Tuesday, July 2, 2019

visit to Takamatsu

 Mike and Barbara Gray and family
 Birthday celebrations

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.