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Persevering

Saturday I was especially proud of two relatives who persevered in adversity.

My nephew is a runner....a very good runner. Saturday I got to watch him run against opponents from 7 or 8 other international high schools in a cross country race. The competition was stiff. The course was rugged. It's a challenge to walk on the course, let alone run it. But Jared persisted. He runs all the time and it showed when he crossed the finish line ahead of all but one other runner. I admire Jared's persistence and was immensely proud of his success.

I'm married to a man who also knows a great deal about persistence. For the last two months Russ has been experiencing a lot of pain in his left forearm. I rub ointment into it twice a day to help relieve the pain temporarily, but the only thing that will cure it is to not use it. He only has one arm that he can use and he uses it to do everything. To not use it would be to make himself immobile and that would bring on a host of other problems.

Walking with a cane puts so much stress on the muscles in his arm and hand that we've had to cut out unessential walking. But, he needs that exercise so Russ is working on walking without a cane! He says I shouldn't call it "walking", rather "shuffling." Whatever you want to call it, it's impressive. The layout of our house is such that one can walk through the kitchen, dining room, and living room making a loop. Last week he made three loops without putting any weight on his cane. Saturday he wanted to do it again. I wondered if he'd be up to doing three loops again since it takes so much concentration and stamina. Russ had something else in mind. He made seven loops!

They say "No pain; no gain." I think God has a different twist to that..."Give me your pain; I'll give you gain."

Beaming in Tokyo,
Flossie

Trip Downtown

Russ (and I!) made another goal this week. Russ had not been downtown since his stroke and has been wanting to make the trip to honor the secretary he used to work with. She will soon be retiring after many years in the JEMA office. About a year ago his goal was to make the trip by train, but as time went by we realized that was too ambitious a goal since Russ' strength has been declining. I offered to drive him knowing that too would be quite the challenge (any trip is taxing for Russ, there's the emotional toll of seeing his old life, there's the daunting challenge of driving downtown to a place in Tokyo I've never driven to, and I wondered how I'd manage Russ and the car once we got into the bustling heart of this enormous metropolis.)

God blessed our trip with success. Our friend Steve offered to ride down with us. In addition to being one of the most interesting conversationalists that I know, it was really reassuring to us to know that once we got downtown, if I couldn't find a parking place at the center, Steve could take Russ in while I searched for a spot. There are thousands more cars in Tokyo than legal parking spots so parking alone is a huge deterrent for taking a car down there. We really wouldn't have needed Steve to go with us since everything went very smoothly, but having him with us was a huge stress reliever for us.

Our time with Russ' former coworker was a blessing. I made a cake and took tea for us to have a snack together. The time brought satisfying closure to a chapter of his life.

Interview

Wednesday two of Russ' therapists and a reporter from their organization came to our house to interview Russ. They thought Russ could be an encouragement to the other clients by printing an article about him even though we have never met any of them.

The day before the interview I went to visit one of Russ' doctors to pick up test results. Although I understood the good news (Russ does not have osteoporosis!), I was totally lost when the doctor tried to explain the tests using terms I don't know in Japanese and perhaps even in English. I felt so inadequate I wanted to cry. The doctor was saying important things and I just couldn't get it. Russ was counting on me and my language skills were failing me. God reminded me that I have to depend on Him. It just doesn't work to go waltzing in there thinking I can handle it.

When the reporter came the next day I knew that it would have to be God's words and not Russ' or mine. The Holy Spirit definitely guided the conversation. We had a lovely time together and opportunities to share our faith in Jesus came naturally. After taking lots of pictures of Russ, the interviewer was interested in all the photos on our refrigerator so asked to take a picture of them. Then as she left she took a picture of the placard in our entryway with the Japanese characters for faith, hope, and love. She also liked the placard my sister-in-law made for me that says "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord." I don't know which pictures will make the final article.

Even if the article is never written, we felt the time had been well spent as these three people got to spend a little time in a home where Jesus lives. We felt His presence that day. We trust they did too...and if the article blesses others, that will be an added bonus.

Connections

A big part of the ministry God has given me is connecting people with resources. As an educational consultant I have an office full of books and a head full of information gleaned from reading and thousands of encounters with people over the years. When a mom looking for curriculum describes her family personality to me, my mind automatically jumps to programs that seem like a good fit. But sometimes challenges come up with no apparent connection. It's not like I can handle some things and God does the hard stuff, but it has been cool to see God work in special ways recently.

