Dear Friends and Loved Ones – It’s Thursday morning, July 28th, 5:50AM. I have a few minutes to share some thoughts with you before our 6:30AM prayer meeting. We formed our mission team back in March and have spent four months preparing for the EEC program here in Sendai and today is already the last day. There is happiness in how well the program has gone, yet I feel an ache in my heart knowing this is the last day with the children we just met two days ago, and that most of the volunteers will be leaving us to return to their homes and to the seminary an hour after the children have gone home. Sensei, the seminary students, Masa and Miki have become an integral part of our mission team – and their departure will create a hole in our team. Masa is a 67 year old accountant who heard about the mission from a notice his church received from Nakada-sensei of the Sendai church. He has never worked with children in a formal setting before, but was drawn to the opportunity to serve at EEC. His kind nature and loving heart made him very useful in serving with a rambunctious group of fifth grade children. He will return home where he and his wife will host a student from the Caribbean for a week. Miki is an 18 year old graphic arts student whose talents are evident in posters around the camp. A quiet young lady, she has led the youngest group of campers. Her kindness and enthusiasm have encouraged the young children to participate wholeheartedly in the many activities of camp. The three young seminary students will make wonderful pastors and servants for God in the near future. We got just a glimpse of their knowledge, leadership, and musical talents – all very considerable. But it is the loving hearts God has placed inside of them that I think will be their greatest strengths. Sensei is a pastor in Tokyo, and Tsuguru is doing an internship there through the school he is attending. Sensei is a very strong leader with a soft heart and loving nature. He is very knowledgeable and has a great singing voice. In my opinion, God will use him to do many great things in his lifetime. This is just a quick thumbnail sketch of the volunteers from Japan who have been a part of our mission team. I wish we had more time to spend with them and could have gotten to know them even better. The day will come, though, when we will be united forever in God’s presence. I look forward to that day with great anticipation. It’s time for me to leave now for the prayer meeting. God be with you and guard and protect you. Thank you once again for your prayers. We have been so richly blessed thanks to you. Love, Don
p.s. - I want to apologize for not including photos with the last few entries. We've been very busy and I haven't been able to download the photos from my camera. Also, we don't have wi-fi in the community center where the men sleep - only in the church. So, it's been difficult to do all I want. I will include some photos soon now that EEC is over.
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