Dear Friends and Family,
In last month’s eUpdate we enjoyed so much being able to share about our time in Mongolia—16 days and 3 major events. This is just one of the things that has made this year so different from others. That is, we have been involved in one major activity after another, which has kept us from any kind of a constant routine day-to-day, month-to- month way of life. This issue highlights the stress that has been with us in seeing Kansai Christian School through these months. This even involved a special trip to the bank to explain some of the change in finances involved, and now we are trying to focus on the preparations needed for ICOM and being away from Japan for virtually the whole month of November.
With the celebration of my birthday noted, questions of our continuance in Japan without thought of retirement would be natural, but retirement for Kingdom servants is not natural. Rather, acknowledging aging, changing pace is a matter of course. Both our lives of ministry have intensified with Rickie’s responsibilities at KCS and my preaching regularly. As some have been quick to note, we have come into a special time of ministry for our aging, and we appreciate especially those who continue to support us in these times. Presently we are the senior missionary couple of our congregations in Japan. Only one single missionary is older than me.
The International Conference on Missions (ICOM), Japan now having been made the featured country, in concert with our OBS 80thAnniversary, takes on a special significance. My calling has been seen to link the missionary and post-war OBS leadership with the post-war-born leadership. With the 80th Anniversary the post-war-born leadership is now well emplaced, seeing a growing student body and a growing significance with the Church in Japan. Introducing Brother Kishimoto on the convention stage will give him the opportunity to express the gratitude of the Japanese congregations to American Christians for their prayers for the evangelization of Japan, for their support of OBS and signifying this change of times for Japan. It will always remain a Kingdom matter to continue support of OBS.
Aside from ICOM we will be representing OBS at the Millersburg congregation in Ohio and we will participate in Cornerstone’s Missions Sunday in the Indianapolis area which is a personal supporting congregation. In a more mundane way of speaking, Rickie will be renewing her Missouri driver’s license while we visit three grandchildren (and their parents) in Columbia, MO (hoping that another grandson might arrive with his parents from Raleigh, NC), and we will be spending Thanksgiving with another grandson (and his dad) in California on our way back to Japan. We will also get to visit our granddaughter from Japan at her college in Illinois.
P.S. When we visited Brother Ganhuleg (pictured in our last update) and family in his home a couple times ago in Mongolia, he insisted we bring back a similar 16” Chinggiss Khaan soldier which his brother had created. The one pictured in this eUpdate, as noted, was specially created for the 20th Anniversary of the Centurions Ministry–an eagle on the arm and a cross on the shield. Several of us who were recognized for our work with Centurions Ministry were presented with this special gift.