A glimpse of August

Dear community,

For this month, I want to share a talk I wrote for a kid's sermon this summer. The target audience was this lively little group of individuals you see pictured below, but I felt it connected well with adults too. It's longer than what I usually compose here, so I won't feel bad if you skim. In a beautiful connection, this chapel is where Ryan and I got married nine years ago! 

The text is Psalm 27, primarily verse 4: "One thing I ask from the LORD, this only do I seek: that I may dwell in the house of the LORD all the days of my life, to gaze on the beauty of the LORD and to seek him in his temple."

photo credit: Phil Foxwell

. . .

hi, i’m happy to see you all! today we’re talking about two ideas. these ideas are actually things that i think you guys are really good at and adults like me have a hard time with. 

so i’m going to tell you the two things and remind you that you are really good at them, and then ask you to help the adults in your life do a better job with these two ideas. 

so here’s the first idea: dwell. 

the first part of today’s verse says: that i may dwell in God’s house

what does dwell mean? to stay, to linger, to move in for a long, slow time. here at Takayama, we each have a place where we dwell for a week or so. but one of the great things, i think, is that we are all neighbors. a lot of days, some of you have come over to my house, and come in to play. it’s great, and i love welcoming friends into my house. 

and when you come in, you do the next word: inquire

the next verse says, inquire of God . . .

what does inquire mean? it means to ask a question. usually, that’s the first thing someone does when they come to my house. they might first say, “hi!” but they usually also say, “what are you guys up to?” and then we say, “hey, come on in!” 

can i tell you something? God loves it when you say that to him: “hey, God? can I come in?” God will always say, “yes! I’m expecting you!”

then there’s another question that a lot of you ask, that God also loves: “what are you doing? can i help?” God loves this. My kids always ask me this, and i try to let them help, even when it gets really messy. and you know? God is just the same way; God loves to have your help even when it gets extra messy. 

here’s another way some of you inquire when you come to my house: i’m hungry! (that’s not really a question is it). what you mean is, do you have any food for me? this is one of God’s favorite questions i think. when you go to God’s house, there is always lots and lots of good food, and always enough to share. 

and here’s one last question; no one has asked me this so far this week, but it happens sometimes. actually, the guy, David, we’re reading about today, this was probably his biggest question: I need help! I’m scared, can i hide here? this is a very important question that you should always ask when you need. God’s house is always a place to hide.

now, what were our two words? dwell, and inquire. as kids, you are very good at dwelling, at coming into a place, making it your own and relaxing there. and you are very good at asking important questions like, “can i help?” and “do you have food for me?” and “can i hide here for a while?” adults are not so good at asking these questions. adults feel like maybe they’re in the way or being a bother. and adults feel like they shouldn’t ask too many questions otherwise people will be annoyed. 

so here’s the thing: when adults are in charge, sometimes what we call God’s house gets a little weird. you have to be really quiet all the time, and sit really still and not move around for a really long time, and there aren’t usually snacks, or at least not very good ones. but you guys know, that’s quite what God has in mind. God likes to hear our voices, and God likes when we’re energetic and asking how we can help with his plans. and God likes when we have good things to eat. 

today’ we’ll try to make God’s house a little more like God likes it. I have a snack for you! just a little something, but it’s to remind you that you should always come over to God’s house and move in there, and you will always be fed! 

July journeys

Star festival wishes outside pre-school

Legend has it that early July is the clearest night of the year in Tokyo, making the stars most bright and beautiful. The best time to “wish upon a star.” So each child makes a star wish or two and hangs it on a bamboo branch. Our wishes included “wanting to be a mother when I grow up,” “wanting a pet kitten” and “wanting to be friends with Shun forever.” The spirit world, and religiousness, is alive and well in Japan. Everything has a spirit and a presence, from the bubbling spring feeding the river in our neighborhood to the doorway entering a home. 

Last day before summer break!

Respect for these spirits, these presences feels inherent to Japanese culture. Yet, the spirits are often ends in themselves, and wishes hang limply in the air, like faded paper on a crispy dried out bamboo stem cut from the roots. Please pray for us as we use this wishing season to connect our friends to the true Root, the source of all hope and the Maker of the stars.

Join us on our knees:

Cousins!

• Our mom’s open house time is gaining momentum! We’re so excited to have a steady core group of attendees and a strong camaraderie in the women hosting. Please pray for open hearts, healthy hosts (feels like many of our kids get sick right around these open houses, and we don’t think its a coincidence), and courage to speak and live transparently in our community. 
• Our community project is moving forward! Two local churches are dreaming up a partnership to create a new program for moms, kids and families in our city. Please pray for unity among team members, for a shared vision, for committed volunteers, and for God’s glory as we create a safe, welcome space. Our step this month is to gather families from each church willing to commit to hosting the opening event. 
• Ryan’s summer work is going smoothly and safely, and we’re so thankful for the extra work opportunities!  



Elementary school friends reunited!

• Thanks to the astounding generosity of our family, we were able to travel to the US for a quick trip and see some of you, and witness our sweet cousin marry her sweetheart and kindred spirit. We’re grateful for the opportunity to connect with our home sending church and a handful of cousins. 

June joys

Birthday camp-out / rice planting crew

Birthdays, anniversaries, end of the CAJ school year, rice planting, with a dose of heavy construction, rainy season, plumbing issues, topped off by several Fuji climbing trips and lots and lots of coffee!

Moms waiting pick up

Throughout this month, I've been savoring a phrase from a sermon preached by my childhood home church (Lookout Mountain Presbyterian) together with the text from the sermon series at my local church, (Kurume Bible Fellowship): "God is determined to build dependence in his people by giving them more than they can handle . . . He will give you more than you can handle so that you will run to him." Colluded in comfort with: "Be relaxed with what you have. Since God assured us, 'I will never let you down, never walk off and leave you"  . . . . So, let's go outside, where Jesus is, where the action is. . . . God takes particular pleasure in acts of worship - a different kind of "sacrifice" - that take place in kitchen and workplace and on the streets." (Heb 13:5; 13:13, 16, The Message)

I've had moment after moment of I can't do this! followed by run to me! And we've run, repented and we've gone outside to worship around the coffee mugs, on the front porches, squinting in the sawdust of our construction-site-home.

We run to Jesus with our joys and griefs:
- I've mentioned for several months, our neighbor's 6th grade grandson is in the grip of brain cancer. As I type, I can hear his little sister, who has moved in with her grandparents, shouting and laughing next door. I'm grateful that our neighbor has connected with a cancer research physician who attends our church  and hosts "cancer philosophy clinics" - please pray for fruitful conversation and counseling and for healing of this boy's body and his family's hearts!

Another beam in!

- In order to help fund our summer travels and supplement our overall budget, Ryan lined up a full summer of part-time work. Each job is physically draining (guiding visitors up mountains, house renovation and furniture repair) and often takes him away from his family. Please pray for his ongoing safety, and rest, and that our trip to the states would be restful, as he is briefly away from his summer jobs.

Nap time at coffee open house

- Fellowship and communion with neighborhood moms remains one of the greatest joys and challenges of my daily life. Seven Christian moms who are connected with our local pre-school meet regularly to pray and host an open house coffee time for other moms. The conversations are rich and full. Please pray for honesty, trust, and community.

 - And . . . . exciting development! - 

Through the astounding generosity of some family members, we're able to make a quick, unexpected trip to Georgia this summer! A close cousin is getting married, and we are so grateful to be able to be present and celebrate in person with them! This also means we will have a few days to spend with some of you! If you are in the GA/TN area between July 8 and 18, and have time to connect, please let us know!

Merry May

It's that moment when you realize that - although your kids are laughing as they race with the crowd of little boys around the park - what the little boys are yelling at your kids is "obake!" ”ghost!" And the surrounding crowd of moms continues chatting away peacefully.

And of course because your kids are ghostly blond compared to the others, you feel it deep inside, even though you know its just that the little boys don't really know any better. And although your kids are laughing, you wonder - do they feel it deep inside too? That twinge that, really, "Friends, this world is not your home, so don't make yourselves cozy in it. Don't indulge your ego at the expense of your soul. Live an exemplary life among the natives so that your actions will refute their prejudices. Then they'll be won over to God's side and be there to join in the celebration when he arrives." (1 Peter 2:11-12, MSG)

Guys, so much beautiful good happened this month! Seniors at CAJ stood in front of their community and talked about how to support education for special needs students in Thailand, how to understand true biblical masculinity; topics they chose, researched for a year, and present a biblical response to. Student leadership took time away from the regular school week to retreat, plan, and ask questions like, what does it mean to be a Christian student at CAJ? What values should student leadership embody at CAJ? Local moms met over coffee cups to discuss child raising, marriage, culture, and adoption (a very stigmatized and unpopular practice in Japan). And we met on our knees to pour over our school, our classrooms, and our families.

