The Penner Place

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.

Hyperbole?

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 23:09:55 GMT

Quick report from the Philippines:

From day one, my Skype reports from the Philippines to Mary Esther have been almost hyperbolic. Pastor Minamida is doing a phenomenal job connecting with the FSL (Filipino Sign Langage) translation team and training them. They have said several times “oh, now we understand what Mark was trying to tell us in March.” As a Deaf translator with years of experience,combined with a sensitivity to timing and needs, Pastor Minamida has built a strong platform as both a change agent and a trainer.

At first, I was hesitant to try to do too much in just a week, not wanting to leave behind a demoralized team that tried to take the next step and couldn’t pull it off. But everything we have tried so far has worked. We went ahead and tackled the big issues, and have already seen the team with a new enthusiasm about the possibilities for making much faster and progress with a much better translation. Praise God, who does more than we can ask or think!!

(PS from an IM with Mary Esther: ” I should tell you about Sunday. Everyone at the Deaf church was so excited that Minamida is there and praying for him and you. They kept mentioning it. The whole church was behind it and excited about it. They were so proud of you—that was definitely the theme last Sunday.”)

TV Talk Show

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:38:04 GMT

Mary Esther will be busy while Mark is gone. Among other appointments is a trip to Shizuoka to be interviewed on a TV talk show about Wheelchairs of Hope, along with Pastor Kawasaki. Pray that the interview goes well, and brings the right people and resources to the project.

Mark and Pastor Minamida will each take a wheelchair to the Philippines. Pray for a smooth trip through customs, and that they will meet up with their connection on the other end. Thanks so much for standing with us.

Philippines

Fri, 03 Oct 2008 12:32:34 GMT

Mark and Pastor Minamida are leaving tomorrow for a week in Manila working with the Philippine Sign Language Bible translation team. It will be a wonderful chance for Pastor Minamida to share his expertise with the team there, get a wider vision for the world, and also to enhance his skill by learning how other translators approach their work. Pray for safety in travel and good connections with the team there.

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.

Jonah

Wed, 24 Sep 2008 11:46:36 GMT

Sign Language Bible

Thanks for praying! The Jonah translation is finished. It was recorded in the morning, checked during the lunch break, and we only had to re-do one short segment to correct a slight “pronunciation” mistake. Also, Mark’s time with the Japanese Sign Language (JSL) researcher was a good re-connection, and opened the door for further contact in the future. We’re hoping that the research center he works at will collaborate with us on making some software available to linguists in Japan, and also help with work we need to do on JSL to improve our translation.

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.

Opportunity

Tue, 16 Sep 2008 12:02:11 GMT

Keep praying! Mark has an appointment tomorrow with a top Japanese Sign Language researcher to discuss some research software development, and is hoping that this will lead to further opportunities for interaction as well. The research community has been very helpful and supportive of the Bible translation, and given a lot of good input, so we want to keep building on these relationships.

We’re in the very last stages of preparation for Jonah, and hope to record the final product on Friday. Pray particularly for protection for Pastor Minamida as he gets ready to record.

Breaking the silence

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 22:40:29 GMT

9/1/08

We’re home! It wasn’t exactly a working vacation, but we stopped by Yamagata to teach a Galatians overview on the way to our vacation spot, had some leaders over in the middle, and stopped by Mito for a cleaning day on the way back.

9/7/08

Well, that’s how far we got on last week’s prayer update! It was another crazy week, but the re-make of Jonah is almost done, and six more wheelchairs are ready to go to earthquake victims. .

Today we will be at Denen Grace Chapel teaching a Sunday School class on disability, and later on cleaning wheelchairs. Pray for a fruitful time of learning, action, and fellowship, and that God would use this to bring new people to the church as well.

Next week has a lot of extra activity as well, so do keep praying for us.

Thanks so much,

Mark and Mary Esther

Genesis 36-42 Finished

Wed, 13 Aug 2008 01:08:38 GMT

Thanks for praying. It was a crazy week and we needed you praying—just didn’t manage to squeeze in time to write and tell you about it. I was at ViBi working against deadlines, first on a comprehension check of Jonah, and then on the final check of the Genesis 36-42 DVD. The new DVD structure makes it easier than ever to use, but because of the changes, there were a fair number of flaws that had to be fixed, and we finished just in time on Friday to get it to the people who will give us 100 copies for free.

Then it was time to start work on my sermon. Since I had the DVD I had just checked, I was able to preach on the amazing Gen. 38 story—one that I’ve never seen in Bible story books, but that gives us an amazing picture of God’s work in history and in the nitty gritty of life. It was heartening to see how well people understood. I just had to fill in a little background information on the culture, and congregation could grasp the implications immediately. I showed the whole passage once, and then we went back and worked through it piece by piece, filling in the background and pointing out the implications (or asking questions that led them to the implications).

Praise God for one more small piece of Scripture finished, and pray for the day when we have the funding to produce this much every month. Most people I talk to say $3M is impossible, and they’re right. We know nothing about finding that kind of money, but miracles are just fine with me, if that’s what God chooses to do. So keep asking, seeking, and knocking on the Father’s door, and we’ll see what happens.

Today, we’re off to Deaf camp. August 13-15, 70 Deaf people gather from churches all over Japan. I have no official responsibilities, but am looking forward to lots of interaction with people who are interested in translation work and leadership training.

The Penner Saga, Part Two

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:10:13 GMT

25 years ago today, we arrived in Japan as missionaries. Many of you have prayed for us and also supported us financially from the very beginning. Others of you have known us only recently and are not familiar with our story. As we think back, we want to say thank you for the many ways you’ve stood with us over these years, and give the second installment of the Penner Saga

The Penner Saga, Part Two

In December of 1979, we had told our Deaf friends in Yamagata that IF we decided to come back, it would take at least ten years, by the time Mark finished up at Moody Bible Institute, spent five years working his way through Seminary to get an M.Div, two years of support discovery, and another two of language school. Still, they said they would pray, and they did. Mark was able to get permission for a heavier course load the last semester at Moody, and finish in one semester instead of two.

The week Mark finished Moody, Andrew was born, and Mary Esther’s school nursing job ended as the semester was now over. We had prayed about returning to Japan and decided to head that direction and see what doors God would open. We piled all our belongings into the back of our ancient pickup truck and headed for Western CB Seminary in Portland Oregon. We pulled into town knowing virtually no-one, found an apartment, and started looking for jobs. Some of you remember the 1980 job market. It was bad. Mark memorized the address of every hospital and public office in the entire city for the promise of a job as a taxi driver and still got rejected. Finally he ended up selling Cutco cutlery—the one job that wouldn’t refuse him. Well, trying to sell Cutco. He came home one evening having helped a family put together their budget to get out of debt but not selling them a single knife. Selling on credit to a debt-laden person, no matter how fine the product, just didn’t seem right. He did manage to sell a few, but at the end of the summer, he had made a total of -$135.37 (but we’re still using our demo set 25 years later).

In talking with CBFMS, they agreed that a two-year MA program would be sufficient to meet their entrance requirements, since Mark had been to Moody. Remembering how the Deaf struggled to read their Japanese Bibles, Mark decided to focus his seminary study on Biblical languages, getting all he could of Hebrew and Greek. Mary Esther worked part time as a nursing consultant to the public school district which allowed her to work mostly from home while caring for Andrew. We got involved with the Jr. High ministry at our church, and while doing taco feeds and Bible studies with reluctant attendees, realized how our hearts ached with the Deaf in Japan.

Mark was still looking for work when the time came for the first semester to start. With enough for the first quarter Seminary down payment, Mark started in full-time at the school, figuring he would study until our money ran out, at which time we would move on to something else. But strangely, it never happened. Though we didn’t have much, there was always food, clothing, a roof over our heads, and enough to pay the school. About the time we got used to the pattern, though, with one or two quarters to go, the day finally came. There was no way to make the next payment. Not willing to borrow money, Mark went to see the registrar to explain his absence that semester. What he learned was that his bill had already been paid, in full; he would be attending school. We still have no idea who God used to do this.

Aimed again toward Deaf work in Japan, Mark focused on his thesis topic: The treatment of handicap in the Old Testament. The first passage Mark came across was Exodus chapter 4 where Moses is caring for sheep but stops to see what is with the burning bush that isn’t burning up. God speaks to Moses and gives him a task. Moses, he has excuses, many of them. His last excuse: God I can’t, you see, I’ve got this disability, a speech impediment. And God’s answer (Ex 4:11): not only do I know all about that Moses, I made your disability and I plan to use you, so now go, because I am with you.

Wow! Mark continued to study and Mary Esther kept typing. As our schedule got full, we decided to use the upcoming Christmas break to put the final touches on the paper. Christmas break came and again we turned to study what God said about disability. The day after Christmas Daniel was born prematurely. Not having insurance we rented bilirubin lights and cared for him at home. On new years eve, up late to see the new year in, we were playing games with Mark’s younger brothers. At one point, Tom wandered over to the bassinet to marvel at the new baby, but immediately turned and asked “Why is he blue?” Rushing Daniel to the doctor that night was just the first of many trips we would be making. At that time we had no clue what it would mean to raise a family with a disabled child. Yet God, in a way we could not have planned or imagined, had prepared our hearts with a study of His Word and what He had to say about disability, and how He plans to use disabilities, no matter what our excuses.

As Mark graduated from seminary, we were in the final stages of application to what was then CBFMS (Conservative Baptist Foreign Mission Society, now WorldVenture). Mark still wasn’t much of a salesman, and there was some concern as to how we would ever find our support team but as June ended, we were appointed to go to Japan to work with the Deaf. Amazing to everyone, ourselves more than any, one year, one month and one day later, on August 2, 1983, we stepped off the plane in Tokyo, Japan. Our first year we spent studying Japanese in Tokyo, moving after that to Yamagata to continue studying Japanese and also begin learning Japanese Sign Language. We had said it would take ten years to get back, but they said they would pray. Clearly, this was the place, and these were the people God wanted us ministering with.

To the Northeast and Back

Sat, 02 Aug 2008 15:07:31 GMT

Thanks for praying. Last weekend, Pastor Hori did a great job checking a translation for the first time. Pastor Matsumoto joined us Friday afternoon and spent the night too, so we had the evening and some of the next day to go over plans to adapt training material for Deaf people, and translate Ephesians. Sunday seemed like two days, it was so full, but what a blessing to join the worship service in Fukushima and see Pastor Hori in action.

Back in Tokyo, Pastor Minamida recorded a new draft of Jonah on Tuesday, and Thursday, we had our comprehension check. We expected to finish it in one day, but it took quite a bit longer than we expected just to finish chapter one. We have a lot of changes to make. We’ll work on them Tuesday, then hope to finish comprehension checks for the rest of Jonah Wednesday and Thursday. It will be a busy week, and Pastor Minamida is swamped with work preparing for summer camp in Mid-August. Pray for him. Pray for Mark to, as he will be doing pulpit supply on next Sunday to take some pressure off of Pastor Minamida.

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.

The Penner Saga, Part One

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:31:00 GMT

The Saga

August marks 25 years since we arrived in Japan as missionaries. Many of you have prayed for us and also supported us financially from the very beginning. Others of you have known us only recently and are not familiar with the our story. As we think back, we want to say thank you for the many ways you’ve stood with us over these years. Recently a Japanese Deaf pastor borrowed my digital camera and when it was returned I noticed some video recordings that had not been there before. He had taken the camera to church and various Deaf church members had signed their greetings to us. Each one, to a person, expressed their thanks to the Church in America for sending missionaries. We will be seeing this pastor again next week as he is one of two who have asked to work on a translation of Ephesians. They feel it is crucial in teaching the believers they shepherd what it means to be Church. We are thrilled to have such partners, want to join them in thanking you for the privilege of being here. So with our thanks, here starts a recounting of the story that brought us to where we are today.

