Rebuilding Japan

Well to be honest with you I really have no idea what to write right now? I am sitting atop my bunk bed, in our military style tent in the small town of TOME, Japan.  We arrived on Wednesday and were able to work on a couple different projects that the crew that is based here was having trouble finishing. Just like when we were serving in Liberia, we have chosen to partner with Samaritan's Purse International Relief again here in Japan and their effort to rebuild homes and lives, but most importantly the church of Jesus Christ.
Yesterday we were able to spend some time with Matt Swenson who is the country director for SP here in Japan and he once again shared with us how the country as a whole is less than 1% Christian.  That is hard for us to imagine, and I know that even in all my travels I have not encountered another culture where the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not readily available. When Matt sent us his invitation to come just a few weeks ago he included that same stat but at the time it really didn't sink in, but now that we have put names to faces and have seen it, smelled it, touched it, stepped in it, Japan and it's need for Jesus Christ is very real!
We so much appreciate your prayers while we are serving here. SP has a great foothold in this country, but we are all confident that the enemy hates what we are doing and will try to any degree to discourage and defeat us.  However, we KNOW that we have nothing to fear and that we will be here for as long as God allows and that He is the ultimate authority in our lives and in this country.  Nothing has, is happening, or will happen a part from His allowing it to happen.
This trip has been hard for me to be a part from Meg.  Not because of what you might think. It goes without saying that I miss her, she's my wife! I love her more than anything.  But I am aware of my responsibility as a husband and also a Father.  The kids are getting older and with each day they develop their own personalities and characters and I don't want to miss that time.  I know that Meg is getting weary from the fights as she tries her best to teach and instruct and train the kids in the way that they should go and I don't want her to do it alone.  It is really hard to not be distracted by that.  I think that is a good thing though.  I don't want to be comfortable in this life and especially in my relationship with Jesus Christ.  I am in love with Him and I want to follow Him above all else.  I am confident that it is only then that I will be the husband and father that He needs me to be and that they need me to be.  So pray that I am that way, not than God brings us home sooner or anything selfish like that, but just that we seek & love Him with all our hearts, soul, mind, and strength.
I am hoping to write more often on this project because......well.......there really isn't anything else to do in our spare time! Seriously though, I believe that this is something that the Lord wants for me to do and I want to share with you what He is doing.

May the name of Jesus Christ be lifted High!Pictures of Steppin Out in Japan

Let us not grow weary...

“And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those who are of the household of faith.” 

Galatians 6:9,10

 We pray that this letter finds you filled with joy and endurance in the work the Lord has given you!  We know that you are in the trenches day after day as you seek to honor him in the monotony (or craziness) of life.  Know that you are on our hearts as you run the race!  It has been increasingly obvious to us that the enemy seeks to devour our inner most being when we are walking in the Spirit. His blows can seem crushing and cause our hearts to grow weary.  How we long for the day of Christ’s return when we won’t have to battle this flesh anymore!  However, we know the One who has conquered it all. No, those battles will never cease while we are on this earth, but our mighty God has us here for a purpose and will see us through in HIS MIGHT!  So we pray for you, we pray for your eyes to see truth, we pray that your view of self and of God are not skewed by the enemy, we pray that you are refreshed daily by His incomprehensible comfort,  and above all we pray that His glory shines so brightly through you. We are honored to serve along side of you our brothers and sisters...do not grow weary!

The boys helping daddy whenever possible

We have again been very blessed in the work God has given us since our last update. This spring we spent 6 weeks at Camp Echoing Hills in Warsaw, Ohio.  The camp is dedicated to “creating opportunities for individuals with special needs to know and experience Jesus Christ while gaining self-esteem, self-awareness and independence...” The project goal was to finish necessary updates to cabins so that ministry could begin this summer. The project list grew as we dug into rotted floors joists and realized this would be a complete renovation. However the Lord grew our faith as we watched Him provide over and over.   We had nearly 50 volunteers give their time for this project, many of whom we had no idea were coming but the Lord just kept bringing exactly who He needed at exactly the right time.  We again can give all glory to Him for His provision to complete the project above and beyond expectation!  We were also blessed to actually be together as a family for the duration of this project also! God again showed His strength as Meg was able to care for the teams and our children fell in love with their surroundings and never grew weary of the new environment.  

Elsie keeping buys while mommy cooks team meals

Joel is currently on a 3 week blitz of two other camp projects preparing them for the summer. He, John Corley, Jared Stutzman and Syl Yoder are now at Camp Burton in Ohio doing cabin updates and will soon be heading to Camp Barakel in Michigan for major HVAC work in their kitchen.   Each of these places lack the funds or skills needed for this work, so we praise God that he has given Steppin-Out the call and ability to meet their needs. This frees these ministries up to concentrate on building God’s kingdom as they have been called! Pray for this work and for all of these great ministries to be mighty tools in the Father’s hands! 

WHAT’S NEXT? Well we have a huge amount of needs being brought before us…

·         We hope to return to Camp Grace in Georgia to build a lodge so that their ministry reach can be increased.  This is a huge task in which we are excited to see God’s provision yet again.  If the Lord allows, we will be heading down sometime near summer’s end to begin this project.

·         OF IMMEDIATE ATTENTION! We continue to be contacted about relief efforts to the devastation in the south.  It seems obvious that the Lord is directing our paths to meet these needs. Here is what SOM is asking of you our partners…

o Perhaps you know of someone or a church in the affected area that needs assistance?

o Do you want to be on a team for disaster response? (We would like to begin scheduling teams for an Alabama project the first week of June and continue through July and most of August.)

o Does your church want to come as a team and have Steppin-Out host your group?

o Can we count on your help financially?  (You can now give online at our website www.somissions.com!)

Faith showing the guys how it's done!

  We will continue to give you updates as we are informed of specific needs and more details are finalized. In the mean time however and as we end this update, we call on you to commit all of this to prayer!  How might you be involved in meeting the needs of those hurting so near to us?  Also pray that Steppin-Out is sensitive to God’s leading in making preparations…we can only be of any eternal worth if we are following Him.  Again, we hope with all that is in us that you do not “grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” We thank you for partnering with us in this ministry as we could not do it without Christ’s body working together!