His wounds have paid my ransom

I can not come up with words big enough,

 great enough

or powerful enough

to express the emotion from

the church service on Sunday, August 5, 2012.

I will let these song lyrics say it all.

How deep the Father's love for us,
How vast beyond all measure
That He should give His only Son
To make a wretch His treasure

How great the pain of searing loss,
The Father turns His face away
As wounds which mar the chosen One,
Bring many sons to glory

Behold the Man upon the cross,
My sin upon His shoulders
Ashamed I hear my mocking voice,
Call out among the scoffers

It was my sin that held Him there
Until it was accomplished
His dying breath has brought me life
I know that it is finished

I will not boast in anything
No gifts, no power, no wisdom
But I will boast in Jesus Christ
His death and resurrection

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Why should I gain from His reward?
I cannot give an answer
But this I know with all my heart
His wounds have paid my ransom

Please watch this video from church this Sunday.

At the end you will see a beautiful lady being baptised.

She accepted Christ as her Savior this past week.

Please be in prayer for our church. 

We currently have three other ladies who are searching for answers.

Junko is one of them. 

She was there on Sunday.

After church she told me,

"It was very emotional for me to watch."

I answered -

"For me too!"

Bible study

For the last three weeks my friend, Junko* and I have been meeting at Mr. Doughnut.  We arrive each week around 10 am.  We get a doughnut and an ice coffee for 300 yen.  We eat our doughnut and talk about our week.  The kids, the weather, what we are having for dinner.  {by the way, she wants me to teach her how to make Texas Taco's ~ the Japanese word for squid is tako so I call them Texas Taco's so she understands NO SQUID}  After our doughnuts are gone, we open the Bible and study. 

She has so many questions and she is slowing understanding about God.  We had to start at the very beginning - creation.  You see, the Japanese people believe in evolution.  And why should they not, they have no concept of God.  None.  They have gods and idols but they have NEVER heard about the one and only God ~ my God, Jehovah, my Provider, the Light of the world, Yahweh.


So each week we get a little bit more into the Word.  Each week she has more questions and each week I try to explain in simple words about Jesus and His love for us.

This Friday, we read the verse, Mark 16:15 "Go ye into all the world and preach the Gospel to all the world."  She read it from the Japanese Bible, I read it from the English Bible.  She paused, and then she read it from my Bible.  She looked at me and said, "That is what you did.  That is why you left America."  A lump grew in my throat, my eyes welled with tears.  I swallowed hard and said, "Yes, this is why I left America.  This, pointing to my Bible, is why I left my family.  God tells us that we should share this Good news of Jesus with everyone."  She grabbed my hand and said, "Thank you."


Please keep praying for Junko. 


*Junko is pronounced June-co

Parachutes, water balloons and sight seeing

Over the last two week we have been super busy.  There was a missions team from New Hampshire that came to help with Vacation Bible School.  They were here for 12 days. 

We started off with an International Children's Day at the town community center.  We had a good turn out of parents and kids.  We played games, sang songs and had a Bible story.  It was a good chance to meet many people from our town. 

Playing the Waddle Walk game.  She was so excited.

Playing a game with the parachute.

We then took a few days to take the team sight seeing.  Over two days we visited Karatsu, Arita, Nagasaki and Beppu Japan.  We had a chance to tour a castle, visit a pottery village, see Peace Park and the Peace Museum, play with the monkeys on Monkey Mountain, and see the 7 jigoku (translated hell) hot springs. 

Armor from the castle in Karatsu

The pottery village in Arita - made to look like Europe.

A monument in the location of the bomb drop in Nagasaki, Japan

1000 folded paper cranes for prayers of Peace.

Makes me think -

No God, No Peace.  Know God, Know Peace.

A monkey in Beppu, Japan

Soaking our feet in water from the hot springs!

Then we had a two day Vacation Bible School, called Summer Splash!!  With our church building being so small we had to break the VBS into age groups.  This way we could have more kids attending all day long.  ::This also meant we were at the church for 12 hours each day putting on the VBS::  So we started the day with ages 3-7 for 2 hours, then 8-12 for 2 hours and then 12-14 for 2 hours.  It made for a long day but the kids had fun and were able to hear about Jesus. 

Even in the rain the kids wanted to play with the parachute!!

The older (and last) group of kids had fun with the water games too!

One thing that made a huge impression with the Japanese kids was the parachutes the missions team brought with them.  Most of the kids and parents had never played with a parachute before.  They loved it!!  It was almost as big a hit as the water balloons.  Mike and I are looking to get one now.  There are so many games that can be played with the parachute!!  This would be awesome to use with the park ministry.  The kids would love it!! 

A few from inside the parachute.

Here is a video of some of our high lights from the last two weeks.  Thanks so much to those of you who help to support our ministry here in Japan.  This is why we are here.  Because of those who have never heard of Jesus. 

 Thank you!!

PS - the story of the little girl in the video is of me!! 

I want this park

This is our neighborhood park.  My kids play here almost everyday.  And almost everyday my doorbell rings.  It's one of the neighborhood kids wanting our kids to play.  And almost everyday I think, "Thank you Lord, that You provided an apartment so close to the park."  It's a real blessing.  The park is close.  I can step out my front door and see the kids playing. 

Lord, I want this park.

Philippians 4:6
Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with
 thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God.

Not for me personally, but for the Lord.  You see, everyday there are many children coming and playing at this park.  Everyday there are many moms coming to this park.   This park is full of possibilities.  Full of promise.  Full of souls.

Lord, I want this park.

I Thessalonians 5:17-18

Pray without ceasing. In everything give thanks: for this is the

 will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.

 

Next week I start language school.  I am scared.  I know it's going to be hard.  If you know me well you know I don't even speak good English. I could give many examples of how I have mispronounced simple words, how I have given the wrong definition (and been sent to the office) or even how, at 35 I am still learning new words, like Tyvek!!  How am I going to learn this new language?  How am I going to learn to speak Japanese? 

Lord, I want this park.

Philippians 4:6

Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication

with thanksgiving let your request be made known unto God

If I am going to claim this park for Jesus, I am going to have to learn this language.  I know with much prayer, much studying, and much work, I will learn to speak.  I will learn to understand.  And someday soon I would love to teach Bible stories at this park.  I would love to share some cookies and kool-aid and tell them about my Jesus. 

Lord, I want this park.

II Thessalonians 3:1

Finally, brethren, pray for us, that the word of the Lord may have free course,

and be glorified, even as it is with you:

Will you pray with me?  Pray for this park.  Pray for my language studies.  Pray for more opportunities to reach out to this country.

Psalms 29:2

Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name;

worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness