The Penner Place: Wheelchairs

Today's the day

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:12:51 GMT

Today’s the day! Please if you think of it today pray for Mary Esther as she goes for the TV talk show. Earlier in the week she wrote me:

I am doing as little driving as possible while you are away this week so as not to stress out my back and leg. I will be spending the night in Higashi Kurume tomorrow so I don’t have to drive in again Wednesday because Thursday is the biggie—going down to Shizuoka for the TV talk show. Just the stress of the talk show, plus never having gone that way before, and being told the last bit of the road is terrible and requires a 4WD to get down and up and to be sure and put it in low gear etc is enough besides the 3 hours there and then back after having to go into Tokyo two days before. But I know angels are around and so thought when necessary, help will come.

So today, Kawasaki Sensei contacted me with a big apology. His son is getting married two days after the TV talk show and he has to go into Tokyo to pick up some things for the wedding . . . so would it be okay of he drove here from Mito, picked me and the two wheelchairs up in his van, drove to Shizuoka, and on the way back go just a tiny bit out of the way and pick up the stuff for the wedding?

Would I mind?! I already feel the stress relief! I don’t have to wash and wax my car, don’t have to find the way to an unknown place, don’t have to worry about the treacherous stretch that scares everyone and that requires a 4WD –would I mind?! Thank you God!

So praise God with us. And keep praying for her especially today.

Our Visitors

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 09:19:01 GMT

Our Living Room at the Moment

This might explain why we're so thrilled at the possibility of a huge new storage space.

Celebrate!

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:43:46 GMT

Praise God! Sure wish you each could have been there for the celebration of what God has done with Wheelchairs of Hope. There was a lot happening in the various communities connected with Wheelchairs of Hope, but even so, 51 people joined the party, put on by a donor to celebrate our NPO incorporation. For some key people, it was their first exposure to the project, and God opened many doors in the short time there.

Some highlights:

l The pastor of the church where we met attended, and was so touched by the work he heard about that he offered us a large area for storage and cleaning of wheelchairs. Many of you have been praying a long time for a solution to our storage problem!

l Two wheelchair users came, an OMF missionary, and a Japanese man who was recently baptized. The Japanese man owns his own wheelchair business and wants to come and help at cleaning days, and the missionary, too is interested in getting involved. Their insights and perspective as wheelchair users will be invaluable.

l A lady who travels to Bangkok several times each year said her husband met our Thailand partner in Bangkok last week. (God's timing is amazing!) She wants to take wheelchairs with her when she goes next month.

l Six Deaf people came, including a man who has been in Tokyo 4 years and has no deaf friends. He was delighted to be at the table with other Deaf and was smiling the entire time. The Deaf church members stayed to the very end of clean up and that was meaningful to me.

A question from our last update:

Q: What is NPO?? (nothing per os??)

A: Great question from a nurse! That's exactly what I thought the first time I heard it too! It's a Non Profit Organization and the application/authorization process here in Japan is rather involved. It's what is often called an NGO (Non-Government Organization) and in Japan the application process and laws are the same for NPOs and NGOs.

PS. Today we received 10 pediatric wheelchairs. We go back tomorrow to get another 5. Pray for the volunteers necessary to get the cleaning done.

Getting ready to Celebrate!

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:03:54 GMT

Mary Esther has been busy gearing up for the big celebration next week, Sept. 23, with about 50 people coming together for a program and lunch, giving thanks to God for the milestone of gaining NPO status and seeking to build for the future.

Thanks for praying. We finished cleaning and wrapping 4 wheelchairs at Denen Grace Chapel two Sundays ago and another 7 at yesterday’s cleaning day. That makes 44 chairs toward the 100 plus we want to send to earthquake victims in China.

Down to the Wire

Mon, 28 Jul 2008 13:02:38 GMT

“Last week we sent our first wheelchair to Zimbabwe.” Sounds simple enough, but the reality was crazy. It started with “we’ve never done it in less than two weeks, but we’ll try,” and ended with “thank you Lord—no one but you would have put this together.” The only way we could do it, given all the logistics, was to take the chair to the airport in the morning, leave it with baggage claim, rush back to hand off the claim ticket to the traveler, and then head straight to our next meeting. Trouble was, we still didn’t have airline permission to even take the chair as gratis excess baggage. They were supposed to call and let us know “before noon.”

