One of the most satisfying opportunities we have had in Yamagata has been to be foster parents. To be allowed to shelter little folks who had nowhere else to go, seemed to use the resources and gifts God had given us, besides adding to the sugar and spice, snakes and snails of the five blessings born here.
Twenty-eight years ago, after lots of effort and frustration, we were contacted by the welfare department and asked to take care of a five-year-old. Although he lived in an orphanage, he came to us on holidays and special occasions. Having to take him back, each time was so hard on all of us, I realized that even though he called us "Mother" and "Father", I had to think of him as our nephew: We were eager for his visits. When he was here we were responsible for him, teaching him about the Lord Jesus, praying with and for him, feeding him, comforting him, playing with him, but when the time came, he had to leave to leave...just like my brother's children. We kept that routine until he graduated from high school and got a job. He is now 34 and living in another city. We haven't heard from him for two years.
Our next boy came when he was two! I will never forget looking out the window the day he arrived and feeling my heart melt. What a precious child! The welfare department apologized for asking us to keep another boy while we had the first one with us (It was Christmas time.), but I said we were delighted. I told her, "Christmas is the story of a baby who needed a place to stay!" That child had a devoted father, but the mother had kicked them out when the baby was born．The father needed help over the holidays when he had to work all night sometimes. We kept the little boy three weeks then, and later three months when the father had a traffic accident. Off and on through the years, for birthdays and other fun times, they would come and visit. But now the boy is an adult, and we haven't had contact for several years.
The third boy, Hirotaka, came to us in 2005 when he was 15. He lived with us and went to night school not far from here. We still see him now and then. He seems interested in Christianity, but works on Sunday, and doesn't come to church. He does come to see us from time to time. For example, he came to help shovel the snow last winter. And we are hoping he can come this week to celebrate his 27th birthday.
Well, He came! We celebrated his 27th birthday!
This shows you a bit of what life in Yamagata is like in many relationships, school, neighborhood, even church. We are available when people are in need. They are willing to listen when we tell them about a Heavenly Father Who gave His Son to be our Savior. But when the crisis passes, so does their interest in spiritual things. We are left with deep love and happy memories, but a longing to know we will meet again at Jesus' feet.
Please pray for these boys. We only had them for a little while here, but we pray that we will have them for eternity.
Kaz & Katie Yaegashi
Ministering at Yamagata Reformed Church