Reiko's Story

This is a cool story from the field in Japan about a fellow Asian Access missionary. I thought I'd pass it along as an encouragement to you all! Keep posted for more short biographical stories about other Asian Access missionaries serving in Japan.


A year ago, Reiko Tarui came to Japan on a short-term vision trip with Asian Access to see if God was calling her to serve here. Reiko was born and raised in Japan until she was 16, then her family moved to the States. There she married and had a family of her own, and through her husband, came to know Jesus Christ as her Savior and Lord. Since the passing of her husband, God has been using Reiko to minister to many in the States, but she felt a tug to return to Japan to share her joy in knowing Jesus. While Reiko was preparing to return to Japan, we [Asian Access staff in Japan] were working on the details of a mission conference. We chose Etajima, an island off Hiroshima, for the conference site because of its central and inexpensive location. Only when Reiko arrived in Japan to minister with Asian Access did we find out that Etajima is Reiko’s birthplace! During the conference, Reiko had the opportunity to meet with some cousins who still live on the island, who asked her “Is Jesus real?” God is amazing! We know that God uses us wherever He places us, but sometimes He brings us full circle to demonstrate His faithfulness 360 degrees!

35.26%

Here are the latest numbers:

Monthly Support: 35.26%
$1,127.50 raised
$3,197.43 needed

Start-up Expenses: over 100%
$14,678.00 raised
$12,250.27 needed

After spending 2 hours crunching numbers, I'm discovering why I am not an accountant!
And, why I am thankful to have Jason in my Asian Access family!!! Thanks a ton, Jason! I could never do this without you!

remembering HRC

This is my favorite picture ever taken of me. I was hosting a great group of high school kids at HoneyRock for their winter reatreat. I've been remembering HRC with a warm fuzzy feeling lately, which is a huge blessing. After having such an intense year there with so many heart breaking changes happening, I'm happy to look back with a smile. This picture summarizes a lot for me. I miss the snow!!!!

pumpkin patch

Mom treats all the grandkiddos to a pumpkin

Mom always told me I had a pumpkin grin.

Am I angry? Exhilarated? in pain? What's going on here?!

This is a pully system rigged up so that people can send a handful of goat food up to the goat. This particular goat appears to have stayed up here all day eating!
fun times in Nashville

beautiful fall colors.
The hills are amazing! I love it!

Auntie Millie

Here's a picture of part of my Asian Access family serving in Japan right now. Look at all those babies that are waiting for me to come play! I can't wait to be Auntie Millie to those cuties!

Please, please, please be praying for the rest of the month of October. My next deadline for reaching 85% of my monthly support is on November 3rd. We worship The God of Impossibilities and I'm waiting on Him still. Currently I have 35% ($1,127.50 raised) ($3,197.43 needed) so, it's a big leap.

There's also a possibility that I may go to Japan for a shorter time initially (6 months-1year) with the funds God has provided so far.

If you feel lead to do so, please tell your friends, family, and fellow church members about me and my need. I would love to add more people to my team!

Japanese Dad's re-live childhood

Taken from an email I received from a ministry in Japan:

"Many young fathers in Japan are finding themselves wrapped up in the 80's nostalgia, spending time with their children, as they recall their own youth with reissued plastic models, board games and radio-controlled cars.

The toy companies are helping the dads enthusiastically to relive their childhood.

Twenty-plus and thirty-plus dads are happy they can finally buy the collectors' items they could not afford during their childhood, and toy manufacturers are jumping on the trend, quickly reproducing the toys and taking the opportunity to make new customers of both the fathers and their children.

It was rare even for Bandai, the country's largest toymaker, to reissue hit toys aimed at men who were boys in the 80's, but that age group has turned out to be a boon for the toy manufacturers.

Many other companies jumped on the bandwagon and produced an array of toys with young fathers in mind. Husbands said their wives stopped nagging them because the toys allowed them to spend more time playing with their children!"

Source - Yomiuri Newspaper, 2005-11-20

Pretty interesting!

along the path

I keep pulling parables out of my visit to the Japanese garden.