“Lord, I sure would like to know before we get to the airport whether or not they will take it,” was my prayer, but we were getting closer and closer, and still no phone call. We didn’t really want to go all the way back to the airport and retrieve it the next day if our request was denied, so continued to pray. We were 15 feet (and about 3 seconds) from the Narita airport parking gate when the phone call came with the necessary permission!

This week we anticipate sending 3 chairs to Bangkok to a missionary to use in outreach there and 4 chairs to Mongolia with Japanese pastors who are traveling. Today we got final permission for both groups. Please pray for those receiving the chairs to distribute them and for the recipients. Please also pray for Mary Esther’s back which she hurt yesterday on the train. There is a wheelchair cleaning day tomorrow and all the usual men who attend are out of town. Pray that God will send the right people to help clean and box the seven chairs. We also have an opportunity to send 100 chairs to a local church in the big country west of us—they want them to distribute to earthquake victims there.

Here is a picture of your new Filipina sister sister, Marissa! She is pictured with the pastor who shared God’s love through the wheelchair delivered and the Word.

Please pray for Pastor Pascual as he follows up with the family.

Great Sunday in Mito

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:43:42 GMT

The momentum that was building there for Wheelchairs of Hope (see 6/23/08 update) resulted in a stunning Sunday at Mito Bible Baptist Church. After a stirring message from Pastor Kawasaki in the morning service, we had lunch, and then rolled out the covering for the floor to get ready for the wheelchair cleaning day. 24 people came to help, the youngest aged 10 and the oldest 84 (and the 84-year-old lady dove right in with gusto, using wrenches to remove wheels for cleaning and even had the big electric drill/screwdriver out taking off seats). Three people came who had never been to church before. All three want to continue being involved in the project, and two are coming back for other events as well. God is at work already right here in Japan, before the chairs even get where they’re going! One of the members wrote the Pastor, “this is what it means to be Church!” He’s right. Working together, all ages, using their various talents, connecting with their community, serving the world—what a tribute to the life of Jesus in his Body, the Church.

Reaching into the Japanese community

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:36:59 GMT

Praise God for a great board meeting. They just keep getting better. Momentum is building with the successes in Mito with Pastor Kawasaki as he prepares for a “wheelchair cleaning day” at his church this coming Sunday. Two bike shop workers, a father of a disabled child who also runs a wheelchair rental shop, and a teacher from a Special Ed school all are interested in being part of the 15 who will gather to clean the chairs. Also interested are some 6^th grade boys. Outside the church is an open area where upper elementary and middle school neighborhood boys often gather and play. The pastor approached them last week and asked if they wouldn’t come help clean the wheelchairs. They were very enthusiastic. The pastor mentioned that these were boys who probably would never accept an invitation to Sunday school who were going to come and help out. Some who heard the announcement on the public radio station have called the city office to ask where to go to help clean chairs, and the city office called the public radio station to find out the information. News is spreading that the church is going to be involved in helping the needs of the poor who lack wheelchairs. The pastor said that people who have been curious about church, but don’t feel free to just show up, now have a reason to show up and learn more what Church is about.

Pray for equipment that will allow us to use a bar coding system to track wheelchairs in the project.

Pray for the cleaning days July 3 and 29.

Pray for the wheelchairs going to Bangkok July 4.

Ibaragi NHK publicity

Sat, 14 Jun 2008 13:03:27 GMT

Pastor Kawasaki (Vice Chair for Wheelchairs of Hope) was interviewed for 10 minutes on Ibaragi NHK (for you in the U.S., its the equivalent of NPR in your state). As a result, he has had so many wheelchairs donated that he’s having to turn down offers. Pray for more storage area. We are thankful for volunteers to build shelving in our new storage area in Tokyo. The construction project is in the competent hands of Mark and Mary Esther’s former 8^th grade science teacher who is visiting Japan this summer. Praise God for his provision.

Next week is a board meeting. Please pray for wisdom for the board members.

Chiang Mai

Thu, 08 May 2008 22:05:15 GMT

Praise God! Thai airlines faxed permission yesterday for another wheelchair to go gratis with a passenger to Chiang Mai. Pray that we’ll be able to line up someone at the airport to meet him and take the chair.

Annual Meeting

Wed, 23 Apr 2008 10:45:32 GMT

Pray for Mary Esther. Tomorrow is the Wheelchairs of Hope annual meeting, their first as an official NPO entity. Preparation has been crazy, but God has the neatest people helping to pull it all together. Pray that tomorrow will be, over and above the business, an opportunity to revel in all that God has done for them this past year, and make bold plans for the future.

Twenty wheelchairs are going to Manila on Monday.

What a wheelchair means

Sun, 13 Apr 2008 12:28:58 GMT

Thanks for praying for the cleaning day. Many people came and worked, shared lunch and prayed together. We now have 20 chairs cleaned, wrapped and ready to go to the Philippines April 28th. What seemed impossible at the beginning of the day is now a reality.

One of the more tedious jobs during wheelchair cleaning is removing stickers from the wheelchairs—whether they are rental agency stickers or various others applied by zealous sticker–collecting children who like to adorn their individual chairs. Thanks to a very good hint from a pre-school teacher, we now have a blow-dryer in our tool box. It works oh so much faster, (and more safely) than the razor blades we employed before!

A new lady came and I was eager to hear her story. “My mother was in a wheelchair for 17 years,” she said, “so I want to help make them available for others.” She told about needing to walk slowly, watching the path carefully as she pushed her mother in the wheelchair. As her mother would give the name of each plant, things that she had before considered collectively as “weeds” took on new importance. Each with its own name and distinct leaves and flowers, they became items of beauty around her that God had created. She was so glad for the time she had with her mother, the memories of laughter and sunshine outdoors together that would not have been possible without the wheelchair. “I want others to be able to get out and see God’s beauty around them too,” she said. “Thankful” was a frequent, and intentional, theme in her conversation. It was wonderful to have her join the work.

Tomorrow

Thu, 10 Apr 2008 13:23:26 GMT

Tomorrow is another wheelchair cleaning day. We hope to finish preparing the last of the 20 chairs a Filipino Short Term Missions Team will be taking back to Manila with them when they return on the 28^th of this month. It is exciting to know the chairs will be distributed by church members in the Philippines who care about the person receiving the wheelchairs and that it will be more than a piece of durable medical equipment this is being shared.

Please pray for those coming to clean, that we can minister to them as well. Last week a Japanese pastor prayed as we held up a lady whose husband has been diagnosed with cancer as she was so concerned about his physical and spiritual health.

PAL

Mon, 24 Mar 2008 02:51:50 GMT

The wheelchair project is continuing to grow. We will be sending 20 wheelchairs to the Philippines next month. Philippine AirLines (PAL) will be flying the wheelchairs from Tokyo to Manila gratis. We have much to be thankful for. I was able to meet the director of the PAL Foundation, and went to church with her Palm Sunday.

A Day in the Life of

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 23:27:11 GMT

2/29/08

Mark’s been gone for a week now. I’ve spent extra time enjoying special friends from Deaf church and also the missionary community. I’ve not cooked one single real meal.

Yesterday was an amazing day. With a Wheelchairs of Hope board meeting in the afternoon, I left early to run errands in the area beforehand. I allowed more than enough time, but—how God works His wonders—there was an interruption. Japan Wheelchair Company had some more wheelchairs to pick up. We were thrilled to add that to the task list, and glad to sit and talk to the man who loaded up the chairs for us. Turns out he gave us some valuable new information on wheelchair companies in Japan. And still, there was plenty of time left after that. Then another. At the post office I didn’t have the signet stamp I needed to withdraw funds from our account, so had to go to the mission office to pick it up. But I hadn’t been in the office more than a minute or two when the mission chairman answered his cell phone to hear a caller from Thailand who was trying to get in touch with me, and didn’t have my phone number. I had been trying to reach him for the past week, and to think he called right when I was there! A “bothersome addition” turned out to be perfect timing.

I had just enough time to grab a quick lunch and head off to the Wheelchairs of Hope board meeting. A lot of big decisions, and a good sense of working together. I left there encouraged by the people God has brought to give leadership to the project.

3/1/08

Today was a one day women’s retreat at a church in Yokohama. It was just one short day those attending, but for me, many days of preparing and heart-searching. I’ve been reminded how our powerful God uses the weak, and how wonderful it is to be in His service. Marva Dawn wrote a book "Powers, Weakness and the Tabernacling of God" that has made me relook at the world around us.

Tomorrow morning our Japan field will be heading for Chiang Mai to join the rest of the WorldVenture Asia fields for a week conference. I look forward to that very much. When it’s over I’ll head to Manila to join Mark for his last two weeks of classes.

Thank you for your prayers for us!

NPO!!

Thu, 21 Feb 2008 10:59:45 GMT

It’s official! At yesterday’s visit to the Bureau of Legal Affairs Office I heard the words “It is finished.” With that, Wheelchairs of Hope learned that the application/registration process was completed. We now have official NPO status here in Japan. Please continue to pray for Japanese leadership for the project.

Prayer Breakfast

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 12:25:48 GMT

Thanks for praying for the pastor's prayer meeting. Mary Esther writes:

That Tuesday I needed to leave the house by 6AM, a good hour earlier than I ever do. We have this space-saving parking spot, a metal monstrosity that accommodates 22 cars (3 high, 8 wide, and 2 empty spots) by rotating them both vertically and horizontally to allow you to access your car, The previous night had been quite cold, though, with snow the day before, and when I went to get the car, all I got was an error message on the key pad. Frozen, apparently. My first thought was "thank you God! This is my excuse not to have to show up and talk in Japanese to the hearing pastors!" But I wasn't quick enough. Another tenant arrived and woke up the resident care taker who fixed the problem, and by 6:20 we were back on schedule.

The weather was bad enough that only 8 people showed up for the prayer breakfast. The room had a “head table” complete with a long white linen tablecloth and silverware. I was probably 20 years younger than anyone else there (except Mark.) I was glad they chose a hymn I was familiar with and thankful for a fellow missionary who had created a cool power-point for me to use so my speaking time would be lessened. The talk went okay.

Then, they started praying. I immediately realized that I was in the presence of people who had prayed many long and difficult years, men who worshiped in their prayer. What a privilege it was to be there with them as they prayed for God’s work in their country and other parts of Asia. I no longer cared about how well or poor my talk went. I was so glad I didn’t miss the opportunity! Thank you for praying for me!

As I was writing this I got a piece of registered mail from the Prefectural Government with a summons to come in the next two weeks to get the official NPO registration papers! Thank you for all your prayers!

Mary Esther

Citywide Pastors meeting

Sat, 02 Feb 2008 23:12:32 GMT

Mary Esther just found out about a new opportunity—presenting the wheelchair ministry to a citywide pastors meeting. “20 minutes in front of Japanese hearing pastors!? You’ve got to be kidding!”was her response. But she is doing it this Tuesday, so pray. Please.

34 Wheelchairs

Wed, 09 Jan 2008 15:59:13 GMT

Praise God with us for an unexpected connection that resulted in 34 wheelchairs in excellent condition donated to Wheelchairs of Hope. Just in time for a new opportunity to send wheelchairs to the Philippines.

Victory in Jesus!

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 22:08:07 GMT

Thanks for praying. Speaking in front of that many people in Japanese was a major hurdle for Mary Esther, but as she says "I know people were praying. I just felt completely at peace, and just talked." For those of us who were listening, she felt both at ease, and at the same time deeply passionate about her thanks for all the wheelchairs Daniel had and her concern for those who might never have a chance for one.

She will be giving a 15 minute testimony at the Deaf Church Christmas service this coming Sunday. A much less threatening scene, but she still asks your prayers. The testimony will be about “the gift of forgiveness.”

Rubber-knees just thinking about it

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 10:54:37 GMT

This coming Saturday will be a Black Gospel Charity Concert which will benefit Wheelchairs of Hope. Midway through the concert they’ll show a short power point about the wheelchair project, and then Mary Esther will speak for about 3 minutes. There are about 250 in the choir and 750 guests are estimated to attend. That’s about 975 people more than she’s used to speaking in front of, and this will be in spoken Japanese—please pray!