Please join us on our knees!
- For our graduates: Friday, June 3 is CAJ's graduation ceremony. Please pray for students as they leave this stage of life and begin their next set of joys and challenges!
- For our school community: On the first Friday of each month, moms gather to pray for our school and community. On the third Friday of each month, we're inviting the whole school over (122 moms) for an open house to chat and get to know each other. Please pray for the conversations and relationships!
- For our students: Tokyo schools received two anonymous bomb (and thankfully harmless!) threats this month. Please pray for wisdom in school leadership and local police. Please pray for healing in the heart of the person sending these threats. Please pray for safety for our students!
- For our relationships and finances: We're so grateful to see God's specific blessing in several specific relational and financial challenges this month. Join us in giving thanks, and please pray that we will continue to serve generously as we have been blessed.

Actually April

On our fridge

“I really want to explain this to my family; when I try to tell even my husband about it, he doesn’t really understand.” Her hands dance as she wrestles with careful English and occasional Japanese. She is studying the use of light and dark in therapeutic and medicinal art, as a diagnostic tool for various illnesses. Now she’s wrapping up her final paper and asked for help polishing her English. “Light is fullness and energy; it is what brings life and joy. Darkness - solid matter like food, this table, our coffee mugs - is also needed, to help balance.” Isn’t this already a part of Zen culture, I asked, the balance of light and dark? “No, no; the light in Zen is empty, nothingness. The light I am talking about, that I want to bring to my family - it is bright and energized; it is full of joy!” I was silenced. Here is Love himself, the brightest of all lights, the deepest of all gentle, nurturing darks, finding us in this small coffee shop. Please join me in praying that Etsuko would find the Light, as I meet with her weekly to discuss light, darkness, and truth. 

Chopping wood
with the neighbors

We knew our neighborhood was quiet, calm and settled when we moved in six months ago today! We knew we would make quite a splash, with our three small ones, dog, cat and loud foreign ways. Our reception has been mixed. Our closest friend, just across the kitchen window, is a delightful, energetic retired couple. She marches out at 6 AM in red track suits for morning stretching time in the park. He briskly sweeps the street daily, picking up each fallen petal and leaf with care. She runs over with a bamboo shoot to serve my visiting relatives, with detailed instructions about how to properly cook it. And runs out in the dark, as I see off our evening guests, to chat about the day’s hospital visit. Her 6th grade grandson is dying of brain cancer; she asked us to pray. He had a very close call last weekend, and then made it through, so she told me she believes the prayers are working. Please join us in praying for this sweet family. 

The best part of teaching - one of many best parts - is when you get to see the epiphanies, the internalization, the ownership of new ideas. Last month, Ryan lead senior teachers and students on the annual trip to Northern Thailand. Students are often invited to return, to intern at the training center we visit, and continue helping out in local schools. Two of our graduating women are returning to Northern Thailand! We are so excited to support and encourage them! Would you consider supporting and encouraging these two young women? Please visit their website!

They outnumber us!

Because our supporting network is organic and small, I know and think of each of you as I write each month. Please know how grateful we are for each of your thoughts and prayers. You sustain and encourage us. Thank you. Thank you!

Oh my, March!

How, when the aged are reverently, passionately waiting

For the miraculous birth, there always must be

Children who did not specially want it to happen, skating

On a pond at the edge of the wood

from Auden’s "Musee des Beaux Arts"

Being raised half of my life in the American South, I got used to life sprinkled with a quasi-spiritual dusting, in the “God bless America” and “Lord have mercy” kind of way. The Judaeo-Christian culture is deep set in the southern Bible belt. Here, where I spend the other half of my life, the daily is marked by very different rhythms. Stopping to remember Easter is a radical act. 

Easter morning baptism for our sweet friend Emma!

