Delicious December

Dear community,

Decorating our tiny tree!

Last night, chatting with my sister-in-law at her cabin, we remembered Eri. We talked about the precious women and men, like Eri, who surround our children, speaking truth into their lives and loving them for who they are. We are grateful. We miss her.

Today, the brink of the new year, Ryan and I look back to remember the rich heritage that surrounds us, and we look forward with "bright hope for tomorrow." Thanks for praying us this far! We're so excited about what is to come.

We slipped from a warm cabin early this morning to watch the sun over a snow-covered beach in Sendai, northern Japan. The beach-snow tracked with many footsteps of others who came at dawn - the first sunrise of the new year is a sacred beauty in Japan. We give thanks for the beauty of the sunrise, the many blessings of the year past - the gift of our delightful new daughter, the life of our friend Eri, the rich visits with friends and family, the warmth of our home and table, and the restoration that our beach retreat affords. Now, we return to our Tokyo life, refreshed and ready to engage again.

During advent, one of our pastors spoke about the role of the magi. Recalling the advent story: the shepherds witnessed a stunning angelic miracle, dropped sheep and dignity and ran whole-heartedly to see Jesus for themselves, and then proclaim to the neighborhood their news. The magi, on the other hand, perused and researched for years to recognize patterns in the stars; traveled slowly, a great distance, with gifts in hand, and then returned home to further ponder their encounter with Jesus.

"Birthday Party for Jesus" outreach at our church

Japanese, in our pastor's experience, and in ours, tend to be magi rather than shepherds. Rather than the rough, eager enthusiasm of a shepherd, we see our friends and neighbors pursue a life-long encounter with the Messiah slowly, with much thought and research. More apt to ponder in their hearts than to broadcast joy to the neighborhood.


Prone to introversion ourselves, we understand this perusal. We are here, in Japan, for the long haul, to ponder with the magi. Although we welcome the shepherds with their contagious exuberance, we expect that our journey toward Messiah, across deserts and cultures, will take many years, filled with much study and contemplation.