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1月26日 Summary
8,041
Counting beans isn’t one of our favorite things to do, but tallying up the sales for the last 5 years gave us a total of 8,041 Scripture portions. That means 8,041 points throughout Japan where Japanese Deaf people can access a portion of God’s Word in their heart language. That is worth more than your average hill of beans. 250th Wheelchair SentThis past week a volunteer traveling to Thailand took wheelchair #250 to deliver to the Japanese missionaries to use in the prison ministry in Bangkok. Please pray for the Japanese missionary, Dr. Morimoto as he delivers the chair and shares the gospel with the recipient and also as he establishes more of a relationship with the volunteer who transported the chair.
C-BTEPastor Minamida and the church members at the Deaf church we attend are excited about the Sunday afternoon lesson time using the Socratic method discussion style learned from the Church-Based Theological Education curriculum. A couple of Deaf pastors are already seeking to adapt the curriculum to fit the needs of the Deaf community, and Pastor Minamida’s interest will be a big boost to them. Pray for wisdom as they seek to discern the teachings of scriptures and communicate them in culturally relevant ways to the Deaf community.
Dead Man
We don’t take our health quite so for granted these days. Last week we got the lab results from our “annual” physical (well, it had been 5 years since our last “annual” physical) and what we saw gave us and the doctor extreme cause for concern. We listened as he carefully and gently told us of treatment options and encouraged us not to lose heart as there were many approaches for treatment. After a repeat test and a more thorough exam, the story changed. Yes, we’re still in the long process of dying (pretty sure it’ll be over before we hit 120), but probably not in the next six months. We learned a lot about ourselves during the 7 days between the two lab tests. Would that we would always live as “dead people!”
1月16日 Flying HomeDISCLAIMER TO NEW PEOPLE AND “JUST CURIOUS” PEOPLE 25 years ago we found our support team and haven’t asked for money since. We like it this way, and intend to keep it this way, but right now, due to circumstances beyond our control (mostly), we are “re-discovering” a huge chunk of our needed support. We want to keep this time as short as possible and then return to normal, but in the meantime, know that this is not primarily aimed at you. Thanks for your patience! END OF DISCLAIMER
A big thank you to our incredible support team. We’re writing this on the plane flying back to Japan, thinking back over the past few weeks with very grateful hearts. Our situation hasn’t changed very much, but after talking with so many of you, we come back encouraged and ready for whatever might happen. Several exciting funding possibilities opened up, and we have some other leads to follow up on as well. In another few months, hopefully we’ll all be looking back in amazement at what God has done.
Our Situation: The January 2009 support calculation sheet has us underfunded by $1,276/mo. Our home church commissioned and sent us out 25 years ago, and has been a rock, a pillar of support in every way. Now they are facing serious challenges, and have made financial and strategic focus changes. Bottom line: We will be losing $833/mo in support this May, with the remaining $833/mo under consideration in November. Combined with other churches and individuals who have had to cut back, we will be looking at a deficit of $2,302/mo in May which could grow to $3,135 in November.
What We Will Do: Stay in Japan as long as feasible (it’s not a great time to be finding support in the U.S. anyway) l Aggressively seek new support even while here l Return to the U.S. end March and early April to meet potential new supporters Pray for a funding miracle May 2009 is the deadline If we haven’t found at least $1,600 in new support by May, we’ll need to return to the U.S. until we’re 100% supported. Frankly, this is not an exciting prospect. Wonderful opportunities are opening up for both Mark in Sign Language Bible Translation and Mary Esther with Wheelchairs of Hope. In neither case does it seem that fundraising in the U.S. is a good use of our time. So our first line of action is to do everything we can from Japan (while still keeping up with our work) to find funding in the U.S.
How can You Help? Pray: There are several exciting funding possibilities, as well as some other leads we are following up on. Scout: Help us find churches and people who might be interested in either of our ministries. Attached is a one-page profile of our ministries, and we also have PowerPoint presentations and DVDs of various lengths available. Feel free to suggest other formats that you might find helpful. Advocate for us at your home church. Prayerfully consider increasing support (we understand that many are struggling just to stay the same, and others are needing to cut back—God knows the realities you each are facing.) If each personal supporter added 10% and each supporting church added $100/mo, we could continue in Japan without interruption.