The Penner Saga, Part 1.

We were still newlyweds with Mark in school studying journalism and Mary Esther working as an RN, when Mark’s parents wrote a letter that, though we didn’t begin to know it then, changed the course of our lives.

Mark’s parents were missionaries in Northeast Japan and needed to take a 6 month Home Assignment to the US. They had an open home Deaf outreach ministry and were discipling a few young Deaf believers and asked if we would consider “filling in” while they were gone. “Just live here, be around, keep the house open to people” sounded like something we should be able to do. We applied to the mission to go to Japan for a 6 month short term missions trip.

Mark’s parent’s home provided a haven for the Deaf who at that time would not sign openly in public and experienced a great deal of discrimination. It served both as the local Deaf “coffee shop” for those who wanted to chat and play games, as well as the meeting place for those eager to study the Bible. Some came just at meals, ready for a free spaghetti dinner. More than physical hunger was their obvious spiritual hunger. During supper we sometimes had to put a stop to further questions so Mark could eat. (Holding chopsticks while signing was a skill we hadn’t mastered yet.) Reading the Japanese Bible was clearly a challenge for many of the Deaf who gathered. The prefectural school they attended did not use sign language in class, so some learned as best they could in the environment, while others occupied themselves socializing. Mark’s parents regularly had Deaf young people stay with them, sometimes living there for weeks at a time, teaching them enough reading that they would be able to pass the written driving test. At one point an indignant parent called the school and reported that the Christian foreigner had succeeded in teaching her son to read where they had failed.

During our time there, people came to the house almost every day. Of the 183 days there, on only 10 days did we have no visitors.

At the end of the 6 months they asked when we’d be returning. We explained that Mark’s parents would be returning; we had our lives to live in the US. They didn’t seem to get it. We tried to be very clear: it was Mark’s parents who were the missionaries, not us. Finally, both they and we agreed to “pray about it.” We returned to the States, Mark went back to school and Mary Esther back to nursing.

Back to Northeast Japan

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 13:29:09 GMT

Tomorrow we head to the Northeast again, this time to work with Pastor Hori, training him to check Pastor Minamida’s first draft of Genesis. Pastor Matsumoto may also join us for a bit and talk about translating Ephesians and training materials. I’m also hoping to contact a Deaf friend from our Sendai days. Pray that it will all work out. We’ll be at the Fukushima Deaf church on Sunday, where Hori pastors. We're looking forward to meeting the people there--our first time at the church though I've met people from there before.

I was just on the internet webcam this morning talking with Pastor Matsumoto (Deaf) of the Yamagata Deaf Church where we began our work in Japan. He was excited about a man who came to church with some real problems some time back, but through studying the Word in the JSL version, has made great progress in his relationships with people. Pastor Matsumoto is also thrilled at how the leaders he is training in the church are able to dive into tough passages in the some of the epistles we’ve translated and learn the deeper truths of Scripture on their own, and then share them with him and others. God is building His church!

Sometimes it just pours

Wed, 02 Jul 2008 12:46:05 GMT

When it rains, it pours! Of course, it IS rainy season here in Japan.

I meant to ask for prayer for this week’s trip to the Northeast, but ran out of time trying to do all the preparation. But I’m sure many were praying anyway, because . . .

The main reason for going was for me to interpret for Pastors Hori and Matsumoto at the Church-Based Theological Education seminar in Sendai. The main reason I said yes to interpreting, something I rarely do, was that Hori was the one who asked. I wanted to get face time with him so we could get started on translation checking (see 6/23/08 update), and just connect.