Thoughts from the Border

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 10:52:26 GMT

While Mark was meeting with Sign Language translation groups in Bangkok, Mary Esther was on another kind of adventure, winding up narrow mountain roads in a van with six people and six wheelchairs toward the Thai/Burma border where citizens of no country in the world eke out a living in the jungle. Among them, too, are the disabled, and the consequences are more severe here than anywhere else we know. Here, more than anywhere, a needed wheelchair is hardly a dream. But a Christian group called Candlelight is working specifically with this segment of the refugee population, meeting needs as able, and had distributed four Wheelchairs of Hope chairs a year ago. Six more chairs were a boon, and Mary Esther, going with the chairs, had the chance to follow up on the previous recipients as well. Visiting from hut to hut on the back of a 50cc motorcycle, she held babies, changed clothes (no diapers there), and just sat and listened to people's stories.

She writes:

Yes, life can by crazy here in Japan, but it doesn't even come close to where I just came from. I have water at the turn of the tap, and it’s clean enough to drink and yet I have so much I even bathe in it—and it comes out at any temperature I desire! And I have a toilet that is clean where the waste doesn’t stay under my house. And there are screens on my windows, and even if there weren’t I don’t fear Malaria from a mosquito bite. And when I walk down the path I don’t watch for snakes, or worry about stepping too far off the path where a land-mine might be planted. And I have whole fish and lots of green veggies to eat with my rice. And at night, the noises I hear are cars, trucks, dogs, all of which stay outside my 6th floor bedroom. The jungle is not quiet, and I didn’t recognize the sounds—some sounded like strange clapping/clacking, and another like water in the pipes, and yet another like some shrill electrical catastrophe. And even when I asked what the noises were, the answers told me meant nothing as I didn’t know the creatures they named. Here in Japan people stop at stop signs (or at least pretend to) and no-one here crosses a yellow painted line on a hair pin turn just because they honked and no-one honked back. The Burmese soldiers aren’t raping my children, and the national hospital doesn’t refuse to see me because I’m not a citizen. It was an unbelievable week. My heart was pierced and part of it was left there.

Please pray that God will send us more wheelchairs here in Japan so we can help keep the Light shining there in spite of incredible darkness.

Back from Bangkok

Sun, 25 Nov 2007 13:19:39 GMT

We're back from Thailand, very tired and very encouraged. Mary Esther has enough stories to fill a book, but with a board meeting coming up Thursday and plenty of preparation to do beforehand, she won't be writing it for a while yet. Do keep praying!

NPO App, cleaning day, and Thailand trip

Wed, 14 Nov 2007 13:21:45 GMT

Tomorrow the wheelchair project will again go to the prefectural office to submit our application for NPO status. This is our 5th attempt, and the last opportunity we have to apply this fiscal year. If the application is rejected tomorrow, we will not be able to begin the process until next April and will need to re-file all financial reports along with various other documents. Two of the board members along with a Japanese believer whose job used to be helping process NPOs have been working on this. Please pray!

We're also cleaning wheelchairs on Friday. One of the board members is bringing her friend who doesn’t know Jesus yet. The wheelchairs we are cleaning will go to the Thai-Burma border next Monday. This will be the first time Mary Esther has gone with the chairs being delivered. With five people from ViBi (see below) and Mary Esther going, we'll be taking six chairs. Mary Esther goes straight from the airport to the border with the chairs, while the group from ViBi goes to the conference in Bangkok. Pray for safety, stamina, and wisdom to deal with whatever she encounters there.

Pray! Decisions Today

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 00:53:23 GMT

For the last few weeks, Mary Esther has been catching up on work waiting for her after 3 months in the U.S., and preparing for a key board
meeting with Wheelchairs of Hope today. Pray for them as they will be making major changes, and need wisdom, courage, and unity to move ahead.

Stretching and growing

Fri, 13 Jul 2007 23:47:55 GMT

This week has been stretching. We had expected that the NPO applications papers for the Wheelchairs of Hope project to be submitted the end of May and that we would have our approval by the end of August. I have now just heard from the man handling this that he has lost the papers and was afraid to say so until now. Please pray that he will be able to find the documents soon.

