Dear Beloved in Christ and Partner in the Gospel,
How are you? It has been a difficult season for our family in some ways, full of the unexpected. Our daughter Bonnie had a serious accident a couple of weeks ago, requiring extra daily care and hospital visits (details below). Though hard to watch her struggle, we’ve tasted the richness of God’s peace and presence in this challenging time.
Japan is still not issuing general work-visas yet, so we did not return to Tokyo in April as we had planned. We will try again in May, but there’s a chance of no change for several months even. Our family remains ready to go, and we’re also striving to be faithful in team responsibilities and ministry while in Iowa.
John has continued to work closely with the team from a distance over this past year. He has regular check-ins with our teammates to insure alignment with our team vision and mission and encourage them in the role God has gifted them to fill. As co-team leaders, John and Shige also meet regularly to stay on the same page with all aspects of team life and church-planting. John manages much of the on-boarding for new and potential staff, as many are in the process of either joining or considering joining our team. He handles various administrative tasks, freeing up teammates on the field for hands-on ministry opportunities. He also helps explore new frontiers for team ministry, the latest of which is the possibility of using English classes for outreach.
Jo Beth has had many opportunities to spend time with old friends, learning to mesh daily life and our need for community by intentionally connecting with people around us who are also in need of support. It’s wonderful to point each other to Christ and be mutually lifted up.
We all continue to meet with our neighborhood fishing group and had the honor of sharing an Easter celebration with two of the kids. John was able to walk them through the death and resurrection of Christ and have a genuine discussion together about Jesus. We pray for their salvation and hope for more opportunities like this.
We thank God for your partnership in carrying forth the Gospel, wherever He calls! Your prayers and support carry us through each season of life and ministry, and we are so grateful. We hope you are well.
-John, Jo Beth, Brooke, Bonnie & Bella
Prayer Points
On Sunday, April 11th, our two-year old Bonnie pulled a container of hot, brewing coffee down from the kitchen counter onto herself. She sustained second degree burns over her shoulder, right arm, hand and foot. We rushed her to the local hospital, and she was transported by helicopter to St Elizabeth in Lincoln, NE and treated that afternoon with porcine (pig skin) grafts and discharged that same evening. Though it was a terrible accident, we were grateful it wasn’t worse and that she was able to receive excellent care so quickly. For the most part Bonnie has bounced back amazingly well—she is able to play normally for the most part. We were originally told that she should recover within two weeks, but the doctor reports that it hasn’t healed as quickly as expected. Please pray for Bonnie’s complete healing and full use of her arm, especially in the right shoulder and armpit area.
John’s father has continued to struggle with ongoing health issues and also dementia and remains in need of close daily care and attention. The family has chosen a care facility that seems to be an excellent fit, and an opening has come up for him to move in soon. Thank you for covering “Grampa Poong” with prayers through this life transition!
Continue to lift up our return to Tokyo! We long for the day when we can work together with our teammates in-person again and live in community with the people of Tokyo. Pray for a lifting in visa restrictions that will allow us to submit an application in God’s perfect timing. Until then, pray that these in-between days will be full of sweet fruit for His kingdom work.
We’re diving back into Japanese studies, as a whole family! We meet weekly over Zoom with a Japanese friend for practice, and we’re developing a weekly pattern for structured study time for each of us. Please pray for God’s blessing over these efforts, that we will be able to connect easily and fluidly in Japanese and point others to Christ without barriers in language.
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