Sunday, November 17, 2019
Home Assignment is coming!
We are excited about the possibility of seeing so many of you, our friends, family, and supporters, in the next year or so. We are working on a plan that would have us leaving Japan in mid-April, 2020 and being in the USA until sometime in early 2021. With God providing needed leadership for the Agape believers, we plan to use the next few months for seeking the Lord's will for our future ministry and preparing for Home Assignment. As you can imagine, there will be a lot of correspondence in our near future as we begin to schedule dates and places to visit during our Home Assignment. Please join us in prayer for this time of planning!
MK Education Advisor
As of August, 2019, I, Kathy, have added a new role in the mission community. I am in training as an education advisor for missionary kids and their families. This is a role in what is called member care as we as missionaries seek to encourage and support our fellow missionaries. Many missionary families struggle with how best to educate their children while serving in a foreign country. There are quite a few options for missionaries in Japan, and I have experience with nearly all of them. These include things like home schooling, Japanese local schools with part-time English home schooling, one room schools, secular international schools and the Christian international school for missionary kids. Touching base several times a year with our families to see how things are going is just one aspect of my new role. Most recently we are going through our first time to help a new family who has just arrived in Japan. They are trying to decide what's best for their 5 year old twins and 3 year old child. Kathy is excited that she has a co-advisor in this role, someone who is currently home schooling her two children full time.
Last September, our mission made it possible for my co-advisor and me to make a trip to Pennsylvania for a conference called MK Synergy. Gathered there were over 150 people who serve in roles to care for missionary kids and their families all over the world. The first two days were for newbies like us with special introductory sessions. It was so helpful. The final three days were filled with speakers and seminars all focusing on the uniqueness of MKs and ways to support and encourage them. Truthfully, it was quite overwhelming. But, it was great to have a chance to meet so many people who are doing similar things for MKs. In October I went to Tokyo for the first meeting of a new Member Care Focus Group. Accepting this role has put me in the Member Care Focus Group for TEAM Japan as a whole. Our first task was to work on developing a purpose statement. We have a Member Care coordinator but the needs have become too great for just one person. So TEAM Japan is looking to broaden its thinking and add people to a group that will focus on member care. Our worldwide Member Care coordinator based in the USA will be offering several days of training next February in Thailand just prior to an all-region conference for TEAM missionaries who are serving throughout Asia. Networking has become so important in this day and age that traveling to participate in various conferences in order to learn from one another is becoming more highly prioritized.
My good friend, Flossie, who has been serving in this role for a long time will be retiring and returning to the USA next April so I am eager to learn all I can from her. We are currently having meetings monthly via Skype. Most of the work of the Member Care Focus Group will also take place online.
Next April, there is going to be another conference on member care for MKs near Dallas, TX. If we make it to the USA for our home assignment in time, I am really hoping to attend. I just learned that a good friend of mine, Gary Roe, is going to be the speaker. garyroe.com While Gary is a hospice counselor and prolific writer of helpful materials for people who are grieving, he also has experience with international adoption. He was a missionary in Japan for a period of time as well. Many people do not realize how much loss and grief missionaries and their children experience. Gary also has a real heart for kids, with seven kids of his own. I think he's going to be a great speaker.
Last September, our mission made it possible for my co-advisor and me to make a trip to Pennsylvania for a conference called MK Synergy. Gathered there were over 150 people who serve in roles to care for missionary kids and their families all over the world. The first two days were for newbies like us with special introductory sessions. It was so helpful. The final three days were filled with speakers and seminars all focusing on the uniqueness of MKs and ways to support and encourage them. Truthfully, it was quite overwhelming. But, it was great to have a chance to meet so many people who are doing similar things for MKs. In October I went to Tokyo for the first meeting of a new Member Care Focus Group. Accepting this role has put me in the Member Care Focus Group for TEAM Japan as a whole. Our first task was to work on developing a purpose statement. We have a Member Care coordinator but the needs have become too great for just one person. So TEAM Japan is looking to broaden its thinking and add people to a group that will focus on member care. Our worldwide Member Care coordinator based in the USA will be offering several days of training next February in Thailand just prior to an all-region conference for TEAM missionaries who are serving throughout Asia. Networking has become so important in this day and age that traveling to participate in various conferences in order to learn from one another is becoming more highly prioritized.
My good friend, Flossie, who has been serving in this role for a long time will be retiring and returning to the USA next April so I am eager to learn all I can from her. We are currently having meetings monthly via Skype. Most of the work of the Member Care Focus Group will also take place online.