On the other hand, there is a group of five people from a church in southern Japan who want to take 5 wheelchairs to Bangkok in August. This will be the first time we’ve tried to take wheelchairs out of the Hiroshima airport. Please pray for those who are caring for the logistics in Japan, and rejoice that the project continue to move ahead while we are here in North Dakota.

Wheelchairs into Philippines!

Sun, 08 Jul 2007 02:39:18 GMT

Good news from Japan about the wheelchair project this past week. A Japanese pastor and 20 people, some of them short-termers connected with Twin Lakes Church in California worked on 13 wheelchairs that were taken to the Philippines on Wednesday. We had some concern at first as the wheelchairs were held up in customs for a day, but then they cleared without further problems. Praise God with us, and also pray for Pastor Noel Pantoja who will be overseeing the follow up on wheelchair recipients.

NPO status

Fri, 25 May 2007 14:38:11 GMT

Pray for the NPO status application for the wheelchair project. Pastor Tahara went to file the application, and there was a new person in the office. This person required the application be re-done in a different format than the former person we were dealing with. Pray that we'll be able to make the corrections quickly and get the application on its way.

Myanmar

Tue, 08 May 2007 11:35:52 GMT

Friday is a Wheelchair Cleaning Day in Tokyo. We expect to send a couple chairs to Myanmar this weekend. Thank you for praying for the storage situation, the next negotiations are on Friday.

Storage and office space . . . maybe

Thu, 26 Apr 2007 13:55:30 GMT

Tomorrow Pastor Tahara and a businessman are approaching a trucking company whose deceased owner was a friend of the businessman. They are going to ask to rent one of the storage/loading sites near a major freeway for the wheelchair project, at a price we can afford, but which is “below market value” (understatement!) I am both excited by their boldness, and relieved I won’t be in town to go along because I am embarrassed at how little they are offering. Please pray. This will take a miracle. But I’m ready for one right now.

113 and 1

Sat, 21 Apr 2007 11:40:19 GMT

The container of wheelchairs arrived in Mongolia this week. They said that within three hours, 70 of the chairs had already been distributed and there is a huge need for more chairs. We are glad to be a small part.

From Nigeria, we got pictures of the one chair that went to the nephew of an exchange student here in Japan. The picture says it all.

The Big Picture

Wed, 28 Mar 2007 11:43:04 GMT

Mary Esther has had some excellent coaching and is looking forward to working on the structure and various functions of the wheelchair project. Pray for wisdom and for God to continue to send Japanese to join the project team and that we will expand our impact in local churches.

Some final touches on the website and it’ll be ready to show you, hopefully before too much longer. Pray as we seek to work out details with the website manager.

First Container!

Thu, 22 Mar 2007 05:43:39 GMT

Wheelchairs of Hope packed its first container (113 wheelchairs, 83 tire pumps, 3 walkers, 8 canes, 1 Hoyer lift.) Ten people were there to help load it. Thank you God! It is headed for Mongolia.

115

Sun, 18 Mar 2007 22:41:25 GMT

Last week, Mary Esther was home before 7:00 a total of one (1) days, her day of Sabbath rest.

Monday was the last day of Mission fellowship conference.

Tuesday Mrs. Minamida came to Chiba and a group cleaned chairs there.

Wednesday Mary Esther went across town to the Deaf church and another group cleaned chairs there.

AfterThursday's cleaning day in Higashikurume (across town in another direction), 99 chairs were wrapped and ready to go.

She took her Sabbath rest on Friday this week, because . . .

On Saturday was another cleaning day at Higashikurume. That day, new people kept showing up, and they set a new record of 16 chairs cleaned and repaired in one day. It was a long day, but brought the total number of chairs to 115. The magic number that we're told will fit in a half-container is 125, but we're still hoping to fill it. Nine of the chairs do not fold up, and several are large, fancy specialized chairs that still take up a lot of space even after being collapsed. In addition, we have a hoyer lift, a couple of walkers, and some crutches.

