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The Penner PlaceGo, go, go, said the bird: human kind cannot bear very much reality. (T.S.Eliot, Four Quartets, Burnt Norton, I.)
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October 09 Today's the dayToday’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?
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.”) October 03 TV Talk ShowMary 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. PhilippinesMark 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.
September 27 Our Visitors
Our Living Room at the Moment This might explain why we're so thrilled at the possibility of a huge new storage space.
September 24 JonahSign 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!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.
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