Well, not only did we connect and set a date to start work on translation checking of Genesis, the seminar itself turned out to be a huge boost. Both pastors are interested in testing the leadership training concept in their Deaf churches, and are working together on developing the materials. But it doesn’t end there. Because the materials focus heavily on the epistles and Ephesians in particular, they were wanting to get started on a translation of Ephesians. (ViBi already has Galatians, Philippians, and Thessalonians available.) Pray for them both as they seek ways to get their churches involved in the translation. I am especially excited that Pastor Hori is so eager to get involved. The only Deaf person I know of in Japan who knows both Greek and Hebrew can now be a part of the translation process via the internet without uprooting his whole family. Praise God for the new possibilities.

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.

Taiwan and Japan

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:35:50 GMT

Give praise for God’s amazing work in Taiwan! “Nothing happens this fast in Taiwan” was the comment of a long-time expat present at Saturday’s main exploratory meeting. Six of the eight groups known to have Deaf ministries in Taiwan were there, and even though there was a lot of “history” between the various groups, God’s Spirit brought unity around their common need for a Taiwanese Sign Language (TSL) Bible. Not only did they decide on the date for the next meeting (September 27), they also formed a working committee to proceed with the project until they meet again. During the final prayer, the interpreter (from TSL into Mandarin) was so moved by God’s work there she could hardly speak through her tears—shared by many others in the room as well.

Pray for the leaders in Taiwan as they meet to proceed with the translation project.

Meanwhile, back in Japan . . . we finished recording Genesis 36-42! Since Pastor Minamida, the translator and signer, has still not fully recovered from his neck, shoulder, and arm condition, we are only allowing him to sign 2 hours a day. At two days a week, it took a full month just to get the recording done. But looking at it, it is clearly his best work yet. Pray for Mr. Ogata as he edits and prepares the DVD, for Ms. Kuwahara and Mark as they do the final checks on versification and computer graphics, and for Pastor Minamida as we begin tomorrow translating the last portion of Genesis—chapters 43-50.

We’re also excited that Pastor Hori, a Deaf man who knows Greek and Hebrew, has agreed to help with original language checks. Though he lives too far to commute, he can get the translation work via the internet, check it, and send the results via internet. Pray that the training will go well, and we’ll be able to work out a good system for “distance checking.”

PS Pastor Minamida is happy to be able to get is hair cut now that the recording is done.

More Details on Taiwan:

There were LOTS of meetings. Visits with the Taiwan Bible Society and some of their major donors proved productive. Mark was even a guest lecturer for all of 20 minutes at a freshman Deaf Culture class at Tainan University. He also spent hours with various Deaf groups and individuals. Though TSL began from Japanese Sign Language (JSL) during the Japanese occupation of Taiwan, it has diverged significantly in the past 60 years, so Mark had to strain to follow what was going on, and missed a lot. Fortunately, his first contact was with Pastor Wu, who knew a fair amount of Japanese Sign Language (JSL), and the bits and pieces of TSL learned from Pastor Wu helped during the intensive meetings on Saturday and Sunday. Pastor Wu interpreted for Mark on Saturday when he presented the JSL translation work, but the rest of the day, he was pretty much on his own. Interestingly, when the signing was “Deaf”, he could get by, barely, but if it followed Mandarin sentence patterns or included fingerspelling, he was totally lost. He came home exhausted, but very, very happy.

Photo Album: Wheelchairs of Hope

Sat, 27 Sep 2008 09:06:41 GMT

Wheelchairs of Hope


jungle	how we traveled	paying a visit	inside the home
	waiting for a wheelchair	also waiting for a wheelchair	waiting for a walker
"my wheelchair is my best friend"	Our Living Room

Photo Album: Translation

Sun, 09 Dec 2007 12:11:15 GMT

Translation

Adjusting the Camera

Checking as Minamida Signs

Mr. Ogata, our Techie guy

Signing the Verse Yet Again!

Custom List: Custom List

Sun, 23 Oct 2005 12:40:48 GMT

WorldVenture
Our Sending Agency
ViBi Japanese SL Bible Video Clips
The site is in Japanese, but you can click on the links on the right and see various short clips of Pastor Minamida signing Genesis in Japanese Sign Language.