March 20 is the big day. Pray that all the logistics of the container's arrival, maneuvering the small area, packing, and inventory listing will come together, and the chairs arrive safely in Mongolia.,

Nine chairs to Cambodia!

Tue, 13 Mar 2007 14:21:03 GMT

Today 9 wheelchairs went with a Japanese short term mission team to Cambodia. The airline granted free excess baggage, we are thankful. Please pray for the team and those receiving the chairs

One week from today Wheelchairs of Hope packs it’s first 20 foot container of chairs. It’ll be heading for Mongolia. Right now there are 80 chairs in the storage area, wrapped and ready. We have lots of cleaning and repairing still left to be done this week. Pray that God will give strength and send the right people to help.

Lots Happening

Tue, 20 Feb 2007 13:23:29 GMT

This past Sunday at Deaf church about 15 people worked for a couple hours on chairs for the Mongolia shipment. It was fun to watch the camaraderie. We were barely done cleaning up the tools, oil sprays, and dirty rags when a dainty lady asked the pastor when the next time was we could clean chairs again! There was a definite sense of excitement in being able to do something for others.

Last week we had a huge answer to prayer—a certified bookkeeper to help out part time in keeping the books. Besides doing the day to day work, she is able to help prepare the financial reports necessary in applying for NPO status.

Thursday we’ll be holding the first “General Conference” for Wheelchairs of Hope. On the agenda: ratify the constitution, approve the budget for this upcoming fiscal year (which begins in March in Japan), decide the roster of board members, and various other items which will be our next step in the process to apply for NPO legal status here. Please pray for wisdom as we finish preparations.

Also, please pray for the Japanese church headed on a short term missions trip to Cambodia. They want to take 9 wheelchairs along free of charge, but have hit some snags negotiating with the airline. Pray for the negotiations to go smoothly.

We’re still working on exporting a container of wheelchairs from Japan to Mongolia. We hope to send the 20 foot container next month. We’ve learned a lot, and are thankful for the people God has put in place to help with this, but there are still some pot holes in the road, so we appreciate your prayers!

Bookkeeper!

Thu, 15 Feb 2007 22:08:49 GMT

Praise God with us for a bookkeeper for Wheelchairs of Hope! Yesterday was a long day for Mary Esther by the time she worked all day getting ready for the first Annual Conference of Members and then went out in the evening with a businessman and a pastor to interview her, but she came home without the books or the cash, and with a huge burden off of her shoulders. Thanks, Rick and Pastor Tahara, for coming out after your long days of work for the interview too. And thanks, Ms. Tonsho, for accepting the job.

Keep praying for the upcoming Annual Meeting, February 22.

Stored in style

Fri, 19 May 2006 01:47:02 GMT

Thank you for praying for wheelchair storage. We reap even where we don’t sow. About 30 years ago my father had contact with a Japanese family (teaching German to a daughter) and today that Christian family is quite involved in the wheelchair project. Last week one of the daughters went with me to look at a “storage room” in a church member’s basement. I envisioned trying to carry wheelchairs down a steep narrow staircase. Turns out we entered this “storage room” via its own door from the outside, first thing we saw was a silk carpet and fancy art work and entered a room with hardwood floor, wall papering and paneling like no room I’ve ever lived in! Yesterday was a busy day as we received 21 more chairs, stored them there, and then transferred 70 in from a short-term storage room nearby. These wheelchairs will be stored in style!

Monday through Wednesday will be Teamwork Meeting, where our church association pastors and missionaries get together to pray, plan, worship, and strategize together as we seek God's direction for another year. Mary Esther is particularly hoping and praying to get more buy-in for Japanese leadership of Wheelchairs of Hope there. Thursday and Friday we're back home for ViBi leadership team and yearly board meeting.

News from Mary Esther

Sat, 13 May 2006 13:46:07 GMT

We haven't written but not because nothing has been happening. Just one highlight--Last Sunday we were greatly encouraged by a Japanese church which is becoming increasingly involved in the wheelchair project. They are even approaching the mayor to ask for help in storing the wheelchairs and several women have thought of creative ways to reach out to friends and neighbors using the wheelchair project.
Again this next week we will be relying on God because it's definitely
beyond us.
Monday I will be at a mission leadership team meeting. We need to stay relevant and care for our members while staying focused on our strat plan and why we are here.