Next April, there is going to be another conference on member care for MKs near Dallas, TX. If we make it to the USA for our home assignment in time, I am really hoping to attend. I just learned that a good friend of mine, Gary Roe, is going to be the speaker. garyroe.com While Gary is a hospice counselor and prolific writer of helpful materials for people who are grieving, he also has experience with international adoption. He was a missionary in Japan for a period of time as well. Many people do not realize how much loss and grief missionaries and their children experience. Gary also has a real heart for kids, with seven kids of his own. I think he's going to be a great speaker.
Grandchildren
After the retreat, I had to return home via Tokyo. It worked out well for me to stop and pay a visit to our son, Caleb, his wife, Beth Anne and our two granddaughters, Emma, 7 and Mia, 4. It was at the end of October so one of our activities was carving a pumpkin. Orange pumpkins are actually very hard to find in Japan so I was impressed that Beth Anne had found one.
Doing English studies after a busy day using Japanese can be very challenging for missionary kids. Here are Emma and Mia working on their English schoolwork. (Mia is only doing preschool, but they are trying to create a daily routine.
Andrew and Annie live far away in Milwaukee, USA. Their boys are growing up so fast.
Mikaela also lives far away in the USA. We miss them so much. Her daughter, Lilli, is 2 ½ and loves playing outside, especially in puddles.
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| getting started |
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| cleaning out the pumpkin |
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| finished |
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| And the candle! |
Doing English studies after a busy day using Japanese can be very challenging for missionary kids. Here are Emma and Mia working on their English schoolwork. (Mia is only doing preschool, but they are trying to create a daily routine.
We do get to see Leo and Louie (Josiah and Manaka's boys) a little more often as they live here in Kobe. Leo is also trying to learn English as well as Japanese.
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| Grandpa loves reading books to Louie (almost two) |
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| Julian age 4 loves minicar especially ones made in Japan |
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| Sebastian age 1 1/2 |
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| son Andrew with Sebastian |
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| rainy days? no problem |
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| enjoying the sunshine |
locked out
When I wanted to make a new post awhile back, I discovered that I had been locked out of this account and ever since then I have not been able to access this account to post anything. Finally, today, I hit upon the right combination of things and was able to get in.
I enjoyed a trip to Karuizawa a few weeks ago for a 2 day retreat with my TEAM Japan sisters. It was beautiful weather and the leaves were changing colors. We were a smaller group this year because a number were on Home Assignment or couldn't attend for some reason. But, as we met together, it was a very cosy time as we listened, relaxed, shared and prayed together.
Here is a beautiful painting (painted for my retiring friend, Flossie, on the right by the woman on the left) that shows one of the loveliest spots in Karuizawa. It's definitely a place for renewal of heart and spirit!
I enjoyed a trip to Karuizawa a few weeks ago for a 2 day retreat with my TEAM Japan sisters. It was beautiful weather and the leaves were changing colors. We were a smaller group this year because a number were on Home Assignment or couldn't attend for some reason. But, as we met together, it was a very cosy time as we listened, relaxed, shared and prayed together.
Here is a beautiful painting (painted for my retiring friend, Flossie, on the right by the woman on the left) that shows one of the loveliest spots in Karuizawa. It's definitely a place for renewal of heart and spirit!
Pray for the women below who are all missionaries in Japan (and the speaker, a missionary in the Philippines)
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| women who attended the 2019 retreat |
Tuesday, July 2, 2019
visit to Takamatsu
Since we share a birthday, every year we try to do something special to celebrate. This year we decided to spend the weekend in Takamatsu with missionary friends. Thirty-One years ago, Mike and Barbara were our neighbors in Nagano Ken as we all were working on Japanese language study.
Mike and Barbara are getting ready to retire and their son had been in the hospital with cancer for quite some time. We wanted to try and be a help and encouragement to them. We were able to help in a number of ways as well as attend a combined worship service with several churches represented on Sunday. We were blessed to see Isaac, their son, begin eating and drinking again after chemotherapy. We praise God for healing him and that he was able to be dismissed from the hospital soon after our visit. We met lots of special people including both Japanese and Filipino believers.
This past week Kathy was able to take a bus and go back to Takamatsu to help with a concert that Mike and Barbara did for some of their contacts from over the years. The concert was held at The Way Cafe, a new cafe run by a wonderful Christian couple.
Chris and Noriko
It was so exciting to see how God is at work at another location in Japan. We are so thankful to have had this opportunity.
If you click the above link and then scroll down the page, you'll be able to see a live version of the concert.
Mr. Kato is a friend from Kobe working in the Takamatsu area.
This area of Japan is known for its special noodles called udon. So, of course, we had to be sure and eat some while we were there.
Stella Cox is an old family friend who also lives in Takamatsu. We enjoyed seeing her again, too. She just celebrated her 91st birthday, but is still trying to reach people for Christ in Japan.
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