at the church. She's been further blessed with a language helper for 10 months/2 days a week. Usually they only work with the child 6 months. How awesome is that?
I'm excited to have a future bi-lingual child. We were so proud of her as she went to the front of the class and told her new classmates her name and where she was from in Japanese. This is where I plug Will's name in as well as Rosetta Stone for teaching Emmy some Japanese. Great job guys!
We have been experiencing the culture immensely, from eating extremely different foods (even fish eyes!), learning the language by observation, trial and error, and participating in Japan as a normal citizen would and not from a tourist perspective.
On Mondays, Will has been teaching 2 children English. He is also in charge of the After School Program which have 9 students attending from 6-8 years old. They learn English but more importantly they are being taught about God and are curious to know more! It's encouraging to see a new generation raise up for God in Japan! We are currently working on expanding the After School program to include as many students as possible to reach the children, their friends and families. Please keep this in prayer, as this is big job and can only be done with the Lord's help. Will is also discipling two men from the church. Please keep them in your prayers as they are growing as Christians and deal with many of the temptations that come with living in Japan. Please also pray for their families, as they are not believers.
When we finally surrendered to the ministry it became easier to see God's faithfulness. My constant reminder is Philippians 4:6-7
6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.
7 And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.
God bless you all!
Prayer Requests:
1) Reaching the Japanese and other expat people effectively,
2)Our visa application,
3)The growing After School Program
4)Our immersion into the culture
The Tokyo Skytree Tower (the tallest tower in the world)
Trying out some raw sushi
The "dolphin" at the Imperial Palace
Emmaly showing where she is from!
|
|
|
|
|
|
No comments:
Post a Comment