At Easter morning sunrise, painting vans showed up at 5:59AM at the shop across our street to pack and load, and zip away by 6:20. As I hastily mixed easter cake for our lunch crowd. Skill saws screech from beyond the park where a new neighborhood is going up, as I hang my laundry and ready the house for family and friends.  

It’s not like Jesus was born into a "bible-belt" culture either, really. The world didn’t stop to celebrate his resurrection. Re-birth quietly slipped in, like tulips uncurling one petal at a time. Morning traffic picks up. Dogs bark, kids jostle and fight for space in front of the heater. And the Son of God opens his eyes, for the second miraculous time.

Ryan with a rescued child soldier turned friend

Praise: We’re grateful for a safe and successful trip to northern Thailand for Ryan and the senior class at CAJ. Students put learning into action by building a foundation for a handicapped school and playing with local elementary kids. Ryan was able to meet with the girl we’ve been sponsoring for the past few years, Neung. She is entering university and wants to study to become a nurse to work at her local hospital. We’re so pleased to be able to encourage her through to higher education! 

Prayer: please pray that the learning and connections students made on this trip will transfer back into the classrooms at CAJ and into their hearts. We left funds to help finish the project; please pray that the construction of the handicapped center would continue smoothly.  

Praise: After three months of conversation and planning, a proposal is beginning to take shape for a major project, in collaboration with two local churches. We’re so excited to begin a new ministry to families and needy individuals in our community. Our dream is to open a “kids cafeteria” (think the local soup kitchen, but cozy at grandma’s house), where anyone is welcome to come and eat a meal together, and everyone helps to prepare the meal, and hang out through the day. 

Prayer: As I approach this new project, I am overwhelmed with a need for humility in cross-cultural leadership, and grace and gentleness to truly help those who are hurting in our city. Please pray for humility, grace and gentleness!

Ceiling work with the neighborhood crew

Grandpa came!

Praise: We’re so grateful to be settled into our new house, and that our kids have had their healthiest winter yet! (we were concerned that our previous house had “sick house” syndrome, which leaks chemicals like formaldehyde into the air, causing many breathing problems)

Prayer: We’re doing our own renovation on the house to help improve the insulation and clean the air. Please pray for us as we juggle our various jobs and responsibilities. 

February fast forward

"What do you mean I have to connect the resurrection of Christ to water scarcity in Zimbabwe??" A lot of big ideas coalesce (collide?) in February for CAJ seniors. After more than a year of individualized research, intense conversations with teachers and classmates, hinged on a core question, seniors do the complicated work of connecting their sense of the story of scripture (creation, fall, redemption and restoration) to their chosen issue (water scarcity in Zimbabwe, teenage depression, gaming addiction, etc). 

Visiting Edo period museum (we're inside!)

And March is when it all becomes hands-on. Students have saved and studied for the past four years for a ministry trip to northern Thailand, where they will work with a local hill tribe school. This year's project is helping to build a foundation for a handicapped school. This is the first school of its kind in the area; a much needed resource! Together with the senior class teachers, Ryan has authored much of the curriculum preparing for and experienced on this trip. Please pray for safety, and rich learning as students culminate their four years of learning about stewarding, collaborating, leading and following. 

I mentioned last month that I'm working on a three month research project for my church, which takes me to coffee chats, shared lunches and church fellowship halls. What intense, beautiful, shoulder-bending work is going on in our city. The stream rushes by as I listen to stories - the boy who goes home every day to an empty house, the pregnant teenage girl making the agonizing choice between giving her baby up for adoption or going it alone as a single mom, the family struggling between yes and no when yet another needy mouth shows up at the doorstep, asking for a place to stay; I pray for humility to listen well and ask before planning where to jump in. And yet, I've got a big dream percolating, the kind that I catch myself daydreaming about and realize my arms are all goosebumps. Feels like waiting for another baby to be born. Please pray for humility to listen and learn before I speak or suggest. Please pray for wisdom as I collect ideas and present them to my church council at the end of March. 

Firewood for next winter!

For those on the Japanese school calendar, March is the end of the school year, and a brief spring holiday, with the new school year beginning with April's blooming cherry blossoms. Please pray for the smooth end to this year, and a joyful start to the next year.

And sometimes you find them like this. . .