Last week I talked to a missionary family needing a certain series of books to begin homeschooling. Ordering them from the US would cost more than they could afford. An hour after discussing the need I looked through a box of donated books. There was the exact set in perfect condition.

Then Tuesday a friend came in asking if anyone needed a tutor. She had time and experience and needed some extra income. We didn't know of anyone, but encouraged her to post a sign on the community bulletin board. The very next day a Japanese mother came to our office with her daughter. The family lives in LA and came to Japan for summer vacation. A surprise medical condition necessitates extending their time in Japan. The mom was concerned that her daughter be able to keep up with her English so she'll fit back into school when they return to the US. I called the potential tutor and in ten minutes they were all talking and making arrangements. It seems to be a perfect fit.

A few months ago we had a Ukrainian fencing coach visit our church. He is starting a Bible study in Russian in downtown Tokyo and looking for Russian speakers (few and far between!) to join the group. A month later another man from Ukraine visited our church. I wanted to get the two men together, but each man only visited our church once. Today the coach returned to our church, this time with his whole family. I got contact information from him just in case I ever ran into the second man again. Wouldn't you know it, I turned around and there he was. It was exciting to see God get these two men together. If you've ever been in a country away from your homeland where no one else speaks your native tongue, you understand the significance of this connection.

God cares about connecting books, tutors, and Bible study partners. Go God!

Graduations

Within one month I attended three graduation ceremonies.

Our son Joel graduated from LeTourneau University on May 8, 2010 with a degree in Interdisciplinary Studies (concentrations in electrical engineering, mathematics, and Biblical studies). Joel developed deep friendships at LeTourneau and accumulated a wealth of knowledge. He's currently serving as a radio broadcast engineer and technician for Worship Radio Network in Augusta, Maine. I was delighted to attend the ceremony.

Two weeks later my niece, Julie Johnson, graduated from Taylor University. Again, I was proud as punch of her and pleased to be there.

Back here at Christian Academy we had our high school graduation on June 4. It's hard to believe that these students will no longer be around. In a school like CAJ, graduates go to the far corners of the earth. We'll miss them.

The Not-So-Popular Subject of Sin

Russ and I have been studying the book of Romans using Dr. Wesley Gerig's book entitled, "An Outline Study of Romans." Way back in the early 1970s when I took a class on the book of Romans at Fort Wayne Bible College, I answered the questions Dr. Wes has now put at the back of his recently-published book. It has been very interesting to go through the questions with Russ. Since his stroke, Russ has trouble spelling words and doing math calculations that used to be easy for him, but his spiritual sensitivity and insights continue to be a blessing to me.

Recently we were reading Dr. Wes' comments on Romans 6:11 regarding what it means to reckon ourselves dead to sin and alive to Christ. I love the way Dr. Wes summed it up on page 82.

Step #1 Never excuse sin.
Step #2 Never expect sin.
Step #3 Never excite sin. (As someone has said, "What makes resisting temptation difficult for many people is that they do not want to discourage it completely.")

There's plenty to think about there.

Flossie

Yahara Church

Sunday was one of those I'm-so-thankful-I'm-a-missionary kind of days. Russ wasn't feeling up to going to church so I went alone to worship at Yahara Christ Church. There's a lot of walking involved in getting there so it works out best for me to go alone. We usually attend Musashino Chapel Center so I hadn't been to Yahara for many months.

This church was begun by TEAM missionaries about six or seven years ago. Shortly after they rented a meeting place and were just getting going, the husband suddenly had to go to the US for cancer surgery. The key lay couple was transferred to South Africa. Russ and I were asked to help out at the church for a year in their absence. Russ and I both had other full-time ministries so we just did what we could to keep the church alive until the missionary family returned. God sent us many people to help out during that year and encouraging things happened. It survived babyhood by God's grace. The missionaries returned and led the church through the toddler stage and into kindergarten.

Between that time and now the church has gone from renting one tiny room to two, the founding missionaries returned permanently to homeland ministries, and a Japanese pastor was called. The church is still small–13 people. But those 13 are full of faith.

