Dear Ones,
"Bless the Lord, O my soul!" The Spirit of the living God is at work in this nation! We are witnesses to that!
Babies and more babies! Babies in the church and babies in the family! In January last year, a dying man, the husband of one of our members, proclaimed his faith in Jesus and was born again just hours before he was ushered into Heaven to meet Him face to face!
In the spring, a woman who had been searching for salvation for many years, whom we met through her interest in English, and who had come to realize there is no other name than Jesus whereby we must be saved, received baptism. She dreaded having appear before the congregation, but her testimony was sweet and powerful, a blessing to all.
Then to close the year 2015, our son David, and his wife, Amy, claimed God's promise to be God to them and to their infant daughter, Alisa Rei, and presented her for baptism. They had moved back to Japan in May, and Alisa was born in July in Tokyo. The day after Alisa was born, Amy developed the HELLP Syndrome and had to be rushed to another hospital. It was a frightening occurrence, but she recovered with skillful care. "Bless the Lord...Who healeth all thy diseases."
How we yearn for our Japanese friends to know the love of God in church and family. Therefore we make many opportunities to share that love in word and deed. Besides weekly Bible studies and English lessons, Sunday School and worship, seasonal celebrations bring many non-Christians into our homes and church.
In April children and their parents came to hear the Resurrection story and sing and play. Many Christians in this country first heard the story of Jesus at a children's event, and remember it all their lives.
In July a mother-daughter team in our church, Shio and Aiko Akiho, produced an outstanding three-day VBS "Prince of Egypt", complete with a baby in the bulrushes, a "burning" bush, and a hallway "sea" that parted! They also wrote and illustrated a three-part card story. The first day we tried something new: a sleep-over following bowling, dinner in a restaurant, and bathing at a spa! We are hoping to do that again!
In the fall we held a bazaar to support Nozomi Center, a relief ministry begun after the tsunami four years ago. While this is not an evangelistic opportunity, it is a chance for friends and relatives to observe the sacrificial love of the church. The members work hard and long all year just to give away whatever money they can raise. And they love doing it!
Christmas is the whole world's favorite holiday, so Christians in Japan finally have the upper hand. Family and friends who have turned a deaf---or too busy---ear all year are finally ready to listen! And, boy, have we got a story! “God made us and loved us so much that when we turned away, He wouldn't let go. He sent His precious, irresistible, only Son to forgive our sins and make sure we would live with Him forever." Please, please pray that the Japanese people would believe that!
During this eventful year, thanks to the generosity of thoughtful friends, Kaz and Katie were able to go to NY tin August to see James, Tami, Samuel and Anna, Megumi, Jason and Kaila, and Emi. Katie and Emi also got to go to NC for three days to visit Margie and Gwladys and her brood from TX.
Back to the "Babies" theme. Morris and Yuki's Baby Boy is due any day now! Grammy Katie will go to Tokyo Wednesday to stand by with open arms day or night for two weeks. (Then Yuki's mother will come have a turn.) One of the sweetest experiences of my life is when a baby is held out to me so the parents can get a bit of undisturbed sleep, while baby and I do our bonding.
Then in April, Megumi and Jason will present their Kaila, now eight years old, with a little brother or sister. This has been a long-awaited child! And Grammy will be called for again. I plan to be in NY from mid-May to mid-June. Kaz announced a "Yaegashi Baby Rush!"2016, what is in store? "As for man his days are as grass...but the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting...and His righteousness unto children's children. Bless the Lord, O my soul!"
(Psalm 103:1, 3, 15, 17)
Our love to every one of you,
Kaz and Katie Yaegashi