Here's one from last night, between the waking and dreaming:


I mentioned before the deliberate-ness of the construction of the garden. Everything has a purpose and a hidden meaning. The path at one point in the garden was uneven, cut into the side of a hill. As I slowly walked from stone to stone, the sound of the waterfall grew louder and more powerful. I knew I was getting ready to see something wonderful. Can you imagine walking a path similar to this one in traditional Japanese geta (wooden sandals traditionally worn with kimono)?!

In thinking about God's sovereignty, I wonder if maybe the "path of life" is more like this picture than the paved interstate that we all want. We don't want pot-holes and we definitely want mileage markers and good signage, don't we! I wonder if God has instead placed us on a path that is meant to be traveled slowly and deliberately, with eyes wide open. We can walk this path one stone at a time, taking a breather if we need it on the way up and even stop every once in a while to listen and anticipate what's ahead.

Living with purpose. Deliberately. Thoughtfully.

The steps of the godly are directed by the LORD.

He delights in every detail of their lives.
Though they stumble, they will not fall,

for the LORD holds them by the hand.

Psalm 37:23-24, NLT

shejayemshe camp

Say it really fast and that's the way CJMC is pronounced by my Japanese friends. I'm posting pictures from our summer's family camp that I attended in July. This was a very significant outing for me because it helped me to get to know the church members a lot better. Please continue to pray for these relationships. My hope is that I will be able to share my vision and desire to go to Japan and that some would partner with me.

My favorite spot

Yummy Curry!!!

Many had never been horseback riding before. All faced the challenge head-on.

Mick leads worship with some assistance

The whole gang. See you next year!

a taste of Japan

As I promised, here are some pictures from the Anderson Japanese Garden in Rockford. If you are in the area, you should go before it closes for the winter on October 31st.

Here we are, crossing over the bridge to enter the garden. The gate behind our heads was made of cedar and smelled AMAZING!

Do you like my hat?

The Girls...

What am I looking at?

The Boys...

Mick (on the far right) is my Japanese tutor. We've been studying together for around 7 months now. He's very patient with my terrible pronunciation! He introduced me to the Japanese church where I worship on Sunday afternoons.

Beautiful! I felt like I was transported to Japan for a couple of hours.

Reminders

I just love it when God reminds me of my calling and gives me a boost of faith!! Today I went to an amazing Japanese garden in Rockford, IL (pictures hopefully to follow soon!). We had an impromptu tour guide in a staff member checking on the status of the Tea Room. She explained some of the intricacies of the room and the symbolism behind them.

This isn't a picture of the one we saw today but I want you to see the small door on the right hand side of the picture. Donna, from the garden today, explained the purpose of this door. In the time of the Samurai, there was tension between the Samurai class and the Merchant class. The Samurai were very proud and thought that the Merchant's manner of making money by profiting from other people was dishonorable. Someone came up with the idea of having tea in a room with the entrance being like the one you see here. When a person comes to this door, he must remove his shoes and sword (if a Samurai) and any other symbols of status, kneel in the entrance and crouch down low in a bowing position to enter. This creates a sense of humility. All who enter into this building are then created as equal and worthy to drink and ponder philosophical thoughts together.

I thought this was such a beautiful image! So many things in the Japanese culture are so precise and deliberate. Everything has a purpose. Because I'm a Christian, this idea of humility made me remember how we must gather around the Table that Christ has set before us. In communion, there is no room for pride. Christ extends his grace to ALL, despite our differences in class, race, or even our acknowledgement of Him. We are all welcome to kneel down and enter in humility to take that which he has given to us.

Beautiful...

Another reminder:
One of my new friends I was with today is named Kumiko. She is from Japan but has started her freshman year in a Chicago-area college. She is a young Christian and eager to learn. She told me that she has a hard time telling her friends about Jesus and inviting them to study the Bible or to church. Since the 1996 terrorist attack on the Tokyo subway by the Aum cult, many Japanese are reluctant to attend any type of religious service. In their misunderstanding of Christianity, they don't want to be part of any fanatical beliefs. (Think Waco, TX and poisoned Kool-aid type of fanaticism).

In my conversation with her, I was able to encourage her with my viewpoint and to be reminded of the challenges that Japanese Christians face everyday. God is giving me a glimpse of what type of ministry I'll be doing in Japan now. Even now I have many opportunities to serve Him and the Japanese here in the Chicago area!

An amazing day of remembering...