The property next door to them opened up for sale and they all voted to buy it! These are not wealthy people, but they are believers who are putting their treasure in things that count for eternity. I was so blessed last Sunday to visit these dear people, look at the property with new eyes, and view the blueprints. Who would have ever thought that the property right there where the church already has a presence in the community would open up! That was the first of many miracles.

Banks are not giving out loans these days so they were denied a loan as expected. However, God raised up numerous believers to loan money personally to the church. Sunday the pastor was encouraged because that morning the closest neighbors to the church building told him they were happy the church was buying the property. The wife says she enjoys hearing the singing at the church. This is Tokyo were buildings are row-house style. Neighbors are unbelievably close and to have this kind of warm reception for a church is most unusual.

We are full of praise for all God is doing. Yahara Christ Church still needs lots of money, but they are moving forward in faith that God will provide. We're encouraged!

State of the Union with My Valentine

Today is Valentine's Day. I feel exceedingly privileged to be married to Russ. He is a godly man who manages his disabilities with grace. It's been almost four years since his massive stroke and I have yet to hear him complain about his limitations. He cries easily, but it's always because he is touched–seeing a child smile, hearing how God has worked–things that bring joy to himself or pain to others. God has shielded him from self pity and Russ daily chooses to see life from an eternal perspective. He is amazing. I thank God for allowing me to be his wife.

What's life like for us these days? Russ is still able to get around inside our house using a cane though he usually sits in his wheelchair due to limited strength. He is able to do many things for himself. They just take a long time. He can dress himself in about half an hour now. He spends time praying, working on Japanese (he never gives up!), and interacting with the many people who come to our home for encouragement. Three days a week he goes to an adult care center for therapy and a bath.

Russ made remarkable progress after his stroke so that we were able to go to the US to see family in the summer of 2007. Since then his strength has been declining. Russ doesn't get out much other than going to the care center while I work at CAJ. He has enough strength to go to church once or twice a month and now and then we go out to eat. In August each year we go to Karuizawa for our mission's annual conference where thankfully they have a barrier-free room. The 2 1/2 hour trip is grueling for him.

We are learning what it means to see God work in our weakness. I've been amazed at how God has used Russ to minister to more people now than before his stroke. Just last week several Japanese told me how much Russ has encouraged them and thanked us for staying in Japan.

Personally God is giving me strength day by day. I'm thankful for my godly husband, the wonderful people I work with at Christian Academy, the people who assist us, and most of all for God Himself. It's not an easy life, but it's good because God is good.

Flossie

2010 Year Verse

As I thought about a verse to meditate on throughout this year, Romans 5:3 & 4 kept coming to mind.

NIV "...we also rejoice in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope."

I don't choose a verse every year, but have the last few years. I really liked my verse last year (Romans 15:13) which focused on God filling me with all joy and peace and overflowing in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit. That's a real feel-good verse. When I first was drawn to this year's verse I thought, "Oh, no. I've had enough suffering. I'd prefer a happy verse." But...I kept coming back to this verse.

I'm beginning to get it. God wants me to live life from an eternal perspective. We've definitely had (and have!) our challenges, but knowing what I know now, I'd still choose this life over one without the character building and hope. God has been so faithful to us! I hesitate to even say our lives are filled with suffering. All it takes is one look at the news of the suffering in Haiti from the earthquakes to know our lives are cushy.

Maybe this year will bring more suffering. If it does, God will be with us. If things get easier for us, maybe I just need to get this verse down pat to help me deal with present difficulties.

And, oh joy, the verse ends with the word, "hope." God's hope never disappoints us.

Disappointment...God's opportunity?

We've had disappointing news. Russ' favorite therapist...the man most skilled, most friendly, and most open to the gospel of all those who have worked with Russ is moving back to his hometown on the island of Kyushu.

We will miss him! This man trained the other therapists. We were so fortunate that he was assigned to Russ. He always seemed to know exactly what to do and the best way to do it. We had great conversations with him. He gladly accepted the Bible we offered him.

We don't know why God is moving him, but I'm confident we can trust God to do what is best. Maybe there is someone in Kyushu who desperately needs an expert therapist like our beloved Mr. E. We would like to have been the ones to lead him to faith in Jesus, but God can use someone else to take it from here. Maybe the new therapist God will send us is someone who needs to be in our home to rub shoulders with Christians.

Looking at it from the perspective of eternity, this is just the closing of one chapter and the opening of another. I wonder what the Author has in mind next?