… cooler temperatures and back to normal rhythms!
First Summer in Japan
Our first summer in Japan was exciting, memorable and productive! Chloe was on summer break for 5 weeks ( shorter breaks in Japan). Our funnest family time was going to the beach and swimming underwater to see what fish we could see along the coastline reef.
We also were elated at welcoming guests from Nagoya and Tokyo two different weekends. Students and friends of ours that lived in Northern, Kentucky for a few years. It was great hosting them and reconnecting.
Another weekend we travelled to Fukuoka, Japan (3 hours north of us) to take Nastia to the airport for her return to Cincinnati, Ohio. We were able to reunite with another couple that used to live in Northern Kentucky. A stop at Costco was a must (since we don’t have one in our town)! We felt like kids in a candy store. It really gave us a feel as if we were back home in Florence, KY.
We lost a good friend at the age of 42. Ryoichi, Megumi’s Jr High School classmate, died of a heart attack. I first met Ryoichi 3 years ago at his new home he had just finished building. He came to our house a couple of times to conduct an estimate on our storage building to be converted for our English House Ministry. His wife shared with us at his viewing, that he was so excited to do the work. He will be dearly missed and we hope to serve his wife and 2 girls however we can. Please join us in praying for the Kawabata Family.
Good News
Nastia, a high school senior from Cincinnati, OH on her first trip to Japan and first short-term mission trip, served along side us over the summer. She was an absolute blessing. Much of what she did was “grunt work” and we were so thankful to have her and the kids absolutely loved her being here. Besides cleaning out the storage building, constructing a 9 square in the air, giving Meg and I some date nights and picking weeds around the property, she also engaged with our high schoolers before they left for summer break and assisted with Feeding our Friends Ministry. We even managed to climb two mountains! Nastia being here also helped us establish a guide for future missionaries that serve alongside us. We are so thankful for Nastia and her family for blessing us!
We will begin renovating the storage building for our English ministry October 1st. We will not be seeking someone new to do the renovation, but plan on doing as much of the work as we can ourselves (excluding the windows, electrical work and a/c unit installation). With material costs and the work we CAN NOT do ourselves, our estimate comes in at $7,000.
Our ask is that you would prayerfully consider helping us reduce this expense by making a one-time donation. Collectively with your help, our community of believers, I am confident this expense will be wiped-out. Either way, we get to glorify God’s provision yet again!
This outreach will be a tentmaking ministry with the capacity to reach over 150 children and their families. It will support a full time missionary, Hamilton Davis, who will join us in the spring of 2019 and allow us to put more financial resources into Kingdom Building, like supporting this young man currently attending seminary in Eugene, Oregon.
We are so grateful to be on mission with you!