The Mobile Ministry Center has worked well for serving coffee on cold days & having meetings with other workers!  We parked the camper at an apartment complex where events for the day included a hot meal, kids Christmas program led by Be one Ministries, buying local vegetables, finding winter clothing & stopping for coffee where we could sit and chat & listen to people’s stories.  The hot coffee made in the camper & kerosene heater hooked up to a generator kept people warm on this cold, windy day! 

Finding a quiet place to meet in the midst of chaos can be a challenge.  We have enjoyed having meetings in the camper with Samaritans Purse church liaison workers.  We spend time planning follow-up visits, winter distribution & dedication services.  We enjoy sharing over lunch & great fellowship & prayer.  Of course, cell phones still interrupt!!

We continue the Wednesday afternoon coffee time at the Help Tohoku house.  We were able to share the true meaning of Christmas throughout the month of December.  A team from Seattle helped with great singing & sharing!  We explained the meaning of Christmas using the advent wreath.  Mrs. K who listened intently came up to Lorna after the Christmas eve drama saying, “I understand!  I understand now!  I didn’t fully understand before but now after hearing the explanation of the advent wreath and watching the drama, I understand!”  How exciting to experience Christmas with those who are hearing the story for the very first time! 

The earthquake and tsunami of March 11^th has brought a new opportunity to reach Japan.  Some have likened the current openness with the atmosphere after WWII.  Although there is once again an open door to reach Japan, the goal is not just the salvation of people and planting of individual churches, but the transformation of a community through a church planting movement.  This cannot happen in isolation.  The church needs to join hands together to make an impact.  The cooperation that has begun through relief efforts needs to continue.  We are excited about the cooperation happening in Ishinomaki with 8 different groups.  We meet monthly for prayer – believing that we must have a united heart before we can have a united vision.  We enjoyed a great cooperative Christmas Eve service!  There has been one planning meeting & another one scheduled for Jan. 12^th.  Please pray for God to unite us in such a way that all will know we are Christians by the love we have for one another.

We enjoy seeing Mrs. A & her husband each Saturday at our community time of coffee, snacks, bingo & hot lunch.  Her husband comes early to help us set up the tents.  Almost every week she brings us gifts of food or something that she has made such as jewelry or flowers.  She is teaching us about Ishinomaki and took us to a great place to see the Fall colors.  This summer, after waiting in line for a hot meal Mr. A gave me the meal he received.  It was a delicious Korean beef barbeque dish!  Please pray for God’s blessing on this family!

To deepen the relationships we’ve developed, we had a special Thanksgiving celebration in Ishinomaki.  Joan came to help Lorna cook 5 turkeys, which Andy happily hauled down the hill to the car by wheelbarrow!  The meal had all the trimmings including SUSHI which one of the neighborhood men brought for everyone to enjoy!  The program included a brief quiz about Thanksgiving, reading scripture together, special music & singing.  It was a great time to be thankful for all that God has done in the midst of tragedy!