Praise God for: l Two new church contacts l Three new and increased support commitments already 1月10日 Year End Report 2008Final Note from both of us
We want to say thank you for your support this year and ask for your prayers. Although both ministries are growing, our level of financial support has dropped drastically. If nothing changes in the next few months, we will be required to return the U.S. and find new sources of support. Pray that however this plays out we will bring God glory and do our part to expand the scope of God’s rule in the world. 2008 Year End Report2008 Year End Report Top 5 Highlights:
l Mark Completed Sign Language Bible Translation (SLBT) Consultant Training with SIL l Japanese Deaf translators trained and consulted on Philippine, Costa Rica, Columbia trips l Japanese Deaf pastor began training for Original Language checking l Published (on DVD) Genesis 36-42, Ruth, Jonah, and completed second draft of Genesis 43-50 with only 1part time Japanese on-camera translator l Reports of Japanese Deaf groups using the DVDs and salvations/baptism reported
Details:
Though the Japanese translation is still moving more slowly than we like, this year has been one of growth and expansion. Commitment through the years to developing Japanese Deaf translators and translation workers is paying big dividends. As Sign Language Bible translation (SLBT) expands around the world with more than 50 projects now operating, Japanese Deaf leaders are reaching out to help. Mark’s work in training as a translation consultant with SIL/Wycliffe connected ViBi with other projects in Africa and Asia. Also, the opportunity to work with the United Bible Society’s Sign Language Study Group took Pastor Matsumoto and Mark to Costa Rica and Columbia, where they met consultants and translators from around the world. The lessons learned through the consultant training were invaluable, both for the Japan project and the other projects they connected with. Involving Japanese Deaf people from ViBi’s translation team was key in both the SIL and UBS arenas. The Deaf were the ones who best connected with and trained Deaf administrators and translators. How gratifying to see strong Deaf leadership in the JSL translation project finding a wider sphere of influence
Events: l Consultant training in Philippines l Mentored consulting experience in Taiwan (breakthrough with a new translation project starting) l Training started for a Japanese Deaf Translation Consultant to do accuracy checking l Mentored consulting experience in Philippines with Pastor Minamida (translator) l Translation workshops in three locations in Japan to build new translation teams l United Bible Society SLBT Study Group in Costa Rica with Pastor Matsumoto (board chairman)
Results: l Published Genesis 36-42 l Published Jonah & Ruth (Jonah re-translated for the new DVD, Ruth re-edited) l Completed second draft of Genesis 43-50 l Four Deaf churches regularly using our translation in their worship service l Three professions of faith and one baptism in a church plant using our translation exclusively
Goals: l Finish Genesis, start Matthew or Luke l Find funding to hire 2 to 4 new people for the translation team l Continue training Pastor Hori (Deaf) in original language checking of the translation. l Connect the Japan and India teams to cross-pollinate ideas and strengthen both l Consultant work to strengthen the Taiwan and Hong Kong start-ups, and solidify gains made with the Philippine team.
Pray for: l Major funding ($3M) for the JSL project that will enable us to hire a full team to finish the whole Bible in 10-12 years and provide a model for others throughout the world l Strong, humble Deaf leadership for the worldwide SLBT effort l Continued development and dissemination of effective and sustainable models for Sign Language Bible translation
Thank you so very much for making this possible through your prayer and support during this past year.
2008 Year End Report2008 Year End Report Top 5 Highlights:
l Non Profit Status registration completed with Japanese Government l Filipino pastors report of benefits to their ministries including decision for Christ l Japanese Church granting use of large storage area in Tokyo l Volunteers collected 142 chairs, held 20 cleaning days, sent 49 chairs l Christian TV talk-show aired the project
Details: It continues to amaze me how God uses wheelchairs discarded here in Japan to bless others and further Kingdom work in Asia. This year several Japanese pastors worked to register Wheelchairs of Hope for official Japanese Non Profit Organization status. This has given the ministry here credibility in the community as we make contacts. This year volunteers collected 142 wheelchairs, conducted 20 cleaning/outreach days in four different cities, and sent 49 chairs to Thailand, the Philippines and Zimbabwe. One of the highlights of the year was hearing from a national pastor in the Philippines. He delivered a wheelchair to a lady who had just been crippled by a motorcycle accident. He shared the message of God’s love with her, and then was able to pray with her to receive Jesus as her Lord and Savior. The biggest disappointment was not sending off the 20 foot container of wheelchairs to the church in China near the earthquake for them to use in outreach there. However momentum is picking up as the project has been featured on Japanese Christian TV, on the Japan Campus Crusade Christmas CD, and at a large Christian Fall Fest. One big answer to prayer is the use of a 1,765 square foot storage area in downtown Tokyo. Give praise with us for God’s amazing provision. Please pray especially for the Japanese leadership. Also pray for an established church in northern Japan who wants to start a daughter church and use this as one of their ways to reach into the new community. Pray for the neighborhood people coming to help clean chairs to come to know Jesus, especially pray for Mr. Hiraide, Mr. Watanabe and Mrs. Nishioka. Pray for the Christians attending cleaning days to be salt and light. Thank you for your prayers and support. Mary Esther
1月1日 In the Northwest AreaHappy New Year!
Thanks for keeping us in your prayers. We had a wonderful Christmas with the kids down in Berkeley, and now we're in the Portland area looking forward to visiting churches and re-connecting with friends here. We will be at Grace Community in Gresham on January 4, and First Baptist Vancouver on January 11.
If you are in the NW area and don't hear from us, please give us a call on our cell at (408) 821-9240. We accidentally left the "black box" (the trusty old 3x5 card file with addresses and phone numbers) back in Japan, so are having some trouble contacting people. Also, we have no internet where we are staying. We're getting e-mail here and there where we can, so bear with us if we don't write back immediately.
Pray for a fruitful time of ministry and connecting here in the NW area.
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