I’ve got lots of things to share in this update! First off, thank you so much for your prayers concerning Tomo and I acquiring our Japanese Driver’s licenses. As of last week both of us have passed all the tests and received our official Japanese Driver’s licenses. My brother and his wife (Tomo’s sister) were going through the process at the same time, so often we would go to the testing center together and all try to pass the road test. In the end the four of us failed a total of 11 times before passing. I had the best record, managing to pass on my third attempt. As small of an accomplishment as this was, it marks yet another milestone on this journey; we’re here for the long term, and little by little we’re starting to belong to this place and these people. As the Apostle Paul sought to become all things to all people, we strive to become like the Japanese all around us (easier for Tomo than me), in order that by God’s grace we might present the Gospel without any distractions to the hundreds of thousands all around us who have never heard it.
Another huge part of that is language learning. Mid March will see the end of my first complete school year attending full time language school here in Morioka. I’ve come a long way from not being able to speak or read or write at all, but still have a long ways to go before I can adequately communicate the message of the Gospel to those around us. March 13-14 I’ll be taking my final exams, and would appreciate prayer, that I would do well, and be able to integrate all the vocabulary and concepts I’ve been learning this term into my mind. While I’ve made a lot of progress in catching up to the rest of my class, I’m still struggling in a number of areas, and the workload to keep up.catch up is pretty intense. Despite all this I continue to marvel at how far God has brought me, and am pretty well satisfied with the progress that I’ve made so far.
March 11th will mark the third anniversary of the Earthquake and Tsunami. While some of those who lost homes in the disaster have begun to find permanent ones, the vast majority are still living in temporary housing. Some estimate it may take another 5 years before permanent housing is found for all the survivors. Japan has one of the highest suicide rates in the world, and as each anniversary draws near, suicides among temporary housing residents increases. One staff member who goes to our church recently went to visit an elderly lady that she had befriended, only to find that she was in the hospital, having survived a suicide attempt. Pray that those who are losing hope will be led to Christ, and to an eternal, everlasting hope that shines even in the darkest of times.
There are many other things to share, but they’ll have to wait for future updates. Thank you for your prayers. Recently we have been very busy, and somewhat exhausted. Please pray for God’s strength and peace, and for effective management of the limited time that we have, that we might use it most effectively to the praise of God’s glory.