Tuesday will be the last MK school board meeting. I will be giving that job back to the missionary returning soon from Home Assignment now. Please pray for our MKs, as another class graduates and makes adjustments back to their passport country, going to college and leaving what is familiar here in Japan.

Wednesday is our Creative ministry team meeting. Mark's ViBi work and the wheelchair project find accountability here, but we also strategize and look for new ideas.
Thursday I'll be going with Janet Brown to pick up 20 more wheelchairs from the rental company which regularly eliminates chairs from their fleet to maintain the high standards demanded by Japanese society.
Friday Mark and I leave for out of town. We'll be in a Deaf church up north on Sunday, worshipping with them in the AM service and presenting the afternoon Bible lesson. The pastor has asked we give the same lesson we've been doing here at the Deaf church in Tokyo on finances. It's an issue many Deaf church members struggle with. Please pray for wisdom as it's a very sensitive matter. After that we'll be at a joint missionary Japanese pastor conference for 3 days, praying, planning, worshipping, and strategizing together as we seek God's direction for another year.

LA Tour

Sun, 16 Apr 2006 09:33:06 GMT

Thanks again for praying. The LA tour was a great success. Between Sharon's great planning and Phil's uncanny ability to make the girls laugh as he drove us all over and showed us the sights, we had a winner. By Friday night, Phil, his girls, and their friends took our place while we saw family and shared at Lake Hills Community Church in Lake Elsinore. Meanwhile, back in LA, Sunday services with the girls offered opportunity for clear gospel presentations, and also for listening to them share from their perspective.

We're now safely back in Japan and adjusting to the time change again. Pray for a quick recovery as we jump back into our work here.

LA Tour (Written 4/4/06)

Sun, 16 Apr 2006 09:32:41 GMT

We made it safely to the States and had some great visits our first week. Today the Murayama girls arrive and we begin the tour of LA. Everything is lined up and ready (except the weather!!) thanks to Phil Waters and his girls. Pray for God to work through us this week.

(Mrs. Murayama is a school nurse at a Special Needs school who regularly supplies us with expensive, custom-made pediatric wheelchairs that are highly valued and virtually unavailable to many people overseas.)

Pray for Homestay

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 10:44:24 GMT

Pray: Mrs. Murayama is a school nurse at a Special Needs school who regularly supplies us with expensive, custom-made pediatric wheelchairs that are highly valued and virtually unavailable to many people overseas. She is part of a strong, active Buddhist sect. From April 5-10, her teenage daughters will be doing a home-stay with us in LA. Praise God for Phil and Sharyn Waters, ex-Japan missionaries doing a great Japanese outreach and church planting work in LA. They have put together the program, and we're just coming along for the ride. Pray that we'll be good sports, as sightseeing in LA is not on our all-time list of favorite things to do. And pray for the girls, and the people they'll be in contact with.

11 Wheelchairs to Thailand!

Thu, 23 Mar 2006 10:40:01 GMT

Praise God! Rebekah Schmidt now holds the record for most wheelchairs transported in one trip. She and her classmates took 11 wheelchairs with them on their Senior trip to Thailand. It was a big job negotiating with teachers, staff, classmates, and airline representatives. Mary Esther was there for coaching, teaching, and encouraging, but it was Rebekah whose perseverance and courage got the job done. Wonderful to see God at work in young lives.

A Picture of "the flood"

Thu, 02 Feb 2006 12:52:15 GMT

Here's a picture of some of the 31 wheelchairs from the rental company

Wheelchair Flood??

Thu, 26 Jan 2006 02:13:03 GMT

The trickle of wheelchairs may become a flood soon. God has been doing amazing works in guiding different members of the wheelchair network. Stan D. and his friend Mr. Satoh have found a company that rents wheelchairs. They regularly throw away hundreds of wheelchairs each year, and just "threw" 31 of them Stan's way. Many of them are in good shape. As long as we send them overseas (and don't erode their customer base by giving them away here in Japan), they are thrilled to let us save them the cost of disposal. Praise God for this new provision, and pray for Mary Esther as she goes today to meet company officials.