[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Hi everyone – Megan here! Eric has been our resident blogger but he’s currently practicing for tomorrow’s open mic night at CBI’s Heart and Soul Café (I’m sure he’ll write about it later on here!) So here I am instead – don’t worry, he’ll be back tomorrow!
Thank you so much for praying for us. I know I speak for all of us when I say that we are so overwhelmed by God’s goodness and grace in so many ways (including through your prayers). There have been too many things – big and small and everything in between – to tell you about. I want to spend a whole afternoon talking to you about Hyori-chan and Wakana-chan (two girls who don’t go to church) showing us how they memorized all the words to the worship songs, or getting to talk to one of the kid’s mom about our faith during lunch. We could tell you so many stories about how in just a couple days, the All Nations Fellowship church family has made us feel so much at home. We have been recipients of the Lord’s grace in so many ways. God is doing amazing things through the ministry at All Nations Fellowship, and I’m really humbled to be able to witness it firsthand this week.
You know how they say the days are long but the years are short? I feel like that – our days are long but the week seems way too short. We’re halfway through our time here in Nagoya, and it’s bittersweet to think that it’ll come to an end. I’m sad to think that in a couple days Paul Kang won’t come pick us up in his Toyota with the brown cushion on the dashboard in front of the Fujigoaka Station, or that on Saturday, the kids will wave goodbye to us one more time and it won’t be a “See you tomorrow!” anymore (though please pray that they will come to church on Sunday!!!)
Suffice to say – we’re really going to miss the kids and their families! And we’re praying that we will be able to see them again.
But this morning, Mark shared an important reminder with us –
“That same day Jesus went out of the house and sat beside the sea. 2 And great crowds gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat down. And the whole crowd stood on the beach. 3 And he told them many things in parables, saying: “A sower went out to sow. 4 And as he sowed, some seeds fell along the path, and the birds came and devoured them. 5 Other seeds fell on rocky ground, where they did not have much soil, and immediately they sprang up, since they had no depth of soil, 6 but when the sun rose they were scorched. And since they had no root, they withered away. 7 Other seeds fell among thorns, and the thorns grew up and choked them. 8 Other seeds fell on good soil and produced grain, some a hundredfold, some sixty, some thirty. 9 He who has ears,[a]let him hear.” (Matthew 13:1-9)
We are so thankful to have been able to have three days (and two more!) to share the Gospel with these kids, and to teach them about Jesus Christ. But we are even more thankful that we serve a great God who can do more than we could ever ask or think of, and that He is the Lord of the harvest!
Please, please pray that the Word shared this week would take deep root in the hearts of these children and their families and that they would come to know and love Jesus as their Savior.
Thanks 🙂
Some photo highlights from Day 3!!
Daichi and I have been in charge of the Preschool Crew and we get to spend each day with 16 crazy-high-energy-adorable kids. We LOVE them. (We can’t really show any photos of them because some kids can’t have their pictures online)[/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”7813″ img_size=”full” add_caption=”yes” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]One of the moms (Masayo-san) at All Nations Fellowship made us lunch (cream stew!) and is making us lunch tomorrow too – SO kind and SO hospitable to feed our always-hungry team (I mean, Daichi’s on our team right…?). Joy has been walking to the convenience store in 90+degree weather to pick us up lunch – so thankful for both Joy and Masayo-san![/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”7814″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][vc_column_text]We were able to spend time with Minako Fujimoto (she goes to Gardena Valley Baptist Church, and even participated in our Japanese Counseling Class at Lighthouse!) and ate dinner with her. What a blessing to hear her heart for Nagoya (her hometown!) and to eat dinner with her![/vc_column_text][vc_single_image image=”7815″ img_size=”full” alignment=”center”][/vc_column][/vc_row]
